Conference News

The Worm Project hosts second free international meal

May 22, 2009 by

Join the Worm Warriors at a free international meal hosted by The Worm Project on June 10 at 6 pm at the Franconia Heritage Restaurant (click here for directions). This is the second free meal the Worm Project has held at the Franconia Heritage Restaurant.

Come learn about how the Worm Project has expanded in the past few months, sending shipments to North Korea, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Burundi. Learn about amazing precedent Burundi is setting by reaching the entire country, children and adults, with the 7.8 million pill shipment being sent to Burundi along with four other medical interventions.

The Worm Project estimates that each pill, which costs less than two cents, will save 5 lbs of food from the worms over a six month period, 25 lbs during the three year treatment period, all for less than a dime.

All are welcome but registration is required. Please register by June 5 to Claude Good at cgood@mosaicmennonites.org or 215.723.5513 EXT. 136.

Bluffton announces 2009 area graduates

May 22, 2009 by

From Bluffton University:

Bluffton University students, alumni and friends recently gathered for the institution’s annual May Day and commencement festivities, May 1-3. The institution’s 109th commencement ceremony, held on May 3, recognized 297 graduates—the largest class to leave Bluffton. This year’s commencement speaker was Dr. Ronald J.R. Mathies, former long-time executive director of Mennonite Central Committee and acting president of Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. He presented “Signposts of Security: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.” Prior to the students receiving their diplomas, Mathies was given an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Students from your area include:

Elyse Renee Burckhart, daughter of Brian and Diane Burckhart, Telford, Pa., has earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Burckhart is a member of Souderton Mennonite Church in Souderton.

Jessica Leigh Cassel, daughter of Galen and Loralee Cassel, Quakertown, Pa., has earned a bachelor’s degree in religion with a minor in psychology. Cassel is a member of Souderton Mennonite Church in Souderton.

Rachelle Diane Landis, daughter of Robert and Nancy Landis, Telford, Pa., has earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and intervention specialist. Landis is a member of Souderton Mennonite Church in Souderton.

Brittany Joy Zeigler, daughter of Daniel and Lucinda Zeigler, Telford, Pa., has earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition, with a minor in wellness. Zeigler is a member of Souderton Mennonite Church in Souderton.

For more information visit www.bluffton.edu.

Anabaptist Learning Institute offers Understanding the Roots of Community

May 13, 2009 by

The Anabaptist Learning Institute (ALI), a program of the Mennonite Schools Council (MSC), is designed to provide an intentional Christ-centered orientation and professional education program for teachers, pastors and other leaders. ALI seeks to unify the Anabaptist community under a common set of educational experiences that encourage dialog about faith and values.

Understanding the Roots of Community* is a three hour graduate course that explores the theology and history of the Anabaptist movement, inviting students to articulate the significance of this movement for themselves. Some guiding questions are:

This course will be offered June 15-19, 2009 at two locations:

Paul Zehr, Brinton Rutherford, Sara Wenger Shenk, & John A. Lapp will teach this class on the campus of Lancaster Mennonite Schools. Understanding the Roots of Community will meet Monday through Friday, 8:00 – 4:30.

For more information and to register visit the Mennonite Education Agency website at www.mennoniteeducation.org or download the brochure here.

*Act 48 Credit for Pennsylvania teachers will be available for both courses.

Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse features Kim and Reggie Harris

May 13, 2009 by

On May 16th Kim and Reggie Harris, along with opening acts Chip Mergott and Annie Bauerline, will perform folk music at the Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse at Perkasie Mennonite Church, 4th & Chestnut Streets in Perkasie, PA. Doors open at 7 pm with performances at 7:30. Adults $9, Adults over 65 $7, Students 13 and up $4, 12 & under free. Tasty refreshments will be for sale. Check out our website at www.perkmenno.org for directions or more information, or call 215-723-2010.

Philadelphia natives Kim and Reggie Harris are two vibrant, superbly talented and engaging performers whose captivating stage presence has inspired audiences around the world for over 25 years. As singers, songwriters, storytellers, educators, historical interpreters and cultural advocates, they have used their remarkable voices and their unique talents to bring new insights to the entertainment and educational spectrum.

Kim and Reggie were both exposed to a wide range of composers and musical genres. Their training, nurtured in their individual homes and enhanced in their churches and schools, enriched their musical vocabulary. It was the start of what has evolved into the ” Bach to Rock” musical approach (with the strongest elements being Folk, Gospel and Jazz) that is so prevalent in their music.

Their strong material and complex harmonies, combined with their stunning voices and informed stage patter, has won them accolades and fans that has them in constant demand. They average over 275 performances each year!

They have proven themselves to be exceptional people who can entertain audiences of all ages and backgrounds. They continue to distinguish themselves as artists of integrity who show respect for their craft and their audiences by working to expand their skills and build on their knowledge base. Kim and Reggie continue to be sought after presenters on the subjects of the Underground Railroad, the Modern Civil Rights Movement and African American Music of Social Change.

For more information visit www.kimandreggie.com.

A portion of the proceeds from this concert will go to Pennridge FISH (Fellowship in Serving Humanity). A food pantry for local hunger. Patchwork Coffeehouse is a collection point for FISH where at any concert you can drop off non-perishable foods for the aid of your neighbors.

Upcoming shows:

October 17 – Gordon Bok

November 21 Charlie Zahm & Tad Marks + Unsafe At Any Speed

Lancaster Conference ordains bishop team for the Philadelphia area

May 6, 2009 by

by Jewel Showalter, Lancaster Mennonite Conference

The stately old former-Presbyterian sanctuary on the corner of Edgmont and 23rd Street – now home to Way Thru Christ Community Fellowship – overflowed with more than 500 Mennonites on the evening of April 26.

They’d come from the 14 churches of the Philadelphia District of Lancaster Mennonite Conference (LMC), to ordain and install a new Bishop Team for the district: Al Motley, Way Thru Christ, Tuyen Nguyen, Philadelphia Vietnamese Mennonite, Leonard Dow, Oxford Circle Mennonite (a Franconia Conference Partner in Mission), and Tim Darling, Norma (N.J.) Mennonite.

“We’re so grateful they’ve been called and that they’ve responded,” said Freeman Miller, bishop of the Philadelphia District, in his opening remarks. “They will serve in this oversight role in the district in addition to continuing their pastoral responsibilities.”

Keith Weaver, moderator of LMC, spoke from Ephesians 2:11-22. “What does God want to do through our fellowship of 175 congregations scattered along the east coast?” he asked, noting that ordinations mark a significant moment in the life of a district and conference.

“Our largely Germanic bishop board now has a little color!” he said. “Together we must focus on the message of reconciliation to which God has called us. We need to feel a sense of urgency about the walls that must come down. How can we help our congregations get outside the walls of our churches to spend ourselves on behalf of the needy?”

As Miller led in the ordination charge, he invited the four men and their spouses to “celebrate, consecrate and commit” themselves to the new role of spiritual oversight in the district. “Your service shows that God has already blessed your ministries,” he said.

Miller plans to retire from his 15 year role as bishop on June 30.

As the new team “lives into” roles which give each man oversight of one quadrant of the old district, now divided up into Philadelphia North, Philadelphia Southwest, Chester, and South Jersey, they will take turns chairing the monthly district meetings and attending the bishop board. Weaver said the bishop board is already feeling enriched by the new racial and ethnic diversity from Philadelphia.

“Urban churches are dynamic and fluid,” Miller commented. “It seems we’re always starting or closing something. None of us have the time and expertise to shepherd all the diversity, but together there’s a depth of wealth and perspective.”

Weaver noted that although LMC has had an African-American bishop in another district, Motley and Dow are the first in the Philadelphia District. Nguyen is the first Asian-American bishop to be called to serve in LMC.

“When I first realized this, it felt weighty,” Nguyen said. “But now it doesn’t feel so hard. Sometimes we Vietnamese Mennonites are tempted to get impatient because other Mennonites move so slowly, [in church planting] but I tell my people, ‘Germanic peoples are like diesel engines. They start slow, but they go the long haul. We need to learn from them.’”

“There’s certainly a lot of synergy and learning going both ways,” Miller said. He noted that while many of the churches in the district had been started with assistance from Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM), it’s a brand new day. EMM is still available for consultation and assistance, but many of the Philadelphia Mennonite churches are initiating their own church plants.

“This is a highly significant moment in the life of these churches,” Miller said. “There’s a new sense of belonging and ownership. It’s long overdue. When I see the beauty in what has happened, I’m eagerly anticipating my retirement.”

Photo credit: Richard Showalter

One Childhood Consulting hosts Stewards of Children training in June

April 27, 2009 by

Julie Prey-Harbaugh, of One Childhood Consulting, will be leading a Stewards of Children Authorized Facilitator Training at the Mennonite Conference Center from 8:30am-5:30pm on Wednesday, June 10, 2009. Stewards of Children is a nationally-recognized, evidence-based curriculum produced by Darkness to Light that helps participants to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

Participants in the Facilitator training will learn how to teach the curriculum, and may also earn continuing education units from the National Association of Social Workers.

One Childhood Consulting is a Franconia Conference School for Leadership Formation endorsed resource which provides a variety of innovative services including Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training, Child Safety Planning and Policy Making, Clergy Ethics Training, Resourcing for Christian Worship, workshops and retreats.

Hesston College's Bel Canto Singers to perform in area congregations

April 27, 2009 by

The Bel Canto Singers of Hesston College will present programs in Mennonite congregations and in Mennonite schools in the East and Midwest during a nearly two-week summer tour May 4-14.

The concert titled Our God is Near features an eclectic repertoire spanning renaissance to modern works. Featured composers include William Byrd, Arvo Pärt, William Grant Stills, James Clemens, and Stephen Paulus. Bel Canto Singers is conducted by Bradley Kauffman, a college music faculty member.

The 20-voice mixed ensemble was selected by competitive audition in the spring of 2008. Sopranos are Rebecca Friesen (Aurora, Neb.); Jessica Juhnke (Hesston, Kan.); Jasmine Martin (New Holland, Pa.); Cassandra Steiner (Apple Creek, Ohio); and Lauren Zehr (Wauseon, Ohio).

Altos are Kory Hiebert (Goessel, Kan.); Emily Hornung (Osage City, Kan.); Kristen Horst (Orrville, Ohio); Ana Loucks (Hesston, Kan.); and Annali Murray (Orrville, Ohio).

Tenors are Dmitry Bucklin (Mountain Lake, Minn.); Ethan Mast (Dundee, Ohio); John Murray (Hesston, Kan.); Drew Nussbaum (Apple Creek, Ohio); and Nathan Snyder (Fruita, Colo.).

Basses are Sam Kauffman (Surrey, N.D.); Logan Miller (Apple Creek, Ohio); Carson Stutzman (Beaver Crossing, Neb.); Mitch Stutzman (Middlebury, Ind.); and Jason Unruh (Peabody, Kan.).

This spring marks the completion of Kauffman’s second year on Hesston College’s music faculty where he chairs the department and directs the instrumental music program. Prior to coming to Hesston, Kauffman was director of Instrumental Music at Bethany Christian Schools, Goshen, Ind., and director of Choral and Instrumental Music at Iowa Mennonite School, Kalona, Iowa. Kauffman holds a master’s of art degree in choral conducting from the University of Iowa.

During the 2008-09 school year, the Bel Canto Singers performed at major school events, in local churches, on tour, and by special invitation.

The concerts are free and open to the public. Hesston College alumni and friends in southeastern Pennsylvania are especially invited to attend the following concerts:

2 p.m., Thursday, May 7, Christopher Dock High School, 1000 fort Foot Rd., Lansdale, Pa.
7 p.m., Thursday, May 7, Souderton Mennonite Church 105 West Chestnut St., Souderton, Pa. NOTE: This program will also feature the Souderton Mennonite Church Choir. A reception with Centennial stories by John Sharp, selections on the lighter side by Bel Canto Singers, and a Hesston College update will follow the concert.

For more information, contact the Hesston College Alumni and Church Relations Office at 866-437-7866 (866-HESSTON) or e-mail alumni@hesston.edu.

EMU, Goshen and Hesston announce area 2009 graduates

April 27, 2009 by

From Eastern Mennonite University:

Congratulations to the following 27 students from southeastern Pennsylvania who will be awarded bachelor’s degrees from Eastern Mennonite University on April 26. We celebrate their accomplishments, congratulate their parents, and thank the many EMU donors and stakeholders who enable our dedicated faculty and staff to prepare students “to serve and lead in a global context.”

Jacob Derstine, Harleysville, Biology. Satisfied cross-cultural via InterMenno in Germany. December ’08 grad. Parents Henry and Donna.

Emily Derstine, Souderton, Justice, Peace & Conflict Studies, minors in Spanish, Sociology, and Missions. Semester in Washington Community Scholars’ Center. Parents Mike ’86 and Dawn.

Aaron Freed, Quakertown, Environmental Science and History, minor in Biology. Middle East cross-cultural. Parents Darryl and Patti.

Jordan Good, Harleysville, Psychology, minor in Youth Ministry. South Africa cross-cultural. Parents Philip and Deborah.

Kim Gross, Perkasie, Camping, Recreation & Outdoor Ministry, minors in Sociology and Psychology. South Africa cross-cultural. Parents Dennis and Janet.

Daniel Landes, Hilltown, Communication, minor in Political Studies. South Africa cross-cultural. Parents Steven ’80 and Sandra ’80.

Jolie Mbuzi, Quakertown, Social Work. Cross-cultural waived as bi-cultural student. Parents Joel and Marlyne Nfongo.

Ben Ruth, Harleysville, Biology, minor in Mathematics. Honors program. South Africa cross-cultural. Parents Marlin and Sharon ’72.

Julian Bender, Philadelphia, Psychology, minor in TESL. Middle East cross-cultural. Parents Ross and Sylvia ’76.

Natalie Bonilla, Reading, Nursing. Peru cross-cultural. Honored as Cords of Distinction recipient. Parents Juan and Alicia.

Laura Cattell, Honey Brook, Environmental Science and Justice, Peace & Conflict Studies. Middle East cross-cultural. Honored as Cords of Distinction recipient. Parents Leslie and David.

Rachael Clemmer, Harleysville, Nursing. South Africa cross-cultural. Honored as Cords of Distinction recipient. Parents Mike ’83 and April.

Matthew Gehman, Parkesburg, Accounting and Economics. China cross-cultural. Parents Lois ’73 and David ’73.

Bethany Hertzler, Telford, Nursing. India cross-cultural. Parents Ron and Laurel.

Kristina Landis, Harleysville, Biology, minor in Art. Honors program. Middle East cross-cultural. Parents Steve ’77 and Rosemary ’78.

Ben Moyer, Doylestown, Business Administration, minor in Economics. South Africa cross-cultural. Parents James and Pamela.

Isaac Shelly, Hatfield, Business Administration. China cross-cultural. Parents Jim and Brenda.

Emily Sims, Perkasie, Congregational & Youth Ministry, minor in Sociology. South Africa cross-cultural. Parents Troy and Brenda.

John Tyson, Lansdale, Biblical Studies. Middle East cross-cultural. Parents John and Barbara.

Jessica Caroff, Green Lane, Psychology, minors in Business Administration and Accounting. Nigeria cross-cultural. Parents Allen and Jennifer.

Mattie Horning, Morgantown, Photography, minor in Art. India cross-cultural. Parents Lavern and Patsy.

Trevor Weaver, Perkiomenville, Environmental Science, minors in Biology and Business Administration. Turkey cross-cultural. Parents Dale and Lisa.

Maria Bowman, Bally, Liberal Arts with Elem. Ed. Licensure, minor in Justice, Peace & Conflict Studies. India cross-cultural. December ’09 grad. Parents Greg and Ellen ’74.

Kristen Green, North Wales, Liberal Arts with Elem. Ed. Licensure. Newfoundland and Labrador cross-cultural. December ’09 grad. Parents John and Loretta.

Miles Musselman, Harleysville, International Business. South Africa cross-cultural. December ’09 grad. Parent Kendall ’84 (mother Jeanine ’85 passed away in March 2007).

Randi Neason, Reading, Nursing, minor in Psychology. Semester in Washington Community Scholars’ Center. December ’09 grad. Parents Kelly and Lisa.

Julie Varkey, Philadelphia, Nursing. China cross-cultural. December ’09 grad. Parents Geevarughese and Rosamma.

For more information about this year’s keynote speaker, the 2009 class gift, and more click here.

From Goshen College:

Nine Franconia Conference students are among the 236 candidates planning to receive diplomas at Goshen College’s 111th Annual Commencement April 26.

Katharine E. Derstine, daughter of John and Sheryl Derstine of Blooming Glen, will receive a bachelor’s degree in business. She is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Blooming Glen Mennonite Church.

Lauren K. M. Eldredge, daughter of Scott and Alice Eldredge of Abington, will receive a bachelor’s degree in art. She is a 2005 graduate of Abington Senior High School and attends Ambler Mennonite Church.

Cody B. Felton, son of Jonathan and Rebecca Felton of Quakertown, will receive a bachelor’s degree in business. He is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Perkasie Mennonite Church.

Sheldon C. Good, son of Don and Diane Good of Telford, will receive a bachelor’s degree with majors in communication and business. He is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Salford Mennonite Church.

Evan C. Moyer, son of Robert Moyer of Harleysville, will receive a bachelor’s degree in business. He is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Perkasie Mennonite Church.

Mercy A. Oyana, daughter of Crispin and Annette Oyana of Philadelphia, will receive a bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language Interpreting. She is a 2005 graduate of Central High School and attends West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship.

Janna E. Reiff, daughter of Dennis and Anna Mary Reiff, will receive a bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing and a minor in women’s studies. She is a 2004 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Souderton Mennonite Church.

Gregory J. Yoder, son of Jerold and Beth Yoder of Perkasie, will receive a bachelor’s degree with a major in music and a minor in secondary education. He is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Perkasie Mennonite Church.

Lindsay E. Yoder, daughter of Kermit and Eva Yoder of Perkasie, will receive a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and attends Deep Run Mennonite Church East.

Dr. Stephen Ainlay, a native of Goshen and 1973 Goshen College graduate, will present the commencement address. He is president of Union College (Schenectady, N.Y.), a sociologist by training and has a distinguished record as a scholar, teacher and administrator. Commencement is at 3 p.m. in the college’s Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center on Sunday, April 26, 2009, following an 11 a.m. Baccalaureate service in the Church-Chapel, with President James Brenneman preaching.

From Hesston College:

Hesston College will grant associate degrees to 157 graduates during commencement exercises Sunday, May 3. The following southeastern Pennsylvania student candidated for a degree:

Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences – Early Childhood Education: Christine Nicole Bishop, Perkasie, Pennsylvania, Blooming Glen Mennonite Church

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