Conference News

Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church is answering God’s call by “Enlarging Our Place in God’s World.”

The intercultural and bilingual congregation is moving into a new season of ministry and outreach. Under its “Acts 2 Ministry,” the congregation is developing a discipleship and housing ministry for single women; is hoping to become a site for The Benefit Bank; serves as a host of ASSETS Montco, a small business training program; is strengthening its global mission connections; and developing “Kingdom entrepreneurship” to support future ministries. Plans for “Enlarging Our Place in God’s World” also include renovations of five properties owned by the congregation. The three-year capital campaign is earmarked for $670,000, with a long-term goal of $2 million.

Services will be held Sunday, May 18 at 10:45 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the Acts 2 Ministry and the recently acquired New Life Plaza Nueva Vida will be dedicated during the second service. Both services will be held outdoors at 25 East Marshall Street in Norristown.

The church will celebrate its 18th anniversary in July and is pastored by Marta Castillo, Angel Tamayo and Ertell Whigham, Jr.

All are invited to worship; for more information call 610-279-5433

visit their website at www.norristownnewlife.com

para español clique aquí

Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Iglesia Mennonita esta contestando un llamado de Dios “Agrandando Nuestro Lugar en el Mundo de Dios.”

Esta congregación intercultural y bilingüe esta entrando en una nueva temporada de ministerio y evangelización en la comunidad de Norristown y mas allá. Bajo su Ministerio de Hechos 2, la congregación esta desarrollando discipulado/ministerio de vivienda para mujeres solteras, convirtiéndose en un sitio para el Banco de Beneficios, siendo anfitriones de ASSETS Montco (un programa de entrenamiento para pequeños empresarios) fortaleciendo su misión global de conexiones y desarrollando “Empresas de Reino” para apoyar ministerios futuros. Planes para “Agrandando Nuestro Lugar en el Mundo de Dios” también incluyen renovaciones para 5 propiedades de la congregación. La campaña de recaudación inicial de tres años esta destinada para alcanzar $670,000 con una capitalización eventual de $2 millones.

Servicio de Dedicación se efectuara el domingo, 18 de mayo, 10:45 a.m. y 2 p.m. Ambos servicios serán efectuados al aire libre en el 25 East Marshall Street. El segundo servicio incluye la dedicación del Ministerio de HECHOS 2 y la mas reciente adquisición de New Life Plaza Nueva Vida at 25 East Marshall Street.

Nueva Vida Norristown New Life también estará celebrando su 18vo aniversario en julio. La congregación empezó una unificación intencional de 3 congregaciones anteriormente de Norristown —First Mennonite, Bethel Mennonite y Fuente de Salvación. Es miembro de la Conferencia Menonita de Franconia e Iglesia Menonita USA. El equipo Pastoral esta formado por Marta Castillo, Angel Tamayo y Ertell Whigham, Jr.

¡Todos están bienvenidos a alabar el Señor con nosotros! Para información llame al 610-279-5433 ; www.norristownnewlife.com

Woods Tea Company is a frequent performer on PBS and performs fiery Celtic tunes, bluegrass, sea shanties and folk songs with equal skill. The Vermont-based group tours the country offering a mixture of lively and dry New England humor. The band consists of Howard Wooden, Mike Lussen, and Tom MacKenzie, who play instruments ranging from banjos, bouzoukis and bodhrans to guitars, ukuleles and the hammer dulcimer. They’ve been labeled as “America’s hardest working folk group” by National Public Radio. Click here for a sample of their music.

Ivan Stiles performs a unique blend of traditional and contemporary folk music, including intricate fiddle tunes, old-time favorites, jigs and reels of the British Isles, traditional ballads and original songs on the autoharp, mountain dulcimer, bowed psaltery and musical saw. He is also an instructor, author and the co-founder of Autoharp Quarterly magazine. He has taken first place at the International Autoharp Championship, the World Autoharp Championship and the Great Lakes Championship. In 2000, he was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame. Ivan has a great sense of humor; watch him perform “Cwazy”click here

The Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse is located in the Perkasie Mennonite Church hall at 4th and Chestnut Street in Perkasie, Pa. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance will begin at 7:30. Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 for ages 65 and older, $4 for students ages 13 and older, and children under 12 will be admitted for free. Refreshments will be sold. For directions or more information, go to www.perkmenno.org or call 215-723-2010.

photo taken from Tea Room Company Official Site

Miriam F. Book and James M. Lapp were installed as pastors at Salford Mennonite Church on March 30. Mim will serve as lead pastor and James as preaching pastor.

Miriam, who was born in Lancaster County, Pa., came to Salford in 2000 as an associate pastor. Mim was ordained in 1992 at Belmont Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Ind., and serves on the boards for Goshen (Ind.) College and Dock Woods Community in Lansdale, Pa. She is a graduate of Eastern University and received her pastoral training at London Bible College and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. She worked overseas for eleven years with Eastern Mennonite Missions.

Jim is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Va., and AMBS. He received his D.Min from Drew University in Madison, N.J. He was ordained in 1963 and served most recently for eleven years as conference pastor for Franconia Mennonite Conference. He will serve part-time, focusing primarily on preaching.

This will not be the first time Mim and Jim have worked together; both served many years as executive staff for the Mennonite Church General Board. They married in 2000.

Regular attendees and guests filled the sanctuary for the special installation service. Family of Mim and Jim provided the offertory music; Donella Clemens, Franconia Conference Minister, led the pastoral commitments; and Salford members as well as visiting friends of Mim and Jim offered words of blessing. Richard and Ruth Weaver, spiritual directors from Ephrata, Pa., administered the anointing of oil; and Salford’s adult and children’s choirs provided additional music.

Guest preachers for the service were Bob and Enid Schloneger, a retired husband-and-wife pastoral team who served at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church from 1999 to 2007. They now reside in Smithville, Ohio.

During the service, Mim voiced her desire to lead the congregation in fulfilling the purposes of God for the church; and following the example of Jesus, to be a person of love. Jim expressed his wish to help the congregation exemplify the purpose, presence and power of God in its mission in the world. Both are committed to lead the Salford congregation to live out Salford’s vision to be “a joyful, learning community eager to live and share the peaceable way of Jesus.”

Salford Mennonite Church, established in 1728, has approximately 400 current members and is located in Harleysville, Pa.

View the photo album

photos by: Timoyer

On April 19, Bob Franke and opening act Wayfarers & Co. will perform folk music at the Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse. Bob Franke is at the peak of his considerable craft, brimming with the wise and spiritually generous songs for which he is best known, along with wrenchingly convincing topical songs and sugared with the hilarious. His are the kind of songs that really do have the power to change the world by being taken into the lives of people. Bob’s songs are considered classics, fueled by his deep faith and the real-life lessons taught him by his 30-plus years of playing everywhere from concert halls to street corners. Bob has appeared in concert at coffeehouses, colleges, festivals, bars, streets, homes and churches in the United States, Canada and England. His songs have been sung and recorded by such musicians as Peter, Paul and Mary; John McCutcheon; Sally Rogers; Lui Collins; Garnet Rogers; and June Tabor. Seasoned veterans and novices alike are drawn to the complex, warm-hearted spirituality and captivatingly clear-cut melodies of Franke’s songs. When he isn’t writing or touring, Bob leads workshops in songwriting at music festivals and music camps. He has performed on A Prairie Home Companion, A Mountain State, and Our Front Porch.

Wayfarers and Co. will perform the opening set. The group performs gospel music and old-time songs on traditional instruments such as guitars, hammered and lap dulcimers, fiddle, flute, mandolin, harp and banjo, as well as stirring acappella arrangements of traditional music. They have performed at the Pocono Mountain Arts Council, Pocono Bluegrass Society’s WinterFest, Godfrey Daniel’s, Spruce Lake Retreat, and have done benefits for persons in need.

Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse is located in Perkasie Mennonite Church at the intersection of 4th and Chestnut Street in Perkasie, PA. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance will begin at 7:30. Tickets are $9 for adults, $4 for students ages 13 and up, and children will be admitted for free. Refreshments will available for purchase. For directions or more information, go to www.perkmenno.org or call 215-723-2010.

Franconia Conference School for Leadership Formation presents:

Managing Holy Restlessness

Calling and Discernment
at any age and in any life situation
Saturday, April 19, 2008
8:30 a.m. to Noon

Mennonite Conference Center
771 Route 113
Souderton, PA 18964 (map)

Registration Fee: $20 per individual

What should I do with my life? Now that I’m retiring what’s next? I feel like I should be making a change but how do do that? Restlessness is something we face in all walks of life whether we are young and trying to figure out our calling or sensing a need for change after years in one path. This workshop will look at discerning and managing the holy restlessness that often stirs in us as we seek to live into the design God has for each person.

This workshop will be led by Debra Franke, MA Counseling, and Walter Sawatzky, Franconia Conference Minister.

Please register for this event by April 15, 2008,
by contacing Jessica Walter, jwalter@mosaicmennonites.org

Debra has eighteen years experience helping individuals assess their strengths and make career and life choices. In her career counseling business, Career Transitions, Debra makes extensive use of SIMA®, the System for Identifying Motivated Abilities, an assessment process which identifies and describes the motivated strengths of individuals. She has conducted the 2-day workshop Discovering My Design, and co-taught courses on career counseling at Biblical Seminary. Debra has a B.S. in Engineering from Northwestern University, and an M.A. in Counseling from Biblical Seminary. She attends Souderton Mennonite Church, and lives in Hatfield, Pa., with her husband John, and son.

For the past thirty years, Walter has been practicing the art of life transitions by re-locating a dozen times and serving as a social worker, service program administrator, pastor, and now, transition coach! He and his wife, Joy, are the parents of two sons, Benjamin and Alexander. Walter’s favorite quote of all time is this from Jesus: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life…and learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”

View more info about School of Leadership Formation

Grant Rissler, Mennonite Central Committee

More than 70 people from churches in Central and Eastern Pa., Ontario and New Jersey gathered Feb. 8-10 to learn more about how to build dialogue between Christians and Muslims at the annual Eastern District/Franconia Conference Winter Peace Retreat, held at Spruce Lake Retreat near Canadensis, Pa.

“My hope for this retreat,” said Evie Shellenberger, former Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) worker in Iran, “is that we can rid ourselves of the blindness we have towards our Iranian neighbors and Muslim neighbors.”

Shellenberger, along with her husband Wally, provided primary input for the weekend, sharing a range of stories showing how their MCC assignment in a student exchange program in Qom, Iran gave them a chance to live a life of dialog with Muslims in that region.

Noting that in three years of living and traveling in Iran no one ever expressed hatred towards them because of their U.S. citizenship, Wally shared that they had a “strong sense that everywhere we went, God had preceded us.”

Through story, Evie shared several lessons she had learned during those years about dialogue, including one from an Iranian professor who told them not to let their Christian faith weaken. “The stronger you are in your faith,” the professor said, “the better our dialogue will be.”

The Shellenbergers suggested that though most Christians in the U.S. do not have the same first-hand experiences, they can counteract hatred between Christians and Muslims if they don’t “feed into conversations that are negative and degrading” towards Muslims as a group.

Also, Evie noted that there are many opportunities in the U.S. to develop relationships with Muslims here at home.

Aldo Siahaan and Muhammed Imam of Philadelphia Praise Center shared a concrete example of how the congregation reached out to Indonesian Muslim community in Philadelphia by opening up their church for Muslims to pray during the holy month of Ramadan. About 80 Muslims accepted the invitation and more relationships were formed when 30 members of the congregation joined their Muslim guests in a meal in the evening.

“This is the way we show our love,” said Siahaan. He shared that one of the Muslim leaders told him that “if we had this type of relationship in Indonesia, we wouldn’t have a problem” referring to outbreaks of violence between Christians and Muslims there.

When a local TV station did a story on the church opening its doors to Muslims, Siahaan said he received angry calls from other Christian pastors who told him it was wrong to allow Muslims “to step on the holy ground” of the church.

Siahaan said that some Muslims have come back to the church since then and worshipped with the congregation.

Twenty youth also attended the retreat and with leadership from Scott Hutchinson, pastor at St. Andrew’s United Church of Christ in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, focused their discussions on the topic “Living with Diversity.”

The annual retreat is organized by The Eastern District/Franconia Conference Peace and Justice Committee. The focus of next year’s retreat will be restorative justice. For more information about other events, please check out the committee website at http://efpjc.ppjr.org/.