Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference News

New Year, New Building: Philadelphia Praise Center moves a few doors down

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img_0396.jpgby Rachel Howe

On the first Sunday of 2007, Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC) gathered for Sunday worship in a newly renovated building in South Philadelphia. The building was constructed at the turn of the 20th Century as a home for a Mission Brethren congregation but had most recently housed a Baptist congregation and catering business. Already on the first Sunday, the congregation filled the building’s first level to near capacity. The congregation reached record level attendances of 250 over the holiday season at its previous location, a few doors away.

The less than two-year old congregation purchased the building with the assistance of Mennonite Church USA’s Church Extension Services in early November. Renovations started immediately with a goal of worshiping in the new space for Christmas. However, the process took much sweat, prayer and teamwork and on Friday January 5 moving day arrived. The congregation was excited to pitch in and help to move from a leased facility on the same block of McKean Street. Some stayed to early morning hours to make sure all was just right for the first Sunday. The new building now gives more classrooms for Sunday school with a nursery for parents and young children.

Pastor Bastian Yosin spoke on this first Sunday about how this church building, needs to become a house of prayer, house of glory, house of communication and reconciliation and a house of change. PPC desires to reach every nation, every culture and every tribe in Philadelphia for the sake of the Gospel.

img_0425.jpgI am actually part of that prayer. I came to PPC in September of 2006 and immediately felt the presence of the Lord. The congregation welcomed me with open arms and has not let go. God’s passion is evident in everyone. It does not matter what language you speak. I have learned so much from sitting, listening and watching.

I am learning a new language and a new culture. This is what Christianity is all about–stepping out in faith not knowing what each day might bring but knowing that God will bring good things to pass. This new building is just the next step of many for us as congregation to reach the city of Philadelphia for the Glory of God. Congregational leader Melkie Tirtaspura said that the church is becoming known as a place where miracles happen among immigrants in South Philadelphia.

On February 11, PPC will celebrate its two-year anniversary. This is a time to celebrate where God has brought us from and where God will take us in the years to come

Rachel Howe is originally from Akron, Ohio, and relocated to Philadelphia this fall. A graduate of Valley Forge Christian College, she is living a dream within the caring community of PPC while falling in love with the City of Brotherly Love.

Deep Run East Commits to Louisiana Shelter Project

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PERKASIE, PA Deep Run Mennonite Church East of Bucks County has committed to the service project of building a house for hurricane victims. The Church is working in conjunction with the relief agency of Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Disaster Services (MDS) and Shelter for Life, which is an interdenominational Christian organization that assists with rebuilding after natural disaster and war around the world.

The shelter will be built for elderly and disabled Native American members of the Chinamache tribe in Point Aux Chenes, Louisiana whose homes have been destroyed by hurricane disaster. Deep Run East is dedicated to supplying all the materials, building wall panels and transporting everything to Louisiana. Church members with building trade skills will be helping to construct the house on site as well.

Deep Run East is reaching out to the community for help. The anticipated cost of materials for this shelter mission is approximately $50,000. Any building material suppliers who are able to provide materials at or under cost, or anyone wishing to provide financial contributions of any amount are encouraged to contact Deep Run East’s main office at 215-766-8380.

Contributions can be sent to Deep Run Mennonite Church East, 350 Kellers Church Road, Perkasie, PA 18944. Please designate Shelter for Life Project and include a return address if you would like a receipt. All contributions are tax deductible.

dre-shelter-for-life-commit.jpgDeep Run Mennonite Church East (www.deepruneast.org) is located in Bedminster Township, PA and is recognized as a warm and inviting congregation consisting of people of all ages, occupations and life experiences. Deep Run East seeks to carry out its mission of “Bringing People in Contact with God” by glorifying God in worship, opening its lives to the community, and sharing its gifts and resources in faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

Follow-up articles in the Morning Call of Allentown, PA:

  • Not everybody is motivated by morose views, Paul Carpenter
    In October, when a representative of the outside world stormed into an Amish school with murderous motivations, it was depressing to think that the best thing we outsiders could do for the gentle people would be to leave them alone. The Amish are an… [Read More]
  • Church aids couple hit by Katrina, Patrick Lester
    When members of a Bucks County church tried unsuccessfully to welcome Hurricane Katrina victims into their homes following the 2005 disaster, they turned to Plan B. The congregation decided to bring a house to a hurricane-ravaged community. Beginning in…[Read More]

Everyone is invited to a weekend with Pastor Steve Cheramie Risingsun, January 20 and 21, at Deep Run Mennonite Church East. Deep Run East has committed to building a house for an elderly Native American family with disabilities from the Chinamache tribe in Louisiana, working in conjunction with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) and Shelter for Life, which is an interdenominational Christian organization assisting in rebuilding after natural disasters and war around the world. A gourmet dinner with a Southern Louisiana Flair will be held at the church on Saturday, January 20, at 5 p.m.

Reservations for the dinner are due by January 15. At 7 p.m., Steve Cheramie Risingsun, a Native American pastor, will share stories about the Chinamache tribe in Point Aux Chenes, LA. A free will offering will be taken to benefit the Shelter for Life project. On Sunday morning, January 21, Pastor Steve Cheramie Risingsun will preach during the morning worship service beginning at 9 a.m. An informal question and answer time will follow at 10:15 a.m. To make reservations for the dinner or for more information, you may call the church office at 215-766-8380 or visit the website at www.deepruneast.org.

A Partner in Mission Relationship Deepens in Chile

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pastor-alfredo-emma-prese.jpgThe Partner in Mission relationship between Perkiomenville Mennonite Church and The Tabernacle of Christ Church in Vina del Mar, Chile, continues to grow. What began with a divine encounter by the two pastors in New York City in 2002 has blossomed into an ongoing partnership of mutuality. Recent events have deepened this relationship.

With the help of Franconia Mennonite Conference, Pastor Alfredo Navea, was able to attend Franconia Conference Assembly in November. He was received warmly by conference participants many of whom, who greeted him in Spanish expressed interest in his ministry. Through the discussion of bylaws and other conference business, he received inspiration about organizational structure for the churches in Chile which he oversees.

In November the third mission team, from Perkiomenville in three years, traveled to Chile for ministry and work on the church expansion of their church building. They mixed and poured cement for the floor of the building addition and participated in several worship services. The Tabernacle of Christ Church had banners in the church and presented Pastor Charles Ness with a plaque celebrating their Partner in Mission relationship.

In January two young adults, one from Perkiomenville MC and one from Boyertown MC, will go to Vina del Mar, for approximately three months to assist with the first ever Summer Bible School Program. The Sunday school children at Perkiomenville collected money to pay the cost of the Spanish Bible school curriculum. They plan to hold Bible school in at least three locations in the three month period. The inspiration for Bible School came from a visit of nine persons from Chile in 2005 to assist with the Perkiomenville Summer Bible School.

This Partner in Mission relationship is a blessing to both churches. It is helpful to the church in Chile with financial and practical help with their building expansion. They benefit from the preaching and teaching ministry of mission teams as well as ideas about church management and structure ideas. Lifelong friendships are being formed.

partner-in-mission-banner.jpgIt benefits Perkiomenville by providing opportunity for persons from the US to observe both social and church life in another culture. We experience the passion of worship and confident faith of the brothers and sisters in Chile. Each time as new persons go with a mission team, the vision of God’s Kingdom is expanded. Our congregation is enriched by this relationship.

Work also continues on the REAP Chile program which is seeks to establish a micro-finance program to assist church members to start their own small businesses.

Others are welcome share in the blessing of this partnership. The opportunities and needs are more than Perkiomenville can handle; specifically, the financial requirements of pastoral support and completion of the church building are beyond our ability to meet.

Charles Ness
Pastor, Perkiomenville Mennonite Church

Ordained at the Lower Frederick Firehouse

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Eileen Viau

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On Sunday morning, November 5th, the Spring Mount Mennonite Church (SMMC) building was empty. Signs on the doors invited everyone to a special worship service at the Lower Frederick Firehouse to celebrate the ordination of Don McDonough.

An ordination in a firehouse? Strange, but fitting. This community building has been the venue for other congregational activities: Vacation Bible School programs and Open Windows Nursery School Spaghetti Suppers. It seemed appropriate that Don, who has been serving as Associate Pastor, with a special gift of outreach to the community, be ordained there.

Don’s friend and mentor, Kirk Hanger, pastor of Franconia Conference Partner In Mission congregation New Hope Fellowship in Alexandria, Virginia, preached the sermon, “The Church’s Coach.” He emphasized that pastors are coaches and the church is the team, not spectators. Based on scriptures from Acts, Hanger gave examples of the various coaching techniques that Barnabas used. He equipped Paul to work with the Gentiles, empowered Paul and others by opening doors and instilling self-confidence, and embraced John Mark even though he was a “tough case.”

020_17.jpgThe 150 people in attendance, including the McDonough extended family and friends, praised God through various styles of music and enjoyed a meal together following the service. All offered support and blessing to Don, as he continues to serve as SMMC Associate Pastor complementing the ministry of Pastor Michael A. King as these coaches along with the entire team minister to the Spring Mount congregation and its surrounding community.

A brother celebrated in ordination at Blooming Glen

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Jim Bishop
bishopj@emu.edu

bishop2.jpgI sat in a pew close to the front of the sanctuary and marveled. My baby brother Michael, age 47, was about to become an ordained minister.

For me, it wasn’t a question of his being qualified, only that the process leading toward this special day had been under way for some time and I wasn’t fully aware until an invitation to the service arrived:

“Join us in a service of ordination for Michael S. Bishop as minister of music and worship, 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church.”

Michael? A full-fledged, credentialed pastor, serving a congregation of some 700 members? I decided on the spot that my wife Anna and I would do our best to be there.

This was only the third time I’d attended an ordination. It seemed a solemn occasion, recognizing the serious business taking place. At the same time, a sense of anticipation and celebration permeated the proceedings. A recurring theme was a strong sense of the congregation affirming and calling Michael to this significant task.

The process started in 1989 when Michael and wife Brenda began attending the Blooming Glen church with Michael accepting a role as “music coordinator.” This eventually led to his being licensed as minister of music in 2002.

In his ordination message, church historian, veteran pastor and master storyteller John L. Ruth of Harleysville, Pa., identified the components necessary for individual members to form an orchestra of worship and praise, based on Ephesians 5:19.

“We resonate to music, harmony and rhythm, especially when we sing,” Ruth said. “Michael has the gift of song, a gift with a significant tradition in the Mennonite Church. Singing is a spiritual feast; we are called to be stewards of this rich treasury and heritage.

“In our hymn singing, we offer our hearts in praise to God and let the words dwell in our hearts richly,” Ruth told the congregation.

“Michael has the gift of enthusiasm, a sign that this congregation recognizes in this commissioning,” he said, adding: “But it’s as important to love the church as it is to love its music. When this happens, you can sense it in the singing.”

Following the message and comments from Blooming Glen colleagues, Michael and Brenda and their children Greg, Jon and Megan gathered in front as James M. Lapp, senior ministry consultant for the Franconia Mennonite Conference, led the ordination charge.

bishop1.jpgLapp anointed Michael’s hands for ministry, and several persons led poignant prayers, recognizing the variety of expectations that people have for pastoral leaders. The congregation then responded with a litany of commissioning.

The ordination was a holy moment that I felt privileged to be a part of Afterwards, I asked John Ruth about the symbolism and significance of ordination.

His response: “Ordination means that the congregation has placed a deep level of trust in the person being recognized. The life, health and spirituality of the church is seen as ‘safe’ in the hands of this person.

“It’s somewhat analogous to the Quaker tradition of ‘recording a moment,’ an official recognition of the spiritual gift or gifts that the one being ordained has been exercising,” John said.

Beyond this, “It is accrued evidence that a special need within the congregation now becomes more explicit. In this case, it’s a recognition and confirmation of Michael’s special gifts in leading music and worship.”

Ruth noted that the ordination process included involvement with the larger fellowship of Franconia Mennonite Conference with certain rights and privileges arising from that association.

What all this will entail for Michael on a daily basis is not fully known, as congregational leadership at Blooming Glen is in transition, with the lead pastoral couple planning to retire and another taking a pastoral position in Kansas. Mike will also continue working full time as co-owner of Bishop Excavating with his brother, Bob.

During the service, I reflected on the incredible demands placed on persons in pastoral ministry – the variety of expectations, the need to juggle chainsaws, parishioners pushing in different directions at once, the temptation to misuse the power and authority that comes with the position.

It requires an extraordinary combination of thick skin, a heart of love and compassion and perseverance when the going gets tough. I hope and pray that the expectant and celebrative atmosphere that pervaded the congregation, evidenced in part by the spirited singing, will characterize Michael’s ministry at Blooming Glen.

Jim Bishop is public information officer at Eastern Mennonite University

Philadelphia Youth Pack the Peace of Christ

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By Shannon Burgess

On November 17 and 18, over 100 youth gathered at Philadelphia Mennonite High School (PMHS) for “Packing the Peace of Christ,” organized by Anabaptist pastors and youth leaders to “sound the call to Jesus’ disciples to work for peace in Philadelphia.”

Friday evening began with music led by the Philadelphia Praise Center. Christian rap artist Cruz Cordero and Yvonne Platts of Philadelphia Ministry Partnership then emceed a youth competition for creative alternatives to violence through the arts—essays, visual arts, and rap or spoken word. Conrad Moore, a Philly son and Damascus Road Anti-Racism trainer, led a participative teaching activity called “Forum Theatre” to practice peacemaking skills.

Saturday was like boot camp for peace soldiers of Christ. Participants chose two of five peace-making workshops: Akido—self-defense without doing harm; “The Big Bang”—the two sides of the heated debate on hand gun laws in PA, led by Sarah Thompson, Mennonite Central Committee, in Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania State Representative John Myers; Conflict Resolution in a Christian Perspective—Dr. Barbara Moses, PMHS Principal, helped participants identify their personal “anger triggers;” the Hip-Hop Generation, “What’s beef?” (i.e., “What’s the conflict?”)—Cruz Cordero analyzed secular rap messages dealing with conflict; Violence: an American Problem—Conrad Moore analyzed violent history of this country and concluded “Violence is not a problem limited to urban youth—it is a national problem.”

Arbutus Sider prepared a letter for participants to sign which was addressed to rural and suburban Anabaptist congregations in Southeast Pennsylvania asking for support in pressing for more effective hand gun legislation.

Anabaptist pastors and youth leaders organized this workshop with a grant from Mennonite Central Committee, Philadelphia, in response to the city’s increase in gun violence. As of this workshop, 359 homicides have occurred, mostly committed with hand guns. The workshop posed the question, “In this context how can we bear witness to Christ, the Prince of Peace?”

For the grand finale four local Christian rap artists treated participants to a showcase of their amazing gift of language to call people to walk in the light of Christ. The call to Jesus’ disciples to work for peace in Philadelphia has been sounded. Pray that the call may bear fruit in the lives of those who heard it.

Offering another way: Countering military recruiters

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AKRON, Pa.  Organizers and participants in a November counter-recruitment conference sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. say they hope that the event will inspire churches to work together to further develop strategies for countering the lure of military recruiters.

About 75 people attended the Nov. 3-5 conference in San Antonio, Texas.

There were military veterans, pastors, church youth and student activists who are organizing campaigns countering the promises of military recruiters.

Each year, about 180,000 young people enlist in the U.S. military.

Titus Peachey, director of peace education for MCC U.S., said the conference intended to provide a forum where churches could learn more about the realities of military recruiting, become familiar with some models for countering the lure of the military and, perhaps most importantly, begin to share with other churches some of their own grassroots strategies.

We now have a lot of information to take home to our church members, people in our community, and the other youth who did not come to the conference, reported Verel Montauban, of a Haitian Church of the Brethren congregation in Brooklyn, N.Y. The commitment I found here is to help other people how to stay away from the military and teach them that their body belongs to God, not to the military. I believe we have to live for the glory of God not live to kill each other.

Another participant from the congregation, Sandra Beauvior, reported that she walks away from the conference believing that war is not an option. She, like others in the group, said they want to talk with other teenagers to help them commit not to join the military.

On many high school campuses, military recruiters have a strong presence. Students talked of how they circle during lunches and at the career center. One Army veteran said that the military recruitment was so heavy at her school that she didnt realize until later that colleges too recruited students. At the high schools I went to … I never saw colleges ever, Mari Villaluna said.

The military is passionate about enticing young people in and spends an enormous amount of money on recruiting  including paying scores of recruiters who are dedicated only to figuring out how to best entice more young people to join, said former Marine recruiter and Mennonite pastor Ertell Whigham.

Anabaptist church leaders and members may talk passionately about helping people avoid the military, Whigham said. But rarely does that translate into a paid position.

Just as the military has people who are dedicated to recruitment, we ought to be putting into place people who are counters to that, Whigham said.

Norristown (Pa.) New Life, where Whigham serves as an associate pastor, has appointed a full-time minister of youth and community outreach who works to identify opportunities for education and training that youth in the church can tap into. He dreams that more congregations will put money into such positions or that churches would join together to hire a person who could pinpoint resources for their youth.

In the urban setting, he said, the decision to go into the military is often spontaneous  and driven by immediate needs of the family or by a strong desire for education. When youth begin to ask, How can I make things better for me? How can I make things better for my family? the military has a ready answer. The church, too, needs to have an answer ready for them, Whigham said.

That includes setting the stage for alternatives years before students start to ask.

I think we need to be working with young people long before they get to high school, Whigham said. And the focus needs to be not so much on avoiding the military as on building a strong foundation of beliefs in peace and justice. Ideally, he said, when they get to high school, the military will be the last option on their list.

Whigham said he and Norristown plan to work at creating a manual of ideas and resources that can undergird area churches efforts to counter military recruiters. In addition, he hopes to contact people interested in replicating Norristowns model of providing a staff person to research and talk with youth about alternatives to the military.

Peachey said MCC U.S. will continue to develop resources related to countering the lures of military recruiters and that he hopes local groups will begin to build networks to carry out this work at a grassroots level.

Counter-recruitment provides a great opportunity for congregations to make the way of peace practical inlocal communities, Peachey said. It was exciting to see the conference bring together both the people and resources needed to help this work growamong the Anabaptist family of churches.

To learn more about counter-recruitment, go to www.mcc.org/us/co/counter.

Mennonite Disaster Service partners for rebuilding in Binghampton area

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by Scott Sundberg, MDS

doug-and-lewlyn.jpgEditors note: Broome County, New York, particularly the Binghampton area is the home of numerous persons who attend Franconia Conference’s Lakeview congregation in Susquehanna County, PA.

Conklin, NY–The fall colors and slow flow of the Susquehanna River belied the reality that was June 27 just this last summer. Standing on the banks of the river, the cold October air was threatening snow,

but around us were images that seemed to have more in common with the Gulf Coast than with this part of New York State. A FEMA trailer occupied a driveway to the right, and to the left, a gutted house stood, mold reaching up the siding, and a large spray-painted “X” decorated the window telling whether there were any fatalities in this particular house.

As a nation still focused on the devastating affects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, towns in this area of New York suffered the worst flooding in their memory. One disaster management official was recently heard recently saying that he thought the area was all taken care of.

Working together with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) on rebuilding the area is Lorna Kinsman, who is working with Presbyterian Disaster Service (PDS). Kinsman said she appreciated the loyalty of those who realize that the area is not “taken care of.” She added, “Every time we hear the Mennonites are coming, it’s just a gift from God.”

MDS and PDS are working together. PDS is helping to secure funding and accomplish the weighty task of casework and MDS is working on how and when to start working on the many devastated homes. “Maybe those who are close by would consider coming here rather than go south, as long as they don’t mind getting their fingers a little cold,” said Llewellyn Zehr, MDS Unit Chair for New York, who is coordinating MDS’response.

This severity of flooding basically unheard of.

The rains started on a Tuesday night, and by morning, houses were flooded. People were being evacuated by helicopters to islands of high ground. Some houses saw water up to their gutters. One man tried to escape the waters by climbing into his attic with his dog, while the waters lapped at his feet.

The Conklin Fire Station became a temporary refuge for many. Some churches that were not affected offered showers for people, as well as cots. The Conklin Presbyterian Church at one point was serving 1,500 meals a day, and started assisting people impacted by the flood the day of the flooding. People whose houses were not impacted by the flood also opened their homes for volunteers. Local food distributors also donated food. The Salvation Army was in the area early, providing initial cleanup and food.

Almost all mobile and trailer homes in the area have been destroyed, and there are virtually no rentals available. Single-family homes that had seemed secure on their foundations floated downriver.

Reports have stated that as many as 1,000 homes were destroyed in the Southern Tier area of New York, and as many as 3,500 homes were damaged. Some 500 homes in Conklin alone, just north of the Pennsylvania border, were damaged. Some have been gutted, others need gutting, and still others that were condemned have been burned down.

Though the flooding only lasted a day or two, its impact is still strongly felt today. Driving through just this one town of Conklin one sees house after house empty, moldy, marked on the window with the infamous “X.” Numerous businesses have failed to return.

The work is more than any one community, group or organization can manage on their own.

“The community is strapped, and it is hard for them to help themselves. It needs outside help, moral support and a persistent presence that will show the community that others care and are concerned,” said Doug Horne, volunteer coordinator with the Presbytery of the Susquehanna Valley.

FEMA trailers that dot the town are some help, but they have not been built for winter in New York. Mud, leftover silt and debris from the river, still fill many yards. Mold can be seen colorfully decorating the sides of many homes, and the high water mark is still evidenced above some garage doors. Soon after the initial cleanup, debris and flotsam filled one store’s parking lot end to end, and was 30 feet high.

While many volunteers look for opportunities in the Gulf States this winter, MDS is mindful that local units have projects that offer many of the same challenges for fulfilling MDS’ mandate of responding, rebuilding and restoring. MDS will be one of the only volunteer groups working in the area over the winter. “We’re in a little different situation up here: we’re not in the Gulf where it doesn’t freeze,” commented Zehr. As one volunteer said, “There’s going to be a lot of work–a lot.”

mds-logo.jpgMennonite Disaster Service is a channel through which various constituencies of the Anabaptist church can respond to those affected by disasters in North America. While our main focus is on clean up, repair and rebuilding homes, this activity becomes a means of touching lives and helping people regain faith and wholeness.