Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference News

Perkiomenville Mennonite Church breaks ground for new church and community building

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Residents along Route 29 in Perkiomenville saw a strange sight early Sunday afternoon: two large hay wagons being pulled by a tractor, filled with men, women, and children all in their Sunday best. It was the entire congregation of the Perkiomenville Mennonite Church, currently located on Deep Creek Road, going to the ground breaking ceremony at their new property on Route 29.

Perkiomenville Mennonite Church (PMC) was founded in 1935 as a Sunday School for the community children. Now, over 70 years later, it continues to be a vital force in the community with two Sunday services, Sunday School for all ages, Vacation Bible School, and a variety of programs that touch not only the lives of the surrounding community, but reach as far as Mexico and Chile where the congregation helps support two sister churches abroad.

In response to the growth of the church and the desire of the congregation to increase their involvement with the community, PMC purchased 20 acres of land on Route 29 several years ago, with a vision of raising a new building. That vision is now becoming a reality. The new building will not only house the church itself, but will offer a day care facility for local preschool children. The congregation hopes in the future to add counseling services, sports activities, and charity programs to benefit all the families in the community.

The ground breaking ceremony was filled with song and laughter, and everyone present had the opportunity to turn over shovelfuls of the thick, dark soil. With one voice, the congregation affirmed that the new building would be “used for worship, education, youth activities, recreation, and as a resource center for the community.”

Pastor Charles Ness summarized the purpose for the new building during the ceremony: “We break ground for this building in order that it may become a center of faith and renewal, a place of healing and hope.” And all those present responded, “As we break ground this day, we step boldly into the future, and we do so to the glory of God.”

The congregation anticipates opening the doors of the new building to the community by fall 2007.

FMC’s Claude Good receives Distinguished Service Award

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HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Alumni Association of Eastern Mennonite University honored two of its graduates Sunday, Oct. 15, for their work in reflecting the school’s vision, mission and values.

Claude Good of 275 Dock Drive, Lansdale, a member of the graduating class of 1954, received the “distinguished service award,” during the Sunday morning worship service of homecoming and family weekend.

The annual “distinguished service” award seeks to recognize graduates who have demonstrated in notable ways the Christian service and peacemaking emphases of the university.

Good and his wife, Alice Longenecker Good, also a member of the class of 1954, lived among the Triqui Indians in Mexico for 25 years while translating the New Testament into their language.

With intestinal worms a major medical problem among the children they served, Good looked for ways to treat malnutrition caused by roundworms that can devour 25-30 percent of the food eaten by a child each day.

His investigations resulted in the “Worm Project”, a medical treatment that, for about two cents a pill, can eradicate most parasitic worms in a child for up to six months.

“We hope to have at least 12 million pills distributed by the end of 2006 in about 70 countries,” Good noted, adding a wish that his receiving the “distinguished service award” will “help publicize something that the world truly needs.”

As part of his work with the Worm Project, Good frequently addresses groups who might contribute financially; these audiences sometimes include school-age groups. His soft and easy manner, as well as his general appearances, has resulted in his being dubbed “Mr. Rodgers.”

Good continues to work with international students from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, connecting them with families and churches in the Philadelphia area. He also has an international scripture ministry in the Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church where he and his wife are members.

Catherine R. Mumaw, also a 1954 EMU graduate and veteran educator from Corvallis, Ore. received EMU’s 2006 “alumna of the year” award during homecoming weekend.

Dr. Mumaw, a home economics graduate of EMU, returned to teach courses in that discipline at her alma mater, 1957-74. She earned a master’s degree in 1958 and a PhD in 1967 from Penn State University.

She was professor and chair of the home economics department at Goshen (IN) College, 1974-86, and served as associate professor in the Human Development and Family Studies department at Oregon State University, 1987-95.

Through OSU, she helped Bunda College of Agriculture in Malawi update their home economics and human nutrition programs and took part in a faculty exchange program with Avinashilingam Deemed University in India.

The award is presented annually to a graduate who has been recognized for significant achievements in their profession, community or church.

You can read more about Claude in EMU’s Crossroads article, available here.

More than 100 attend symposium resulting in new vision boldly opening doors to Christ-centered Mennonite education

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Over 100 people joined together to consider the future possibilities for Quakertown and Penn View Christian schools and Christopher Dock Mennonite High School on September 16 at Penn View’s Godshall Road campus in Souderton, PA. Out of this day of listening and hearing the steering team for the school’s GPS 2012 strategic plan initiative has adopted a vision statement, “Boldly opening doors to Christ-centered Mennonite education.” The vision emerges from the conversations and input of the symposium participants.

According to Sarah Bergin of Perkasie Mennonite Church, “It’s so great to be a part of a community that cares about our students, not just academically but spiritually. It was wonderful to be together as a group.” Parents, students, alumni, teachers, staff, pastors, conference leaders and community leaders were part of the day-long discernment that led up to the new collaborate vision for the schools. Noel Santiago, Franconia Conference Executive Minister, remarked “There was a lot of energy here with good focus and clarity. We still have the tough part of making it a reality.”

The ongoing work of GPS (Globally Positioned Students) 2012 will focus around four goals derived from the September 15 meeting. These goals include:
• Mission driven, action-oriented collaboration among schools, families, congregations and conferences
• Accessibility to Christ-centered Mennonite education in the tri-school area
• Exemplary Christ-centered teaching and learning within an Anabaptist/Mennonite worldview
• Cultivating a community recognizable by their impact as Christ-centered pilgrim servants building God’s kingdom locally and globally

Perkasie Congrgation Reaches out to Neighborhood with Friday Film Night

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by Mary Lou Cummings

Their days are crowded between their children and their jobs, but when Karen Zehr and Sarah Bergin get together, ideas begin to pop. Both members of Perkasie congregation, they share a passion for connecting to the people who live in the neighborhood around the church at Fourth and Chestnut Streets, in downtown Perkasie.

Karen, who lives in a nearby townhouse, knew that young families often look for wholesome, inexpensive weekend entertainment. Could a small congregation sponsor some activity as a gift to the dense, residential neighborhood? Could this be a non-threatening way to get acquainted?

The two women made lots of phone calls to iron out the details, and then proposed a Free Friday Film Night on the final Friday night of June, July, and August. The Church Council hopped on board, and volunteers helped make the event a success.

They choose family movies, two with current national distribution, and all with child-appeal: Hoodwinked was an animated feature that spiraled off from the Little Red Riding Hood story. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was another animated drama that took place on the early Western plains, and the classic version of The Wizard of Oz offered its songs about courage and heart.

A borrowed projector shone the movie through the dark of a summer sky and onto the 30-foot white tarp pinned to the brick wall of a nearby building. Free popcorn popped in the commercial popper as church members and their neighbors opened canvas chairs and got comfortable. Children wandered in with glowstick necklaces, as if going to a parade.

The downside? Weather. Thunder and lightning and rain scattered the movie-goers half-way through the first night. Lowering dark skies kept everyone nervous on the day of the second. Still, the audiences seemed to enjoy the soft night air, the stars, and the atmosphere.

The upside? New friends. A number of neighbors warmly offered to help clean up. One girl has become Sarah’s best friend, and lurks outside on Sunday mornings watching for her. People now know several of us by name, and vice versa, and others, both young and retirement-age tell us they will be watching for next summer’s event. Some kind of long-time barrier has come tumbling down in a small mysterious way; maybe it is an attitude of mistrust of the unknown on both sides.

Sarah and Karen warn others who might be drawn to the idea to purchase licenses to show the movies, even though some accompanying limitations might be irritating. They even got an okay from Perkasie’s Borough. They also prepared a short Power Point presentation about Perkasie Mennonite Church, Mennonites, and an invitation to its activities which ran before the movie. They registered those who attended by offering a drawing for free drinks and snacks. The snacks were sold at very low prices to keep the event family-friendly and the popcorn was free.

The two women operated on a $500 budget, some of which went for wide publicity; they have applied to MMA for a matching grant.

“We learned a lot,” Sarah laughs, “because this was the first time for everything. But the movies proved to be a great ‘equalize.’ People felt comfortable attending because they were national PG movies. In our publicity we also publicized MCC school kits, and invited people to bring supplies along. Some did donate money and supplies for the kits, and that was a good educational component. The crowds were not big, but they seemed to have a great time!