Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship

The Gifts of Serving in a Small Town Church

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A Book Review of Brad Roth’s Flyover Church

by Steve McCloskey, Pastor, Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship

© 2024 Menno Media

I grew up in the Washington DC Metropolitan area and as an adult served in urban and suburban churches in places that included: Philadelphia, PA, Columbus, OH, and somewhere in New Jersey that was so busy and hectic that I didn’t have time to learn the name. I now find myself to be a pastor serving at a slower pace, in a small church, in a small town, in the second-least populated state of the country, Vermont. 

Reading author and pastor Brad Roth’s book Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places Is Good News Everywhere has helped illuminate the experience of rural ministry. The book’s title calls attention to the miles of land in North America (between the airports of major cities) that has been called “flyover country”.  

The phrase suggests that these places (and the people who inhabit them) are looked over, looked down upon, and in between the airports and important places—the cities and population hubs. 

The beautiful hills of Vermont are not the same landscape as the plains of Kansas, but I related to the rhythms of small-town pastoring that Roth describes in Chapter 2, particularly his description of being in the wilderness. It is in the wilderness that Jesus is shaped, formed, and prepared for ministry. It is in the wilderness that solitude is found. The wilderness can also be a place of loneliness and temptation, due to the remoteness of these regions (Roth calls it “the abyss”).  

Roth notes that many pastors (rural, urban, and suburban) hold the mindset that “real ministry” takes place in large churches, in populated areas connected to power and influence. Indeed, real ministry does take place in those places, but not only in those places. We in rural congregations need the reminder that real ministry is taking place in our small towns too–and that we offer gifts to the Body of Christ that may not be possible in the large cities.  

We may not see immediate impact in large numbers of souls; but numbers aren’t what ministry is all about; the Good Shepherd leaves behind the 99 sheep to find the one out in the wilderness. And in interacting with that one sheep, in that remote place, the shepherd is in a place of influence. Every person matters to Jesus—and small towns and small churches might be able to see that more clearly in a community where everyone knows each other’s name. 

It is in rural places that farms are possible, and large quantities of crops and livestock feed most of the world. Jesus modeled finding spiritual sustenance in rural places, too. In small, slow, quiet congregations in farm and mountain communities, deep relationships are possible in ways to which fast-paced metropolitan life doesn’t easily lend itself. Rural places can feed us—body, soul, and spirit. 

It is in rural places that the early Christian monastics (the desert fathers and mothers) chose to pursue the contemplative life. It is in “flyover country” that humility can be cultivated and matured; we receive less of the often-distracting social reinforcement found in cities, and instead, we encounter ourselves and the Spirit of God in solitude. 

As I read Roth’s phrase “Where Am I?” in Chapter 1, I found myself called to the gift of being fully here, present to where I am, in the moment. As I read on, I began circling almost every use of the word “here” in the book, noticing how much being “here” is implicit in the call to ministry, wherever we are. 

The quietness of rural life presents an opportunity to attune to the present moment and place where we find ourselves. There is less traffic, noise, and distraction. We are rooted somewhere that can be a refuge and sanctuary from the hurried pace of noise-polluted places. We, in the rural places, in “flyover churches,” can offer retreat to those in the urban areas when their souls need respite. 

Roth draws on personal experiences that include the Pike Place market in Seattle to reading J.D. Vance’s best-selling Hillbilly Elegy to make sense of himself as a pastor in his Kansas context. But he draws even more from the Gospel according to Mark, highlighting Jesus’ ministry in the Galilean agrarian hillsides and wilderness as one resonates with rural life.  

Flyover Church offers a relatable, thoughtful read for anyone interested in the flourishing of churches—urban, suburban, or rural. Even in “flyover country”, we are called into the Good News of the kingdom of God, and the recognition that, wherever we are, God is here.  

Steve McCloskey

Steve McCloskey (M. Div, MPA) serves as the Pastor of Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship in Vermont. Steve is a volunteer firefighter, recurring columnist for the Vermont Standard, a recovering sinner and disciple of Jesus, and father of Jacob and Silas. Steve enjoys hiking, praying, and exploring the hills of New England and occasionally playing Nintendo Switch with his kids and their friends.

Saving the Best Years for Last

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by Steve McCloskey, Pastor of Taftsville (VT) Chapel Mennonite Fellowship

My friend, Aoum, was an international student from Thailand. One night I asked him, “What is the one thing that shocked you the most about American culture?”  He said, “The way that you treat your elderly.”

Photo used with permission from Living Branches.

I can’t remember precisely what he said after this, but Aoum did not feel that we show the same dignity, honor, and respect to those who are aging as they do in other parts of the world. 

In Vermont we have a significant elderly population. In 2018 it was reported that the median age of Vermont is five years above that of the United States. Many people come to the town of Woodstock to enjoy their retirement years. In my own church, most of my congregation is older than me. 

As a millennial living in community with many people who are decades older than me, I recognize that I have at least two opportunities: 

1) to learn from older generations about how to make the most of our final years on Earth, and 

2) to honor those who have gone before me in ways that defy the norm that my friend Aoum found in US culture.

If we look to the Bible for inspiration, I am impressed with the biblical figures Abraham and Sarah. Their story pushes back against low-expectations of the elderly. The message from God to Abraham and Sarah is, effectively: “your later years will be your greater years.”

The book of Genesis introduces us to this couple when Abram is 75 years old.  God calls Abram to leave his homeland and gives him a promise:

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV)

Specific promises are made to Abram and Sarai about their descendants yet they experience decades of infertility. 

Photo used with permission from Living Branches.

Over two decades pass and they still have not birthed a child together, but when Abraham is 99 years-old, God reiterates the promise, “I will surely return in due season and Sarah will have a son” (Genesis 18:10).

Sarah eavesdrops on God’s conversation with Abraham from within a tent, and laughs to herself, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” 

Sarah laughs at this notion–because, even without American cultural bias–this pushes against the grain of human expectations. Biologically, a body can have children during a certain window of time and after that, it’s inconceivable (a retro-actively intended pun).

Abraham and Sarah lived in a time and place in which your offspring and your ability to reproduce was the only viable way to preserve your legacy. It was through children that you would be remembered.

In the story of Abraham and Sarah, I see an invitation: whatever age you are, whatever stage of life you are in, you are invited to open yourself up to the possibility that God still has plans for you. Whether you are single, married, divorced, or wherever you are in life, I see in this story an invitation to renewal. Yes, even in your later years, like Sarah, you can find pleasure! 

You are not infertile to God’s purposes. In the words of C.S. Lewis: “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.”

Jesus Never Said You Should Use LED Light Bulbs

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by Jennifer H. Schrock, Mennonite Creation Care Network

Members of Taftsville (VT) Chapel Mennonite Fellowship participated in a spring clean-up of their native plantings around their church building last month. Photo credit: Jennifer Schrock

Mennonite Creation Care Network (MCCN) has selected an Eastern District & Franconia Conference congregation, Taftsville (VT) Chapel Mennonite Fellowship, to receive its first annual Art and Jocele Meyer Award.

The award recognizes exemplary creation care at the congregational level and the creation care liaison’s role in communicating with the broader network. It includes a $500 donation to the congregation’s creation care efforts.

Taftsville’s liaison is Heather Wolfe, a dietician and wellness coach who has also authored the forthcoming Herald Press book, “Sustainable Kitchen: Recipes and Inspiration for Plant-based, Planet-Conscious Meals.”

Wolfe has been in the role since 2016 and spearheaded a number of initiatives. These range from installing solar panels to landscaping with native plantings to holding an intergenerational conversation on climate change. Wolfe has created a webinar outlining the steps that their congregation took to create a culture of creation care as a guide to help other churches do similar work.

Many of the church’s actions stem from completing MCCN’s Greener Congregation Score Sheet. The scoresheet encourages congregations to look at creation care from multiple angles, from identifying green leaders to landscaping decisions to worship. The results can provide a road map for years to come.

An intergenerational discussion on climate change at Taftsville (VT) Chapel Mennonite Fellowship allows those under 40 and over 40 to take turns listening to each other. Heather Wolfe, the congregation’s creation care liaison, is in the center facing forward. Photo credit: Jennifer Schrock

Taftsville Pastor Steve McCloskey said one of the first things he knew about the church before his initial interview in 2017 was that the members had chosen to install solar panels.  “I saw life in the church,” he said. “I saw that this church is not just thinking about themselves as a congregation but asking, ‘How can we be part of a solution to a broader problem?’ ”

To McCloskey, it showed a seriousness about loving one’s neighbors, even if the neighbors were on the other side of the world or still unborn. He said his role is often to help clarify the connection between the Bible and an emphasis on caring for the Earth.

“Jesus never says you should put LED light bulbs in your home or ride bicycles,” McCloskey said. “Why does our faith imply that we should make decisions that are healing to the Earth? I like wrestling with those questions, and Heather does a good job of keeping those questions on our minds.”

Wolfe said she’s always giving credit to the Holy Spirit. “We are just vessels of this Spirit at work in our congregation,” she said.

She is grateful creation care has made the church visible to the local community and attractive to new attendees. “People associate our faith tradition with care for creation,” Wolfe said.

 

A version of this article originally appeared in Mennonite World Review and is used with permission.

Fred Rogers: A Model of Confident Humility

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By Steve McCloskey, Pastor of Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship

Steve McCloskey

In a recent sermon, I spoke to my congregation about the relationship between confidence and humility. I expressed that an individual can have a sober view of themselves with confidence in what they are called to do, and act on it faithfully in humility. In other words: you can be simultaneously confident and humble. I was reminded of a great example of this recently when I saw a trailer for a movie that comes out this fall about a former resident of the Upper Valley (the area where our church is located). 

It’s based on the life of Fred Rogers–star of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”. He began college at Dartmouth and eventually went on to attend seminary and became an ordained Presbyterian minister. Tom Hanks will be playing the role of Mr. Rogers in this movie based on his life that comes out this November (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”) .

As a young child I regularly watched Mr. Rogers. His message was simple: every person is endowed with dignity and worthy of love and respect. He seemed to be immovable on this. From everything I’ve seen and read about him–this was not just a TV act–this was who he was, he believed it! He was motivated to communicate the intrinsic value of every person; presenting this message to children at a young age through public television. He knew what his message was and he stuck to it for decades. 

I read a story of a girl who was blind, she knew Mr Rogers had a pet goldfish but wanted to make sure the fish was being fed, she wrote a letter expressing her concern for the fish. In response, Mr. Rogers would always narrate when he was feeding the fish because of this one girl’s concern. He had a famous song called “It’s You I Like” but there’s a clip– you can look up on YouTube– of him singing a special version of this song to a boy in a wheelchair where he says:

It’s you I like,
It’s not the things you wear,
It’s not your fancy chair–
But it’s you I like.
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you–
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys–
They’re just beside you.
But it’s you I like–
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you’ll remember
Even when you’re feeling blue
That it’s you I like,
It’s you yourself,
It’s you, it’s you I like.

There’s an interview with Fred Rogers and Charlie Rose:  Rose asked him about his daily routine: Mr Rogers said he begins each morning waking up before 5 AM and spends several hours in quiet time. He said, in the interview, that “in silence comes revelation”. And Charlie Rose asked, “And then you begin the business of your day?” 

“No”, said Mr. Rogers, “Then, after that, I go swimming”. Rogers said that it was in the silence that he could reflect on what was most important. Perhaps it is through this time, in silence, each day, through his own self-care, reflecting on what is most essential, that Mr. Rogers had built-up this deep reservoir to appreciate people for who they were–just the way they are. In doing this, Fred Rogers exuded a confident humility.

Similarly,  Jesus would often withdrawal from the crowds, find solitude and pray.

It is not selfish of you to make time to care for yourself, in fact it can build the reservoir of love for others. How do you make time for yourself? What practices do you have to care for yourself; both body and soul? 

 

Congregational Profile: Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship

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by Steve McCloskey, pastor, Taftsville Chapel

Photo courtesy of Allen Guntz

Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship is situated in the idyllic hills of Vermont with a limited number of neighbors in the immediate vicinity of our meeting space. Nevertheless, each Sunday, congregants gather from across the Upper Valley of New England (some coming from over an hour away in Western Vermont or from across the river in New Hampshire) to join together as a vibrant multi-generational community in worship of God and discipleship in the way of Jesus Christ.

Even though we may not see a lot of neighbors in our sparsely populated part of the world, this doesn’t stop us from living in response to the question: how can we love our neighbors, including those in distant parts of the earth and future generations yet to be born?

Photo courtesy of Allen Guntz

As a pastor who began at this church about two years ago, the people of this congregation have inspired me with a number of decisions to care for our planet and our global neighbors. Shortly before I visited the church for the first-time, the congregation made the decision to install solar panels on the roof of the building; these panels generate more than enough electricity for our building’s use and we donate the excess as credits to help the nearby ministry of Bethany Birches Camp.

There are several ways that the church has practiced Creation Care: we have been featured in the local newspaper, The Vermont Standard, for our eco-consciousness; we won an award from the local environmental organization, Sustainable Woodstock, for our commitment to energy efficiency; we are currently in the process of further-weatherizing our building with new insulation and tightened doors and windows to reduce our energy use.

Photo courtesy of Allen Guntz

We are fortunate to live amidst the beauty of the Green Mountain State; we cherish the land that our Creator has given us, and we hope to preserve this for future generations. Underlying this commitment is a willingness to keep asking the question: “How can we live simply that others may simply live?” This, to us, is implicit in faithfully loving our neighbors, and, ultimately, our Creator.

Taftsville Chapel has been described as an “eclectic” community of faith.  Many of us do not come from Anabaptist backgrounds; others of us are founding members of our church who came to the Upper Valley from Pennsylvania over 50 years ago, doing 1-W alternative service as conscientious objectors to the military draft and serving at the nearby Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.  Our community is held together like patches on a quilt: some of us exercise together doing CrossFit, others (literally) quilt together.  We regularly serve at a local homeless shelter, engage in advocacy for our immigrant neighbors, and serve one another in simple, practical community. We are happy to be a “city on a hill” in the rural Upper Valley, coming together in the old schoolhouse where our church meets, nurturing and building relationships with Jesus, each other, our communities, and our world.

Photo courtesy of Allen Guntz

Prayer requests:

  • We thank God that our congregation has come together like various patches on a quilt, each one of us with our own story. Pray that our congregation continues to grow in “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) as a church family, even as we come from different backgrounds, places, and testimonies.

  • Pray that our gatherings for worship “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Give wisdom, vision, and guidance to church leadership in this endeavor.

  • Pray for us as we build relationships with those outside of our congregation, that we may “promote the building-up the body of Christ in love” (Eph. 4:16) to our global neighbors and those who live nearby us in the Upper Valley of New England.

Formation Through Mentorship

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by Wayne Nitzsche, Interim LEADership Minister

Erik Erikson, psychologist, developed an eight stage theory of psychosocial development. You may remember it from a psych class in high school or college. The seventh of eight stages in his helpful construct is “generativity vs stagnation.”  He associates this stage with the middle years (40-65.) To engage this stage one begins to think about contributing to future generations through parenting, grandparenting, and mentoring future generations. If we do not engage this stage we stagnant and life loses a sense of purpose.

This past year I became a grandfather to William. He has brought so much joy to my life. Even though he lives with our daughter and son-in-law in Long Beach, California, Mary and I have been able to bond and stay connected thanks to modern travel, and the technological wonder of FaceTime. Our lives take on new meaning as we engage our small part in mentoring this precious child.

A central task of the church has to do with faith formation. There are, of course, many beautiful examples in the Scripture of this happening through mentor/mentees such as that of Paul and Timothy, Naomi and Ruth and others. In the 1980’s I had a hand in developing the “life-planning” process in the Mennonite Church. In part, it was a plan for matching an adult with a youth, and helping them develop a generative relationship. The program has long since died, but the need remains for adults to consider how they pass on the faith.

Reflecting back on my early years in pastoral ministry, I was blessed to have mentors who noticed gifts for ministry and encouraged me to consider seminary. While in seminary I learned so much from an experienced and wise pastor, Clare. He was gracious when I made stupid mistakes, he affirmed and challenged me, and was always ready to give new opportunities. He modeled a love for Christ and the church, and was vulnerable with his struggles. He was never stagnant but growing and generative.

Wayne Nitzsche (right) prays for Jessica Miller at her installation service, November 2016

Now I’m older than Clare was when he mentored me. I’ve had the great privilege of mentoring Jessica Miller, who began at Perkasie Mennonite (PMC) in November, 2016 as our pastoral intern, but has since become our Associate Pastor. Jessica and I have long conversations about ministry, life, theology. I see her not only as a mentee, but also as a colleague from whom I can learn. I value her youthful wisdom and welcome the integration of her ministry with her theological studies at Drew Theological School. She has been a great gift to PMC. I trust that I might model some of the same things for Jessica that Clare did for me.

When we sit down together, sometimes we are intentional in reflecting on a specific aspect of ministry, personal or professional development. Other weeks it’s more informal and might be related to preaching, worship planning or pastoral care.

Steve McCloskey and family

I’m still finding my way in another mentoring relationship with Steve McCloskey, who pastors Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship in Vermont. With the distance, we’ll perhaps need to rely more on technology to make connections. So be patient with me, Steve, as we find our way in this new relationship!

I’ve had to deal with self-doubt, wondering what, if anything, I had to offer. However as we offer ourselves and trust the Spirit, both our gifts and places where we are still being formed can be formative.

Might you, if you are like me and nearing the end of your active pastoral ministry, consider how you might mentor someone younger? Perhaps if you feel “stagnant” it might be the prompting of the Spirit to consider such a relationship. You’ll discover a joy and sense of purpose that is a gift from the Great Mentor, the God and Parent of us all. If you’d like to talk more about it, I’d be glad to share more over a cup of coffee. But bear with me, you’ll also have to indulge me as I share a picture or two of grandson William!

Staff Meeting Heads to the Margins of Vermont

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By John Stoltzfus, Conference Youth Minister

As part of our ongoing practice of going to the “margins,” a contingent of Franconia Conference staff traveled to Vermont last week for a 48 hour working retreat. Of course, going to the margins can be a relative statement depending on where one places the center. Perhaps, going to the margins can actually help re-center us in the saving work of God in this world. By locating ourselves physically in other people’s spaces we are re-placed and invited to see how the Spirit is present and active in communities and people beyond our own.

Our short time in Vermont included many opportunities for centering ourselves in God’s good work in the beautiful hills and valleys of Vermont. For our first meal, we received generous hospitality and delicious food around the table at the home of Gwen Groff, a Franconia Conference Board Member, who is pastor at Bethany Mennonite Church in Bridgewater, Vermont.

The following morning, our first in Vermont, Steve McCloskey who is the new pastor at Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship led our group in devotions. We were invited to consider our calling in ministry and how we are sustained in that calling. Later we visited Taftsville Chapel, getting a glimpse of the solar panels installed last year on the church roof.

We also heard from Joe Paparone who is an organizer with the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State, and the advocacy coordinator with the FOCUS Churches of Albany (NY). Over the past several years he has connected with Bethany Mennonite Church through his work in Albany, including leading a book study for the congregation over video conference. He led the Franconia Staff in a helpful training on Community Organizing Principles for pastoral ministry and the church.

Hearing the stories of call for Joe, Steve and Gwen and learning more about the mission and ministries of their respective communities was an encouraging and hopeful witness of God’s renewing and creative work in our church and world. These communities have many gifts to offer to the broader conference and church.

Of course Vermont has other “gifts” to offer such as cheese, maple syrup and beautiful scenery. Our retreat included a visit to the Sugarbush Cheese and Maple Farm for a delightful cheese and maple syrup tasting and we enjoyed an invigorating walk down the Quechee Gorge.

Jesus’ life and witness consistently re-centered the focus on God’s activity in the world. Henri Nouwen made the observation that “those who are marginal in the world are central in the Church.” How can we as a conference continue to receive the gifts and witness of the Spirit’s presence and activity by those at the “margins”?

Love is a Verb and So Much More

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by Wayne Nitzsche, Interim LEADership Minister and Pastor of Perkasie Mennonite Church

When taking elementary Greek as a seminary student, suddenly it dawned on me that my knowledge of the English language was woefully inadequate. I might not have been able to tell you that a verb “is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen,” as Google says. But I’d have been able to say that is an action word!

So when I learned the theme for Mennonite Church USA for 2017, launched on Valentine’s Day, was: “Love is a Verb” I knew about verbs. I’m just glad they didn’t go with: “Love is a predicate noun.”

As followers of Christ we believe that God is love and that we are called to participate in God’s love. Not by the cheap “I’ll love you if you love me” ways of our culture, but in the gritty work of loving God, ourselves and our neighbors.

This theme of Love is a Verb will be the theme at our denominational assembly in Orlando in early July. As we lead up to that, Perkasie Mennonite (PMC), and perhaps other Franconia Conference congregations have recently engaged this theme. Here at PMC we developed a six week worship series focusing on: love is… a verb, … obeying Christ, … mutual, …. fear-less, ….of God, and …. life-giving. The series has been a study of the book of First John.

“This word of life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us…so that our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:2-3)

For the writer, the love of God is expressed in the revealed “word of life” (Jesus Christ) so that we might have fellowship (koinonia) with God and with each other. That love we’ve received is then expressed in love for each other in the local fellowship. Yet, scholars believe this struggling church was fractured because of theological diversity and a refusal to love in word and deed. In a series employing sharp contrasts comes the command to do the hard work of love.

Our love has been put to the test in very specific ways as we have walked with congregation members in life and death. I witnessed people expressing their love by sharing meals, sending cards, sitting in silence, in unceasing prayer and in many other acts of love. I know this happens on a daily basis, not only at PMC but in all the churches spread out over our conference.

We have members demonstrate active love – love as a verb – by urging us to speak into the political process with a voice of concern for peace and justice. We had hard discussions in our Sunday morning second hour around the issue of racism, and talked about what steps we might take to become allies.

As an Interim LEADership Minister with Franconia Conference, I’ve been relating to Alpha, Bally and Taftsville congregations. It’s been a joy to hear stories of love in action. Bally created a large banner with the words from the Welcoming Your Neighbors posters: “No matter where you are from, we are glad you are our neighbor” written in Arabic, Spanish and English. During a committee meeting, a stranger entered and expressed his appreciation for the sign. He is a recent immigrant from the Middle East and had been feeling very vulnerable.

Love in action is expressed at Taftsville in their recent addition of solar panels on the roof of their meeting place.  They are now generating electricity that goes back onto the grid, as they continue to implement steps to care for God’s creation. I could go on with other illustrations just in these three congregations.

Let’s continue to challenge ourselves and our congregations to make Christ’s love known in our local communities. May we also celebrate and testify to the ways it is already happening in small ways in the wonderful diversity that is Franconia Mennonite Conference.

“We know love by this that he laid down his life for us – and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 John 3:16)