For about 30 years, Whitestone Mennonite Church has conducted a Wednesday evening program called WOW (for Whitestone on Wednesday), geared to Kindergarten through 5th grade. JYF and MYF met at the same time but with different programming. Beginning September 12, this event will be renamed Connect, designed to be intergenerational in nature. After a meal together, all ages will gather for worship, followed by classes for children through youth. There will be a study and fellowship opportunity for adults as well. The planners have stated that “our goal is that Wednesday evenings become a place for [all] to make connection across generations.”
Pleasant View hosts “Marriage Roadshow”
August 25 and 26, Pleasant View Mennonite Church of Hydro Oklahoma hosted a marriage enrichment event for their congregation and members of the local community featuring “The aMayzing Marriage Roadshow” with Richard and JeannaLynn May. For 15 years, Richard and JeannaLynn suffered through a loveless marriage. Then on the brink of divorce, God gave them the will to change. Through their sharing about God’s remarkable work in their marriage, a ministry was born, “What God Has Joined Ministries”. Today Richard and JeannaLynn coach couples to make their marriages become the gift God intended it to be. Their coaching goes “on the road” through “The aMayzing Marriage Roadshow”.
A total of 32 people, both from the congregation and community took advantage of the Saturday/Sunday training geared to help everyone, not just married couples, better honor God’s gift of marriage. Married participants received practical advice on how to chose their marriage mindset, namely not to grow tired of doing what is right (2 Thess 3:13) and be mature, which was defined simply as living out your chosen mindset even when you don’t feel like it. To help remember mindset and maturity, there were bowls of M & M’s at every table available for the eating. The general consensus following the two day seminar was that it had been time well spent. To learn more about “The aMayzing Marriage Roadshow” go to Richard and JeannaLynn’s website www.wghjministries.com.
Greensburg Redefines Ministry
Greensburg Mennonite Church is the westernmost SCC church in Kansas, located in the northwest part of the town of Greensburg. The average attendance is approximately 70, with highs around 100. Nearly half of the participants are new in the past 10 years. Pastor Jeff Blackburn has been serving this congregation for 23 years and is now the senior pastor in the city of Greensburg. In this role, he is seen as a respected and appreciated presence in the community along with the entire congregation.
Pastor Blackburn was invited to be keynote speaker at “Bridging the Gap for Harvey Recovery in Galveston, Texas, June 10. Organized by Disaster Leadership Team (pictured) , the summit brought together community disaster recovery leaders from across southeast Texas to identify resources for recovery and rebuilding and to provide instruction and inspiration. Jeff is on the Advisory Board of DLT.
Kiowa County EMS invited him to participate in ALICE training for violent critical incidents, which led to certification as an ALICE trainer. He can work with pastors and congregational leadership in developing an emergency plan.
He was also the Bible study speaker for Western Yearly Meeting of Friends in Plainfield, Indiana, July 12-15. The theme was “Living Like You’re Loved,” with lessons from 1 John. Jeff served as a pastor in that Yearly Meeting 1984-1987, so it was also a chance to renew acquaintances.
Jeff traveled to Eureka, Kansas, for the community’s town hall meeting August 9. After the second tornado in two years, the long-term recovery committee is gearing up to help residents cope with rebuilding again. Jeff went to offer moral support to the recovery committee chairman, Matt Osborn, whom he met through the Disaster Leadership Team in 2016 after Eureka’s first tornado. The community of Greensburg is watching for ways to help and support them.
The congregation is making plans for its annual Pork Supper on September 15. Roasted pork, salads, and desserts will be served from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. They expect the typical 300-350 people to attend. It is a fundraising event, although GMC no longer needs all of funds. It recent years, they have shared the majority of the proceeds to address specific needs. This year’s donations will largely go to Mennonite Disaster Service for their work in Eureka, and a large gift has already been committed.
The elders and congregation are encouraged by the opportunities to minister to the community and beyond. Ministry has been radically redefined, and many are plugged in to the community in various ways.
Peace Mennonite Story
Peace Mennonite Community Church, Aurora, CO was received as a member of South Central Conference at Assembly on July 21, 2018. Here’s their story:
Peace Mennonite Church was planted 30 years ago, meeting in a community center for a number of years before purchasing property. With the help of many, many generous people from across the country we were able to erect our current building. Leonard Wiebe was the church planting pastor who got the ball rolling and we have been continuing to blossom where we have been planted. The focus of our church is faithfulness to God. We want to be faithful to the truth of the scripture, faithful to one another and to the community in which we live. We live in one of the most diverse and colorful communities in the United States, with literally dozens of nationalities waving their country’s flag. We host both a Latino and Korean church in our building, so scheduling is no small task. We are laboring to reach out into our community, hosting Kid’s Clubs, and volunteering at local schools. Ours is a warm and genuine community, our hearts beating with the heartbeat of the living Christ. We are ecstatic about our newfound alliance with South Central Conference, believing that the Lord will use our new alliances to produce His Spiritual fruit in us all. –Pastor Tim and Charlene Davis
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