• 

• 

In September 2019, the junior and senior youth from Light of Life Mennonite Church of Farmington, New Mexico each enjoyed their own retreats. The Junior Youth went camping in the La Plata Canyon and hiked to the top of Cumberland Pass. The Senior Youth spent a weekend at a mountain cabin. Each group of young people were responsible for planning their own meals which were all cooked over an open fire. Both events were exciting and enriching as the youth were able to get away from their regular routines and enjoy the beauty of God’s Creation.  

Phil Rosenberger

Pastor, Light of Life Mennonite Church

Crystal Springs hosted their first “Unrehearsed Christmas Pageant” on December 15th.  Through a connection with SCC Regional Conference Minister Howard Keim, pastor Talashia Keim Yoder shared details of the service her congregation (College Mennonite in Goshen Indiana) has been using for the past four years.  Pastor Josh Patterson reports, “We had a wonderful evening but due to the snow storm we didn’t have our regular attendance.  It was our congregants doing the pageant for ourselves, however, we greatly enjoyed the service.  Thanks to Talasha for helping by providing the service to us. We had a wonderful time dressing up and allowing ourselves to be present in the moment of Jesus’ birth as we listened to scripture and sang songs aligned with the story of Christ’s birth. We were able to weave our tradition of singing candlelit carols in at the end as though we came to the manger to have our candles lit.  This was followed by a bountiful fellowship with plenty of snacks and laughter.”

• 

• 

Before Journey@McPherson purchased and began renovating their building, formerly a grocery store in downtown McPherson, their vision was for a space that would become a community center used more during the week than on weekends.  

In order to expand mid-week usage, Journey@McPherson has begun renovating part of the currently unused space in their building.  Many community events they host require a kitchen and meeting spaces that the church does not currently have. The Arts After School program, in particular, continues to expand and will gain facilities for culinary, music, and visual arts courses.  The renovation will also serve weekend ministry by providing youth and student meeting spaces as well as give the church the ability to fellowship during meals together.

The project, an added 2,800 ft² of finished space including a kitchen, classrooms, lounge area, and welcome center, is being completed by a combination of volunteer and contracted labor.  One perk of this project is an opportunity to develop and strengthen relationships at barn-raising style events where volunteers work together on construction tasks like pulling electrical wire, installing drywall, and painting.  

On September 22, 2019 Light of Life Mennonite Church of Farmington, New Mexico held a special Commissioning Service for Winfred Kurley. Win, who has recently retired from his career as an electrician for a local mine, has been sensing God’s call to a more focused ministry. He is passionate about the Word of God and has a burning desire to help others read and understand the Bible. He has an active Facebook outreach, assisted in moderating a community Bible Study, and seeks opportunities to share his vibrant testimony with anyone he can. In addition, Win is the Administrative Elder at Light of Life.

After conversations with Pastor Phil Rosenberger of Light of Life and with Conference Minister, Howard Keim, it was agreed to hold the Commissioning Service to underscore our support of his ministry efforts and to encourage him toward continued growth. Howard Keim attended the service along with numerous friends and family members.

When we ask to be shown our calling or next step in life, God answers.  All we need to do is listen and heed.  Thanks be to God for Win’s call and ministry in his community!

Phil Rosenberger Pastor, Light of Life Mennonite Church