Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference An area conference of Mennonite Church USA Gospel Evangel DECEMBER 2009 VOL 90, NO 7 Advent Living in the space between A passion for connection by Noël King Don Yost College Mennonite, Goshen, Ind. For Don Yost of College Mennonite Church (CMC) in Goshen, Ind., the experience of living in the space between brought the gift of a lifetime: the discovery of his unique calling. When he arrived in Goshen as a student 41 years ago, Don said, he began attending CMC because it was large enough for him to stay on the margins. Over the ensuing years, however, he found a foothold at CMC as people in the congregation helped him grow in his faith and even gain a faith, he recounted, particularly then-sunday school teacher Ray Gingerich. Subsequently, Don participated in many ways in the This year, we ve been seeking to connect the seasons of the church year with stories of how the Spirit is working in the lives of people across our conference. Tyler Hartford, associate pastor of Pleasant View Mennonite, Goshen, Ind., and author of the article on Ron Willis on p. 4, observes, As we celebrate Advent, we live in the space between the promise of a Savior and His actual coming. Through observing Advent, we re-enact the faithful waiting of the prophets of old, and we rehearse the waiting for Christ s second coming. This space between may appear to be a dry time, a time of wanting the waiting to end. Yet God moves in this space; it is a nurturing and shaping space, preparing us to live and love more faithfully our God and our neighbor. I hope you enjoy these stories of people s experiences in the space between, preparing us to love more faithfully our God and our neighbor. Annette Brill Bergstresser, editor congregation and found his life s work while doing so. I was writing plays for the church, he explained, and I liked it so much that I decided to found a theater and do playwriting as an occupation. For the next three decades, the theater company Bridgework Theater performed in schools across a dozen states. Then, two years ago, not only did CMC s lead pastor leave bringing major transition to the church but Don s 30-year livelihood also melted away with the folding of the theater company. Thus, at the same time that CMC began doing (continued on p. 3) What s inside the Word among us: Jonathan Carlisle of Coldsprings Christian Fellowship...2 Ron Willis of Morning Star... 4 Middlebury congregations reunite after 86 years... 5 Pastoral Leadership Team Weekend coverage... 6 Maple City Health Care Center, Goshen, Ind.: Co-workers Arely Pérez, chronic disease coordinator, and Don Yost. (Photo provided) Arely also works with the youth group in her congregation, Zion Comunidad Cristiana (Zion Christian Community Church) near Syracuse, Ind. In February, Don invited Arely and her youth group to bring their outreach worship team to lead a worship service at College Mennonite.
This year, each issue of Gospel Evangel is featuring people sharing about Bible texts that have made a difference in their lives. Coldsprings Christian Fellowship, Mancelona, Mich.: Tabitha and Jonathan Carlisle. (Photo provided) Michigan the Word among us Seeking the mysteries of God by Noël King I guess I m kind of a mysteries man, said Jonathan Carlisle of Coldsprings Christian Fellowship in Mancelona, Mich., when asked to share about a Scripture passage that has spoken to or challenged him. So, the verse I chose is kind of an odd one, but I picked Luke 19:40: He replied, I tell you, if they were quiet, the stones would cry out. Jonathan went on to explain that verses like this one kind of poke out at him, especially when Jesus really doesn t ever explain what he just said, and it s just one line in a whole story that seems like it had nothing to do with it. This particular verse definitely has provided a challenge for me something to go after, something to seek the mysteries of God, Jonathan continued. What is He talking about, and what does He know that we don t, which is obviously a pretty large portion? As he meditated on the passage, Jonathan shared, what also came to mind were other verses in the Bible that speak about God s creation, such as the psalms that talk about the rivers clapping their hands and the hills being joyful. In those verses, you hear about creation reacting in ways that you don t ever think about, he mused. I just find it interesting that at least in God s view the creation around us tends to be an active part of what is going on. It s not just us and Him; there is much that is around us that is involved with our destiny. I believe the mysteries of creation point back to the mystery of God, because He s the one who made it all, Jonathan continued. Furthermore, if man is made in God s image and there is mystery in God, there must be at least a little bit of mystery in each one of us. Jonathan and his wife, Tabitha, have three young children. The Carlisles have worked closely with teenagers, and Jonathan said that knowing that the mystery of God is present in each of them underpins their approach. Teenagers go through a difficult time, he commented, because along with their bodies changing, things are changing all around them, and their perceptions are changing. When working with them, I try to look into each one of them and draw out whatever it is that is helping them come to realize who they are in God, he added. In his life in general, Jonathan said, seeking the mystery also plays out in how he approaches various If man is made in God s image and there is mystery in God, there must be at least a little bit of mystery in each one of us. problems. I tend to look at things a little bit longer than the average person would, he explained. If there s a problem, I try to solve the real problem and not just the symptoms of it. During the work week, Jonathan is a journeyman electrician, a job that he didn t necessarily envision early on but that fits the bill for piquing his interest. Definitely, electricity always kind of intrigued me, he said, and I guess, in a way, that in everything I ve done in my life, I have been guided by intrigue. For example, he said, he plays guitar on the worship team at Coldsprings and has not just one guitar hanging on his wall, but six: I started by learning how to play guitar, and I m just curious about how things work, so I started digging into them. He added that eventually, he would love to own his own guitar sales and repair shop. In addition to just the friendliness of the people at his church, their openness to mystery is also one of the things Jonathan most appreciates about Coldsprings, where he has been attending for 12 years. (Currently, he also serves on the leadership team there.) As much as I like to look into mystery and seek for what I haven t already known, there is that same ele- (continued on p. 3) Indiana Kentucky Tennessee Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference is a community of 79 congregations in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, gathering together for mutual encouragement in kingdom mission and inspiration to joyfully follow Jesus. Office: 212 S. Main St., Goshen, IN 46526 Phone: 574 534-4006 or 800 288-8486 Web site: im.mennonite.net Editor: Annette Brill Bergstresser (annette@im.mennonite.net) All glory and honor go to God for any way that this issue extends God s kingdom. Communication Advisory Committee: Tyler Hartford, chair, Goshen, Ind.; Bill Beck, Sturgis, Mich.; Zulma Prieto, Goshen; Heidi King, staff; Charlotte Long, staff; Annette Brill Bergstresser, staff Gospel Evangel is published seven times annually by IN-MI Mennonite Conference (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep, Oct/Nov, Dec). It is printed and mailed by Evangel Press, 2000 Evangel Way, Nappanee, IN 46550. Periodical postage is paid at Nappanee, IN 46550 (USPS 575-940). Postmaster: Send address changes to IN-MI Mennonite Conference, 212 S. Main St., Goshen, IN 46526. 2 December 2009 Gospel Evangel IN-MI Mennonite Conference
A passion for connection... (continued from p. 1) tons of work with the help of transitional interim pastor Gary Martin, Don was experiencing a major life transition of his own, starting a new job at nearby Maple City Health Care Center (MCHCC). Little did he know that the two transitions were about to meet, as Pastor Gary worked with CMC members on identifying not only their individual gifts of the Spirit but also each person s calling. For me, it was easy to identify my gift it s creative communication but when it came to a calling, I was lost, Don remembered. But then something happened. Don explained that the Goshen area itself has been in a big transition in recent years, with a large influx of Spanish-speaking people. Many of the people on staff at MCHCC are native Spanish speakers and have come from different cultures, he added. As Don began working at the center, he began to make Hispanic friends. All of a sudden I had connections, he marveled. I was finding all kinds of connections that I didn t think existed, and a kind of richness of culture that I didn t know existed. I discovered that I have a passion for connecting our congregation with the community and specifically with the Hispanic community, he continued. It s something I love to do. Pastor Gary helped him see that making those connections is truly his personal calling, Don concluded. Before, he said, he had seldom invited people to church because he hadn t felt comfortable hosting them. And now what happens is I invite people into the church, and I connect them to the people whose gift that is, who find joy in hosting people and in being hospitable, he smiled. When people in the congregation are lined up with their gifts, it s a happy place, and it s a much more effective place, he said. That is what is happening at College Church. For example, Don said, a year ago he was in a meeting in which a young woman stood up to say how hurt she had been by the Department of Public Welfare. Don invited her to CMC, telling her, When things are hard for me, it s the church that keeps me going, that helps me heal. Why don t you come to College Mennonite and see what it s like? She did, said Don. And we discovered that she has her own passion, which is to connect with women who have I was finding all kinds of connections that I didn t think existed, and a kind of richness of culture that I didn t know existed. lost children. She joined a CMC women s ministry in which participants visit women in jail. She is so excited now, Don recounted. She s found her own life-giving mission by getting connected to the congregation. The woman invited her husband to church, Don recalled, but he could barely sit still during the service. I kept thinking, What s the Spirit calling him to do? What kind of job in the church could use that gift of his? You can think of it as a problem his lack of attention but it s also a gift. There s always a flip side to it. I thought, Wait a minute an usher! I said to him, You know, you could be an usher, and he immediately walked over to the head usher and volunteered, Don said. Those are the kind of things that are happening to me every Sunday now. It s just so fun! He added, I used to hate the word missional. But I look at it now and say, Wow, that s what this is. The reason I hated it is because I felt so guilty about it. I felt like it was something we had to do, and when I found out how I fit into the whole thing, joyfully, church for me has become an amazingly exciting thing. As for what Don would remind people when they are experiencing times of living in the space between, he mused, Well, I m wondering if for God there is such a thing. I can t imagine that God stops working or calling or loving, and so what is this thing called in between? (continued on p. 4) In fall 2008, collaborative worship planning efforts brought new insights from the Jonah story to participants at College Mennonite during the congregation s transition period. Above, Jonah (Don Yost) waits for God to destroy Nineveh. (Photo by Dottie Kauffmann) the Word among us... (continued from p. 2) ment to the church as a whole, he related. I like the openness for more to understand God more and to be seeking Him and who He is and what He wants for us. Luke 19:40 definitely invites us to be faithful as Christians, said Jonathan. If we are quiet, if we are not honoring God, it says the stones would cry out. There s just that whole sense that there s more in it than just us... that everything around us is basically waiting for us to make the right choice, to follow God and to honor Him, he said. That challenges me, for sure, and invites me to be more than what I ve been and reminds me to seek more than what I am. Noël King is a freelance writer from Scottsville, Va. This issue is available in color online: im.mennonite.net/ news/ gospel_evangel/ gospel_evangel.php IN-MI Mennonite Conference Gospel Evangel December 2009 3
*The congregations that partner with Morning Star in reaching out to the community include First Mennonite of Berne (Ind.); Howard- Miami Mennonite and Parkview Mennonite, both in Kokomo, Ind.; First Mennonite of Indianapolis; Riverside Presbyterian in Muncie; and other local congregations. A passion for connection... (continued from p. 3) He added that, after the closing of the theater company, he had experienced several months in which he had no idea who he was or what he was going to do. But that was just my perception, he said. I think God did know. In fact, when I look at it now, the seeds of this exciting transformation for me had already been planted. I guess the best way I can say it is that the seeds were sown and the vines were growing, and I just didn t see them yet. He concluded, laughing, This isn t in between for me. This is it! Noël King is a freelance writer from Scottsville, Va. Keeping the unity of the Spirit by Tyler Hartford Ron Willis Morning Star, Muncie, Ind. We re a small congregation, maybe 20 people tops, said Ron Willis of Morning Star, a multiracial, multi-ethnic congregation in Muncie, Ind. And it feels like we re waiting all the time. And yet, I have never been a part of a congregation that does what we do with so few people. Through a partnership with several other churches,* we feed anywhere from 60 to 90 people every Saturday. We even give them a sack lunch to take home. We host a huge neighborhood outreach with food, singing, sharing, and children s games. This fall, we gave away more than 100 Thanksgiving baskets. We just give God the glory, he said. We give, and God gives through us. Ron and Cheri, his wife of 19 years both of whom work for the U.S. Post Office have been members of Morning Star for a little more than three years. Things haven t been the same for us since, he said. At Morning Star, we re like brothers and sisters. Race isn t an issue. And when people have problems, we don t just kick them out. As Ron reflected on how the congregation has experienced a season of waiting, he shared that he has seen God s Spirit moving especially in their recently concluded yearlong study of the Book of Ephesians. He noted that Paul s words on unity in Ephesians 4:1-6 really challenged and inspired them. ( As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ) I think we were waiting for more unity in the church, the unity that comes from Jesus Christ s love and the Holy Spirit s presence, Ron said. We were waiting for our efforts to be God moving through us, not our efforts. We wanted God to use our bodies, our voices and our talents for His purpose. We now have members of the worship team who just a few months ago would never have dreamed of leading us, Ron observed. Our worship leader has a new sense of God s calling on his life. We have another minister who felt he had lost the call to teach and preach, and God has filled him with a new message. All this because we have been called to love on people like God loves on us. Our worship is becoming freer, and we find ourselves praising God like we really mean it. The Ephesians study has continued to bear fruit in various ways. Recently, Ron s wife led a teaching on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6). She pointed out that there wasn t anything protecting our backs, Ron said. Then she had us form a circle, all facing outward. We were able to feel each other at our backs, and look outward at the tasks before us. We often forget we are in a spiritual battle, and we are called to be prepared at all times, Ron continued. We ve become very aware of how much we need unity in the bond of peace. We need every brother and sister in our efforts to bring others into the kingdom of God. As Ron sees it, the congregation s recent teachings are going to be tested. Morning Star s co-pastors, Gladys Maina and Simon Mungai, are Our worship is preparing for a three-month becoming freer, sabbatical (to be funded by the and we find ourselves praising to Kenya, their homeland, to Lilly Foundation); they ll travel God like we really reconnect with their family. mean it. (Gladys is Morning Star s paid pastor; Simon is bi-vocational.) Gladys just loves on us all, Ron said. She knows what trials and tribulations are all about. We re going to have to learn how to be a body without her around. During Gladys absence, people in the congregation plan to step up to cover some of her duties. We anticipate a lot of work, but it is an opportunity for all of us to be more involved, Ron said. He added, laughing, We just might even discover what all our pastor does. Ron reflected on how God s Spirit has been at work in his life in preparation for ministry. He and Cheri are both in their second marriage. Between them, they have seven children and fifteen grandchildren. We ve gotten good at practicing forgiveness and grace, he said. And by God s grace, we have moved forward together. Cheri and I have known Christ as our personal Savior since we were teens, but both of us had wandered far from God s will for our lives, he added. When we were planning to get married, we recommitted our lives to service in ministry. For several years, they worked in children s ministry, including five years in an outreach program to youth at Pendleton Juvenile Detention Center. At age 50, Ron felt he needed more training in the Bible, so he went to World Witness Bible College in Bluffton, Ind., to earn an associate s degree in preaching (continued on p. 8) 4 December 2009 Gospel Evangel IN-MI Mennonite Conference
congregational news Middlebury congregations reunite after splitting 86 years ago by Rachel Nafziger Hartzler Two Middlebury (Ind.) congregations that split 86 years ago over issues no longer considered important are reuniting. Pleasant Oaks Mennonite had its final worship service Nov. 22 before merging with First Mennonite of Middlebury. Pleasant Oaks has an average attendance of about 20, and First Mennonite has 200. The united congregation will meet at First Mennonite s building. In 1923, a group of people left Middlebury Mennonite (now First Mennonite) to form Warren Street Mennonite (which later became Pleasant Oaks). The split occurred over issues of biblical interpretation and the reactions of bishops from the Old Mennonite Church to some members assimilation into the surrounding culture. Locally, these reactions focused primarily on attire for women. In 1926, Warren Street Mennonite became a member of the General Conference Mennonite Church, while the former First Mennonite remained a member of the Mennonite Church, sometimes referred to as Old Mennonites. They were part of two different continental denominations, and some members never set foot inside the other church building. But gradually the two congregations began to work together on projects such as summer Bible school. With the merging of the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Church into Mennonite Church USA in 2001, the two Middlebury congregations joined efforts in more activities, such as working together on a peace booth at Middlebury s annual summer festival and on a program for the International Day of Prayer for Peace. With a decline in both congregations membership, occasional conversations about a reconnection emerged. Formal conversations resumed in February, which led to joint activities ranging from gatherings for worship, fellowship and prayer, to a mixed octet of people from both congregations that has sung on numerous occasions. The conversations also led to a joint presentation of A Story of Reconciliation by lead pastors Linford Martin of First Mennonite and Rachel Nafziger Hartzler of Pleasant Oaks on Sept. 21 the International Day of Prayer for Peace in Middlebury s Memorial Park. On Oct. 4, World Communion Sunday, the congregations celebrated the Lord s Supper together. In September and October, decisions were made to reunite and together become a new congregation. The legal issues involved in this reunion are being explored, but there is wide agreement that the two congregations should become a new merged entity. New names are being considered. The reuniting process has been marked with pain for some longtime members of Pleasant Oaks, three of whom were present when the congregation began. Others have never attended another congregation, and numerous people helped with the construction of the present church building. Members of Pleasant Oaks celebrate that the thriving Pleasant Oaks Preschool will continue in the same location; First Mennonite members will join in supporting this outreach program, which is in its 39th year. In addition, Pleasant Oaks members have been carefully listening to each other s stories during the past eight months. They have been intentional about lamenting what they need to and celebrating what they can. Recent celebrations at Pleasant Oaks have included the congregation s 85th anniversary in 2008; the 90th birthday of the oldest active member, J.O. Yoder; and the baptism of Grant T. Miller, who became the first fifth-generation Pleasant Oaks member. At the Nov. 22 worship service, Lois Kaufmann, conference minister for Central District Conference, brought the sermon. The service included the dedication of a plaque in memory of Marvin J. Miller. Linford Martin gave a welcome on behalf of First Mennonite and, along with First Mennonite associate pastor Pamela Yoder, assumed pastoral care responsibilities beginning that day. Pleasant Oaks pastor Rachel Nafziger Hartzler concluded her responsibilities Nov. 22 and is spending a six-week sabbatical writing the history of Pleasant Oaks Mennonite. Linda Pieri of First Mennonite of Middlebury (Ind.) (an IN-MI Conference congregation) and J.O. Yoder of Pleasant Oaks Mennonite in Middlebury (a Central District Conference congregation) work together in the peace booth at the Middlebury Summer Festival in 2008. (Photo by Rachel Hartzler) This article first appeared in The Mennonite and Mennonite Weekly Review. IN-MI Mennonite Conference Gospel Evangel December 2009 5
conference news Navigating the challenges of authentic engagement Pastoral Leadership Team Weekend 2009 Pastors and leadership teams who participated in this year s Pastoral Leadership Team (PLT) Weekend, held Oct. 30 Nov. 1 at Amigo Centre, Sturgis, Mich., were in for something a little different. As part of an effort to create an environment of experimentation, participants were invited to engage in various noncompetitive indoor and outdoor activities together and to reflect with each other on these experiences of learning something new. They also spent time thinking about types of adaptive challenges and using a grid to aid congregations in analyzing how multiple issues can reveal a common adaptive challenge. Leaders included Dan Miller, IN-MI Conference s lead conference minister; Kent Miller, Amigo Centre s executive director; Jason Lichti, Amigo Centre s program director; and Nadine Zook Miller, material resource coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes. Jeremy Kempf, who has led the worship band for the last two Mennonite youth conventions, led participants in worship and singing throughout the weekend and performed during a Saturday evening coffee house. Amigo Centre and IN-MI Conference sponsor this annual event. PLT Weekend 2010 will be Nov. 5 7. Perspective: Joyce Troyer Shalom Mennonite, Indianapolis The trust exercises were a highlight for me. In various job settings, I ve been through similar activities that I thought were silly, but these facilitators were very well trained, and I learned the difference it makes to trust those you are with. I was the only female in my group. I never thought I had problems trusting men, but I realized that I sometimes do. Given that church leaders are primarily male and that I usually think of God in male terms, I became aware of how difficult it may be for women who have suffered abuse from men in their lives to trust church leaders and/or God. In one activity where balance was needed, I felt very insecure, but Jim Carpenter reliably held out his hand to steady me, reminding me of God always reaching toward me to help me. During the PLT Weekend, Amigo Centre staff persons Kent Miller, Jason Lichti, Cheryl Mast and Jessica Andrews led participants in the group activities. Each person was able to choose a challenge appropriate to his/her abilities and interests in growth. In the activity below, the goal is to get everyone on the team from one side of the web to the other without touching it or using any way more than once. People from Marion Mennonite, Shipshewana, Ind.; and North Main Street Mennonite, Nappanee, Ind.; work together to transport Doug Kaufman, interim conference minister for leadership transitions; over the web. In the activity at right, participants hold strings controlling a marker and work together to write a word on the paper, moving from simple letters to more challenging ones. At various times, the leader will tell a participant that s/he can no longer talk or no longer see, changing the group s communication dynamics. At right, Char Roth and Daryl Hershberger of Marion concentrate on the task. 6 December 2009 Gospel Evangel IN-MI Mennonite Conference
In the activity at left, participants work in groups without speaking to try to recreate the mosaic presented by Jason Lichti (in photo on right). Participants are allowed to go to a corner in pairs and confer with each other if they choose to. They also can go look at the mosaic in another part of the room. Working together in the left photo (clockwise from lower left) are Glenn Leinbach and Russell Jensen of Belmont Neighborhood Fellowship, Elkhart, Ind.; Mario Bustos of Valparaiso (Ind.) Mennonite; and Jonathan Brown of Church Without Walls, Elkhart (also interim assistant conference regional minister). This PLT Weekend was Dan Miller s first as lead conference minister (at right). This was an exciting weekend for me, he reflected. We ve never done anything like this before. The challenge activities were a highlight for people. I hope that Amigo Centre can build on this and take this kind of activity out to congregations as a way of helping them experiment with trying things they don t yet know how to do. To be shaped in new ways as God s people, we need to adapt and experiment. Perspective: Gaylen Swartz North Leo (Ind.) Mennonite For me, the highlight was having an elders meeting with no clock or interruptions. The thing to take back to the congregation: the importance of trust among leadership. Everyone in leadership has the best interest of the congregation in mind. Also, communication with people in the congregation so they learn to trust the leaders. As a church, I think we have good relationships, thanks in part to our efforts in communication. Thanks to Dan and everyone for a good weekend. In the activity below, the person in the center falls and is passed around the circle by the other participants. They tried this activity first in pairs before moving to the circle. Leader Jessica Andrews (top right) facilitates as this group of participants from Wildwood Mennonite, Engadine, Mich.; Shore Mennonite, Shipshewana, Ind.; and North Leo (Ind.) Mennonite support Claude Schrock of North Leo. (Photo by Dan Miller; all other PLT photos provided by Amigo Centre.) Perspective: Klaudia Smucker College Mennonite, Goshen, Ind. I appreciated The Six Challenges of Real Leadership, which Dan and Nadine presented, as well as the Adaptive Challenge Grid. Those instruments gave me something tangible to take back to my own pastoral team, church board and congregation, as we work through our own transitional challenges. Thanks for providing this opportunity. IN-MI Mennonite Conference Gospel Evangel December 2009 7
Advisory Council members named Two new members have been named to the IN-MI Advisory Council (AC) the discerning, advising and recommending body for IN-MI Conference. The AC functions as a council of conference elders. They are scheduled to meet twice a year, with the IN-MI Missional Leadership Team s moderatorelect, Wes Bontreger, serving as chair. The Missional Leadership Team took action on these appointments Sept. 2 via e-mail: Maria Crockett Co-pastor of House of Power Fellowship, Elkhart, Ind.; director, Step by Step Daycare Ministries Advisory Council role: conference representative to the Constituency Leaders Council, which functions as a group of elders for Mennonite Church USA and meets twice a year. What is something you would want our conference to know about the people you represent? As a pastor and leader in an inner-city area, we represent the inner-city people. We reach our hands out to the ones whom the world turns away from. Most of the Update: Search processes for regional pastors and search/credentialing position A Search Team of Dan Miller, Ruben Chupp and Gary Martin has been working to identify candidates for the positions of regional pastor (RP) and conference minister for leadership transitions (CMLT). The Search Team is looking for five parttime regional pastors to focus on missional transformation in congregations one pastor for each region of north, south, east, west and central. The team also is looking for one half-time conference minister for leadership transitions to work with search and credentialing processes across the conference. Names were received during Annual Sessions in June, and information has been available on the conference website (www. im.mennonite.net). Keeping the unity of the Spirit... (continued from p. 4) and teaching. Don t ever think that at 50, you are released to start thinking you re all done serving, Ron chuckled. You might be released instead to love people more for Jesus. Ron brought up another image of anticipation and preparation: In Matthew 25, there were ten virgins who had their oil families we serve have low education, no jobs and no careers, but we notice that they are hungry and willing to be fed. My entire life has been focused on children and single mothers. We have provided affordable and dependable daycare in our area. We have fed families naturally as well as spiritually with the Word of God. A Scripture passage that is meaningful to you? Jeremiah: 29:11-13. Several years ago I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, plus I was in a serious car accident. I went from one serious sickness to another and developed anxiety attacks. One Sunday after prayer, the Lord gave me this Scripture, and I go to it for reassurance and hope. God is not done with His plans for me. Family/interests: husband, Robert (also co-pastor of House of Power); four biological children and one adopted child. I have foster-parented for more than 15 years for the State of Indiana. I have interest in furthering my education and working towards a bachelor s degree in special education and with children with special needs. I also have a strong interest in pursuing an in-depth education in ministry. As regional pastor candidates are identified, their names will be presented to delegates in their respective regions for affirmation. All delegates will be invited to affirm the candidate for the CMLT position. Team members have begun contacting potential candidates. Several processes could shortly advance to the place of presenting a candidate. Please pray for God s Spirit to direct in each situation. Interim coverage has been in place for most of the year. Virgil Hershberger, Jim Carpenter, Jonathan Brown, Seferina Garcia DeLeón, Doug Kaufman and Randy Detweiler have served our conference well. Interim arrangements will continue during the search processes. Daniel Z. Miller lamps and were supposed to be ready for the bridegroom s arrival. We need to be ready for Christ s coming back. We can t be like the five virgins who wasted their time and waited without preparing. We need to make sure our lamps are filled with oil, and we are filled with anticipation for the Lord to work among us. Tyler Hartford is associate pastor at Pleasant View Mennonite, Goshen, Ind. Loanne Harms Minister to youth at Waterford Mennonite, Goshen, Ind. (ending Jan. 18, 2010) Advisory Council role: youth representative What is something you would want our conference to know about the people you represent? Youth hold as much potential as ever, but today s culture makes it harder to tap into it. The way remains the same as always to be there and offer them authentic love and grace. A Scripture passage that is meaningful to you? Colossians 3:12-17. I have turned to this Scripture in many different situations. It has positive directions for living as God s chosen ones. It has been helpful in times of distress as well as in times of celebration. And it is so very visual. The words paint pictures and create images that flow and radiate. Family/interests: husband, Len; and one son, who is engaged to be married in August. I enjoy scrapbooking, interior decorating and flower gardening. ministry transitions Prairie Street: Anne Mitchell, pastoral care minister Holdeman: Danny Jones, pastor Beginnings Anne Mitchell was licensed toward ordination Nov. 22 as pastoral care minister at Prairie Street Mennonite, Elkhart, Ind., by Dan Miller, lead conference minister; and Mary Lehman Yoder, overseer. Danny Jones ordination with a Southern Baptist Convention congregation was recognized and received by IN-MI Conference in a covenant ceremony Dec. 13 at Holdeman Mennonite, Wakarusa, Ind., where Danny serves as pastor. This action follows a two-year period of licensing. Doug Kaufman, interim conference minister for leadership transitions; and Mike Zehr, overseer, led the service. 8 December 2009 Gospel Evangel IN-MI Mennonite Conference