On Sunday, April 26, following the worship service at BCMC, moderator Jim Robb announced that pastor Heidi Regier Kreider has accepted a call to serve as Conference Minister for the Western District Conference (an area conference of Mennonite Church USA) beginning August 17, 2015.  She will conclude her role as pastor at BCMC on July 31, at the end of her current term. Below are comments Heidi shared at the congregational meeting later on Sunday:

I want to share with you some background about the process leading to my decision to accept the position of Conference Minister for Western District Conference.

Earlier this spring, my 3-year pastoral evaluation took place in an appreciative inquiry process that focused on future priorities for BCMC and pastoral leadership in the congregation. On April 19, a report from the process was shared with the congregation during Sunday school.

Personally, I felt that the evaluation process was a positive experience, including both affirmation for my leadership and constructive criticism to strengthen my ministry.  I was reminded why I love BCMC, with all its diversity of people and ideas; and the process reinforced my gratitude for the opportunity I have had to serve this congregation, work with a wonderful staff, and grow as a pastor among a gifted community of faith!

The appreciative inquiry process was also a period of time in which I listened carefully for God’s voice, and my own internal sense of direction for the future.  When the position of Conference Minister for Western District Conference was announced, I sensed that my life experience and ministry gifts could be the right match for this calling.  After fifteen good years at BCMC, I also sensed a nudge toward fresh challenges and settings for ministry that will press me toward greater personal and vocational growth.

So, when the Executive Board of Western District Conference approved hiring me as Conference Minister, I received that decision as God’s call for me to serve the church in a new way.  I now look forward to shifting my attention to another level of the church: Supporting congregations and pastors of Western District Conference, encouraging initiatives in Anabaptist faith formation and church planting, nurturing cross-cultural relationships, and – yes – even joining in the creative, Spirit-filled process of conflict, listening, and living together in our diversity over sexuality and church polity.

Over the next several weeks, the current WDC conference minister will initially work with BCMC to guide next steps in pastoral transition. After I begin as conference minister relating to other congregations and pastors, the WDC will appoint someone besides me to relate as conference minister to BCMC in its ongoing transition, recognizing my former relationship with BCMC.

This shift in ministry for me means that I will not seek another term as pastor at BCMC. Even so, I sincerely hope that the congregation will not consider the recent pastoral evaluation and appreciative inquiry as unnecessary, but rather make use of the questions and observations that came out of the process to help shape BCMC’s vision and leadership in the future.

And, though change is always difficult, I believe there is a solid foundation for pastoral transition at BCMC at this time in the congregation’s life.   BCMC has a strong and skilled staff in place, dedicated leadership on the Church Board, commissions and committees, and incredibly rich resources for nurturing vitality, witness and growth.

As we move forward to plan for transition, we will feel a mixture of many emotions which may include anticipation and uncertainty, sadness and hope.  I am already experiencing all of those, realizing that it is difficult to leave the congregation I love!  At the same time, I believe it is good to make a transition at a time when the pastor-congregation relationship is healthy and positive.  I pray for God’s guidance for BCMC in the future, and give thanks for the many ways in which each member of this community will contribute to that future!

Thank you to BCMC for being the church, the body of Christ.

– Heidi Regier Kreider

To read previous Pastor’s Posts, click on “Pastor’s Post” below, and scroll down.

This image is captured by Austin Prouty. Austin is a senior at Newton High School and co-president of the Senior High youth group. The setting of this image is his family’s home and farm; a pond sits on the right – just beyond the edge of the frame.

It’s approximately 7:25 AM and it’s cold. See the winter coats, the wool hats, earmuffs and blankets, and people clinging to coffee cups for the added warmth.

It is Easter morning. Before this image emerged into being, these people gathered to breathe, sing, pray, and hear scripture. They listened to the violin and the guitar, and the voices of youth and youth sponsors. All of it while the orange and pink glimmers of sunrise shot through the overcast skies, briefly, and then receded back in surrender to the clouds. The sun, present and absent almost at once.

Now they are refreshing their bodies with coffee, orange juice, delicious breads and donuts and fruit.

There is abundant conversation – conversation between young and old. Stories are being shared. Some are about how good the coffee cake tastes. Some are about how surprisingly bad the storm was a few days ago. Some conversations are about how cold it is and some are about how beautiful it is that we share this time together on Easter morning.

The story of Easter is extraordinary. God makes a way out no way and through the risen life of Jesus Christ brings new life to all that is and has ever been. We have done nothing to earn this. It is an extraordinary gift, no strings attached.

We remind ourselves of this extraordinary story, the story that brings all of our lives – all life – together, every Easter morning.

The image Austin captures reveals the ordinary side of it all. In the midst of the extraordinary, emerges the ordinary: people of all kinds together…drinking, eating, worshiping, waiting and watching out in the cold.

Can we hold these two things, the extraordinary and ordinary, together?

I wonder if that is what it means to hold onto this story of Easter – long after the sun has risen, sets, and rises again.

On Easter morning, we find the story of our ordinary lives harmonizing vividly with the extraordinary story of God’s gift of new life that rises and shines right upon us.

As we move on from Easter Sunday, as the extraordinary story recedes slowly back into the clouds, absent yet present, can we search deeper into those ordinary things – calling a friend, hearing scripture read on Sunday morning, sharing zwiebach with family at faspa – to find the extraordinary, to find new life rising?

– John Tyson

To read previous Pastor’s Posts, click on “Pastor’s Post” below.

Recent articles and discussion in Mennonite media have drawn new attention to sexualized violence and abuse of power within the Mennonite community.  At the center of the conversation is the article by historian Rachel Waltner Goossen, “Defanging the Beast”: Mennonite Responses to John Howard Yoder’s Sexual Abuse, in the January 2015 issue of Mennonite Quarterly Review.  In her article Rachel describes her research into the history of Yoder’s actions and the response of the church, including the devastation suffered by victims and the failure of church institutions to provide transparency for the truth, support for victims, and adequate accountability for Yoder.   For an excerpt of the article, see https://themennonite.org/feature/failure-bind-loose-responses-john-howard-yoders-sexual-abuse/ .

On April 12, Rachel Waltner Goossen will be a guest speaker at BCMC in an adult Sunday school elective at 10:50 a.m. in the sanctuary.  All are invited to come hear Rachel speak about her research and the article.

As the wider church continues to process the impact of Yoder’s actions and the larger realities of sexualized violence and abuse in the church and its institutions, this is an important time to review how BCMC seeks to prevent sexual abuse in the local congregational setting.  Here are policies and practices at BCMC:

• As credentialed ministers within Western District Conference, BCMC’s pastors are required to take training for prevention of clergy sexual misconduct, and to sign a code of sexual ethics. WDC also requires pastors to provide annual accountability plans that identify ways in which pastors maintain healthy supervision, boundaries and self-care, as well as guidance found through peer groups, coaching or spiritual direction.  BCMC affirms Mennonite Church USA’s Ministerial Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedure.
• BCMC’s Guidelines for the Safety of Children and Youth were approved in 2006 by the Church Board. The introduction to these guidelines state that “BCMC should be a safe haven for all who enter here.  All staff and volunteers representing BCMC shall conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the high standards of Christian ethics.  They shall at all times be responsible for their actions when representing the trust and authority given to them by the congregation.  Personal boundary invasions or misuse of power, including sexual abuse or harassment, will not be tolerated.”   To read the guidelines in their entirety, see  Guidelines for Safety of Children and Youth.   Since it has been nearly 10 years since the guidelines were approved, the Church Board is planning to facilitate revision of these guidelines in the near future.
• Circles of Grace is a Christian safe environment curriculum designed to educate children and youth about positive relationships with God and others, and to help them identify and maintain appropriate boundaries. The Faith Formation Commission of BCMC is responsible to implement this curriculum in annual sessions for children and youth of all ages.  For more information see http://www.dovesnest.net/circleofgrace
• As part of BCMC’s new Care for People policy, the Deacon Commission has been asked to gather information and recommend guidelines to the Church Board regarding response to persons who have committed sexual offenses. A helpful resource for this is the document “Protection and Inclusion: Guide for Congregations on Safely Including Persons Who Have Committed Sexual Offenses” available from Dove’s Nest at http://www.dovesnest.net/sites/default/files/Protection_and_Inclusion.pdf.

For more general information and resources, see http://dovesnest.net/.  Dove’s Nest’s mission is to empower and equip faith communities to keep children and youth safe in their homes, churches, and communities).

Of course, having policies and procedures in place is just a beginning.  There is always more we can do as a community of faith seeking to care for the vulnerable, provide accountability for those in power, and live out God’s transforming shalom.  We must continue to seek out opportunities to support survivors of abuse and trauma, become more educated about the realities of abuse in homes and congregations, name institutional and personal abuses of power, and commit ourselves to healthy relationships and appropriate use of power.

May God grant us wisdom and strength in the ongoing journey toward greater wholeness and justice in the church and its organizations, our homes and communities.

– Heidi Regier Kreider

To read previous Pastor’s Posts, click on “Pastor’s Post” below.

February and March have been a busy time for BCMC’s engagement with young adults.

On February 25, the Education Service Scholarship Committee (ESSC) held a fundraiser in tandem with the Wednesday night supper and received a wildly generous donation of $3,496. Through the work of ESSC, this donation will allow the congregation to double our scholarship contribution for current and future Bethel College (BC) students. BC students will now receive $2,000 toward their education per year.

During the fundraiser supper, current BC/BCMC students Ben Kreider, Eric Preheim, Emily Harder, and Alex Van Nguyen shared stories about their college journeys and thanked the congregation for support.

Alex Van Nguyen, a student from Vietnam, shared a particularly heartfelt reflection on his time at BC and BCMC, including this powerful statement: “I am not an US citizen, I did not grow up in a democratic society, and I am not even Mennonite. However, you all have welcomed me in your congregation with open arms as a member of your church, your family. Your actions have reinforced my belief that the grace of God and the love of humanity have reached beyond national identity, political conviction, and religious belief.  Bethel College is such a rewarding experience for me.”

In addition to the fundraiser, BCMC’s engagement with young adults has led to the launch of a new Sunday school space. Young adults, including college students, are now meeting in Room 28 for coffee, snacks, and conversation. As this new class begins forming, it hopes to focus on topics specifically related to contemporary young adult life, while also engaging changes in culture and the church.

Jerrell Williams, BC intern for youth ministry

Amidst these other engagements with young adults, BCMC had the privilege of hearing a sermon delivered by Jerrell Williams on March 1. Jerrell, our current Bethel College intern in the area of youth ministry, reflected on the church’s mission in the context of wider society. Jerrell encourages the congregation to “make time for what matters” by becoming more involved in the work of serving our neighbors, especially populations who are pushed to the margins. Jerrell’s sermon reminds us that young adults often are more oriented toward service and mission and less interested in consuming church programs.

This flurry of engagement with young adults again shows that BCMC is a community that cares for its relationships with young people and that their voices are valued and received with true sincerity. In the coming months and years, what are other ways that BCMC can engage young adults?  Feel free to post your ideas on our Facebook page!

– John Tyson

We are in the season of Lent, a time of spiritual renewal leading to Easter.  Lent is a period of 40 days, not including Sundays (since Sunday is considered a “little Easter,” the first day of the week on which Jesus arose from the dead). This season recalls Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness, before he began his ministry. For Christians today, it is a time to re-turn to God and re-focus our lives more intentionally through actions and attitudes of repentance and renewal.  Since ancient times, people have chosen various kinds of spiritual practices to observe Lent.

One form of spiritual practice is abstinence – to let go of something – such as fasting from food, drink or other things that capture our attention and distract us from God.  Some people choose to fast from electronic media, soft drinks, cigarettes, meat or candy for a period of time, in order to focus more clearly on God’s provision and presence in their lives. Others may fast from certain meals and use that time to pray.  Some choose to give up an attitude or activity such as worry, complaining, gossip or over-work, in order to renew gratitude, trust, compassion, and joy in their lives.

Another form of spiritual practice is to intentionally take on an act of service or commitment. This might be volunteering at the homeless shelter, collecting food for the food pantry, writing to legislators, or working on a project of reform or justice in the community.  Or, it could be offering a listening ear to a family member or friend, walking or riding bicycle to enjoy God’s creation and reduce fuel consumption, caring for a neighbor’s children, or spending 30 minutes each day in prayer and scripture reading.

Either way – whether we abstain from something, or add on a commitment  – it is important to remember that spiritual practices are not for the purpose of earning God’s favor, impressing other people, or simply improving ourselves.  In Matthew 6, Jesus warns against ulterior motives for religious practices, when he says to his disciples:

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven…  ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.   ⁵“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. ….⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you….  ¹⁶“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you….²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

On Sunday, January 25 the BCMC Senior High youth hosted a soup luncheon for the congregation, as a fundraiser for upcoming activities.

Led by youth sponsor Ben Lichti, Senior High youth served both a tomato vegetable and sausage rice soup.

BCMC Senior High youth are raising funds primarily for two upcoming events. The first event is a trip to Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp for Snow Camp which will take place February 13-15. The second event is a trip to MCUSA Convention 2015 in July.

The approximate cost for a student or sponsor to attend Snow Camp is $170, while the approximate cost for a student or sponsor to attend MCUSA Convention is $550. About 15-20 total youth and sponsors plan to attend each event. We estimate that $9,000 will be needed to fund these events.

As a relationally-focused youth group, both events will provide opportunities to grow in our relationships with one another and God. Senior High youth are eager to participate in energetic worship opportunities and local service projects at these events.

As the Senior High youth begins to enter a season with multiple big events, plans are in process for additional fundraisers in the coming months. Senior High youth deeply appreciate all of the support and love from the congregation!

– John Tyson, associate pastor for faith formation

To read previous posts, click on “Pastor’s Post” below, and scroll down.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, BCMC folks were invited to wear black to worship, in solidarity with the message that “Black Lives Matter” and as a witness for racial justice in our country, in light of recent deaths of black men and youth at the hands of police. This request came from the ecumenical association Christian Churches Together, forwarded to us from our own denomination, Mennonite Church USA, which is a member of CCT.   (For more information, see http://www.mennoniteusa.org/christian-churches-together-not-a-time-to-be-silent/ and http://christianchurchestogether.org/ )  That Sunday morning, I was moved when I looked out across the gathered congregation and saw a sea of (mostly) black.   I also want to assure those who chose not to wear black, or who were simply not aware of the invitation to do so, that their presence was also valued! Likewise, I value the variety of responses, questions and perspectives that this experience raised. One person told me that she was grateful for this simple yet significant opportunity to respond to current events in our nation. Some choir members raised the question of whether to replace their robes with “concert black,” pointing toward the fact that there can be a variety of reasons people may dress in black, and context matters. Someone else raised concern that public actions such as this can be reactive or simplistic, vulnerable to misinterpretation, or ignorant of other perspectives. If we say that “Black Lives Matter,” don’t all lives matter? Yes, of course. All lives matter. All life is sacred. All persons are children of God. Yet our society historically has not treated all lives with equal dignity, respect, and opportunity. Systemic oppression, racism, prejudice and profiling has devalued the lives of people of color, and privileged the lives of people with white skin. So, to say that “Black Lives Matter” is to protest these disparate realities and to stand with those who have suffered as a result. To say that “Black Lives Matter” is essentially to say that “All Lives Matter.” To wear black on Sunday was to follow the lead of the Black church community in this matter, rather than to presume that the definition of reality from the perspective of white people is the most valid definition. I hope that the experience of wearing black raises awareness, questions, conversation, deeper understanding, and ongoing efforts to seek God’s shalom for all people.

– Heidi Regier Kreider

To read previous posts, click on “Pastor’s Post” below, and scroll down.

I remember when I first encountered Facebook. I was a freshman at Eastern Mennonite University. I had just uttered goodbyes to all my friends from high school only to be reunited with them a few weeks later as my very first set of Facebook “friends.”

I did not imagine that creating my Facebook account would be something that I still live with a decade later.

No one imagined that Facebook would have 1.23 billion users worldwide a mere decade later either.[1]

But here we are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and who-knows-what’s-next are with us to stay. Each of these social media platforms are a living entity, continually innovating themselves as they respond to the desires of users and a rapidly evolving online world culture. They offer unique services, but ultimately each is in service of connecting people. They provide a virtual space to share conversation, information, and images.

The rise of social media leads many to believe that increased communication and connection will result in a more empathetic and peaceful world. I am skeptical of this narrative, although Twitter has been immensely helpful in allowing youth to organize in protest of injustice in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, Wall Street, and Ferguson, for example.

Some rejoice that social media platforms and increasingly user-friendly devices offer us an unprecedented opportunity to enter into deeper relationships with more people across greater distances. Others find it hard enough to just keep up with the people we see on a daily basis.

Overall, it’s probably wise to resist “salvific” narratives that suggest social media platforms will dramatically improve the world. It’s also equally wise to recognize the powerful gifts and opportunities that social media offer us as a vibrant community of faith.

Perhaps, we might think of social media as tools.

Tools are handy. They make achieving difficult tasks easier. They help talented carpenters to construct beautiful buildings. And when we admire those buildings, we don’t stand around in awe of saws, hammers, and screws.

I think of Facebook as a tool for inclusion and hospitality, a useful tool among others for helping congregations connect with one another to encounter the movement of God in our communities. That’s what’s truly beautiful.

Leaders working at the intersection of new technologies and Christian community engage with social media purely as a means, not an end.

One of those leaders is Kyle Matthew Oliver, who is employed as a “digital missioner” at a large Protestant seminary. Oliver puts forward the idea that social media and other web-based tools, like podcasts of worship services, can help congregations reach folks that are typically under-served in our communities.[2] For Oliver these include:

✧ People who work anything but a 9-5 workday Monday through Friday,

✧ people who can’t always provide or afford childcare or transportation,

✧ people with physical disabilities or special learning needs not well accommodated by aging church buildings or noisy groups,

✧ people who are new to the faith and not ready to prioritize faith learning, and

✧ people whose lives are over-structured as it is, and who have the courage to recognize that attending one more meeting or class right now will create more spiritual chaos than the meeting or class has any hope of redeeming at present.

Engaging with social media as a congregation enhances our ability to provide hospitality and connection to more people, especially those who are not served by the traditional Sunday morning gathering time – like those doing service at a long distance, or those in our wider fellowship who are no longer able to attend on Sundays, but long to connect to this place that they have grown to love.

In his work Understanding Media Marshall McLuhan famously introduced the phrase “the medium is the message.” McLuhan understood that the message produced by a particular medium is solely an effect of the medium. New mediums generate the possibility for new effects, new messages. Put differently, the best way to communicate a new message is to find a new medium.

As a congregation, we are not seeking to put forward a brand new message, but might we be interested in tools – mediums – that allow us to express an old message in a new way?

At the center of our mission statement is our calling to: “Unite in the worship and praise of God; stimulate Christian growth and discipleship; provide opportunities for fellowship, sharing and support among members; engage in service and outreach; practice hospitality; and invite others to faith.”

These are the longstanding values that have formed the mission and message of the congregation from the beginning. As new technologies emerge, we are faced with the challenge of translating our longstanding mission and message into contexts increasing awash in digital culture. Amidst this reality, we ought to continually discern what use these mediums might be as tools in our work to spread this message and pursue this mission.

Facebook is easy to navigate and helpful as a tool to explore how social media platforms might allow us to communicate our mission and message in a new way and, potentially, to new people.

But the first value stated is that we “unite in the worship and praise of God” and this is something holy that occurs in the visible, enfleshed presence of one another and God. This is beautiful and it can’t happen online, but we should probably share about it on Facebook.

[1] http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2014/01/29/facebook-passes-1-23-billion-monthly-active-users-945-million-mobile-users-757-million-daily-users/

[2] http://www.faithformationlearningexchange.net/uploads/5/2/4/6/5246709/the_virtues_of_online_learning.pdf, page 2.

– John Tyson

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