Canadian Mennonite
Volume 10, No. 20
October 16, 2006
Youths !explore
!Explore is an Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) program for the young Esthers, Davids, Marys and Timothys in the church who have heard God’s voice in their lives, as faint or bold as it may come, encouraging them to be leaders among God’s people in the Mennonite Church. !Explore is designed for high school youths who are in Grade 11 or 12. Stories from five students who experienced !Explore this summer in Elkhart, Ind., follow.
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Sarah Erb, Steinmann Mennonite Church, Baden, Ont.
One day one of my pastors approached me about applying for the !Explore program. At that point, I really had no idea what it was, or anything about it. But I figured that I did not have too many plans for the summer, so I might as well apply.
Upon arrival at !Explore, we went to the Mirror Valley Retreat Centre in Michigan, where we had introductions of our lives and got to know everyone on a different level than you would in a normal relationship. We dove right into our theological questions and really personal elements of every person.
We then returned to AMBS, where we dove back into our theological questions in smaller discussion groups, and sat in on seminars and a few classes.
In the middle of the two-and-a-half weeks we went on a service trip to Chicago to work with DOOR. Here, we worked with homeless people and the less fortunate. We also were given the experience of touring Chicago and attending a different style of Mennonite church.
After Chicago, we returned to AMBS and continued on with what we left off with, and at the end of the program we returned to Mirror Valley to prepare for going home.
Now that we are home, all of us are working at our home congregations alongside our pastors. I took away from !Explore the assurance of my calling to the ministry, and new energy and strength to continue on with my work at home.
In 10 years I hope that youths who wish to take leadership in their churches will be able to. Youths have the ability and gifts to express themselves, and if they are given the opportunity they can even surprise themselves. For I preached a sermon this summer, and if it were not for !Explore I would not have been able to do that.
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Katie Yantzi, East Zorra Mennonite Church, Tavistock, Ont.
!Explore was super awesome!
The biggest thing I came away with was a first-hand experience of how God works through the seemingly absurd and mundane experiences in our day-to-day life.
This hit me one day while in Chicago with the DOOR program, when we were given a dollar and told to find ourselves supper. We could supplement it with any coins found on the street or, if we were feeling brave, any money that we managed to earn during the day.
Having seen many panhandlers throughout the experience, my group joked about singing for cash on the streets, just to see if any passersby would contribute. But it was just a joke until one of the DOOR leaders encouraged us to try it.
We eventually settled on a long tunnel in the train station and began to sing some familiar hymns. We were amazed that in just 10 minutes we had made over $27!
We noticed a homeless man further down the tunnel playing a tambourine, and decided to pass our earnings along to him. We approached him and asked if we could sing with him. As we began “Amazing Grace,” I was suddenly struck by the implications of the words—“I once was lost, but now am found/Was blind but now I see”—since the man was blind.
These words took on a new meaning, and everyone in the group was visibly crying or holding back tears. A few people wished us God’s blessings and put money into the man’s cup, but it was nothing compared to what we made on our own. After another 10 minutes or so, we gave the man the money we had made, and in a broken voice he thanked us, telling us about the medication he needed but had been unable to afford.
I was somewhat troubled as to how a group of well-groomed, well-dressed white youths were given significantly more money than an obviously needy black man. I was just thankful that we had gone ahead with what began as a sarcastic idea, and I completely believe it was the Holy Spirit who led us to do something unconventional. It was all God, just like anything else that we do because of him.
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Angela Dueck, Leamington (Ont.) Mennonite Church
This summer I participated in the !Explore program. It helped shape my leadership skills and strengthen my faith through the many sessions at AMBS and experiences throughout the DOOR program.
It was a time for me to reflect on who I am and what I want to accomplish. Although I did not answer these questions completely, I have learned a lot about myself and what I generally want to do after high school. During the 18 days away, I was able to make awesome friends and memories that will be with me for life.
Following the away portion of !Explore in the U.S., I completed 100 hours at my church. During these 100 hours, I experienced a variety of different ministries of the church, such as a funeral, worship leading, administrative work and visitation.
!Explore was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am grateful to have experienced.
I plan to continue my education next year, either at Wilfrid Laurier University or the University of Waterloo, studying science. Even though my plans are to study science, I am committed to finding ways to use my gifts in the ministry of the church.
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Jessica Dyck, Poole (Ont.) Mennonite Church, Milverton, Ont.
I first heard about !Explore from my cousin Thomas. He was in the very first !Explore group (summer of 2004), and gave nothing but rave reviews. After the summer of 2005, a promotional DVD was sent out to all the churches. I viewed it and was hooked.
A quick overview of the program: !Explore is split into two different experiences—the “group experience,” which is based out of AMBS, and the “congregational experience,” that takes place in each participant’s home congregation.
!Explore participants choose a theological question they want to examine. Each study group is partnered with an AMBS staff member who acted as a mentor to the group. This was one of my favourite parts of !Explore because, with only five participants in a group, each person was given more opportunity to ask questions and get answers from someone who really knew what they were talking about. Questions in my group ranged from “How did the Bible come to include the books that it does?” to “Can a person be a Mennonite without being a pacifist?”
My congregational experience was especially great because I got to customize my own program to fit my interests and skills. I prepared and shared a message with my congregation, co-led the junior youth Vacation Bible School program, and organized a youth service at my community’s youth centre. The experiences were especially great because I felt support from adults in the church, and I received comments from church members encouraging me. I am excited to see the future of the Mennonite Church; the future is bright.
But I believe the youths of today are seriously under-used and under-valued. Invite the youths of your congregation to do scripture reading and even worship leading. These are the future pastors, deacons, elders, Sunday school coordinators and worship committee heads, so early involvement in the church is key to youths feeling accepted and appreciated.
Sarah Garland, Bergthal Mennonite Church, Didsbury, Alta.
I decided to participate in the !Explore program because it offered such a wide range of experiences, especially since I am considering doing work within a church context.
We participated in the inner-city DOOR ministry out of Chicago and I feel like I gained a great deal of perspective from that experience, and the practical ministry skills and spiritual disciplines I learned at AMBS will continue to be a great help to me.
It was also a great opportunity to discuss and learn more about theological issues that are important to me and others.
After being a part of this program, I am more seriously considering ministry as a career, and especially ministry within the Mennonite Church. I think that every Mennonite church in Canada, as well as the United States, should recommend this program to any youths interested in ministry. It is amazing how this one-of-a-kind experience gives youths a better perspective of the practical applications of ministry, and spiritual and theological skills.
I am finding that I am learning a great deal by working in my own congregation. By working there I get to practise worship leading and planning, visitation, and youth and children’s ministry. Currently, I am planning a camping weekend and I also hope to teach a children’s Sunday school class.
MCC facilitates meeting with Iranian president
New York City
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Nearly 45 religious leaders from Christian and Muslim faith backgrounds met with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sept. 20, in an open discussion about the role religious communities can play in reversing the deepening crisis between Iran and the United States.
This was the first face-to-face meeting between the Iranian leader and leaders from mainline Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, evangelical and historic peace churches. The event was organized and sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).
In a prepared statement, MCC executive director Robb Davis focused on the need of religious leaders in the U.S. and Iran to pursue peace and encourage those in government to resolve differences peacefully.
“We believe that people of faith must come together to mend the breeches that exist and seem to continue to grow between nations and faith communities in this time,” Davis said. “This is why we are here—to talk, to raise difficult questions and to begin to build relationships that will lead to honest and open exchange to confront the very real divisions that tragically lead to animosity, hatred and the shedding of blood.”
Davis followed with a question about the language being used by the U.S. and Iran, such as U.S. president George Bush referring to Iran as one of the “Axis of Evil” countries, while Iranian protesters march through the streets shouting “Death to America.”
Ahmadinejad responded by saying that “Death to America” does not mean death to the American people. What it pointed to, he said, were problems with how U.S. government policy has negatively impacted the recent history of Iran. “There was no cause for anger as they are not addressed to the American nation, but to the aggressive, unjust, warmongering and bullying U.S. policies,” he said.
When asked about his controversial views related to the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad wondered why so much attention was being paid to those who died in the Holocaust and very little to the millions of other civilians who also died during World War II.
On the issue of nuclear weapons, Ahmadinejad said Iran is not producing such weapons, and has no need to. He also said that religious people should assume a role in monitoring nuclear activities in all countries, including the U.S. and Iran.
“The president broke very little new ground in his responses, but had some helpful suggestions for the role of people of faith in engaging more deeply around the issue of nuclear nonproliferation,” Davis said following the meeting.
—MCC release
MDS, MCC offer support to Amish community in wake of shooting
Akron, Pa.
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) express their deep sympathy and prayers for families affected by the Oct. 2 shooting at an Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pa., that left five female students dead and five others in critical condition.
Both organizations are in contact with Amish community leaders and are offering support through a joint response.
MCC and MDS are accepting financial contributions to assist the affected community. Contributions to the “Amish School Recovery Fund” will help the affected community with medical care, transportation, supportive care and other needs.
“We call upon churches to unite in prayer and support for the Amish community at this time,” said MDS executive director Kevin King.
Ken Sensenig, assistant director of MCC East Coast, visited Amish community members after the shooting and said he is observing their resilience and is impressed with their response. Families banded together to provide emotional support and tend to immediate needs, such as milking cows, while parents rushed to the hospital, Sensenig said. Many non-Amish neighbours helped by giving rides to hospitals.
“What impresses me is how strong this community is in the face of terrible tragedy,” Sensenig said.
Donations can be made online at mds.mennonite.net or mcc.org.
—MDS/MCC joint release