The day after Dick and Vi sent their children off to college, they put on leather jackets and helmets. Dick’s Honda Gold Wing took them on multiple motorcycling trips. New horizons opened as they traveled the countryside to Williamsburg, Nantucket, Lake George, and Kentucky. This was a long distance from the family farms where they spent their childhoods. Dick grew up on a dairy farm in Ephrata, the youngest of four boys. The family attended Ephrata Mennonite Church. Dick’s mother died when he was two. His father’s sister came to care for these boys, ages two, four, six, eight. She was there four years until father remarried. June, 2014 A k ro n M e n n o n i t e c h u rc h Connecting with Dick and Vi Weber Singing has always been a significant part of Dick’s life. When the church leaders noticed Dick’s singing ability, he was asked to lead singing. In his church one needed to wear the plain coat in leadership, so at age fifteen, Dick donned a plain suit and led singing. He soon began leading at youth rallies in other churches. It was on one of these occasions that he noticed a beautiful young lady who was with another date. When he later learned that she was free, Dick called Vi and asked for a date. She had heard about the Weber brothers, and (continues on page 2) In this issue: June 2014 Connecting with Dick and Vi Weber 1 Pastor’s Perspective 1 Repurposing Project Q & A 5 Pray for One Another 6 Youth in Action: MYF Style 6 ADNet 7 DSECC 8 Mark Your Calendars 8 AMC During June 8 In Our Community 9 June Birthdays 10 Address, Phone Number and Email Updates 10 Worship Series June 1 June 8 June 15 June 22 June 29 Jim S. Amstutz Jim S. Amstutz Matt Harms Michelle Dula Peter Dula Pastor’s Perspective by Jim S. Amstutz A Theology for on-going Deacon Care Ministry During the May Deacon Care Ministry trainings we reviewed the following three points of reference for why we created a Deacon Care Ministry. I. One of our core values and beliefs as a congregation is that everyone is gifted for ministry of one kind or another. Caring for one another is one way of living out that belief and exercising our giftedness. We articulated this in the Deacon Care Ministry Job Description: (continues on page 4) 1 (continued from page 1) knew Dick was the most handsome of them. Their first date was to Hess Mennonite hymn sing where Dick was song leader. There sat Vi in the audience, watching her date up front. It gave her opportunity to check him out well and she was impressed. Viola Stoltzfus was the fifth daughter in a farm family near Atglen where her family was active in Maple Grove Mennonite Church. Her first years of school were in a one room building on her family farm. She packed her lunch and walked across the field each day. She had the unique experience of the same teacher for eight years. The school closed the year she finished eighth grade. With a brother coming along later, as number six, Vi and her sisters were put to work in the fields, planting tomatoes, potatoes and other crops, as well as harvesting in season. They learned responsibility at a young age as they helped their hard working parents. Vi enjoyed working along side her mother, planting an abundant vegetable garden, dropping seeds, then harvesting and preserving. Vi’s mother also grew many kinds of flowers. Vi helped in the business of growing a quarter acre of gladiolas to sell to flower shops. The girls learned to sew and the sewing machine hummed full time as each made her own dresses. Lessons were selftaught and there were many, as the girls were vital to the family business. Vi was inspired by her mother and sees her as a role model, even more so in retrospect. Dick and Vi were married at Vi’s home church within the year of their meeting. Dick took his lovely bride off the farm to live with him in a small trailer in Norristown, where he was already serving his 1-W term at the Norristown State Hospital. Vi found herself, at age twenty, in a foreign land. She went to work as a nurse’s aid, learning on the job. She assisted the doctors and nurses in their treatment of the mentally ill patients. It was a huge learning curve for Vi. They made friends and became involved in Worcester Mennonite Church. They stayed in the area after Dick finished his term. He worked for a local trucking business and Vi was employed in the home of a local doctor. With their newborn daughter Shirley, they decided to move back to Lancaster County. They settled into a comfortable home in a beautiful Akron neighborhood and welcomed Rick to complete their family. The children walked to Akron Elementary School and played with their friends on High Street. The friendship bonds were deep and continue to the present. Vi was active in the school PTA and the activities of her children there, as well as helping with scouts and Akron Women’s Club. Dick worked for Weaver Poultry and Bird-in-Hand Food Company as a sales representative for fifteen years. In 1975 he changed careers, using his skills in sales with Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher, moving on to Concordia before retiring. After retirement he worked part time for Garden Spot Auto Auction for ten years. Early in his career, Dick joined the Heraldaires Quartet. They sang at weddings and banquets, and soon became well known enough to be asked to go on the road. They took Edgar Stoesz along on a few trips. It gave them a break in the program to have Edgar give a talk or devotional. The Heraldaires recorded two albums. This involvement took a lot of commitment of time and energy, and Dick enjoyed the challenge as well as the rewards of singing. When the children were in school, Vi worked as a pastry baker in a shop until she was drawn to use her skills in retail sales. Her sense of design and her eye for style that she learned growing up came in handy in her role at Doneckers store. Helping customers make clothing selections inspired and energized her. Regular customers would look for Vi when they came shopping, knowing she was the coach they needed. Dick and Vi attended Monterey Mennonite Church and were in the group of charter members to give birth to AMC. They have warm deep memories of the meetings in each other’s homes and then the fire hall in those early years. Dick was on the committee to find a place to meet. He sang in the choir with Warren Leatherman directing. He has been singing in the AMC choir for 55 years. Vi taught fourth grade Wayfarers on Wednesday evening. She also served with hospitality committee. She and Dick have been greeters, coffee servers, offering their gifts in various ways. (continues on page 3) 2 (continued from page 2) Dick has been a member of Akron Lions Club for forty-seven years. Early on, he coached midget baseball in Akron, leading the team to two championships. His current interests are reading, volunteering at Garden Spot Village, singing in three choirs, and playing the organ. His singing groups are Gap Men’s Chorus, Village Voices, a mixed chorus at GSV, as well as AMC choir. Vi is passionate about her volunteer work in retirement. She uses her creativity in her work at New Holland Re-Uzit shop. Friendships are important to her. She is part of the Red Hat Society, participates in women’s retreats, Bible study, wellness programs. Her generosity is evident in the homemade soups that she shares with neighbors and shut-ins. In summary, Vi finds deep community in her life at Garden Spot Village. Vi reflects on her rich life as she lives in the moment, among her flowers and beauty all around her. Dick and Vi have three grown grandchildren and one great granddaughter. They have enjoyed living at Garden Spot Village for fifteen years, the longest they have lived anywhere. They know they made the right move when they were younger, and find fulfillment in the good life they embrace together. ~Priscilla Ziegler AMC Vacation Bible School August 3-6, 2014 3 (Pastor’s Perspective continued from Page 1) Team Ministry Akron Mennonite Church affirms the New Testament pattern of multiplicity, diversity and plurality in leadership and believes that both men and women are called to exercise their gifts in every way for ministry. The vision and ministry of the congregation is carried out by its members with each member doing her/his share according to her/his gifts. Members of the congregation who are called as Deacons work in partnership with the Pastors. Member/Attender Care The congregation entrusts Deacons with the individualized care ministry of the church. This ministry is carried out through intentional and regular encounters with each individual to address the holistic needs of each member/attender (spiritual, emotional, physical, intellectual). Deacons seek to nurture a significant level of personal interaction within the congregation through this ministry. II. Asking, Listening and Caring are three ways of describing what Deacon Care looks and sounds like. It is one expression of a meaningful connection nurtured within the life of the church community. Here is an excerpt from the September, 2011 AMC newsletter that articulated this way of serving one another: Thank You for Asking. When someone takes the time to ask how we are doing, and truly mean it, we know we are loved. We are important to that person doing the asking. Deacons will be intentional about asking, checking in with you at the pace you feel most comfortable. We trust that a relationship of trust will emerge that makes room for a genuine appreciation both ways. We want to take the time to ask. Thank You for Listening. Listening is a gift, an art, a discipline. So often we are formulating what we want to say next instead of truly listening to the other person. We are asking Deacons to listen. Their role is not to fix or change you, but to be present. It’s amazing how being listened to can change your outlook. One writer calls people of faith to “Listen one another into free speech.” When we say “Thanks for listening” we know we’ve been heard. Thank You for Caring. The saying goes that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” In the Body of Christ, we are called upon to love one another. This transcends always liking or being nice. Relationships that go beyond the superficial require us to love one another into a safe place. Trust and a healthy interdependency only happens when we hang in there with each other. We care in many outward ways through meals, flowers, cards and visits. Caring also takes place through meaningful conversation, lending a hand, loaning a book, offering a prayer. Caring for one another is what disciples of Jesus do. It is who we are. III. The covenant of baptism and membership informs our commitment to live in fellowship with one another, and to share one another’s joys and burdens through life. Deacon Care ministry puts hands and feet, names and faces to those covenant commitments. Here are two examples from our current baptism and reaffirmation of faith statements: Are you willing to give and receive counsel from the members of this congregation and live in fellowship with them? (Baptism question) Do you promise to live and share with us in the bonds of Christian fellowship, giving and receiving Christian love, sharing and bearing one another’s joy and pain? (Reaffirmation of Faith question) We trust that these formative statements and commitments provide a clear understanding of why AMC values and affirms an on-going Deacon Care Ministry. 4 Repurposing Building Project Questions & Answers Q: What is the status of the project? Have there been any changes since the proposal in January? A: Work is scheduled to begin in mid-June and be completed by the end of August. Since January a building committee, chaired by Rick Haller and members Ron Guenther, Marion Schrock, Donna Shenk, Bonnie Stauffer and Janet Weber have been working with the representative from Cornerstone Architects and EG Stoltzfus to finalize the plans. As is the case with any renovation, there were a few things discovered along the way that caused a change from the original plans: The original plans called for a larger opening between the Assembly Room and Sanctuary. However, because of structural constraints, the opening will be narrower than original – but nearly as big as the current opening. Plans for storage of chairs and tables from the Assembly Room changed in light of different sized opening. The coffee bar in the new café area would not work the way it was initially designed, so the opening has been dropped. The entrance into the sanctuary will remain in its current location, but the glass on the lobby side of the atrium will be relocated to the sanctuary side, providing more space in the lobby, and reducing congestion – and addressing a concern that some members expressed following the original presentation. Upon further evaluation, the committee recognized that in order for everyone to see them, screens and projectors will be installed rather than large screen TVs. Q: Did the changes impact the overall cost of the project? A: Yes, as a result of the changes the final cost of the project is $50,000 more than the original estimate. Q: Is there a plan to address how we are going to fund these additional costs? A: Yes, Congregational Council has approved a plan recommended by the Stewardship Committee to use unrestricted funds in our current reserves. After using these funds, there will still be more than enough reserves on hand to fund 3 months of operating costs – which is the practice that has been built into our budgeting over the past years. Q: Have we raised all of the money from the congregation needed to meet the goal that we voted on in January? A: No, we still need $29,000 to reach that goal. Stewardship Committee is grateful to the 71 households who have already pledged or contributed. If your household has not yet pledged or contributed you can stop by the office for a pledge form or drop off a check– marking “Building Project” in the memo line. Q: Is this project supported by the leadership of our congregation? A: Yes, in addition to being the implementation of one of three council priorities, all members of council have pledged and/or contributed to the project. 5 “Pray For One Another” James 5:16 The purpose of “Pray For One Another” is to help us be aware of and pray for members of AMC who, for whatever reason, are unable to participate in Sunday morning worship services on a regular basis. Scripture admonishes us to pray. It is one of the joys of the Christian life and part of what makes us community. The names of people listed may change from time to time. If you know of someone you would like to be included with those named here, please be in touch with the church office. Charlotte Biris Faith Buckwalter Betty Summers Hannah Yoder Gladys Claassen John Horst Don Nussbaum Honey (Marilyn) Hernley Amela & Randy Puljek-Shank Phillip Rutt Justin Skenk & Valerie Showalter Warren Leatherman Paul and Dorothy Martin David Wiegner & Sarah Rich THE YOUTH IN ACTION—MYF STYLE The MYF started out the month in a very appreciative mood; we have been blessed by the congregation's support, monetarily, physically, and emotionally. Our 'Thank You Dessert Bar' is always one of our favorites because it allows us to give back to everyone who supports us. We have made great head-way towards our financial goals for our Summer SWAP trip! It also wouldn't be a complete year without MYF Sunday and all of the creative juices that come with that. As the Youth plan out the entire service, they went with a Veggie Tales theme this year. Continuing off of the Bearded Man series, we focused on the idea of being able to find God everywhere you turn, as long as you look for him. Although sometimes it may be hard to see the "Hot pepper", he is always by your side. We truly had a blast putting this Sunday together! We are looking forward to the end of the school year and the beginning of Summer! 6 A GRANDMOTHER’S STORY “Dear Lord, please help my daughter have a baby.” I said this prayer many times. My daughter was having difficulty carrying a baby to term. After several unsuccessful attempts, at age 37 she was blessed with an amazing baby girl named Makenzie. Since my daughter had to return to work, I offered to be Makenzie’s caregiver for one year. At the end of the year I couldn’t give up my time with her, so I continued. This time was a special gift for both of us. I read to her, rocked her and sang lots of songs. I was also making plans for all the things we would do together as she grew older – blocks, puzzles and lots of coloring. The first time I sensed that she might have developmental delays was when I took her to story hour at the library. The other children were more responsive and engaged in the activities. We first thought it might be that she wasn’t hearing well. Her hearing was tested and was in normal range. The next step was simple therapy. Soon we learned Mackenzie’s needs were not just speech; the therapist said she had sensory integration disorder, which is on the Autism Spectrum. Initially I was in denial; I couldn’t believe my beautiful and smart little girl had Autism. I had worked with special needs children, some on the spectrum, so I had a good idea what this meant for her. Every day activities would be more difficult for her – communicating, bathing and dressing herself, even potty training would be more challenging. My heart was broken. I was so angry; how could God do this to her and us as the people who love her? I had always questioned why this would happen to anyone, but now it was my Makenzie. Sometimes I cried with sadness, other times I was just angry. This began a journey that would take us to more therapists, early intervention and a preschool for children with special needs. At first I thought I would have to reevaluate the things I would do with her, but I didn’t. We still read books, play with blocks, do puzzles and do chalk drawings all over the sidewalk. Makenzie attends a small private school with other children who have needs similar to hers. She is in kindergarten and is learning to read, write and talking more and more every day. As time has passed I remember how much I prayed for her and how blessed I felt when she was born. She is energetic, smart, and funny with a large amount of sass. She will let you know exactly what she wants and when she wants it. What does the future hold for this wonderful child of God? I don’t know any more than I do for my other five grandchildren. Although this has been a difficult journey and a test of my faith in God, I know that God loves and watches over her, as he does for all of us. I continue to pray for healing and wholeness, and to be open to all God has in store for my Makenzie and for me. Sandra Thorpe The AMC ADNet Representative is Marilyn Langeman, [email protected], phone 717-859-3840 7 DIAMOND STREET EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Here at Diamond Street, we are ready for summer and warm weather! Many classrooms are studying plants and springtime, and we have been busy planting flowers and vegetables outside! On April 29, we had a packed house at our annual Friendship concert. It was a wonderful evening of beautiful music. A special thank you to Miss Pat who all of her hard work for the concert! We are looking for a host family for our IVEP teacher for next school year. If you interested in finding out more information about being a host family, please talk to Stephanie at 717-859-4272 or [email protected] ~ Stephanie Thomas, Executive Director JUNE: mark your calendars June 1 - Communion and Baptism June 8 – Men’s Choir @ 8:00AM June 3 – Lunch bunch @ Oregon Dairy @ 11:30AM June 8 – Church picnic @ 11:45 AM @ Roland Park June 4 – Library Committee meeting @ 6:00PM June 29-July 1 – Adult VBS with Peter Dula June 5 – Men’s breakfast @ Udder Choice @ 7:00AM; presenter is Tim Langeman AMC During June Adult Summer Vacation Bible School June 29-July 1, 2-14 with Peter Dula Theme: Friendship and Self-Love After Agape Peter will explore the meaning of friendship in the gospel of John. Why does Jesus say, “Greater love has no one than he lay down his life for his friends”? As Mennonites we have often thought that laying down our lives for enemies or strangers takes greater love than for our friends. John makes it sound like love within the community is all that matters. However, if we read John more closely we get a much more complex account of friendship than we usually imagine, one in which friends and enemies are not discrete categories, but often the same people, just at different times in our lives together. Peter Dula is Associate Professor of Religion and Culture at Eastern Mennonite University. He received a Ph.D from Duke University in theology and ethics in 2004. He is the author of Cavell, Companionship, and Christian Theology (Oxford, 2011). Before coming to EMU in 2006 he was the Mennonite Central Committee Iraq Program Coordinator. He has taught at Lancaster Mennonite High School and at the Meserete Kristos College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he was a Fulbright scholar in 2001-2. 8 IN OUR COMMUNITY Fairmount Homes to Host Retirement Planning Seminar: An informational seminar, Planning a Purposeful Retirement, is set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, at Fairmount Homes Retirement Community in Ephrata. Jeff High, a Financial Advisor for Everence (formerly Mennonite Mutual Aid), will host the seminar, which will be held in the Crest View Gathering Room at 1100 Farm Crest Drive on the east side of Fairmount’s campus. The seminar is free and open to the public. The seminar is designed for people in various stages of retirement planning, Topics to be discussed include: a look at three phases of retirement—early, middle and late; the effects of inflation on retirement; how to invest for retirement; how and when to access your retirement savings; how to determine the amount of money you will need for retirement, and the importance of advance directives. Time will be allotted for guests to ask questions during this time. While there is no charge to attend, space is limited, so please call 717.733.9414 to reserve a seat. Music in the Orchard—Bring a picnic supper and come to the 1719 Hans Herr House and Museum to hear music from local artists who participate in the summer concert series. This year’ concerts start at 6 p.m. and will be held Saturday’s on June 14, June 28, July 12, July 26, and August 9, with a $5 cover charge per person. Visit hansherr.org for band information and more details. Saturday, June 14, 6:00–8:00 PM : Sopa Sol—Lancaster-based world folk music featuring Frances Miller (strings), Daryl Snider (guitar and sax) and friends. Miller also plays a UFO-shaped thing called a hang drum, which makes sounds almost as ethereal. Indian Summer Jars—Stirring, soulful original music channeled through an energetic, passionate performance Goshen College Women’s World Music Choir’s new CD Many of you enjoyed the outstanding concert by the Goshen Women’s World Choir when they sang at AMC in February. They have recently recorded a CD of the music that they sang for this concert. If you would like to purchase a copy you contact Dustin George-Miller, office administrator, at Goshen College, 1700 S. Main Street, Goshen, Indiana 46526. Each CD costs $10. Everence Financial is hiring a Client Services Representative in its Lincoln Highway East (Lancaster) office. Responsibilities include client appointment preparation for a team of financial advisors and providing excellent client service. Qualifications include high attention to detail, excellent timemanagement and communication skills, familiarity with investment terms and concepts and proven organizational skills. For more information about the responsibilities and qualifications of this position, please visit our website, Everence.com and click on "Careers." Please send cover letter and resume to: Everence Financial P.O. Box 483, Goshen, IN 46527 Fax: (574) 537-6635 9 ADDRESS. PHONE & EMAIL UPDATES Happy birthday Elvin and Grace Stoltzfus: [email protected] 01 02 03 04 05 07 08 09 11 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 Don Ziegler: [email protected] Beth Stoltzfus Cindy Martzall Naomi Wyble Tim Nancarvis Kristin Sims Gerry Horst Jane Davis Tim Langeman Scott Sundberg Marilyn Yoder Bryan Beyer Faith Buckwalter Lowell Detweiler Don Gunden Aaron Smee Bonnie Myers Andres Zorrilla Cathryn Beyer Maya Dula Dick Boshart Charlie Forrey Kris Leaman Valerie Showalter Glenn Weaver Jan Brubaker Barb Penner Peter Wise Leroy Cameron Sarah Forrey Sean Boer Bob Peifer Cheryl Zehr Walker Eric Horst Delores Nolt Leon Myers Cheryl Wagner Bob Wyble Amy Burkholder Nelson Weber Sheryl Krafft Carolyn Beyer Victoria Stauffer Ginny Musser Isaac Nancarvis Priscilla Ziegler: [email protected] Vision for AMC Akron Mennonite Church will be fully engaged in God’s mission in a broken world as we are called, equipped and sent by the Holy Spirit to follow Christ in life. Shaped by the gifts and vision of our members, we will keep Christ and church at the center of our lives as we reach out to neighbors near and far and witness to the world around us through an Anabaptist-Mennonite expression of faith. Jim S. Amstutz, Lead Pastor Michelle Dula, Associate Pastor of Congregational Life Akron Mennonite Church 1311 Diamond Street Akron, PA 17501 Tel: 717-859-1488 E-mail: [email protected] www.akronmench.org The AMC Newsletter is printed monthly for distribution the last Sunday of the month. Give submissions to the church office by the previous Monday. 10 11 12
© Copyright 2024 ExpyDoc
