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This Week's Newsletter
Newsletter Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship March 7, 2010
Membership Exploration Class during the nurture hour in Dan’s office. Baptism Exploration Class at 3:00 p.m. in the library. This Week Monday – Fellowship and Caring Commission, 7:00 p.m. Tuesday – Mission Commission, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday – MYF game/gym night Wednesday – Stewardship and Finance Commission, 7:00 p.m. Sunday – Licensing Celebration for Lois Stoltzfus Mast The Ministry of Prayer If you have a prayer request, please contact the church office by 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. * Pray for Evan Grimes and Morgan Short as they participate in the Baptism Exploration Class. * Recruiting teachers for LCC International University, a four-year Christian liberal arts college in Lithuania, is becoming increasingly difficult due to the global recession and new migration laws. Pray for Robin Gingerich, director of LCC’s English language programs, and for a complete staff for the coming academic year. Upcoming Worship Services March 14: The fourth Sunday of Lent: “Holding on, letting go.” Scriptures for the morning are: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. We will also celebrate Lois Stoltzfus Mast’s licensing for her ministry to youth in our congregation. March 21: The fifth Sunday of Lent: “Holding on, letting go.” Scriptures for the morning are: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8. March 28: Palm Sunday: “Holding on, letting go.” Scriptures for the morning are: Luke 19:28-40; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 22:14-23:56. Our World (courtesy of Ron Good) I am a socialist republic but many consider me a totalitarian dictatorship. I am still officially at war with my neighbor even though a ceasefire was declared in 1953. My population is roughly 23 million whose primary language and ethnicity is contained in my country name. My highest peak is Paektu-san Mountain at 9,000 feet above sea level. Amnok River is my longest river at 491 miles. I have a temperate continental climate with warm summers and cold, dry winters. The summer has a short rainy period called changma. We usually experience at least one typhoon each summer. Some 80 percent of my land is composed of mountains and highlands separated by deep and narrow valleys. The coastal plains and lowlands are where most of my people live. Literature and art are state controlled. The Complex of Goguryeo Tombs became the first site in the country to be included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. A popular event here is the Mass Games or Arirang Festival. They are performed six nights a week for two months and involve 100,000 performers. These games involve dance, gymnastics and choreographic routines which celebrate my history and the Workers’ Party Revolution. Sometimes they are held at the Rungrado May Day Stadium, the largest stadium in the world with a capacity of 150,000 people. My closest allies are China, Russia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. I have the largest military per capita in the world with one enlisted soldier for every 25 citizens giving a total of 1.21 million. My economy is completely nationalized which means that food rations, housing, healthcare, and education is offered from the state for free. The average salary is about $47 per month. My currency is the won. The payment of taxes was abolished in 1974. The primary sectors of my economy are industry (43 percent), services (34 percent), and agriculture (23 percent). I am the 19th largest producer of apples and the 18th largest producer of iron and zinc. I have the 22nd largest coal reserves. In 2002 there were a small number of private capitalistic projects started. Cell phone use was growing until 2004 when they became forbidden. Tourism is increasing but each group of visitors must be accompanied by one or two “guides.” In 2006, Amnesty International reported that 44 percent of the children were severely or chronically malnourished; 23 percent were underweight; and one in three mothers was malnourished and anemic as the results of the lingering effects of the 1990’s famine. Agricultural production has increased from 2.7 million metric tons in 1997 to 4.2 million metric tons in 2004. Reporters Without Borders classify the freedom of speech and of the press to be very restrictive, only exceeded by Eritrea. Private cars are rare, but 70 percent of households use bicycles. Although my constitution states that freedom of religion is permitted, the majority of my people could be characterized as irreligious. I am ranked as the country with the most severe persecution of Christians in the world. Education is compulsory through secondary school and nearly 99 percent of the population is considered literate. Life expectancy is a low 63.8 years. One of my foods is naengmyeon or cold noodles. Who am I? (The answer is hidden somewhere in this week’s newsletter.) For Congregational Action On Sunday, March 14, the congregation will vote on whether to call Dan Schrock to full-time ministry at Berkey Avenue with the following ballot: “I support the recommendation of the Elders and the Pastor/Congregation Relations Committee to call Dan Schrock to full-time ministry at Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship after he returns from his sabbatical in August. Yes or No.” Absentee ballots will be available in the church office and may be returned to any of the Elders or to the church office. Berkey Avenue Announcements We want to thank those who parked in the field. We will have to wait till the frost is out of the ground and it gets dry before we can park in the field again. We are hoping we can park a row of cars north of the cement parking lot in the near future. We would encourage you to come to church in as few cars as possible till the ground gets drier. –The Trustees There will be no Sunday School on Easter Sunday. Our Schools A Hacienda Day will be held Monday, March 8, to benefit Bethany Christian Schools. Hacienda will donate 20 percent of purchases for food, gift certificates, and carryouts all that day with presentation of a token. Tokens may NOT be distributed inside or outside the restaurant that day. Tokens are available on the literature rack in the fellowship hall. Join the Goshen College Afternoon Sabbatical on Tuesday, March 9, at 1:00 p.m. in the Music Center’s Sauder Concert Hall to hear fascinating ways that saving energy is not only “green” but also makes sense in the bottom line of an institution and a business. Glenn Gilbert, Goshen College sustainability coordinator and utilities manager, has brought an energy management system to the college that has saved many dollars. Gordon Moore is vice president of McCormick Motors, which has won national awards and grants for its energy-saving practices. Goshen Middle School is hosting John Halligan for a public presentation on bullying and cyber bullying on Monday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Halligan’s compelling presentation grows out of losing his 13-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2003 after repeated bullying. Parents and other interested persons are encouraged to attend. A flier is posted on the bulletin board with more information. Indian environmental activist Vandana Shiva, Ph.D., will present a lecture on "Soil, Not Oil: Food Security in Times of Climate Change" at Goshen College on Saturday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Church-Chapel. Shiva is a physicist, ecologist, activist, editor, and author of many books. In India, she has established a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmers' rights, as well as a network of researchers specializing in ecology, health and sustainability, and a school for sustainability. Her most recent books are "Earth Democracy" and "Water Wars." Tickets cost $10/$5 (in advance), $12/$7 (at the door), and can be purchased by calling the Goshen College Welcome Center at 535-7566. Community Announcements MCC Great Lakes is extremely grateful to each of you who have contributed to MCC in the past few months. Thanks to your generous support, nearly $11 million has been raised for immediate and long-term relief and development efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. In addition, response to the January bulletin announcement raised $30,705 toward the total Goshen meat canning budget of $122,000. We offer a sincere “thank you” for entrusting your resources and prayer support to MCC. We appreciate your support as we continue to work locally and around the world in the name of Christ. The third Lenten Centering Prayer time takes place tomorrow evening, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Koinonia Room at College Mennonite Church. This guided silent prayer time lasts about a half hour followed by a teaching from author and retreat leader, James Finley, via a CD. We will end by 8:45 p.m. Previous experience is not a prerequisite. Come to participate and learn along with us. Koinonia Room is on the south side of the church, very close to parking. There will be signs on the doors to guide you. Mark your calendar for Thursday, March
11, to come hear local businesspeople speak about the economic realities that
entrepreneurs currently face. Minister to people with disabilities through MDC Goldenrod. Make quilts or furniture to sell at MDC Goldenrod’s Annual Benefit Auction on August 27 and 28. Money from the auction provides housing, training, and health care for people with disabilities. Call Nedra Gnagey with questions or to let her know what you plan to make for the auction at 533-9720, ext. 5. The Senior Tuesday Luncheon and Program at Yellow Creek Mennonite Church is Tuesday, March 16, at noon in the church fellowship hall. The cost is $5 per person paid at the door. Bertha Beachy will tell stories about Muslim culture and their people. Call Esther Martin, 533-7460, or the church office by March 8, for reservations. Menno-Hof’s second event in 2010 emphasizing believer’s baptism in the 485th anniversary year of the first Anabaptist baptisms is a presentation of “The Radicals” on Saturday and Sunday, March 20 and 21, at 7:00 p.m. at Menno-Hof. This story of early Anabaptists Michael and Margaretha Sattler will cause viewers to stop and think how much their faith really means to them. Popcorn will be served and a free-will offering will be received. Youth groups are encouraged to attend. Call (260) 768-4117 or e-mail for group reservations. (North Korea) A seminar on an Anabaptist model of evangelism, “Stepping into the Jordan….Crossing Boundaries,” focuses on building new connections in our communities, helping to change attitudes and following the model of Jesus to reach new souls. The seminar will be held on March 20, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon at Goshen City Church of the Brethren, 203 North 5th Street. The leader of the seminar is Duane Grady. For more information see the flier posted on the bulletin board. If interested in participating, see Anita Kehr. She will send in the registrations. Mennonite Mission Network seeks a Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit Administrator to provide administrative supervision and support for MVS units, local leaders, and volunteers. This person will participate as part of the MVS leadership team to sustain and develop the MVS program, initiate and nurture individual, group and corporate relationships, relate to people with differing theological and cultural assumptions, and relate to young adults in their faith development. Our ideal candidate will bring administrative skills to manage units in this dynamic and important program. Qualifications also include computer literacy, ability to travel frequently, and communicate comfortably by telephone and email. Passion for mission and service, and ability to forge trusting and productive relationships is important. For more information, see Staff Opportunities at MennoniteMission.net, email your resume to , or call Linda Krueger, Human Resources Coordinator, at 523-3009. Do you have an interest in helping people work together to take responsibility for their actions and making things right? If so, please consider attending a new VORP volunteer mediator training presented by the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) at Center for Community Justice on April 15-17. Registration fees are; early-bird before March 26, $30 ($20 for students and seniors) and after March 26th are $50/$30. Please call Connie Caiceros at CCJ at (574)295-6149 to register or email. God’s creation will nurture you through canoe trips, cabins, yurt, and retreats at Wilderness Wind , a Mennonite camp based in Ely, Minnesota near the Boundary Waters. WW is taking reservations for summer 2010. Special retreats include the Lakeside Writer’s Retreat with Jeff Gundy and Julia Spicher Kasdorf, Quilter’s Retreat, Primitive Living Skills for those who want new challenges, and fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. Check wildernesswind.org or call (316) 217-1129. Our Church Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Statistical Report for February 28, 2010 Attendance: 169 Today, March 7, 2010 Greeters: Diane Nafziger , Eleanor Nafziger Bulletins: Abe Thorne Nursery: Jan and Peter Shetler Offering Counters: Ruth Hathaway Greg Smucker Audio/Visual: Evan Grimes
Next Sunday, March 14, 2010 Greeters: Ruth Hathaway, Diane Nafziger Bulletins: Abe Thorne Nursery: Dee and Tom Albrecht Offering Counters: Ron Good Rick Hostetter Audio/Visual: Evan Grimes ___________________________________________ Pastors: Anita Kehr, Dan Schrock Youth Coordinator: Lois Mast Elders: Evan Bontrager, David Heusinkveld, Dan
Nafziger, Laverne Nafziger, Trish Shenk, and Renae Yoder Called to be Christ’s loving, healing, caring presence
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Member Login
Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship 2509 Berkey Ave Goshen, IN 46526  Map & Directions
E-mail: office@berkeyavenue.org Founded: 1979 Pastor(s): Daniel P. Schrock, Pastor Anita Yoder Kehr, Pastor 
Weekly Schedule
Sunday: Worship - 9:00 am Fellowship - 10:20 Nurture - 10:40 Office Hours: T-F 8:30 am -11:30 am 12 noon - 2:00 pm 
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