HUNTINGTON’S NEWSLETTER

                                              

 

Vol. 2    No 3                                                                                                   February 4, 2001

 

                                           Welcome To                      

                        Ban Suk Presbyterian Church Friends!

 

           We are happy to welcome Pastor John C. Hong and members of the Ban

               Suk Church (Ban Suk means “Cephas” or “rock” in Korean).  Their church is

               composed of about 30 members (including children), and they will be meeting

   on Sundays at 1:00 p.m. in our auditorium.  They also plan to meet on Friday

               evenings at 7:00 and Saturday mornings at 5:30 for prayer services.

 

                       We have worked out with them a number of agreements which will help

              us to work together as we serve the Lord.*   I am personally encouraged by the

              good backing you have given to make this decision a positive one.  As we know,

              these buildings we have do all belong to the Lord, and we are only stewards. 

              So if our facilities (God’s facilities) can be used to accommodate other Christians

              in this way and still allow us to minister adequately, I see this as a very positive

              thing.  There will probably be some hurdles to cross, and maybe even some

              misunderstandings to work out from time to time, but we trust that God will

              provide for us a good dose of the Fruit of the Spirit.  Let’s lift them up in our

              prayers!                                                                             Pastor Ed Bontrager

      

              * A copy of these agreements is available in the office for your perusal.  Check with

                   Evonne Showalter.                

 

 

         

                           Welcome to New Members at Huntington

 

              Melissa Blosser, daughter of Max and Alta Blosser, became a baptized member on

              December 17, 2000.  She accepted Christ as her personal Savior when she was five

              years old.  She writes, “My mom was talking to me about Jesus.  I wanted to become

              a Christian and she explained that I could ask Him to come into my Heart and then live

              for Him.  Although I don’t remember the words I used, she remembers I said, ‘Jesus,

              I want you to come into my heart and stay there.’   I have tried to live it out ever since.”

              Melissa is in grade seven at Denbigh Baptist Christian School, and her favorite subject is

              history.  Her special interests are piano, volleyball, and reading.  She enjoys Huntington

              because everyone is warm and friendly and it really feels like a family.  She also says

              about junior youth activities, “It is a really great place to get together and share and

              learn about God.” 

 

 

New Members continued

 

Heather Harris, daughter of Dale and Susan Harris, became a member upon confession of faith on October 8, 2000.  She accepted Christ as her personal Savior when she was 8 years old on May 18, 1997 and was baptized May 28, 1997 at the Bull Run Baptist Church in northern Virginia, where her grandmother is a member.  Heather is home schooled and is in the 7^th grade. Her favorite subjects are Bible and Math.   Her special interests and hobbies are art, reading, swimming, soccer, softball and volleyball.  She enjoys Huntington because it feels like family.  She also says about junior youth activities, “It is fun!”                                   

 

Raymond and Alice Martin transferred their membership from the Bahia Vista Mennonite Church, Sarasota, FL, and became members with us on December 31, 2000.  Both came originally from Lancaster, PA.  A year after Raymond graduated from college in Harrisonburg, VA  they moved to Homestead, FL, where Raymond served as a Migrant Program Director, and then later administrator for Voluntary Service programs in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.  In 1975 he became pastor of Homestead Mennonite Church on a part-time basis, and then later full time.  During these years Alice volunteered at the Florida City Visitors Center, and at the local Crises Pregnancy Center.  In 1991 they moved to Sarasota, where Raymond became Conference Minister and Alice served on the board and volunteered at the Ten Thousand Villages store, and also became a secretary/receptionist for Bahia Vista.

 

They have three sons and three daughters-in-law.  Jerry and Jeanette live in Colorado Springs, CO, Philip & Luann live in E. Petersburg, PA, and Randy & Lily remain in Homestead, FL.  There are 11 grandchildren (6 girls and 5 boys) that keep things lively at family holiday reunions!  Raymond now serves as our Area Overseer, and Alice works part-time at Yoder Barn.  Raymond writes, “We have enjoyed learning to know the pastors and spouses and the congregations.  They have graciously accepted us as part of the ministry team and we are happy here.”

 

Welcome to our Huntington family, even though your work involves you within the lives of many churches and people.  We are always happy to see you when your schedules allows to attend any of our services, and we will be praying for both of you as in many ways you share in the ministry of our districts together!

 

                      PORT  –  People Offering Resources Together

On December 9, Huntington Mennonite joined Temple Baptist Church in providing food and shelter

for thirty-four members of the homeless community. We appreciated the nice facility that we were able to work in at Temple.  Joann Godshall shopped for much of the food that we provided.  A number of others prepared food at home.  Joann Fannin and her daughter Pearl baked and decorated cupcakes to serve as dessert.  Pearl was our youngest volunteer.  She was eager to help setup to serve supper.  Others who worked in the kitchen were Leroy Blosser, our chief chef, and his assistants Mike Carr, Mike Porter, and Dave Tate.  Those who worked at the registration table were Paul and Erma Lehman, Ernie and Martha Godshall and Bob Dunford.  The overnight shift was composed of Susan Harris, Carol Hall, Bob Dunford, and Tim Fannin who came in at 3 o’clock in the morning to provide relief for those who were getting sleepy.  At 5 o’clock the breakfast shift arrived.  They were Alice Hedgepeth, Diane Williams, Leroy Blosser, and Mike Carr.

The next opportunity to serve through PORT was Friday, January 26 at Chestnut Memorial Methodist Church.   It is an experience that always makes us realize how truly blessed we are.

                                                                                                                                        –Carol Hall

         Returning for a Visit                                                         New Location

After 25 years leaving the country of Laos                                 Josh, Heather, and Josh Jr., Velez

as refugees under dire circumstances, Si                                    moved from Connecticut to Penn-

and Pon Xayasine, of our congregation, made               sylvania in November.  Heather is en-

a visit back to their country in Southeast Asia                joying being a stay-at-home mom and

from October 17 through November 24, 2000.             Josh continues the same type of work

Of course, there were grand reunions with                                 in PA as he was doing in CT, working

family members, and friends they remember                               for a company that sets up office

back in the early 1970's.  Si and Pon are the                             furniture.  Their address: 975 Garfield

parents of Samsone and Melissa, who stayed                            Rd.,    Mt. Joy, PA   17552

here in the states while their parents took this                 (Heather is a daughter of Leon &

adventuresome journey!                                                              Wendy Brunk.)

 

               A Birthday                                                                   New CD     

To ease the pain of seeing himself going                                     Jeff Howard in early December went to

“over the hill”, a group of oldies                                                 Anadarko, OK to assist in a recording

celebrate John A. Yoder’s birthday each                                   with Brian Ball, recording two songs

year.  So when December 21 approaches,                                written by Steve Miller, a friend of

our captain, Lloyd Weaver, begins planning                               theirs.  This new CD will be out in a few

a new place to go and hopefully a surprise                          months.  Brian Ball, who had been one

somewhere.  This time Jimmy and Carol                                    of our church neighbors, and a Christian

Cook met us at the Blue Fin Restaurant over                 recording artist, sang at our church on

across the York River.  Carol is John Alan’s                             occasion.  He and his family are setting

birth mother and we enjoyed being together                               up a Christian retreat center in

again.  Others present were Lloyd & Sarah                               Oklahoma.  While there, Jeff helped in

Weaver, Myron & Leona Ross, and Paul &                              some construction work also.  A year

Erma Lehman.                                                              or two ago Jeff and Brian recorded an

                                           –Erma Lehman                              album entitled “Crimson”.  See Jeff for

a copy.                            –Ed Bontrager

 

 

 

                               “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”

 

On Christmas Eve, a group from Huntington visited the Newport News Juvenile Detention

Center and presented “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson, distributed

Christmas Goody Bags and sang carols to about 28 children.  Addie Griffin prayed the

sinner’s prayer outloud with most of the kids.  Huntington participants included Addie

Griffin, Faith & Nelson Groom, Melinda & Heather Mericle, Jake, June, and Lauren

Hartzler, Leroy, Martha & Carlissa Blosser, Danni Clark, Wayne Walls, Bobby Dunford

and Jeff Deel.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is a play within a play about a church where the kids

put on a Christmas pageant.  The main parts are normally played by the kids of regular

attenders of the church, but this year the Herdman kids have all the major roles.  The

Herdmans are poor, rough-necked kids who show up at church one day because they heard

there were snacks there.  They volunteer to be Mary, Joseph, the 3 Wise Men and the Angel

of the Lord.  All the other kids are afraid of the Herdmans and no one volunteers for any of

the leading parts, mainly because of threats by the Herdmans.  In the end, the Herdmans

surprisingly add a meaningful twist to the Christmas story.                                 –Jeff Deel

                               

                                                   Youth Worker’s Conference

 

June Hartzler and Brenda Snead recently attended a conference for youth sponsors held

at the Williamsburg Holiday Inn.  The speaker for the weekend was Mark Canister from

Gordon College.  The conference was attended by 85 Mennonite and Brethren youth

leaders.

Mr. Canister began with an overview of the characteristics of the millennial generation.

In contrast to the Boomers (born 1943 - 60), and the Generation X’ers (1961-81) who

also have distinctive attributes, the Millennials (born since 1982) have a number of

characteristics that are unique.  They tend to have a high level of civic consciousness,

a high degree of tolerance, and little or no concept of absolute truth.  Many come from

several un-churched generations and don’t have any memory of involvement in religious

community.  However, there is a sense of longing for community as “being homesick

for someplace they’ve never been.”

The weekend included a discussion of the essentials of being a disciple and concluded

with guidelines to building a mentoring community.  Rather than emphasizing one-on-one

mentoring relationships, Mr. Canister advocated building small mentoring groups.  It was

recommended that mentors build on the millennial generations’s desire for strong

community and capitalize on the high expectations that they are accustomed to in their

academic and athletic endeavors.  The most important factor in establishing a productive

group is to maintain an appropriate balance of support and challenge.

                                                                                                                           –Brenda Snead

 

   

                                          

                                                  HYMN SING FOR PEACE      

 

     On April 7, 2001, Mennonite congregations and individuals are invited to come to Washington, D.C. for the third annual Hymn Sing For Peace.  First Mennonite Church of Richmond, VA is sponsoring this event in an attempt to provide a proactive and positive response to all violent conflict.

     The spirit of this event is intended to be one of witness to the collective conscience of the

government, to those watching, and to those participating that there are many creative

ways to solve conflict rather than with violence.  The message is that this is our way of best

experiencing and demonstrating Peace, by singing hymns of praise to our God.

                 Everyone is invited to come and meet for singing in Lafayette Park, immediately across

the street from the White House.  Singing will begin at 4:00 PM and end around 5:30 PM.

It will consist primarily of group singing of familiar hymns taken from the Hymnal: A

Worship Book.  The music will be provided.  Leaflets will be available for curious

pedestrians, explaining our purpose and providing suggestions of how we as individuals and

nations can promote peace around us.  In addition, a letter will be written to the President

explaining the purpose of the event.  This letter will be available at the Hymn Sing for those

attendees who would be interested in signing it.

     Participants are encouraged to stay and picnic together in the Mall area, after the singing.

For planning purposes, congregations and individuals are invited to RSVP with the numbers

of expected participants to First Mennonite Church at (804) 359-1340 or e-mail at

ecopow@erols.com