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A MESSAGE  FROM OUR PRESIDENT

           Thought you might like an update on our mission outreach for this year. Thus far, we have received 60 applications for our Young Partners in Mission Program and have awarded almost $12,000. The youth are going to Mission Camp at Laurel Ridge, Jamaica, Mexico, China and Honduras. Adults have turned in 14  applications for assistance in going to Belgium, China and Jamaica and $2,000 has been awarded to date. Churches sending these people are Christ the King, Fries, Christ, Little Church on the Lane, Macedonia, Friedland, New Philadelphia, Friedberg and Konnoak Hills. Sr. Glenna Tasedan and her committee have done an outstanding job in administering this program.

          I have been reading a book entitled “Shaped by God’s Heart – The Passions and Practices of Missional Churches” by Milfred Minatra. It is both inspirational and at times intimidating. It deals with the thrust of the Early Church as recorded in The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles and then contrasts that with what is now the situation in most of today’s churches, labeled maintenance churches. This is the same theme I addressed in the March Onward. The author lists the five essential activities of churches: worship, education, witness (evangelism and discipleship), ministry and fellowship. The question is then raised – what is the priority associated with each in your congregation?

             The point is also made that many of our church boards and agencies operate very much like the secular world – discussing and deciding – using their collective wisdom. The truth is that we are forgetting that we are in partnership with the Holy Spirit and that we should be seeking His guidance for our endeavors. This only comes about if we turn to prayer as the vehicle which will enable us to hear God’s will. I stand convicted of not having been diligent in this myself.  

           I encourage you to pray for all of our church leaders – that they in turn might seek direction through prayer and to ask for boldness that comes from the Holy Spirit to lead us to victory.

        A final note: our Mission Awareness Dinner is scheduled for May 1^st at Bethania Moravian at 5:15 pm. The cost is $8.00 and reservations must be in by April 20. Contact Sheila Beaman for confirmation. A number of folks, both young and older, will be sharing their experiences of last year and music will be provided by The Little Church on the Lane. It will be a festal occasion.  Hope to see you there!

 Jack Geis

WORLD MISSION SHOP REPORT

         The World Mission Shop continues to sell handcrafts from third world artisans providing an income with dignity. Sales for the year 2004 were down slightly and some building repairs reduced the amount of funds donated this year. At the end of the year donations had been made to:

q       Hurricane relief in Florida        $1,000.00

q       Nicaraguan pastor salaries       $1,800.00

q       Sunnyside Ministry                  $ 615.00

q       King Outreach Ministry            $ 615.00

q       Samaritan Ministry                    $ 615.00

Shipping costs were paid for hurricane relief supplies collected by Bethania Moravian Women’s Fellowship and school supplies were collected for local schools. After learning of the disaster caused by the tsunami in Asia, our board decided to donate 100% of sales on February 12^th for relief efforts. Thanks to many loyal shoppers $2,000.00 was sent to Mennonite Central Committee to be used in their relief efforts.

A GOOD BOOK TO READ!

                 Br. Paul Peucker, the Moravian Archivist in Bethlehem, writes: I have just finished reading a book that came out earlier in March and might interest our Unity. I can highly recommend it! It is a biography of Rebecca, a slave woman from the Caribbean who joined the Moravians on St. Thomas in the 1730’s, came to Europe in 1742 and ended her life in Africa. It is not only one of those intriguing biographies Moravian history has to offer; this book is very well written and gives an insight into the 18^th century transatlantic Moravian world that is hard to find elsewhere. The author is not idealizing missionary enterprises as the work of heroes of faith nor does he have a negative bias against mission work. According to the author, the spread of Christianity gave the black population of the Caribbean island a group identity and a voice of their own. Rebecca was instrumental in organizing the early stage of Moravian work on St. Thomas. The book also deals with other aspects of Moravian history: liturgy, theology, sexuality, art, positions of women, etc. and it summarizes a lot of research that has recently been done on the Moravian Church in the 18^th Century. The title: Rebecca’s Revival. Creating Black Christianity in the Atlantic World by Jon Sensbach. Harvard University Press 2005.