District News and Activities
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We continue to pray for pastors Jack Haddock (Trinity), Dot Mellott (Waynesboro) and Tim Sites (Leake's Chapel) who are recovering from serious illnesses.
The Global Mission Prayer Guide prayer and praises for the following areas:
- Puerto Rico - Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) has completed the rebuilding project in Puerto Rico and has officially closed the site. Through the effort, 100 homes were repaired or rebuilt. Thank you to the many volunteers, long-term volunteer project director Carrie Miller, and the partnership with the Puerto Rico District staff and representatives who made this happen. Praise God for the success and completion of this project.
- China - Things in China continue to slowly return to normal following the COVID-19 outbreak. Pray for discernment for the staff and for the hospital workers who have been laid off due to budget tightening. Pray for hospice patients and their families as they deal with terminal cancer.
- South Sudan - Please pray for mission worker Athanasus Ungang, who cannot return to the US for his oldest daughter's wedding. This is very difficult for him especially since he will not be able to personally offer his blessing to the wedding, which is an important African tradition. Also remember those struggling to combat COVID-19 virus. The country has only one laboratory for testing for its 11 million people. Other health facilities are very minimal, and it was the only country in the world to have more vice-presidents than ventilators at the arrival of the virus in South Sudan. The final prayer concern is for continuing peace in the countryside. The many years of war, the tribalism, and the lack of an economy keep threatening the current tentative peace agreement.
- Dominican Republic - Pray for the country and its transition to new leadership and what that might mean for the church.
- Mexico - There are three churches in Tijuana that have been associated with the Church of the Brethren for several years, who are awaiting the government-signed legal papers to become a not-for-profit church. They would become partner churches with the Church of the Brethren in the US. Their ministries are meeting the needs of local people and church members, including providing food. Most of those people live week-by-week. With the COVID-19 virus affecting them, they do not have work and are suffering. Instead of the 35 to 50 people who are part of the churches, the ministry has given food to many more people in the community and sees it as an evangelistic tool. Pastor Salvador Galaz Soto has been the key individual responsible for the work taking place. He is ill and has needed numerous blood transfusions, but due to the virus he has not been able to receive the required treatment at the hospital. Prayers are requested for his healing. Thankfully, none of the church members have been ill from the virus.
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From the Desk of District Executive Minister John Jantzi
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The Future is Now
I am an avid collector of baseball cards. From 1963-1965, as a middle schooler, I collected and stored hundreds of cards. Names like Bob Gibson, Pete Rose and others are familiar names in my collection. I recently cataloged all the cards and, time and money permitting, am looking forward to completing the work begun years ago.
I have followed baseball all my life and am fascinated by the means by which teams develop winning traditions. Over the last number of years, money--and willingness to spend it in copious amounts--have dominated the scene. Big market teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox have the wealth to pursue the biggest stars in the game. For them, the “future is now” with pressure to win a championship immediately because of the amount of money expended.
For others such as the Kansas City Royals, development relates to the development and cultivation of the minor league system with targeted free agent acquisitions. The future may not be now but as part of some five-year development plans.
Now, permit me to do some mental gymnastics. I wish to use the phrase “the future is now” and place this phrase in a biblical and theological context. And no, the biblical use of this term has nothing to do with the signing of baseball free agents!
Listen to these contrasting scriptures: Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:20).
In this verse, as well as others, scripture bears witness to the immediacy, the present tense of the Kingdom of God already being at work. “The Kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Scripture also points to a Kingdom that is not yet here but is to come.
Listen to the words of Revelation 21:1-5: "Then I saw a new heaven and new earth, for the first heaven and first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"
There is a deep longing and groaning in these verses for a world that is not yet present; for the Kingdom of God that has not yet arrived in all its healing, reconciliation, glory and power; for seeing Jesus Christ who is not fully revealed. We can only catch but a glimpse of that far off promise.
And so we live between the words of Luke 17 and Revelation 21. The already but not yet.
Here is where the phrase “the future is now” becomes real. We are called to live as if the Kingdom of God is present in all its glory. Ah yes, we well know the pain and suffering of COVID-19, the deep social rifts caused by human sinfulness, the addictions and broken relationships. Still, in the midst of this present reality, we dare to live in light of the promise of Revelation of 21. Of course, we know that there is a future promise which is impossible to be fulfilled in the present time. Still our lives are directed, our actions are guided, our values are shaped by the drumbeat of the world to come.
The future is now.
- Allowing our character and spirituality, both personal and corporate, to be shaped by the Beatitudes;
- Loving our neighbor, both friend and enemy;
- Believing and acting upon the belief that the resurrection power of Jesus Christ can redeem, mend broken relationships, deliver from addictions and the grip of sin, give purpose and meaning to people’s lives;
- You add to the list.
The future is now. May God grant us courage, grace and power to live as if it were so.
John Jantzi
, District Executive Minister, Shenandoah District
July 9, 2020
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Bridgewater
- full-time, Christy Dowdy, interim pastor, congregational profile forthcoming
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Garbers
- part-time, Ken Dolan, interim pastor, congregational profile forthcoming
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Leake's Chapel
- part-time, Tim Sites, interim pastor, congregational profile available
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Staunton
- full-time, J. D. Glick, interim pastor, congregational profile forthcoming
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Sunrise - part-time, Paul Roth, pulpit supply, congregational profile forthcoming
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Waynesboro
- full-time, Dot Mellott, interim pastor, updated congregational profile available
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Director of Ministerial Services to Start
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The District is pleased to announce the hiring of Jon Prater to the part-time position of Director of Ministerial Services. Jon's first day in the office will be next Tuesday, July 21. He will be working ten hours per week for one year. The position is funded outside the budgetary process.
Jon is pastor of Mt. Zion-Linville Church of the Brethren and has served the District in a number of positions including District Leadership Team Chair and most recently as chair of the District Discernment Team. Jon brings a compassionate heart for ministry and a depth of relationship across the District.
Jon’s first and primary task is developing and strengthening the process leading up to licensing of ministerial candidates in the District. This includes working with individuals who indicate interest in ministry, the strengthening of Cohort groups, working with mentors and candidates and providing opportunities for growth and fellowship for those engaged in this process. Jon will also work with the District Executive Minister in developing CEU and fellowship opportunities for pastors.
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District Conference Announcement Coming
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The District is continually monitoring developments with COVID-19 virus and guidelines issued by Virginia and West Virginia. The Program and Arrangements committee will be announcing plans for the 2020 District Conference on July 30.
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The Shenandoah Update will be not be published next Thurs., July 23, due to scheduled time off for the director of communications. The Update will resume on July 30 and the new publishing schedule will be announced at that time.
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District Congregations Considering New Initiative for Supervised Time for Students
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In a recent email to area pastors and interested others, Wakemans Grove Pastor Mark Bowyer summarized a developing concept to "...provide supervised care for students in our churches on their off-school days." He said the initiative would target students in grades 6 through 8, with the possibility of adding grades 5 and 9, if interest dictates.
Key elements of the program include having participating congregations supply volunteers to oversee students in their studies, while also providing recreation, a Bible lesson and social time. The groups would be small, up to ten students, and precautions would be taken to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. He also noted volunteers would be trained and work full days or half days. The program would run from 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Access to the Internet would be required at the hosting site. Groups of three or more congregations could work cooperatively to serve one group of students. If enough clusters of churches emerge, up to 250 or more students across the region could benefit.
A meeting will be held on Monday to discuss the possibilities further. Contact
Mark Bowyer
for more information about the initiative.
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Congregational Reopenings
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District churches continue to open at a varied pace and manner under social distancing guidelines developed to date by the District and as described in Phase Two of Va. state requirements. Virginia moved into Phase Three on July 1. Download Va.
Phase Three guidelines here
.
It is important to note that Va. Phase Three guidelines do not address the wearing of facemasks and therefore do not replace the mandate for wearing them as prescribed in
Executive Order 63
.
W. Va. entered Week Nine of the State's W. Va. Strong - The Comeback plan. Click here for a link to the
W. Va. week-by-week
listing of reopenings.
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The District Office has reopened the office while maintaining the safety of staff and others. To that end, social distancing will be observed and masks will be required. The following times constitute normal operating hours going forward:
Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - noon
On the first Thursday of each month, the phones will not be answered from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in order for the staff to meet without interruptions.
Due to the size constraints of the office space, no more than three employees will be working at any one time. In order to meet this requirement, staff will be working in the office during the designated times listed below:
- District Executive Minister John Jantzi, daily office hours as noted above.
- Office Manager Sarah Long, daily office hours as noted above.
- Financial Secretary Larry Holsinger, Mondays, 8 - 10 a.m.
- Director of Ministerial Services Jonathan Prater, Tuesdays, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Jon will assume the new position on July 16.
- Director of Finance Gary Higgs, Wednesdays, 1 - 6 p.m.
- Director of Communications Brenda Diehl, monthly office hours on the first Thursday of each month, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
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Website Development Moves Forward
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District staff had the opportunity to view a first draft of the new District website that is being developed. With just a few more additions of text and photos, the revamping of the
website will be moving into the final stages before launching sometime in late summer or early fall.
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Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center
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The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center invites all to join Worship in the Woods, a virtual vespers service released weekly on Sundays at 7 p.m. Upcoming services feature Nathan Hollenberg and Linville Creek musicians, Ryan Cooper, the Shenandoah Valley Biblical Storytellers, and more. Learn more and watch
past services here
. New services available at the same address weekly at 7 p.m.
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Brethren Faith in Action Funds Available
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From the recent sale of the upper campus at New Windsor, a fund has been created to provide up to $5,000 per grant to congregations who are seeking financial support to launch outreach ministries. The congregations receiving grants must provide fifty percent of the grant request in matching funds and have the support of their District. Download an application
here.
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Brethren Disaster Ministry News
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The Disaster Auction Coordinating Committee invites church groups and individuals to support disaster ministries by purchasing items for school kits. The kits will be assembled prior to the Church World Service "pick-up" in October. Participating churches may bring collected supplies to the District Kit Depot during the week of September 1 - 10. Participating congregations are encouraged to call the District Office at (540) 234-8555 before delivering supplies to confirm someone is available to unlock the building and receive the delivery. To download a list of needed supplies,
click here.
For those who would prefer to give money instead of going out to shop for supplies, please send a check by July 31 made out to the Shenandoah District, with a note in the memo line "for school kit supplies," and someone will do the shopping for you.
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District Disaster Ministries
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Shenandoah District Disaster Ministries Coordinator Jerry Ruff noted several focus areas for the ministry in the coming months. There are needs for supplies for school kits and cleanup buckets, volunteers for upcoming trips and people who can assemble pre-cut masks.
The District's disaster ministry building closed in mid-March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It reopened June 15, and although groups are not working in the building at this time, the depot is now receiving donations by appointment. Centers for Disease Control and applicable guidelines issued by the governor are being practiced during deliveries of donations. Jerry explained that the supplies and buckets dropped off at the District Office are being placed in a separate location for at least one week. After a week or longer, the supplies may be processed and stored in their proper places.
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Jerry highlighted the current needs for supplies. He affirmed the emphasis at the moment is on completing school kits and cleanup buckets (Click here to see the supplies needed for
school kits and
cleanup buckets).
Health kits are also being accepted at this time, he said.
Disaster ministry, during the pandemic, has been difficult to conduct in person. The next best thing is to support those who are engaged in direct service to others. Therefore, 800 masks were donated to a local hospital in response to their appeal in April. Efforts are now being made to resupply the District's reserve of masks. The Southern Ohio District recently provided pre-cut material and elastic for constructing masks. Jerry said 150 masks are yet to be assembled. Volunteers who desire to help sew masks are encouraged to contact Jerry at (540) 447-0306 to obtain the pre-cut materials for construction.
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, volunteer assistance was provided to repair a home damaged by a fallen tree near McGaheysville and a rebuilding team served from January 26 - February 1. The scheduled trips to Lumberton on February 23 and Tampa on March 23 were canceled due to the pandemic.
This winter, Disaster Ministry leaders and volunteers from five area congregations also reassessed and reworked the interior of the disaster building to make the available space more conducive to receiving and processing donations of kits, buckets and supplies. Jerry said the effort of all who volunteered to help with this project"...really improved the usefulness of the building, and I want to thank every person who came and helped with the effort."
Future service trips are planned. The first trip will be to Dayton, Ohio, August 16 - 22, to assist with recovery from the tornadoes in May of 2019. Other trips on the schedule include September 27 - October 3; October 18 - 24 and November 8 - 14. Locations this fall will be determined at a later date. Jerry advised that these trips are going to be evaluated month-to-month for safety as COVID-19 outbreaks ebb and flow.
The project site in Lumberton, N.C. has closed and a new site in Pamlico, N.C., has opened. The Pamlico area is still in need of assistance two years after hurricanes caused significant damage to the community. Jerry observed the facility is larger than other sites and will make it easier to comply with local COVID-19 guidelines.
With caution guiding day-to-day decisions, Jerry said the use of the disaster ministry vehicles is currently being limited to providing transportation for disaster trips.
The coronavirus outbreak has pressed the District to find ways to be of assistance with limited human exposure. Yet, through prayers, gifts of supplies, financial resources and time, the ministry is taking place. Contact
Jerry Ruff,
Henry Elsea, or
Galen Halterman
t
o become involved in service.
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Last Week for Watz' in the Woods
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Watz' in the Woods, Brethren Woods' online camping adventure, is winding down. The program comes to a close next week. Click here to
watch a video about the program. Interested participants may register for Watz’ in the Woods online or by completing the
request form on the camp's website. A username, password, and login information will be provided to get started. Access to the portal will be open through July 24.
Click here for details.
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Family Camp is a unique alternative for families that are ready to get outside. It’s also a fun and reasonably priced vacation alternative for families who may not be able to go on other trips planned for this summer. Find out more by
clicking here.
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Continuing the work of Jesus.
Peacefully. Simply. Together.
Shenandoah District website:
www.shencob.org
__________________________
Questions? Comments?
Director of Communications
Today's photo courtesy of B. Diehl
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Shenandoah District Church of the Brethren
P.O. Box 67, 1453 Westview School Road, Weyers Cave, Va. 24486
Phone: (540) 234-8555; Toll-free (888) 308-8555; Fax (540) 234-8333
Staff:
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