Comments on: Rich Mennonites in an age of hunger http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/05/rich-mennonites-in-an-age-of-hunger/ let's activate something Sun, 20 May 2012 21:08:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Trini http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/05/rich-mennonites-in-an-age-of-hunger/#comment-958 Trini Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:42:04 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/05/rich-mennonites-in-an-age-of-hunger/#comment-958 I remember during a time when we attending a suburban Mennonite church in Illinois. They were considering a signficant building prospect to increase the size of their sanctuary to accommodate anticipated the growth. Their problem? They weren't reaching out to their neighbours on the outside... hey, they weren't reaching out to their neighbours on the inside. If the community would've been served by a building expansion I could have seen it, but I still can't see it. Their numbers fluctuate, with college students coming in during the semester as several professors were at the church making numbers artificially high, however during my time there, roughly 7 months, I can remember 0 public outreach programs, or 0 people confessing faith in Christ in the church for a first time, though I saw with equal number, persons transferring membership from one church to another... and also people leaving the church as their lives took them elsewhere. I don't however fret with the MMN and MCUSA expansion, because I think they would be served be connecting closely with other centers for Anabaptist learning, whether that be EMU, AMBS or even CAL in Pasadena. I think AMBS would benefit from having MMN on their grounds, as it will be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Price tag not considered, but I honour the fact that they are struggling with it. I remember during a time when we attending a suburban Mennonite church in Illinois. They were considering a signficant building prospect to increase the size of their sanctuary to accommodate anticipated the growth. Their problem? They weren’t reaching out to their neighbours on the outside… hey, they weren’t reaching out to their neighbours on the inside.

If the community would’ve been served by a building expansion I could have seen it, but I still can’t see it. Their numbers fluctuate, with college students coming in during the semester as several professors were at the church making numbers artificially high, however during my time there, roughly 7 months, I can remember 0 public outreach programs, or 0 people confessing faith in Christ in the church for a first time, though I saw with equal number, persons transferring membership from one church to another… and also people leaving the church as their lives took them elsewhere.

I don’t however fret with the MMN and MCUSA expansion, because I think they would be served be connecting closely with other centers for Anabaptist learning, whether that be EMU, AMBS or even CAL in Pasadena. I think AMBS would benefit from having MMN on their grounds, as it will be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Price tag not considered, but I honour the fact that they are struggling with it.

]]> By: dan http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/05/rich-mennonites-in-an-age-of-hunger/#comment-57 dan Thu, 12 Oct 2006 14:51:00 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/05/rich-mennonites-in-an-age-of-hunger/#comment-57 This is a tough issue. Church building is often (usually?) a way to serve ourselves rather than others. I don't know the particulars for this issue, but I remember thinking it was good to have MCUSA and MMN on the AMBS campus, so that other resources can be shared if needed (such as offices or conference rooms or access to the AMBS library, perhaps even personell etc). This may or may not justify the cost, but it is at least one positive aspect of the plan. This is a tough issue. Church building is often (usually?) a way to serve ourselves rather than others.

I don’t know the particulars for this issue, but I remember thinking it was good to have MCUSA and MMN on the AMBS campus, so that other resources can be shared if needed (such as offices or conference rooms or access to the AMBS library, perhaps even personell etc). This may or may not justify the cost, but it is at least one positive aspect of the plan.

]]>