Central Plains Mennonite Conference
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Central Plains Structure
    • Staff >
      • Executive Conference Minister
      • Ministerial Leadership
      • Formation Minister
      • Hispanic Ministries
    • Map of Conference
    • Congregations >
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Board
    • Committees >
      • Christian Formation
      • Outreach and Service >
        • Church Planting
        • Peace and Justice Task Group
        • Practicing Offering and Receiving Hospitality
      • Pastoral Leadership
    • Partners in Mission >
      • Agape Peace Center
      • Philip Friesen
    • Camps & Schools
    • Who are the Mennonites?
  • CPMC at Work
    • MC USA Delegate Resources
    • Publications >
      • Scattered Seeds
      • The Sower
    • Events >
      • Annual Meeting 2022
      • Regional Meetings 2022
    • CPMC Covenant
    • New Ministries Fund >
      • Reports of Past Grant Recipients
    • Counsel on variance
  • Congregational Leaders
    • Pastors
    • Elders & Deacons
    • Church Council
    • Support for Conflict >
      • Facilitation Services and Donations
    • Pastor Openings
  • Mission Leaders
    • Racism webinar videos
    • Ecuador/Venezuela Partnership >
      • Story of the Ecuador Partnership
      • Personnel and Partnership Members
      • Quito Property Fund
    • Church Planting >
      • Developing Congregations
    • Travel Like Dave
    • Missional Discipleship Initiative
    • Islam and the Gospel
  • Formation Leaders
    • Formation in Worship
    • Formation Resource Library
    • Children and Families >
      • Faith at Home
      • Curriculum for Children
      • Shine
      • Resources for Parents
      • Protecting Children
    • Youth >
      • Youth Mission Together
      • Youth Sponsors
      • Youth Curriculum
      • Youth SS Teachers
      • Mentor Coordinator
      • CO Resources
      • Helpful sites for YM
    • Adults >
      • Adult Faith at Home
      • Adult Curriculum
      • Teaching resources
      • Adult Spirituality
    • Shalom Readers >
      • Book List
      • Shalom Readers Adult List
    • Curriculum Evaluation Tool
  • Resources
    • Anti Racism Resources
    • Bible study Webinars >
      • Bible Study Webinars 2016
      • Bible Study Webinars 2017
    • Conference Documents
    • Christian Discernment
    • En Espanol
    • Immigration
    • Mennonite Links
    • Spiritual Deliverance
    • Archives
  • Contact Us
    • Contact form
    • Church contact info form
    • Donate
    • COVID Relief
    • Discerning Future Leaders
    • Sunday Speaking Information Sheet

On the Cusp of this Advent Season

11/25/2015

 
Picture
by David Boshart
Executive Conference Minister

​
So, I’m not much of a Facebook “sharer,” but this picture has shown up many times in my newsfeed in recent days. It tells an important story.
 
On the cusp of this Advent season, five governors from Central Plains states have already announced that there is no room at the inn for people who are fleeing Syria. Syrian refugees can’t “go back to where they came from” because “where they came from” simply doesn’t exist anymore. Our fear of the other makes us forget that refugees are the victims of violence, not the perpetrators.
 
Closer to home in Minneapolis, five black protesters were shot…in front of the police station. They were protesting the shooting death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark. The shooters, shooting in front of the police station, walked away. This morning, I watched a video of a young black man shot sixteen times by a policeman in Chicago.
 
We are witnesses to the many places in the world that believe that violence is the answer to every problem.
 
But the writer of Ephesians offers a different answer for every situation. The answer is found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus, who was crucified, lives. He is the author of life. He has been placed far above every ruler, authority, power and dominion. And because he lives, life-giving power is always available, always an option…always. Even thought we die, we will live. 
 
Every major headline amplifies the stories of those who trust the things that lead to death. That’s the news.
 
But those who choose the things that lead to death won’t forever wreak havoc in the world. For “God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses has made us alive.” We have passed from death to life. We are now God’s preferred instruments to reveal the wisdom of God to the most extreme corners of the universe in as many ways as possible. (Ephesians 3:10) Revealing God’s wisdom is not a “flashbang” strategy of overwhelming force. We announce God’s wisdom linking arms with one another in humility, gentleness, patience, and love – “living a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called.” In this way we persist in faithful presence, communities of resistance, a people of eternal hope.
 
Some feel the only way to get their message through is to shoot other people, bomb other people, shout other people down, or blow themselves up. It takes faith to say that, in Jesus, God has an answer for that. We are the voice of those who can no longer speak. In speaking we bring back to life those who have been destroyed by those who trust the things that lead to death.
 
Revealing the wisdom of God in the face of terror, we speak love in the face of fear. We model trust in God in the presence of our enemies. We declare the power of the resurrection to those who announce the threat of death. We find space for refugees and all whose hearts have been broken in communities of grace, joy, and peace as God’s healing and hope flow through us to the world.
 
Nations shall come to your light,
   and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 

​

New members received at St. Paul Hmong Mennonite Church

11/9/2015

 
Yesterday Dave and Shana celebrated with the St. Paul Hmong Mennonite Church as they received nine new members representing 26 family members.  What a great day!

Sign and share the petition to bring Max back

11/2/2015

 
We need your help to reach 5,000 signatures on the new petition for beloved Iowa pastor Max Villatoro.  Though we lost our struggle to keep Pastor Max with his family, we have not given up in our attempts to bring him back home. Max was deported to Honduras in March but we continue to highlight his case as an example of the flawed application of immigration enforcement policies. Read more about Pastor Max's story and sign the petition here. 

And, please share the petition widely!

Thank you for helping to bring Pastor Max home!


Blessings,
-Tammy

Tammy Alexander | Senior Legislative Associate
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office


920 Pennsylvania Avenue SE | Washington, DC 20003
m: 
240-620-7744 | o: 202-544-6564 x62113 | f: 202-544-2820
TammyAlexander@mcc.org | washington.mcc.org | Facebook | Twitter

    Central Plains Mennonite Conference

    creates settings for our congregations and partners to grow in holistic witness to God's reconciling mission by developing leadership, encouraging fellowship and promoting lifelong discipleship.

    Archives

    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Categories

    All

Office Manager: P.O. Box 101, Freeman, SD 57029  office@centralplainsmc.org  phone: 605-929-3325
Ministry Staff Office: P.O. Box 352, Kalona, IA 52247
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Central Plains Structure
    • Staff >
      • Executive Conference Minister
      • Ministerial Leadership
      • Formation Minister
      • Hispanic Ministries
    • Map of Conference
    • Congregations >
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Board
    • Committees >
      • Christian Formation
      • Outreach and Service >
        • Church Planting
        • Peace and Justice Task Group
        • Practicing Offering and Receiving Hospitality
      • Pastoral Leadership
    • Partners in Mission >
      • Agape Peace Center
      • Philip Friesen
    • Camps & Schools
    • Who are the Mennonites?
  • CPMC at Work
    • MC USA Delegate Resources
    • Publications >
      • Scattered Seeds
      • The Sower
    • Events >
      • Annual Meeting 2022
      • Regional Meetings 2022
    • CPMC Covenant
    • New Ministries Fund >
      • Reports of Past Grant Recipients
    • Counsel on variance
  • Congregational Leaders
    • Pastors
    • Elders & Deacons
    • Church Council
    • Support for Conflict >
      • Facilitation Services and Donations
    • Pastor Openings
  • Mission Leaders
    • Racism webinar videos
    • Ecuador/Venezuela Partnership >
      • Story of the Ecuador Partnership
      • Personnel and Partnership Members
      • Quito Property Fund
    • Church Planting >
      • Developing Congregations
    • Travel Like Dave
    • Missional Discipleship Initiative
    • Islam and the Gospel
  • Formation Leaders
    • Formation in Worship
    • Formation Resource Library
    • Children and Families >
      • Faith at Home
      • Curriculum for Children
      • Shine
      • Resources for Parents
      • Protecting Children
    • Youth >
      • Youth Mission Together
      • Youth Sponsors
      • Youth Curriculum
      • Youth SS Teachers
      • Mentor Coordinator
      • CO Resources
      • Helpful sites for YM
    • Adults >
      • Adult Faith at Home
      • Adult Curriculum
      • Teaching resources
      • Adult Spirituality
    • Shalom Readers >
      • Book List
      • Shalom Readers Adult List
    • Curriculum Evaluation Tool
  • Resources
    • Anti Racism Resources
    • Bible study Webinars >
      • Bible Study Webinars 2016
      • Bible Study Webinars 2017
    • Conference Documents
    • Christian Discernment
    • En Espanol
    • Immigration
    • Mennonite Links
    • Spiritual Deliverance
    • Archives
  • Contact Us
    • Contact form
    • Church contact info form
    • Donate
    • COVID Relief
    • Discerning Future Leaders
    • Sunday Speaking Information Sheet