MWR : Loving the neighbors

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Nov. 9, 2009 issue

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Tags: Congregations

Loving the neighbors

James Street Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pa.

By Carol Steffy

Our congregation enjoys creating opportunities to interact with the community surrounding our urban church.

Two recent events capture some of the ways we seek to “love our neighbors.” On Aug. 4, we held our annual Neighborhood Block Party. Neighbors were invited for ice cream floats, entertainment and good fun. On Sept. 26, we held our annual Community Day. We bathed the event in prayer, starting with a 24-hour prayer vigil held the weekend prior to the event and using prayer walkers and a prayer tent that day. About 500 free meals of barbecued chicken were baked and served. The indoor yard sale collected $1,106 to use in our Wednesday Connection program — another opportunity for us to meet our neighbors. Fifty-three neighborhood families expressed interest in some aspect of congregational life, and we contacted each of these families prior to Oct. 7, when this year’s Wednesday Connection kicked off.

A number of young adults from JSMC are serving or studying abroad. Their interest in other cultures reflects the experiences of many at JSMC who have served in other countries. Zach Yoder left Aug. 24 to serve as a staff member with Youth With A Mission in Australia. Peter Horst is studying in Uganda; and Briana Eshleman, Rachel Mast and Charlotte Wenger are studying in South Africa.

On Aug. 23, Kindergarten Faith Markers were presented to these children: Jacob Aaron Keener, Sarah Kathryn Lapp and Anne Louise McIlvaine. The Faith Marker is a certificate that states the meaning of each child’s name. Individual prayers were offered for each child.

Births: Serenity Rae Wise, June 25, to Christina Jarvis and Josh Wise; Taivan Peyton, Sept. 10, to Mailinh and Howard Williams.

Weddings: Janae Yoder and Rodney Hostetter, June 13; Matt Horst and Betsy Evearett, July 18; Lauren Groff and Daniel McNamee, Aug. 14.

Wedding anniversary: Eugene and Florence Horst, 50th, Sept. 19

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