May 25, 2009 issue
Peace house in Australia for young adults blessed
By Mark Hurst Mennonite Mission NetworkCANBERRA, Australia — Praying room-by-room, more than 50 people offered blessings at the March 22 opening of Irene’s Place — a house of discipleship and peace in Australia’s capital.
Irene’s Place is an intentional community for interns from around the world to come and learn about reconciliation, justice and discipleship. “Irene” comes from the Greek word for peace.
“We are starting a place for learning about what it means to be people of peace,” said Moriah Hurst, Mennonite Mission Network worker at Irene’s Place.
People from at least 15 congregations representing five denominations attended the house blessing. Starting at the front door, members of the Irene’s Place organizing committee led the group in prayers of blessing for the house and its ministry. Prayer leaders first acknowledged the aboriginal caretakers of the land.
Jim Barr, senior minister of Canberra Baptist Church, where Hurst also pastors, asked God to bless the house “from roof to floor, from wall to wall, from end to end.”
Clair Hochstetler, a Mennonite hospital chaplain from Goshen, Ind., serving in Canberra, presented a fruit tree to plant outside the front door with these words: “May the door of this home always be open to others.”
Currently, Irene’s Place still lacks participants; Hurst and a theology student live in the house. Hurst is working with MMN’s Radical Journey program to bring a team of young adults from North America to model the program in the hope of attracting Australian young adults.
The Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand, one of the sponsors for Irene’s Place, had several members attend the house opening. The association would like to start similar programs around the region.
Comments
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Moriah,
I wished Connie and I could have visited your ministry this past January when we visited your parents--perhaps another time! Nonetheless, thanks for the ministry you are providing. It's exciting to see you, your parents, and others working at keeping alive an understanding of faith through the eyes of Anabaptism.
May you experience the closeness of God's spirit in your walk of obedience.
Roy Bender
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