Summer 2009 - Brethren in Christ Church

INPARTTHE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRETHREN IN CHRIST COMMUNITY IN NORTH AMERICA Summer 2009

INPARTSummer 2009 volume 122 Number 3THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRETHREN IN CHRISTCOMMUNITY IN NORTH AMERICABRETHREN IN CHRIST CHURCHModerator: Warren L. HoffmanGeneral Secretary: Don McNivenDirector of Congregational Relations:Rebekah Burch BasingerEditor: Kristine N. FreyGraphic Designer: Nate Bridi431 Grantham Road, PO Box AGrantham, PA 17027-0901Telephone: (717) 697-2634Fax: (717) 697-7714FEATURES6One Christian to another→Redefining church discipline for the21st centuryby david weaver-zercherinpart.org (issn 1940-2945)IN PART (ISSN 1940-2937) is publishedfour times a year by the Brethren in ChristChurch of North America. In Part invitesreaders into a dynamic relationship withJesus Christ within the context of theshared life and ministry of the BIC Church.Printed by Evangel Press, Nappanee, Ind.Send feedback, address changes, or subscriptionquestions to inpart@bic-church.org.Postmaster: Send changes of address to:IN PART431 Grantham Road, PO Box AGrantham, PA 17027-0901Periodical Postage Paid at Nappanee, IN46550-0166.Printed in U.S.A.Member of the Evangelical Press Association.Biblical quotations, unless otherwise indicated,are from the New International Version.Copyright © 2009. All rights reserved.Printed on FSC-certified Domtart Opaque-Plainfield paper. At least 25% of the paperfiber comes from well-managed forestsindependently certified according to the rulesof the Forest Stewardship Council; 10% isrecycled from post-consumer waste paper.10Speaking the (straight)truth in (authentic) love→Pacific Lifeline changes lives throughaccountability and graceby susan k. gettyDEPARTMENTS 24In Motion→ Making “The Difference” ·New life in New Mexico ·Reaching out to the recicladores· Women at the wellPART OF THE WHOLE→ At home with communityby lisa brown5 to our core→ When form follows faithby e. morris sider141617Vibes→ Eat, weed, and be merryby sarah imbodenTO THE POINT→ Church membership andaccountabilityby john arthur brubaker, tim day,peter h. von keyserling, &esther spurrierPARTING WORDS→ The graffiti man ofCollege Parkby perry englestay connected through“family news,”a quarterly publication that chronicles thebirths, weddings, anniversaries, and deathswithin the BIC family in North America. Visitbic-church.org/family or call 717.697.2634to subscribe or to submit news items.summer 2009

in partIN MOTIONstories of the bic in actionmaking“the difference”“After 33 years of ministry in establishedchurches, you tend to becomeaccustomed to doing things a certainway,” observes Calvin Hamblin, pastorof The Difference BIC, a churchplant in Massillon, Ohio. But as Calobserves, his work with the fledglingchurch has changed that: “Churchplanting requires a high degree offlexibility and spontaneity. I’m learningto go with the flow and not be sodependent upon my own ability tobring things to pass.”Formerly the pastor at AmherstCommunity BIC (Massillon, Ohio),Cal led the 17-member core groupthat founded The Difference—whichmeets at a local elementary school—in May 2008, and the church heldits launch Sunday in October 2008.From handing out bottled waterat local athletic events to scoopingfree ice cream in nearby neighborhoods,Cal and his team have beenactively promoting the new fellowshipto everyone they meet.“The real key to our outreach hasbeen the intentional efforts of thecongregation to cultivate relationshipswith neighbors, co-workers, andfriends in order to invite them to‘join the family,’” he says. “We believethis is the heart of our outreach.”√ InPart Online:Follow the unfolding story of The DifferenceDevin ThomasBIC Communications InternMembers of The Difference spread word about the∆ church plant at the Massillon (Ohio) FunFest.New life in New MexicoIn January 2008, Kip Vaughn beganpraying for God to provide three tofive new families to Sandia ChapelBIC, the church he pastored inAlbuquerque, N.M. Sandia firstopened its doors in the early 1950s,but half a century later, the churchwas in decline as it struggled to adaptto a changing neighborhood.Meanwhile, Desert Light ChristianChurch was a young, vibrant, nondenominationalchurch plant. As EricVillanueva, who was serving as the pastorthere, explains, the thriving congregationhad “all the pieces in place, butneeded a place to do the pieces.”All of this changed when Eric andKip met through the AlbuquerqueRescue Mission and began discussingthe potential for a church merger. InJuly 2008, just two months later, SandiaChapel BIC became Desert LightChristian Church (BIC), and bothchurches found their prayers answered.“We at Desert Light had constantlycried out for a place to meet, but alsoneeded to belong to a denomination∂ PHOTO: Courtesy of Calvin HamblinEric Villaneuva (left) and Kip Vaughn pastor the∆ rejuvenated Desert Light Christian Church (BIC).whose values we shared and withwhich we could grow together,” statesEric, who now shares pastoral responsibilitieswith Kip. “The BIC becamethat for us.”Today, Desert Light ChristianChurch is a diverse body of people ofvarious ethnicities, ages, and culturescommitted to outreach. A focuson family ministry is resulting incouples coming to Christ and savedmarriages, while efforts to serve childrenand men are also flourishing.Most recently, Desert LightChristian Church leadership initiated“100 × 2”—a vision that after 100people fill the sanctuary two times,they will begin a new service or churchplant. Currently, they are lookingto add a service in Spanish. As Kipstates in his annual report for 2008,“Who would have dreamed that wewould be where we are today?Praise His Mighty name! The bestis yet to come!”Kelly FunkPalmyra (Pa.) BIC∂ PHOTO: Courtesy of Kip VaughnIN PARTINPART.ORG

IN MOTIONMany recicladores in Bogotá, Colombia, live in humble conditions and are rejected from mainstream culture,∆ a trend that Trevor Main, a BICWM missionary there, is working to change.Reaching out to the recicladoresThey can be seen in the streets ofBogotá, Colombia, late into thenight, scouring dumpsters and publictrash cans for discarded items, whichthey pile onto horse- or humandrawncarts and carry off to sell orre-use. They’re known as recicladores(“recyclers”), and they make a livingby recycling the plastics, glass, cardboard,and paper that so many otherssimply throw away. But unfortunately,the weakening global economyhas caused the value of the materialsthey sell to plummet, making theirpoverty even more pronounced.“People who do this work arerejected and stay pretty much segregatedfrom the rest of society,” TrevorMain, a BICWM missionary servingin Colombia, explains. But Trevoris working to challenge the socialstigma surrounding the recicladoresby coordinating efforts to reach outto a nearby community of workers.Every third Saturday of the month,he and his family join with a fewpeople from Tierra Linda—a BICchurch in the capital city of Bogotá—and from his son’s high school tovisit the recicladores’ shantytown.While there, the group shares Biblestories, plays games, does crafts, sings,and has snacks with about 25 childrenwho live there. During the off-weeks,some also return to learn whichchildren come from which homes andget to know their families. In December,Tierra Linda invited the kids to aChristmas party at the church, whereeach received presents donated bychurch members. Trevor reports that“generous gifts from BIC individualsin North America,” have also madeit possible to provide school kits tochildren and to distribute bread andmilk to the whole community.“It’s been exciting to see God touchingChristians’ hearts at Tierra Lindato reach out with the love of Christto a community that has largely beenoverlooked and neglected,” he shares.√ InPart Online:Watch Trevor’s video about the recicladores∂ PHOTO: Courtesy of Trevor Mainwomen at the wellThis past March, 66 women servingin all levels of ministry within theBIC Church gathered at KenbrookBible Camp (Lebanon, Pa.) for“Women at the Well: Choosing whatis better,” the fifth biennial retreatof the BIC Council for Women inMinistry and Leadership. Over thethree-day conference, participantsreflected on Luke 10:42, the themeverse, as they attended workshopson a variety of subjects, includingbiblical foundations for women inministry, observing the Sabbath, andincorporating the arts in worship.In addition to those fromRegional Conferences across NorthAmerica, three attendees came fromBIC sister churches in the UnitedKingdom. “This was the second timethat we had the opportunity to hostwomen serving in leadership positionsin BIC churches outside ofNorth America,” notes Lois Saylor,assistant chair of the Council. “It isalways exciting and worthwhile toadd this global dimension to the textureand conversation of the retreat.”Rosett Sibona-Moyo, a ministryleader at Southendon-Sea BICChurch in Essex, U.K., first heardabout the retreat from her pastor and,after receiving a scholarship from theCouncil, was able to attend. “I enjoyedthe retreat, especially the discussionsabout the challenges encountered bywomen in leadership,” she says.summer 2009

in partPART OF THE WHOLEfocusing on one couples’s faithat home with communityFor Mike and Melri Wright, family life and ministryboth happen under one roofby Lisa BrownIn 1988, as a young adult, MikeWright joined YouthBuilders, ayear-long ministry team that traveledto churches throughout Ontario towork with their youth ministries.“I grew up outside the BIC Churchand had never experienced the kindof love, conflict-resolution, accountability,inspiration, and challengethat I found with YouthBuilders,” hesays. And it was this experience thathelped lead Mike to the Brethren inChrist Church and, eventually, tothe Centre for Student Leadership(Clarksburg, ON), where he and hiswife, Melri, have lived and served asdirectors for the last six years.The main purpose of the Centrefor Student Leadership (CSL) is toprovide ministry opportunities andtraining for young adults, especiallythose taking part in BIC programslike YouthBuilders. Mike, who alsoserves as associate for the CanadianConference’s Student Ministry team,facilitates this by mentoring participantsand providing special instructionon living in community duringthe team’s time together.“Jesus lived in close communitywith His disciples, and His exampleis what motivates and inspires Melriand me to engage student teams in a24/7 communal experience,” he states.In addition to hostingyoung adults, Mike, Melri,and their two childrenwelcome other groups totheir home at the Centrethroughout the year.Although living in constantcommunity can bechallenging, Mike saysthat the tension in the home-worksituation has been minimal. “Havinggroups come to where we live to doretreats feels natural and normal toour family,” he says. His children lookforward to meeting people who visit,and he and Melri have discoveredunique ways to keep their marriagehealthy: “We also hold each otheraccountable to both our marriageand our ministry, and we place a highvalue on daily contact and communicationabout joys and struggles.”Community and accountabilityplay a part in all of Mike’s roles atthe Centre, but he notes that theyare “experienced most fully andcompletely” with his fellow CSLteam members.Composed of three core couplesand a few internss from acrossdenominations, the team connectson a regular basis (sometimes daily)and meets for intense times of communalliving throughout the year.∂Mike and Melri Wright participate in community life in their homeat the Centre for Student Leadership, as well as at their church,New Life BIC (Collingwood, ON).“These periods of communal livingforce us to open our lives up moreand more, extending into areas of ourlife that most leave shadowed. We areopen to challenging each other onareas of family, finances, future lifedecisions, and spiritual development,”Mike says. “This has encouraged meto open up areas of my life that I’vealways thought were the exclusivedomain of my family. I am becomingmore open with others about everyarea of my life so that we can interdependentlyshare burdens, feedback,and support.”And this, according to Mike, iswhat community is all about.Lisa Brown is a freelance writer whoattends The Meeting House and livesin Oakville, ON, with her husband,Kevin, and their daughter. As moviefanatics, Lisa and Kevin see as manyas they can in the theatre every year.∂ PHOTO: Courtesy of Mike WrightIN PARTINPART.ORG

TO OUR COREexploring the central values of the bic churchwhen formfollows faithHow the architecture of oneBIC meeting house revealsan historic commitment ofthe Churchby E. Morris SiderFor the first 100 years of Brethren inChrist history, members met ineach other’s homes as testimony totheir commitment to simplicity andfamily-like community. Then, inthe 1870s, to accommodate theirgrowing numbers, our BIC ancestorsbegan gathering in meeting houses—buildings constructed specifically forworship. In these new settings, the valuesof community and accountabilitythat come with family life at its bestremained strong, and the meetinghouses’ architecture was an extensionof those theological commitments.Looking at the Ringgold MeetingHouse, which was built in Marylandin 1871 and is one of the oldest stillin existence, we can see how theseearly BIC lived out the call to accountabilityin various areas of faith.Accountability to living simply:The simple structure, bare walls andceiling, and plain, unpadded pewsof the Ringgold Meeting Houseillustrate the unadorned constructionand décor of early BIC church buildings.This austerity reminded attendeesof the worthlessness of earthlywealth and the call to modest living.≥ We value integrity in relationships and mutual accountabilityin an atmosphere of grace, love, and acceptance.Accountability to purity: Typical ofall early meeting houses, the RinggoldMeeting House has two separateentrances, one for men and one forwomen and children. It also had apartition running between the twosides of the room. Both of these measuressought to separate members ofthe opposite sex and thus eliminatedistractions so that full attentioncould be given to the Word.Accountability to God and eachother: Unlike most churches today,the Ringgold Meeting House featuresa floor-level pulpit table. Thissymbolized the idea of the fellowshipof believers and suggested thatministers were not elevated abovethe congregants, either in terms oftheir access to God’s truth or theirfreedom from sin and weaknesses.It was a visual demonstration thatcongregants were responsible to holdthe ministers accountable, just as theministers were to guide the flock andhold its members accountable.Accountability to humility: Theoffering box, which was located atthe meeting house’s entrance, harkensback to a time when Brethrenin Christ did not “lift” offerings bymeans of offering plates, as they donow. Rather, offerings were depositedin the offering box quietly andin private. This helped congregantsremain humble in their giving toGod and His kingdom.BIC church buildings today comein all shapes and sizes, and most lookvery different from the RinggoldMeeting House. I wonder what ourdescendants 100 years from now willsurmise about our theology by lookingat our meeting spaces.Adapted from “The Ringgold Meeting House as Symbol” byE. Morris Sider in the December 1995 issue of Brethren inChrist History and Life.E. Morris Sider is the editor of the BICHistorical Society and has penned anumber of books and articles on BIClife. He is professor emeritus of historyand English literature at MessiahCollege (Grantham, Pa.). He and his wife, Leone, arelongtime members of the Grantham BIC congregation.summer 2009

Illustration by Gregory Snader

few years ago, I had a conversation with a friendabout church discipline. This friend—a committedChristian and a faithful churchgoer—admitted that hefound the idea of church discipline outdated. “There’s onlyone kind of discipline that’s relevant in the North AmericanChurch today, and that’s self-discipline,” he said. Hispoint, if I understood him correctly, was that, rather thaninstituting corporate policies and practices that call peopleto account, church leaders should devote their energies tohelping individuals develop spiritual practices and moralconvictions that serve to discipline their own lives.I couldn’t tell if my friend lamented this situation ornot. Did he think that disciplinary procedures were themselvesa problem? Or were my friend’s observations simplypragmatic, based upon the assumption that corporatediscipline was no longer practical, given the way churchlife functions in contemporary North America?I suspect it was the latter, and for good reason. Nearlyeveryone who studies long-term trends in North Americanchurch life will tell you that a consumerist orientationhas more or less won the day, particularly in Protestantcircles. The fact of the matter is this: North Americanchurches compete with one another for adherents, andmany adherents choose a particular church based on thegoods and services they find there. That’s not to suggestthat these adherents don’t contribute anything to theirchurches; it’s rather to say that, in the process of makingthose contributions, most churchgoers conduct an informalcost-benefit analysis. If the costs are too high andthe benefits too low, they will likely start to shop around.This market analogy sounds crass, Iknow, but my own experience bearsit out. A year ago my wifeand I left one church,and we now attend another. Although the process ofleaving our former church was emotionally wrenching,we were ultimately attracted to our new church becauseof its perceived benefits: Not only was it nearer to ourrecently purchased home, but it offered theologicalemphases we valued, a worship style we enjoyed, andready-made peer groups for our pre-adolescent sons.Changing churches once in a 10-year span may not makeme a pathological church shopper, but compared to mygrandfather—who was born, baptized, and buried in thecontext of one congregation—I’m a ready participant inAmerica’s religious marketplace.Church discipline in a religious marketplaceWhether we like it or not, this marketplace analogyhas real implications for how we think about disciplinein the Church today.Traditional models of discipline as practiced by Brethrenin Christ congregations in the past were developedduring a time when churches were more akin to familiesthan marketplaces. Think about a family: Not only is afamily comprised of relatively few people, but the membersare “familiar” with one another. Moreover, unlike ourfavorite stores and restaurants, families are not somethingwe choose. We may not appreciate everything about ourfamilies, but we don’t typically go shopping for anotherone. In fact, ongoing connections with family membersare assumed, and it’s considered tragic if those connectionsare broken—much more tragic than if we breakour ties with our favorite home improvement store.To be sure, most of you reading these words are morecommitted to your local churches than you are to HomeDepot or Lowe’s. Still, it’s possible that your local churchis more akin to your favorite store than it is to yourbiological family. And that means traditional disciplinarypractices don’t work very well, because consumers, when

One Christian to anothertold they are wrong, are more than happy to take theirbusiness elsewhere. As one pastor recently told me, “It’shard to enact discipline when the church down the streetis happy to receive one more member.”The Old Order Amish and church disciplineThere is, of course, one North American Church thatcontinues to function in opposition to the religious marketplace.The Old Order Amish, who, as Anabaptists, sharetheological roots with the Brethren in Christ Church,function much more like a family than shoppers in aChristians, if they are to flourishspiritually, need people in theirlives who ask probing questionsand offer honest counsel.department store. Their local churches are small, and thepeople who attend them know each other well. It’s not unusualfor persons to be born into, to receive baptism, andto live out their entire lives in a particular Amish congregation.Since Amish congregations are geographically based,Amish people aren’t allowed to transfer their membership.Choice may be the hallmark of consumer capitalism, but ithas not yet made its way into the Amish Church.Whether you hold the Amish in high or low regard,it’s hard to deny the potency of Amish disciplinary practices.This potency flows from four factors:1. The Amish have a clear set of shared standards, calledthe Ordnung. The Ordnung is not typically writtendown, but church members are keenly aware of itscontents and, at baptism, they vow to keep theseregulations for life.2. The Amish have a willingness to enforce these standards.Although there may be exceptions, Amish churchleaders vigorously embrace the responsibility toenforce their district’s Ordnung. If the bishops don’tenforce the Ordnung, then the jig is up, and thecommunity will soon cease to be Amish.3. The Amish have a deep familiarity with their fellowchurch members. One of my friends who converted tothe Amish said the hardest part was not giving up hiscar, but rather his privacy. Minding one’s own businessmay be a virtue in some circles, but if you’re Amish,you’re supposed to mind other people’s business.4. The Amish enact a form of discipline—shunning—thatis profoundly painful to the wayward person. This ritualizedpractice of social distancing, which the Amishbase on I Corinthians 5:9–13, varies from communityto community, but the goal is always the same: torestore the wayward person to the church. Shunningsometimes works, though its real power lies in thethreat of it, for it deters Amish people from establishingtheir own set of rules for living the Christian life.As far as I know, shunning has never been practiced inthe Brethren in Christ Church (and I suspect most of usare grateful for that). But even if we leave shunning aside,I’m not convinced that contemporary Brethren in Christchurches demonstrate the other factors that make rigorousdiscipline possible in Amish communities. We may havea set of shared ethical standards, but that set is relativelyminimal; we don’t know our fellow church members verywell, especially if our churches are large; we tend not to putour noses into “other people’s business”; and our churchleaders are often quite reluctant to enact discipline.But if traditional forms of church discipline requirethe sort of community that most North AmericanChristians no longer inhabit, what are we to do? Is selfdisciplineall we have left?Accountability as a complement to disciplineGiven the perils inherent in this area, it’s tempting togive our full attention to the more impersonal (and oftenaffirmative) forms of Christian discipleship: preachingand teaching. These are crucial activities, and churchesand pastors are wise to devote their best efforts to them.Nonetheless, the New Testament assumes more personal,and at times confrontational, forms of correction.Consider Matthew 18, I Corinthians 5, and Colossians3. These texts presume that the Church exists, at least inpart, to correct those who go astray.IN PARTINPART.ORG

This is where the idea of mutual accountability comesin. Unlike traditional practices of church discipline,which conjure up notions of hierarchy and punishment,mutual accountability suggests the creation of close, egalitarianrelationships. Discipline is something that parentsdo to children; accountability is something that happensbetween brothers and sisters. Granted, church disciplinemay sometimes be necessary—for instance, whena church leader engages in sinful behavior that is widelyknown but goes unconfessed—yet for the range of practicalreasons already outlined, we see that it’s difficult toenact it in our contemporary context. Consequently, ourchurches would be better served by nurturing accountability,one Christian to another.In The Godbearing Life, authors Kenda Creasy Deanand Ron Foster contend that Christians, if they are toflourish spiritually, need people in their lives who ask probingquestions and offer honest counsel. They suggest, therefore,that each of us should have a “mentor,” someone who“possesses more experience, spiritual maturity, accumulatedwisdom, or a combination of all three than we do.” Thisperson helps us discern a “faithful life course.” Good mentors(in some traditions they are called “spiritual directors”)do not seek to create a “relationship of superiority,” butthey are prepared to offer guidance and gentle correction.Unlike traditional practices of churchdiscipline, mutual accountabilitysuggests the creation of close,egalitarian relationships.Dean and Foster also say that each Christian wouldbenefit from having at least one “soul friend,” a fellowtraveler who we see more frequently than a mentor andwith whom we can be open and honest. In addition toasking questions about our bad (or sinful) habits andGod’s leading in our lives, a soul friend, write Deanand Foster, is someone with whom we can “share ourdeepest doubts, joys, longings, fears, dreams, confusion,[and] searching.”Creating a culture of accountabilityTaken together, mentors and soul friends add up toaccountability. On one level, this understanding of accountabilityis not far removed from my friend’s notionof self-discipline, for it won’t happen unless individualchurch members commit themselves to it. But churchescan—and some churches do—convey this expectationto their new members. And while participation in thesetypes of relationships may be hard to enforce, communicatingthis expectation creates a culture in which peopleknow that their spiritual health depends on others.A few years ago, I heard a story about a Brethren inChrist church in the 1940s. The person telling the storyremembered that, when he was taken into membershipas a relatively young man, he was asked two questions:Are you willing to forgive your brothers and sisters in thiscongregation? And are you prepared to ask others to forgiveyou? Forgiveness and accountability are different animals,of course. Still, it’s these kinds of questions, asked at theproper time, that create expectations for what it means tolive an authentic Christian life.So perhaps we should try out two new questions in ourmembership classes: Are you willing to meet with a spiritualmentor? Are you willing to share you life with, and accept thecounsel of, a close Christian friend? It may be that questionslike these, asked at just the right time, are our best hope forfostering discipleship in the 21st century.IN PART Online at inpart.org:≥ See what David’s father, John E. Zercher,wrote about accountability in hiseditorials for The Evangelical Visitor≥ Learn how quiz team members keep eachother sharp≥ enter to win a free copy of david’s book,amish grace: how forgiveness transcendedtragedyDavid Weaver-Zercher is chair of the Department of Biblical andReligious Studies at Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.). A leadingexpert on the Amish community, David is the co-author of AmishGrace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy (Jossey-Bass, 2007).He lives in Mechanicsburg, Pa., with his wife and three sons.Gregory Snader is a cartoonist, illustrator, and 2007 graduateof Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.). He lives in Lancaster, Pa.,where he enjoys drinking tea and drawing with ink.summer 2009

“I’m addicted to miracles,” says Carmen Hall.And after more than five years as executive director of Pacific Lifeline(PLL) in Upland, Calif., she has witnessed plenty. Yet for Carmenand her staff, watching “with sheer awe as the human spirit choosesto rise” never loses its wonder.Laying the ground rulesPacific Lifeline is a Brethren in Christ–affiliatedshelter celebrating 101 years of ministry. And forthe last two decades of that century of service, it hasbeen dedicated to reaching out specifically to womenand children facing homelessness or the prospect ofbecoming homeless. For the women who come toPLL—women who are either victims of domesticviolence, going through drug rehab, on probation, oron parole—it is no ordinary shelter. PLL is where theparadigm changes, where they begin, says Carmen, toexperience “a shift in how they see their world—a shiftin what they want for their world.”Focused on developing self-sufficiency, the one- totwo-year residential program (which can serve six familiesat a time) provides therapeutic support and a curriculum-likeprocess that involves goal-setting and a structurethat is alien to many of the residents. Carmen asserts thatthe rigorous program at PLL makes it “college level” inthe world of shelters and is not for everyone. Case managers,doctors, and therapists throughout the state assesswhen a client is ready for the program. Those seekingrefuge at PLL must then complete a 13-page application.When accepted into the program, participants mustsign a covenant agreement that sets out the expectationsfor being a part of the community: They agree to abideby a curfew, complete daily chores, and attend classeswhere they learn skills including parenting, nutrition,and self-defense. Within this environment of supportand accountability, residents are asked to give up selfdestructivehabits, trading them in for self-discipline andincreased maturity of thought and action.And if they don’t choose to stick to the rules, thereare consequences, which are well defined within thewritten agreement. “My theory,” Carmen says, “is bythe time you get to our home, you’ve wasted a lot ofyour life. This is no time to sit down. I mean business.The carrot is that you have a free place to live, food, andmedical care. You will work. You will take care of yourchildren. And if you don’t, there’s the door.”Carmen likens PLL to a household and her rolethere to that of a parent who isn’t afraid to say “no” tothe daughters under her care. A former high schoolprincipal who has children of her own, she has experiencecombining tough expectations with generousgrace and love, firmly grounded in her belief that Godis all about offering second chances.Encountering obstacles,celebrating breakthroughsLeaving behind their own set of obstacles, PacificLifeline “daughters” face a whole new set of challengeswhen they come to the shelter. Adapting to a structuredenvironment in which they are held accountableis extremely painful and scary for many of thembecause they have lived in both physical and emotionalPhotos by Cynthia Stamatissummer 2009 11

Speaking the (straight) truth in (authentic) loveinspired by his mother—has made his own turnaroundand become an honor student.Unfortunately, not every story has a happy ending.When women have lived under an abusive or skewedauthority—or perhaps under no authority at all—adjustingto the community expectations at Pacific Lifeline canbe extremely difficult. Carmen says that, for the women,experiencing the boundaries at the home “becomes a pointof safety, but there is always a point of rebellion on theway to change. Always. Because [living] in that constructwill flush up memories, patterns of behavior, all kinds ofthings that were usually the genesis for the behaviors andchoices that have led to difficulty for the individual.”chaos. Carmen explains, “Chaos blinds us to options. Orit sends us back to the dance routine [of bad decisions orunhealthy patterns of response].” But as women begin toexperience acceptance and respect in this new environment,they are able to risk finding a new path.That path may involve severing harmful relationshipsor reconciling damaged ones. Reuniting women with theirown families and children—some of whom have been infoster care for years—is a niche specialty of the agency.The needs of the children involved are as paramount as theneeds of the mothers, Carmen says. Although it may takemonths to successfully reunify families, being reconnectedwith family members who have been hurt by one’s behaviorand choices “helps create wholeness” in a person’s life.Against seemingly insurmountable odds, wholenesscomes to many of Pacific Lifeline’s daughters. There isMary*, a meth addict for nearly 40 years, who earned freedomfrom her addiction and, in a symbolically significantstep, hosted a party for her son’s 11th birthday. It was thefirst time they had ever celebrated his birthday.And there’s Tammy*, a felon recently paroled fromprison who had seven children, all in foster homes. Whileat PLL, she was reunited with her one son—but in themeantime, she was secretly seeing the boy’s father, a runawayfelon. “We set the rules down and she broke themall,” Carmen says. So they set what seemed like impossibleboundaries, and then they watched yet another miracleoccur as Tammy responded to the new boundaries. “Sheachieved it all,” remarks Carmen. Now in dental hygienistschool, Tammy has reason to be proud, of her ownaccomplishments as well as those of her son who—*Names have been changed.The benefits of mutual risk-takingJust as the women who enter the program at PLL takea chance by opening themselves up to new relationshipsof influence, the staff members likewise risk much. “Whatdoes it mean to hope in someone when there is no guarantee?”asks Carmen. Every day, the team must put their loveon the line because “there’s always the chance for failure.”The metaphor Carmen uses to describe how she feelsabout the work at PLL is striking. “I am on the edge of acliff. Surfing. Naked. We are all exercising vulnerable hope.Naked hope. . . . But people will make it more often if theyknow there is even one person who has hope in them, whocares enough to be disappointed.”The territory of community accountability and the ensuingconfrontation is not easy to navigate. Carmen says,“It’s uncomfortable. You never get used to it, and there’snothing about it that’s fun. But we make a choice as a12IN PARTINPART.ORG

around her. When Carmen’s husband received a difficultmedical diagnosis this past December, a number of theresidents made cards for him, left messages, and madesure that Carmen didn’t stay too late in the office.PLL alumni have the opportunity to be part of thegrad program, which offers ongoing support and fellowshipto the daughters of Pacific Lifeline. And the staffdelights in seeing that many of these women begin to participatein the community on a deeper level, coming tothe point where they themselves can speak truth into thelives of their sisters and provide mutual accountability.As they walk beside, work with, and watch thesewomen changing the course of their lives, Carmen andteam . . . if we care for them as if they are our daughters,then we will get hurt. But there’s the chance that they willraise to that level of wanting to have that mutual sense ofgratitude and respect. There’s something about raising thebar. When they can achieve certain goals, people start tosee their dignity and their value.”And so, community life at PLL shows that grace andforgiveness are not the polar opposites of accountabilityand enforcing consequences. The channel for grace oftenis accountability. The staff of PLL—Carmen, a case manager,three therapists, an office assistant, two part-timemaintenance staff, and two part-time public relations andgrant-writing personnel—works together as a team to providea consistent environment for the residents of the home.Carmen says that “what creates the right to influence iswhen we care—enough to discipline, enough to confront.”Responding to loveThe environment of the PLL home shows the womenthere that they are respected and valued. For the first timein a long time—and sometimes for the first time ever—these women have their basic needs met.“They learn what it means to be cared for,” Carmensays. And “great love always calls out for a response.”When a woman begins taking responsibility for herown life, making good decisions, and sticking to the goalsshe has set for herself and her children, the PLL staffbegins to notice that she becomes more outward-focused.There’s a recognition of the needs of others, and anunderstanding that she has something to offer thoseher co-workers are amazed. “It is always about God doingmiracles in people’s lives through their hopes and theirdreams. He always exemplifies, over and over, secondchances. Not everybody will take that chance, but whenthey do, it is a beautiful thing.”IN PART Online at inpart.org:≥ Read more stories of lives transformed at PLL≥ Catch a glimpse inside the PLL home≥ Journey with photographer Cynthia Stamatisas she did this shootSusan K. Getty is a writer and artist who lives in Dillsburg, Pa.She’s the editorial assistant for the Office of Marketing and PublicRelations at Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.) and a member ofthe Grantham (Pa.) BIC Church, where she is one of the oldestmembers of the youth group.Cynthia Stamatis lives in southern California, where she was bornand raised. Her photographic essays illustrate her passion for storytellingand have earned numerous international awards.summer 2009 13

VIBESThe joy and the challenge of aCSA share is the surprise and thequantity. For example, not many ofus would go to a grocery store andpurchase a few pounds of organictomatoes or three heads of lettuce inone trip. But this kind of selection isnot uncommon in a CSA box. Membersof a CSA are challenged to findnew and creative ways to incorporatemore vegetables into their diets.Sure, if you’re not already buyingseveral pounds of produce per week,the share price may not seem like abargain. But consider this: With eachshare, you receive not only fresh produce,but also the knowledge that itcame from relatively close by and thatyou helped provide a local family’slivelihood. You also likely encouragedsustainable land use, received a fewrecipe tips, and participated in a community.From this perspective, payingfor food becomes less about bargainsand more about what is good for youand those around you.More than metaphoricalChristians today are continuallychallenged to understand our relationshipto the earth as morethan metaphorical. Membershipin a CSA offers an opportunity toparticipate in a lively community andinvest significantly in an equitableand healthy system of treating theland, consumers, and producers. AsChristians—and consumers—membershipin such an organization alsohelps us ask questions about what itmeans to bear God’s image today.For me, the decision to be a memberof a CSA farm flows directly outof my values and my faith. Participatingin a community that meetssuch basic needs (food, fellowship,and sustainable land use) is a waythat I can love my neighbors and∂ ILLUSTRATION: Gregory SnaderLiving Simply, Eating WellSimply in Season, a cookbook publishedunder the Mennonite CentralCommittee’s World Community Cookbookseries, shares simple, deliciousrecipes that celebrate the ecological,nutritional, and spiritual joys of eatinglocal foods in season.Simply in Season: Children’s Cookbook,a companion publication of Simplyin Season, is filled with fun, creativerecipes featuring in-season foods forkids of all ages.Simply in Season StudySessions guides adult or intergenerationalSunday school classes or smallgroups that are “on the path to connectingfood and faith.”honor God with good stewardshipof resources. We aren’t all calledto be farmers, but we are called tosupport one another in our callingsand to live righteous lives while onearth. Whether this plays out withinthe community of a CSA or a church(hopefully both), it gives us theopportunity to enjoy the bounty ofGod’s creation in fresh, new ways.IN PART Online at inpart.org:≥ Locate a CSA near you≥ Learn more about the history of CSAs≥ see how one gardener is bringinggreens into her urban neighborhoodSarah Imboden lives in Catskill, N.Y., withher husband, Jonathan. She enjoys workingone day a week at their local CSA toclear her mind as she finishes an MA/MAin public policy and history this summer.summer 2009 15

in partTO THE POINTSome research* indicates that church attendees today are less loyal to specific congregations or denominationsthan were their parents and/or grandparents. This has coincided with a simultaneous dropin the practice of church membership. What is your church’s stance on membership and how does itpractice accountability in light of that approach?Tim Daythe meeting houseOakville, ONIn the past, the churches have relied on institutional loyalty as expressedin formal documents, like membership covenants and doctrinal statements.Yet we have not done the hard work of helping people experience what itmeans to live as a vital member of a family.Our church [The Meeting House] has a formal membership for ourleaders, but we define our core community as those who actually live incommunity by taking part in a small group, giving faithfully, and activelyserving. People “sign” their membership commitment by how they live incommunity, not how they sign a paper. We believe this better reflects theearly Jesus movement as well as our Anabaptist heritage.Peter H. von KeyserlingRidge View BICRoanoke, Va.I am not sure membership is functionallyrelated to community and accountability in today’sworld. If membership is not valued, then it cannotbe used as a wedge to gain compliance.Today, church discipline will not likely correctmost infringements of church rules and moral lapses.It will more likely drive away the transgressor. Love,on the other hand, has a better-than-ever chance ofbringing out a correction. If love is active within thechurch, then accountability is self-imposed.Esther Spurriermacha (Zambia) bicEven after many years, I continue to be amazed athow important church membership is here in Zambia.We attend Macha BIC Church—the mother congregationof the Zambia BIC Conference that has about1,000 in attendance on a good Sunday. People are baptizedand members are received once a year. Others whohave been on church discipline are restored; this afterthey have publically confessed, been counseled in theircongregations, and been approved for reinstatement.(Many are dis-fellowshipped for sexual sins or havingentered into polygamous marriage situations.) It seemsa long and painful process and speaks to the importancepeople place on right standing within the communityof believers. Perhaps a strong value on group identitywithin the Zambian society reinforces this.John Arthur BrubakerUpland (Calif.) BICIn a positive sense, the local church has adapted to the decline in congregationalloyalty by becoming quite ready to quickly accept new attendees.My childhood memory is that newcomers to the congregation were held atarm’s length for a long time before being fully accepted by the church family.In a negative sense, congregations are increasingly reluctant to addressbehavior that may call for church discipline, knowing that members caneasily evade the issue by moving on to another congregation.Ideally, there should be a mutual understanding between churches, notonly within the denomination but also within the larger community, so thatwhen persons move to another congregation, pastors are in communicationand agree to require that all unresolved issues in the former congregation beresolved before these persons are fully accepted in the new congregation.*Ellison Research (Phoenix, Ariz.) ellisonresearch.com/PublicStudies.htm16IN PART≥ take part in the conversation with the 15 other pastors who respondedto these questions by visiting IN PART ONLINE at INPART.ORG.

PARTING WORDSThe graffiti man of College Parkby Perry EngleI can’t explain how or when theritual of my daily 20-minute walkturned into a personal campaigncommitted to keeping my neighborhoodgraffiti-free.The original intent of my morningjaunts was simply exercise andprayer, no more. Every day at dawn,my trek took me briskly along thesidewalks and alleyways of Yale,Princeton, Columbia, and Harvard—streetnames that accountfor our otherwise unremarkablesuburban neighborhood beingcalled College Park.I have to say I’ve never beenparticularly resentful towards themostly high school students whomark up the landscape along myroute. I even appreciate good graffitias art in particular settings . . . justnot on my garage door. Admittedly,I have on occasion confronted aburgeoning artist or two—Sharpie inhand—in front of my house. At thesetimes, Marta and the girls have gentlyreminded me of the stories of othersouthern California residents who,after similar conversations, have hadtheir neighborly concern respondedto with unappreciative gunfire.So, not wanting to lose my lifeover some 13-year-old writing hisinitials on my fire hydrant, what I doinstead is report the markings via anonline form provided at the city website.It takes a few minutes a couple oftimes a week, and the city sends out aprofessional graffiti-removal crew topaint and power-wash the suburbanhieroglyphics into oblivion.One thing that never ceases toamaze me is how long graffiti remainsif I don’t report it. It’s not uncommonfor me to return home fromone of my trips to find unreportedinscriptions exactly where I left thembefore I went out of town. It’s as ifthere is an unwritten code that hascome to rule our culture, and it reasons:“If I didn’t put it there, then it’snot my responsibility.”I have a concern that, over time,a similar mindset has crept into theChurch. What used to be a normalexpectation of brotherly and sisterlyaccountability for godly behavior andChrist-like ways of interacting hasnow become an all-too-common attitudeof “mind your own business orI’ll leave this church.” The graffiti ofthe Church today is found in conflictthat goes on too long, morality thatis soft around the edges, and speechthat hurts people rather than buildsthem up. What is sad is our longsufferingin allowing so-called followersof Christ to tag the Christiancommunity with their immature anddestructive behavior.“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cainretorted after killing Abel and beingconfronted by God (Genesis 4:9). Theinferred answer for members of Christ’sbody has always been a resounding,“Yes!” Christ-followers areresponsible for one another’sbehavior and well-being. Godexpects us to humbly and privatelyconfront moral failurewhen it appears and to do everythingpossible to gently restorethose caught in sin (Galatians6:1; Matthew 18:15–17). Inthe end, this helps individualsand strengthens the Christiancommunity.Granted, it would be easierto simply “walk and pray”through life, turning a blindeye to the increasing vandalismaround us. But it still begs thequestion: If followers of Jesusdon’t accept responsibility tohold one another accountablefor graffiti-like behavior, thenwho will? If not now, then when?Perry Engle is the bishop of theMidwest and Pacific Conferencesof the BIC Church. He does hisbest to “speak the truth in love”when confronting taggers in hisneighborhood. He and his wife,Marta, and their three daughters live at thecorner of Yale and Columbia in Ontario, Calif.summer 2009 17

Visit InPartOnline at inpart.orgfor the chance to win a complimentarycopy ofAmish Grace:How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy,co-authored by David Weaver-Zercher,a featured writer in this issue of In Part.THIS CONTEST IS A SWEEPSTAKES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. A PURCHASE WILLNOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OFFERED ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE U.S. AND CANADA WHO ARE 18 YEARSOR OLDER. LIMIT OF ONE ENTRY PER PERSON VIA ANY METHOD OF ENTRY. Entries must be received by July 3, 2009. To enter, goto www.inpart.org or send a standard 3˝×4˝ postcard with your name, address, and proper postage to: AMISH GRACE SWEEPSTAKES c/oIn Part magazine, 431 Grantham Rd, PO Box A, Grantham, Pa 17027, USA. COMPLETE RULES AND FURTHER DETAILS ARE AVAILABLEAT WWW.INPART.ORG.Focused and Faithful is a fresh, practical, and actionfocusedstudy of the 10 core values that define whothe Brethren in Christ are as a people of God. Ideal forSunday school classes or small groups, the curriculumbuilds on Focusing Our Faith: Brethren in Christ Core Values(Evangel Publishing House, 2000), and includes• a discussion guide for leaders;• a DVD with video-taped reflections by BIC pastorson each of the core values; and• findings from the 2006 Church Member Profile.To order Focused and Faithful, contact the Office ofCongregational Relations at 717.697.2634, ext. 5422 orby email at biccomm@bic-church.org. The order price of$10 covers shipping and handling.Be focused. Be faithful.IN PART 431 Grantham RoadPO Box AGrantham PA 17027