God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. —Genesis 1:25
In this issue:
Lent: Stewards of Creation
Working on Our Strategic Priorities
New Member Profiles
Milestone Celebrations
Youth Serve in Puerto Rico
Creation Care Retreats 2019
Winter 2019
SING!
2 SING! Winter 2019
Lent: Stewards of Creation
During the season of Lent we give special attention to recogniz-
ing our human mortality and frailty. This year we take our Lenten
theme from Romans 8, “the whole creation groans.” We wait with
eager longing, along with all creation, for the redemption of our
bodies.
Death seems always near. Disease, illness, and disruptive
calamity threaten stability and the conditions that make for life to
thrive in its fullness. In vulnerability and frailty, creation groans in
longing for redemption.
This Lenten season in our life at College Mennonite we will
grieve the losses that come with this frailty, including the loss
and grief we observe and experience in creation, groaning with
it. We repent of our own actions which diminish the flourishing of
all God has created.
But we do not grieve as those without hope. In the midst of our
frailty and the fragility of the natural world, we trust that God is
with us and will not abandon us to death. We renew our commit-
ment to serve God and fulfill our calling as stewards of creation.
—Phil Waite
We worship together
Every Sunday
9:15 a.m. – Songs for Gathering
9:25 a.m. – Off-site Worship
Radio: WGCS 91.1 FM: the Globe
Online: www.collegemennonite.org
Greencroft Communities: Ch. 13
9:30 a.m. – Worship service
interpretation in Spanish and, on
request, American Sign Language
11 a.m. – Fellowship and Christian
education classes for all ages
Pastoral Team Phil Waite, Pastoral Team Leader &
Outreach
Daniel Yoder, Christian Formation – youth
Pamela Yoder, Pastoral Care
Talashia Keim Yoder, Family Ministry
David Maldonado, Outreach
Madeline Maldonado, Outreach
Rex Brake, Pastor of Deaf Christian Fellowship
Luis Tapa, Guest Pastor
College Mennonite Church is a
welcoming congregation of Mennonite Church USA, an Anabaptist community
of believers. To learn more go to:
www.collegemennonite.org www.mennoniteusa.org
SING! Winter 2019 3
Strategic Priority #1 states “We will embrace diversity
and improve our practices related to welcoming and
actively including and inviting others into our physical
space and spiritual community.”
One of the goals for priority #1 is “transforming our physical space to be more welcoming and to promote relationships and a sense of belonging.” As the pic-tures show, our physical space is being transformed.
Working On Our Strategic Priorities
Relocation of cross to original position
Remodel of Room 144 kitchen
4 SING! Winter 2019
Cynthia McMullen
Cynthia McMullen grew up in Elkhart with her
mother, Wanda Newbry, and her younger sister,
Kelly Templeton. She graduated from Memorial High
School. During 11th grade, she spent half of her days
in school and half working at Taco Bell.
Cynthia has two sons: Michael Leonard lives in
Minnesota, where he is involved in retail sales. He is
married, with three children. Marcell Spencer lives in
Goshen and has three daughters.
Cynthia has had two marriages, both with husbands
who were abusive and who introduced her to crack
cocaine. She has been drug-free for a year.
Cynthia was baptized at College Mennonite on
Sunday, January 27, 2019. She had been attending
College Mennonite for several months. Because of
the love and support she had received since
attending, she wanted to join the church. In
preparation for her baptism, she met weekly with
Ron and Judy Kennel. She is currently an active
member of the church choir, attends Pathfinders
Sunday school class, works in the crib room, attends
Mennonite Women, and volunteers weekly at the
Depot.
Welcome to College Mennonite, Cynthia!
—Myrna Burkholder
James Valencourt became a member at College
Mennonite Church on November 11, 2018. He
transferred his membership from the New Paris
Church of the Brethren.
While his mother is from the Goshen community,
James grew up in North Carolina. His family moved
to Greencroft Goshen when his parents retired.
James lives in the Goldenrod community. He washes
dishes at Manor III at Greencroft. His father died in
2004.
James has three brothers—he is the baby of the
family. His brothers are scattered, with some living in
Goshen and one still in North Carolina. He is an
uncle and great-uncle to nieces and nephews, some
of whom live in the Goshen area.
The family attended a Presbyterian church in North
Carolina. James was baptized around the age of 15.
He said he was baptized in the Church of the
Brethren way. Since his mother grew up in the New
Paris Church of the Brethren, he wanted to follow her
tradition.
When his mother could no longer drive, James
began attending CMC. He lives in the same house
with Steve Lang, who invited him to College
Mennonite.
James likes attending CMC. He enjoys Phil’s
preaching, the singing, and being in the handbell
choir. He also likes attending Sunday school with
Don Garber as his teacher. His favorite Bible story is
that of Lazarus rising from the dead. During free time
he enjoys watching TV and listening to music.
—Marty Lehman
New Member Profiles
James Valencourt
SING! Winter 2019 5
Milestone Celebrations
Baby and Child Dedication
Micah & Jasmine
with parents
Justin & Melissa Gillette
and Pastor alashia Keim Yoder
Baptism
Cynthia McMullen
with Pastors Daniel Yoder
& Talashia Keim Yoder
6 SING! Winter 2019
Two teams from College Mennonite Church (CMC)
served with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) in
Puerto Rico during October 2018. Outreach pastors
Madeline and David Maldonado organized the volun-
teers. A group of five Goshen College students went
for one week during their fall break, and the following
week a group of three CMC teenagers and two spon-
sors went.
On Oct. 20, Eric
Zehr and I
arrived with the
teenagers in
San Juan. We
were all sur-
prised as we
entered the air-
port to hear someone ask, “Are you from Goshen?”
The voice came from a member of the CMC college
group waiting to board the plane to Chicago from
which we had just disembarked.
On Sunday morning, David drove us west in the
MDS van along the north shore of the island. We
attended Iglesia Menonita, close to Hatillo in north-
west Puerto Rico. Pastor Hector Lugo received us
and intro-
duced us
to his small
congrega-
tion.
From Hatillo we drove into the mountains to the
town of Utuado and on to the area of Viví Arrib to
Iglesia Evangélica Menonita. The church building
was completely destroyed in Hurricane Maria, and
MDS is helping to rebuild it. Attached to the church
building are Sunday school classrooms and rest-
rooms. The classrooms are presently providing
sleeping quarters for some of the volunteers. A new
house on a new foundation is being built for the con-
gregation’s pastor, Deborah Montalvo, and her
family. Federal Emergency Management Association
(FEMA) is contributing toward the cost of this house
(and another close by), with MDS providing the
balance of the expenses and the volunteers.
Work began on Monday morning, sorting through
items that covered an area between the Sunday
school classrooms and the new house. This included
trash left from building materials, lumber of many
shapes and sizes—some with nails—and some items
not yet uncovered since the hurricane. Painting the
exterior of the new house could then begin, but scaf-
folding was needed because of the steep terrain.
Youth Serve in Puerto Rico
A view from on top of
“Montalvo Mountain”
SING! Winter 2019 7
Inside the house, David and Madeline continued
laying floor tile, a job they had begun the week
before. Their expertise and teaching abilities meant
that others could join in, and progress was rapid! By
the end of the week, only small areas of the floors
throughout the house were unfinished.
When we left on Friday afternoon, the family was
hoping to move into their new home in about three
weeks. With windows in place, interior walls all
painted, and floors nearly finished, there remained
kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures, and outer doors
to be put in place.
In addition to work, there was time for laughter
and fun activities while we were on Montalvo Moun-
tain. Mealtimes included times for devotions, conver-
sation, and often laughter. We were served three
meals of Puerto Rican cuisine. We ate rice at least
once each day, fresh bananas were always available,
and we were served tostones (fried plantains), eggs,
and chickens—which came from the onsite supply!
There were horseback rides, wheelbarrow rides,
and rides with David Conrad on the five-mile moun-
tain road into Utuado and back. The youth also
enjoyed the dogs who lingered by the dining room
and kitchen doors, waiting for leftovers. We also
enjoyed interacting with Montalvo family members,
especially eight-year-old Jaime, who wanted to “help”
with the work when he wasn’t in school.
It was hard to say goodbye to our new friends,
but by Friday afternoon we were ready to leave Mon-
talvo Mountain, hoping to keep in touch with our new
friends and perhaps return to see their homes and
the church building.
We drove down the mountain to Utuado, then
went as directly as possible to a beach in San Juan.
We stayed at the beach until sunset ,and then had
one more Puerto Rican meal to end our week. We
took with us a loaf of fresh pan de aqua (delicious
crispy bread) to eat for breakfast the next morning
before going to the airport and on to Chicago.
—Rachel Nafziger Hartzler
Pastora Deborah and her husband Rafael, with
children Melany and Jaime in the dining room.
8 SING! Winter 2019
Sing! is a publication of College Mennonite Church. Send inquiries to [email protected]. Marie Clements, Managing Editor Don Garber, Copy Editor Photographers include Dottie Kauffmann, Rex Hooley, Marie Clements
COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH 1900 S Main St. Goshen IN 46526-5218
Office hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.–Thurs. Phone: (574) 535-7262 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.collegemennonite.org
It is obvious—from the Priuses in the parking lot and
the solar panel project we funded so quickly last
year—that caring for creation is a key part of our
congregational identity. In 2019, the gift of God’s
creation is the focus of our worship and other parts
of congregational life. In worship, we praise God for
the gift of creation and explore our theological
groundings for creation care. As pastors, we
encourage Sunday school classes and small groups
to explore topics of creation care that interest them.
Worship and other times of learning at church this
year is where we will take in information. And
Creation Care Retreats are places where together
we can explore new actions.
Our Creation Care Retreats will give our families
the time and space to experience and live into new
practices and habits that reflect a deep love and care
for the earth and everything that lives here. Each
retreat will include time in God’s creation, time to
reflect on our habits that affect creation, and time to
explore actions that help us love creation more. This
retreat is not about depriving ourselves and “rough-
ing it” so that we can be as
green as possible. How-
ever, you are welcome to
bike to camp, sleep under
the stars, and forage for
food. We might look at the
environmental impact of
creating, using, and throw-
ing away one “disposable”
cup. Or we might look at
how our investments do
and do not support cor-
porations with practices
that lead to climate
change. Or we might look at how small practices
over a long period of time have a positive impact on
insects. Or we might look at the environmental costs
of our food before it is on our plates.
We are partnering with Camp Friedenswald and
the Center for Sustainability and Climate Solutions to
provide our congregation with three weekend
retreats focused on God’s gift of creation and our
role as caretakers of this gift. In recent years, Camp
Friedenswald has begun to see how caring for the
least of these within the natural habitat of camp has
allowed many species to return and flourish. The
Center for Sustainability and Climate Solutions is a
collaborative initiative of Goshen College, Eastern
Mennonite University, and Mennonite Central Com-
mittee to lead Anabaptist efforts to respond to the
challenges of climate change.
We hope that you can attend one or more of
these weekend retreats: May 10-12; August 30-
September 1; October 18-20. Please put one of
these weekends on your calendar and then go to
www.collegemennonite.org to register. When we all
take action, we can
reshape our community to
be a place of justice for all
living things.
—Daniel Yoder