Faith & Life Forum next on MSMC spring calendar

The 2018 Faith & Life Forum: “The Bible as Story”, with John Sharp is Saturday, April 21 at Casa de Sol’s community center in La Junta. There’s a prequel at 7:00 pm Friday, April 20 at Emmanuel Mennonite Church. John will also be at Beth El Mennonite on Sunday morning, the 22nd. This year’s Forum focuses on how we instill biblical literacy in our lives. In

a time when there are lots of questions about the relevance and helpfulness of the Biblical narrative, we have an opportunity to experience a distinctive way of making the scriptures meaningful and useful in our post-modern era. We’ll be led by John Sharp, who along with co-faculty members Michele Hershberger and Marion Bontrager, have developed a biblical literature curriculum at Hesston College. The course helps students learn how to read and understand scripture in creative and innovative ways that make the Bible into something much more than just a book of rules.

This is a great opportunity for people interested in Christian education and formation. Conference leadership encourages delegations from all of our congregations to take advantage of this event. Participation in Faith & Life Forums is also part of the practice of “relational accountability” we have agreed to. To help plan for lunch, please register at https://www.mountainstatesmc.org/forum/#gf_3 Suggested cost is $10 to cover lunch on Saturday. We’ll also provide opportunities to help cover John’s travel expenses and stipend. See you in La Junta, Ken Gingerich

Who Asked a Lawyer to be a Conference Minister Anyway?!

“With Care…” Healthy Boundary Trainings Calling all singers! Colorado Comforters for MCC Planning Taos Save the Date… Soul Tending, by Anita Amstutz News from RMMC

April 2018

Conference Minister Team

Who Asked a Lawyer to be a Conference Minister Anyway?! By Barry Bartel, Conference Minister Team Coordinator

When I start on a committee or board or job, I want to understand the foundational documents. Why do we exist? Are we true to our mission? My legal training may lead me to ask these questions, but they are questions important for all of us. As Christians, we look to the Biblical text and the witness of God’s people as foundational, and John Sharp will help us think about the Bible as Story in the April Forum. As a conference, an additional document is foundational. Allow me to stress some aspects of our conference (legal) Bylaws that even non-lawyers should take seriously. I’ll leave the requirements for quorum and how to select committee members and requirements for withdrawing from the conference to the Leadership Board. Sorry Ken! I’m not in a position to offer legal advice! But do you know where our conference vision is stated? By now you’ve guessed – it is the first statement in our Bylaws. The Preamble states that “the vision of Mountain States Mennonite Conference is to pursue God’s dreams by the power of the Holy Spirit in the way of Jesus Christ.” In a recent meeting of the Leadership Board and the Conference Minister Team, we considered the direction and energy of the conference. The group agreed that this vision still guides us well! How do we do this? The second statement in our Bylaws defines our role as a conference, which is to encourage, collaborate, and conduct. The Mission Statement states that our conference “exists to encourage growth in Christian spirituality and faith, collaborate on mission activities, and conduct official functions as assigned by its member congregations and parent denomination, Mennonite Church USA.” Many people around the broader church know Mountain States for the idea of “relational accountability.” This concept is enshrined in our Bylaws in one place. Article III, Section 2(A) defines the Purpose of our Faith and Life Forum:

Foundational to our polity of relational accountability, member congregations of MSMC shall participate in regular meetings for discernment of faith and life issues. The purpose of this body is not to make binding decisions, but to discern issues important to our faith and life in our home communities, the Rocky Mountain region, and throughout the world.

This requirement is so foundational to our life as a conference that the Bylaws outline what happens if a congregation “fails to be represented at two consecutive conference-wide meetings (annual Faith and Life Forums and annual delegate assemblies).” I appreciated learning from Vern Rempel (member of the Futures Committee that formulated the foundational ideas in 2005) that the term “relational accountability” was intended to incorporate the idea of “proximity.” We must relate to each other, or be in proximity with each other, in order for us “to pursue God’s dreams by the power of the Holy Spirit in the way of Jesus Christ” as a conference. How will we breathe new life into our conference vision and mission in 2018?

“With Care…” Duncan Smith is a member of the conference Dialogue Resource Team and is active in the Glennon Heights Mennonite Church.

Those of us on the Dialogue Resource Team (DRT) are committed to finding ways to work "through" conflict. We encourage working "through" conflict and finding ways of transforming it. It has been my privilege to witness this type of transformation and resolution of conflict between individuals and in groups. Working through conflict by dialogue and conversation is not easy, it requires energy and time. Part of what takes time and energy are roadblocks that come up, the following two you will likely recognize. Roadblock #1 – Lack of willingness to work through a conflict. How much is needed? What if one party denies a conflict? I have witnessed just a sliver of willingness, sometimes simply illustrated by being present in a conversation. In that sliver of willingness can come a surprising change or insight, for instance, gaining a deeper understanding of the situation or understanding (empathy) of the other party. This small willingness can grow as a breakthrough brings into focus a different more positive way of relating. This sort of situation takes patience. There are times that one may have to live with small steps of resolution, or accepting that there is some, but no further resolution, at least at this time. This can be difficult, and small consolation that your relationship with another person is better, but is not what you had hoped. Roadblock #2 – What happens when there is a power differential? It is not uncommon that one person comes into a conversation with more power, and our church culture is sometimes shy to name or reflect on power, but it exists. When I was a conference minister people would tell me, usually after I met with them, that they were nervous to meet with me, but the meeting was fine. I had to remember that no matter how hard I sought to make a conversation fair and friendly that my title alone might be intimidating. If you are meeting with someone to solve a conflict, consider the following:

• Recognize the power you might have due to position, age, gender… It may not seem like this is power, but it may be experienced that way by others.

• Use trusted processes provided by the church, work or family system to solve a conflict. This may be formal mediation or an informal way your family has worked out, over the years, to resolve conflicts.

• Make sure you have support, someone you can confide in and trust to keep confidence. This may be a person who you would ask to go with you if you are seeking to work out a conflict.

• Whenever you talk seek to make sure the space and setting is comfortable and safe for you. It is not unreasonable to agree on what this looks like with the other person if it is a planned conversation.

• Have ground rules for your conversation, such as using “I” language, not making character statements, when one person is speaking the other listens and does not interrupt.

Lots to consider as life and conflict can be complicated. These are, in many ways, just starters. Shalom!

Healthy Boundary Trainings From the Conference Minister Team

Healthy Boundary Training: MSMC supports the recommendation of the denomination’s Leadership Development Office that all credentialed persons go through healthy boundary training, and then update their training every three years. This includes pastors, chaplains, retired persons, and persons licensed for special ministry. This training is important to protect potential victims and is in the best interest of our pastors and congregations, keeping them safe and healthy as we all work together to end sexual and domestic violence. We are asking all credentialed persons to attend one of these training events (church elders and other church leaders are welcome):

• Friday, May 11, 2018, Albuquerque, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm • Tuesday, May 15, 2018, Pueblo, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (expanded SECOMP meeting) • Thursday, May 17, 2018, Denver, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (expanded DAAM meeting)

RSVP: Please email Jen Dudenhefer, the conference administrator, at administrator@mountainstatesmc.org with which training you will attend.

Training Trainers: Mountain States is also offering a rare opportunity for persons to be trained as trainers of the Healthy Boundary Training materials. These trainers would then be available to train groups in our conference and elsewhere. This training will be held May 12 in Albuquerque for persons who have attended May 11. If you are interested in becoming a trainer, please submit a letter of interest and description of your previous training experience to a member of the CMT, or recommend someone else you believe would be a good candidate to become a trainer.

Calling all singers!

I am doing a new thing! I will make a way. (from Isaiah 43)

Singers, now is the time to sign up to join the choir for our 12th Weekend Choral Festival June 22 – 24 at First Mennonite Church in Denver. For our theme of Transformation, this year’s conductor, Dr. Mark Bartel, has chosen great music in a variety of styles. A featured piece is I Am the Lord by award-winning Mennonite composer, Lyle Stutzman, with texts from Isaiah 43.

We’ll go back in time to sing an Alleluia by the early German Baroque composer, Johann Hermann Schein. We’ll celebrate creation with Achieved is the Glorious Work, a gem from Haydn’s Creation. From the American folk tradition, we’ll do Idumea, which you might remember from the soundtrack of the civil war movie, Cold Mountain.

We’ll grab the spirit with I Believe in God, the Credo from Robert Ray's rocking Gospel Mass, and one of our favorite spirituals, Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit.

We rehearse Friday evening and during the day on Saturday. In between the singing, fun includes getting to know each other and, of course, good food! The worship on Sunday morning will feature the choir and explore both inward- and outward-focused transformation.

To find links to hear the songs and sign up, go to www.mennomusic.org. Registrations for singers are due by June 1. If you have questions or know a singer we should invite, please contact Susan Graber, susan_g_16@yahoo.com, 303-926-0393.

Come, learn a new song and lift your voice to pronounce God’s transforming way!

Colorado Comforters for MCC By Jeni Hiett Umble

Inspired by the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) call for more comforters, Living Light of Peace has taken up the challenge! Several women were meeting monthly to sew bags for MCC; now an extra day has been added for sewing comforters. Persons from area churches and the community are invited to join us on the fourth Thursday of each month. We have completed one comforter and have another three ready for binding. We try to always have a comforter in a frame so that anyone can add a few knots during our Sunday time together.

All this sewing activity has inspired the congregation to re-purpose our nursery and convert it into a dedicated sewing room. Three men have torn out a wall and enclosed the hallway to enlarge the room. New hardwood flooring will replace the carpet, making it easier to find a lost pin or needle. We will also have more storage space for supplies and the completed comforters. The renovation should be complete in a few weeks. I attended the Kansas MCC Comforter Blitz the beginning of March and am wondering if other Colorado churches might be interesting in doing something similar. If your congregation is making comforters, please be in touch at jeni.umble@gmail.com. I would like to have these sewing groups be supportive of each other and also be in conversation about coordinating a larger event.

Conference Assembly Plans Underway Location: Kachina Lodge, Taos, New Mexico Dates: August 3-5, 2018 Plans for MSMC’s annual assembly are underway as a small group of planners (Marc Yoder, Melissa Roth, Todd Wynward, Lily Mast, Eric King, Jen Dudenhefer, Cole Chandler, Barry Bartel, and Ken Gingerich) have begun to brainstorm content and themes, visit facilities and consider logistics. Watch for details in the May issue of Zing!, but remember to reserve the first weekend of August for a great time of reflection, inspiration and exploration in this ancient village tucked beneath the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Northern New Mexico. You can anticipate Pre-assembly:

• Wilderness exploration for young adults led by TiLT staff

• Site visits to the Taos Earthships, Martinez Hacienda, and other Taos highlights—for all ages

• "In Good Company—Prophetic Witness for Transformative Troublemakers": a roundtable about the cost of pursuing God’s dreams

Assembly:

• Friday Night Concert by Secondwind Endeavor

• Local food

• Worship and Music

• Delegate gathering

• Passion pitch and affinity networks

• Break-out sessions

• Early morning worship at Taos Gorge

• Social times and more…. Post Assembly:

• Family camp on Lama Mountain hosted by TiLT

Save the Date!!! MSMC Immigration Round Table

September 28-30, 2018, Ft. Collins, Colorado

Thanks to many of you for your helpful input on a survey of people we know are involved with immigration issues in our conference. Based on that input, we are planning a gathering focused on immigration as an opportunity for people in our conference (involved already or interested in learning more) to share and learn from each other, possibly with outside resource persons to address specific topics.

• Plan to travel on Friday and Sunday, with some activities those days, and to be in Ft. Collins for the main gathering Saturday.

• With its involvement in immigration issues in Ft. Collins, the Sojourn Mennonite Church is embracing and helping plan and host this event. We hope to obtain funding to help cover the cost of distance travel.

• This year conference activities are already planned in La Junta, Taos, Alamosa, and Colorado Springs, with trainings in Albuquerque, Pueblo, and Denver. We can’t recall the last time a conference event took place in Ft. Collins! If you can, take the opportunity to get to know this part of our conference!

• If you received this Save the Date as an e-mail, you are on our list of persons involved with immigration. If you did not receive it and would like to be on our direct e-mail distribution list about this event, please email barryb@mountainstatesmc.org.

• We would like to include someone from New Mexico and someone from the San Luis Valley on planning the content of the gathering. Please let us know if you are willing to be one of those persons!

The Planning Committee: Ivannah Johnson, Connie Shelley, Pam Duncan, Steve Goering, Vern Rempel, Barry Bartel and Sarah Jackson

Soul Tending: Journey into the Heart of Sabbath

Congregations are not so different from bee hives, as ordained pastor and certified beekeeper Anita Amstutz found out. Busy and diverse, churches are full of the joys of community as well as the many challenges arrayed against them in this day and age.

In her timely book, author and desert dweller, Rev. Anita Amstutz, describes Soul Tending: Journey into the Heart of Sabbath as a spiritual biography— “A story of my own wrestling with balance in my work life. How I found the Sabbath welcome of ‘ceasing work’ to be both solace and hospitality in that dry, droughty space between creativity and soul weariness, the sickness of work addiction and recovery.” Useful for personal reflection or a group study book, it explores the ancient practice of Sabbath keeping as a guide for joy and deeper meaning in our daily work amidst these difficult times. Published by Skylight Paths Publishing, Nashville, TN.

Anita will be at MSMC Assembly in August with books for sale. You may also contact her at anita@afamstutz.com for information and to schedule a visit on her book tour in 2018-19. Available May 2018; pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Locally at Indie Bound.

MEN’S RETREAT In early March, 46 men gathered at RMMC for the annual Mountain States Mennonite Conference Men’s retreat. The highlights for many were the worship times lead by Herm Weaver, and the fellowship with other participants. Here are some quotes from their evaluations. “Wow. It was so good to hang out with Mennonite brothers in faith, be genuine and share each other’s selves/experiences.” “[The worship sessions were] very thoughtful and appreciated. Left me with much to ponder.” “Singing from the heart hymns that are older than my grandfather!”

Pictured: Men’s Retreat participants pose for a photo while playing Human Curling.

MENNONITE CAMPING CONFERENCE All of RMMC’s staff and board president attended the annual Mennonite Camping Association (MCA) conference this year held at Camp Friedenswald in Cassopolis, MI. The conference gathered staff from 16 different MCA affiliated camps from across the country. The week was filled with great conversations around the dinner table, reflective worship sessions, and informative seminars that sparked new ideas. These retreats are great opportunities for us to see how another camp “does camp” and participate in a retreat rather than facilitate it!

Pictured: RMMC staff stand in front of the Camp Friedenswald sign. From left, Mary Yoder (Food Service Director), Corbin Graber (Executive Director), Jenelle Roynon (Program Director), and Tom Unruh (Maintenance Director). Not pictured is Dave Miller (Board President) who also attended the conference.

WHO’S BEEN HELPING Thank you to all the volunteers who have helped at camp in the month of March.

Pictured: A group of friends from Goshen College spent time volunteering at RMMC during their spring break. Left to right are Josh Garcia, Natalie Graber, Evan Beck, Jace Longenecker, and Jenae Stutzman.

Mary Beth Bechler Evan Beck Josh Garcia Natalie Graber

Heidi Johnson Amanda Koch Julie Lehman Jace Longenecker

Dave Miller Linda Miller Jenae Stutzman Bill Unruh

COME VOLUNTEER RMMC is a busy place, and we rely a lot on the help of volunteers. If you have interest in volunteering at camp, give us a call (719-687-9506), send an email (info@rmmc.org), or go to rmmc.org and click “Volunteer” to see available slots online. Here are a few areas where we need your help! KITCHEN HELP NEEDED:

- Spring Mennonite Quilters Retreat: April 19-22 - Great American Quilters Retreat (guest group): May 16-20 - Colorado Roots Music Camp: June 3-9 and August 5-11 - Summer Youth Camps: June 10-July 7

CAMP PROJECT HELP NEEDED:

- Spruce Beetle Treatment: April 21 o Stapling pheromone packets to the sides of trees to

deter the spruce beetle from hanging around. - Playground equipment construction (mostly wood frames): date

to be determined on available help o Construction of a young children’s play frame in underway. We need hands to help being

construction on the site as well as the structure. - Retaining wall and concrete floor: date to be determined on available help

o Located in the Pleiades crawl space, the wall and floor is in preparation for the new water system. Pictured: Jeff Spicher, Dennis LeFevre, and Steve Stutzman work in the Pleiades crawl space.

YOU'VE BEEN SPOTTED! We spotted Jonathan and Betty Schrag (Goshen, IN) along with Corbin Graber (RMMC Executive Director) wearing their RMMC shirts. Jonathan and Betty were long term volunteers at RMMC in 2016, and when they completed their time with us they moved on to the International Guest House in Washington, DC. Here they posed with Corbin on the porch of IGH when he was visiting. Thanks, Jonathan and Betty, sharing RMMC with Washington, DC! Share your "spotted" photo with us. Email it to jenelle@rmmc.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS April 19-22: Spring Mennonite Quilters Retreat April 21: Spruce Beetle Tree tagging May 25-28: Memorial Day Work & Play Retreat June 3-9: Colorado Roots Music Camp June 10-16: Senior High Resident / 6th & 7th Wilderness I June 17-23: 8th & 9th Resident / 6th & 7th Wilderness II June 24-30: 6th & 7th Resident / 8th & 9th Wilderness I

July 1-7: 4th & 5th Resident / 8th & 9th Wilderness II July 20-22: 3rd Grade Resident Camp July 22-27: Family Camp I July 22-28: Senior High Wilderness I July 29-Aug 3: Family Camp II July 29-Aug 4: Senior High Wilderness II August 5-11: Colorado Roots Music Camp

MAKE A RESERVATION

Dates listed represent available nights for ridge cabin accommodations. Please call to verify availability. To see photos of the cabins visit our Ridge Cabin Facilities page.

APRIL 2018 Eagle's Nest: 2-30 Sky-Hi-View: 2-19, 22-30 Rocky Ridge: Closed for winter Solitude Center: 2-27 Emmental: 2-18, 22-30

MAY 2018 Eagle's Nest: 4-15, 20-23, 28-31 Sky-Hi-View: 1-23 Rocky Ridge: Closed for winter Solitude Center: 1-24 Emmental: 1-16, 18-31

JUNE 2018 Eagle's Nest: 1-2, 9-15, 19-30 Sky-Hi-View: 1-2, 18-19, 25-28 Rocky Ridge: 1-2, 11-14, 18-21, 27-29 Solitude Center: 9-14, 17-30 Emmental: 9-14, 17-21, 27-28

ZING! is published monthly for the congregations of Mountain States Mennonite Conference. Conference Website: MountainStatesMC.org ZING! can be viewed on the website.

You can receive ZING directly in your email inbox by subscribing through the MSMC website. It is quick and easy to subscribe with this link. https://www.mountainstatesmc.org/conference-life/newsletter/.

Next Deadline: April 30, 2018 E-mail contributions to Jen Dudenhefer at administrator@MountainStatesMC.org Articles should be 400-500 words in length. © 2018 Mountain States Mennonite Conference Conference Minister Team

• Barry Bartel, Coordinator, barryb@MountainStatesMC.org

• Charlene Epp, Regional Minister, charlenee@MountainStatesMC.org

• Merv Birky, Regional Minister, mervb@MountainStatesMC.org

Ken Gingerich, Moderator keng@MountainStatesMC.org Jen Dudenhefer, Editor/Conference Administrator: administrator@MountainStatesMC.org Rita Balzer, Bookkeeper treasurer@MountainStatesMC.org

April 11-13 Constituency Leaders Council April 20-22 Faith & Life Forum; La Junta, Colo. Springs April 28-29 50 Years of Service Celebration

Anabaptist Fellowship of Alamosa Alamosa MVS

May 4-6 Sent Conference, Chicago May 11 Healthy Boundary Training

Albuquerque, N.M. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm May 15 Healthy Boundary Training

SECOMP meeting Pueblo, Colo. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

May 17 Healthy Boundary Training DAMM meeting Denver, Colo. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

May 26-27 Mountain Community Mennonite Church 35 Year Anniversary

June 22-24 “Transformation,” Weekend Choral Festival August 3-5 MSMC Assembly; Taos, N.M. Sept 28-30 MSMC Immigration Round Table; Ft.

Collins, CO Nov 9-11 Pastor’s Retreat, RMMC