There is now more information on schedule and confirmed workshops on the October Teacher Workshops page.  If you are interested in attending that event, please register by calling our main office.

Several second-year MAP students report on their activities and trips:

For the first week, we three second-year girls planned our week.  We helped with corn day, volunteered at the Randolph concession stand at the county fair, and helped some young mothers from the church.  It was a good week.

The next week, John Coblentz led the whole group in observing/participating in internal church ministry.  We observed various planning committees from Shalom Mennonite Church: Sunday school, worship leading, Meadville outreach.  These were actual meetings, and we mainly sat back and observed.  Brandon also talked to us about cell groups.  Some of the other projects including interviewing our home pastors (about one half-hour phone conversation) and  writing a church covenant as a group of MAP students pretending to start a church. Those church decisions take time, folks.  Small wonder if a minister just feels like making a decision after a little discussion or feels like avoiding the issue altogether.  We talked for hours and covered quite a range of subjects before being able to get to the real issues that needed to be addressed in the covenant or in the forming of our church.

As part of John’s assignments the men attended a men’s seminar at Shalom.  We MAP ladies plan to go with several other ladies to a ladies’ seminar at Deeper Life Ministries (Plain City, Ohio) in two weeks.

The third week of MAP involved more local, external ministry.  We spent a day at Friends of Youth in Meadville, mainly scraping and painting in order to give a face lift to the building’s exterior.  We ladies went to a crisis pregnancy center in Meadville and listened to the director Kay talk—very informative and inspirational.  We also did more planning for our final week.

Our final week started on Saturday and went through the following Friday evening.   We drove to Lancaster to observe a River Brethren love feast Saturday night.

Sunday morning the ladies attended the Shiloh church in Reading while the guys attended another church in Reading whose pastor was formerly Horning Mennonite. Shiloh brings many city children for Sunday school then also goes to another area of the city for afternoon Sunday school.  A few of us went along for the afternoon Sunday school as well.  In the evening we split into three groups and attended a variety of churches in Reading.  Joel, Adia, and I went to an Apostolic church—formerly called “Holy Rollers,” one lady told me. The service was hyped and loud pretty much the whole evening.  The worship leader leaped, along with many in the audience.  People ran down the aisles.  The preacher PREACHED with all his might.  I’ve wanted to attend a charismatic service sometime, and I had my curiosity sufficiently satisfied for a good long while.  (I’m not sure if they would call themselves charismatic, but that was my perception as I observed, although I was surprised by some of what I saw.)  I will say that I did receive some inspiration that evening.  Also, they did have discipleship programs that showed they weren’t only concerned about holiness on Sundays.

On Monday, we visited Fairview Mennonite School in Reading, Jay Fox’s outreach school. They teach both non-Mennonite and Mennonite children. We also conducted interviews with a number of pastors whose churches we had attended. (Over our whole trip, we interviewed seven or so pastors.)  That night we were back in Lancaster.  (I had the privilege of spending a night with Kris [KrisAnne Burkholder, TAP graduate] and going to school with her the next morning.)
Tuesday we packaged rice at the CAM warehouse.  In the evening we observed and participated in the Lancaster children’s ministry (begun by Bethel youth).

Wednesday morning we left for New York.  We passed out tracts, sang on the subway, and visited a mosque.  A local Christian brother led our group.

Friday we met our guide at Dunkin’ Donuts for one last time together before heading back to FB.  We arrived at Steve and Cynthia’s a little before seven and had an evening of pizza and sharing.

As I recalled those four weeks, the word rich came to mind several times.  I experienced and observed so much and felt richer because of it.

~ Janelle Kauffman

It was a blessing to be back in the city with the diverse peoples and cultures. Like Janelle said, we were on the subway singing and in a section of NYC handing out tracts to Muslims. Being a light to God’s people is a privilege and an awesome thing. How does he want us to live as witnesses? I think he wants us to follow him in his spirit and discern the times to speak and the times just to live. And he will just guide us. But I wasn’t feeling so sure about all this then, and I had several opportunities to wrestle with it while our guide preached on the subway, and while we handed out tracks and spoke to different people both on the subway and on the streets. It was a very rich experience that broadened my idea of God’s will.

My overall experience on the trip has given me more vision in the area of missions.  I can, by the spirit of God, minister effectively to people and he will show me the way.  I may not know how to go about doing it, but neither does anyone else; we all need to rely on the Lord in vulnerability and wait for his spirit’s leading.  I feel encouraged, strengthened, and pumped about following the Lord in this area of my life.

~ Adia

I enjoyed the structure of the apprenticing term this year.  The second week the focus was on internal church ministry which was interesting as well as practical.  We were to observe, reflect, and then apply or think of ways the projects could apply to our church.

The trip was good too.  We had a wide variety of good experiences.  I wasn’t sure about the pastor interviews but did end up enjoying those too!  One highlight for me was visiting the Muslim mosque in NYC. After the prayer time, we got to sit down with the imam and ask a few questions as well as listen to his talk about Islam.  Our guide intervened a few times to keep the discussion from becoming too controversial.  He wants to keep good relationships with the people there and we only had a limited time to time to talk with him.  Another highlight in the trip was the interaction with several men who have been in ministry for years and have so much to teach us.

~ Emma Jane

If you would like to read the latest newsletter (Fall 2006, Issue 81), you may download and view or print the PDF version here (PDF, 805 KB).  Inside this issue:

• “Western Civilization and the Kingdom of God” Part 2
• Teacher Workshops 2006
• Winter Term 2007
• Student Complex–Phase II

Our Winter Term brochure is also nearing completion.  Watch this blog for its release!

Second-year TAP student Bettina Yoder offers a report of the fall canoe trip:

Of rain and a river. . .

Last weekend was the annual canoe trip at FB.  We packed our provisions for a night and a day, piled into 3 vans, and were off!  Friday evening we had a pleasant canoe ride to our island.  This island has no indoor plumbing, no electricity, no running water, OK.  It’s just an island.  So saying, while the tents were being set up and supper was being started, a couple of us girls took a shovel and dug two outhouses.  Except it didn’t really include the house part.

In spite of the threat of rain, Emma Jane, Janelle and I decided to sleep outside.  Well, around 2:15 a.m. sure enough, it began pitter-pattering on our sleeping bags.  GROAN!  The three of us piled into a tent where about 5 others were sleeping.  We looked around for room to fit ourselves in and the space we saw didn’t seem to correspond well with the size of us.  But we somehow managed to get horizontal and I slept…sort of. 

The next day it rained on and off so we got to wear our ponchos.  I also got to canoe in the rain for the first time!  An important part of FB canoe trips is your hat.  While floating down the river I decided to lay my head on the canoe’s rear tip.  Alas and alack!  When I arose, my hat dropped into the river!  Thankfully Alena retrieved it with her paddle just before it sunk to the river’s depths.

Do you enjoy a great home-cooked meal?  Pork, mashed potatoes, stuffing, homemade pie and more.  Come to eat and enjoy a good time with others in the community.

The 12th Annual Pork Roast Supper will be held Friday evening, September 29 from 4:30 – 8:00 PM at Faith Builders Christian School located in the old Randolph School Building in Guys Mills.

Faith Builders Christian School has been in operation for twelve years and enjoys a close relationship with its patron body of 45 families and 100 students.  Faith Builders Christian School is a ministry to Christian families in the community, and we desire to give back to the community.  Proceeds from the supper will be used to keep tuition affordable for the community.

For more information, please call 789-2303 and talk with Vivian.  If you would like to print and post a flyer about the Pork Roast, you may download it here (DOC, 26 KB).

We would like to make you aware of several opportunities to serve at Faith Builders in the upcoming months.  We are looking for volunteers in the following areas:

• Computer Tech Support–immediately
• Personal Care Home–November, December 2006
• Domestics–January 2007
• Maintenance–March 2007
• Kitchen–(3) May, August 2007

If you are considering a time of voluntary service, or to receive more information about these opportunities, please contact Mary Sue Zehr at the FBEP office.

We are rejoicing at the safe but early arrival of Gabriel Beachy Sauder (2 lb, 9 oz, 15″), first son, second child of Jonathan & Brenda (Beachy) Sauder, both TAP alumni of FB.  Please remember little Gabriel in prayer as he gains strength after his premature birth.

Our Teacher Workshops weekend is quickly approaching.  I have posted workshop titles & presenters at http://www.fbep.org/events/teacher_workshops.html and will continue to update as we have several workshops to confirm.  Plan now to attend this weekend for teachers on October 21-22, 2006!

I recently updated our Short Term Study Opportunities page with Winter Term 2007 class titles and instructors.  You may view them at http://www.fbep.org/academics/other_terms.html.  We plan to publish the Winter Term application soon.

Faith Builders is now accepting applications for next fall, 2007-2008.  You may download an application here (PDF, 257 KB) or request one from the FBEP office.  We currently do not have reference forms available for download.  You must request those from the office.  We hope to change that soon.

If you would still like to apply for classes yet this fall (beginning September 20) or spring (beginning February 19), you may use this application as well.