Food for the Flock

Gingrichs Mennonite Church 100 Forney Road Lebanon, PA 17042 (717) 274-1521 [email protected] www.gingrichsmennonite.com www.facebook.com/gingrichsmennonite

Inklings . . . about Ukraine

One year ago this month, Lore and I boarded a plane in Philadelphia, and after connections in Paris and Kiev, we landed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk. An hour later, our driver settled us in our comfortable guest accommodations at Zaporozhye Bible College and Seminary. A city of nearly 1 million people, Zaporozhye boasts: the longest boulevard in Europe (the Lenin Prospect), a huge hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper River, lots of heavy industry (not unlike Pittsburgh), and ZBCS which trains pastors and other Christian workers for eastern Europe and central Asia.

Over the next two weeks, I taught Church History to a small class of students and preached in two churches in the city and one in an outlying village. Lore made connections with the female students, quickly becoming “the American Mom” to many of them. Our trip fulfilled a long-standing promise to my seminary classmate Ken Sears who has been teaching at ZBCS for twenty years.

Reminiscing about this ministry opportunity God gave us brings to mind many happy memories. We enjoyed daily lunches with the students and faculty between classes. Who could forget the concert of traditional Ukrainian music in a Soviet-era theatre that broke out into an episode of “Ukrainian Idol?” We braved daily rides on marshrutke: taxi-like vans where you get to know your neighbors very well. But by far, the best part of our trip was cultivating relationships with new friends: Vova, Marina, and their children; college president Volodya; our translator Nadia and her children; and Masha, our “adopted” daughter.

As you might expect, our brothers, sisters, and friends in Ukraine have been in our thoughts and prayers since Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to annex Crimea: a peninsula of southern Ukraine that juts out into the Black Sea and is home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet. While Zaporozhye is in the Russian-speaking eastern part of Ukraine, none of the violence affecting other eastern cities in recent days has touched her. And, as always, don’t believe everything you see on the American newscasts! Eastern Ukraine is not all falling in line with her Russian neighbor. Remember . . . Zaporozhye is a city of 1 million, and our friend Ken provides us a snapshot of what’s happening there: “In Zaporozhye today (April 19), the weather is beautiful. The blue-and-yellow flag of Ukraine is proliferating more and more with every day all along the city's main avenue. I saw many young people draped in the Ukrainian flag walking along the street, and there was a rally in front of the government building with

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Food for the Flock the blue-and-yellow flying everywhere. The people of Zaporozhye seem to be coalescing in categorical loyalty to a united Ukraine and want no part of Russia-inspired separatism.” He later wrote, “Every day Zaporozhye is free and Ukrainian is another day of victory. Zaporozhye is Ukraine.”

During this season of Resurrection, Lore and I would deeply appreciate if you would stand together with us and hold the people of Ukraine before God in prayer. Many of the people we met have connections with the Mennonite Church in the US. Some (including the college president and dean) studied in the US. Others volunteered with the Mennonite Central Committee. While they call themselves “Ukrainian Baptists,” they are more accurately called “Ukrainian Anabaptists.” Not only are they our brothers and sisters in Christ, but they are our brothers and sisters in a shared spiritual heritage. Thus far, God has kept the violence far from them, but being in the eastern part of the nation does leave them open to Russian intervention. Please pray for peace and for the protection and spiritual prosperity of the Ukrainian people.

And please pray for us. I have been invited back to ZBCS to teach a Master’s level course May 1-8, 2015. At the moment, those plans are on “hold,” but we would love to return to our “adopted” Ukrainian home and family for that week next year. Please pray that God might allow the political situation to calm down, and for the door to remain open for us to return.

If you would like to follow Ken and what’s happening in Ukraine from an “insider’s perspective,” look him up on Facebook and “friend-request” him: K. Michael Sears.

Yours, in sharing The Story, Pastor Jim Schwenk

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Food for the Flock

“The Body of Christ” Nursery Schedule

Over much of the next two months, our Sunday worship themes will center The nursery will be staffed with 2 around the Church as the Body of Christ. people every Sunday. A high We will explore concepts such as the school/young adult will be paired with an church as: a worshiping body, a welcoming older member. The nursery is intended for body, a witnessing body, a world-impacting children ages infant to kindergarten. All body, and several more. other children should remain in the auditorium with their On May 18, our theme will be, “The parents/grandparents/guardian. Church is . . . a Weeping and Rejoicing Body.” Most of us are aware that many After Sunday school we would like members and friends of our congregation all children to be in the auditorium until it have faced and are facing difficult medical is time for the sermon. Children may be diagnoses. Perhaps you have friends from taken to the nursery at this time. This will outside our fellowship who are in similar give the nursery workers opportunity to circumstances. attend worship.

During our 10:15 worship service on May 18, we will dedicate a portion of our service to a time of anointing and healing prayer. For those of your who have experienced this aspect of our biblical and historic heritage know the power and impact of this opportunity. For those who have not experienced it, don’t be frightened by what you might have seen on television! Our service will include a time of dedicated and intentional prayer for spiritual, May 4th physical, and emotional healing and an Maggie Freed & Tyler Schwenk invitation for those who so desire to come forward to be anointed with oil, and have May 11th hands laid on them by other brothers and Diane & Audrey Hoover sisters for a time of prayer for their healing. May 18th April Hershey & Brianna Bomgardner Heather’s Summer Ministry May 25th Jean Weaver & Tyler Schwenk It’s hard to believe that after the hard winter we had, we’re already talking about summer camp! Soon camps like **If you are interested in helping in the Camp Hebron, Kenbrook, and Black Rock nursery during worship service, please contact will be opening their doors and their pools Gloria Frey at (717) 272-9988 to children and adults alike to meet Jesus in the beauty of His creation.

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Food for the Flock

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