Photo Supplied

Laura Bowman marches to the beat of a different drummer. The beat she hears is peace.

Following Saturday night’s youth worship, James Roynon, facilitator for the Peace and Justice Support Network, awarded Bowman, of Archbold, Ohio, the first Different Drummer Youth Peace Award for Mennonite youth.

“This was an effort to recognize young people who are working for peace and justice,” said Leo Hartshorn, minister of peace and justice for Mennonite Mission Network.

“I was blown away when I heard about it,” said Bowman.

Nominated by her youth pastor at Zion Mennonite Church, Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg, Bowman demonstrates her passion for peace in her congregation and the world in numerous ways. She organized peace vigils and recycling projects; distributed material against military recruitment to her school counselor; and worked with Zion Mennonite’s Peace and Justice Project.

One important project for Bowman is a peace demonstration she organized at her high school the last two years. On the World Day of Peace, she and other youth wear tie-dye green armbands as a reminder of the day. “It’s amazing to see the hallway,” said Bowman.

The idea for a peace drum award derived from Henry David Thoreau’s writing about marching to the beat of a different drummer. The Peace and Justice Support Network shaped this idea as a metaphor for peace and chose to award a youth who has followed the rhythms of peace in their life.

“Emily has been highly and consistently involved in peace and justice,” said Hartshorn.

Titus Peachey and Linda Gehman Peachey, of Lancaster, Pa., received the Peace Pitcher Award from Mennonite Mission Network on Friday during the Peace and Justice Support Network Bible study. This biannual award is given to a leader within Mennonite Church USA who has been active in peace and justice work over his or her lifetime.

According to Hartshorn, the recipients have worked in peace and justice a long time together and now work for Mennonite Central Committee. Roynon called the couple relatively young lifetime award recipients but said they were chosen because together they have nearly four decades of peace and justice work behind them.

The tradition of awarding the Peace Pitcher, made by Dick Lehman of Goshen, Ind., goes back before 2002, said Hartshorn. The Peace and Justice Support Network also gave mugs to local conferences and to people who have demonstrated a commitment to peace and justice.

Tyler Falk/Photo
Laura Schlabach and Abri Houser run the hill on the 5 km road race course.

Approximately 3.2 percent of conventiongoers will make history on Sunday morning simply by running.

Months ago, 235 runners registered for the first ever Mennonite convention 5K run. Ten-year-old Elora Neufeld, from Ontario, represents the youngest registered runner.

“It’s a trial year; we’re seeing how it goes,” said Abby Miller, a convention planning intern.

Runners registered before May 22 with a $10 fee to cover the T-shirt and water costs. Other interested runners may join the run at the North Bank Park, although they will not receive a T-shirt or prize.

The top female and male finishers can choose from a sweatshirt donated by each Mennonite college. Other participants are eligible to win one of the remaining three sweatshirts in a raffle.

To better prepare the corps of runners, we decided to test run the course for Sunday. Even though Fourth of July festivities interfered with our completion of the run, we hope these tips give you a head start.

The race begins at the glass pavilion at North Bank Park, the end of Neil Avenue. Be sure to check in by 7 a.m.! Hopefully there won’t be much Fourth of July celebration debris from the night before, but, on the bright side, the sidewalk chalk art may still be there. If so, take a glance down as you take both sidewalk forks to the left to stay by the river.

The downhill is easy at first, but beware — right after you pass under the railroad bridge be ready to climb the rolling hills of Columbus. Be prepared to share the path with bikers (mostly friendly in our experience).

After you cross the river, follow the path that borders the parking lot of a riverside restaurant. Try to ignore the traffic noise to the right. After your second time around the loop, head back toward the pavilion on the same path you came. Repeat!

Following your second batch of restaurant parking lot loops, when you come by the glass pavilion stay to the right for your finish! Enjoy making convention history.

The votes are in though the transition from nominee to board member for 17 delegates will not become official until Saturday afternoon.

Adult delegates completed an affirmation ballot in the Thursday afternoon session for nominees to the Executive Board, Mennonite Education Agency, Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Mutual Aid, Mennonite Publishing Network, The Mennonite and Leadership Discernment Committee.

The ballot will also affirm the nomination of Dick Thomas, from Ronks, Pa., for moderator-elect. “I’m excited about the Mennonite Church,” Thomas said. “There are so many opportunities.”

The moderator-elect serves as chair of the Constituency Leadership Council, which meets twice a year, with members from each of the 21 conferences, the churchwide agencies and constituency groups. Thomas said he’s fortunate to have been at three of the council meetings as the Atlantic Coast Conference representative so that he can walk in knowing members and the workings of the group.

As Thomas looks toward this next year he hopes the church stays focused and depends on the Holy Spirit to discern where God is active in the world. He is excited about the forward momentum of people across the church and defining what it is to be a missional church in the 21st century.

Thomas also looks forward to working with Ed Diller, the current moderator-elect and, after Saturday, the moderator. “Ed has a lot of energy and vision for the church,” Thomas said.

Diller, from Ft. Thomas, Ky., began his road to moderator two years ago with a phone call from Mark Weidner, a lifelong friend of Diller and a member of the Leadership Discernment Committee.

“I love it,” Diller said. “It’s wonderfully rewarding.”

Diller recognizes the time commitment of the role of moderator as well, expecting to sometimes miss events like birthdays and the chance to see “grand-babies.”

“That’s the hardest part,” Diller said.

Yet he identifies many positives to the position, with one of his favorite being the opportunity to see churches all across the country. “There’s so much we can do as a denomination,” Diller said.

As Diller transitions to moderator he hopes to build on the legacy of predecessors like Lee Snyder and Sharon Waltner, the current moderator, and maintain a healthy infrastructure. His one concern, he said, is “that the church be optimistic and energetic about the future.”

Diller speaks highly of his work with Waltner and the current executive team. “Sharon Waltner is just a gem to work with,” he said.

Wasserstrom said she wished they would have extended the hours and days of the blood drive that concluded on Thursday.

“We had such a wonderful reception,” she said. “Only a handful of people didn’t show up.”

The drive boasted 62 productive donations on Wednesday, with the final number for Thursday unavailable because of the holiday weekend. Wasserstrom estimates between 70 and 75 donations for the day.

She also described the challenge of hosting a drive without having donors sign up further in advance. “It’s hard for us to (add beds) at the last minute,” she  said.

Yet, the timing of the donation of more than 100 units of blood is excellent as the American Red Cross prepares for the Fourth of July weekend.

Wasserstrom also plans to see what Mennonite churches are in the area for future collaboration. If you were unable to give blood and would like to, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE for a list of drive locations near the convention center.

Brandon Long/Photo Jennifer Steiner, Goshen, Olive Mennonite Church member and Goshen College alum donates blood Wednesday for the Red Cross blood drive.

The line that formed outside of Hyatt Union A was a testament to Mennonite generosity, this time with blood.

“They weren’t expecting this many people apparently,” said one young adult standing in line at 2:30 p.m. Even donors with appointments waited 30 minutes for their donation chair.

“I had a 2:30 appointment,” Jennifer Steiner said at 4 p.m. after her successful donation. “Waiting a few hours was worth it to give blood.”

Tim Wahlstrom, from Newport News, Va., said he’s had to wait longer for less fun stuff so the wait did not bother him. “(I donate blood) to do good and it doesn’t cost me anything,” said Wahlstrom.

Steiner, of Goshen, Ind., donated at the Charlotte convention and then had to wait a year to donate again because of a trip to Africa. Overseas travel turns away many eager Mennonite donors.

Others like Allison Brenneman of Goshen, Ind., are turned away because of a low iron count. “I’m going to try again tomorrow,” said Brenneman. “One worker said I just needed a big t-bone steak.”

Yet the most common reason for turning away donors on Wednesday was a lack of beds. Around 4 p.m. an American Red Cross supervisor, Keith Starkey, told two walk-ins that the appointments were filled. “The way everything is going it will be touch and go,” said Starkey.

According to Norma Wasserstrom, the donor recruitment representative for downtown Columbus, 83 donors signed in on Wednesday and 70 are signed up for Thursday. The drive began with a goal of 50 donations each day.

Wasserstrom works with Experience Columbus to find convention groups interested in hosting a blood drive. Typically blood drives stick to a strict donation schedule, making these larger drives, with more walk-in donors, a challenge. Wasserstrom said additional staff have been added for Thursday’s scheduled donors.

Some walk-ins might find room but Rodney Wilson, from the Central Ohio Blood Region office, welcomes others to use a different local site.

“Our inventory is 600 short of where we’d like to be in central Ohio,” Wilson said. “We need everyone we can get. It’s great to see such a positive response to the blood drive!”

Editor’s note: Donors may also visit Ohio State University, just up High Street to the north, or Nationwide, a block away from the Convention Center.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

OSU Science and Engineering Library

175 W. 18th Ave, Columbus

9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

OSU College of Veterinary Medicine

1935 Coffey Rd., Columbus

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Nationwide Plaza Donor Center

One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus

8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Friday, July 3

Holiday Inn

7007 N. High St., Worthington

11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Carriage Place Donor Center

4820 Sawmill Rd., Columbus

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg said her family fit eight out of the 10 things that define a redneck, according to the list on one of her brother’s T-shirts.

Schrock-Ringenberg, a pastor at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, Ohio, revealed her fears to the youth during Wednesday evening worship.

“Physical scars aren’t as easy to cover as emotional scars,” said Schrock-Ringenberg as she described her family growing up in a cinder-block home in Kansas.

At age 13, she started sharing a bed with her mom because her dad threatened to kill her mom.

“It’s not like he’s a drunk or a druggie; he’s just really mean,” she said.

Her freshman year of high school her family kicked her dad out. Finally she hoped the fear would disappear; but it only changed. She compared her story to how the disciples responded to their fear in John 20:19-22. “They did the thing that all of us would have done; they hid,” she said.

Schrock-Ringenberg said she continued to hide her fears. “By the time I reached high school I knew what it would take to survive,” said Schrock-Ringenberg. “I became the person everyone else wanted me to be.”

On the outside she had it all together, but on the inside she was afraid, lonely, miserable and scared to death.

She found ways to cope. At her Mennonite college she titled herself a CK (convict’s kid) when in conversation with PKs (pastors’ kids) or MKs (missionary kids). She thought her weaknesses were unacceptable, but realized her fears held her captive. Just as Jesus led the disciples out of their hiding, she shared that we don’t have to be afraid because we don’t do it alone.

Quoting Morgan Freeman in “Million Dollar Baby,” boxing is an unnatural act. According to Schrock-Ringenberg, following Christ is also an unnatural act, as the Holy Spirit calls us to face our fears and “step into pain.”

“We spend so much time hiding who we are because we are scared of what others will think,” she said.

Schrock-Ringenberg concluded by inviting youth to imagine what the church would look like if its people would no longer be held by fear.

The worship leaders invited youth to write their own fears on mirrors they each received upon entering the arena.

Ken Medema ended the service with an improvised song about facing your fears.

Jim Schrag arrived at the adult worship service with the future of the Mennonite Church, the rising median age of Mennonites and the importance of a positive vision all on his mind.

Schrag, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, began his speech with the story of Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China. At one point during the voyage, Schrag said, the wind died and the captain requested Taylor to pray for a breeze. Taylor replied, saying that only when the sails were set would he pray to God for wind.

Schrag applied the analogy to the current position of the Mennonite Church: “Yes, pray without ceasing, but first unfurl the sails.”

Schrag spoke to the wrong and right visions facing the Mennonite Church.  “God sent us on a journey, but the sea has become calm,” Schrag said. “We can drift helplessly as any other church… or we can unfurl the sails of our vessel.”

An important focus of Schrag’s talk was the avoidance of passivity and the importance of positive action. Referring to his source scripture, Ezekiel 37 and John 20, Schrag said, “We need to be aware of our own dry bones, and the barred doors in our frightened retreat, locking the world outside.”

“We’ve grown accustomed to the calm of comfort and success that surrounds us, and we judge that our own exile is not such a bad thing after all,” Schrag said, referring to the exile of the disciples after Jesus’ death.

Schrag encouraged audience members to pay attention to the cultural currents that surround and influence the church, and to take necessary action. He challenged the worshipers: “Learn to listen, to see, to feel the presence of God.”

Schrag, who is from Newton, Kan., served as a pastor and worked as secretary for the General Conference before becoming executive director for MC USA.

Before Schrag spoke, Steven Brown, vice chair of Churches Supporting Churches, discussed the church’s response to Hurricane Katrina. Also, members of the band Honeytown led songs from all three hymnals, as well as original tunes, including “Breathe and be filled,” based on the convention’s theme.

Schrag asked the worshipers to stand, clasp hands, and join Patty Shelly in her song “The Lord lift you up.” Ken Medema finished the worship service with his gift for improvisational song, which included a story about an  8-year-old named Bubba  and the chorus to “Breathe and be filled.”

As a member of the Executive Leadership staff, Miller heard about the over-sized name tags and volunteered his services with a paper cutter from the convention office. Across from the T-shirt distribution table, Miller began trimming down name tags before 8 a.m. on Tuesday for anyone who stopped by.

“I started with the intention that I would cut only the name tag,” said Miller. Yet he discovered it made more sense to cut the whole packet, meal tickets included. One woman in line called Miller a brave man to tackle 3,000 name tags. “3,000? I thought it was only 8,000,” said Miller with a smile.

While Miller doesn’t know the exact number of name tags he’s cut, he said it’s been fun to get to meet everyone. “I’m finding this is a great reunion time,” said Miller. “I met up with an old softball player from the 60s, John Burkey.”

Miller narrated his system as he cut Zach Dey’s name tag: start at the top, swing around, take the side off, turn it around again, and there it is. A perfect fit. The stack of youth group name tags beside Miller’s paper cutter doesn’t fade his friendly smile, “Who’s next? Ah, the Goerings from Moundridge.”

Miller hasn’t decided how long he’d be around to aid what one attendee called the “OC [obsessive-compulsive] Mennonites.” If Miller isn’t at his post, make-shift folding or tearing might be the next best option.

mPress invites you to share your life story on a 3 by 5 canvas, something that defines you or speaks to who you are. Use a story, drawing, haiku, phrases, cartoon or whatever best communicates your story. The form, with its limited space, elicits fascinating biographical glimpses.

Suzanne Ehst, academic counselor for multicultural students at Goshen College, came up with the idea last fall as a way to share windows on diversity at the college. She blessed our effort to bring the canvas to the convention.

mPress will post the cards on the wall outside the newsroom (D-144) and on our Web site; we’ll also select a few to be published in the daily print edition.

Of course, these inflatable mattresses and rollaway beds were not the sole reason the 2009 Mennonite convention is meeting in Columbus. But it was a factor as Columbus bid for the third time to host the convention.

Hyatt, the largest hotel in the city, offered to stock 300 twin rooms with additional high-quality inflatable mattresses for the youth groups who will be staying there. The committee thought about putting adults at this hotel, but the Hyatt wanted to host the youth.

Choosing a convention location is a long-term process, beginning with narrowing down a list of possible cities to three primary candidates at least three years before the convention will take place. The director of convention planning, Jorge Vallejos, along with Ron Byler, associate director of Mennonite Church USA, and  Rachel Swartzentruber Miller, the associate director of convention planning, travels to each city for evaluation.

“What I do is a site inspection,” Vallejos said. Each city is critiqued on numerous aspects such as the price of meal plans, average hotel rates and traveling distance for participants. Even factors such as sales tax and hotel tax rates are considered to estimate the true cost of living in a given city for convention week.

“It took three tries to get it right,” added Vallejos, but this time Columbus was a more competitive option compared with the other cities.

After evaluating all three cities, Vallejos, Byler and Swartzentruber Miller rate each city and make a final recommendation to the board of directors of Mennonite Church USA, who then make the final location decision. “My job is to bring the best recommendation based on space and costs,” said Vallejos.

As expected, the decision for Columbus included a combination of these factors of space and cost. Columbus had been considered as an option in both 2005 and 2007.

There is no official rotation based on ease of access for the East and West coasts, but the board takes geography into account. “We never go back to a city twice because we always want to reach a new group of people,” said Swartzentruber Miller. Along with Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis were top contenders for 2009.

Meal plans also favored Columbus. Vallejos gave the Greater Columbus Convention Center reasonable meal plan prices and sample menus,and  the center  returned the most competitive meal package offer.  On his visit over three years ago, Vallejos met with the general managers of Columbus’ hotels to discuss the Mennonite convention’s needs, concerns and price range. According to Vallejos, these general managers then went back to their sales representatives and said, “Make this work.”

Once a convention site is officially chosen, the work for Vallejos and Swartzendruber Miller is far from over. They attend every convention, serving as the on-site managers.  ”There are a million things going on behind the scenes,” Vallejos added. “If the participants think things have gone smoothly, we’ve done our job.”

Pittsburg will host the convention in 2011. This decision was made earlier than usual due to shifts in the economy. According to Vallejos, choosing and securing a location before economic issues became more complicated was key in keeping the convention affordable.

Mennonites will travel to Phoenix in 2013 for the first convention in the Southwest. “Phoenix put together a phenomenal package for 2011, but we needed to get to another area of the country before we went to back to the West Coast,” said Swartzentruber Miller. “They were able to keep their rates very similar to the 2011 prices.”