Mission Paper

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Mission Paper (see poster created as we drew up this paper)

Plow Creek Mennonite Church and Plow Creek Fellowship

Our mission is to be a global village practicing the peace of Jesus.

Bureau County Free Health Clinic

A new local venture to provide free health care for those who are uninsured or underinsured. Several of our church members are becoming involved in a variety of roles ranging from setting up the pharmacy to accompanying the physicians to prayer. We will be working together with people from several area churches, providing health care, emergency food and clothing and prayer teams.

Christian Peacemaker Teams

Currently one of our members, Erin Kindy, is beginning a three-year term full time with CPT. We are praying the Colombia will provide her with a visa so that she can join the Colombia CPT team. Jim Fitz, another of our members, spent three months with the Colombia CPT team last winter. Other members have been and will be active in CPT as well.

Hosting

We host people in our homes and at a retreat cabin in our woods. For instance, in August a Chinese man was picked up be the local authorities and charged with possession of drugs. A local reporter contacted us because he felt the charges were not justified. We hosted the man for several weeks while he was fighting the charges. We often host people from Chicago who want to be still and know the Lord in our retreat cabin. We host people from around the world who are interested in Christian community. Every Friday night we have a common meal or a potluck. Recently we hosted several Hispanic families at a potluck, folks who work as temporary help on our farm.

International peacemaking

Since last winter every Tuesday several Plow Creek members have held a vigil at the local court house, holding signs advocating Jesus’ way of peace, not war. In addition, we actively lobby our public officials to oppose war-making from Colombia to Iraq.

Shalom Mission Communities

Our communal group, Plow Creek Fellowship, is a member of a SMC, a group of intentional Christian communities in Illinois, Texas and California. We share our lives, our finances, our homes and our selves.

Sister community with Valle Nuevo, El Salvador

Along with other SMC communities, since 1991 we have had a sister community relationship with an El Salvadoran village that was created by refugees returning from Honduras following the civil war. Plow Creek folks visit Valle Nuevo nearly every March and we have had people from Valle Nuevo live and work on our farm for several summers.

Sustainable housing and farming

We own a 189-acre farm. We have built all the homes on the farm, attempting to build in such a way as to conserve resources and to use renewable resources. In addition, we grow and sell fruits and vegetables. We grow the produce without harmful chemicals as a way to honor the earth and the Lord. We also grow healthy soil.

Theophostic
Several Plow Creek members have received training in Theophostic® ministry, a process of prayer for emotional healing, helping folks move from darkness to light. A few years ago Ed Smith, an Alabama clinical psychologist, changed his counseling practice and began to use an approach he eventually called Theophostic. First, he came to believe that when we get hooked in a current relationship it stems from a similar experience in the past. Second, he came to believe that when we have an emotional experience we often draw the wrong conclusions from the experience. He calls the wrong conclusions we draw a lie. Three, he came to believe that if we pray and ask Jesus to show us the original emotional experience, he will. Four, he also came to believe that if we can ask Jesus to show us the lie that we concluded as part of the experience. Five, he came to believe that if we ask Jesus to speak the truth, he will speak the truth about the experience and that the truth will transform the experience for the good. Six, he came to believe that not only will the original experience be transformed by the truth Jesus speaks but so will subsequent similar experiences.

Way of Christ

A lay led, Believers Church, Cursillo movement of Church of the Brethren & Mennonite Christians,. The Way of Christ is a three day event where participants share in a vibrant portrait of the grace filled life Jesus lived and taught. It is a time where the hope of Christ is celebrated, the believer's purpose in life named, the love of God in Jesus proclaimed. Life in Christ is built upon the grace of God and the believers trust of God to be shaped and transformed by that grace.


	Plow Creek Mennonite Church \| home Gentle Flow \| By-laws \| Mission Paper \| Why Communal? Mission Paper (see poster created as we drew up this paper) Plow Creek Mennonite Church and Plow Creek Fellowship Our mission is to be a global village practicing the peace of Jesus. Bureau County Free Health Clinic A new local venture to provide free health care for those who are uninsured or underinsured. Several of our church members are becoming involved in a variety of roles ranging from setting up the pharmacy to accompanying the physicians to prayer. We will be working together with people from several area churches, providing health care, emergency food and clothing and prayer teams. Christian Peacemaker Teams Currently one of our members, Erin Kindy, is beginning a three-year term full time with CPT. We are praying the Colombia will provide her with a visa so that she can join the Colombia CPT team. Jim Fitz, another of our members, spent three months with the Colombia CPT team last winter. Other members have been and will be active in CPT as well. Hosting We host people in our homes and at a retreat cabin in our woods. For instance, in August a Chinese man was picked up be the local authorities and charged with possession of drugs. A local reporter contacted us because he felt the charges were not justified. We hosted the man for several weeks while he was fighting the charges. We often host people from Chicago who want to be still and know the Lord in our retreat cabin. We host people from around the world who are interested in Christian community. Every Friday night we have a common meal or a potluck. Recently we hosted several Hispanic families at a potluck, folks who work as temporary help on our farm. International peacemaking Since last winter every Tuesday several Plow Creek members have held a vigil at the local court house, holding signs advocating Jesus’ way of peace, not war. In addition, we actively lobby our public officials to oppose war-making from Colombia to Iraq. Shalom Mission Communities Our communal group, Plow Creek Fellowship, is a member of a SMC, a group of intentional Christian communities in Illinois, Texas and California. We share our lives, our finances, our homes and our selves. Sister community with Valle Nuevo, El Salvador Along with other SMC communities, since 1991 we have had a sister community relationship with an El Salvadoran village that was created by refugees returning from Honduras following the civil war. Plow Creek folks visit Valle Nuevo nearly every March and we have had people from Valle Nuevo live and work on our farm for several summers. Sustainable housing and farming We own a 189-acre farm. We have built all the homes on the farm, attempting to build in such a way as to conserve resources and to use renewable resources. In addition, we grow and sell fruits and vegetables. We grow the produce without harmful chemicals as a way to honor the earth and the Lord. We also grow healthy soil. Theophostic Several Plow Creek members have received training in Theophostic® ministry, a process of prayer for emotional healing, helping folks move from darkness to light. A few years ago Ed Smith, an Alabama clinical psychologist, changed his counseling practice and began to use an approach he eventually called Theophostic. First, he came to believe that when we get hooked in a current relationship it stems from a similar experience in the past. Second, he came to believe that when we have an emotional experience we often draw the wrong conclusions from the experience. He calls the wrong conclusions we draw a lie. Three, he came to believe that if we pray and ask Jesus to show us the original emotional experience, he will. Four, he also came to believe that if we can ask Jesus to show us the lie that we concluded as part of the experience. Five, he came to believe that if we ask Jesus to speak the truth, he will speak the truth about the experience and that the truth will transform the experience for the good. Six, he came to believe that not only will the original experience be transformed by the truth Jesus speaks but so will subsequent similar experiences. Way of Christ A lay led, Believers Church, Cursillo movement of Church of the Brethren & Mennonite Christians,. The Way of Christ is a three day event where participants share in a vibrant portrait of the grace filled life Jesus lived and taught. It is a time where the hope of Christ is celebrated, the believer's purpose in life named, the love of God in Jesus proclaimed. Life in Christ is built upon the grace of God and the believers trust of God to be shaped and transformed by that grace.