WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE
SEEDS
August 21, 2013
Bike to Church Sunday
People came to Turpin Mennonite Church (Oklahoma) in some unusual ways on Sunday, August 11. One person walked two miles to church. Another bicycled four miles to church. Four persons rode horses 4 miles to church. One farmer drove his Volvo front loader tractor to church. One 78 year old great grandmother rode on the back of the pastor’s motorcycle to church (see attached picture!). Several drove antique pickup’s to church. Over twenty people rode 4-wheelers to church. Why? To raise money to help children in Bangladesh to get a better education and hope for a better life.
The idea originated with John Stoesz, the retiring regional director of Mennonite Central Committee. He decided to do a farewell bike ride to 50 churches in central Kansas during May to thank them for their support of Mennonite Central Committee, a relief and service organization of the Mennonite Churches. He invited churches to plan a Bike to Church Sunday and use it as a fund raiser to support MCC’s Global Family Educational projects in places like Bangladesh, Tanzania, Serbia, Honduras, and Syria.
People at Turpin Mennonite, Turpin, OK, liked the idea. But they didn’t have very many bicyclers. So they decided to broaden the term of biking to church by including a variety of forms of alternate transportation to church. So people came to church on foot, on bicycle, on horseback, by tractor and motorcycle, by 4-wheelers. The money raised, almost $1100.00, will go for educational projects in Bangladesh.
It was so much fun and meaningful, we may do it again next year!
–submitted by Pastor Terry Rediger, tmcpastor@ptsi.net, 580-259-6440
Turpin Mennonite Church, Turpin, OK
WDC SEEDS is a weekly communication for WDC churches announcing what’s new and good in Western District Conference. Please forward this to congregational members. Pastors are invited to submit one paragraph summaries of kingdom initiatives that will encourage the networking of best practices across Western District Conference. WDC Seeds is also available at: www.mennowdc.org.
Western District Conference
2517 North Main, PO Box 306
North Newton KS 67117
316-283-6300; FAX: 316-283-0620
Email: wdc@mennowdc.org
Website: www.mennowdc.org