Jubilee House Mission and Values, April 2012
Mission:
The mission of the Elkhart Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit, Jubilee House, is to express Jesus’ love and justice in the City of Elkhart. When Jesus began his ministry, he chose as his theme the Jubilee year of ancient Israel – “the acceptable year of the Lord” in which poor people hear good news, captives are released, blind people recover sight, and those who are oppressed are set free (Luke 4.18-19). Through serving and building relationships within the house and with neighbors, Jubilee House volunteers explore and express the meaning of Jubilee in our world today. Jubilee House is a mission of the Prairie Street Mennonite Church (PSMC) and Fellowship of Hope Mennonite Church (FOH). Its members become involved with the community that surrounds the churches, as well as with the broader Elkhart community. In partnership with Mennonite Mission Network, Jubilee House seeks to spark and nurture significant mutual relationships that address the formation of unit members, the life of the churches, and the welfare of the surrounding neighborhoods, so that all may experience Christ's Presence as he brings Jubilee to Elkhart.
The mission of the Elkhart Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit, Jubilee House, is to express Jesus’ love and justice in the City of Elkhart. When Jesus began his ministry, he chose as his theme the Jubilee year of ancient Israel – “the acceptable year of the Lord” in which poor people hear good news, captives are released, blind people recover sight, and those who are oppressed are set free (Luke 4.18-19). Through serving and building relationships within the house and with neighbors, Jubilee House volunteers explore and express the meaning of Jubilee in our world today. Jubilee House is a mission of the Prairie Street Mennonite Church (PSMC) and Fellowship of Hope Mennonite Church (FOH). Its members become involved with the community that surrounds the churches, as well as with the broader Elkhart community. In partnership with Mennonite Mission Network, Jubilee House seeks to spark and nurture significant mutual relationships that address the formation of unit members, the life of the churches, and the welfare of the surrounding neighborhoods, so that all may experience Christ's Presence as he brings Jubilee to Elkhart.
Values
1. Hospitality
and Invitation
Jubilee House is a welcoming
home, inviting a diverse MVS household and extending and receiving hospitality
with neighbors and community.
2. Justice
We are committed to sustainable
living, mindfully taking, consuming, and sharing our resources and the
resources of Earth and creation.
3. Community
We value the culture and
identity of Jubilee House that has been created over time. And we value that
each new household creates Jubilee House as their home, reflecting the
personalities and particularities of each.
4. Spirituality
Believing that Christian faith
is always growing and changing and deepening, we welcome MVSers at any stage of
faith. We are committed to accompanying each other in our believing, our
doubting, our certainties, and uncertainties, seeking to grow in our faith and
to explore ways of experiencing God that are appropriate to our condition.
Practices
Our mission and
values are supported and sustained through daily and weekly practices,
individual as well as household practices. We anticipate the fall orientation/retreat to be the time
MVSers to commit themselves to household and individual practices. These
commitments become the starting point for the required bi-monthly reflections,
which in turn provide a means for the local leadership and support committee to
support the MVSers. Throughout the
year the will be three household retreats that focus on Jubilee House Values of
the Hospitality, Justice, Community and Spirituality. Members of FOH and PSMC will be asked to resource these
Retreats.
September
Retreat: Household life and understanding
hospitality and invitation. This retreat will also use either the
Ennegram or the Myers Briggs indicator as a door for deeper understanding of
household members.
December Retreat: It is
suggested that this occur during the first weekend in December. The focus will be on spiritual growth
and various forms of spiritual disciplines. Time will be given during the retreat to discuss community
life among the household members.
March Retreat: Will focus
on blending Biblical justice and community involvements.
The following list
of current and past practices of Jubilee House for MVSers to choose from; new
practices can be added as well.
1.
Church
a)
Participation in worship—expectation that MVSers
will attend either FOH or PSMC
b)
Small group
c)
Mentors- Members of FOH and PSMC will be
available to be Mentors for MVSers.
This will be introduced at the September Retreat.
d)
Morning prayers
2.
Neighborhood
a)
Community meal
b)
Peacemakers training
c)
Inviting families to dinner
3.
Household
a)
House meetings
b)
Personal/household confession and accountability
c)
Faith/community exploration (through book
studies, with persons from the community, etc)
d)
Enneagram
e)
House meals
f)
Sabbath
g)
Fall orientation
4.
Personal
a)
Mentors, spiritual friendships
b)
Spiritual direction
c)
Sabbath
d)
Bi-monthly reflections
Morning prayers
