MVS Unit Discernment Tool

MVS Unit Discernment Tool

The purpose of this tool is to assist the Mennonite Voluntary Service program and your congregation in assessing the “state” of your local MVS ministry. We believe it is prudent to periodically reconsider if the program continues to fit your congregation’s vision for local mission.

We ask that the “Congregational Vision” and “Congregational Relationship” sections be processed with the entire (or a significant portion of) host congregations. Feel free to respond with short or incomplete sentences. We ask that response to the “Support Committee” section be evaluated among support committee members.

Hopefully this helps guide conversation helping you think not only about what your congregation enjoys from having an MVS unit but more importantly and crucially, how having an MVS unit strengthens the ministry of your congregation.

Congregational Vision

1.     What is your congregations’ vision for mission in your community?

2.     How does partnering with Mennonite Voluntary Service assist your congregation in carrying out their vision?

3.     Has there been a sense of ownership of the MVS unit by the entire host congregation?  Does the congregation’s budget continue to reflect a commitment to MVS?

4.     Do church members’ involvements in the community reflect a commitment to this ministry?

Congregational Relationship

1.     Do the congregation and the participants have a clear understanding about the relationship between the MVS unit and the congregation? Is this relationship a positive one?  What changes are desired?

2.     Are the members of the host congregation aware of and involved with the objectives of MVS as a program and as a part of the congregation’s ministry?

3.     Has MVS become an unhealthy strain/drain on the host congregation? 

4.     How has the host congregation benefited from having MVS as an extension of its ministry in the community?  How has the local community benefited?

5.     Does the host congregation believe that MVS should continue to be an extension of its ministry in the community? 

Support Committee

1.     Has the support committee had a clear understanding of its role in the MVS program?  How would you describe the role of the support committee?

2.     Has the support committee had a clear understanding of its role in the life of the unit? How would you describe the role of the support committee?

3.     What functions should the support committee add or discontinue?

4.     Has there been a healthy balance of “old” and “new” experiences and ideas on the committee?  How has your committee worked to ensure that? 

2013-02-04 Support Committee Minutes

Jubilee House Support Committee Minutes

February 4, 2013

At FOH

Present:  Dale Ritchie, Jeff Hoover, Carmen Kingsley, Mary Miller, Suella Gerber, Art Stoltzfus.

Excused:  Margaret Delucancy and Anne Mitchell

1.              Welcome:  The meeting started by having each person share an experience when they have experienced hospitality/welcome.

2.               Local Program Coordinator (LPC) Job Description:  A revised draft of the job description was reviewed.  Suella expressed her willingness to continue as LPC, assuming that some of the responsibilities are shared among other members of the Support Committee.  Mary agreed to continue to take the lead in orienting new MVSers to the Elkhart community.   Art agreed to take the lead in being the contact person with the placement agencies. There was some discussion about greater involvement with finances, but in the end we agreed that the responsibility belongs to the household, with regular reporting to the support committee.

3.              Painting on the upstairs bedroom was completed with the assistance of John Gerber.  It was reported that the walls are in poor condition. It was suggested that we schedule a time for PSMC trustees (or other?) to “inspect” the house before MVSers move out, and prepare the house for the new MVSers.

4.              Dinner at Jubilee House:  Suella will contact the house to determine if there can be a consistent date every other month, perhaps the second Monday of the month, for the Support Committee and MVSers to share a meal. 

5.              Next meeting: Monday, April 8 at 5:30 at FOH. 

2013-02-04 Support Committee Minutes

Jubilee House Support Committee Minutes

February 4, 2013

At FOH

Present:  Dale Ritchie, Jeff Hoover, Carmen Kingsley, Mary Miller, Suella Gerber, Art Stoltzfus.

Excused:  Margaret Delucancy and Anne Mitchell

1.              Welcome:  The meeting started by having each person share an experience when they have experienced hospitality/welcome.

2.               Local Program Coordinator (LPC) Job Description:  A revised draft of the job description was reviewed.  Suella expressed her willingness to continue as LPC, assuming that some of the responsibilities are shared among other members of the Support Committee.  Mary agreed to continue to take the lead in orienting new MVSers to the Elkhart community.   Art agreed to take the lead in being the contact person with the placement agencies. There was some discussion about greater involvement with finances, but in the end we agreed that the responsibility belongs to the household, with regular reporting to the support committee.

3.              Painting on the upstairs bedroom was completed with the assistance of John Gerber.  It was reported that the walls are in poor condition. It was suggested that we schedule a time for PSMC trustees (or other?) to “inspect” the house before MVSers move out, and prepare the house for the new MVSers.

4.              Dinner at Jubilee House:  Suella will contact the house to determine if there can be a consistent date every other month, perhaps the second Monday of the month, for the Support Committee and MVSers to share a meal. 

5.              Next meeting: Monday, April 8 at 5:30 at FOH. 

Jubilee House Mission and Values, April 2012

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.

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