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| Michele Hershberger addressed the more than 5,000 youth attending the Mennonite Church USA youth convention in Atlanta on Monday, July 7, 2003 |
A new book written by a Bible and
youth ministry professor at Hesston College explains faith in a way
that makes sense in the culture of the day.
Written by Michele Hershberger,
and published by Faith & Life Resources, God's Story, Our Story:
Exploring Christian Faith & Life is designed for people, primarily
youth, who are exploring baptism in a Mennonite congregation.
"In some ways, this book is
like the previous books on baptism preparation," Hershberger said.
"It holds true to Anabaptist beliefs and honors the 1995 Mennonite
Confession of Faith.
"But what's new is that this
book takes more of a biblical narrative approach," Hershberger
explained, "rather than the systematic theology approach used in
the past. Before, catechism books explained who God is in one chapter,
who Jesus is in another chapter, and who the Holy Spirit is in a third
chapter. But the Bible doesn't function that way--it's a story about
God and Jesus, starting at creation and ending at Revelation. The Bible--and
Jesus himself--uses narrative to communicate God's work in the world.
"Youth don't learn anymore
by just giving them facts and statements to believe," Hershberger
continues. "In this book, we tell and illustrate those facts with
the biblical story, just like the Bible does. Following a real life
God is not as cut and dried as it seems on paper. This book invites
readers to see their own faith journey in light of God's story."
The
idea for the book began in the summer of 2000 when Faith & Life
Resources invited a group of pastors, youth leaders, and others from
across North America to brainstorm what kind of resource would be
needed in the new Mennonite Church USA. That group was led by Marlene
Kropf, director of the Office of Congregational Life for Mennonite
Church USA.
Out of that meeting came an invitation
to Hershberger to write the book. The group met with her in 2001, then
gave further feedback as the book took shape.
As Hershberger began writing in
May 2002, another group of six, drawn from a variety of ages and backgrounds,
played a key role in the development of each chapter. "I would
write a chapter, then discuss it with the group each week," she
explained. "They sometimes challenged what I wrote, agreed with
it, or asked good questions. We became a close group and had deep meaningful
times with each other."
The group consisted of Mike Mendez,
Rosella Wedel, Josh Piper, Luke Hartman, and Tara Hershberger (Hershberger's
daughter). "These dear friends carried me through and spoke God's
word to me on those Saturday mornings," Hershberger writes in the
author's acknowledgements. "This book is theirs in so many ways.
Thanks also to Mary Simmering and Heidi Boese, for reading the manuscript
and jumping into the conversation mid-stream."
Hershberger then placed parts of
those discussions in the book itself to add texture and real-life experience
to the content. When some concepts seem hard to understand, readers
may find that the conversation helps bring clarity.
Hershberger also field-tested the
material with her junior high Sunday school class at Hesston Mennonite
Church. "You told me what didn't work, what really did work, and
why," she said in the book acknowledgements. "They also share
in the writing of this book; their passion for God gives me such hope
for the future."
The 166-page book, priced at $11.99
($18.79 in Canada), is available at Provident Bookstores, or by calling
1-800-245-7894.
Geared for youth ages 15-17, but
also appropriate for new adult believers, God's Story, Our Story should
be used in conjunction with the new leaders' manual, Making Disciples:
Preparing People for Baptism, Christian Living, and Church Membership."
The manual is written by April Yamasaki.
God's Story, Our Story is designed
both for individual reading and group study. Youth group leaders and
parents are encouraged to purchase and read the book as a reference
and tool for conversation with youth.