"Come together in the way of Jesus Christ"
The Mennonite Weekly Review Article:
http://www.mennoweekly.org/2009/1/12/humble-way-travel/
The Intelligencer Journal Article:
http://blogs.lancasteronline.com/potholes/2009/01/07/local-cyclist-departs-for-paraguay/
The EMU article by Jim Bishop:
www.emu.edu/news/index.php/1827
by Bikemovement Americas
HARRISONBURG, Va.—For BikeMovement Americas 2009, Lars Åkerson and Jonathan Spicher will bike from Harrisonburg to the Global Youth Summit and Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Asunción, Paraguay, July 2009.
Åkerson attends Harrisonburg (Va.) Mennonite Church and the Early Church, both in Harrisonburg. Spicher attends Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg. Jon studies biology (pre-med) at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, and Åkerson graduated from EMU last year.
They will begin the 7,000-mile trip in January 2009 and will update an interactive Web site along their route. People are welcome to join the touring group for sections of the ride.
A map of the route, which passes through the southeastern United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay, is available at http://americas.bikemovement.org.
BikeMovement Americas hopes to raise $30,000 to help emerging young leaders from around the world attend the summit in Paraguay. AMIGOS (MWC youth committee) has raised more than $75,000 toward this goal, but $30,000 remains. More information is at http://americas.bikemovement.org/give.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MENNONITE YOUNG ADULTS ‘ON THE WAY’ BY BICYCLE TO PARAGUAY GLOBAL ASSEMBLY:
GROUP TO RAISE FUNDS FOR GLOBAL YOUTH NETWORK
November 4, 2008—As a part of BikeMovement Americas 2009, several Anabaptist young adults will bike from Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA to the Global Youth Summit and Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Asunción, Paraguay, from January to July 2009. Throughout the two-wheeled pilgrimage the group will seek to learn from and serve those they encounter, and to connect with Anabaptist congregations and service workers along their approximately 7,000 mile route through the American continents. “We hope that our journey will encourage and add to an intercultural conversation about discerning and living Christ’s call with integrity,” says project co-coordinator Lars Åkerson, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
As they travel, the group will update an interactive, dynamic website to creatively document conversations, stories, and photos of their experiences as an invitation for broader conversation and dialogue. Persons are welcomed to join the self-supported touring group for sections of the ride—whether for a couple of miles or a couple of days. “Biking together is a great way to build relationships, and it’s exciting to have the opportunity,” comments project co-coordinator Jonathan Spicher, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania native and a student at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. A map of the group’s route, which passes through the southeastern United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay, is available on their website: http://americas.bikemovement.org
Beginning in January 2009, the group hopes to arrive in Asunción six months later in time for the fifteenth Mennonite World Conference Assembly and second Global Youth Summit, July 10-19, 2009. The youth summit’s focus is “Service: Live the Difference,” while the Anabaptist assembly at large will “Come together in the way of Jesus Christ,” with Philippians 2:1-11 as the theme text. More than 220 young adults from 28 countries gathered for the first Global Youth Summit along with nearly 7,000 who attended the general assembly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in 2003.
Working with AMIGOS (the world conference youth committee) BikeMovement Americas hopes to raise $30,000 in the months leading up to the ride to help emerging young leaders from around the world attend the summit in Paraguay. Over the past three years, AMIGOS has raised over $75,000 toward this goal, but $30,000 remains to meet its goal for providing grants.
Details about how contributions can be made toward either AMIGOS or the BikeMovement Americas riders are available on the website at http://americas.bikemovement.org/give.
http://www.americas.bikemovement.org
download the press release: .doc
PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA
JOVENES MENONITAS “EN CAMINO” POR BICICLETA A ASAMBLEA MUNDIAL EN PARAGUAY:
GRUPO A RECAUDAR FONDOS PARA CMM AMIGOS
4 Noviembre 2008 — Como parte de BikeMovement Americas 2009, unos jóvenes anabaptistas biciclarán desde Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA a la Cumbre Mundial de la Juventud y Asamblea Mundial Menonita en Asunción, Paraguay, empezando en Enero y llegando en Julio 2009. Durante toda la peregrinación en dos ruedas el grupo tratará de aprender de y servir a los que encuentren, y a conectar con congregaciones y misioneros anabaptistas por el viaje de aproximadamente 11200 kilómetros a través de los continentes de América. “Esperamos que nuestro viaje alentará y aumentará una conversación intercultural sobre discernir y vivir con integridad el llamado de Cristo,” dice coordinador del proyecto Lars Åkerson, de Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Mientras viajan, el grupo realizará un sitio web dinámico y interactivo para recordar las conversaciones, las historias, y las fotos de sus experiencias como una invitación a conversación y dialogo más amplia. Personas están bienvenidas a unirse al grupo autoestable para una parte del viaje—sea unos kilómetros o unos días. “Viajar juntos en bicicleta es una buena manera para construir relaciones, y me anima tener la oportunidad,” comenta coordinador del proyecto Jonathan Spicher, de Lancaster, Pennsylvania, y un estudiante en la Universidad Menonita del Este (Eastern Mennonite University) en Harrisonburg, Virginia. Una mapa de la ruta, que pasa por los Estados Unidos sureste, México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, y Paraguay, está puesta en el sitio web http://america.bikemovement.org.
Empezando en Enero 2009, el grupo espera llegar en Asunción después de seis meses por la decimoquinta Asamblea del Congreso Mundial Menonita y la segunda Cumbre Mundial de la Juventud, 10-19 Julio 2009. El foco de la cumbre de la juventud es “Servicio: Viva la Diferencia,” mientras la asamblea anabaptista en general celebra que “Sigamos juntos el camino de Jesucristo,” con Filipenses 2:1-11 como el texto temático. Más de 220 jóvenes de 28 países se juntaron para la primera Cumbre Mundial de la Juventud y casi 7,000 asistieron la asamblea general en Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, en 2003.
Junto a AMIGOS (la comité de la Juventud de CMM) BikeMovement Americas tratará recaudar $30,000 en los meses antes del viaje para apoyar a líderes jóvenes emergentes de todas partes del mundo a asistir la cumbre en Paraguay. En los últimos tres años, AMIGOS ha recaudado más de $75,000 a esta meta, pero $30,000 queda para llegar al objetivo de proveer las becas.
Detalles en como se puede donar a AMIGOS o a los ciclistas de BikeMovement Americas están disponibles en el sitio web: http://americas.bikemovement.org/give.
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Contacto:
Lars Åkerson
americas@bikemovement.org
+11 (540) 421-3709
http://www.americas.bikemovement.org
descargar el comunicado de prensa: .doc
Bike to church! Walk to church! Carpool, unicycle, or skateboard to church! On October 12, members of Virginia Mennonite Conference churches are invited (encouraged!) to connect with others from their church and decide together whether they’ll use 4, 2, (1,) or no wheels to get to church. As a part of the Body of Christ, this is one way to witness to the healing and hope of Jesus Christ, and not comply with the frenzied, isolated, and consumptive patterns of the world.
It’s not a new idea. People have been re-imagining transportation for a long time — for some, using alternative transportation to get to church is old hat — and for that, our hats are off to you! You’re our role models here! But, for many, the idea of walking, biking, or even carpooling to church is new, so here are some reasons to try it out on October 12.
Most notably, this is an opportunity to practice caring for all of God’s Creation. Noticing and reducing consumption is one way to exercise good stewardship of the natural world and to begin living at peace with others, since many wars are fought over scarce resources, like oil.
Less obvious is the gift of change. The simple act of altering the routine can provide a new perspective on the ordinary. Often, it is in these moments of heightened awareness that God speaks and appears most vividly.
Starting with the money saved, participants can help young leaders from the global south attend the Global Youth Summit and Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Paraguay next summer. AMIGOS, the global network of Anabaptist young adults, is trying to raise a final $30,000 to provide assistance to youth from the global south who would like to participate in the gathering as delegates of their church conferences. While the cost for one youth delegate to travel to and attend the summit is approximately $2,500, together, by sharing resources, the church can help make this happen.
Contributions can either be made here, or by mail to Virginia Mennonite Missions, Attn: ‘on the way, together’, 901 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg VA 22802. Virginia Mennonite Missions will pass all funds on directly to Mennonite World Conference AMIGOS.
Printed in the October, 2008 issue of the Virginia Mennonite Conference Connections.
Promotional material is available on the press page.
