100 years

This weekend, Zurich Mennonite Church celebrated its 100th anniversary. As I've been reading the history book that was published to comemmorate the last century, I was particularly encouraged by one season of the church's story. Early in its history, the church dwindled to one member. One woman! And what followed was the growth of a church family that has a beautiful history of faithfulness and service. God grew the church to what it is now from one person. So as we are part of a newly birthed church in Clinton that faces the option of discouragement about its size from time to time, I am again choosing to be encouraged instead. God will grow His church in His ways and in His time. Our part is simply to be faithful to follow how we sense He is leading.



Our Clinton church family (above) decided to join the Zurich Sunday service this weekend to be part of the celebration. And at the service was Seleda Steckle, who celebrates her 100th birthday this year. It struck a number of us that Seleda and Eliana are literally born a century apart. Wow. So we had a few pictures taken of the two of them. How special. (Thanks, Pam!)

Imagine Eliana as a 100 year old woman (I can't... can you?) holding a brand new baby in 2108. Imagine the changes she will have seen over the course of a century. Unbelievable.