A Collection of Reflections
Darren Peachey - Belleville, Pennsylvania
“We have chosen to make CMC our community. We have chosen to attend a CMC church and to put down roots within this group of congregations. And we hope that our kids can grow up and find role models, and find heroes of faith, within this group of churches.” These confident, yet humble and trust-filled words spoken by Elizabeth Miller from West Jefferson, Ohio, via video at the Friday evening session of the recent Multiply gathering in Maryland, have impacted my thinking these past few weeks.
Will Elizabeth’s children, and all the children within the influence of CMC, find role models and heroes? Will the children find the kind of heroes that are described in Hebrews 10:19-25? Heroes that have a confidence to enter the presence of God by the blood of Jesus. Heroes with sincere, undivided hearts that have only an allegiance to Jesus. Heroes who hold unswervingly to the professed hope of cleansing from sin through Jesus. Heroes who spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Heroes who do not give up on each other but rather encourage one another to hold onto faith in Jesus.
Will you and I be heroes, heroes of faith?
Merlin W. Miller - Shipshewana, Indiana
I could reflect on quite a number of blessings from Multiply 2022 in Western Maryland—things that I enjoyed and could speak positively about. The setting was beautiful, it’s always great to be challenged through teaching, the host community took great care of us, singing and worshiping with a large group of believers is inspiring, those that provided childcare were awesome, and hearing personal stories had the dual effect of making it feel accessible to me and motivating me.
But, as good as all those things were, my favorite thing about Multiply 2022 was being able to reconnect with all those people that I’ve gotten to know over the years. Rekindling those personal connections is such a joy and brings encouragement to me. That happens via a glance and a smile, a handshake and a casual conversation, a hug and more in-depth vulnerability, or best of all, praying for and with each other. I’m often amazed at how God has allowed me to meet so many brothers and sisters within our conference—I count many of you as dear friends.
In a similar vein, it is very satisfying to me to see my children also establish friendships with other children who attend churches scattered across the country. I love hearing their stories of connecting with someone else’s child, and figuring out whether I’ve connected with their parents yet! We are built to be relational, and these relationships have joy and meaning when it is the Holy Spirit that binds us together.
Heidi Hertzler - Kalona, Iowa
In a country that is trying to figure out our “new normal,” CMC’s Multiply 2022 was a breath of fresh air. Together we gathered in a large building at the fairgrounds, which was artfully decorated (feeling warm and inviting), and raised our voices together to praise our God. Together we prayed for each other and enjoyed impactful conversations over meals.
As I reflect, a highlight was the testimonies shared about what God is doing in churches and through missions in our conference. The stories held a vulnerability that exposed the challenges, yet were delivered with such integrity that one could understand the powerful ways God is showing up and being made famous in our neighborhoods and around the world.
Sunday morning, Wes Furlong talked about Daniel. Daniel lived in uncertain times and it appeared like his only choice was to assimilate into the Babylonian culture or isolate in his Jewish culture. Many times we think our only options are to assimilate or to isolate. Yet, Daniel shows us a different way. This new approach took wisdom, listening to his God, and being obedient. The end result was Daniel becoming a model citizen in both the Jewish and Babylonian cultures. When we find ourselves in places where we feel our only choice is to assimilate or to isolate, may we be people who learn from Daniel to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to find a way to effectively share Jesus and glorify our God in the culture where he has placed us.
Emy Yoder - Dayton Virginia
As humans we worry, and we worry a lot. We worry about relationships, possessions, feelings. But the only thing we should really be worrying about is our relationship with the Father. This past year has brought a lot of decisions to light as I prepare for a life without parental support, and I worry if I am making the right choices. However, there is only so much we know, or so much of the puzzle we can see. One thing that the CMC conference taught me, through the numerous missionary testimonies, was that we do not have to know the answer. We just need to know God. Knowing God means having a relationship with him; wanting what he wants. As long as I know God, he will show me what he wants for me and guide me through life.
We also must want God’s leadership. If we are leaning on our own power to make decisions, we are not desiring or even considering the best option. It is like reading a multiple-choice question without reading the instructions or all of the options. In all my life, I have never correctly guessed how a situation could play out and that is a very good thing. Because if I got what I wanted all the time, if we all got what we wanted all the time, the world would be in ruins. I mean, look at where the world is right now. Submitting to God is the greatest decision of anyone’s life. But, in order to completely submit, we must completely trust in his correct answer to the multiple-choice question that is life.
Elizabeth Miller - West Jefferson, Ohio
At the recent annual CMC Multiply conference, my husband and I took full advantage of the provided childcare to attend the sessions, catch up with old friends, and make new friends. Highlights for our children included a bouncy house rented for multiple days (!) and playing some of their first real games of tag with friends both old (as a percentage of their life) and new. Their smiles and moods when we picked them up made it clear that they had enjoyed their times in each childcare session.
As our children grow, so will the relationships that they have formed while spending time together in childcare. I still remember my early impressions of other CMC children who are still part of the greater CMC community today. This shared bank of memories serves as a shared experience that, while certainly not necessary for a community to thrive, does make it more natural for thriving to occur. This connection will help our kids understand that they are a part of the community, too, and that an annual trip to Multiply will involve their own renewal of connections, and not just tagging along with Andrew and me. This is all in addition to the solid teaching on biblical topics. In a world where children are given little independence in the name of safety, the CMC childcare offers a unique opportunity for children to gain a small measure of independence in an environment that any parent would feel great about.
We plan to continue to make Multiply a yearly event for our family. The conference leaves us feeling spiritually enriched and challenged, and connected to a part of the body of Christ that feels like a true theological and cultural home. The childcare not only makes it possible for us to be edified by the sessions without constant interruption, but is something that the children love and grow from.
