Summer 2013 | vol 22, no 4

cont. on page 2

The barn raising and beyond

The story of Menno-Hof: part II

by Harvey Chupp

Taken from part I (Spring 2013): We set out to provide a safe setting where three groups could be challenged to deepen their faith commitments. First, Menno-Hof was to be a place where all Anabaptist church families could discover and deepen their understanding of their own rich heritage. Second, to challenge other communities of faith to take more seriously the words of Christ as the heart of the Gospel in the areas of peace and justice. Third, to encourage the non-believer to consider joining us in discovering what it means to follow Christ. It was decided to hire David Bontrager (known as Big Dave) to

design and lead the construction of the Menno-Hof structure.

Dave had the reputation of being an Amish genius when it came

to large beam construction held together with 7-10 inch wooden

pegs instead of nails. Twelve 26-foot beams were needed but only four were found in the area. The other eight beams were

transported in from Louisiana. The 10-inch wooden pegs that

held the structure together were handmade by driving pieces of

wood through a pipe.

The main construction took place in October 1986 on a Friday

evening and Saturday. Three different crews were in charge of

organizing the large turnout of volunteers on Saturday. One crew

each was in charge of the house, barn, and the link between.

People came from Ft. Wayne, Kokomo, South Bend and lower

Michigan. Architectural students from Notre Dame came to

witness this phenomenon. A father from South Bend brought his

14-year-old son to experience an old fashioned barn raising. The

main construction was finished in six days with the interior work

completed during the next two years. Volunteers work together to raise one of the walls during the 1986 Menno-Hof barn raising. Barn raising has become the Anabaptists’ best-known example of community. Church members donate a day’s time to help rebuild a barn lost by fire or some other

tragedy.

He is faithful!

Excerpt from the litany shared

at the Menno-Hof Service of

Dedication | April 1988

The Lord has worked

among us

with the unfolding of the

Menno-Hof vision.

Prayers, support and counsel

from you,

our brothers,

sisters and friends,

are solicited

as the program continues.

And may your lives,

and ours,

bear witness

to the same message

which you call us to share

at Menno-Hof.

The Lord is present with us,

His people.

The Lord celebrates life with us,

His people.

That which we dedicate today

is already yours, O God.

Receive Menno-Hof as our gift

to you

and to all

who enter its doors,

and we also receive it

as your gift to us.

For you are our God!

And we are

the people of your pasture,

a flock under your care.

Praise be to God!

Amen

and

Amen.

2

The barn raising and beyond (cont. from front)

During the April 1988 dedication ceremony

in a large tent in the front lawn, two historical

worlds were brought together. Marion

Bontrager, new testament professor at Hesston

(Ks.) College was invited to be the keynote

speaker. Marion grew up in the area as an

Amish boy. Also invited to speak was Andre

Leveille,

C.S.C.

director of

the university

ministries,

Notre Dame.

Andre was a friend and

strong

supporter of

Menno-Hof.

He gave an

emotional

apology as he

reflected on

the

persecution

of Anabaptists in the 16th century by Catholics.

Both Marion and Andre, with their diverse

backgrounds, shared the same stage giving overwhelming testimony to the power and grace

of God.

We did encounter some resistance and

questioning along the way. One critic

questioned the wisdom of spending this much

money on a visitor’s center when it could have

been spent on “missions.” I made the comment

that “I hope the day will come when people

recognize Menno-Hof as the most cost-effective

outreach ever undertaken by the church.”

The blessing we received from the Amish

ministers was soon lost when The Goshen News

printed an article describing the “million dollar

visitor’s center to be built in Shipshewana.”

Some people were dismayed at the size of the bathrooms when the drawings were displayed

at the local shopping center. The project was

far greater than anticipated and there was

some fear the Amish would be exploited. We

chose not to respond to the criticism from both

Mennonites and Amish but allowed the

program speak for us.

We are pleased to say that the finished

product helped to change reservations and

support was received. One Amish lay person

later apologized for the lack of support for the

barn raising. His comment following his tour

was “not only did you not exploit us, you put us

in a good light. Now we have a lot to live up to.”

At the risk of missing some who were key to the

beginnings of Menno-Hof, following are

individuals who need to be given credit: Robert

Hartzler, directed fundraising; Sam Yoder, barn

raising coordinator; Alvin Miller, construction

coordinator; Paul Miller, solicited donated

materials; LeRoy Troyer, architect; Jan Glysteen,

historical consultant/illustrator; Mike Hostetler,

A/V programmer and photographer; Joel

Kauffmann, creative writer/developer; Ron

Stearly, graphic design; Dan & Viola Beachy, first

volunteer staff persons; Tim Lichti, first executive director.

When I reflect on the legacy of Menno-Hof, it

reminds me of a very intimate time with the late

Robert Lambright. Robert was dying of cancer

and I wanted to spend a few moments with him to

personally thank him for making it possible for us

to realize our vision. Robert was lying on the

dining room floor trying to get comfortable. I sat

on the floor next to him and through tears we

were reflecting on our respective roles in the life

and future of Menno-Hof. I assured Robert that

the ministry of Menno-Hof would continue long

after we were both gone. Robert passed away a

few weeks later. Menno-Clinic, India, is one of the ongoing

ministries with Menno-Hof connections. It is an

affordable health clinic and dental/eye clinic in

Chiluvuru, India, serving 70-80 people daily from

a village of Muslims, Hindus, Christians and

untouchables, inspired by Subbarao “Doc” and

Olga Yarlagadda. The Yarlagadda’s were baptized

at Emma Mennonite Church, Topeka, Ind. Doc

says that taking Indian visitors through

Menno-Hof to help them understand our

community helped him see the Good News of the

Gospel come together in a beautiful way. He

wanted the name of the clinic to resemble the

name of Menno-Hof to respect the influence Menno-Hof had on his life. Another major project

that was influenced by Menno-Hof was Nazareth

Village, Israel.

It is humbling to see the impact Menno-Hof has

had, not only locally, but also on the nearly 900,000

visitors from over 150 countries. Former Indiana

Governor Frank O’Bannon remarked following a

visit “this was a real spiritual experience” and called

Menno-Hof one of the eight hidden jewels of

Indiana. It is thrilling to hear stories from our staff

and dedicated volunteers of their conversations with

visitors...stories of people uniting with an

Anabaptist fellowship in their home area following a

visit...hearing of our own youth rededicating their

lives to faithful discipleship.

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

We want to express our gratitude to Harvey for his willingness to write out the Menno-Hof “story” for our readers as a reminder of God’s faithfulness through the years. We are also deeply grateful that Harvey heeded the Spirit’s promptings over 25 years ago and helped plant the seeds that would someday become Menno-Hof. Harvey and his wife,

Carolyn, live in Shipshewana and attend Emma Mennonite Church.

Above: The youngest workers were assigned to make the oak pegs used to hold the beams together during construction. Workers made the pegs by splitting scrap lumber from beam ends and driving it through a one-inch pipe with a sledge hammer. Once the structure was complete, more than 90 percent of the pegs could have been removed without weakening the

structure.

3

Did you know?

Menno-Hof was named for Menno Simons, the Dutch Anabaptist leader who left the Roman Catholic Church and became overseer for his followers

named “Menists” They later became known as Mennonites.

“Hof” is the German word for farmstead and refers to the house and barn

with some land around it.

5th Annual Singspiration

Sun., Sept. 8, 5 p.m. | pre-service singing 4:45 p.m.

Come and enjoy a cappella singing on the Menno-Hof lawn in the traditions of the Amish Church, Amish Mennonite Church, Conservative Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church USA. There will be ice cream and pretzels and more singing inside following the worship service. Bring lawn chairs for seating. Rain location: Farmstead Inn pavilion, Shipshewana (just north of Menno-Hof).

Pla

n to

atte

nd

!

by the [Menno-Hof

barn raising] numbers

200 volunteers & an Amish crew raised

the entire structure in 6 days.

1,000 wooden pegs were used to pin the

oak beams together.

600 people attended the dedication

service in 1988.

36 feet is the length of the longest

beam.

Beginnings

& endings

hosts & hostesses:

Fred Tillery

Sept. and Oct.

Charles & Leone Byers

Walsingham, ON Canada | Sept.

Duane & Leona Oesch

Nampa, ID | Oct.

Lawrence & Marilyn Martin

Kitchener, ON Canada | Nov.

Thank you! May you be blessed as you have blessed us and the Menno-Hof

visitors!

Guest Speaker:

25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

Space is limited:

Ways to participate:

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Shipshewana Event Center, 760 S Van Buren St. (SR 5)

Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Donald B. Kraybill, Ph.D., Elizabethtown (Pa.) College

Internationally recognized for his scholarship on Anabaptist

groups, Dr. Kraybill has authored or co-authored nine books on

Amish life. Kraybill and Dr. Steven Nolt, Goshen (Ind.)

College, will be available for a book signing before and after the

dinner with their latest book The Amish, published in 2013.

Reservations required by Sept. 19 for this celebration dinner

and fundraising opportunity: 260.768.4117 or info@mennohof.org

Sponsor a table for 8 ($250) to ensure that the offering goes

completely to Menno-Hof.

or call for complimentary tickets. You will be given an

opportunity that evening to contribute to the ministry.

MENNO-HOF

Above: It took lots of pie and

noodles to feed the hungry volunteers

during the barn raising. Tables were set up in the sale barn

across the road and Mennonite

and Amish women kept

the plates

filled.

In celebration of the 25th

anniversary, the 2013

Menno-Hof Quilt Garden has

been planted in the Menno-Hof logo pattern and titled “Community Roots.” Stop

in and check out the vibrant blooms!

Menno-Hof staff:

Jerry Beasley, executive director Susan Miller, managing director Charlotte Long, program and communication associate Don Miller, facility and grounds associate

Board of Directors:

Larry Chupp, president, Shipshewana, Ind. Lovina Rutt, vice-president, Goshen, Ind. Andrew Eversole, Goshen, Ind. Rachel Nafziger Hartzler, Goshen, Ind. Dorothy Hostetler, Shipshewana, Ind. Donna Jones, Shipshewana, Ind. Orie E. Lehman, Shipshewana, Ind. Daniel B. Miller, Goshen, Ind. Wayne Schrock, Millersburg, Ind. Don Stauffer, Union, Mich. Alvin J. Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind. Fern Yoder, Millersburg, Ind.

Hours:

Monday—Saturday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.

Summer hours (June, July, August) Monday—Friday: 10 a.m.—7 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.

DIRECTOR’S DESK

I n July I had the privilege of observing a great example of

what a group of individuals from an area faith community

can accomplish when working together for a credible cause. I was impressed when on July 2nd approximately 20

individuals from area Old Order Amish church districts met

in my office to discuss for the first time as an organized

group the logistics of the upcoming Menno-Hof haystack

dinner. The dinner was scheduled for July 13 —just ten

days later —at the Farmstead Inn pavilion and we were

planning for over 500 people.

Not once did someone say or imply it couldn’t be done even though

very few of the individuals present had experience planning haystack

dinners. Wow!

On July 13 activity began at 7:30 am and it was amazing to observe

helpers arriving and pitching right in —it appeared as though they all

knew their assignment well. As problems or obstacles were encountered,

solutions were quickly identified. By noon the aroma made it clear

that something good was in the works!

Young people began arriving in the afternoon and helped make short order out of setting up tables and chairs. At 4:30 p.m. people began

arriving and the food was ready. While folks were eating I overheard

many expressing appreciation for the tasty food and the opportunity for

fellowship.

By 7:30 p.m. more than 600 meals had been served and it was time for clean-up. This too was no small task and it was approximately 10

p.m. when the last ones left for home.

We at Menno-Hof are so thankful for our Amish sisters and brothers

and their hard work on this initiative which resulted in approximately

$3,200 being raised for Menno-Hof. Thank you and may God bless you!

Jerry Beasley

executive director

NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID

SHIPSHEWANA, IN

46565

PERMIT NO 17

Reunion is published quarterly to keep

our friends informed of happenings at

Menno-Hof. Send questions or

comments to director at

info@mennohof.org

Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite

Visitors’ Center

PO Box 701

510 S Van Buren St, SR 5

Shipshewana, IN 46565

Tele: (260) 768-4117

Fax: (260) 768-4118

E-mail: info@mennohof.org

Web site: www.mennohof.org

Menno-Hof wish list:

~washer & dryer for apartments ~8’X12’ garden shed

~8 ft. lightweight tables

If you are interested in donating any of the listed items, contact Jerry or Susan at 260.768.4117. Monetary contributions can be sent to:

Menno-Hof, PO Box 701, Shipshewana, IN 46565