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Someone I know who is a sincere seeker is looking for good fellowship. She is transitioning away from a non-English speaking church background (think Russian Baptist or Romanian Pentecostal kind of thing) and that church is rapidly assimilating to the world anyway.

One of her concerns, which I respect highly, is that her children grow up in an environment where they won't be isolated. And that when they get older, they will know of someone they can marry. I am glad she is thinking about this now, instead of when it is too late.

What are good things for seekers to do? There are so many challenges to face. Sometimes I think a seeker needs a "concierge" to help them navigate all of this. It's something where I wish I could do more to help.

If the scriptures are our rule for faith and life, should there not be there be an example or admonition we can point to in the New Testament for how one should navigate this?

QP

Josh wrote:One of her concerns, which I respect highly, is that her children grow up in an environment where they won't be isolated. And that when they get older, they will know of someone they can marry. I am glad she is thinking about this now, instead of when it is too late.

This has always been a concern of mine as well. Being a young adult who would like to someday get married and start a family, I often worry about not only if I will be isolated/have a hard time marrying, but also if my kids would also have the same troubles. There's a lot of things that go through your mind as a seeker, and sometimes one can become discouraged. I know I've had a lot of ups and downs, but it's important to stay strong. I think the best thing to do is talk with other seekers, as most of the time they'll have the same concerns. Talking to someone born a Mennonite can also help, but it's not the same as talking to someone who's in the same situation as you're in.

quietpilgrim wrote:If the scriptures are our rule for faith and life, should there not be there be an example or admonition we can point to in the New Testament for how one should navigate this?

QP

The New Testament doesn't really tell a man at all about where or how to find a wife, and it certainly doesn't tell parents how to raise their families and what to do to help them find a good spouse and raise a good family themselves.

On the other hand, it does say marriage is good, and that being married in the Lord is good. But it's up to us to figure out how to do that.

Part of what plain Anabaptists do is figure out how to make practical applications where scripture is silent on the details.

If a seeker is willing to move, is willing to become Mennonite, and is willing to be discipled into the conservative Mennonite way of thinking about the Christian life, I would recommend they check with Fairview Mennonite Church in Reading, PA. The last I knew Fairview is open to people moving there to be a part of that church. It is a good size church (134 members) and has a good school that is open to anyone (not just Anabaptists) who are willing to embrace the school vision and guidelines. The church has a number of folks from non-Anabaptist background.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairview ... 5985363002

If a seeker is not interested in becoming Mennonite but wants a "pilgrim church", they could visit Followers of the Way in Boston and see if that church is the flavor they are looking for.
http://www.followers-of-the-way.org/

Excuse the ignorance, but can someone briefly define a "seeker". Wouldn't want to refer to myself as one if I'm not
I would very much like to join a Mennonite congregation, and I'm willing to relocate.

Haystack wrote:

Josh wrote:One of her concerns, which I respect highly, is that her children grow up in an environment where they won't be isolated. And that when they get older, they will know of someone they can marry. I am glad she is thinking about this now, instead of when it is too late.

This has always been a concern of mine as well. Being a young adult who would like to someday get married and start a family, I often worry about not only if I will be isolated/have a hard time marrying, but also if my kids would also have the same troubles. There's a lot of things that go through your mind as a seeker, and sometimes one can become discouraged. I know I've had a lot of ups and downs, but it's important to stay strong. I think the best thing to do is talk with other seekers, as most of the time they'll have the same concerns. Talking to someone born a Mennonite can also help, but it's not the same as talking to someone who's in the same situation as you're in.

I think NMB have only a little harder time getting married than MB. We have quite a few people in our church that are NMB and married to MB. One NMB was a single mother of two.

i think all of our NMB are married, almost all to MB.

KingdomBuilder wrote:Excuse the ignorance, but can someone briefly define a "seeker". Wouldn't want to refer to myself as one if I'm not
I would very much like to join a Mennonite congregation, and I'm willing to relocate.

In the conservative Anabaptist world, seekers are those who are looking for a church or movement that has higher expectations than the one they are currently part of. (often they are looking for one that is non-resistant, community oriented, higher ethical standards, etc.)
In general Christendom, I think it refers to people who are thinking about becoming a Christian or a churchgoer.

Ernie wrote:In the conservative Anabaptist world, seekers are those who are looking for a church or movement that has higher expectations than the one they are currently part of. (often they are looking for one that is non-resistant, community oriented, higher ethical standards, etc.)
In general Christendom, I think it refers to people who are thinking about becoming a Christian or a churchgoer.

Thanks, Ernie. I'd certainly fit the former; not the latter.