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The purpose of the Ponca Creek Partnership is to share the love, compassion, and hope of Christ between the Euro-American congregation of Bethany United Church of Christ, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and the Native American congregation of Ponca Creek United Church of Christ, Bonesteel, South Dakota. Through the Partnership, the Bethany and Ponca Creek congregations work together to respond to the physical, educational, emotional, and spiritual needs which the Ponca Creek congregation has discerned in their community.
History
The partnership grew out of a Youth Mission Trip, which conducted an all-day Bible School at Ponca Creek in 1996. This trip aroused tremendous love and compassion for the people of Ponca Creek and led to an enduring commitment to that community. Subsequent Youth Mission Trips have deepened and expanded that commitment; in spite of the distance, the youth of Bethany and the children and youth of Ponca Creek know and love one another and express their love with on-going correspondence during the year.
In 1998, a College Scholarship Fund was created as an expression of our hope for the future of the young people of the Ponca Creek Community. The first graduate began to receive support from this fund in 2000. Additional support for a student already in college began in 2001.
In August 2000, seven college-aged young people and a mentor, eager to minister to the needs of the community not addressed by the Youth Mission Trip, traveled to Ponca Creek to provide training and support in a variety of areas where their children and youth are at risk. In the summer of 2001 a college-age young adult spent eight weeks working with members of the congregation in a variety of education and alcohol awareness programs, as well as building relationships and assessing needs for future trips. In the summer of 2002 the mission will expand to include help with construction of a new youth center at Ponca Creek.
Needs
The pressing needs of this community include:
Faith - The deep spirituality of the Native American people needs to be supported and nurtured in on-going dialogue with the stories, truth, and actions of the Christian life.
Hope - Alcoholism, unemployment, broken families, broken promises, and neglect have led many to lose hope for the future.
Love - The overwhelming problems faced by the community and the lack of resources and support in facing them mean that the community desperately needs the enduring commitment of a concerned group of Christians.
How It Works
The ministry of the Ponca Creek Partnership is carried out in three ways:
Youth Mission Trip goals and objectives:
High-school aged members of Bethany
- conduct a week-long all-day Bible School, which helps the children grow in understanding the Christian faith.
- develop the relationships of love, care, and commitment which are the basis of the on-going ministry.
College-Age Mission Trip goals and objectives:
These young adults
- provide week-long, faith-based, age-appropriate education in nutrition, personal hygiene, first-aid, drug and alcohol awareness, and good study habits, as well as opportunities for youth to discuss the burdens they face in their community.
- help arrange for professional medical and dental examinations for the Ponca Creek community.
- continue to develop the relationships of love, care, and commitment.
College Scholarship Fund goals and objectives:
This fund
- expresses our faith in the abilities of the young people of Ponca Creek and encourages them to continue to work for a good education.
- provides financial resources to assist high-school graduates from the Ponca Creek community with the costs of college or vocational school.
- continues to express the love, care, and commitment of our relationship.
Planning and Administration:
The Ponca Creek Partnership is nurtured through the work of Rev. Steve Gehlert, the Mission Committee, and Youth Committee of Bethany Church and Rev. Hampton Andrews and Judy Hanson of the Ponca Creek Church. Our work is conducted in response to an on-going dialogue regarding the needs of the community and ways to respond to them.
Youth Mission Trip - preparation, involving 24 Bethany youth and 6 adults, requires planning programs, meals, and worship, for 30-35 Ponca Creek children and youth, which begins in April and ends after the trip in June; upon arrival Ponca Creek youth join Bethany youth in conducting the program.
College-Age Mission Trip - preparation, involving 5-10 college-age young adults and a mentor, requires planning nutrition, first-aid, and substance abuse programs for the Ponca Creek children and youth, which is done over holiday breaks and in the summer before the trip is taken in August; upon arrival Ponca Creek youth join Bethany’s young adults in conducting the program.
College Scholarship Fund - applications are received by the Bethany Mission Committee in summer and awards made in August.
Leadership:
The Bethany and Ponca Creek churches have been in relationship for 6 years. Our ability to maintain and grow this partnership has been demonstrated as new needs have been discerned and responses to them have been developed. At Ponca Creek, Rev. Hampton Andrews and Ms. Judy Hanson are committed to this ministry and intimately aware of the needs of the Ponca Creek Community as well as its potential to minister to participants from Bethany. At Bethany, Rev. Steve Gehlert works with college-aged members, and the Mission Committee, Youth Committee, and Youth Fellowship to continue to respond to the needs which the community has discerned as well as to strengthen the love and trust that are the foundation of our relationship and shared ministry.
Funding:
The ministries of the Partnership have been funded by a variety of Fund-raising projects at Bethany including, car washes, grocery receipt collections, pizza nights, sub sandwich sales, van parts sales, as well as grants from the Eastern Ohio Association and the Ohio Conference.
Prayer:
Loving Creator, We thank you for the work of your Spirit within and between our peoples. We thank you that you have opened our hearts to each other, helped us know and love one another, and fostered care and committed toward one another. We thank you for the gifts of this partnership: openness to learn from one another, the ability to see Christ’s image in each other, the opportunity to begin to redress historic injustices, and the hope of being witnessing to the healing, reconciling, and transforming power of your love. We pray that you would continue to bless this relationship with continued dedication and commitment, love and care, so that we may continue to be your instruments of unity and peace. Amen.
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