Fairhaven Mennonite Church in Fort Wayne is a congregation of 25-30 people, where lay leaders have worked to provide leadership and support. We have not had a pastor for 10+ years so retired pastors, speakers from church agencies, and others preach weekly.
About a year ago, the congregation had a frank, “Where do we go from here?” conversation. No one was ready to throw in the towel and move on. Yet at times it felt like we were treading water. The vision to “build a diverse community of Jesus followers through caring relationships” was still relevant but we wondered “Could we do better?”
Around this time, Dr. Bob Smith, a retired minister with a strong background in urban ministry, preached occasionally at Fairhaven. He and his wife Belinda were invited to come monthly and preach, share lunch, and lead the congregation in thinking about the future.. He encouraged the group to pray and name hopes and big ideas.
Two ideas became the focus: (1) invite an intern from a seminary to work with Fairhaven for several months (still pending); (2) share the building with another congregation since the well-maintained building could be better utilized. Thanks to a matching grant from IMMC, a new steel roof replaced a badly leaking one!
News of a small Hispanic congregation, Familia De Fe, looking for a space reached Fairhaven through connections with Bob. The two groups met during late winter and a decision was made to proceed with plan to share the space. Since Bob had pastored a church that shared a building, he was able to give guidance on creating agreements, having realistic expectations, and finding ways to not simply rent the space but share some aspects of life together. Work began to write a contract, contact the insurance company, clear storage space and plan the communication process.
Familia De Fe began worshipping on site in August of 2024. Fairhaven worship service begins at 10am with Familia De Fe starting at 11:30am. This allows time for informal greetings as Fairhaven heads to Sunday School and Familia De Fe begins worship. All children attend Sunday School together. Having new friends has re-energized Sunday School time for all the children and their teachers! Familia De Fe also worships on Wednesday evenings.
Everyone eagerly anticipated September 15 when both congregations shared in worship and a common meal together. A well-filled sanctuary, joyful singing in both languages, prayers of thanksgiving, a sermon by Pastor Bob interpreted by Ron Collins, encouraged a spirit of unity and joy. Pastor Elio shared that seven years ago, while he was waiting to attend a meeting elsewhere in the community, he parked in the Fairhaven parking lot and prayed for the congregation. Little did he know that someday it would be his meeting place as well.
What a combination of camaraderie and delicious food was shared during lunchtime! Since our fellowship hall is only accessible by stairs, space was cleared and the meal was shared in the sanctuary so everyone could participate.
Everyone is looking forward to what God has in store as Familia De Fe and Fairhaven grow and learn from each other.
Submitted by Rachel Yoder, Fairhaven Mennonite Church.
