Photo: Left to right: Henny Alvina Krisnadi, Nations Worship Center representative, Don Yoder, Mennonite Men coordinator, Tim Moyer, Mennonite Men board member, Ertell Whigham, Franconia Conference executive minister. Photo provided.
A JoinHands Church Grant of $40,000 was presented to representatives of Nations Worship Center at the Franconia Conference fall assembly on Nov. 14, 2015.
Steve Kriss, Franconia Conference director of leadership cultivation and congregational resourcing and Don Yoder, coordinator for Mennonite Men, made the presentation during a NWC worship service on Sunday Nov. 15.
Organized in 2006, Nations Worship Center currently meets in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Ballet School. Other meetings are held in homes of church leaders.
The new facility is a former catering hall with an attached apartment. It has 8,700 square feet in three stories and a basement. It is located in a historic Italian neighborhood on the border of a growing Indonesian community.
Renovations include adapting the banquet hall for worship space, updating the electrical system and cosmetic renovations such as doors, painting, new carpet and mold remediation. A new green roof has already been installed.
Melkysedek Tirtasaputra, a congregational elder said, “The timing for receiving this grant could not be better. We thank Mennonite Men and all who contributed to this grant.” Beny Krisbianto serves as pastor of the congregation.
JoinHands is the service component of Mennonite Men. Since 1985, 68 congregations have received JoinHands Grants totaling 1.8 million dollars.
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