religion

They are private, and they are public.

They are contemplative, and they are active.

Their ways are ancient, and modern.

They are Presbyterian, but with a Celtic flavor, and with a bit of Franciscan spirituality and the Desert Fathers thrown in.

They are local -- and they are nationally significant.

They are the Seekers of East Bethany's Seeker Community Church, and they have just been named a "New Church Development" in the Presbyterian Church USA.

This group of Seekers was founded in 2007 by Rev. Bill Hockey, a pastor for 30 years and currently a half-time pastor at North Bergen Presbyterian Church.

It started as a spontaneous project between friends (Hockey included) who wanted a new worship experience, one that would let them live differently from the fast-paced and goal-driven culture around them and be present to the people in their lives and communities who needed them.

They modeled their commitment on the New Monastic movement, which is built on the premise that people become more aware of and available to serve the needs of their neighbors by fostering a deep connection with God and His presence in their lives.

As a recovering alcoholic, Hockey appreciates that angle on spirituality.

"I made a lot of connections in the 12-step recovery program," he said. "I found there were a number of people who longed for a place to worship but didn't feel connected to the churches they had been to."

Right now, the Seeker Community Church -- which currently has about 15-20 members -- meets every Sunday at East Bethany Presbyterian Church. But the Seekers will soon have a space to call their own, thanks to an anonymous donor who gave them 22 acres of woodland in East Bethany. There they hope to build a "refuge of prayer" to which the people of the Genesee Valley can come to get away from their hectic lives and "seek the Lord."

While Hockey's congregation is Presbyterian in terms of organization and accountability, their spirituality is in line with the Northumbria Community, which embraces sixth- and seventh-century Celtic Christianity.

"(Celtic Christianity) has a very simple way about it," Hockey said. "It's Trinitarian, very orthodox, and very much connected to the Earth."

While it may be simple, the spiritual life of these Seekers is appreciably disciplined. They have a regular rhythm of daily prayer, starting with morning prayer and then progressing through mid-day prayer, the prayer of silence and evening prayer.

The prayer of silence is an especially interesting aspect of their worship, and is part of each Sunday service. Meeting at 6 p.m., the congregation spends 20 minutes in total silence. This is not a mandatory part of the service, which officially starts at 7 p.m., but Seekers like to use it as a way to "deepen [their] sense of God's wonder, help to understand [their] own humanity, and make [themselves] aware of Christ's presence within [them]."

This type of prayer is not found very often in Protestant religious life, and some who are of a more conservative Reformed and/or Evangelical persuasion tend to question its value. One of the most common objections to this sort of thing is, "Where is that in the Bible?"

To these individuals, Hockey offers the following response: "Read your Bible.

"We know very little about Jesus's private life, but one thing that's noted for us over and over again is that He goes off by Himself to be alone. And then in the Old Testament you have Elijah, who sits at the front of the cave for days while earthquakes and storms are going on outside -- and he finds God in the silence. You find it in the Psalms, too: 'Be still, and know that I am the Lord.'"

Hockey recognizes that the contemplative stance is not only strange to much of the Protestant community, but also counter-cultural.

"I think there's a kind of fear of silence here in the U.S.," Hockey said. "People don't like it, because they're used to having lives that are very busy and noisy."

As far as their Protestant identity goes, the Seekers are also unique in their use of the Sign of the Cross during worship services. Hockey, who was raised in a conservative Protestant family, admits that he "belittled" this practice for a long time.

"In the end," he said, "it seemed right to draw the image of Christ's Cross on my body, after seeing how He had worked in my life. It's a very ancient Christian practice. It's not supernatural or anything like that, it's just a simple reminder of who we are."

The Seekers Community Church welcomes anyone who is interested in seeing what they are all about. Hockey says that they are a nonjudgmental community that seeks to serve the poor -- which refers not only to the economically poor, but also to the "poor in spirit" -- to be there for, and listen to, those who are hurting, and to offer people a place for prayer.

Anyone interested in learning more can contact Hockey at 591-2657, or visit the Seeker Community Church's Facebook page.

Pictures of the Seekers' new woodland site:

(all photos taken by Rev. Bill Hockey)

Entrance path

Cross on Indian village

Cemetery prayer garden -- old stone wall

Site of Indian village

It's a little hard to imagine stained-glass art still having a place in American churches, with modern renovations such as movie theater set-ups, overhead projectors contemporary band music taking over the worship scene. But on Sunday, a tour sponsored by the Landmark Society of Genesee County took Batavia residents to five local churches where stained glass windows still have an important place.

The "Stained Glass Window Tour" was created in 1990. According to Landmark Society President Laurie Oltremari, this is the first time the tour has been revived in almost 20 years. This time around, it was done in order to raise money for the restoration efforts of St. James Episcopal Church.

"We thought it would be good exposure for the churches and their artwork," Oltremari said. "We hope we can make it an annual event."

The tour started at 1 p.m. and ended at 4 p.m., and tourists could visit the churches in any order they wanted. The five churches spanned several denominations, and the quantity and style of stained-glass art in each location reflected that.

The different sites were as follows:

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 20 Ellicott St.

Designed by Leo P. Frohe in the early 1900s, the stained-glass windows at St. Mary's demonstrate the Catholic tradition of making sacred art an integral part of worship. As a sacramental religion, Catholicism often uses art and architecture to help remind believers that they are surrounded by heavenly realities and by the Communion of Saints.

All of the windows that run along the east and west sides of the church depict events in the life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, after whom the parish is named. Catholics believe that Mary's life is about and centers around the life of Christ; accordingly, the majority of the windows illustrate key moments of His life and ministry such as the crucifixion and resurrection (right above the front entrance and to the right of the altar, respectively). Basically, people who go into St. Mary's can see the Gospel narrative unfold in the form of visual art.

The church also includes a window dedicated to Saint Peter -- to whom Jesus gave the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, according to Catholic tradition -- with the emblem of crossed keys, as well as a window dedicated to Saint Paul with the emblem of a sword (symbolic of truth and its victorious power). These windows are paired together and located at the left of the altar.

Oltremari led the tour of St. Mary's Church; she pointed out that it is "the oldest Catholic Church in Batavia."

St. James Episcopal Church, 405 East Main St.

Stepping into this church is a lot like stepping back in time to another era!

Batavia native Robert North built St. James Episcopal Church in 1908 after living in England for a year to study English Gothic architecture. As is common in the Gothic style, the inside of the church is shaped like the inverted hull of a ship and features a plethora of Anglican-styled windows.

Because it is close to the Catholic tradition, the Episcopalian denomination places a similar importance on artistic depictions of Christ, the saints and Christian symbols.

"It helps to remind people of why they are in church in the first place," commented Jeanette, the St. James tour guide.

Right when you walk into the church, a huge window right above the altar will catch your eye. It depicts Christ on the cross with angels above him and his closest followers below him, mourning his suffering and death.

The windows along the sides of the church feature the symbols of various saints from the Judeo-Christian tradition, ranging from the Old Testament prophets to Saint Margaret, Queen of Scotland.

The church's Chapel, which branches off from the altar and features even older church architecture, has two windows devoted to the Virgin Mary and her Child and one to the church's namesake, St. James. The latter window is called the "Pilgrim Window," and shows the saint carrying a bag labeled with a scallop, the sign of pilgrims (Saint James is believed to have travelled all the way from Israel to Spain to spread the Gospel).

There are also many stained-glass windows in the upper part of the church, in addition to a window dedicated to the "Four Evangelists" (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) right above the front entrance. This particular window is built into the tower and is what people see when driving past the church.

St. Paul Lutheran Church, 31 Washington Ave.

The windows at St. Paul's were made by Henry Keck, a Rochester-based glassmaker, in the 1950s. They are based on the Lutheran theological tradition, which keeps the sacramental and liturgical forms of Catholicism while at the same time eliminating other aspects of it -- the intercession of the saints, for example -- in order to try to portray a more one-on-one relationship between the believer and Jesus.

The windows on the east side of the church are illustrations of the various names of Jesus. Examples include:

• Jesus the Good Shepherd

• "I am the Door" (to eternal life)

• Christ the Friend of Children

• Christ the King

On the west side of the church are stained-glass windows with images that narrate the life of Christ from His nativity to His ascension into heaven.

The large rose window over the altar shows Jesus in the center, with a young family on the left and an elderly couple with an ailing son on the right. The purpose of this is to announce Jesus as the Great Healer toward whom all people should come.

Directly across from this, in the church loft, is the St. Paul Window -- dedicated to the church's namesake -- which has an open Bible with a sword over it. Symbols of the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity are also included in the window.

Other window images in St. Paul's include depictions of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Martin Luther Rose (symbolizing the four tenets of the Lutheran Church) and the symbols of the four evangelists and the 12 apostles.

One of the tourists who is also a member of St. Paul's said that the stained-glass art is important because "we [Lutherans] need history and tradition, and to be reminded of our roots even as we make certain changes with the times."

First Baptist Church, 306 East Main St.

The windows of First Baptist Church were designed by Pierce and Dockstader, an Elmira-based architectural firm, in the late Nineteenth Century. There are only two of them, and their content is less obviously religious than the previous churches' windows. Baptists emphasize the believer's interior connection with Christ, so the artwork of the windows is meant simply to help inspire an attitude of worship.

"It [the stained glass] presents an environment that calms our hearts and minds and gets us ready for prayer," said Wendy, one of the tour guides.

Carol Wade, a second tour guide and a deacon at the church, said that sometimes, when she finds her mind wandering during a sermon, the windows help her to refocus her attention.

"There's something about the blend of colors and the sun shining through them that just makes you feel this warmth," she said.

First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St.

First Presbyterian is one of the oldest churches in Batavia, and no one really knows who made its stained-glass windows.

There is an artificially lit rose window above the altar that was added to the church in 1954 by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Schultz. This is the most elaborate illustration in the church, featuring a dove -- which is the symbol of the Holy Spirit and a common feature of all the churches involved in this tour -- along with the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ, a cup symbolizing the Last Supper, the Bible, the Ten Commandments, and seven candlesticks that represent God's Church and other Biblical symbols.

The other stained-glass windows have heraldic designs and flowers, but nothing too elaborate. Because it has roots in the tradition of the Calvinist reformers, the imagery and symbolism in traditional Presbyterian art and architecture is pretty minimal.

Please contact the Landmark Society of Genesee County by mail -- P.O. Box 342, Batavia, NY 14020 -- for more information on the history of these churches and their architectural features.

Photos by Howard Owens

St. Mary's

St. James

FIrst Baptist

First Presbyterian

Who knew that walking around in circles could actually be a good use of time?

Since Wednesday, Batavia's First Presbyterian Church has had a labyrinth -- a pattern consisting of multiple paths leading to a center -- for people to walk as an exercise in prayer and meditation. The following video includes interviews with pastor Roula Alkhouri and two of the brave souls who chose to give the labyrinth a try.

The remaining dates and times available for walking the labyrinth are as follows:

9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23
9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24

Anyone interested should contact First Presbyterian by phone (585) 343-0505 or e-mail the pastor at roula@rochester.com.

Fr. Gus Calvo has been all over the place. He was born in Cuba, lived in Spain and Puerto Rico after his parents fled Cuba's Communist dictatorship, and finally settled with his family in Long Island as a child. He has done missionary work in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, Nigeria, Peru and Sudan. And now his journey has led him to the Anglican Community Church in Batavia!

Fr. Gus was assigned to the 101 Richmond Ave. church after having served at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stockport. He is no stranger to the area, having lived in Buffalo for two years in the early 1990s and having spent time in Brockport, where he met his wife, Noel.

At the opening of his first sermon this morning, Fr. Gus told the congregation how happy he was to be a part of their community and how much he looked forward to the "good things that God has in store for us."

Fr. Gus said that his overall mission and hope for his pastorate and for the ACC reflects today's gospel reading, Luke 4:14-21.

"Our mission as Christians," Fr. Gus said, "is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, to bring hope to people, to really live out our call as people of faith and to discern our identity as children of God."

His lively, enthusiastic and highly personal first sermon made a clear impression on the parishioners, one of whom called him "a welcome addition to our community."

Fr. Gus attributes his worship and life styles - including how he relates to others - to what he calls a "sacramental" view of the world.

"My faith helps me to see God's presence in the world and in other people," he said. "To me people are not just beings who exist for no reason -- they matter. And my goal is to reflect the inward grace of God to them in my life."

Anyone interested in the mission and activities of the ACC may visit their website by clicking on the ad featured on the left-hand margin of The Batavian's home page.

Two members of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Batavia who were on a mission in Haiti when Port-au-Prince was struck by an earthquake returned home yesterday.

WBTA's Dan Fischer was at the Buffalo airport when Zach Ashley and Sharon Wolf returned safely with the rest of the missionaries. He spoke with Wolf at the airport (mp3).

More coverage.

The Lutheran mission team, which includes two Batavia residents, that was in Haiti when the 7.0 earthquake hit Monday has made it safely to the Port-au-Prince airport, according to Jason Christ.

Yesterday, WBTA's Geoff Redick spoke with Rev. Allen Werk (mp3), pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church, who described the plan for the group's return.

Werk said once the group reached the Port-au-Prince airport, a military aircraft would take them to either Florida or the Dominican Republican, and from either of those airports, they could take a commercial flight home.

The big challenge was transportation from Les Cayes to Port au Prince. The group regularly depends on a bus driver based in Port au Prince, which is where the driver was when the quake struck.

"Somehow or another he found gas in Port au Prince for his bus and is right now on his way from Port au Prince to Les Cayes," Werk said yesterday.

On the trip from Batavia are Sharon Wolf and Zach Ashley.

One of the team members from Tonawanda, Sue Steege, occasionally updates her Twitter account with the group's status.

Apparently, at least two members of the group are still awaiting visas.

A group of Western New Yorkers, including at least two Batavians, on a mission to Haiti are safe according to a report on a blog following  a massive 7.0 earthquake that struck the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation.

WBTA reports that Sharon Wolf and Zack Ashley, both of Batavia, are on the mission and are safe. Both are with St. Paul Lutheran Church.

This post by Sue Steege lists all mission members and says Wolf and Ashley are on their first mission to Haiti, while some mission members have made the trip as many as five times.

The mission is being led by Pastor Chuck Whited of First Trinity Lutheran Church in Tonawanda. He wrote about his arrival in Haiti on Saturday in this blog post.

According to this post, the mission was scheduled to return home on Jan. 18. That return date is now uncertain, according to WBTA.

"As I call your clan, please stand up,” said Bruce Barclay.

So began “Scot’s Sunday, Kirkin’ O’ the Tartan” at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia. Scot’s Sunday was a special morning service celebrating the Presbyterian Church’s Scottish heritage.

Barclay, a member of the Rochester Scottish Heritage Society, read the last names of First Presbyterian’s Scottish families (or “clans”) before closing with: “And finally, Clan Dia — the family of God — which is everybody else.”

At this, the rest (and the majority) of the congregation joyfully rose.

This was the first year Scot’s Sunday was celebrated at First Presbyterian, but the tradition goes back to 1941. The Rev. Dr. Peter Marshall, pastor of Washington’s New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, designed the service “to give solace for British military personnel stationed in Washington, D.C. during World War II” (quoted from event pamphlet).

The service opened and closed with bagpipe music from members of the Rochester Scottish Pipes and Drums Band and included a Scots-Gaelic hymn, a question-and-answer session between the children and one of the bagpipers, and a special prayer for the “mother church” in Scotland.

While the ethnic roots of the church are important, Scot’s Sunday illustrated the Presbyterian heritage in yet another way. The service coincided with the first Sunday in Advent, which for Christians is a season of hope in God’s promises.

“I think the heart of Presbyterianism is seeing that the Holy Spirit is always working with us and calling us to change,” said Rev. Roula Alkhouri, pastor of First Presbyterian. “We look forward to the New Year and we celebrate what God is doing in the world.”

Rev. Alkhouri sees the highlights of Scottish culture as an example of God’s work in the world, but she also stresses the need to be open to people who are different — or, in her own words, “not in our camp.”

In her sermon, she expressed two important beliefs: that the Scottish Presbyterian heritage is to be celebrated as a gift from God, and that openness to fellowship with the entire human family — including what can be learned of God’s work from other heritages — is essential.

Rev. Alkhouri also took advantage of the opportunity Scot’s Sunday offered to exhort her congregation to be more attentive to God’s work during Advent. With gentle words she encouraged people to take moments out of their busy, hectic schedules to look for signs of God’s love and presence in their lives.

The service was followed by a reception with Scottish shortbread and other refreshments. Alkhouri hopes to celebrate Scot’s Sunday again in the years to come.

The turkey juices sizzle in the oven. The mashed potatoes are being stirred in the pot. Gooey, delicious sweet potato casseroles melt in the oven, while pumpkin pies baked and cooled, sit, tempting us toward an early desert.

Like any other holiday, Thanksgiving has a large store of such images attached to it. And, like other holidays, it is generally considered a time for us to reflect on the important things in life. As such, it is a time when families gather together in fellowship and in celebration of their blessings.

The social and emotional benefits of Thanksgiving -- or at least the possibility of these benefits -- are pretty clear. Its benefits to the palate (if not always the digestive system) are also well known. But what about spiritual benefits? What are the religious leaders in our area telling their congregations about the Thanksgiving holiday, and what it means to their lives? Moreover, how do they deliver a message that can be repeated each year and yet continue to be relevant?

The following comments come from four Batavia pastors, each reflecting on what they perceive to be the relevance of Thanksgiving to the Christian life:

Pastor Allen Werk, St. Paul Lutheran Church and School:

"Thanksgiving is far more than just a day for a family banquet. It is not about how much food we can prepare and eat.

"Thanksgiving is about expressing our gratitude to the source of all the things in life that we enjoy. It is a reminder to say thank you to the giver of all the wonderful gifts we so often take for granted.

"The Giver of all those good gifts in our lives, the Source of our blessings, is God our heavenly Father. Thanksgiving is a holiday that reminds us to thank our God for everything He does for us.

"'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.'   James 1:17 (NIV)

"While it is good to take time to thank God for food and jobs and family and health, we also need to remember that God’s greatest gift was sending His Son Jesus to pay for our sins. Without Jesus’ death on the cross, we would be entirely cut off from this mighty and holy God. That salvation that Jesus has won for us is a gift that we would never be able to manufacture for ourselves. That is at the top of our list of blessings for which to say 'thank you' to God.

"God’s blessings to us span 365 days a year. We shouldn’t limit our thanks to one day a year. Remember to thank God often, daily, for all His love and blessings He abundantly pours into our lives."

Pastor Donald A. Shirk, Grace Baptist Church:

"What we as a congregation do at Thanksgiving is on the Tuesday evening (last night) before it, we have a special "Count Your Blessings" service. This evening is dedicated to folks sharing personal testimonies on how God has been good to them throughout the year.

"For the believer in Christ, Thanksgiving is not simply an annual event but a way of life. Paul put it this way in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, 'In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.' To help prompt, I use a PowerPoint slide with ideas that might help our church members in their sharing. Last night was an exceptional service with our people sharing for over an hour on the goodness of God in their lives."

Pastor Roula Alkhouri, First Presbyterian Church:

"Thanksgiving is a great opportunity for us to take the time to remember the bounty of God's Earth. Often times, we take it for granted that our climate is going to be okay and that we will have good conditions to grow food. So, this time is a time of reconnecting with and paying attention to God's creation. We are often negligent of other creatures in the world. We tend to focus on our individual needs for consumption. Thanksgiving is a great time to be mindful of our responsibility to care for the Earth. The gift of life is so precious, yet it is often taken for granted."

Pastor John Hatch, United Pentecostal Church:

"Usually we focus on what we all are thankful for in a special Thanksgiving Eve service through volunteer testimonies (under 5 minutes) by anyone in the congregation who desires to share and give thanks to God for various personal things they feel the Lord has done for them. This year we will also be focusing on Thanksgiving by celebrating communion to thank Jesus for all He has done for us by the price He paid on the cross for our sins; healing by the stripes on His back and the wonderful way He has forgiven us, saved us and worked in our lives."

It's been a good year for the Anglican Community Church in Batavia. Several months ago, the congregation was accepted as a member of the Convocation of Anglicans of North America (CANA), and to top it off, this month the church is hosting a VIP.

That would be Bishop David Bena.

The local Anglican church was established in 2004 and since then, its goal has been to become a member of CANA. And so sanctioned, it now has oversight by bishops, much to the Anglicans' delight.

"After being in sort of limbo, to become members of CANA, it is a great joy to have Bishop Bena come so far to meet us," said parishioner Onolee Grower. "It is a strong visible sign of our inclusion into a wonderful church. Knowing there is a real person --  not just a name at some distant place -- to turn to for guidance and help is a real comfort."

Parishioner Terrey Lee agrees that Bena's visit marks a milestone.

"It is a great pleasure as well as a great honor to have his presence known in our church," Lee said. "This visit marks, for us, an inclusion into a large family of Anglicans across North America.

"We all believe in one Lord, his Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We are now part of a great Communion of believers. This single accomplishment has been of the utmost importance to our church and each of its members."

Even as the parishioners look forward to Bishop Bena’s visit on Sunday, Oct. 25, they cannot forget their struggle to become a part of CANA. It took a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance to realize their dream. They credit church leaders and also "the grace, love and blessings of our Lord" with the success.

Reverend George Quibell, an Anglican priest from Canada, has led the church.

Canon Simon Howson is also scheduled to attend the special service and luncheon for Bishop Bena. Before the inception of Batavia's Community Anglican Church, its parishioners attended St. James Episcopal Church on Main Street, which was led by Howson.

(Parishioners say he was removed by a Bishop on false charges and exonerated last year. Canon Howson remains a priest in good standing in another diocese, having settled his lawsuit against the Bishop and the Diocese of Western New York for an undisclosed sum and a full letter of apology and exoneration, a copy of which is on file at the Anglican Church.)

About Bishop Bena:

The Rt. Rev'd David J. Bena, Suffragan Bishop of Albany, was consecrated as a bishop for Albany in 2000. For seven years, he served under Albany's senior bishop, the Rt. Rev'd Daniel Herzog, to help make Albany one of the largest and most active dioceses in the nation.

Bena retired from his post in Albany and in March 2007 joined CANA, which is an orthodox Anglican church body offering Americans an authentic connection to Anglican Communion.

Since the Albany diocese is a staunch supporter of the Anglican Communion and traditional theology, Bishop Bena's move to CANA came naturally. He now serves as CANA's Suffragan Bishop, assisting CANA's Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns with leading the growing number of CANA congregations and clergy. 

"I have sensed God's call to minister to disenfranchised Anglicans around America who are in need of episcopal oversight." says Bena. "I feel extremely privileged to have been asked to take on this ministry."

Bishop Minns is also glad to have Bishop Bena on the CANA team.

"The growing CANA family will be tremendously blessed by the presence of Bishop Bena," says Minns. "He brings years of experience and lots of high-energy leadership to CANA. I count David as a personal friend, and am very happy that he's here."

Bena served as a Marine officer in the Vietnam War. He did his undergraduate work at Stetson University, and completed his training at Virginia Theological Seminary (in Alexandria). He served as both an Air Force chaplain and a parish priest for over two decades. 

Bena has earned a doctorate from the Graduate Theological Foundation, which is an interreligious institution based in South Bend, Ind.. He also holds an honorary doctorate from The Episcopal Church's Virginia Theological Seminary.

Bena and his wife, Mary Ellen, have been married 40 years. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

About the Anglican Community Church:

Parishioner Lee said: "The Anglican Community Church is made up of members who are not only part of a congregation that worships together; we are a church family with a true commitment to our church and to each other.

"Since planting the church, we have experienced deaths, weddings, births, baptisms, and confirmations. All of these were dealt with as a church family, with care and great love for one another being shown to all members. Such life changes as these have brought us closer to one another as well as closer to God."

When Ethan Thompson, resident of Oakfield, speaks to you, he moves you because he sees you. He looks right at you, and his words are strong like his eyes. After speaking with him you can tell his spirit is on fire for God.

How can I make my mark for God? Was a question that pushed forth his Web site youthinactionmag.com.

“Encouraging this generation to get in action,” is his drive and tagline for the site.

Thompson said the site is to encourage and give positive ideas for Christian teenagers.

Thompson went to the library once a week for a year, reading about how to build and manage your own Web site. He brings in his own income from selling things here and there on EBay.

“If I don’t make any money, then whatever,” said Thomas who continued by saying its more about the positive message he wants to send.

“I wanted to make a bigger difference in the world,” said Thompson, “I wanted to have an outlet to express my feelings and things.”

A year ago the site was basic HTML and Thompson decided to hire someone to design something new.

Thompson who enjoys web developing more than design said in a year from now the site will have more content, and more podcasting. He hopes to have a writer other than himself.

His parents are very supportive and help proofread and review the content of his articles. He gets their viewpoint and said it is always great to have different perspectives on an idea. Right now he is seeing about 50 visits a day and said when he has a new article posted the site gets much more attention.

“It’s an ever-changing process,” said Thompson, “You can never have a perfect Web site because technology is always changing.”

Thomas attended St. Paul’s and is now home-schooled. Thompson has the discipline to set aside time for his school work, and completely focus on it until it’s done

“I don’t have to worry about walking to the next class, or lunch, or study halls,” said Thompson, “Mine is all a study hall.” 

Thompson chooses to take a stand against the question he says society demands, “How can I be satisfied or entertained?”

He talked about the negative aspect to social networking like Facebook and Myspace saying the sites allow you to be someone who is viewed as cool. It doesn’t matter whether or not you as a person agree with who you are choosing to be online, because online you can be anyone.

He is very active in his youth group at Genesee Country Church. He also has his black belt and loves mountain bike riding.

He spends about 4-5 hours a day on the computer working on his site.

“Your mind thinks your working, but your not really working, your not doing anything physical,” said Thompson. So after 4 or 5 hours he will enjoy his quiet time reading the bible, or thinking about his favorite verse, Romans 3:23. The verse sets up everything he does. 

What makes Ethan so true to the meaning of Christianity is his spirit to encourage others, and he is doing this in a big way, with his own Web site.

Although he loves this experience, he said he doesn’t want to get into Web design in college.

“I would want to major in Marketing or Broadcasting,” said Thompson. He likes to do tech related things and commented that he isn’t even sure if college is for him because of the costs. But the almost 15-year-old already sees the truth of the world and is doing something to encourage others is something a college degree could never teach anyways.

As I left the office this afternoon in search of some news, I found Pastor Marty MacDonald operating a fork lift, hoisting a large container of adult diapers into a small pick up truck.

A whole crew of people were outside The City Church warehouse loading up cars, vans and trucks with food, household cleaners, shampoo and other necessities.  MacDonald said his church was distributing about 50,000 lbs of items today.

Representatives from churches from throughout WNY were retrieving the good to distribute in their communities.  They came to Batavia from Niagara, Penn Yan, Arcadia, Akron, Rochester, Churchville and North Tonawanda, and other towns.

"They will take these items back to their communities to help people in these tough economic times," MacDonald said.

He said distributions of this scale happen about every six to eight weeks.