Missional Consultant Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg leads several participants through the first Missional Network training session on June 26 at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold. The training was offered at several different locations. Photo by Alysa Short.

How can we live as missionaries in our own communities, sharing the Good News with those we meet and discipling people who are already in our lives? And how does that mindset differ from the “church as usual” model that many of our congregations currently use?

Participants in the Ohio Conference Missional Network are beginning to consider the details of how to live missionally in their own contexts. Missional Consultant Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg defines “missional” this way: “Missional = Mission + Intentional Discipleship + Relationships + Sharing the Good News.”

Participants in the Ohio Conference Missional Network have taken part in an initial training session this summer. Missional Consultant Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg led this first training session at four different times during June and July at various locations. In all, 42 people participated in the training, and several more will take part when the initial training is repeated this fall.

Two additional training sessions are planned for this fall. To see the topics which will be discussed at these training sessions, go to http://bit.ly/OCMissionalNetwork. Please note: These training sessions build on each other; however, they can be experienced individually. If you were not able to attend the first training session, you can still come to trainings 2 and 3. To participate, RSVP to jsringenberg@gmail.com.

Missional Consultant to move out of state

On July 2 Ohio Conference Missional Consultant Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg announced that she will be moving out of the state at the end of 2018. She plans to lead the Missional Network training sessions during the fall, and she will be consulting with the Conference’s Missional Task Force. She also plans to consult with individual churches, as well as working with Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church, to lead the Missional Discipleship Initiative* in the Conference. She will be able to do this work online even after moving out of state.

As part of the announcement of her move out of state, Jessica said, “I am excited to see how far Ohio Conference has come, and I am hopeful of where you are going. While I may no longer live in the Conference, I will continue to partner with you to see God’s Kingdom Coming!”

To read Jessica’s letter on the Ohio Conference website, see http://bit.ly/MissionalConsultantMove.

*To learn more about the Missional Discipleship Initiative, see http://bit.ly/OhioConferenceMDI.

Sixteen people participated in the Missional Network training at First Mennonite Church in Canton on Sunday, June 24. Photo by Jacob Dodson.