Four winter cluster meetings planned

Ohio Conference will hold four winter cluster meetings for delegates to Annual Conference Assembly. Each meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last for about 90 minutes. The following meetings are planned:

• Jan. 22 — Beech Mennonite Church in Louisville
• Jan. 24 — Oak Grove Mennonite Church in West Liberty
• Jan. 29 — Central Mennonite Church in Archbold
• Jan. 31 — Crown Hill Mennonite Church in Rittman

Cluster meeting agenda planned

All cluster meetings will include a devotional time led by the regional pastor. In addition, a number of business items will be covered:

• Proposed Ohio Conference budget for 2019-20
• Proposed resolution on immigration
• Information about the 2019 Missional Conference
• Information about the proposed 2020 Family Missional Festival
• Constitution changes
• Congregational sharing

During the congregational sharing time, delegates will be asked to share about one of the following topics:

• What is happening in your congregation that you just can’t wait to tell us about?
• What new venture are you looking forward to trying this year?

Please note: You will receive copies of the proposed budget and the proposed immigration resolution in an upcoming issue of Delegate News.

Register for ACA by Feb. 15

The registration deadline for the 2018 Annual Conference Assembly is Feb. 15. This year’s assembly will take place March 8-9 at Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron. The cost to register is $45 by Feb. 15, and $60 thereafter. There is an additional fee for meals.

If you have not already received registration forms from your congregation, you may find them online at http://bit.ly/2019ACAInfo.

Online registration is available at http://bit.ly/2019ACA. If you register by mail, send your registration form and fee to Judy King, Ohio Conference, Box 210, Kidron OH 44636.

Missional conference to precede ACA

Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron also will host the 2019 missional conference, which will precede Annual Conference Assembly. The missional conference will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, and conclude at noon on Friday, March 8.

Presenters for this conference will be Sally Schreiner Youngquist, one of the founding pastors of Living Water Community Church in Chicago, Illinois; and Steve North, pastor of LifeLine      Toledo, a church plant in Toledo, Ohio.

The theme of the conference will be “From Jerusalem to Antioch: Legacy Churches Anchoring Missional Communities.”

To learn more about Sally Schreiner Youngquist,  listen to the Ohio Conference Cast podcast episode featuring an interview with her: “Church planting and patience.” You can find all the Ohio Conference Cast podcasts on the Ohio Conference website at http://bit.ly/OhioConferenceCast.

Cost for this event will be as follows:

• ACA Attendee Fee (for those attending Annual Conference Assembly) – $25
• Regular Fee (for those not attending Annual Conference Assembly) – $45
• Young Adult Fee (for those under age 30) – $20

Registration is due by Feb. 15. To register online, go to http://bit.ly/2019MissionalConference. For more details, see the conference brochure included with this issue of Delegate News.

Giving increases during December

Giving to Ohio Conference increased greatly during December, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. In fact, the amount received in December was more than double the amount received in any other month of the current fiscal year.

Receipts for December totaled $60,171. Of that amount, $41,174 came from congregational giving. During December giving from individuals was also very strong. In response to a year-end appeal from Conference Moderator Bob Sauder, individuals gave a total of $15,133.

Expenses for the month totaled just $30,041, resulting in a surplus of $30,130 for the month. As a result, the Conference operating balance was -$6,446 at the end of December, a great improvement from the balance at the end of November, -$36,576. Thank you to all who contributed! The Conference fiscal year ends March 31, 2019.