Author: Shaquez Dickens
You’re invited: Join the Winter Read conversation
It’s not too late to join the conversation! You are invited to join in the Ohio Conference’s Winter Read discussions, which are taking place on Tuesday evenings on Zoom. This winter participants are discussing Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Learn more and register at https://bit.ly/2023WinterRead. To see recordings of previous discussions, email Alysa Short at alysashort@gmail.com.
‘Finer Points’ offers peacemaking tools
Interested in learning more about peacemaking on an interpersonal level? Check out “Finer Points,” a blog on the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center website: https://lmpeacecenter.org/finerpoints.
Mennonite Health Assembly set for March 7-9
The 2023 Mennonite Health Assembly will take place March 7-9 in Denver, Colorado. Registration is due by Feb. 21. For more information or to register, see https://bit.ly/MennoniteHealthAssembly.
Youth Venture offers ways to serve and learn
Youth Venture sends teens and young adults (ages 15-22) on short-term service and learning experiences to engage with the work of God that is already taking place in communities around the globe. Hosted by churches and Mennonite Mission Network partners, Youth Venture teams will explore how Christians across the street and around the world are engaged in the work of…
MCC essay contest is for youth
The annual MCC U.S. National Peace & Justice Ministries essay contest highlights the perspectives of youth on significant public policy issues. Are you a youth who attends a Mennonite high school or an Anabaptist church? This contest is your opportunity to express your views in essay format on critical issues facing U.S. society. Submissions are due Feb. 24, 2023, and may…
Humbled from the start: One person’s start on the anti-racist journey
By Greg Bowman Part 1 “When did you begin to grapple with being White?” The answer to this question is fairly straightforward: about 2001. The back story is more revealing. I was 49, living in eastern Pennsylvania in an all-white community, attending an all-white rural Mennonite congregation in Bally. It was at a Saturday morning session of a weekend-long anti-racism…
CommonWord offers Lenten resources
By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate This year Lent begins on Feb. 22, which means now is a great time to look for worship and devotional resources related to Lent. If you are looking for new Lenten resources, check out the website for CommonWord, a collaboration of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University. In preparation for Lent, CommonWord…
Winter Read discussion begins
The Ohio Conference Winter Read has returned! Once again this winter Ohio Conference is holding a Conference-wide book study using the Zoom videoconferencing platform. 2023 marks the second year for the Winter Read. Last year, more than 60 people participated in discussions about the book Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison. This year Winter Read participants are studying Just Mercy, a…
Radical Love and Radical Discipleship
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister 2023 marks 25 years since I joined the Mennonite Church. It has certainly been an interesting journey, first as a congregational member, then an associate pastor, lead pastor, and now as a conference minister. As I found myself on a one-month sabbatical during December, it caused me to reflect on why I joined the Mennonite…
Central Christian School to host ACA
‘Doing Life Together: Rooted and Grounded in Love’ will be Assembly theme Central Christian School in Kidron will host the 2023 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) March 3-4. The theme of this year’s gathering will be “Doing Life Together: Rooted and Grounded in Love,” based on Ephesians 3:16-21. In a letter to delegates, Conference Moderator Ken Sims wrote, “We look forward…
Dwelling in the Word together
Participants from across the Conference reflect on Scripture reading initiative When Sue Short, collaborative minister at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, heard about Ohio Conference’s Dwelling in the Word Scripture reading initiative, she was excited about the plan. “That’s something that’s important to me — encouraging folks to read Scripture, and however that can happen, I’m on board for that.…
Registration is open for ACA
Online registration is open for the 2023 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA). Central Christian School in Kidron will host the 2023 ACA March 3-4. The theme of this year’s gathering will be “Doing Life Together: Rooted and Grounded in Love,” based on Ephesians 3:16-21. Pastors, please note this schedule change: This year the Pastor Appreciation Meal will be at lunchtime on…
Winter Read conversations begin Jan. 10
The first installment of the Ohio Conference Winter Read will take place next week on Tuesday, Jan. 10! Please join us on Tuesday nights in January and February on Zoom as we discuss the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Our online conversation will take place on Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. A reading schedule for this series…
Scholarship application deadline is Feb. 28
Everence is continuing its college scholarship program for the 2023-24 school year and will be accepting applications through Feb. 28, 2023. The program awards scholarships of $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000. To be eligible the student or the student’s parent must own or be using an Everence product. For more details or to apply, visit everence.com/college-scholarships.
AMBS conference to focus on ‘Reimagining Ministry’
“Reimagining Ministry” will be the theme of the 2023 Pastors & Leaders Conference at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana. This year’s conference is designed to give pastors and church leaders ideas and practices to help nurture resilience, compassion and hope in themselves and in their congregations by learning from Jesus’ ministry. Pastors & Leaders 2023 will begin…
Laurelville to host Music & Worship Leaders Retreat
Laurelville Retreat Center in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, will host its annual Music & Worship Leaders Retreat January 20-22, 2023. This year’s theme is “Lament and Hope” with guest speaker Safwat Marzouk, author and theologian. The retreat gives music and worship leaders a space to learn, recharge, and connect with their peers through valuable workshops, seminars, resources, fellowship time, worship, and…
Anabaptist World seeks submissions about racial justice
Anabaptist World invites your original submissions for the Feb. 10 issue focusing on the theme “racial justice.” Articles should be between 600 and 1,200 words. For more information about this theme, see https://anabaptistworld.org/aw-call-for-submissions-racial-justice. Submissions are due to editor@anabaptistworld.org no later than Jan. 15, 2023.
Delegate News — 12-27-22
Winter cluster meetings start Jan. 17 Five winter cluster meetings have been scheduled for Ohio Conference delegates to Annual Conference Assembly. Each meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last approximately two hours. Locations are as follows: Jan. 17 — Maple Grove Mennonite Church, Hartville Jan. 19 — Toledo Mennonite Church Jan. 24 — Sharon Mennonite Church, Plain City Jan. 26 — Orrville…
Register now for the Winter Read
Coming in January: The Ohio Conference Winter Read. This winter Ohio Conference will once again hold a Conference-wide book study using the Zoom videoconferencing platform. This year we will be studying Just Mercy, a book by Bryan Stevenson. Bryan Stevenson was the speaker at Eastern Mennonite University’s spring 2022 commencement ceremony. He is the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative…
Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is a day that remembers the nonviolent approach to racial justice that was led by minister and activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Grace & Groundings,” Ohio Conference’s racial reconciliation resource team, invites you to use the previous Sunday – Jan. 15, 2023 – to remember the work…
Registration is open for Missional Workshop
Do you have ideas for ministering to your community, but need motivation to begin making those ideas come to life? Plan now to attend Ohio Conference’s 2023 Missional Workshop at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin on Saturday, April 15. The theme of this interactive workshop is “Outward Church: Mobilizing the church wherever you are.” During this one-day workshop, teams…
Giving to Conference drops during November
Giving to Ohio Conference slowed during November, resulting in an increase in the Conference’s financial deficit for fiscal year 2022-23. Receipts for November totaled $20,285, a significant decrease from the $35,618 received during October. Expenses for November totaled $28,686, resulting a in deficit of $8,401 for the month. As of Nov. 30, the Conference’s operating balance was -$46,959. The Conference…
Camp Luz to offer scholarships for staffers
Camp Luz in Kidron is offering 11 scholarships for staff members who serve at least eight of the nine weeks of summer camp during 2023. For more information, please see the Camp Luz website: https://bit.ly/CampLuzStaffScholarships.
Delegate News – 12-5-22
Winter cluster meetings start Jan. 17 Five winter cluster meetings have been scheduled for Ohio Conference delegates to Annual Conference Assembly. Each meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last between 1.5 and 2 hours. Locations are as follows: Jan. 17 — Maple Grove Mennonite Church, Hartville Jan. 19 — Toledo Mennonite Church Jan. 24 — Sharon Mennonite Church, Plain City Jan. 26 —…
Plan now to join the Ohio Conference Winter Read
Coming in January: Please plan to join us for the Ohio Conference Winter Read. This winter people from around the Ohio Conference will gather on the Zoom videoconferencing platform to discuss the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Winter Read discussion sessions will take place in the evening on Zoom. Leaders for these discussions will be two members of Lee…
Fundraising goal met for van purchase
Thank you very much to everyone who donated funds toward the purchase of a van for the Akron Swahili Mennonite Church! The donation goal has been met, and the church will be able to take possession of the van in the near future.
MMN offers prayer slides for congregations
Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) now has prayer slides available, in PowerPoint and PDF formats, to aid your congregation in praying for Mennonite Mission Network’s international mission workers. You can find these resources on the “Prayer Resources” page of the MMN website: https://bit.ly/MMNPrayer. Scroll past the Prayer Vine and Presentation Slides to view the Mission Worker Slides.
Webinar to highlight Uniting for Ukraine Program
Since February, more than 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes. In response, the U.S. government developed the Uniting for Ukraine community sponsorship program. Join MCC and Church World Service on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. EST to learn more about the Uniting for Ukraine program and how the faith community can walk alongside Ukrainians as they…
Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale to send $400,000 to MCC
The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Board will send $400,000 to Mennonite Central Committee. Based on the recommendation of the group’s treasurer, a motion authorizing that action was approved at the organization’s recent wrap-up meeting. See the Board’s most recent newsletter for more information: Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Newsletter.
Bangladesh — Seeing a Need and Responding
International service can have long-term effects on those serving. In the case of Bill Schumacher, his voluntary service term in Bangladesh in the 1980s left him with an enduring interest in the welfare of the people there. In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Jared Chase and Jacob Dodson talk with Bill and Carole Schumacher of Sharon Mennonite…