Shaquez Dickens, Author at Ohio Mennonite Conference

New regional pastor appointed

It is with much anticipation and excitement that the Ohio Conference Leadership Team announces the appointment of Sherah-Leigh Gerber to serve as regional pastor – east. Many people will remember Sherah-Leigh from when she served as our coordinator of volunteers from 2009 to 2014, prior to moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia. While in Virginia, she was the associate pastor for worship,…

Conference minister reappointed for another term

In January the Ohio Conference Leadership Team reappointed Conference Minister Dick Barrett to another three-year term as conference minister. Interim Conference Moderator Paula Snyder Belousek said that the Leadership Team expressed a strong affirmation of Dick’s ministry and the excellent work he has done to build relationships and to stabilize the Conference after several years without a permanent conference minister.

Lent at Home guide is ready for download

“Seeking God’s Way” is the theme of Mennonite Church USA’s (MC USA) 2022 Lent at Home worship guide. The annual guide for home-based worship provides daily and weekly scripture readings, prayers and rituals for individuals and families observing Lent, the period of prayer and reflection from Ash Wednesday, March 2, to Easter, April 17. The guide also features at-home rituals…

Open Arms fundraiser set for March 15

Save the date: Open Arms Hispanic Ministries will hold a Taco Tuesday fundraiser on Tuesday, March 15, at the Kidron Community Park.

Check CommonWord for Lenten resources

Are you looking for resources to help you get in the Lenten spirit this spring? CommonWord, a collaboration of Canadian Mennonite University and Mennonite Church Canada, has a curated collection of resources for Lent. Visit commonword.ca/go/2213 to see the entire collection.

Retreat center offers respite for pastors

Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has formalized a relationship with the Kineo Center, a newly developed ecumenical Christian retreat center in Puerto Rico, to help MC USA pastors experiencing burnout. See the news release from MC USA for more information: https://bit.ly/MCUSA-KineoCenter.

Peacebuilding institute offers online winter courses

Peacebuilding institute offers online winter courses The Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University is offering five-week online training courses this winter. Each course will meet virtually twice a week from Feb. 14 to March 18, 2022. The deadline to apply is Feb. 7. Funding is still available for partial and matching scholarships. Learn more at https://emu.edu/spi/courses.

Have you registered for ACA yet?

The deadline to register for Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) is approaching quickly. Have you registered yet? ACA will take place March 4-5 at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold. Registrations for ACA are due Friday, Feb. 11. After that date, the registration fee increases from $45 per person to $60 per person. For more information about ACA, please see https://bit.ly/2022ACAInfo. To…

Free youth worker seminars planned

Update: The number of youth worker seminars has changed. The series of seminars will begin on March 22 instead of March 8. Please see the updated schedule below. Ohio Conference is offering a series of free online seminars for youth workers during March, April and May. “Jesus as Model: Youth Ministry Reimagined” is the theme of this series, which will…

Rural ministry webinar to feature Brad Roth

For those interested in rural ministry: Brad Roth, the featured speaker for Ohio Conference’s 2021 missional conference, will be one of the presenters for a free webinar, “Cultivating Rural Ministry.” This webinar, sponsored by Luther Seminary, will take place Thursday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. CST. Other presenters include Allen Stanton, pastor and author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural…

Giving increases during December

Giving to the Ohio Conference increased greatly during December, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for December totaled $54,889. Of that amount, $25,089 came from congregational giving. During December giving from individuals also was very strong. In response to a year-end appeal from Conference Minister Dick Barrett, individuals gave a total of $29,775 to Ohio Conference.…

Leadership Team makes statement on direction of Conference

One of the agenda items at winter cluster meetings is a statement from the Ohio Conference Leadership Team regarding the future direction of the Conference. A copy of this statement is available here: 2022-01-18 L.T. Statement to delegates at Winter Cluster Meetings.

Learn the practical side of being a good neighbor

Immediately prior to Annual Conference Assembly, Zion Mennonite Church will host a missional conference March 3-4 featuring speakers Howard and Cathy Wagler. The Waglers serve as network directors for South Central Mennonite Conference. In this conference they will focus on the practical side of being a good neighbor, based on Luke 10:25-37. For more information about the 2022 missional conference,…

Study to focus on disability and ministry

A note to church leaders from the Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADN): If you are interested in $100 in exchange for 60-90 minutes of your time talking about disability in your congregation, then read on. Erik Carter, professor of special education at Vanderbilt University, and his team are hoping to speak with hundreds of people across the country who are actively involved in…

Video explores last summer’s Climate Ride

The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS) has produced a brief documentary video about last year’s CSCS Climate Ride across the United States. Climate Rider Loren Friesen recorded footage throughout the ride which he has compiled into a half-hour video. The documentary will premiere Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. EST on Zoom and Facebook Live. Following the showing will be…

Seminary scholarships available

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) has several merit-based scholarships for new graduate students from the United States or Canada, whether they pursue studies at a distance or on the AMBS campus. Application deadline is March 15. For more information, please see https://bit.ly/AMBSScholarships.

Register for Women in Leadership by Jan. 28

Last call for registrations: Jan. 28 is the registration deadline for Ohio Conference’s Women in Leadership Retreat, which will be held Feb. 18-19 at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin. The theme of the Women in Leadership Retreat is “Empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead like yourself.” Rebecca Slough, academic dean emerita and professor emerita of worship and…

Delegate News — Winter 2022

Winter cluster meeting dates set Ohio Conference is planning five winter cluster meetings for delegates to Annual Conference Assembly, beginning this week. Each meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last approximately 90 minutes. Locations are as follows: Jan. 18 — Bethel Mennonite Church, West Liberty Jan. 27 — Salem Mennonite Church, Kidron Feb. 1 — Tedrow Mennonite Church, Wauseon…

Zion Mennonite to host Assembly

Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold will host the 2022 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) of the Ohio Conference March 4-5. The theme of this year’s gathering, based on Luke 10:25-37, will be “Befriending the Neighborhood: Am I a Good Neighbor?” Ohio Conference also will hold a missional conference at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold immediately prior to ACA, on March 3-4.…

Borderlands Learning Tour: No easy answers

By Dick Barrett Conference Minister November 7th through the 14th of this past year I had the privilege and opportunity to participate in a Borderlands Learning Tour sponsored by the Great Lakes office of Mennonite Central Committee. The tour focused on the border between Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Mexico, approximately 120 miles southeast of Tucson. Both Ohio Conference’s Leadership…

Winter Read offers place for discussion

We would love to have you join us for the Ohio Conference Winter Read, which is currently underway. This winter Ohio Conference is trying something new, a Conference-wide book study offered via Zoom. We are studying Latasha Morrison’s book Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation. As of mid-January, 58 people are participating in the Winter Read. Discussion leaders…

‘Little Liturgies’ can nurture faith

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate If you are looking for ways to nurture faith at home, take a look at the free resources available online at The Soil and the Seed Project: https://www.thesoilandtheseedproject.org. This group has created “little liturgies” with downloadable music, art, prayers, scripture, and discussion prompts which can be used by individuals, families, or small communities.…

Conference to focus on how to be a good neighbor

Ohio Conference will hold a missional conference March 3-4 at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, immediately prior to the 2022 Annual Conference Assembly. The theme of the missional conference, based on Luke 10:25-37, will be “Befriending the Neighborhood: Am I a Good Neighbor?” Presenters will be Howard and Cathy Wagler, church planters from Hutchinson, Kansas. The Waglers currently are serving…

Loving my neighbor and forbearance

By Dick Barrett Conference Minister There is an old saying that goes something like, “We get to pick our friends, but we don’t get to pick our family.” Well, I would add, “We don’t get to pick our neighbors.” In the Great Commandment(s) Jesus tells us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your…

Women in Leadership Retreat to feature Rebecca Slough

There’s still time to register for Ohio Conference’s Women in Leadership Retreat, which will be held Feb. 18-19 at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin. Retreat planners are encouraging every Ohio Conference congregation to send at least one woman to this retreat. Has your congregation tapped someone to attend this retreat? The theme of the Women in Leadership Retreat…

Everence scholarship application deadline is Feb. 28

GOSHEN, Indiana ─ Everence Financial® is accepting applications for college scholarships for the 2022-2023 school year until Feb. 28. Everence will award 45 regional scholarships of $1,000 to students chosen by local Everence offices. Three students also will receive national scholarships ─ one of $2,000 and two of $1,000 ─ so the top three recipients will have Everence scholarships totaling…

Register now for ACA, missional conference

Online registration is open for the 2022 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA). Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold will host the 2022 ACA March 4-5. The theme of this year’s gathering will be “Befriending the Neighborhood: Am I a Good Neighbor?” For more information about ACA, please see https://bit.ly/2022ACAInfo. To register online, go to https://bit.ly/2022ACARegistration. Register for ACA by Feb. 11. Zion…

Author: Shaquez Dickens