Author: Shaquez Dickens
Fighting the wrong battles with the wrong weapons
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. — 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV) Over the past several months we have witnessed several African American people die…
Involving young adults in ministry
How is your congregation ministering to youth and young adults? How are you involving these young people in ministry? Ohio Conference’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry Team has been encouraging Ohio Conference congregations to share their stories of how they are relating to youth and young adults. In this issue of Ohio Mennonite Evangel, we check in with Matthew Reed,…
Engaging immigration: Some action steps
A few thoughts from the Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team: Are you aware that a significant number of immigrants living in Ohio (and the rest of this country) face a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 because of their work in meat processing plants and other factories? Don’t forget to pray for them. There’s plenty of time left this summer for…
MCC plans centennial livestream celebration July 26
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will celebrate its centennial year with a virtual event on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. MCC will be broadcasting live from Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana, the site of an important first meeting in the formation of MCC when representatives of various Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren groups met in July 1920. This…
Giving to Conference increases during June
Ohio Conference’s financial picture improved during June, with much stronger giving from congregations than in May, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Congregational giving in June totaled $43,884, compared with just $11,964 during May. During June total income from all sources was $44,772, and expenses for the month totaled $28,855, resulting a surplus of $15,917 for the…
Leadership is visioning for the future
The Ohio Conference Leadership Team and the Pastoral Team have begun meeting with consultants Howard and Cathy Wagler from South Hutchinson, Kansas. They are looking at our current mission and purpose statements (introduced in 2006) as we begin discerning together God’s vision for the future of the Conference over the next five to seven years. The Leadership Team and Pastoral…
Pastor gatherings to be held regionally
A note from Conference Minister Dick Barrett: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be holding one large pastor gathering in the fall as we have during the past several years. In place of the one gathering we are planning on meeting in person in smaller groups. Taking into account social distancing practices, we will gather during the…
Retreat for Pastors’ Wives canceled
Please note: The Ohio Conference Retreat for Pastors’ Wives has been canceled. This retreat had been scheduled for Nov. 6-8 at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin, Ohio. Because of ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, retreat organizers have decided to cancel this event.
Planning continues for MWC Assembly in 2021
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) continues to plan for the next MWC Assembly, which is scheduled for July 2021. A statement in the latest issue of MWC Assembly News addresses concerns about the upcoming Assembly: “COVID-19 has had an impact in many areas of our lives. As the Assembly planning team, we are still on target to celebrate with you in…
Peace Sunday is Sept. 20
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) has created resource materials for a Peace Sunday worship service on Sept. 20, using the theme “When one member suffers, all members suffer: Peace as accompaniment and solidarity.” Go to https://bit.ly/2020MWCPeaceSunday to download these materials.
Convention planners seek proposals for seminars
Convention planners are seeking proposals for equipping seminars at MennoCon21, the Mennonite Church USA biennial convention slated to take place in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 6-10, 2021. The deadline for proposal submissions is Oct. 10, 2020. See https://bit.ly/MennoCon21SeminarProposals for more information.
MCC livestream celebration set for July 26
A message from Mennonite Central Committee: It’s time to celebrate 100 years! Join us (virtually) for an MCC Centennial Celebration this Sunday, July 26. This year marks the 100th anniversary of MCC! It is not the centennial year we anticipated. Still, we invite you to join us (virtually) on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. (EDT), as we offer thanks…
Everence to celebrate 75th anniversary July 19
GOSHEN, Indiana — Everence is not letting social distancing deter plans to commemorate the organization’s 75th anniversary. Instead of an in-person gathering, the faith-based financial services company will celebrate virtually, with a videocast on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. (EDT). The July 19 videocast will feature comments from John D. Roth, Ph.D., Goshen College Professor of History and author…
Lighthouse Ministries plans Over The Edge fundraiser
Update: Following the guidance of the City of Canton’s health department, Lighthouse Ministries is postponing the Over The Edge fundraising event until spring 2021. A message from Lighthouse Ministries in Canton: Are you willing to go Over The Edge for kids? On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4 and 5, people from all over northeast Ohio will be rappelling 14 stories down the side of the Bliss Lofts in downtown Canton.…
AMBS webinar is for those experiencing loss
AMBS webinar: Mourning Our Losses Together During COVID-19: The Good News of Biblical Lament: Tuesday, July 21, 2–3 p.m. EDT. This free webinar — back by popular demand! — is for those experiencing loss and those journeying with them. Participants will explore the three–act movement of biblical lament as a faithful response to God. Registration is required. See ambs.edu/mourningourlosses.
MCC plans centennial livestream celebration
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will celebrate its centennial year with a virtual event on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. MCC will be broadcasting live from Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana, the site of an important first meeting in the formation of MCC. This livestream event will feature a combination of live and pre-recorded speakers and music.…
MCC U.S. names next executive director
Ann Graber Hershberger has been named the next executive director of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. She will begin her new role in October 2020 as current executive director J. Ron Byler retires. The shift reflects a leadership plan determined in 2019 and affirmed by the organization’s board of directors at their June 20 meeting. Hershberger began as associate executive director following…
Women in Leadership Retreat planned for February
Update: This retreat has been postponed until the fall of 2021. Save the date: Ohio Conference will hold a Women in Leadership Retreat Feb. 5-6, 2021, at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin. The input speaker for this retreat will be Rebecca Slough, academic dean emerita and professor emerita of worship and the arts at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary.…
This far by faith
Vikki Pruitte-Sorrells, pastor of Lee Heights Community Church in Cleveland, wrote an article about her experience with music in worship for the July issue of The Mennonite. You can read “This far by faith: Music and worship in a diverse congregation” online at https://bit.ly/MusicLeeHeights.
‘Race, Church and Change’ is webinar theme
Save the date: Mennonite Church USA is planning a second webinar on the theme “Race, Church and Change.” This webinar is scheduled for July 23 at 6:30 p.m. EDT on both Zoom and Facebook Live. To register for this webinar, go to https://mcusa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JKz_I1rpS76YxM8QwSvRzg. The first “Race, Church and Change” webinar took place on Thursday, June 25, and featured a discussion…
Peace center moves its courses to Zoom
For the rest of 2020 Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will hold all its scheduled training events remotely via Zoom rather than in person. Scheduled training events include Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (Aug. 3-7), Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches (July 18), Healthy Congregations (July 21), and Breaking Free: Finding Resilience in an Era of Collective Trauma (July 16…
Mennonite colleges begin sharing plans for fall semester
Mennonite colleges and universities in the United States have begun announcing plans for returning to in-person classes this fall. The Mennonite reports more details at https://bit.ly/Fall2020CollegePlans.
Ecumenical group develops guidelines for resuming in-person worship
Following an extended consultation, an ecumenical group of religious leaders has developed a set of guidelines for resuming in-person worship services. You can read their recommendations at https://bit.ly/ResumingCare-FilledWorship.
MDT to award Ministry Grants
Ministry Grants are back! Aug. 10 is the deadline to submit a grant proposal to the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team (MDT). The MDT is accepting proposals from Conference congregations and related organizations for projects and mission initiatives. The MDT has $7,000 available for grants in 2020. This year the MDT is seeking to provide grants for projects that address…
Conference receipts drop sharply in May
Ohio Conference experienced a sharp drop in receipts during May compared to April. Congregational giving totaled just $11,964 in May, compared with $28,038 in April. Total receipts for the month were $12,444, and expenses totaled $26,252. As of the end of May, the Conference’s year-to-date operating balance was -$9,730.
Anabaptist Worship Network develops website
The Anabaptist Worship Network, which began as a group on Facebook, now has its own website at http://anabaptistworship.net with worship resources and information about courses and events. The Anabaptist Worship Network is dedicated to supporting worship and song leaders in making intentional, theologically grounded, and spiritually inspired choices about worship practices that respond to their local contexts.
New members join Immigration Resource Team
The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team has added two new members from western Ohio, Megan Bettelon and Krisha Pagniano. Below they share some information about themselves and their interest in immigration: Megan Bettelon: I’ve been a lifelong attendee of Huber Mennonite Church in New Carlisle. I am a social worker and currently work in a school setting. Growing up in…
Being Jesus in the reopening of his churches
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister The past several months have certainly been a difficult time in our individual lives and in the lives of our churches throughout Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA. It seems like “a perfect storm” — a pandemic that almost none of us have ever experienced before, an economy that crashed with no one sure of…
The Mennonite seeks submissions for August issue
The Mennonite Inc. invites your original submissions for the August 2020 issue focusing on the theme “Why I am an Anabaptist.” For more information about this theme, see https://bit.ly/TheMennoniteAugust2020. Submissions are due to Editor@TheMennonite.org no later than July 3.
June 21 is World Refugee Sunday
June 21 has been designated as World Refugee Sunday. The Immigration Resource Team of the Ohio Conference is encouraging congregations to highlight World Refugee Sunday during their worship services on June 21, perhaps by mentioning it in any sharing or announcement time and including it in the pastoral prayer. The following links have numerous excellent ideas for observing World Refugee…