Author: Shaquez Dickens
Church planting conversation set for Oct. 15
Individuals from around Ohio Conference are invited to participate in Visible Kingdom Communities, a church planting conversation, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Ohio Conference office, 5358 Kidron Road, Kidron. For those who cannot attend in person, a video conferencing option will be available. If you would like to take part in this conversation, please…
Concert to benefit Open Arms
Open Arms Hispanic Ministry is hosting “Songs and Salsa,” an evening concert in the Kidron Park Community Building, 4434 Kidron Road, Kidron, on Sunday, Oct. 13, beginning at 6 p.m. The musical group Honeytown will be performing, as will the worship team from Salem Mennonite Church in Wooster. There will be a variety of chips and salsas available. A freewill offering…
World Communion Sunday to be celebrated at Central
Join in celebrating World Communion Sunday on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. at Central Christian School in Kidron. This worship service is a partnership of several local Mennonite churches and the Swahili Community Church of Akron, a Congolese Mennonite congregation. The event will include prayer, scripture, communion, and worship offerings from the Salem Mennonite dance group, Congolese Swahili choirs, and…
Fundraiser to benefit Wycliffe
Beech Mennonite Church in Louisville is hosting a fundraiser for Wycliffe Ministries on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will include helicopter rides, activities for children, and motorized surrey rides. Lunch will be available. Beech Mennonite Church is located at 10037 Easton St. NE, Louisville. See the event flier for details.
Tony Doehrmann to serve as regional pastor
The Ohio Conference Leadership Team and the Ministry Development Team are pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Doehrmann as the new regional pastor covering the western half of Ohio Conference. He will begin his work with the Conference on Oct. 1. Tony served as pastor of Jubilee Mennonite Church in Bellefontaine from 2008 until the end of 2017. During…
Credentialed leaders meet in Upper Sandusky
Forty of Ohio Conference’s credentialed ministers gathered Sept. 12 at the Upper Sandusky Public Library as part of the Conference’s continued Gathered and Sent initiative. It was a day of dwelling in God’s Word (Ephesians 5:1-21), reflecting on the Conference’s Identity Statement released by the Leadership Team in April, fellowship and looking forward to what lies ahead for the Conference.…
Why faith-based education? A conversation with Susan Schultz Huxman of EMU
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Thomas Dunn talks about Mennonite colleges and faith-based education with Susan Schultz Huxman, president of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Also joining the conversation are guest co-hosts Doug and Miriam Zehr, pastors at Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville. https://media.blubrry.com/3716337/ohiomennoniteconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/19_09_14_Susan-Schultz-Huxman_-Submitted.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
Giving to Conference drops in August
Giving to Ohio Conference was down in August, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Total receipts for the month were just $15,776, including $15,084 in congregational giving. That amount was less than half the amount received in July, $34,968. Expenses for the month totaled $26,574, resulting in an operating balance for the month of -$10,798. As of…
Healthy Boundaries training to be offered in Michigan
All pastors credentialed by the Ohio Conference are required to complete Healthy Boundaries training. Ohio Conference first offered this training in 2017 and 2018. For pastors who have not yet completed this training, Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference is hosting a Healthy Boundaries 101 training course Nov. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Michigan. Instructors John…
Everence event to focus on faith and values
Everence is sponsoring a “Faith and Values in the Marketplace” workshop on Monday, Oct. 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Gardens at Homestead, 8233 S.R. 241, Mt. Hope. Co-sponsors for this no-fee event are Mennonite Economic Development Associates and the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center. The workshop will feature three presentations: “Learning to identify and grow business opportunities”…
New president appointed at AMBS
The Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) Board of Directors has appointed David W. Boshart, Ph.D., of Wellman, Iowa, as the seminary’s next president, to begin Jan. 1, 2020. Beverly Lapp, Ed.D., vice president and academic dean, will continue to serve as acting president until then. To learn more, see http://bit.ly/NewAMBSPresident.
AMBS forms partnership with Bethany and Earlham
Bethany Theological Seminary, Earlham School of Religion and AMBS have entered into an open cross-registration agreement — the first collaborative effort of its kind among seminaries of the three Historic Peace Church traditions: Church of the Brethren, Quaker (Society of Friends) and Mennonite. The new agreement allows eligible students at the Indiana-based seminaries to enroll in most courses offered by…
The Mennonite seeks submissions for November issue
The Mennonite Inc., invites your original submissions for the November 2019 print magazine issue and corresponding online content focusing on the theme “Journeys with Church.” Submissions are due to Editor@TheMennonite.org no later than Oct. 1. For more information about this theme, see http://bit.ly/TheMennoniteNov2019.
Missional festival is coming in 2020
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Thomas Dunn and his guest co-host Dick Barrett talk about mission with Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church and a member of the Ohio Conference Missional Planning Team. Listen to this episode to hear about plans for a summer missional festival in 2020. You will also learn more about some…
Conference awards nine ministry grants
The Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team (MDT) has awarded nine grants totaling $24,750. The MDT approved these grants at its Aug. 19 meeting. Funding for these grants comes from surplus funds that had accumulated during years in which the Conference ended its fiscal year with a surplus. The MDT has awarded these grants each year since 2012. The grants will…
A biblical people?
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. — Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) Each year I try to read through the entire Bible, both the New Testament and the Old Testament, following different Bible reading plans. I must confess that I have not always been successful. I also often find myself struggling with parts of…
Church planting discussion planned
By Ralph Reinford Regional Pastor Are you interested in church planting? The Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team wants to initiate a conversation about growing new Visible Kingdom Communities, formerly known as church planting. This article is an invitation to anyone interested in, passionate for, or feeling a call to be a part of supporting new endeavors. We are planning a…
Senior designs her own social work internship through Bluffton’s Summer Discovery Program
BLUFFTON, Ohio — Rowena Zuercher, a member of Sonnenberg Mennonite Church in Kidron, is making the most of her college experience. The social work and Spanish double major from Apple Creek, Ohio, is a student ambassador, active on campus and spent a semester in Guatemala. This summer, she created her own internship through the Summer Discovery Program, which provides a…
Summer festival to focus on mission
Plans are underway for an Ohio Conference missional festival, “Engaging Mission 2020,” to be held at Bluffton University June 26-28, 2020. This event will be for people of all ages, including family groups. The festival will provide an introduction to missional living where participants will be challenged to create space for mission in their lives. In the past several years,…
You are invited to make disciples
In Matthew 28, Jesus called for his disciples to make disciples of others. But the call to make disciples continues today. You are invited to join others in the Ohio Conference who are participating in the Missional Discipleship Initiative (https://www.mennonitemission.net/MDI). What is the Missional Discipleship Initiative (MDI)? MDI is an initiative launched by Marvin Lorenzana and Mennonite Mission Network to…
Immigrant care kit drive is underway
Open Arms Hispanic Ministries is coordinating a drive to collect immigration detainee care kits, which are being distributed by Mennonite Central Committee Central States and its partner, the South Texas Response Team. These kits, which contain clothing and hygiene products, are given to individuals who are being released from detention centers. On Oct. 2 Orrville Mennonite Church is hosting an…
Lynn Miller accepts moderator position
The Ohio Conference Leadership Team is pleased to announce that Lynn Miller of Tedrow Mennonite Church has agreed to serve as our Conference moderator. Lynn has been a part of Tedrow Mennonite Church all his life, and he has served as a delegate to Ohio Conference in the past both as a member of Tedrow and as a member of…
Giving to Conference is stronger in July
Giving to the Ohio Conference in July was much stronger than in the previous three months, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Total receipts for July were $34,968, more than double the $15,312 received in June. Expenses for the month totaled just $28,462, leaving the Conference with an operating balance of $6,506 for the month. However, because…
An Update with Dick Barrett
After a hiatus of several months, the Ohio Conference Cast podcast has returned. In this episode host Thomas Dunn is joined by a guest co-host, Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church, for a conversation with Conference Minister Dick Barrett. “I’m excited about the people we have in Conference….I’m excited about where God is leading us in the months and…
MC USA shares a call to prayer and action
Mennonite Church USA has shared a call to prayer and action in response to gun violence following the mass shootings in Gilroy, California; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio. Along with a prayer of lament for the lives lost, the statement includes a list of suggested action items for churches and links to resources from Mennonite Central Committee and RAWtools.…
Webinar to focus on dealing with politics
Make plans to attend the fall webinar series from Mennonite Church USA for pastors and congregational leaders, “Putting Jesus on the Ballot: Anabaptism and American Politics,” led by Scott Peterson, leadership pastor at Trinity Mennonite Church in Glendale, Arizona. This series will include three webinars, with the first on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Learn more and register at thegatheringplace.us.
Blog post shares couple’s experiences
Stan and Sue Short of Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold shared their experiences for April Yamasaki’s recent blog post, “When Your Wife’s the Preacher.” Sue is one of the three members of Zion’s collaborative ministry team. You can read the blog post at http://bit.ly/PreacherWife.
MMN to launch Sent Network for church planters
Interested in church planting? This month Mennonite Mission Network is launching the Sent Network, an online group learning curriculum for Anabaptist church planters. Registration is open until Aug. 19. To learn more, see the enclosed flier and visit www.MennoniteMission.net/SentNetwork.
Vickie Yoder accepts new assignment
As of Sept. 1, Vicki Yoder will become chair of the Credentialing Ministry when Verle Brubaker steps down. Verle has accepted a new ministry opportunity in Pennsylvania and will be leaving the Conference shortly. Vickie is part-time interim associate pastor at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City, and she recently retired from her work as a chaplain. She has served…
Immigration event to include care kit assembly
You’re invited to share God’s love and give your support to immigrant detainees on our southern border. Open Arms Hispanic Ministries invites you to come Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. for an immigration information update and MCC Immigration Detainee Care Kit assembly at Orrville Mennonite Church, 1305 W. Market St., Orrville. A representative from Mennonite Central Committee will provide…