Author: Shaquez Dickens
Camp Luz to host Jr. High Retreat
Glenn Nofziger, associate pastor at Martins Creek Mennonite Church, will be the featured speaker at the Jr. High Retreat at Camp Luz Jan. 12-14. The theme for the retreat will be “Rooted,” based on Colossians 2:6-7. The retreat will begin with check-in at 7 p.m. on Friday and conclude at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Cost of the retreat is $90 per…
AMBS offers spiritual guidance seminar
Spiritual Guidance Seminar: Jan. 9 – July 20, 2018. Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary’s Spiritual Guidance Seminar is a supervised program for people who want to become spiritual directors. It will be offered in a low-residency, hybrid format (both online and on campus) led by Dan Schrock, D.Min. Graduates of this training have used their skills not only in spiritual direction,…
Peacebuilding institute offers variety of courses
Registration is now open for the Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. SPI 2018 offers two seven-day sessions and two five-day sessions, each with several courses running at the same time. Participants can take one course per session. Courses can be taken for professional skills training or academic credit. Courses are open to all people interested…
Promoting Healthy Boundaries
How can we make sure our congregations are safe places for everyone? In a blog post on the Mennonite Church USA website, Terry Shue, director of leadership development for Mennonite Church USA, said, “Recent episodes of ministerial misconduct in our system have again alerted us to the ongoing task of making our congregations a safe place for everyone — both…
Healthy Boundaries training required for credentialed leaders
Ohio Conference is providing Healthy Boundaries training for all credentialed persons in the Conference. This training will be offered three times during 2017-18: Dec. 9, 2017 — SpringHaven Counseling Center, Dundee (near Mount Eaton, Ohio) Jan. 13, 2018 — First Mennonite Church, Bluffton April 21, 2018 — Archbold area (specific location yet to be confirmed) The training will last from…
Conference deficit grows during September
Expenses outpaced receipts for the Ohio Conference during the month of September, according to figures provided by Ohio Conference Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for the month totaled $25,067, including $21,417 in congregational giving. Total expenses for the month were $29,783, resulting in a -$4,716 operating balance for the month. At the end of September, the Conference’s year-to-date operating balance…
Website lists service opportunities for older adults
LANCASTER, Pa. — You’re 55 or older, and you want to put your faith into action. Wondering where to go? Visit Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) and Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC’s) newly created Anabaptist Service Opportunities Portal at ASOPortal.org to discover all the short-term, international service opportunities being offered by both EMM and MCC for volunteers ages 55 and older.
Seminar to focus on mental health
Central Mennonite Church in Archbold will host a free seminar, “Bipolar Disorder and Families: Genetics and Mental Health,” on Sunday, Nov. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. Staff from the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, will be sharing research developments from studying Mennonites and the Amish. In addition, Wauseon resident Bev Miller will share about her personal…
Faith and values workshop planned
Everence is sponsoring a “Faith and Values in the Marketplace” workshop on Monday, Nov. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Gardens at Homestead Furniture in Mt. Hope. Co-sponsors for this event are Mennonite Economic Development Associates and the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center. Speakers will include Beryl Jantzi, Everence stewardship education director; Ernest Hershberger, owner of Homestead Furniture;…
Visual art sought for new hymnal
HARRISONBURG, Virginia — As the Resonate Team gathers material for a new hymnal, they are planning for a first-of-its-kind feature within Mennonite hymnals: including visual images that complement the musical and verbal rhythms of worship found in the collection. The Resonate Team is calling for visual artists to submit content to be considered for inclusion in the new collection. Interested…
International Guest House seeks volunteers
The International Guest House, located in Washington, D.C., needs 12-month host volunteers beginning April 2018. (Those serving a full year receive a monthly stipend and health insurance while all other volunteers receive full room and board.) Rotating duties include cleaning, maintenance, baking, gardening, and interacting with guests at breakfast and the evening tea. The three-pronged focus for volunteers is on…
Cliff Brubaker to take on new role
Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold has voted to call Regional Pastor Cliff Brubaker to a .25 FTE role in its collaborative ministry team, and Cliff has accepted the congregation’s call. He will begin his work at Zion on Jan.1, 2018. Cliff currently has two half-time roles with the Ohio Conference. He will continue his half-time role as regional pastor for the west…
What does it take to make mission missional?
By Joel Shenk Not everything the church does in the name of mission or outreach is missional. A group of friends and I recently brainstormed a top-ten list of things churches think are missional but actually aren’t: 10. Outdoor worship services 9. Ecumenical worship services 8. Prayer walks 7. Serving a meal to the homeless 6. MCC school kits and…
Delegate News – Fall 2017
Fall meetings planned for delegates This fall Ohio Conference will hold four regional cluster meetings for delegates to Annual Conference Assembly (ACA). Each meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and last about an hour and a half. Meeting dates and locations are as follows: Oct. 17 – Lockport Mennonite Church in Stryker Oct. 24 – Oak Grove Mennonite Church in…
Conference seeks half-time Conference Minister
Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA is seeking a part-time (50 percent) Conference Minister with a vision of the church in mission to lead a conference made up of 51 congregations spanning Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, primarily in small town and rural communities. Accepting applications immediately with projected start date March 2018. For a full job description consult: http://bit.ly/OHConferenceMinister. Women and…
Conference deficit shrinks in August
Giving to Ohio Conference in August increased from the previous month, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for the month totaled $29,034, including $24,211 in congregational giving. In contrast, giving during July totaled just $19,041. Expenses for the month of August were $25,243, resulting in an operating surplus of $3,791 for the month. That surplus reduced…
Congregations invited to regional hymn sings
HARRISONBURG, Virginia — The Mennonite Worship and Song Committee, working under the name Resonate Team, has invited congregations to hold a “Great Day of Singing” this fall and has scheduled a series of 10 regional hymn sings. Two of these regional events will be held in Ohio: Oct. 8, 9:30 a.m. — Oak Grove Mennonite Church, Smithville, Ohio, led by…
AMBS pastor gathering moves to new date
Save the date! AMBS Pastors and Leaders 2018: Feb. 26 – March 1 (formerly Pastors Week; please also note the later dates for 2018). “For Such a Time as This” will feature teachers and preachers from the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary community. In the midst of chaotic times, God calls you to the crucial work of helping to form the…
Peace center offers conflict transformation training
You are invited to attend the one-day workshop Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches on Oct. 21 in Indianapolis, Ind. This workshop will focus on the biblical basis for conflict transformation, styles of responding to conflict, communication skills necessary to resolve conflict peacefully, strategies to prevent destructive conflict in churches, and a model for working at congregational decision-making in a win-win…
Reduced rate still available for retreat
Last call for registrations: Interested in attending the Ohio Conference Pastor-Spouse Retreat Nov. 10-12 at Mohican State Park? Thanks to underwriting from generous sponsors, up to 25 couples can attend at the discounted rate of $210 for the entire weekend. Coordinator of Volunteers Alysa Short reports that there are still spaces available at the discounted rate. Anyone who still would…
Top five reasons we really don’t want to be missional
By Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg Missional. We’ve been hearing this word for 20 years. Our seminaries have been teaching it, our agencies have been producing books on it and our congregations have been using the word “missional” to justify programs, mission efforts and other worthwhile “regularly scheduled” activities the church has done for the last 20 years. But as I question why…
Mennonite Arts Weekend to feature wide variety
Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship will hold the 14th Mennonite Arts Weekend Feb. 2-4, 2018, at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. A variety of writers, actors, composers, musicians and visual artists will be featured during the weekend. Registration cost is $75 per person ($65 before Jan. 13) and $55 for students ($45 before Jan. 13). For more information, see www.mennoniteartsweekend. org.
Share your ideas for programs
Do you have an idea for a program that you would like Ohio Conference to provide? Share your idea with the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team. To submit your idea, use the “Suggest a Program” button on the Ohio Conference website. This form is intended to allow people from the Ohio Conference to suggest retreats, seminars, training sessions, or speakers…
MyNeighbor helps charitable contributions add up
GOSHEN, Indiana – The new MyNeighbor credit card from Everence® Federal Credit Union helps people boost their generosity while making their usual purchases. For every purchase made with the MyNeighbor credit card, Everence will donate 1.5 percent of the transaction total to the charity of the cardholder’s choice. Since the MyNeighbor program began at the end of April 2017, more…
Zion minister to volunteer as missional consultant
Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg, minister at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, has agreed to serve the Ohio Conference as a part-time missional consultant for a one-year period, beginning in October 2017. She will be volunteering her time in this capacity three to four days per month. At the 2017 Annual Conference Assembly in March, delegates affirmed a direction statement which included this…
A mission trip without the travel
For many congregations, a summer service trip for the youth group is a time-honored tradition. Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City is following that tradition, but with a difference. The service, spiritual growth and group bonding which often occur during a summer service trip are still present, but the travel part is not. This summer for the second year in…
AMBS graduate certificate available through online coursework
Fully online graduate certificate program. Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary’s fully online 27-credit-hour Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies is ideal for church leaders, bivocational pastors and other professionals who want to strengthen the biblical and theological foundation for their work. Develop a plan of study that matches your interests. Complete the program in one year with full-time study or over several…
PeaceLab podcast focuses on hurricane relief
The latest episode of the PeaceLab podcast focuses on Mennonite Disaster Service’s response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas. In this episode, co-hosts Hannah Heinzekehr and Jason Boone talk with Kevin King, executive director of Mennonite Disaster Service. Go to http://bit.ly/PeaceLabMDS to listen.
Time of celebration planned for Ohio Mennonite Women
Ohio Mennonite Women will hold a time of celebration during the Women’s Retreat at Camp Luz on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the Camp Luz chapel. The Ohio Mennonite Women organization will be disbanding, and this celebration is planned as a time to remember, tell stories and celebrate the accomplishments of Ohio Mennonite Women. All…
MDS has an urgent need for Early Response leaders in Texas
Mennonite Disaster Service is looking for Early Response volunteers to serve as leaders for weekly crews in Texas. They are asking leaders to volunteer for four weeks or more. You can fill out the volunteer form online or you can contact Josh Carson at (800) 241-8111 or jcarson@mds.mennonite.net if interested.