Author: Shaquez Dickens
Ohio Conference Cast Orlando – Young adults share their reflections
In this final podcast from the Mennonite Church USA Convention in Orlando, host Bill Seymour talks to Jared Chase, youth pastor at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City, and four post-high young adults from Sharon Mennonite: Mandy Miller, Emily Miller, Josh Yoder and Megan Colwell. These young adults reflect on their convention experience and share their hopes for Mennonite Church USA. https://media.blubrry.com/3716337/ohiomennoniteconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/17_07_07_PlainCity_Submitted_00.mp3Podcast: Play in…
Ohio Conference Cast Orlando – Doctrine of Discovery, or “Hey! It’s Ted Swartz!”
What exactly is the Doctrine of Discovery, and how has it shaped North American culture and society? Ohio Conference Cast host Bill Seymour and his guest co-host, Jeff Hochstetler, talk with Ted Swartz and Alison Brookins about Ted & Company’s new play about the Doctrine of Discovery called Discovery: A Comic Lament. Also participating in the discussion is Peace Lab Podcast* host…
Ohio Conference Cast in Orlando – Delegates reflect on first sessions
Following a very busy day at the Mennonite Church USA Convention in Orlando, Ohio Conference Cast host Bill Seymour talks with three delegates to the convention — Danae King, Charles Bontrager and Leanna Teodosio. They reflect on the first delegate session, which focused on a resolution about seeking peace in Israel and Palestine. They also give their impressions of the first session of…
Central Plains Conference offers free faith formation resources
Calling all Anabaptists: Central Plains Mennonite Conference has a gift for you. Central Plains Mennonite Conference has gathered a wide variety of resources for people interested in faith formation and teaching people of all ages on its Anabaptist Faith Formation website: http://www.anabaptistfaithformation.org/. All resources on the website are free to use. The site has downloadable resources for working with children…
Who are the Dones, and why do we care?
Why do some people describe themselves as “done” with the church, even if they haven’t given up on their faith? This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast is the first in a series of podcasts from the Mennonite Church USA Convention in Orlando, Florida. Host Bill Seymour and guest co-host Jamie Rye, pastor of Millersburg Mennonite Church, talk with Dr. Josh…
Registration open for Believers’ Church Conference
GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) will co-host the 18th Believers’ Church Conference, titled “Word, Spirit and the Renewal of the Church,” Sept. 14-17, 2017, at Goshen College. The conference will explore the gifts and tensions of the Reformation legacy for the Believers’ Church tradition, with a view toward its ecumenical and global dimensions, focusing…
Conference ends May with deficit
Ohio Conference ended the second month of the 2017-18 fiscal year with a deficit, according to figures provided by Ohio Conference Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for the month of May totaled $21,972, including $16,319 in congregational giving. That amount represents a significant decrease from congregational giving during April, which totaled $28,693. Expenses for the month were $23,910, resulting in…
Wooster Mennonite to celebrate 75th anniversary
Wooster Mennonite Church will be celebrating 75 years of worship, fellowship, and mission Sept. 9-10, 2017. Many have attended Wooster Mennonite over the years, and all are invited to attend this special celebration to share memories, stories, and ways God has been faithful. Activities for the weekend include an open house on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. …
Interview with Ervin Stutzman
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Ervin Stutzman, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, has a challenge for the Ohio Conference: “Stretch yourself a bit by hanging around with people sometimes who have a different perspective than you. You don’t have to be like them. You don’t have to make your church like theirs, but expect that there’ll…
Coming soon: Ohio Conference Cast, Orlando edition
Ohio Conference Cast is going on the road. We will be podcasting from Orlando each night of the MC USA Convention, which means, if all goes according to plan, a new podcast will be available each morning from Wednesday, July 5, through Sunday, July 9. This is only possible because we have terrific support people. Norm Sohar is the reason…
Discount still available for Pastor-Spouse Retreat
It’s not too late to receive the discounted registration rate for the upcoming Ohio Conference Pastor-Spouse Retreat. The full registration cost is $410 per couple, but the first 25 couples who submit their registration with payment will receive a discounted rate of $210. A few spots at the discounted rate remain. The Pastor-Spouse Retreat will take place Nov. 10-12 at…
Unit leaders needed for Service Adventure
Do you enjoy mentoring young adults and living in community? Service Adventure is looking for unit leaders for the Jackson, Mississippi, unit. The term begins late July with orientation, and participants begin their service term in August. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Susan Nisly at SusanN@MennoniteMission.net or visit www.mennonitemission.net.
Development conference to feature Jim Wallis
The 2017 Everence Development Conference will offer ideas for building relationships between donors and charitable organizations. This three-day event will take place Sept. 20-22, 2017, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Featured speakers will include Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners; Susan Schultz Huxman, president of Eastern Mennonite University; and Doug Mason, a partner at Gonser Gerber, advancement consultants. A variety of workshops…
Sabbatical bike ride to raise funds for orphanage
While on sabbatical, Berlin Mennonite Pastor Myron Weaver is bicycling 3,500 miles across the United States to raise funds for an orphanage in Nicaragua. To learn more about Myron’s sabbatical journey, see his blog at https://pedalingparson.blogspot.com/.
Missional Church: The fad that just won’t go away
By Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg Recently I heard an observation following Ohio Conference’s Annual Conference Assembly in which we focused on becoming a mission-driven (a.k.a. “Missional”) conference. The observation? It seems as though our younger leaders are the driving force behind the passion for this movement. And so the question becomes, “Why?” Why are younger leaders pushing for this change? Is it…
What does it mean for Ohio Conference to be Gathered and Sent?
In this episode of Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour talk with Regional Pastor Cliff Brubaker about Gathered and Sent, a new focus which brings together the work of two previous initiatives, the Year of Mission and the Year of Covenant. Cliff describes what planners are envisioning for both the “Gathered” and “Sent” parts of this process. Hint:…
Ervin Stutzman to hold meetings in Ohio
Ervin Stutzman, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, will be traveling through Ohio in June, and Ohio Conference has set up two meetings for delegates, pastors and other interested persons to meet with him. Those attending will hear him share about the upcoming MC USA convention in Orlando and the Future Church Summit*, which will take place at the convention.…
Grant program to benefit local ministries
Is your congregation looking for ways to fund a ministry that impacts your community? Consider applying for a grant from the Ohio Conference. For the sixth year in a row, the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team (MDT) is accepting grant proposals from Ohio Conference congregations and related organizations for projects and mission initiatives. This year the MDT has $24,992 available…
Worship is formation — formation is worship
By Ellen Nussbaum Members of Oak Grove Mennonite Church (Smithville) and Sonnenberg Mennonite Church (Kidron), having discovered a common interest in exploring training and resources for leading congregational worship, came together to plan a Worship Resourcing Seminar. It was held on Saturday, May 6, at Sonnenberg Mennonite Church. Sixty-three participants gathered from 16 different Ohio Mennonite congregations. Participants included youth,…
Worship habits which form us
At the May 6 Worship Resourcing Workshop, speaker Rachel Miller Jacobs described three types of worship habits which form us. Worship practices for the individual level of habitus formation include 1) Physical: silence/stillness/contemplation–learning to listen for God’s voice, learning to wait for God’s initiating action; 2) Intellectual: Bible study/reading; 3) Spiritual: individual prayer, self-awareness; and 4) Emotional: attitude of attentiveness. …
Bible studies for youth to be livestreamed
The Mennonite Inc. is teaming up with Michele Hershberger, professor of Bible at Hesston College, to offer a series of four virtual Bible studies for junior and senior high youth groups in June. Whether your youth groups are headed to the Mennonite Church USA convention in Orlando this summer or not, they’ll be sure to benefit from Michele’s four-week Bible…
OC Leadership Team would like to hear from you
The Ohio Conference Leadership Team has begun a process designed to call a person to serve the Conference as a half-time Missional Leader. The first steps are to gather feedback to help shape this new position and to solicit names of potential candidates for this position. The Leadership Team has sent a brief online survey to Ohio Conference pastors and…
Conference ends April with a slight deficit
Ohio Conference ended the first month of the 2017-18 fiscal year with a slight deficit, according to figures provided by Ohio Conference Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for the month of April totaled $33,015, including $28,693 in congregational giving. Expenses for the month were $33,861, resulting in an operating balance of -$846 for the month. The Ohio Conference fiscal year…
Learning more about The Mennonite
What exactly is the relationship between Mennonite Church USA and The Mennonite? In the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour explore that question with Hannah Heinzekehr, executive director of The Mennonite Inc. During the podcast, they also learn more about the online presence of The Mennonite, and they hear a bit about Hannah’s…
Rachel Miller Jacobs leads Worship Resourcing Seminar
Sixty-three people from 15 congregations participated in the Worship Resourcing Seminar at Sonnenberg Mennonite Church on May 6. This event was co-sponsored by Sonnenberg Mennonite Church and Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville with additional financial support from the Ohio Conference.
Talking with Terry Shue
Hosts Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn talk with Terry Shue, director of leadership development for Mennonite Church USA, about a wide range of topics in this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast. They talk about the upcoming retirement of Mennonite Church USA Executive Director Ervin Stutzman, and they learn about the Future Church Summit, which will take place at the…
Executive director sought for Ohio MCC Activity Center
The board of the Ohio MCC Activity Center of Kidron, Ohio, is searching for a full-time executive director to assume responsibilities on Dec. 1, 2017. The director’s responsibilities largely entail giving direction to the MCC Connections Thrift Shop, which has three additional full-time paid staff and more than 300 active volunteers. The candidate must show a capacity for administering staff…
Voices for Peace Tour coming to Ohio
The Jewish and Palestinian Voices for Peace Tour, sponsored by Mennonite Church USA, is coming to Ohio in May with stops at three Ohio congregations. Dates and locations are as follows: May 7 — Columbus Mennonite Church, 9:30 a.m. May 8 — Lima Mennonite Church, 7 p.m. May 10 — Zion Mennonite Church, 6:30 p.m. At these programs Amy Shuster,…
Youth participants sought for Future Church Summit
About 40 spots remain open for the Step Up program – an opportunity for high school age youth to participate in the Future Church Summit at this summer’s Mennonite Church USA Convention in Orlando. This opportunity was initially open to only three youth per conference. Now, any interested youth attending convention may participate. Participants will attend an orientation seminar and…
Volunteers needed at International Guest House
Volunteer staff members are needed at the International Guest House in Washington, D.C., with flexibility of two months to a full year (currently scheduling 2018-19) for the ministry of Christian hospitality. The Guest House, a ministry of Allegheny Conference, serves both international and U.S. travelers. Volunteers are provided full room and board in the Guest House and a monthly stipend…