Author: Shaquez Dickens
AMBS offers tuition matching grants
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary offers grants of up to $2,000 per academic year to match contributions that congregations, conferences and regional churches make toward a full-time graduate student’s tuition costs — whether they’re studying on campus or at a distance. Learn more at https://bit.ly/AMBSMatchingGrants.
April issue of MWC Courier focuses on creation care
The April issue of Courier, the publication of Mennonite World Conference, includes several articles from around the world focusing on creation care. Also included are resources for Young Anabaptists Fellowship Week and a profile of the church in France. To download a copy of this issue, go to https://bit.ly/April2023Courier.
Delegate News – 4-24-23
April 24, 2023 Dear Ohio Conference credentialed ministers, delegates and congregations, The Leadership Team of Ohio Conference met for our annual retreat on April 13 to fellowship with one another, pray, and to discern together God’s leading of Ohio Conference over the next year. We want to let you know how we plan to move forward after Annual Conference Assembly…
Free study guide now available
Believe and Be Baptized, a free study guide about baptism, is now available for Ohio Conference congregations. The study guide was produced by the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism (ISGA). Written by John D. Roth in collaboration with Tom Yoder Neufeld, the study guide reflects on topics discussed during the Lutheran-Mennonite-Roman Catholic Trilateral Conversation on Baptism. Believe and…
Ohio MCC Bike Ride to raise funds for MCC peace projects
This July a group of bike riders in Ohio will be raising funds for Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) peace projects. Participants in the Ohio MCC Bike Ride will be riding 100 miles on the Ohio to Erie Trail July 15-16, using the London, Ohio, trailhead as a starting point on both days. Riders will head north toward Columbus one day,…
2023 Social Justice Sunday
2023 – Social Justice Sunday Resources
EMU to host peacebuilding conference
Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, will hold the third Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Conference and Festival June 15-18. The theme of this gathering is “Coming Together: The Journey of Faith and Peace.” The Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Conference and Festival brings together Mennonite practitioners, artists and theologians from around the world to learn, share and discuss their work for peace. The…
CLC meets in San Antonio
The Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) of Mennonite Church USA met March 23-25 in San Antonio, Texas. The CLC provided feedback on three proposed organizational resolutions from the Executive Board at its meeting. See a report about the meeting at https://bit.ly/3-23CLCMeeting.
Journey Award honors stewardship role models
Who is your role model when it comes to being a responsible steward of their gifts and resources – including time, talent, money, health and the earth? Nominate them for the annual Everence® Journey Award! Nominations are due by April 30. See https://evrnce.com/igf for more information or to nominate someone.
2023 Missional Workshop has been canceled
The 2023 Missional Workshop scheduled for April 15 has been canceled. Registration fees are being refunded.
Sharon work camp to focus on local service
Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City is hosting its annual work camp June 18-24. Work camp participants, middle school age and older, work at service projects in the local area. People from other congregations, both adults and youth, are welcome to participate in work camp. Youth work camp participants need to have finished at least sixth grade. Youth from other congregations…
Register for missional workshop by March 31
Update: This workshop has been canceled. All registration fees already paid will be refunded. The registration deadline for Ohio Conference’s missional workshop is approaching quickly! Do you have ideas for ministering to your community, but need motivation to begin making those ideas come to life? Then plan now to attend Ohio Conference’s 2023 missional workshop at the St. Francis…
Giving increases but deficit remains
Giving to Ohio Conference increased during February, but that increased giving did not completely eliminate the Conference’s year-to-date operating deficit. According to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth, receipts for the month totaled $47,672, including $45,248 in giving from congregations. Expenses for February totaled just $21,671, resulting in a surplus of $26,001 for the month. That surplus helped to…
New journal issue explores topic of ‘uncertainty’
The Spring 2023 issue of Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology, edited by Karl Koop, PhD, of Canadian Mennonite University, looks at uncertainty from personal, ecological, biblical and societal angles. Writers explore how to move away from self-centered conceptions of certainty and control and move toward notions of trust and mystery. You can download this free publication online at…
MWC requests prayer for victims of cyclone
Mennonite World Conference is requesting prayer for Anabaptist-Mennonite church members in Malawi and Mozambique who have been affected by Cyclone Freddy, an exceptionally long-lived tropical storm that battered the region for more than five weeks with heavy rains and high winds. See https://bit.ly/PrayerRequestCycloneFreddy for more details.
Summit Mennonite Church is meeting in new location
Summit Mennonite Church, formerly located in Barberton, is now meeting nearby in Norton. The congregation is renting space at the Grace United Church of Christ of Loyal Oak, 3285 S. Cleveland Massillon Road, Norton. Summit Mennonite’s email address is summit2mennonite@gmail.com. The congregation’s mailing address is as follows: Summit Mennonite Church, PO Box 296, Wadsworth OH 44282. To contact Summit Mennonite…
MDS March newsletter is now available
The March edition of On the Level is now available from Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). In this issue: Executive Director Kevin King shares his experiences of working on an MDS project in Dulac, Louisiana; a home dedication in Kentucky provides visible reminders that God cares; and MDS Canada returns to Cape Bretton to repair damage from Hurricane Fiona. To read this…
‘Dealing with Crises’ is webinar topic
“It’s not a matter of if, but when a crisis will happen.” — Dr. Curt Bechler Anabaptist Communicators is hosting a webinar on the topic “Dealing with Crises.” This webinar featuring Dr. Curt Bechler, a specialist in crisis and conflict management, will take place on Thursday, March 30, from noon to 1 p.m. EST. The webinar is free to all,…
Relief sale board to hold kick-off meeting March 28
The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale & Auction Board will hold its annual kick-off meeting Tuesday, March 28, at 6 p.m. This meeting will take place the home of board member Leroy Yoder at 1865 State Route 62, Wilmot, Ohio (located just outside of Winesburg). This year the Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale & Auction will have a new date and new…
ACA report: Affiliation resolution not adopted
At the 2023 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA), a resolution for Ohio Conference to withdraw from Mennonite Church USA and become temporarily independent did not receive enough votes from delegates to be adopted. The Ohio Conference Leadership Team proposed the resolution to delegates on March 4 at ACA after several sessions of group spiritual discernment. Eighty-one delegates (54.7 %) voted to…
Study groups sought for Anabaptist Community Bible
HARRISONBURG, Virginia — The Anabaptism at 500 project is looking for 500 study groups from a broad spectrum of Anabaptist communities to participate in creating the first-ever Anabaptist Community Bible. People from all Anabaptist traditions are invited to form study groups and submit their insights for this once-in-a-generation project. Participating is easy. Volunteers can form their study group and register…
Check out these new Lenten resources
By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate The Soil and The Seed Project has released a new collection of free resources for Lent, Easter and Pentecost. Included are a new album of music, “Little Liturgies,” art, and lyrics/chord/lead sheets. To download these resources, go to https://www.thesoilandtheseedproject.org/vol-6. For more information about the Soil and The Seed Project, see https://www.thesoilandtheseedproject.org/about. Another resource for Lent comes from…
Church is not a democracy
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister I find myself writing this just a few days after our 2023 Annual Conference Assembly where the theme was “Rooted and Grounded in Love,” based on Ephesians 3:16-21. The Assembly was a time of good fellowship, worship and learning about different spiritual practices. It was also a time of hard work, as the delegates continued…
Ohio MCC Comforter Bash set for April 21-22
Mennonite Central Committee will hold the second annual Ohio MCC Comforter Bash on Friday and Saturday, April 21-22, in the recreation building at the Kidron Community Park, 4434 Kidron Road, Kidron. Everyone is invited to knot comforters for Mennonite Central Committee at this event. A handmade comforter provides not only warmth but also a tangible message to people that their…
Gilead Mennonite Church holds final service
On Jan. 29th Conference Minister Dick Barrett worshiped with Gilead Mennonite Church as the congregation worshiped together as a church for the last time. Located in the rural area of Mt. Gilead, Ohio, the church began in 1952 when several Mennonite families moved to the community with a desire to plant a church that was committed both to the Anabaptist/Mennonite…
Volunteers accept Conference positions
Members of Ohio Conference congregations who volunteer their time play a vital role in Conference life. Without the help of numerous volunteers, many of the programs and functions of the Ohio Conference could not take place. Much of the work of Ohio Conference is done by the Leadership Team, the Ministry Development Team, the Credentialing Ministry, the Stewardship Ministry and…
Pastor-Spouse Retreat to offer time and space for couples to rest, refresh and reconnect
Ohio Conference will hold a 2023 Pastor-Spouse Retreat Nov. 10-12 at Deer Creek State Park Lodge and Conference Center in Mt. Sterling, Ohio, about 32 miles south of Columbus. The theme of this weekend event will be “Fill My Cup.” This retreat has been designed to provide an affordable time away for pastors and their spouses. The retreat will offer…
What’s next after ACA 2023?
To: Ohio Conference credentialed ministers, delegates, and congregations From: Ohio Conference Leadership Team Subject: What’s Next after ACA 2023? Date: March 9, 2023 The Leadership Team of Ohio Conference would once again like to take the opportunity to thank all of our credentialed ministers, delegates and congregations for your active participation in the first year of our two-year review process…
ACA photos are online
Photos from the 2023 Annual Conference Assembly are posted online at https://bit.ly/ACAPhotos. You also can view them on the Ohio Conference Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OhioConferenceMCUSA. A brief summary video of ACA 2023 will be available by the end of this week. The video also will be posted on Facebook and at https://bit.ly/ACAPhotos.
Affiliation resolution at ACA not adopted
At last weekend’s Annual Conference Assembly (ACA), a resolution for Ohio Conference to withdraw from Mennonite Church USA and become temporarily independent did not receive enough votes from delegates to be adopted. The Ohio Conference Leadership Team proposed the resolution to delegates on March 4 at ACA after several sessions of group spiritual discernment. Eighty-one delegates (54.7 %) voted to…