Delegates approve name change, strategic plan

Note: Photos and a video summary of Annual Conference Assembly are available at https://bit.ly/ACAPhotos. Delegates to the 2024 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) approved a name change for the Conference, a three-year strategic plan, and an updated Ohio Conference Constitution. ACA took place March 1-2 at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City. In addition to business, ACA included several plenary sessions…

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Ohio Mennonite Conference is…

By Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi Process Consultant Metaphors engage us in new ways with imagery for exploration.  In the last session of the 2024 Ohio Mennonite Conference meetings, I invited delegates and other attendees to unleash their creativity to brainstorm metaphors to describe Ohio Mennonite Conference (OMC) as they currently see it.  This article contains a sampling of the many imaginative…

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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 Council, the Credentialing Committee, the Stewardship Committee, the Gifts Discernment Committee, and…

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Delegate News – Looking Forward to ACA

Looking forward to seeing you at ACA Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) is almost here! We are looking forward to seeing many of you at Sharon Mennonite Church on March 1-2. This issue of Delegate News includes many last-minute reminders to help you prepare for our annual gathering. Registration is still open If you are planning on attending ACA, please make…

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ACA Preview – Talking with Meghan Larissa Good

“What would it take for us, for our churches to get on board with what the Spirit is doing and making possible in this period of turmoil and change?” — Meghan Larissa Good In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Alex Dye talks with Meghan Larissa Good, who will be the featured speaker at the 2024 Annual Conference…

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Please help cover ACA in prayer

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Ohio Conference’s Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) is quickly approaching on March 1-2, 2024. Even if you are not attending ACA, you can still participate! We invite you to sign up to help cover all of ACA in prayer. We are looking for willing individuals to commit to praying 20 minutes during the ACA weekend. You can do this from any­where…

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Orientation sessions will be held online

Orientation sessions for new delegates to Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) and for table group leaders at ACA will be held on Zoom prior to ACA. The new delegate orientation will take place Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. To attend, use this link: https://bit.ly/2024NewDelegateOrientation. The table group leader orientation will take place Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. To attend, use this…

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Register for ACA by Feb. 9

Have you registered for Annual Conference Assembly (ACA)? Feb. 9 is the deadline to register for ACA at the regular fee of $50 per person. After that date, the registration fee rises to $65 per person. Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City will host the 2024 ACA March 1-2. The featured speaker at this event will be Meghan Larissa Good,…

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ACA speaker discusses faith and scripture in podcast episodes

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Meghan Larissa Good will be the featured speaker at Annual Conference Assembly March 1-2. Want to learn more about Meghan? She has appeared as a guest on a number of podcasts. You can hear more about Meghan’s life and experience connecting with the Bible on the God Hears Her podcast episode titled “Enjoying & Exploring Scripture”: https://bit.ly/MLGoodExploringScripture. You also can…

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Rediscover the Bible with ACA speaker

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Everyone is invited to attend the 2024 Annual Conference As­sembly (ACA) March 1-2 at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City. The featured speaker at ACA will be Meghan Larissa Good, the author of The Bible Unwrapped: Making Sense of Scripture Today and Divine Gravity: Sparking a Movement to Rediscover a Better Christian Story. Want to learn more about Meghan Larissa Good? You can see…

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Register online for ACA

Registration is open for the 2024 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA). Sharon Mennonite Church will host ACA on March 1-2. For more information, please see https://bit.ly/2024ACAInfo. To register, go to https://bit.ly/2024ACARegistration.

Sharon Mennonite to host ACA

Meghan Larissa Good to be featured presenter Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City will host the 2024 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) March 1-2. The theme of this year’s gathering will be “Following Jesus Together with a Common Mission,” based on Philippians 2:5-11. The 2024 Annual Conference Assembly  is intended for all members of Ohio Conference churches, not just delegates. In…

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Prepare for ACA by reading Divine Gravity

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The ACA Planning Committee is encouraging all Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) participants to read Meghan Larissa Good’s book Divine Gravity prior to ACA in March. Delegates will receive a copy of the book at winter cluster meetings. Everyone who has read the book prior to ACA will be entered into a prize drawing at ACA. Please see the 2024 ACA…

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ACA speaker discusses scripture

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Everyone is invited to attend the 2024 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) March 1-2 at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City. The featured speaker at ACA will be Meghan Larissa Good, the author of The Bible Unwrapped: Making Sense of Scripture Today and Divine Gravity: Sparking a Movement to Rediscover a Better Christian Story. Want to learn more about Meghan Larissa…

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ACA 2024 is for everyone, not just delegates

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Ohio Conference’s 2024 Annual Conference Assembly will take place March 1-2 at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City. A 2024 ACA Save the Date Flyer is now available. Please share it with your congregation and post it on your church bulletin boards. The ACA Planning Committee is inviting everyone from Ohio Conference congregations to attend this year’s ACA because of the…

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2024 ACA theme and speaker announced

Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City will host the 2024 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) March 1-2, 2024. The theme of the 2024 ACA will be “Following Jesus Together with a Common Mission,” based on Philippians 2:5-11. The gathering will include input from Meghan Larissa Good, who will be presenting on her soon-to-be published book Divine Gravity: Sparking a Movement to…

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Delegate News – 7-25-23

Delegates are an important part of the discernment process  As Ohio Conference works through its second year of the discernment process, delegates from congregations have an important role in the discernment. Ideally, each congregation’s delegates should be individuals who are able to participate in the entire discernment process, including the fall delegate meetings, winter delegate meetings, and Annual Conference Assembly…

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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…

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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…

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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

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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…

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ACA delegates adopt resolutions of thanks

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Ohio Conference’s Annual Conference Assembly took place March 3-4 at Central Christian School in Kidron. Delegates at Annual Conference Assembly adopted two resolu­tions of thanks during Saturday’s last business session. The reso­lutions are below: We thank Ohio Conference Staff, leadership, and Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi for their work and support of Ohio Conference churches and pastors this past year. We appreciate…

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Delegate News – Here is a copy of the resolution which delegates voted on at the 2023 ACA

We have heard that many delegates would like the text of the resolution that delegates voted on at Annual Conference Assembly. Below is a copy of the resolution: Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA ACA Resolution March 4, 2023 RESOLVED, that Ohio Conference withdraws from Mennonite Church USA; RESOLVED, that Ohio Conference will amend its Constitution (which must be approved…

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            This year as an Annual Conference Assembly service project, we will be collecting items for the food pantries at Crown Hill Mennonite Church in Rittman and Barberton Area Community Ministries, housed at Summit Mennonite Church in Barberton. Below is a list of suggested items to donate: Any canned fruit Any canned vegetables Any canned…

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Delegate News – Resources for ACA

We look forward to seeing you at ACA ACA is almost here! We are looking forward to gathering together for Annual Conference Assembly on March 3 and 4 at Central Christian School in Kidron. More than 180 people have registered for ACA so far. If you still haven’t registered, please do so soon. You can register online at https://bit.ly/2023ACARegistration. Please…

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ACA and hopes for the years ahead

In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church, talks with Conference Minister Dick Barrett about the upcoming Annual Conference Assembly (ACA), which will take place March 3-4 at Central Christian School in Kidron. In the course of their conversation, Dick reflects on what he has learned during this time of discernment for…

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Help cover ACA in prayer

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Ohio Conference’s Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) is quickly approaching on March 3-4, 2023. Even if you are not attending ACA, you can still participate! We invite you to sign up to help cover all of ACA in prayer. We are looking for willing individuals to commit to praying 20 minutes during the ACA weekend. You can do this from anywhere…

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Have you registered for ACA yet?

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The deadline to register for Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) is approaching quickly. Have you registered yet? ACA will take place March 3-4 at Central Christian School in Kidron. Registrations for ACA are due Friday, Feb. 10. After that date, the registration fee increases from $45 per person to $60 per person. For more information about ACA, please see the Conference…

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Register for ACA by Feb. 10

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Have you registered for Annual Conference Assembly (ACA)? Feb. 10 is the deadline to register for ACA at the regular fee of $45 per person. After that date, the registration fee rises to $60 per person. Central Christian School in Kidron will host the 2023 ACA March 3-4. The theme of this year’s gathering will be “Doing Life Together: Rooted…

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