Announcements
Retreat will equip women to use leadership gifts
Online registration is open for the Ohio Conference Women in Leadership Retreat planned for Feb. 2-3, 2024, at the Lial Renewal Center in Whitehouse, Ohio. The retreat will feature Jewel Gingerich Longenecker of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, who will focus on the theme “Finding Your Voice.” This retreat will explore what it means for women to lead as their authentic…
EMU to host Shalom Academy
Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, will host Shalom Academy (formerly School for Leadership Training) Jan. 8-10, 2024. Cultivating unity within faith communities can be difficult when cultural pressures are divisive. Shalom Academy 2024 will offer a place to learn and reflect on the practices that move congregations past divisiveness and toward peace, both within their walls and in their…
AMBS gathering to focus on peacemaking
“Strategies for Peacemaking” will be the theme of the 2024 Pastors & Leaders Conference at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, Feb. 19-22, 2024. Betty Pries, PhD, will be the featured speaker. This conference will focus on tools for peacemaking — building our capacity to tend to our inner work; address conflicts within our churches; and lead people…
New training modules offered at AMBS
In August Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, launched a new Practical Leadership Training program to help pastors, lay leaders, community leaders, and leaders of nonprofit organizations increase their capacity to provide effective Anabaptist leadership in a variety of settings. A new set of training modules is available beginning in January. Topics include Intergenerational Faith Formation, Riding the Wave…
CommonWord offers variety of Christmas resources
CommonWord, a collaboration of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University has a variety of Christmas resources available for download. View them at https://www.commonword.ca/go/2191.
Mennonite World Conference to hold Online Prayer Hour Nov. 17
Mennonite World Conference invites you to join the Anabaptist-Mennonite family at Online Prayer Hour, a Zoom prayer call, on Friday, Nov. 17, at 9 a.m. EST. There will be breakout rooms with a prayer leader in several languages. Please register in advance at https://bit.ly/MWCOnlinePrayerNov23.
The Corinthian Plan has open enrollment through Dec. 31
The Corinthian Plan is open for enrollment from Nov.1 through Dec. 31, 2023, for a Jan. 1, 2024, start date. The Corinthian Plan is a self-funded health care plan for pastors and church workers, sponsored and owned by Mennonite Church USA (MC USA). Please see the MC USA news release for more details: https://bit.ly/2024CorinthianPlan.
MC USA to relaunch Equipping e-newsletter
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA) — After a two-year hiatus, the Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) Executive Board communications department is relaunching Equipping, a resource e-newsletter for leaders across MC USA. MC USA will reintroduce Equipping as a quarterly email newsletter featuring resources on leadership, peacebuilding, worship, faith formation and more from MC USA and its conferences, congregations, agencies, ministry…
Advent at Home guide coming soon
Update: The 2024 Advent at Home worship guide is now available. Go to https://bit.ly/AdventatHome to download it. ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Education Agency) — Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) announces the upcoming publication of Advent at Home 2023. Taken from Leader magazine’s Advent theme, “How will we know?” this worship guide accompanies individuals and families through the days and weeks of Advent…
CLC brainstorms strategies to strengthen youth engagement
Mennonite Church USA’s Constituency Leaders Council brainstormed strategies for strengthening youth engagement at its first meeting of the 2023-2025 biennium via Zoom on Oct. 27, 2023. To read a full report of this meeting, including comments from Ohio Conference Moderator Ken Sims, see the MC USA news release: https://bit.ly/CLC-YouthEngagement.
Encourage women in your congregation to attend Women in Leadership Retreat
Online registration is open for the Ohio Conference Women in Leadership Retreat planned for Feb. 2-3, 2024, at the Lial Renewal Center in Whitehouse, Ohio. The retreat will feature Jewel Gingerich Longenecker of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, who will focus on the theme “Finding Your Voice.” The planning committee for this retreat would like you to think about women in…
AMBS launches Forming Leaders Together campaign
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, has launched its Forming Leaders Together fundraising campaign. Funds raised through the campaign are supporting the seminary’s collaboration with Anabaptist-Mennonite organizations serving the church in Canada, the United States, and around the world. According to Paula Killough, MDiv, Director of Campaign, the seminary has reached 83 percent of its $12 million campaign…
Zoom meeting about Corinthian Plan scheduled
Did you know that Mennonite Church USA has a health plan? The Corinthian Plan provides health coverage for eligible pastors, church employees and their families Learn more during an upcoming Zoom meeting on Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. ET. Current participants of the plan are also welcome to ask questions. Register online at https://bit.ly/CorinthianPlanQandA.
On the Level explores the benefits of being a volunteer
The October edition of On the Level is now available from Mennonite Disaster Service. In the current issue: Kevin King shares the health benefits of being a volunteer; an old grocery store is transformed near Red Lake, Minnesota; and if you enjoy quilting, knitting or crocheting, you’ll want to learn more about the MDS Housewarmer Project. To read more, go…
Updated flyer has instructions for reporting misconduct
The Credentialing Ministry Team of Ohio Mennonite Conference has updated the “How to Report Pastoral Sexual Misconduct” flyer and strongly encourages congregations to post it in their meeting spaces. Please consider posting in visible places, but it doesn’t have to be the first thing people see when entering the church. Consider posting in bathrooms, on bulletin boards or other conspicuous places around…
ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Church USA) — Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has launched “Learn, Pray, Join: End Gun Violence,” an initiative to bring awareness to the complex issue that intersects with poverty, racism, discrimination, criminal justice, education and the environment. MC USA will host two webinars about the topic of gun violence, beginning with “Anabaptism and U.S. Gun Culture” on…
Author Summit to feature Meghan Larissa Good
Jesus Collective is planning an Author Summit featuring Meghan Larissa Good, who will be the featured speaker at the 2024 Annual Conference Assembly. In the Author Summit, participants will meet via Zoom to explore Good’s soon-to-be published book, Divine Gravity: Sparking a Movement to Recover a Better Christian Story. The series will include seven meetings, all featuring conversation with Good.…
Zoom meetings are for public educators
Mennonite Public Educators is hosting a series of Zoom meetings, “Being a Mennonite in Public Ed.” The first meeting will take place Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. ET. Participants will be invited to have real discussions about what it means to live out their faith in the public schools. Mennonite Public Educators is a group that brings together Mennonite teachers…
Mennonite Men to hold retreat Dec. 9
Mennonite Men will hold a Men’s Retreat Saturday, Dec. 9, at Pathways Retreat in Goshen, Indiana. The theme of this half-day retreat will be “Living that Matters for Men.” Steve Thomas, US coordinator for Mennonite Men, will be the retreat leader. For more information, see the retreat flyer. To register, go to bit.ly/pathways_Living_That_Matters.
Seminary short course to focus on resisting Christian nationalism
Online Short Course: Resisting Christian Nationalism with the Gospel of Peace: Oct. 25 – Nov. 21. Join Drew Strait, Ph.D., in this four-week online short course from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary to deepen your understanding of White Christian nationalism and explore practical and effective nonviolent strategies for resisting it — drawing insights from how Jesus countered oppression. No grades, no…
Christian organizations join together in prayer and action against world hunger
Mennonite World Conference is one of 14 Christian organizations joining hands with World Vision International in prayer and action against world hunger. The third annual Weekend of Prayer and Action Against Hunger will be observed Oct. 14-16, 2023, coinciding with World Food Day, which falls on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. Learn more at https://bit.ly/2023WorldHunger.
Explore a call to ministry with Journey
When God calls someone to leadership, a journey begins. Perhaps you are on that journey. Perhaps you are looking for mentors and companions along the way. Ohio Conference invites you to join Journey: A Missional Leadership Development Program. This program is for lay leaders, pastors, church planters, and other emerging leaders who are called without specific training for ministry or…
Young adult perspectives sought
Ohio Conference’s racial reconciliation resource team, Grace & Groundings, is working on actions related to social justice. However, the team wants to address those issues that are of utmost concern to young adults in particular. Please encourage the young adults in your congregation to let us know what topics they would be most interested in. Please encourage them to reach…
Camp Luz to host Women’s Retreat
Camp Luz in Kidron will hold its annual Women’s Retreat Oct. 13 and 14, with an option to extend the experience through Oct. 15. The speaker will be Sarah Short, focusing on the theme “Abide in Me.” Register on the Camp Luz website: https://bit.ly/10-23WomensRetreat.
CommonWord offers resources for World Communion Sunday
CommonWord, a collaboration of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University, has curated a collection of resources for World Communion Sunday, which is traditionally observed on the first Sunday in October. To see these resources, go to https://bit.ly/WorldCommunion.
Retreat about climate designed for pastors, leaders
Anabaptist Climate Collective (ACC) is partnering with several other organizations to sponsor an ecumenical retreat on climate change for pastors and congregational leaders in Ohio and Kentucky. The theme will be “Pastoral Influence in a Climate Changed World.” This retreat will take place Oct. 16-18 at Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio. Applications are due Sept. 24. ACC is working…
MMN seeks regional director for Africa and Europe
Mennonite Mission Network is hiring a Regional Director of Africa and Europe. This staff member will oversee the logistics involved in long-term service work in Africa and Europe. The regional director will foster collaboration, implement strategies, and innovate for partnership, as well as represent Mennonite Mission Network around the world. For more information or to apply, see www.MennoniteMission.net/about/Employment. If you…
EMS to offer seminar on family systems Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is offering continuing education options for pastors and Christian educators. Beginning in October, the seminary is offering an online continuing studies seminar in Bowen Family Systems Theory. This seminar is intended for those with some acquaintance with Bowen Theory and who welcome the opportunity to deepen their…
Transition to Leadership is for new pastors
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary is offering a Transition to Leadership program. This two-year program guides and nurtures new pastors during the crucial first years of ministry through one-on-one mentoring, biannual learning events, and specialized coaching sessions throughout the year. The Fall 2023 cohort starts Nov. 9; apply by Oct. 9. See https://www.ambs.edu/transition-to-leadership for details.
AMBS to offer Ministry Integrity Circles
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) is offering Ministry Integrity Circles. Pastors, do you need help with ministry transitions or significant challenges? The seminary’s Ministry Integrity Circles program provides the support of consultants within a community of peers. Two cohorts will begin this fall: one will be meeting once in person Sept. 25-26 and then three more times on Zoom. Another…