Announcements
Girl Named Tom moves to semi-final round of The Voice
Girl Named Tom, the sibling trio from Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, has continued to advance in live rounds of competition on NBC’s The Voice. The trio is one of eight remaining semifinalists and will perform again during the live semi-final shows next week. To see one of their most recent performances, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpdTXOUf7dw.
Sonnenberg seeks lead pastor
Sonnenberg Mennonite Church of Kidron, Ohio, is seeking a full-time lead pastor. To learn more about this position, please see the SMC Lead Pastor Job Description outlining the requirements and responsibilities of the position. Additional information about the church can be found on the church website: sonnenbergmc.org. Interested candidates may contact the regional pastor, Ralph Reinford, at ralphreinford@gmail.com, or the…
Goshen College offers online Advent devotions
Once again Goshen College is offering online weekday devotions during Advent. Goshen College students, faculty and staff are providing weekday reflections based on the lectionary Scripture passages. They are reflecting on the theme “Dare to Imagine” from Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada worship resources. These daily devotions are available online at www.goshen.edu/devotions. If you would like to receive these…
Everence scholarship applications now available
Everence® college scholarship applications for the 2022-2023 academic year are now available. Current or new Everence members (and their children) are eligible to apply for the scholarships of up to $3,000 to help pay for eligible college expenses. Recipients are chosen based on community involvement, extracurricular activities, leadership, and a written answer to a question about the applicant’s stewardship influence.…
Girl Named Tom has continued success on The Voice
Girl Named Tom, the sibling trio from Zion Mennonite Church, has had continued success in two live rounds of competition on NBC’s The Voice. The trio is one of 11 remaining finalists and will perform again during the live shows next week. To see one of their most recent performances on The Voice, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjE37v3SpG0.
Central Christian seeks superintendent
Central Christian School in Kidron, Ohio, is seeking a superintendent for the K-12 school beginning July 1, 2022. Ideal candidates will know Jesus as Lord and Savior, share a clear commitment to the Anabaptist tradition, and have excellent communication skills. They will administer the school while exercising leadership skills to fulfill the spiritual vision of Central Christian School. Interested parties…
MMN seeks staff for multiple departments
Full-time job opportunities are available in various departments at Mennonite Mission Network: human resources, finance, global partnerships, and training and resources. See full job descriptions and apply at MennoniteMission.net/Employment or direct questions to StaffRecruitment@mennonitemission.net.
SpringHaven seeks new executive director
Mark Leinbach is stepping down as executive director of SpringHaven Counseling Center, effective Dec. 31. He has served SpringHaven as executive director for seven years. The SpringHaven board has begun a search process for the next executive director. Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit resumes and make any inquires via email to board@springhaven.us. To learn more, please see the news…
Health plan open enrollment continues
Health insurance reminder: The open enrollment period for the Corinthian Plan, the health plan of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), will continue through Dec. 31, 2021. All MC USA-affiliated congregations can enroll their eligible staff for health coverage, life and disability insurance, and/or optional dental and vision coverage. For more information, please visit The Corinthian Plan website at https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ministry/the-corinthian-plan/ or…
MEA appoints new Faith Formation Minister
(Mennonite Education Agency) — Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) has appointed Shana Peachey Boshart as Faith Formation Minister, effective Nov. 1, 2021. She will serve as the agency liaison with Mennonite Schools Council (MSC), a network of Mennonite schools from early education to grade 12. Dawn Y. Graber has served in an interim capacity since May 2020. To learn more, see…
Girl Named Tom musicians advance to live rounds of The Voice
Girl Named Tom, the sibling trio from Zion Mennonite Church, has competed successfully in several rounds of competition on NBC’s The Voice. They will be competing in the live shows, which start next week. To see one of their most recent performances on The Voice, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPUNAY9L_Zs.
Anabaptist World seeks submissions for Christmas issue
Anabaptist World is seeking articles and visual art on biblical and/or contemporary themes celebrating the birth of Christ. The articles should be about Christmas, not Advent. Most readers will receive the issue less than a week before Christmas. Deadline for submission is Nov. 29. See https://bit.ly/AnabaptistWorldChristmas2021 for details.
Workshop to address congregational anxiety
How do you prevent anxiety from becoming a toxic force in your congregation? “Healthy Congregations,” a workshop presented by Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, can help your church stay focused on its true mission by teaching its leaders how to prevent or minimize destructive conflict. This online workshop will be held Dec. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. A…
Discipleship training to be offered
How do we transform individuals into active disciples of Jesus Christ? In the past several years, many Ohio Conference congregations have worked toward this goal by participating in the Missional Discipleship Initiative (MDI). This initiative was first offered by Mennonite Mission Network. Starting in January Ohio Conference will offer training in MDI to a new cohort of church leaders. This…
Health plan open enrollment begins Nov. 1
The Corinthian Plan, the health plan of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), provides affordable group health coverage for pastors and staff of eligible congregations. Open enrollment for 2022 is from Nov. 1-Dec. 31, 2021. All MC USA-affiliated congregations can enroll their eligible staff for health coverage, life and disability insurance, and/or optional dental and vision coverage. For more information, please…
Webinar to focus on reason for immigration
If you are interested in learning more about the reasons why some people are migrating to Ohio, consider participating in a webinar on Nov. 4. This webinar, titled “Terror and Loss — War in Guatemala,” will feature Maria Garcia from Eastern Michigan University. She will discuss the civil war in Guatemala and how it started the migration of Mayan refugees to the…
Retreat registration deadline is extended
The registration deadline for the Ohio Conference Pastor-Spouse Retreat has been extended to Oct. 28. There is still room for two more couples to attend this retreat, which will take place Nov. 12-14 at the Mills Park Hotel in Yellow Springs. To register or to learn more, go to https://bit.ly/2021Pastor-Spouse.
Register for Believe and Be Baptized by Oct. 25
Ohio Conference and Central District Conference are co-hosting a workshop about baptism, Believe and Be Baptized: Conversations on a 500-year-old Tradition. Led by historian John D. Roth, this workshop will take place Saturday, Nov. 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Columbus Mennonite Church. The workshop will include a time of conversation with local Catholic and Lutheran clergy, and…
MC USA initiative focuses on poverty
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has launched “Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty,” an initiative to raise awareness about the impact of the pandemic on poverty in the United States and how Jesus calls his followers to respond. This fall MC USA is seeking to engage people in the initiative by offering resources, prayers and ways to care for one another and…
Register for Believe and Be Baptized by Oct. 25
Ohio Conference and Central District Conference are co-hosting a workshop about baptism, Believe and Be Baptized: Conversations on a 500-year-old Tradition. Led by historian John D. Roth, this workshop will take place Saturday, Nov. 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Columbus Mennonite Church. The workshop will include a time of conversation with local Catholic and Lutheran clergy, and…
Everence seeks financial consultant
Everence Financial is growing in Holmes and Wayne counties, and looking for a highly motivated individual to grow with Everence as a financial consultant. The ideal candidate will have a passion for finance, great analytical skills, and the ability to build trusting relationships. But most importantly, they will have a burning desire to help Everence members plan for their financial…
Immigration guide focuses on scriptures
Have you explored “A Biblical Guide to Immigration” yet? This past summer, the Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team released this guide, which includes a compilation of scriptures related to immigration. This resource is suitable for both personal and congregational use. A copy of this guide is available at https://bit.ly/BiblicalGuideToImmigration and on the “Immigration” page of the Ohio Conference website: https://ohiomennoniteconference.org/resources/immigration.
Youth Worker Retreat has been canceled
Ohio Conference’s Youth Worker Retreat, planned for Oct. 15-17 at Camp Luz in Kidron, has been canceled due to low registration.
Faith Formation Roundtable offers discussion
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is hosting a series of virtual Faith Formation Roundtable discussions to connect, encourage and support faith formation leaders amid the uncertainties of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These discussions are being held via Zoom twice a month through the end of October. These online gatherings are held Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Upcoming discussion topics are as follows:
Sept. 21 — Staying connected with your college students
Oct. 12 — Ruth Goring, Mennonite author of children’s books
Oct. 19 — Family faith formation with “Pause: Play, Breathe, Pray”
To participate, please register at https://bit.ly/FaithFormationSignup.
Women’s Retreat to use personal retreat format
Camp Luz in Kidron will hold a Women’s Retreat Sept. 24-25. This event will follow personal retreat format. Each woman will have her own room, unless requesting to share with a family member. Prayer stations and a simple devotional will be provided, but participants are welcome to use their own devotional resources if they like. Three meals will be provided on Saturday,…
Resslers receive regional Journey Award
Bill and Edna Ressler of Dalton were chosen recently to receive a Journey Award from the Everence Financial® offices in Northeast Ohio. The award recognizes the Resslers for their generosity in sharing their resources. See https://bit.ly/2021JourneyAward for more information.
Girl Named Tom to compete on The Voice
Girl Named Tom, a sibling trio from Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, is competing on NBC’s The Voice this season, which begins Sept. 20. The date that the group’s audition will air has not been announced. See https://bit.ly/AnabaptistWorldGNT and https://bit.ly/TheVoice2021GNT for more information.
Mennonite Church USA seeks communications staffers
Mennonite Church USA is seeking a full-time multimedia news editor and a full-time marketing, communications and engagement associate. See the announcements below for more information: Mennonite Church USA is seeking a full-time marketing communications and engagement associate to assist in all levels of project execution, including research, coordination of online and in-person events, handling constituent inquiries, writing, production, newsletter/collateral distribution and analytics/reporting. This…
Over The Edge to raise funds for Lighthouse Ministries
Lighthouse Ministries in Canton will hold its Over The Edge fundraiser Sept. 14 and 15. During this fundraiser, people from all over northeast Ohio will be rappelling 150 feet down the Onesto and Bliss Lofts in downtown Canton. Participants have to raise $1,000 for the right to rappel. All funds raised benefit Lighthouse Ministries programs which provide academic support, mentoring and scholarship opportunities for the children…
Prepare/Enrich training offered this fall
This fall Ohio Conference is offering training in a program called Prepare/Enrich. This training will be offered twice, on Sept. 30 at Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron and Oct. 19 at West Clinton Mennonite Church in Wauseon. This training equips pastors to use the Prepare/Enrich assessment with engaged and married couples. With almost 40 years of research validation, Prepare/Enrich has…