Announcements
Lighthouse Ministries plans Over The Edge fundraiser
Update: Following the guidance of the City of Canton’s health department, Lighthouse Ministries is postponing the Over The Edge fundraising event until spring 2021. A message from Lighthouse Ministries in Canton: Are you willing to go Over The Edge for kids? On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4 and 5, people from all over northeast Ohio will be rappelling 14 stories down the side of the Bliss Lofts in downtown Canton.…
AMBS webinar is for those experiencing loss
AMBS webinar: Mourning Our Losses Together During COVID-19: The Good News of Biblical Lament: Tuesday, July 21, 2–3 p.m. EDT. This free webinar — back by popular demand! — is for those experiencing loss and those journeying with them. Participants will explore the three–act movement of biblical lament as a faithful response to God. Registration is required. See ambs.edu/mourningourlosses.
MCC plans centennial livestream celebration
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will celebrate its centennial year with a virtual event on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. MCC will be broadcasting live from Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana, the site of an important first meeting in the formation of MCC. This livestream event will feature a combination of live and pre-recorded speakers and music.…
MCC U.S. names next executive director
Ann Graber Hershberger has been named the next executive director of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. She will begin her new role in October 2020 as current executive director J. Ron Byler retires. The shift reflects a leadership plan determined in 2019 and affirmed by the organization’s board of directors at their June 20 meeting. Hershberger began as associate executive director following…
Peace center moves its courses to Zoom
For the rest of 2020 Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will hold all its scheduled training events remotely via Zoom rather than in person. Scheduled training events include Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (Aug. 3-7), Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches (July 18), Healthy Congregations (July 21), and Breaking Free: Finding Resilience in an Era of Collective Trauma (July 16…
Mennonite colleges begin sharing plans for fall semester
Mennonite colleges and universities in the United States have begun announcing plans for returning to in-person classes this fall. The Mennonite reports more details at https://bit.ly/Fall2020CollegePlans.
Ecumenical group develops guidelines for resuming in-person worship
Following an extended consultation, an ecumenical group of religious leaders has developed a set of guidelines for resuming in-person worship services. You can read their recommendations at https://bit.ly/ResumingCare-FilledWorship.
The Mennonite seeks submissions for August issue
The Mennonite Inc. invites your original submissions for the August 2020 issue focusing on the theme “Why I am an Anabaptist.” For more information about this theme, see https://bit.ly/TheMennoniteAugust2020. Submissions are due to Editor@TheMennonite.org no later than July 3.
MCC webinar to share international stories of responding to COVID-19
Mennonite Central Committee will hold a Facebook Live webinar on June 17 about COVID-19 in the developing world: Wednesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. EST: “COVID-19 hits the developing world: Q&A with MCC’s Health Coordinator” free Facebook live webinar. Paul Shetler Fast, MCC’s Health Coordinator, will share stories of how MCC is scaling up and adapting programs in response to COVID-19.…
Webinar to explore immigration policy effect on COVID-19 spread
Mennonite Central Committee’s webinar series on immigration continues June 16: Tuesday, June 16 at 2 p.m. EST: “MCC’s migration work in Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala/El Salvador” free immigration webinar. In the continuing six-part webinar series on immigration and border realities, MCC staff and partners will discuss how U.S. policies and protocols are affecting the spread of the coronavirus among vulnerable populations in Latin…
MennoMedia offers free devotional resource
MennoMedia is offering a second special issue of its daily devotional magazine, Rejoice!, as a free download. The special publication, titled Rejoice! A Time Enduring, was written, edited, and designed by individuals volunteering their time to contribute their gifts for the benefit of their communities of faith. To download a copy, go to https://bit.ly/RejoiceATimeEnduring.
MWC calls for coordinated aid response
Mennonite World Conference has invited Anabaptist mission and service agencies to coordinate their financial response to COVID-19 hardships experienced especially by under-resourced member churches around the world. Learn more at https://bit.ly/MWCPandemicResponse.
Mourning in time of COVID-19 is webinar topic
AMBS webinar: Mourning Our Losses Together During COVID-19: The Good News of Biblical Lament: Tuesday, June 23, 2–3 p.m. EDT. This free webinar is for those experiencing loss during this global pandemic and their caregivers. Participants will explore the three–act movement of biblical lament as a faithful response to God in both individual and corporate settings. Registration is required: ambs.edu/mourningourlosses.
Donut Day fundraiser to benefit MCC
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is inviting everyone to celebrate National Donut Day on June 5 by joining MCC’s social media baking party. Due to COVID-19, many spring and summer MCC relief sales have been postponed or canceled. These events raised more than $2.2 million last year alone. Any funds raised on National Donut Day will go to MCC’s “Where needed…
MMN webinar to focus on spiritual practices
Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) is offering a free webinar, “Spiritual practices for peacemakers: finding your center when you feel pulled apart.” Karla Minter, church relations representative for MMN, will lead the webinar on June 4 at 7 p.m. She will invite participants to encounter or rediscover spiritual practices that create a daily rhythm to help turn despair and isolation into…
Black Swamp Benefit canceled, donations sought
The 2020 Black Swamp Benefit has been canceled, but all are encouraged to contribute online to this fundraiser, which benefits Sunshine Inc. and Mennonite Central Committee. To donate, log on to Facebook and search for @blackswampbenefit. You can contribute to this fundraiser by clicking on the post with the “donate” button. The goal for this online fundraiser is $10,000.
Webinar to focus on pastoral care, social distancing
MennoMedia is hosting a free webinar about pastoral care on June 11 at 2 p.m. Pastoring from a Distance: Offering Pastoral Care while Social Distancing will feature a panel discussion with Anabaptist pastors moderated by David Augsburger. The webinar will explore practical advice as well as theological considerations for providing pastoral care while practicing social distancing. To register for this…
Website offers faith-based resources for abuse response and prevention
Mennonite Central Committee, with support from CommonWord, has launched a resource website addressing issues of abuse for faith communities and their members. The website includes resources on intimate partner abuse, healthy relationships, sexual violence, clergy sexual abuse, and how to offer support to survivors of abuse and assist those perpetrating harm. To access these resources, go to abuseresponseandprevention.ca.
MDS launches new e-newsletter
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) has launched On the Level, a monthly online newsletter. The May issue includes the story of MDS volunteers helping a victim of multiple disasters return home even after closing down the project. Read On the Level online at https://bit.ly/OnTheLevelMay2020.
Michael Sherrill to be next executive director of MMN
The Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) board of directors has appointed Michael J. Sherrill, Ph. D., as the organization’s next executive director. Dr. Sherrill is an ordained educator, scholar, administrator, and leader with 25 years of global experience. Dr. Sherrill has been the director of Asia and Middle East for Mennonite Mission Network since 2017. See the MMN news release for…
MDS approves additional funds for COVID-19 Congregational Relief Fund
Lititz, PA — Faced with a large number of requests for assistance from U.S. churches for the COVID-19 Congregational Relief Fund, the Board of Directors of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) have approved an additional $250,000 to help meet the high demand. The COVID-19 Congregational Relief Fund is a joint effort of MDS, Everence and Mennonite Central Committee U.S. With this…
Webinar’s focus to be ‘radical aloneness’
How can church leaders respond to the challenges of the current pandemic and the resultant “radical aloneness” that afflicts many of us? Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is planning a webinar exploring these questions, Social Distancing, Not Social Isolation, on Thursday, May 14, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Central Time. Participants will learn how church leaders can reach out to people…
2020 Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale to be an online auction only
Due to the uncertainty COVID-19 has brought to our lives, the Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Board has decided to hold an online auction only rather than a physical event and auction this year. Many auctions of all types have been cancelled or at least postponed. Plans are to still offer items from the quilt and wood auctions, as well as…
Seminary hosts online forum series on navigating ministry during COVID-19
Eastern Mennonite Seminary is hosting Navigating Ministry During COVID-19, a free online forum series for pastors. All forums will be live via Zoom on Wednesdays, from 3-4:30 p.m. EDT. Register here. The series is an outgrowth of an April 1 online gathering that drew 32 pastors, including 22 alumni, representing Mennonite Church USA, the Church of the Brethren, Presbyterian Church USA and United…
CommonWord and AMBS offer resources for dealing with COVID-19
CommonWord has compiled a curated list of worship, family, and other resources for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to downloadable documents, the list includes links to articles on topics such as “An Examen for Life During COVID-19” and “How to Livestream Your Church Service: A Practical Guide.” To view these resources, go to www.commonword.ca/go/2005. Another source for COVID-19-related…
MMN resource is designed for youth groups
Mennonite Mission Network has released a new resource for youth groups, “Making faith sense amidst the pandemic.” This resource is designed to guide conversation with youth as part of an online group meeting. You can learn more and download the resource at https://bit.ly/MMNYouthResources.
Lighthouse Ministries plans A Day of Giving
An invitation from Darin Nissley, executive director of Lighthouse Ministries in Canton: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lighthouse’s Annual fundraising banquet has been moved to an online event on Saturday, April 25. We’d love it if you joined us on Facebook or Instagram for the party! We will go live every half-hour, starting at 10 a.m., with all sorts of…
Engaging Mission 2020 has been canceled
Please note: Because there is uncertainty about when restrictions will be lifted for public gatherings, the Ohio Conference Leadership Team has decided to cancel Engaging Mission 2020. This intergenerational missional festival was scheduled to take place June 24-26 at Bluffton University. Plans are already underway for a missional conference next March. The 2021 missional conference is scheduled for March 4-5 at…
Everence offers support during COVID-19 outbreak
Everence has expanded its services to members during the outbreak of COVID-19. Some of these expanded services include waiving ATM fees, allowing borrowers to skip a pay on certain loans, and a sharing fund increase for churches with an advocate. For more details, see the Everence website: https://www.everence.com/resources/supporting-you-during-the-covid-19-outbreak.
Explore resources for moving faith formation online
Many churches have cancelled gathered faith formation programs (and even Sunday worship) to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus in their communities. But that doesn’t mean faith formation needs to stop. One way we can respond is to move faith formation online and into people’s homes and personal lives. John Roberto has compiled a list of resources for congregations seeking…