Announcements
Conference deficit grows during September
Expenses outpaced receipts for the Ohio Conference during the month of September, according to figures provided by Ohio Conference Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for the month totaled $25,067, including $21,417 in congregational giving. Total expenses for the month were $29,783, resulting in a -$4,716 operating balance for the month. At the end of September, the Conference’s year-to-date operating balance…
Website lists service opportunities for older adults
LANCASTER, Pa. — You’re 55 or older, and you want to put your faith into action. Wondering where to go? Visit Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) and Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC’s) newly created Anabaptist Service Opportunities Portal at ASOPortal.org to discover all the short-term, international service opportunities being offered by both EMM and MCC for volunteers ages 55 and older.
Seminar to focus on mental health
Central Mennonite Church in Archbold will host a free seminar, “Bipolar Disorder and Families: Genetics and Mental Health,” on Sunday, Nov. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. Staff from the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, will be sharing research developments from studying Mennonites and the Amish. In addition, Wauseon resident Bev Miller will share about her personal…
Faith and values workshop planned
Everence is sponsoring a “Faith and Values in the Marketplace” workshop on Monday, Nov. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Gardens at Homestead Furniture in Mt. Hope. Co-sponsors for this event are Mennonite Economic Development Associates and the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center. Speakers will include Beryl Jantzi, Everence stewardship education director; Ernest Hershberger, owner of Homestead Furniture;…
Visual art sought for new hymnal
HARRISONBURG, Virginia — As the Resonate Team gathers material for a new hymnal, they are planning for a first-of-its-kind feature within Mennonite hymnals: including visual images that complement the musical and verbal rhythms of worship found in the collection. The Resonate Team is calling for visual artists to submit content to be considered for inclusion in the new collection. Interested…
International Guest House seeks volunteers
The International Guest House, located in Washington, D.C., needs 12-month host volunteers beginning April 2018. (Those serving a full year receive a monthly stipend and health insurance while all other volunteers receive full room and board.) Rotating duties include cleaning, maintenance, baking, gardening, and interacting with guests at breakfast and the evening tea. The three-pronged focus for volunteers is on…
Cliff Brubaker to take on new role
Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold has voted to call Regional Pastor Cliff Brubaker to a .25 FTE role in its collaborative ministry team, and Cliff has accepted the congregation’s call. He will begin his work at Zion on Jan.1, 2018. Cliff currently has two half-time roles with the Ohio Conference. He will continue his half-time role as regional pastor for the west…
Conference seeks half-time Conference Minister
Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA is seeking a part-time (50 percent) Conference Minister with a vision of the church in mission to lead a conference made up of 51 congregations spanning Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, primarily in small town and rural communities. Accepting applications immediately with projected start date March 2018. For a full job description consult: http://bit.ly/OHConferenceMinister. Women and…
AMBS pastor gathering moves to new date
Save the date! AMBS Pastors and Leaders 2018: Feb. 26 – March 1 (formerly Pastors Week; please also note the later dates for 2018). “For Such a Time as This” will feature teachers and preachers from the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary community. In the midst of chaotic times, God calls you to the crucial work of helping to form the…
Peace center offers conflict transformation training
You are invited to attend the one-day workshop Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches on Oct. 21 in Indianapolis, Ind. This workshop will focus on the biblical basis for conflict transformation, styles of responding to conflict, communication skills necessary to resolve conflict peacefully, strategies to prevent destructive conflict in churches, and a model for working at congregational decision-making in a win-win…
Reduced rate still available for retreat
Last call for registrations: Interested in attending the Ohio Conference Pastor-Spouse Retreat Nov. 10-12 at Mohican State Park? Thanks to underwriting from generous sponsors, up to 25 couples can attend at the discounted rate of $210 for the entire weekend. Coordinator of Volunteers Alysa Short reports that there are still spaces available at the discounted rate. Anyone who still would…
Mennonite Arts Weekend to feature wide variety
Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship will hold the 14th Mennonite Arts Weekend Feb. 2-4, 2018, at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. A variety of writers, actors, composers, musicians and visual artists will be featured during the weekend. Registration cost is $75 per person ($65 before Jan. 13) and $55 for students ($45 before Jan. 13). For more information, see www.mennoniteartsweekend. org.
Share your ideas for programs
Do you have an idea for a program that you would like Ohio Conference to provide? Share your idea with the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team. To submit your idea, use the “Suggest a Program” button on the Ohio Conference website. This form is intended to allow people from the Ohio Conference to suggest retreats, seminars, training sessions, or speakers…
MyNeighbor helps charitable contributions add up
GOSHEN, Indiana – The new MyNeighbor credit card from Everence® Federal Credit Union helps people boost their generosity while making their usual purchases. For every purchase made with the MyNeighbor credit card, Everence will donate 1.5 percent of the transaction total to the charity of the cardholder’s choice. Since the MyNeighbor program began at the end of April 2017, more…
AMBS graduate certificate available through online coursework
Fully online graduate certificate program. Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary’s fully online 27-credit-hour Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies is ideal for church leaders, bivocational pastors and other professionals who want to strengthen the biblical and theological foundation for their work. Develop a plan of study that matches your interests. Complete the program in one year with full-time study or over several…
PeaceLab podcast focuses on hurricane relief
The latest episode of the PeaceLab podcast focuses on Mennonite Disaster Service’s response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas. In this episode, co-hosts Hannah Heinzekehr and Jason Boone talk with Kevin King, executive director of Mennonite Disaster Service. Go to http://bit.ly/PeaceLabMDS to listen.
Time of celebration planned for Ohio Mennonite Women
Ohio Mennonite Women will hold a time of celebration during the Women’s Retreat at Camp Luz on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the Camp Luz chapel. The Ohio Mennonite Women organization will be disbanding, and this celebration is planned as a time to remember, tell stories and celebrate the accomplishments of Ohio Mennonite Women. All…
MDS has an urgent need for Early Response leaders in Texas
Mennonite Disaster Service is looking for Early Response volunteers to serve as leaders for weekly crews in Texas. They are asking leaders to volunteer for four weeks or more. You can fill out the volunteer form online or you can contact Josh Carson at (800) 241-8111 or jcarson@mds.mennonite.net if interested.
Sunshine Inc. seeks volunteers for fundraiser
Sunshine Inc. of Northwest Ohio is seeking volunteers to help with its annual Walk, Run and Roll fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 9. The event will take place from 6:30 a.m. to noon at Monclova Elementary School, 8035 Monclova Road, Monclova. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. See the event flier for details.
MDS scheduling volunteers for fall
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is now scheduling volunteers for its fall projects. MDS will be working in the following locations from Oct. 8–Dec. 15: Lake County, California – Wildfires Pine Ridge, South Dakota – Straight Line Winds Lafayette, Louisiana – Flooding Greenbrier, West Virginia – Flooding West Virginia Bridges – Flooding To register to volunteer, go to https://mds.mennonite.net/volunteer-registration.
New Pastor Orientation canceled
The New Pastor Orientation, scheduled for Sept. 10-11 has been canceled. Scheduling conflicts for several pastors resulted in a low number of pastors able to attend the orientation in September. The Conference staff plans to reschedule the orientation for a later date, possibly in the summer of 2018.
Conference deficit increases during July
Ohio Conference’s deficit increased during July, according to figures provided by Ohio Conference Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for July totaled $19,041, including $14,910 in congregational giving. Expenses for the month totaled $27,256, resulting in an operating balance of -$8,215 for the month. The year-to-date operating balance at the end of July was -$10,594.
MCC needs relief kits, comforters
Mennonite Central Committee urgently needs relief kits and comforters to ship to people in need around the world. Please help families meet their basic human needs. Find instructions for relief kits and comforters as well as drop-off locations on the MCC website: http://bit.ly/KitsComforters.
Mennonite Arts Weekend to be held Feb. 2-4
Cincinnati Mennonite Church will hold the 14th Mennonite Arts Weekend Feb. 2-4, 2018, at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. A variety of writers, actors, musicians and visual artists will be featured during the weekend. For more information, see www.mennoniteartsweekend.org.
Berlin Mennonite plans centennial celebration
Berlin Mennonite is celebrating 100 years, and all are invited to join the celebration! To kick off the celebration year, the church will host a picnic on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 4 to 8 p.m. The evening will be filled with food, music, memories, children’s activities, and fellowship. The night will end with a hymn sing led by Tim Shue…
OMW Executive Board decides to dissolve organization
On July 29, 2017, the Executive Board of the Ohio Mennonite Women (OMW) made the difficult decision to dissolve the organization of the Ohio Mennonite Women. The Executive Board asks all congregations to include the following announcement of this decision in their church bulletins on Aug. 20: Dear Women of Ohio, Over the years, Ohio Mennonite Women (OMW) has significantly…
Delegate input sought on staffing
The Ohio Conference Leadership Team would like to hear from Conference delegates. In the Summer 2017 issue of Delegate News, the Leadership Team presented an update on the search for Conference leadership staff. Tentative job descriptions were included for both a Missional Leader and a Conference Administrator. (See Delegate News for details.) The Leadership Team is asking for delegate input about…
Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale will be Aug. 4-5
The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale will take place Aug. 4-5 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster. See http://www.ohiomccreliefsale.org for a schedule and more details.
MWC Peace Sunday worship materials are now available
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is encouraging congregations to celebrate Peace Sunday on Sept. 24. The theme for Peace Sunday in 2017 is “A Renewed Peace Church Builds Bridges.” This theme picks up on two elements. The first builds on the Renewal 2027 process which MWC has embarked on. Second, in light of the rising nationalisms around the world, which separates…
New Pastor Orientation is Sept. 10-11
Ohio Conference will hold a New Pastor Orientation Sept. 10-11. New pastors and their spouses are invited to attend this overnight event free of charge. Lodging will be in the Comfort Suites in Berlin. Participants will visit the Ohio Conference office, Camp Luz, Everence, Central Christian School and MCC Connections. See the event flier for more details, including the orientation…