Announcements
Bible study series explores diversity
Mennonite Church USA has produced “Diversity: God’s Design,” a new four-week Bible study aimed at young adults (but appropriate for intergenerational audiences) that celebrates diversity and intercultural competence. “Diversity: God’s Design” features voices from across the Mennonite church who share biblical narratives and personal experiences that invite participants to explore how and why they should join the journey of celebrating…
Mennonite Creation Care Network offers grants
Mennonite churches and Anabaptist-related nonprofits are invited to apply by April 1, 2022, for one of several $1,000 grants from Mennonite Creation Care Network’s Green Mustard Seed Fund. Past grants have funded a variety of creation care projects, from upgrading insulation to funding a church day camp featuring endangered species. Priority is given to congregations with limited means and those…
MCC Comforter Bash is coming to Kidron
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is holding an Ohio MCC Comforter Bash Friday and Saturday, April 22-23, in Kidron. This event will take place at the Kidron Community Park from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. All are invited to come and knot comforters. Volunteers can come and go as they are…
MCC developing response to crisis in Ukraine
On Feb. 24, Russian military forces began an invasion of Ukraine by land, sea and air. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is accepting donations for a response in Ukraine. MCC is assessing the changing situation with local partners to determine the appropriate response. To learn more or to donate, please see https://mcc.org/stories/crisis-ukraine.
Men’s Retreat set for April 1-3
Camp Luz in Kidron will host a Men’s Retreat April 1-3. Wayne Morgret will be the retreat speaker, focusing on the theme of restoration. Get more info and register at https://www.campluz.com/mens-retreat.html.
Hesston’s Bel Canto Singers to perform in Ohio
Hesston College’s Bel Canto Singers will be performing in several locations in Ohio during the group’s spring break tour in March. For more information, please see www.hesston.edu/2022/02/2022-spring-break-bel-tour.
Open Arms to hold Taco Tuesday fundraiser
Open Arms Hispanic Ministry will hold a Taco Tuesday fundraising dinner on March 15 at 6 p.m. at the Kidron Park Community Center, 4434 Kidron Road, Kidron. The event will feature a catered taco bar, information about the work of Open Arms, and live music by the Salem Worship Team. A free-will offering will be taken. If you plan to…
Relief sale kickoff meeting set for March 7
Planners of the annual Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale will hold a kickoff planning meeting on Monday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Salem Mennonite Church, 3363 Zuercher Road, Dalton, Ohio. You are invited to attend this meeting and learn about upcoming plans for the 2022 year. Please bring a toy or game to donate to the Children’s Auction. In preparation…
Register online for youth worker seminars
Update: The number of youth worker seminars has changed. The series of seminars will begin on March 22 instead of March 8. Please see the updated schedule below. Ohio Conference is offering a series of free online seminars for youth workers during March, April and May. “Jesus as Model: Youth Ministry Reimagined” is the theme of this series, which will…
ACA service project to benefit local ministries
As a service project at Annual Conference Assembly (ACA), Ohio Conference will be collecting items for Friendship House and Shepherd’s Circle, two organizations in the Archbold area that are working at sheltering people in crisis. Requested items include laundry detergent and four-packs of toilet tissue. ACA will take place March 4-5 at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold. Have you registered…
MC USA webinars offer preparation for delegates
Mennonite Church USA is hosting a series of educational webinars to prepare delegates and their conferences/congregations for the Special Session of the Delegate Assembly, May 27-30, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. All webinars will be recorded and available on the delegate resource page: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/special-delegate-session-22. Please see the delegate resource page for more information.
Webinar to explore disabilities and estate planning
Caring for someone who is dependent due to a significant disability is a major responsibility. Making provisions for that person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being after the death of the caregiver can be complex and confusing. Anabaptist Disabilities Network will host a webinar in cooperation with Everence to help with estate planning for families with a dependent disabled family member. “After We’re Gone: Disabilities and…
Open Arms fundraiser set for March 15
Save the date: Open Arms Hispanic Ministries will hold a Taco Tuesday fundraiser on Tuesday, March 15, at the Kidron Community Park.
Check CommonWord for Lenten resources
Are you looking for resources to help you get in the Lenten spirit this spring? CommonWord, a collaboration of Canadian Mennonite University and Mennonite Church Canada, has a curated collection of resources for Lent. Visit commonword.ca/go/2213 to see the entire collection.
Retreat center offers respite for pastors
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has formalized a relationship with the Kineo Center, a newly developed ecumenical Christian retreat center in Puerto Rico, to help MC USA pastors experiencing burnout. See the news release from MC USA for more information: https://bit.ly/MCUSA-KineoCenter.
Peacebuilding institute offers online winter courses
Peacebuilding institute offers online winter courses The Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University is offering five-week online training courses this winter. Each course will meet virtually twice a week from Feb. 14 to March 18, 2022. The deadline to apply is Feb. 7. Funding is still available for partial and matching scholarships. Learn more at https://emu.edu/spi/courses.
Rural ministry webinar to feature Brad Roth
For those interested in rural ministry: Brad Roth, the featured speaker for Ohio Conference’s 2021 missional conference, will be one of the presenters for a free webinar, “Cultivating Rural Ministry.” This webinar, sponsored by Luther Seminary, will take place Thursday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. CST. Other presenters include Allen Stanton, pastor and author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural…
Learn the practical side of being a good neighbor
Immediately prior to Annual Conference Assembly, Zion Mennonite Church will host a missional conference March 3-4 featuring speakers Howard and Cathy Wagler. The Waglers serve as network directors for South Central Mennonite Conference. In this conference they will focus on the practical side of being a good neighbor, based on Luke 10:25-37. For more information about the 2022 missional conference,…
Study to focus on disability and ministry
A note to church leaders from the Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADN): If you are interested in $100 in exchange for 60-90 minutes of your time talking about disability in your congregation, then read on. Erik Carter, professor of special education at Vanderbilt University, and his team are hoping to speak with hundreds of people across the country who are actively involved in…
Video explores last summer’s Climate Ride
The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS) has produced a brief documentary video about last year’s CSCS Climate Ride across the United States. Climate Rider Loren Friesen recorded footage throughout the ride which he has compiled into a half-hour video. The documentary will premiere Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. EST on Zoom and Facebook Live. Following the showing will be…
Seminary scholarships available
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) has several merit-based scholarships for new graduate students from the United States or Canada, whether they pursue studies at a distance or on the AMBS campus. Application deadline is March 15. For more information, please see https://bit.ly/AMBSScholarships.
Register for Women in Leadership by Jan. 28
Last call for registrations: Jan. 28 is the registration deadline for Ohio Conference’s Women in Leadership Retreat, which will be held Feb. 18-19 at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin. The theme of the Women in Leadership Retreat is “Empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead like yourself.” Rebecca Slough, academic dean emerita and professor emerita of worship and…
Register now for ACA, missional conference
Online registration is open for the 2022 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA). Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold will host the 2022 ACA March 4-5. The theme of this year’s gathering will be “Befriending the Neighborhood: Am I a Good Neighbor?” For more information about ACA, please see https://bit.ly/2022ACAInfo. To register online, go to https://bit.ly/2022ACARegistration. Register for ACA by Feb. 11. Zion…
MWC opens registration for Indonesia 2022
Mennonite World Conference has opened registration for online participants for its 17th global assembly July 5-10 in Semarang, Indonesia, at indonesia2022.mwc-cmm.org. For more information about the assembly, see https://bit.ly/MWC2022AssemblyOnline.
Lancaster Mennonite seeks middle school principal
Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Mennonite School has a full-time opening for a middle school principal, starting July 2022. For more information, please see https://bit.ly/LMSMiddleSchoolPrincipal.
Resources for Special Delegate Assembly are online
Online resources related to the Mennonite Church USA Special Delegate Assembly in Kansas City, Missouri, May 27-30 are available at https://bit.ly/May2022AssemblyResources.
Girl Named Tom wins The Voice
Congratulations go to Girl Named Tom, the sibling trio from Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold! The trio was named the winner during the season finale of NBC’s The Voice on Dec. 14. To learn more, see https://bit.ly/TheVoiceFinaleGNT and https://anabaptistworld.org/girl-named-tom-wins-the-voice.
MDS plans tornado response
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) has Early Response Teams investigating several of the sites of last week’s tornadoes to help determine how and where MDS will respond. Many of their partners via the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) which specialize in search and rescue, damage assessment and cleanup are already responding. Together with their NVOAD partners and local officials,…
Ohio MCC Comforter Bash set for April 22-23
Save the date for the Ohio MCC Comforter Bash on April 22-23! A handmade comforter provides not only warmth, but also a tangible message to people that their needs are not forgotten. Join others of all ages for this two-day event in Kidron to knot comforters that Mennonite Central Committee will distribute around the world. We invite you to make…
Retirement plans announced
Regional Pastor Ralph Reinford has announced that he plans to retire at the end of March 2022. He has served as regional pastor for the eastern part of the Ohio Conference since 2011.