Faith
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.
Immigration Resource Team shares resources
The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team is continuing its work of raising awareness and sharing resources related to immigration. Scripture resource This summer, the Immigration Resource Team released a resource titled “A Biblical Guide to Immigration.” This guide, which includes a compilation of scriptures related to immigration, is suitable for both personal and congregational use. “A Biblical Guide to Immigration”…
Being the church — challenge and calling
This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast features an interview with Conference Minister Dick Barrett. Hosts Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez talk with Dick about challenges facing the church today. Dick notes that he has been encouraged to view challenges as opportunities. “God has called us in this time for a specific reason,” he says. Listen to this…
Conference plans Women in Leadership Retreat
Ohio Conference will hold a Women in Leadership Retreat Feb. 18-19, 2022, at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin, Ohio. The resource speaker will be Rebecca Slough, academic dean emerita and professor emerita of worship and the arts at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. Please see the event flier for details. Registration information will be announced in…
MennoMedia offers new resources for pastors
MennoMedia is offering the “What Now?” series designed specifically for pastors as they navigate the challenges and opportunities that have emerged as a result of the global pandemic. In August, September, and October subscribers will receive an email every other week with links to practical resources, worship helps, downloadable PDFs, shareable images, a mini-series of -ing podcasts, and more. There will be…
Rooted and Grounded to return to AMBS
Registration is open for the fifth Rooted and Grounded Conference on Land and Christian Discipleship, which will be held Oct. 14–16 at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. The theme of this conference will be “Land: Loss, Connection and Imagination.” The event will be offered in a hybrid format; some elements will be available only to in-person participants, and…
New Pastor Orientation held Aug. 15-16
Ohio Conference held a New Pastor Orientation Aug. 15-16 in Holmes County and Wayne County. Thirteen people participated, including Ohio Conference pastoral staff members. The orientation helped pastors new to the Ohio Conference learn to know each other and learn about resources available to them. In addition to visiting the Ohio Conference office in Kidron, participants spent time at MCC…
All-Ohio Conference Pastor Meeting features fellowship, worship and dialogue
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister On Aug. 5 congregational pastors from across Ohio Conference gathered at the Upper Sandusky Community Library for a time of fellowship, worship and discernment together. It was the first time they were able to gather in person in a year and a half. While fellowship was the highlight for the 28 ministers present, time was…
Workshop to feature conversations about baptism
Ohio Conference and Central District Conference are hosting a free workshop featuring ecumenical conversation about baptism on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Columbus Mennonite Church. “Believe and Be Baptized: Conversations on a 500-year Tradition” will be led by John D. Roth, a history professor at Goshen College. This workshop is open to all in the…
Prepare/Enrich training offered this fall
Recognizing that pastors are often called upon to counsel engaged and married couples, Ohio Conference is offering training in a program called Prepare/Enrich. Ohio Conference will offer this training 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…
New Missional Discipleship Group training available this fall
Over the past five years approximately 13 congregations across Ohio Conference have participated in the Missional Discipleship Group initiative which was started by Mennonite Mission Network (MMN). Over that time many of our pastors and other congregational leaders have been trained as coaches. The training has also been reduced from three eight-month-long training cohorts to one. While MMN is pausing…
Resource offers conflict transformation tools
Conflict is a normal part of life. It arises in our workplaces, in our churches and with our families. To help people learn to work through divisive issues, Mennonite Central Committee U.S. has produced a new adult Sunday school curriculum, Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict. It invites churchgoers to follow Jesus’ call to peacemaking through dialogue with…
Breaking stereotypes one quilt at a time
From MCC Great Lakes: Growing up in northeast Ohio, Paul Seling always admired beautiful quilts and hoped to learn how to make them someday. Stuck at home during the pandemic this past year, he decided to tackle that goal. A 34-year-old father of two young children, he doesn’t fit the stereotypical mold of a traditional Mennonite quilter. But he uses…
Living the dream!
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister One of the responses that I seem to get more and more frequently from people whom I encounter, after asking them how they are doing is, “I am (just) living the dream!” Of course, for almost all of them that response is meant to be sarcastic and negative. What they really want me to know…
Climate Riders seek to raise awareness
The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS) is leading a cross-country bike ride to raise awareness regarding climate change and related issues, as well as to learn and to connect with people along the way. CSCS is a collaborative initiative of Goshen College, Eastern Mennonite University, and Mennonite Central Committee. The Climate Ride started in Seattle May 31 and will…
Showing God’s love to immigrants: Will you join us?
The Immigration Resource Team of Ohio Conference is aware of many immigrants seeking asylum at our southern border. We ask: “How can we here in Ohio show them God’s welcoming love?” We remember the amazing way a dozen or so Ohio Conference churches came together to assemble 175 immigration welcome kits in the fall of 2019. Covid-19 precautions prevent this…
The Rest of Micah 6:8
By Dick Barrett, conference minister He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. — Micah 6:8 (NIV) I have now been a part of the Mennonite Church for almost 25 years. Many things attracted me to the…
Climate Ride seeks to raise awareness
The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS) is leading a cross-country bike ride to raise awareness regarding climate change and related issues, as well as to learn and to connect with people along the way. CSCS is a collaborative initiative of Goshen College, Eastern Mennonite University, and Mennonite Central Committee. The Climate Ride started in Seattle May 31 and will…
Leadership Team affirms women in ministry
Several months ago, the Ohio Conference Leadership Development Resource Team surveyed pastors and leaders of Ohio Conference congregations about attitudes regarding women in ministry. The team has shared their findings with the Ohio Conference Leadership Team. Below is a response from the Leadership Team: The Leadership Team has gratefully received the work of the Leadership Development Resource Team’s Summary of…
Love God, love others, make disciples
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. — Romans 13:8 Over the past year or so, Ohio Conference’s Leadership Team, with affirmation from both our pastors and delegates at regional gatherings, has developed a new mission statement to guide us as…
MDS shower trailer ‘restoring dignity and hope’ for homeless individuals in Colorado
From the generous hands of the Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Hartville, Ohio, a shower trailer traveled to Denver, Colorado, where it will help homeless people restore a sense of dignity in their lives. Volunteers from the church built and used the shower trailer in 2012 when they helped Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) rebuild a church in Alabama. When they…
Giving is more than an expression of gratitude
By Beryl Jantzi Director of Stewardship Education, Everence No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed. —Deuteronomy 16:16 He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. — Luke 1:53 One of the biblical images used to teach generosity is that of hands. Empty hands. And the message is don’t come before God empty-handed. Giving is…
Glen Guyton to lead youth worker retreat
Ohio Conference will hold a youth worker retreat Oct. 15-17, 2021, at Camp Luz in Kidron. Glen Guyton, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, will lead the retreat, focusing on the theme Equipped for the Journey: The who, what and how for youth leaders. Participants will be challenged to settle into who God is calling them to be as leaders,…
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…
Register now for Pastor-Spouse Retreat
Ohio Conference will hold a Pastor-Spouse Retreat Nov. 12-14 at the Mills Park Hotel in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The registration cost is $240 per couple. The theme of this event will be “Live and Laugh.” Pastors and their spouses are invited to find the joy in the everyday through laughter and stories. Due to the size of this venue, a…
Ohio Conference to offer free online workshops
As winter turns to spring, Ohio Conference invites you to join with others across the Conference in the exploration of new ideas. During March and April, Ohio Conference is offering a series of free one-hour workshops on the Zoom videoconferencing platform. All workshops will take place on Thursdays, beginning at 7 p.m. These workshops, led by individuals from Ohio Conference…
Webinar features Ohio pastors
“Speak the Truth in Love,” a webinar provided by Mennonite Mission Network, featured two Ohio Conference pastors. Vikki Pruitte-Sorrells, pastor of Lee Heights Community Church in Cleveland, and Kevin Himes, pastor of Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron, were featured panelists. Ann Jacobs of Mennonite Mission Network hosted the webinar, which celebrated relationships and considered how to mend divides that are…
Goshen College offers free online devotionals during Lent
During Lent Goshen College is offering online devotions focusing on the theme “Deep Calls to Deep.” Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Goshen College students, faculty and staff provide reflections based on the upcoming Sunday’s lectionary scripture passages. You can read these devotions online at www.goshen.edu/devotions. To receive the devotions by email, go to www.goshen.edu/devotions/subscribe.
Video conversations focus on immigration
During the month of January, Evangelical Immigration Table hosted a series of video conversations about immigration. Recordings of these conversations are available for viewing on Evangelical Immigration Table’s website: https://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/2021convening. Topics featured were “Discipleship in Politically Polarized Times,” “The Mission on Our Doorsteps,” “Evangelical Priorities for Immigration Policy in the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress,” and “Faith, Work, Economics…