Mission
Northwest Ohio churches work together, supporting refugees from Ukraine
By Bill Holdsworth The Resettlement Support Team (RST) is a joint group of Central and Zion Mennonite churches in northwest Ohio. Our team formed in mid-2022 in response to seeing hundreds of thousands of people displaced all over the world by war and violence and a desire to offer our time and community resources to help immigrants settle in a…
Ohio MCC Comforter Bash brings together volunteers to help others around the world
By Jennifer Steiner MCC Great Lakes Individuals and groups from northeast Ohio will gather on March 8-9 for a hands-on project to bring warmth and comfort to people they will likely never meet. The Ohio MCC Comforter Bash will take place at Fairlawn Mennonite Church, 8520 Emerson Road, Apple Creek, Ohio. Hours are as follows: Friday, March 8 – 9:30…
Churches work together at NW Ohio Comforter Bash
Volunteers from area Ohio Mennonite churches came together Jan. 10 to support Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) at the NW Ohio Comforter Bash, which was held at Central Mennonite Church in Archbold. This event was sponsored by Central Mennonite Church, Lockport Mennonite Church, PEACE Mennonite Fellowship and Zion Mennonite Church. All photos by Alysa Short, Ohio Conference coordinator of volunteers …
Missional videos are now available
Ohio Conference now has a series of mission-focused videos on the Conference website. These videos, originally designed for a missional workshop, are available for your use. The following videos are included: Matt Pritchard — Considerations for Emerging Faith Communities Wild Church — Innovation/Creative Church Planting Piedra Viva Mennonite — Partnership Homestead Mennonite Church Experience — Revitalization For more information and…
MCC Seek program is for young adults
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is accepting applications for Seek, its newest young adult program for 18- to 20-year-olds who want to do six months of service, discipleship training and cross-cultural sharing in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Starting in January 2024, Seek participants from around the world will stay in the Southeast Asian country, considering together what it means to live, love…
School Kit Challenge seeks 10,000 school kits in August
Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) School Kit Challenge has a goal to collect 10,000 school kits during the month of August. To hear from Mary, a school kit recipient from South Sudan, see the MCC video: https://bit.ly/2023SchoolKitChallenge. For more information, see https://mcc.org/school-kit-challenge.
Everence Blessing Booth
Everence in Northeast Ohio was privileged to partner with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and the Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale this year. The sale was held on July 7 and 8, 2023, at the Mt. Hope Event Center in Mt. Hope, Ohio. Everence staffed a Blessing Booth where attenders could donate directly to their favorite MCC project without having to bid or take…
Open Arms Board hires new executive director
The Open Arms Hispanic Ministry Board has hired a new executive director. Pablo Delgado will begin as executive director on Aug. 1. Over the past six months he has been serving Open Arms as a community outreach worker. To learn more about this new appointment, see the Open Arms website: https://bit.ly/OpenArmsExec.
Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale gives globally while staying close to home
All over the world people are hurting. From war-torn Ukraine to providing clean water in the Congo, and even closer to home where families in Appalachian areas struggle to thrive, people are hurting. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) understands the plight many families face every day. MCC is making an impact and helping those in need with a focus on biblical…
MMN announces new service locations
Interested in short-term service? Mennonite Mission Network’s Service Opportunities with Our Partners (SOOP) offers flexible service terms for individuals ages 25+ and families of all ages. Mennonite Mission Network has added three locations to the existing 45 locations across the United States. New service locations include Amigo Centre, Sturgis, Michigan; Open Door Mennonite Church, Jackson, Mississippi; and Menno Haven Camp…
Group effort benefits MCC
Many people volunteered their time at the second Ohio MCC Comforter Bash, which was held in Kidron April 21 and 22. Volunteers knotted 220 comforters during the two-day event, a substantial increase from the 129 comforters which were completed during the 2022 Ohio MCC Comforter Bash. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has a goal of donating 45,000 blankets by the end…
Ohio MCC Bike Ride to raise funds for MCC peace projects
This July a group of bike riders in Ohio will be raising funds for Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) peace projects. Participants in the Ohio MCC Bike Ride will be riding 100 miles on the Ohio to Erie Trail July 15-16, using the London, Ohio, trailhead as a starting point on both days. Riders will head north toward Columbus one day,…
Sharon work camp to focus on local service
Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City is hosting its annual work camp June 18-24. Work camp participants, middle school age and older, work at service projects in the local area. People from other congregations, both adults and youth, are welcome to participate in work camp. Youth work camp participants need to have finished at least sixth grade. Youth from other congregations…
Register for missional workshop by March 31
Update: This workshop has been canceled. All registration fees already paid will be refunded. The registration deadline for Ohio Conference’s missional workshop is approaching quickly! Do you have ideas for ministering to your community, but need motivation to begin making those ideas come to life? Then plan now to attend Ohio Conference’s 2023 missional workshop at the St. Francis…
Register by March 31 for missional workshop
Do you have ideas for ministering to your community, but need motivation to begin making those ideas come to life? Plan now to attend Ohio Conference’s 2023 Missional Workshop at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin on Saturday, April 15. The theme of this interactive workshop is “Outward Church: Mobilizing the church wherever you are.” During this one-day workshop, teams…
Sent Conference set for May 4-7
Update: This event has been canceled. Mennonite Mission Network, in partnership with Mennonite Church USA Executive Board, Everence, and Mosaic Mennonite Conference, will host the seventh annual Sent Conference May 4-7 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The theme of this gathering will be “I Saw a Vast Crowd: Explorations in Multiethnic Ministry.” See https://bit.ly/2023SENT for more information.
ACA and hopes for the years ahead
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church, talks with Conference Minister Dick Barrett about the upcoming Annual Conference Assembly (ACA), which will take place March 3-4 at Central Christian School in Kidron. In the course of their conversation, Dick reflects on what he has learned during this time of discernment for…
Work on plans to impact your community
How can your congregation positively impact your community? Ohio Conference’s upcoming missional workshop will be a great place to work on plans and get feedback from others. You can learn more about this workshop from Alex Dye, pastor of Oak Grove Mennonite Church in West Liberty, in this brief video: “Outward Church: Mobilizing the church wherever you are” is the…
Registration is open for Missional Workshop
Do you have ideas for ministering to your community, but need motivation to begin making those ideas come to life? Plan now to attend Ohio Conference’s 2023 Missional Workshop at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin on Saturday, April 15. The theme of this interactive workshop is “Outward Church: Mobilizing the church wherever you are.” During this one-day workshop, teams…
Learning trip gives deeper understanding of MMN ministries in France
By Lynda Hollinger-Janzen Mennonite Mission Network Paris Mennonite Center (PMC) sponsored a learning fellowship visit for its supporters, Sep. 16-26, to give them a deeper understanding of its ministries in France and throughout the French-speaking world. James and Jeanette Krabill, who were long-time workers with Mennonite Mission Network, co-hosted the visit with their son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Toni Krabill, who are…
Missional Workshop to focus on projects
Update: The 2023 Missional Workshop will take place at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin, Ohio. In 2023 Ohio Conference is offering a Missional Workshop on April 15. During this one-day workshop, teams from Ohio Conference congregations will work on plans for projects designed to reach out to their individual communities. Mauricio Chenlo, minister for church planting at Mennonite…
Missional Workshop rescheduled
Ohio Conference is changing the date of the 2023 Missional Workshop from March 2-3 to April 15. As was announced previously, Mauricio Chenlo, minister for church planting at Mennonite Mission Network, will facilitate the Missional Workshop. This event will include significant time for congregational teams to work on a project and receive feedback about the project from others. The location…
MMN has Mission Sunday materials for your congregation
Is your church planning a mission Sunday in November? Do you want to explore God’s call to create sacred spaces for people to encounter Jesus? Mennonite Mission Network has Mission Sunday materials for your congregation to use. Go to https://bit.ly/2022MissionSundayResources to explore and download these resources.
MCC requests material resource donations
Mennonite Central Committee’s inventory of material resources is getting low. Needed items include comforters, soap and towels as well as dignity, hygiene, infant care, relief, school and sewing kits. Your donations will provide relief and a tangible sign of hope for people in difficult situations around the world. To get involved, please visit mcc.org/kits.
Ohio MCC Bike Ride to raise relief funds
This July a group of bike riders in Ohio will be raising funds for Mennonite Central Committee’s emergency response in Ukraine. Participants in the Ohio MCC Bike Ride will be riding on July 23 and 24. The group of riders will leave Summit Mennonite Church in Barberton and ride 100 miles over two days (approximately 50 miles each day) to help…
2022 Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale schedule set
The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale will take place Aug. 5-6 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster. For a schedule of events, please see the 2022 Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Poster.
Relief sale website gets update
The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale has a redesigned website with updated information about the upcoming sale on Aug. 5-6. See it at https://ohiomccreliefsale.org.
Ministry Grants fund local projects
Ministry Grants are back! Aug. 1 is the deadline to submit a grant proposal to the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team (MDT). The MDT is accepting proposals from Ohio Conference congregations and related ministries for projects and mission initiatives. This year the MDT has $15,225 available for grants. Since 2012 the MDT has awarded grants each summer, providing funds for…
Many work together at MCC Comforter Bash
Many people came together to support Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) at the Ohio MCC Comforter Bash on April 22-23. A total of 129 comforters were knotted during the two-day event at the Kidron Community Park Building, with 150 volunteers participating in the work on Friday and 75 volunteers on Saturday. MCC will distribute these comforters to people in need around…
Barnacles and brownies
By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Editor On March 3 and 4, Howard and Cathy Wagler of Hutchinson, Kansas, were presenters for a missional conference at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, focusing on the theme “Befriending the Neighborhood: Am I a Good Neighbor?” Sixty people from around the Ohio Conference participated in this conference. I was one of those 60 people.…