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Check out these new Lenten resources

The Soil and The Seed Project has released a new collection of free resources for Lent, Easter and Pentecost. Included are a new album of music, “Little Liturgies,” art, and lyrics/chord/lead sheets. To download these resources, go to https://www.thesoilandtheseedproject.org/vol-6. For more information about the Soil and The Seed Project, see https://www.thesoilandtheseedproject.org/about.

2023 Lent at Home guide now available

ELKHART, Indinana (Mennonite Education Agency) — “Created in the Image of God, Shaped By Jesus” is the theme of the Lent at Home 2023 worship guide, now available for free  at the Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) website: https://bit.ly/2023LentatHome. Using the theme developed for Leader magazine, the guide weaves weekly and daily Scriptures with worship rituals, prayers, activities, and background information…

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CommonWord offers Lenten resources

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate  This year Lent begins on Feb. 22, which means now is a great time to look for worship and devotional resources related to Lent. If you are looking for new Lenten resources, check out the website for CommonWord, a collaboration of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University. In preparation for Lent, CommonWord…

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Check out these Advent resources

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate As we move into the season of Advent, Mennonite Church USA and CommonWord have Advent resources for individuals, families and congregations. “Restoration is Near!” is the theme of the Advent at Home 2022 worship guide, now avail­able at the Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) website: https://mennoniteusa.org/adventathome. Using the theme developed for Leader magazine, the…

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Advent at Home guide now available

ELKHART, Ind.  (Mennonite Education Agency) — “Restoration is Near!” is the theme of the Advent at Home 2022 worship guide, now avail­able at the Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) website: https://mennoniteusa.org/adventathome. Using the theme developed for Leader magazine, the guide offers weekly and daily Scriptures from the lectionary texts, worship rituals, prayers, activities, and background information to help individuals and households…

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Video project focuses on visual art in worship

Together in Worship, an online collection of free worship resources from Anabaptist sources, is pleased to announce the launch of a new resource about the use of visual art in worship. A Creative God: The Visual Arts in Worship is a video project that explores how seven Mennonite congregations in southern Pennsylvania and east­ern Virginia use visual art and other visual…

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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.

Youth ministry webinar recordings available

This spring Ohio Conference hosted a series of webinars for youth workers. If you missed them, don’t worry: Video recordings of four of these webinars are now posted on the “Youth Ministry” page of the Ohio Conference website. To view them, go to https://bit.ly/OCYouthMinistry.

Check out these curated resource collections

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate I know I have previously recommended CommonWord, which is a collaboration of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University. This month, I’d like to highlight CommonWord’s collections of resources for a variety of topics. CommonWord has a collection of World Communion Sunday resources available for download. Traditionally, many congregations celebrate World Communion Sunday…

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Peace Sunday is Sept. 18

Mennonite World Conference invites you and your congregation to observe Peace Sunday together with brothers and sisters in the global Anabaptist church family on Sept. 18, 2022. The theme for this year’s Peace Sunday is “Being a new creation in the midst of external turmoil.” Worship planning resources for Peace Sunday 2022 are available now: 2022 Peace Sunday Worship Materials

Study guide focuses on accessibility

After the Mennonite Church USA Accessibility Resolution passed at a special delegate session in May 2022, Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADN) created a Study Guide for the MC USA Accessibility Resolution. This study guide was written for ADN by Joanne Gallardo, a conference minister of Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference of MC USA in Goshen, Indiana. The study guide is a resource for congregations to…

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Explore these webinar offerings

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate This month I would like to highlight a variety of webinars being offered by various church-related agencies. The first is an upcoming webinar, and the other three are recordings of previously offered webinars. Housing Mennonite Central Committee will host “Creative Housing Solutions for Refugees and Asylum Seekers” on Tuesday, July 26, at 2…

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Visio divina combines images with scripture

CommonWord, a collaboration of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University, is offering a new free resource called the Visio Divina Project. This online resource includes a collection of visual images combined with scripture. The Visio Divina Project is inspired by Ruth Boehm, a pastor and photographer. Boehm invites us to “see with our own heart” using the practice of…

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Resources address challenging issues

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate This month I would like to highlight a new Sunday school resource from Mennonite Central Committee and RAWtools, as well as a webinar from Anabaptist Disabilities Network and Everence. FEAR NOT How do we respond to violence in our homes and churches? Does our faith have anything to say about how we understand…

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Try these resources during Lent

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate Looking for Lenten resources which you can use at home? The Soil and the Seed Project has released a new free collection of resources for this season. The Soil and the Seed Project: Vol. 2 ─ Lent–Easter–Pentecost is a collection of music, artwork, and “little liturgies” following the liturgical calendar. These resources offer…

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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…

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Lent at Home guide is ready for download

“Seeking God’s Way” is the theme of Mennonite Church USA’s (MC USA) 2022 Lent at Home worship guide. The annual guide for home-based worship provides daily and weekly scripture readings, prayers and rituals for individuals and families observing Lent, the period of prayer and reflection from Ash Wednesday, March 2, to Easter, April 17. The guide also features at-home rituals…

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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.

Immigration Resource List is updated

Ohio Conference Immi­gration Resource Team would like to remind everyone that there are many opportunities to share God’s love, hope, and peace. Are you looking for ideas about how you can share God’s love with immigrants? The Immigration Resource Team has updated its Immigration Resource List, which features books, websites, organizations, and films, as well as contact infor­mation for people who have…

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Goshen College offers online Advent devotions

Once again Goshen College is offering online weekday devotions during Advent. Goshen College students, faculty and staff are providing weekday reflections based on the lectionary Scripture passages. They are reflecting on the theme “Dare to Imagine” from Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada worship resources. These daily devotions are available online at www.goshen.edu/devotions. If you would like to receive these…

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Check out these Advent Resources

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate As we move into the season of Advent, Mennonite Church USA and CommonWord have Advent resources for individuals, families and congregations. Once again this year, Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has prepared an Advent at Home worship guide which can be used by individuals or families. The 2021 guide follows the theme “Dare…

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Advent at Home guide now available

ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA) — Mennonite Church USA’s annual Advent at Home worship guide is now availa­ble to help individuals and house­holds of all ages prepare for the Ad­vent season. The 2021 guide fol­lows the theme “Dare to Imagine!” This resource offers weekly and daily Scriptures, worship rituals, prayers, activities, and background information. Download the Advent at Home Guide…

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Generations can grow in faith together

There are many settings in which children, youth and adults can grow in faith together rather than as separate groups. Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has added an Intergenerational Faith Formation resource page to the MC USA website. To view, go to https://bit.ly/IntergenerationalFaithFormation. At that web address you will find a collection of the resources which were shared in a…

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Webinar to focus on mutual support for people experiencing mental illness

Anabaptist Disabilities Network and Church of the Brethren Discipleship Ministries are co-sponsoring a webinar titled “Churchwide Change: Strategies to reduce stigma and increase mutual support for people experiencing mental illness in our congregations.” This webinar, featuring input from Janelle Bitikofer, will take place Oct. 7 from 2 to 3 p.m. A previous webinar led in June by Janelle Bitikofer, “Providing…

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Resources offer responses to pandemic challenges

By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate This month I would like to highlight two resources, one primarily for pastors and one for families. What Now? 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 are…

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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”…

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