News & Stories
Giving Tuesday event planned at Sauder Village
Everence will hold a Giving Tuesday event on Nov. 29 at Founder’s Hall at Sauder Village in Archbold. The event, which will include dinner and a Difference Makers Expo, will begin at 5 p.m. Register by Nov. 21 for this event. For more information, please see https://bit.ly/2022EverenceGivingTuesday.
MDS shares long-term response to Hurricane Ian
The November edition of On the Level is now available from Mennonite Disaster Service. In this issue: Learn about the MDS long-term response to Hurricane Ian in Florida; read about volunteers responding to Hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada; and learn about a new Web page with volunteer opportunities closer to home. Also included is information on the upcoming MDS Annual…
Registration open for cluster meetings
Five winter cluster meetings have been scheduled for Ohio Conference delegates to Annual Conference Assembly. Each meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last between 1.5 and 2 hours. Locations are as follows: Jan. 17 — Maple Grove Mennonite Church, Hartville Jan. 19 — Toledo Mennonite Church Jan. 24 — Sharon Mennonite Church, Plain City Jan. 26 — Orrville Mennonite Church Jan. 30 — Online…
Delegate News — Leadership Team shares update on review process
To: Ohio Conference Credentialed Ministers, Congregational Delegates, Members and Attendees From: Ohio Conference Leadership Team Subject: Update on Review Process Date: Nov. 7, 2022 At our Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) on March 4-5, 2022, Ohio Conference delegates affirmed the use of a consultant to help us with strategic planning, including visioning for the future and reviewing our affiliation with Mennonite…
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…
Cluster meeting dates set
Mark your calendar: Ohio Conference will hold five winter cluster meetings for delegates to Annual Conference Assembly. Locations are as follows: Jan. 17 — Maple Grove Mennonite (Hartville) Jan. 19 — Toledo Mennonite Jan. 24 — Sharon Mennonite (Plain City) Jan. 26 — Orrville Mennonite Jan. 30 — Online via Zoom
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…
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…
Copies of hymnal sought
Does your congregation have copies of Hymnal: A Worship Book that you would be willing to sell or donate? Andrea Nord, a former member of University Mennonite Church now living in Greenville, Illinois, is seeking copies of this hymnal for her Free Methodist congregation in Illinois. She will be driving to Harrisonburg, Virginia, over Thanksgiving and could pick up the…
Ohio Conference Leadership Team Announcement: Resignation of Sherah-Leigh Gerber as regional pastor
It was with sadness that the Leadership Team of Ohio Conference recently accepted the resignation of Sherah-Leigh Gerber as our regional pastor in the east. Sherah-Leigh was called to this role of regional pastor because of her unique skill set and gifting, and her presence and contributions will be greatly missed. One of the primary reasons she gave for her…
Winter Read to return in January
Returning this January: The Ohio Conference Winter Read. This winter Ohio Conference will once again hold a Conference-wide book study using the Zoom videoconferencing platform. This year we will be studying Just Mercy, a book by Bryan Stevenson. Winter Read discussion sessions will take place in the evening on Zoom. Specific meeting dates will be announced at a later time.…
Mennonite Arts Weekend set for Feb. 3-5
“Between: Embracing Vulnerability” is the theme for the 16th Mennonite Arts Weekend, February 3-5, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This weekend celebrates the creativity and discipline of Anabaptist Mennonite artists. Presentations and workshops by musicians, visual artists, writers, and craftspeople start on Friday evening and conclude with Sunday morning worship. Activities and workshops designed specifically for Pre-K children through high school are planned throughout…
Deficit grows during September
Six months into the 2022-23 fiscal year, Ohio Conference continues to run a deficit. The deficit increased during the month of September, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for the month totaled $23,436, including $23,122 in giving from congregations. Expenses for the month totaled $29,486, resulting in a deficit of $6,050 for the month. As of…
Camp Luz to offer personal retreat
Camp Luz in Kidron will hold a personal retreat Nov. 11-12. Check in will be from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday, and the retreat will end at 6:45 p.m. Saturday. Cost for this retreat is $60 per person. The registration cost covers three meals and lodging. The retreat will feature a silence and solitude schedule, including a handout. Register…
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.
Please join us in prayer on Wednesdays
Please join us each Wednesday at noon for a time of communal prayer on Zoom. We will be using Take Our Moments and Our Days: An Anabaptist Prayer Book as the resource for our time together. To participate, you can use either the prayer book or the app of the same name, available at http://bit.ly/AnabaptistPrayerApp. The login link for these…
Open Arms seeks to hire community outreach worker
Open Arms Hispanic Ministries is looking to hire a community outreach worker. This person would be bilingual, be able to maintain a flexible schedule (up to 20 hours per week) and live in or near Wayne County. Please contact Dan King for more information at dljnking@gmail.com or 330-466-1269.
Mennonite Mission Network to hire new staff members
If you are excited about witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ, and seek to use your vocational skills and spiritual gifts in your place of employment, perhaps you will also be interested in working with Mennonite Mission Network. As the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, all of our positions are geared toward the organizational vision of sharing…
Register now for stewardship event
Oct. 23 is the deadline to register to attend Weaving a Legacy – Finances God’s Way. This Everence stewardship event will take place Sunday, Oct. 30, at 2:30 p.m. at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City. The afternoon will include workshops on topics such as teaching children about money, how investments can reflect one’s faith values, and estate planning. There…
Podcast features OrrVilla CEO
Myron Weaver, CEO of OrrVilla Retirement Community and chair of Ohio Conference’s Credentialing Ministry, is the featured guest on the most recent episode of “On Leading,” a video podcast from Mennonite Health Services. See this brief (five minute) interview at https://bit.ly/MHSPodcast-MyronWeaver.
Anabaptist World Fellowship worship materials available
Mennonite World Conference representatives from Africa have prepared worship materials for the 2023 Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday. “Jesus Christ: Our Hope” is the theme for 2023. A copy of these materials is included now available: 2023 Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday.
Initiative focuses on mass incarceration
Elkhart, Indiana — Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has launched “Learn, Pray, Join: Mass Incarceration,” an initiative to raise awareness about the injustices in our criminal legal system that cause pain and suffering, especially for poor people and people of color. For more information, see https://bit.ly/LPJMassIncarceration.
Stewardship event planned at Sharon Mennonite Church
More than a dozen Mennonite churches in central Ohio will join Everence Financial® to host a special stewardship event: Weaving a Legacy – Finances God’s Way. The event will take place at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City. The afternoon will include workshops on topics such as teaching children about money, how investments can…
Anabaptism at 500 seeks 500 study groups
HARRISONBURG, VA — The Anabaptism at 500 project is looking for 500 study groups from a broad spectrum of Anabaptist communities to participate in creating the first-ever Anabaptist Bible. People from all Anabaptist traditions, including Mennonites, Amish, the Church of the Brethren, Brethren in Christ, Hutterites, and the Bruderhof, are invited to form study groups and submit their insights for…
MDS assesses damage from Hurricane Ian
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is currently assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Ian. To donate toward relief efforts or to join a volunteer waitlist, see the MDS website: https://bit.ly/MDSHurricaneIan.
Songs & Salsa fundraiser planned
Open Arms Hispanic Ministries invites you to Songs & Salsa at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, at Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron. This event will feature music by Honeytown. Tortilla chips will be served with a variety of salsas and dips. A freewill offering will be taken.
Missed the delegate gatherings? You can still participate in our online meeting
Thanks to all who have participated in fall delegate gatherings over the past two weeks. We thank you for taking the time to share your ideas and you vision for Ohio Conference. If you were unable to attend one of the four in-person delegate gatherings, you still can share your ideas. Next Tuesday, Oct. 4, Ohio Conference will hold an…
Foundations for Justice webinar series planned
As part of Ohio Conference’s continuing education regarding anti-racism and intercultural competency, we are offering a three-part “Foundations for Justice Series,” to be held virtually from 7 to 8:15 p.m. on three Thursdays — Oct. 20, Nov. 3, and Nov. 17. This training series will be led by Nekeisha Alayna Alexis, Intercultural Competence and Undoing Racism Coordinator at Anabaptist Mennonite…
Deficit increases slightly in August
Ohio Conference’s financial deficit increased slightly during the month of August, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts during August totaled $26,449, including $16,439 in giving from congregations. Expenses during August totaled $27,350, resulting in a deficit of $901 for the month. As of Sept. 30, the Conference’s operating balance for the 2022-23 fiscal year was -$38,885.…
Please join us in prayer on Wednesdays
As a spiritual practice during this time of discernment for the Ohio Conference, we are committing to pray together as a Conference. Please join us each Wednesday at noon for a time of communal prayer on Zoom. We will be using Take Our Moments and Our Days: An Anabaptist Prayer Book as the resource for our time together. To participate…