News & Stories
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…
You’re invited to Assembly 17
You’re invited: Mennonite World Conference’s Assembly 17 in Indonesia will be a hybrid event, held both virtually and in person. “Following Jesus Together Across Barriers” is the theme of this gathering, which will take place July 5-10. Learn with the global Anabaptist-Mennonite family this summer. Register for Assembly to receive access to 10 worship services, which can be aired whole…
Recording available of intergenerational worship webinar
How can we best engage all life stages in worship? What can we learn from alternative expressions like Messy Church and Forest Church? On Tuesday Anabaptist Worship Network and Mennonite Education Agency presented a webinar about intergenerational worship which explored these questions. To view a recording of the webinar, go to https://bit.ly/IntergenerationalWorship.
Rosedale to offer leadership formation retreat
Rosedale Bible College in Irwin, Ohio, is offering a leadership formation retreat Aug. 18 – 20, 2022. The theme for this event is “God’s Mission and Church.” The guest presenter for the retreat is Karl Vaters, who has been encouraging pastors and helping churches thrive for more than 20 years. His calling is to help churches with sizes of 250…
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.
New book focuses on communion
Brad Roth, the featured speaker for Ohio Conference’s 2021 missional conference, has written a new book about communion, The Hunger Inside: How the Meal Jesus Gave Transforms Lives. See https://paracletepress.com/products/the-hunger-inside for details.
MC USA webinar to discuss ‘what now?’
What do the decisions made at the Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) Special Delegate Assembly mean for conferences, congregations and individuals? MC USA will hold a webinar titled “Special Session of the Delegate Assembly: What Now?” on July 18 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This webinar will be hosted by MC USA Executive Director Glen Guyton, assisted by Linda Dibble,…
Leadership Team releases statement regarding MC USA Special Delegate Assembly
To: Ohio Conference Pastors, Delegates and Congregations From: Ohio Conference Leadership Team Subject: Statement regarding MC USA’s Special Delegate Assembly, May 27-30, 2022 Date: June 6, 2022 MC USA’s delegates met May 27-30 for a special delegate assembly in Kansas City, Missouri. Of the 502 delegates who participated, 47 represented Ohio Conference or one of our congregations. We met to…
Conference to hold Mentor/Mentee Retreat
Ohio Conference will hold a Mentor/Mentee Retreat for pastors on Sept. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin. Terry Shue will provide input, along with representatives from Ohio Conference. Registration is due by Aug. 16. For more details, see the 2022 Mentor-Mentee Retreat Flier.
Nate Holton hired as superintendent of Central Christian
The Central Christian School Board of Trustees has hired Nate Holton to serve as the superintendent of Central Christian School, beginning July 1. Holton has served in various roles at Central Christian since 2008 and has been Central’s director of operations for the past four and half years. For more information, see https://bit.ly/2022CCSSuperintendent.
Conference begins fiscal year with deficit
Ohio Conference ended the first month of the 2022-23 fiscal year with a deficit, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Conference expenses outpaced receipts during the month of April. Receipts for the month totaled just $14,309, and expenses totaled $28,855, resulting in a deficit of $14,546 for the month.
MC USA launches Welcoming EveryBODY initiative
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA) — Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), in partnership with Anabaptist Disabilities Network, has launched “Learn, Pray, Join: Welcoming EveryBODY,” an initiative that celebrates the many gifts that people with disabilities bring to our church communities. During May and June, MC USA will seek to engage people in this initiative by offering resources, prayers and ways…
MDS offers yearlong service opportunity
The MDS Yearlong Volunteer Program provides a one-year service opportunity for volunteers to enhance their leadership skills and to help bring people home after disasters. Volunteers serve in a group from August to July at various Mennonite Disaster Service projects, experience multiple cultures and communities across the United States and Canada, and build meaningful relationships with disaster survivors and other…
Webinar to focus on dementia and congregational care
Anabaptist Disabilities Network will host a webinar, “Dementia and Congregational Care,” on Thursday, June 16, at 1 p.m. Dementia affects individuals, their family members and the congregation. Many times, we want to offer support but we do not know where to start. We often back off because we don’t want to do the wrong thing. This webinar will help participants…
Central Christian is hiring several faculty and staff
Central Christian School in Kidron has several open faculty and staff positions for the 2022-2023 academic year including operations director, middle school intervention specialist, elementary school teacher’s aide, and high school English teacher. Please see ccscomets.org for job descriptions.
Webinar to explore nonviolent direction action
Mennonite Mission Network invites you to join peacemakers Jonathan and Sarah Nahar for the Stir Up Peace webinar and learn more about this curriculum that’s perfect study material for your organization, small group or Sunday school class. The webinar will take place on Monday, June 6, at 7 p.m. EST on Zoom and Facebook Live. Register here: https://bit.ly/StirUpPeaceWebinar.
Mediation training set for Aug. 1-5
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will hold a Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (MTSI) Aug. 1-5 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The fee for five full days of instruction and a printed copy of the MSTI manual is $750. Please see the 2022 MSTI-Brochure for details.
When will we act?
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister Last night I watched the reports of the horrific shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that claimed the lives of at least 19 children and two adults. That comes less than two weeks after a shooting at a grocery store in my hometown of Buffalo, New York, claimed the lives of 10 people…
Celebration of Peace Mennonite planned for May 29
A time of celebration and sharing memories of Peace Mennonite Church in Elyria will take place May 29 in Elyria. The congregation, which was founded in 1983, recently merged with North Olmsted Evangelical Friends Church. This celebration will include a time of giving thanks for the ministry of George and Mary Dunn. Please see the PMC Commemoration Flier for details.
Please join us in prayer
Times of Prayer and Fasting for Ohio Conference’s Year of Review and the MC USA Delegate Assembly As we have recently begun our Year of Review working with a process consultant and with the upcoming Mennonite Church USA Delegate Assembly scheduled for May 27-30, 2022, it is very important that we are grounded in the spiritual disciplines as we try…
Prayer requested for delegate assembly
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) has created a prayer guide and a sign up for congregations to commit to pray for the denomination’s special delegate session, which will be held May 27-30 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The prayer guide, “One Body, One Church,” is written by Leo Hartshorn. A copy is available here: 2022-Delegate-Assembly-Prayer-Guide. This guide is designed for use by all delegates, congregations, and individuals during the special delegate session May 27-30.
MC USA is inviting all congregations to commit to praying for the delegate assembly. To make this commitment, complete the form found at https://mcusa.formstack.com/forms/call_to_prayer_and_fasting.
For more information about the special delegate session, see https://bit.ly/2022SpecialDelegateSession.
Webinar to focus on reconnecting with families
“Where did they go? Reconnecting with kids and families” will be the theme of a webinar on Monday, May 16, at 7 p.m. hosted by Joan Daggett and Chrissie Muecke of the Shine Sunday school curriculum. COVID turned Sunday school on its head. After two years of isolation, families with youth and young children have been slow to re-engage in…
Pastors to meet in Upper Sandusky
Save the date: Ohio Conference will hold a pastors’ gathering on Aug. 23 at the library in Upper Sandusky. This meeting will be facilitated by our consultant, Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi, as part of the Conference’s review process. This meeting will be for all active, credentialed pastors, including chaplains.
SPI to hold peacebuilding courses in person
The Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, will begin in-person short courses next week. SPI is offering a variety of courses during four sessions in May and June. All SPI courses are available for training or academic credit. To learn more, see https://emu.edu/spi/courses.
Adriel to hold benefit auction online
Adriel will hold its annual benefit auction online this year. This auction will benefit foster families and foster youth. To participate, go to https://www.biddingforgood.com/AdrielBenefit and click on “Register to Bid” at the top of the page. Online bidding begins May 26 at 5 p.m. and ends May 31 at 5 p.m.
Larger group can attend MWC Assembly 17
Mennonite World Conference’s (MWC) Indonesian Assembly just got a little bit larger. The National Advisory Committee for Assembly 17 and the executive committee of MWC have decided to raise in-person attendance numbers for the gathering in Indonesia to 1,250. Assembly 17 will take place both online and in Indonesia July 5-10, 2022. COVID-19 cases in Indonesia remain low, so the…
How accessible is your congregation’s building?
Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADN) is now offering a Congregational Assessment Survey, a tool intended to help your congregation assess its level of accessibility. Learn more and use this tool by visiting the ADN website: https://bit.ly/ADNSurvey.
Journal seeks articles on ‘Mission and Health’
Anabaptist Witness: Call for submissions. Anabaptist Witness welcomes submissions on “Mission and Health” for the October 2022 issue. Submissions can be from various genres and should relate to the journal’s focus on Anabaptist and Mennonite churches in mission. What guidance do scripture and Anabaptist/Mennonite theology offer for churches, mission agencies and missionaries faced with medical crisis? How might faith communities…
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…
A Year of Discernment
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister There is no doubt that the past two years have been both different and difficult on our churches. In one sense, as Mennonites/Anabaptists we don’t find ourselves to be any different from other Christian churches throughout America. Almost all congregations can say that their church has lost members and attenders, and the church doesn’t look…