News & Stories
Have you registered for ACA yet?
The deadline to register for Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) is approaching quickly. Have you registered yet? ACA will take place March 9-10 at Bluffton University, and the Gathered and Sent Missional Conference will take place immediately prior to ACA on March 8-9, also at Bluffton University. Registrations for ACA and the Gathered and Sent Missional Conference are both due by…
Mediation training to be offered
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will be offering its Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders March 12-16 in Columbia, South Carolina. To receive the discounted registration rate, register by Feb. 9. See http://bit.ly/2018MediationTraining for details.
OC viewpoints shared at EMU meeting
During January all Ohio Conference congregations were asked to complete a Mennonite Colleges Survey. Thanks to all congregations who completed to survey. The survey responses provided valuable information for Keith Hostetler as he represented Ohio Conference at Eastern Mennonite University’s Constituent Conferences Committee meeting on Jan. 18. To learn more about what was discussed at this meeting, see his report: 2018…
Shue announces resignation from MC USA role
Mennonite Church USA — Terry Shue has announced his resignation from his position as MC USA director of leadership development. His end date will be no later than June 1, 2018. See the complete news release at http://mennoniteusa.org/news/shue-announces-resignation-executive-board-staff/.
Lenten resource is for families
Anabaptist Faith Formation Network is offering a free at home Lenten worship resource for families titled Between Me & You. Written by Elsie Remple and illustrated by Megan Kamei, this resource includes daily Bible readings, songs, hands-on activities and questions to ponder together. To download this resource, go to http://bit.ly/2018LentenResource. To see more resources available from Anabaptist Faith Formation, go…
Delegate News – Winter 2018
Four meetings planned for delegates Ohio Conference will hold four winter regional cluster meetings for delegates to Annual Conference Assembly. Each meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. The following meetings have been scheduled: Feb. 13 — Sonnenberg Mennonite Church in Kidron Feb. 15 — West Clinton Mennonite Church in Wauseon Feb. 20 — Maple Grove…
New Pastors in Ohio Conference
In the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, co-hosts Bill Seyour and Thomas Dunn talk with four pastors who are new to the Ohio Conference — Verle Brubaker (Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Hartville), Matthew Peterson (Midway Mennonite Church in Columbiana), Matt Reed (Beech Mennonite Church in Louisville), and Sue Short (Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold). Listen to this episode…
Bluffton student develops social justice curriculum
By Cara Echols BLUFFTON, Ohio – Emily Short wears many hats. A bible and theology major with three minors (psychology, sociology, and peace and conflict studies) at Bluffton University, she recently used her knowledge in all of those areas along with a desire for social change to create an innovative summer camp curriculum. A senior from Archbold, Ohio, Short constructed…
Conference to focus on evangelism, discipleship
Gathered and Sent, a missional conference, will precede the 2018 Annual Conference Assembly. It will take place March 8-9 at Bluffton University. Presenters will be Meghan Good, teaching pastor at Trinity Mennonite Church in Glendale, Arizona, and Marvin Lorenzana, discipleship initiatives director at Mennonite Mission Network. This conference will focus on growing as a good news community. Join us as…
‘Reading the Bible with Jesus’ coming to Ohio
Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron will host “Reading the Bible with Jesus,” an inspirational four-session Bible study on the book of Mark with Bryan Moyer Suderman Feb. 16-17. An itinerant Bible teacher and singer-songwriter from Kitchener, Ontario, Bryan Moyer Suderman has spent more than 25 years finding creative ways to engage people of all ages in scripture. He is a…
Setting healthy boundaries is important for all
By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference editor If you asked me to make a list of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday, sitting in a daylong meeting would not top my list (or even be on the list, for that matter). And yet, I am extremely glad that I attended a healthy boundaries training sponsored by the Ohio Conference and…
Promoting healthy boundaries in our churches
Pastors and church leaders are called to the sacred trust of serving and nurturing others, but it can be a challenge to fulfill this calling in a culture that celebrates the absence of limits and boundaries. Without boundaries, trust can be destroyed. To deal with this serious issue, Ohio Conference is providing healthy boundaries training for all credentialed persons in…
Bluffton University to host ACA
Bluffton University will host the 2018 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) of the Ohio Conference March 9-10. The theme of this year’s gathering will be “Gathered and Sent,” based on 1 Peter 2:9-10 and Luke 10:1-12. Ohio Conference also will hold a missional conference at Bluffton University immediately prior to ACA, on March 8-9. See page 3 for more missional conference…
AMBS to offer Prepare/Enrich training
Prepare/Enrich: A Premarital and Marital Workshop will be held Feb. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana. Led by Delores Friesen, Ph.D., this workshop prepares pastors, counselors, spiritual directors and mentors to help couples strengthen and enrich their relationships. See tinyurl.com/ambs-prepare-enrich for details or to register.
Everence offers financial planning grants to more pastors
Everence is expanding its efforts to help pastors take advantage of the benefits of comprehensive financial planning. Beginning January 2018, credentialed and active pastors from any churches affiliated with Everence are eligible to receive a Pastoral Financial Plan Grant toward the cost of a first-year Everence comprehensive financial plan. For details, see http://bit.ly/EverenceFinancialPlanning.
Immigration workshop planned in Millersburg
Millersburg Mennonite Church will host a workshop, “Immigration Myths, Realities and Public Policy,” on Saturday, Jan. 27, 1-2:30 p.m. This workshop will seek to bring clarity around immigration issues, as well as share the impact that immigration policy has on families affected by it. If you are interested in having your immigration questions answered, learning creative ways to respond or…
‘Reading the Bible with Jesus’ coming to Ohio
Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron will host “Reading the Bible with Jesus,” an inspirational four-session Bible study on the book of Mark with Bryan Moyer Suderman Feb. 16-17. What can followers of Jesus today learn from Jesus’ approach to scripture? What if today’s Christians not only sought to imitate how Jesus lived and how he treated people, but also how…
Conference minister search enters new phase
The search for a new conference minister for Ohio Conference has entered a new phase. According to the search committee chair, John Rohrer, the committee has begun the process of interviewing candidates for this half-time position. A conference minister job description was publicized in the fall, and applications for the position were accepted through Nov. 30. The search committee is…
Healthy Boundaries training rescheduled
Because of inclement weather, the Healthy Boundaries training scheduled for Jan. 13 in Bluffton was canceled. This training event has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 24, at the same location, First Mennonite Church in Bluffton. If you registered for the Jan. 13 training and cannot attend on Feb. 24, please contact Judy King, Ohio Conference administrative assistant, at ohmc@zoominternet.net or…
Cliff Brubaker to move to half-time status
Cliff Brubaker has asked to be relieved of his involvement with the Gathered and Sent initiative at the end of January. He has come to realize that attempting to focus his time and energy on three jobs is more than he desires to tackle at this time. He will continue his half-time role as regional pastor for the Ohio Conference…
Conference ends December in the black
Giving to Ohio Conference in December was strong, bringing the Conference’s operating balance into the black for the first time in this fiscal year. Receipts for December totaled $58,206, including $43,591 in congregational giving. Giving from individuals also was strong in December. In response to a year-end appeal from Moderator Bob Sauder, individuals gave $11,475 during December. Expenses for the…
Missional Conference Preview with Meghan Good
How do we communicate our faith as Anabaptists? What is the mission that God has entrusted to the church, and how do we actually, practically go about doing that effectively? The guest for this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Meghan Good, is interested in helping believers think about these questions. Meghan Good is the teaching pastor at Trinity Mennonite…
Scholarship deadline extended for SPI
The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University offers a variety of scholarships for individuals interested in the Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI). Matching and partial scholarships are offered on a rolling basis as long as funds are available. The deadline for SPI’s dedicated scholarship and fellowship opportunities has been extended to Jan. 29, 2018. See http://bit.ly/SPIScholarships for details.
Hesston conference to feature Dr. Drew Hart
Registration is open for the 2018 Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series (AVDS) conference Feb. 23 to 25 at Hesston College. With the theme “Before the Unthinkable Happens: Confronting our Role in Injustice,” the conference will explore how participants can become effective change agents in their churches and communities as they stand against “the troubles of this world.” Dr. Drew G.I.…
All congregations asked to complete survey
Keith Hostetler has agreed to represent the Ohio Conference as part of Eastern Mennonite University’s Constituent Conferences Committee. To help him more accurately represent the viewpoints of Ohio Conference congregations, he is asking a representative from each congregation to complete a brief survey, which can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PZLZPGT. The Constituent Conferences Committee will meet Jan. 18. Please complete the…
Register for pastors’ meeting by Jan. 11
Berlin Mennonite Church will host a meeting for Ohio Conference pastors Jan. 18 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All credentialed leaders of the Ohio Conference are encouraged to attend. There is no registration fee for this meeting, but lunch will be provided on a donation basis. Registrations are due Jan. 11. To register, contact Judy King at the Ohio…
Four regional meetings scheduled
Ohio Conference will hold four winter regional cluster meetings for delegates to Annual Conference Assembly. Each meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. The following meetings have been scheduled: Feb. 13 — Sonnenberg Mennonite Church in Kidron Feb. 15 — West Clinton Mennonite Church in Wauseon Feb. 20 — Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Hartville Feb.…
Using your Everence credit card can benefit Ohio Conference
Do you have a credit card through Everence? If so, your purchases can benefit the Ohio Conference. Everence donates 1.5 percent of the transaction total of each purchase made with a MyNeighbor credit card to the charitable organization of your choice. Donations are distributed each January and are based on the card holder’s choice of “Neighbor” as of Dec. 31.…
The Mennonite solicits submissions
In February 2018, The Mennonite magazine will celebrate its 20th anniversary in its current form as the official publication of Mennonite Church USA, and The Mennonite wants to hear from you. Send your memories of The Mennonite: reflections on your favorite stories, authors that have been important or reasons you’ve relied on this publication. You can send your short reflections…
Pastors and leaders to focus on hope
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — In a time when many people are experiencing anxiety, trauma and upheaval, how can church leaders sustain hope among the people they serve, even when they might struggle with fear, hopelessness and exhaustion themselves? Pastors and Leaders 2018 — an annual leadership conference formerly called Pastors Week — aims to help participants explore…