Grant program returns for third year

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1 MAY/JUNE 2014 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 2 Editorial Special delegate session 3 Women s retreat 4 On being charitable LifeBridge in Colombia 5 Conference minister musings 6 About people 7 Resource corner Goshen College graduates 8 Back page briefings Grant program returns for third year For the third year In a row, local ministries throughout the Ohio Conference will be able to benefit from a Conference grant program. This summer the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team will be accepting proposals from We all know what a story is, but what is storying? As the staff at Lighthouse Ministries in Canton have confirmed through experience, storying can be a very effective technique for sharing the Bible with children, especially kids who may have some trouble with reading or kids who are unfamiliar with some of the vocabulary used in common Bible translations. Storying was developed by a missionary who was working with a group of people that did not have a written language. The idea was to create an oral Bible for the people to memorize and then pass Ohio Conference congregations and related organizations for projects and mission initiatives. The grant program began in at the recommendation of the Stewardship Ministry Team, which suggested to delegates at the 2012 Annual Conference Assembly in Berne, Ind., that 20 percent of the Conference s surplus funds be used for congregational projects. (These funds had accumulated during years on to others. This oral Bible included 24 stories that captured the greater story of the Bible. Later on someone in the United States, Michael Novelli, saw the potential for a youth ministry application of this technique. In 2013 Lighthouse Ministries received a grant from the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team to purchase a storying curriculum for use with youth ministry clubs and in the Lighthouse s summer enrichment camp program. At the 2014 Annual Conference Assembly, Lighthouse Executive Director in which the Conference ended its fiscal year with a surplus.) In , the Ministry Development Team gave grants for 11 projects, and in projects received funding. More information about the grant program will be sent to Ohio Conference congregations through Perspective, the electronic newsletter for pastors and other church leaders. Learning the Bible through storying Continued on page 3 At Annual Conference Assembly, Lighthouse Ministries Executive Director Darin Nissley explains the Lighthouse s mission and talks about the way the Lighthouse has used storying to share the Bible with the children they serve.

2 May/June 2014 Page 2 VOL. LXVIII, NO. 3 MAY/JUNE 2014 Editor: Ann H. Leaman Ohio Mennonite Evangel (USPS ) is published six times per year by the Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA, Box 210, Kidron OH 44636, telephone (330) All material for publication should be submitted to the editor at 5854 Sunland St. NE, Louisville OH 44641, or via telephone: (330) , or ohioevangel@earthlink.net, one month prior to desired publication date. Ohio Mennonite Evangel is distributed to all households of Ohio Conference congregations, other interested individuals and church agencies. Ohio Mennonite Evangel is printed at Carlisle Printing, 2673 TR 421 Sugarcreek OH Send subscription information and address changes to the editor at 5854 Sunland St. NE, Louisville OH Periodical postage paid at Sugarcreek OH Yielding ourselves to God Recently, I was looking at prayer resources that Ohio Conference Prayer Coordinator Dana Short compiled for use in preparation for the special delegate session planned for Aug. 9. (See the article below for details.) As I reviewed one of the suggested prayer services, I was struck by the beginning Special delegate session set for Aug. 9 Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA will hold a special delegate session Aug. 9, 2014, at Martins Creek Mennonite Church in Millersburg. At this special delegate session, delegates will consider a proposed resolution regarding Mountain States Mennonite Conference which was tabled at Annual Conference Assembly in March. A copy of the proposed resolution can be found on the Ohio Conference website ( rence.org) on the Special Delegate Session page. of one of the prayers, an adaptation of a prayer by Richard Foster: Today, O Lord, we yield ourselves to you. May your will be our delight. Yielding ourselves to God, and to what God has planned, may not come very naturally to a lot of us. The reason for tabling the resolution was to give congregations more time to discuss and prepare for voting on the resolution, as well as to hear the results of the denominational Executive Board decisions made at their June meetings and the report from an Ohio Conference delegation that visited with representatives from Mountain States. A group of resource materials that congregations may use for their own studies has been sent to all Ohio Conference congregations. For me, I think that yielding to God is something that I have to do consciously over and over again. The temptation to try to run my own life and then attempt to fit God in somewhere into the mix can be pretty strong. Are we ready to yield ourselves to God? ahl Personnel of the Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA Moderator: Dean Beck deanjean5656@gmail.com Assistant Moderator: Rachel Kauffman kauff5r@kauffmanfamily.net Conference Minister: Tom Kauffman ohconfmin@gmail.com Credentialing Ministry Chair: Naomi Engle pastornaomiengle@juno.com Gifts Discernment Ministry Chair: Delmar Hostetler hostetlerd@firstenergycorp.com Stewardship Minstry Chair: Darrel Schweitzer chrisdarrel@verizon.net Regional Pastor: Ralph Reinford ralphreinford@gmail.com Regional Pastor: Wanda Stopher wstopher@gmail.com Administrative Secretary: Judy King ohmc@zoominternet.net Finance Coordinator: Stan Helmuth cboh1@zoominternet.net Conference Editor: Ann Leaman ohioevangel@earthlink.net The team compiling these resources included Jay Conn, Martins Creek Mennonite Church; Jacob Dodson, Wooster Mennonite Church; Naomi Engle, West Clinton Mennonite Church; Dan Hooley, First Mennonite Church (Canton); Tom Kauffman, Conference Minister; and Bill Seymour, Orrville Mennonite Church. Resources also can be found online on the Special Delegate Session page of the Conference website. Also included are prayer resources developed by Ohio Conference Prayer Coordinator Dana Short. To catch the reader's attention, place an

3 May/June 2014 Page 3 Confidently Drawing Closer to Christ to be theme of women s retreat All women are invited to come away for a time of refreshment at Camp Luz in Kidron Sept at the annual retreat of Ohio Mennonite Women. The Ohio Mennonite Women leadership team is delighted to feature speaker Vicki Conn of Martins Creek Mennonite Church in Millersburg. Vicki will focus on the theme Confidently Drawing Closer to Christ, based on Hebrews 4:14-16 and Hebrews 10: She will be joined by Marilyn Rossiter, pastor of Summit Mennonite Church in Barberton, who will lead the group in worship and songs. In addition to group times of worship, the retreat will also feature several workshops on Saturday afternoon. Vicki Conn enjoys playing piano and is part of the praise team at Martins Creek Mennonite Church. Her husband, Jay, is pastor of Martins Creek. Vicki has recently been hired as a part-time minister of congregational care at Martins Creek, helping to lead a Stephen Ministry program as well as coaching Fresh Start. She has spoken at women s retreats, leads Bible studies and occasionally gives sermons. Vicki and Jay have four children between the ages of 4 and 16. Storying Continued from page 1 Darin Nissley thanked the Conference for the grant and told Ohio Conference delegates about how Lighthouse Ministries has used the storying curriculum to share the Bible with the children they serve. In storying, first there is a dramatic telling of the Bible story. Then kids meet in small groups to help each other retell and remember the story they have just heard. After retelling the story to each other, the children are asked to respond to a number of questions: What does this story say about who God is? What does this story tell us about who we as human beings are? Where do I fit in? How do I find connections or parallels with this story? How is my story similar to this story? How has God been working in my life? In answering these questions, the children make connections between themselves and the greater story of the Bible. Echo the Story, a storying curriculum, is produced by sparkhouse. To see more about Echo the Story, go to wearesparkhouse.org. The Story, another storying curriculum, is produced by Zondervan. To see more about The Story, go to Youth Leadership Project Discovering and developing the leader within High school juniors and seniors... Interested in growing as a leader? Attend two leadership retreats Lead a project in your congregation Partner with a trusted mentor from your congregation Make new friends and expand your network Application deadline: Monday, July 7 See for details.

4 May/June 2014 Page 4 Isn t it equally important to have strong convictions about being charitable with our speech and conversations as we have about other things? O N B E I N G C H A R I T A B L E At least charitable conversations! By David A Miller My thoughts this time go beyond charitable dollars. With our Conference in the midst of deciding how to best relate to the larger denomination and the consequent effects on congregations, families, and individuals, these are challenging times. While I have no reason to suggest that it s one of the most important crossroads historically, it certainly is significant. I support having strong convictions and taking our commitment to the church seriously. But when we feel firmly about any given issue, the risk of doing harm with our words and actions is much higher. I know from personal experience that how I ve expressed my convictions has hurt others and myself. Isn t it equally important to have strong convictions about being charitable with our speech and conversations as we have about other things? It certainly seems there are more than an average amount of conversations happening right now. These sometimes difficult interactions take place among couples, families, congregations, conference, denomination, and friends. A commitment to transparency with our convictions includes honesty and a vulnerability that is not hidden. The potential to bless each other with charitable conversation is unlimited. A personal conversation with someone who doesn t agree with us can be a truly meaningful and learning experience, if both parties are charitable. I am not a social media participant, but I hear from others that this may be one of the least desirable venues for meaningful communication. When we do not have to sit across from someone, there is more room for harm to be done. As James writes in Chapter 3, A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything or destroy it. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos with our tongues we bless God our Father (The Message). Over the next few months and beyond, I hope those of us who have strong convictions will commit ourselves to having only charitable conversations. David A Miller is the Everence Charitable Services Representative. You may contact him at david.miller@everence.com or (330) LifeBridge heads to Colombia again By Dale Pierce Once again, members of Life- Bridge Community Church in Dover will be traveling on a mission trip to Cali, Colombia, as has been their biennial custom for some time now. A group of 15 church members will spend June doing missionary work with their sister church, Fuente De Vida, which is headed by Pastor Jorge Morales and his family. Pastor Chet Miller-Eshleman is no stranger to Cali, as he spent a lengthy amount of time in Colombia with Mennonite Central Committee before settling in Dover to establish LifeBridge. While this busy Colombian metropolis can be a dangerous place for the unwary, due to the drug trade and other issues, he has always had a spot in his heart for the Colombian church and its people that carries over to this day. Understanding the social mores, the dangerous spots and the high points of the city as well as the lows, he has served and will serve as a guide for his parishioners during this, the third such trip since Life- Bridge came to Dover. Lifebridge's sister church, Fuente De Vida ( Fountain of Life ) has made great progress on its own, as well as with the occasional aid of the Americanbased links. Earlier in the year, LifeBridge took up donations to buy Pastor Morales a badly needed automobile for him to carry out various churchrelated actions with his own flock. On occasion, various members of Fuente De Vida have also Continued on page 5

5 May/June 2014 Page 5 C O N F E R E N C E M I N I S T E R M U S I N G S How do we choose what we focus on? By Tom Kauffman Conference Minister In my devotional time, I have been introduced to a book written by Jane Marie Thibault titled A Deepening Love Affair: The Gift of God in Later Life (Upper Room Books, 1993). She writes, We have been given the freedom to chose what we see, what we pay attention to, what we rest our awareness on. There are zillions of things that can attract us our task is to chose which ones we want to pay attention to for we cannot endure the full consciousness of everything How do we come to a balance between total awareness and the too-limited view? It takes some practice. For most of us the difficulty will be in the widening of our vision.we tend to have a preconceived notion of what we will find in our field of vision and hearing and sensing. This preconceived notion blocks out our awareness of other things. Having come through the Lenten season once more I was again struck by how not only the scribes and Pharisees could not see Jesus as Messiah, but also how those who walked with him most closely did not anticipate the unfolding drama as fulfilling the way of Messiah. Like Cleopas and his friend walking on the road to Emmaus, they misunderstood Jesus too. Even though they thought they understood what Messiah meant and would look like, they missed him (even as the Risen Christ was walking with them!) No matter what era we inhabit, no matter in which culture we live, it seems that Thibault s words are true more often than not we have difficulty in widening our vision. We all have to utilize filters in order to choose to what we pay attention, otherwise we would be overwhelmed and unable to function. Yet why is it that so often we are surprised by the many and various ways that God is at work in the world? Why is it that we have such difficulty recognizing God s handiwork? Could it be that too often we limit the way we expect God to work? We limit what we think God s love looks like. We limit whom we think God may choose to work through. I m going to commit myself to keeping an eye open to the unexpected, an ear alert to a new voice, a mind attentive to a new thought that just may be from God. As Thibault notes, it will take some practice. But then, most things worthwhile take practice. This seems as good a time as any to continue that practice! Why is it that so often we are surprised by the many and various ways that God is at work in the world? Why is it that we have such difficulty recognizing God s handiwork? LifeBridge Continued from page 4 made it to the United States and spent some time at Life- Bridge. One of the goals of the visiting Americans is going to be assisting with church planting in the area. Another objective, aside from simply building fellowship between two nations with different cultural and financial needs, is to bridge the spiritual realm, increasing fellowship and understanding between nations. The visiting Americans will stay in the homes of Colombian parishioners during their stay. They will also attend services at Fuente De Vida and help the Continued on page 7

6 May/June 2014 Page 6 A B O U T P E O P L E Pastoral notes Adam Houser, left, was ordained for Christian ministry March 23 at Peace Mennonite Church in Elyria. Also pictured is Regional Pastor Ralph Reinford. Adam Houser, pastor of Peace Mennonite Church in Elyria, was ordained for Christian ministry during a worship service at Peace Mennonite on March 23, Regional Pastor Ralph Reinford brought the message, Calling and Setting Apart, based on Matthew 4: A carry-in meal followed the time of worship. At the end of April Adam Houser concluded his pastorate at Peace Mennonite. He is returning to New York and will be working at Beaver Camp, a camp which is a member of the Mennonite Camping Association. Wendell and Melanie Nofziger have resigned as youth pastors of North Clinton Mennonite Church in Wauseon. They will conclude their work with the congregation June 28 and will begin doing mission work with Eastern Mennonite Missions. Bethany Theological Seminary Anita Hooley Yoder, senior M. Div. student at Bethany Seminary in Richmond, Ind., won first place in the 2014 Bethany Peace Essay Contest for her essay, I've Read Too Much Poetry for That: Poetry, Personal Transformation, and Peace. Hooley Yoder lives in Cleveland Heights. She is a member of Friendship Mennonite Church in Bedford Heights, and a curriculum writer for Shine. Goshen College Open to students enrolled in high school, college, and graduate-level degree programs, the contest was advertised nationwide through denominational and ecumenical venues and received a national, ecumenical response. Writers were asked to reflect on how personal and local peacemaking efforts can address universal concerns. They could books published this spring. Her home congregation is Zion Mennonite in Archbold. Alisa Murray, a junior music major from Orrville, was in the cast of Goshen College s production of Mozart s comic choose to explore this theme in one of the following areas, relating to personal experience: art, music, or poetry; the just peace movement; protest or change movements; social media, or interfaith efforts. Kathryn Friesen, a Goshen College senior English major from Archbold, recently published a book titled Human/Animal through Goshen College s Pinchpenny Press. Her book was one of four student chapopera, The Marriage of Figaro, which was presented during the spring semester. She was a member of the chorus. Her home congregation is Martins Mennonite in Orrville.

7 May/June 2014 Page 7 R E S O U R C E C O R N E R New curriculum focuses on end-of-life issues By Kris Nussbaum Ohio Conference Resource Advocate As we near the end of our earthly journeys, distractions abound. To help us keep our focus on what's important, Everence has created an end-of-life curriculum that helps individuals, families and congregations face the myriad choices aging and dying present. Beryl Jantzi, Everence Stewardship Education Director, will host a training event to prepare end-of-life workshop leaders. The event will take place Aug at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in Pennsylvania. Registrations are due July 1, and costs range from $86-$265 per person depending on the option selected and the number of registrants from each church. This is the type of event that would benefit pastors as well as lay leaders who would form an educational team. An introductory video is available at everence.com/ stewardshipeducation. Print information is available through your local Everence office, or by contacting Kris Nussbaum at kris@kidronmennonite.com. To register, contact Angela Dietzel, LMCC Program Director at (800) or angela@laurelville.org. An additional resource to help congregations and individuals in these important decisions is a book from MennoMedia titled Living Thoughtfully Dying Well: A Doctor Explains How to Make Death a Natural Part of Life by Glen E. Miller, MD. It is available at MennoMedia.org for $ If you have questions about what resources are available from Mennonite agencies, please contact Ohio Conference Resource Advocate Kris Nussbaum at kris@kidronmennonite.com. Six from Ohio Conference graduate from Goshen College Six students from Ohio conference congregations were among the 246 graduates earning degrees from Goshen College April 27. Kathryn Friesen of Archbold graduated with a degree in English. Her home congregation is Zion Mennonite. Micah Miller-Eshleman of Dover graduated with a degree in physics. His home congregation LifeBridge is LifeBridge Community Church. Jenna Nofziger of Archbold graduated with a degree in molecular biology/biochemistry. Her home congregation is Zion Mennonite in Archbold. Justin Plank of Orrville graduated with a degree in biology. His home congregation is Martins Mennonite. Continued from page 5 Chelsea Schmucker of Wauseon graduated with a degree in accounting. Her home congregation is West Clinton Mennonite. Stacy Wyse of Archbold graduated with a degree in American Sign Language. Her home congregation is West Clinton Mennonite. church with varied projects while there. In 2013, Pastor Morales visited LifeBridge and addressed the congregation during a monthlong stay in Ohio. Due to immigration problems, he was unable to get his family cleared to come to America, and he had to travel alone. This time the situation will be reversed, with Pastor Miller-Eshelman addressing Fuente De Vida.

8 Conference Calendar J U N For more Ohio Conference news, visit the Ohio Conference website: ohiomennoniteconference.org Black Swamp Benefit Bazaar, Fulton County Fairgrounds, Wauseon Ohio Youth Event, Bluffton University A U G 1-2 Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale, Buckeye Event Center, Dalton 8-10 Girls Jamboree, Camp Luz 9 Special Delegate Session, Martins Creek Mennonite, Millersburg Youth Leadership Project Retreat, Camp Luz S E P T 13 Leadership and Anxiety in the Church Seminar, Central Mennonite, Archbold Ohio Mennonite Women s Retreat, Camp Luz O C T N O V F E B Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity Workshop, Jubilee Mennonite, Bellefontaine 31 Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity Workshop, Jubilee Mennonite, Bellefontaine Retreat for Pastors Wives, St. Francis Spirituality Center, Tiffin, Ohio Youth Leadership Project Retreat, Camp Luz Back page briefings... Friday, June 13, is the deadline to register for the Ohio Youth Event, which will be held June at Bluffton University. This weekend gathering will include times for worship, recreation, workshops, small group discussion and late-night activities. To register, go to the Ohio Conference website at ence.org and choose Register. Ohio Conference is teaming with Lombard Mennonite Peace Center to offer the seminar Leadership and Anxiety in the Church Sept. 13, 2014, at Central Mennonite Church in Archbold. This seminar will look at the challenge presented by the rising level of anxiety being experienced in churches today, as well as the role that self-differentiated leadership can play in calming this anxiety. Staff from the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will facilitate this seminar. To register or to see a complete schedule of the seminar, go to the Ohio Conference website at ence.org and click on Register. Registration for the thirteenth class of the Values-Based Leadership Program is open. The program helps individuals in leadership roles gain a fresh perspective, one that views leadership and organizational processes through a uniquely Anabaptist lens. You can register for the Values-Based Leadership Program and learn more about scholarship opportunities at