2020 IMC Annual Business Meeting

The annual business meeting will be at Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center. We want to meet together to review the work within our conference over the last year, hear from some of our church wide partners and plan for the future.

We will be approving a budget, reviewing IMC leadership’s practices regarding credentialing, affirming individuals for leadership teams, and hearing from conference minister David Miller and associate conference minister Martin Navarro. Congregations, please appoint your delegates (5 per congregation, plus pastors).

Please register by February 15. The registration cost is $11 to cover cost of the meal (cash or check due at registration on day of meeting). If someone is unable to pay the registration, please attend anyway – we’ll take care of the cost. All meeting materials are available on the conference website: https://illinoismennonite.com/

If you have questions, please contact Darrel at dlmiller@frontier.net

We hope to see you February 15 at Menno Haven.

Paying it forward

Students integrate their learnings in projects that serve their communities

ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — In their final year of study, AMBS Master of Arts in Christian Formation students complete a final project — a ministry program for spiritual formation to be implemented in a specific setting. We’ve asked four students to share their projects and how AMBS has prepared them for ministry.

Jeff Boehr of Bluffton, Ohio, is creating a two-part workshop to help people who are approaching the last years of their life explore what it looks like to make meaning of this life stage together. It’s designed to be offered in retirement homes or congregations. Boehr is a member of First Mennonite Church of Bluffton and attends Southside Fellowship in Elkhart.

“In the workshops we’ll worship together and address topics such as formation, God’s presence and being attentive to each other and to God, giving creative responses about what we’ve heard from each other and what we notice in ourselves. I hope this will be a process that people can continue to do together, forming practices to help them through the losses they’ll face.

“I’m interested in exploring their experiences. Has the church helped them, or not? How are we still being formed as people when we’re also experiencing loss?

“Thinking about my own life stage and my parents’ — and my Clinical Pastoral Education internship at a hospital — really brought this into focus for me. In the hospital, I saw people working to make meaning in a time of change or loss. Moments of re-orientation can really throw us off if we’re not intentionally thinking about what they might mean for us. Engaging what it means to live life with God and with each other in AMBS classes also inspired me to explore this topic.

“Following graduation, I could imagine doing chaplaincy work in a retirement setting. I’m also open to serving in a congregation or in the wider church.”

Sister Ruby Fair-Miller of South Bend, Indiana, is developing a pastoral and spiritual care ministry for people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and their caregivers. She’s a member of New Life Fellowship Ministry of South Bend.

“The flame for this project was sparked during an AMBS class on Pastoral Counseling and Theology with Dr. Daniel [Schipani] and in my Pastoral Counseling Practicum. I was a chaplain intern at Signature Healthcare in South Bend, where 95 percent of the residents have Alzheimer’s or dementia. I saw the hurt and brokenness of the caregivers — the children or the spouse — and the patients themselves. My ministry is to bring the gospel of God’s grace into their lives.

“I still serve at Signature Healthcare as a volunteer chaplain, leading Bible studies and Sunday devotions every other week. I’ve found I can start praying the Lord’s Prayer or reciting the 23rd Psalm, and patients will remember every word. At the same time, they may say, Who am I? How did I get here? I want to bring the presence of God into that lost person’s life and the caregiver’s life and to let them know they’re not alone.

“The project right now is just set up for me, but I’m hoping to get other churches involved. As faith communities, we can take some of the burdens off of the hurting caregivers.

“The Lord sent me to AMBS to find my passion — reconciling people back to God. I’ve had a blessed journey at AMBS. I’m working on becoming a certified chaplain, an advocate for those with cognitive impairments and those suffering from mind-altering dysfunctions.”

Jonah Yang of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, is creating a presentation for first- and second-generation Hmong Christians in the U.S. and Southeast Asia about the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective and Missio Dei #18, “What is an Anabaptist Christian?” by Palmer Becker. He is a member of Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Minneapolis.

“I chose this topic because Hmong Christians have varied practices of footwashing. Reconciliation is a hard topic for the Hmong. For example, I either trust or don’t trust you forever. I believe that footwashing will help them surrender their pride and become people who serve instead of people who receive.

“Reconciliation equals re-establishing relationship. I hope to teach Hmong Christians to forgive and forget their past. There are many great men in the community who are not willing to let go of some of their authority, but teaching about forgiveness and reconciliation could help them to consider having a new perspective on Christian life.

“My favorite AMBS class is God’s Shalom and the Church’s Witness. One essential example I learned from the professor was to ask his child to forgive him. Therefore, even though I am a father to my children, I must admit my guilt if I commit a wrong against them.

“After graduation, I would like to use my time to do more presentations to my Hmong Christian and non-Christian fellows in the U.S. or Southeast Asia. I also want to collaborate with Mennonite Mission Network and regional conferences to develop training materials for the Hmong Mennonite churches in North America and Asia so that church members can grow in the Anabaptist way.”

Miriam Zehr is associate pastor of worship and education at Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville, Ohio, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year over three weekends — one focusing on history, one on music and one on homecoming/reunions. Her project is to plan three worship services: one was a kick-off for the year in January, and the other two will be for the historical focus weekend in April.

“Worship planning is one of the favorite parts of my job. I also have interest in doing more collaborative worship planning and wanted to experiment with this project. A group of four is working with me. Since we are celebrating our 200th anniversary, I thought this would be a natural fit.

“I hope that in reflecting on the past and the legacy that has been left for us, we can be grateful for the ways God has been faithful to this church community and for the ways Oak Grove has impacted people’s lives within the family of faith, the local community, and the wider church. I also hope the congregation will be challenged to consider what legacy we want to leave for future generations. For example, on Jan. 14 we invited worship participants to hang leaves on a “legacy tree”; on one side they were to write a spiritual legacy they had received, and on the other, a legacy they hoped to leave.

“My AMBS degree has been in process many years; the positive side of that is that I have taken courses while working as a pastor and could integrate my learnings. I have found the courses on spiritual formation and worship very inspiring and helpful.”

 

Located in Elkhart, Indiana, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary is a learning community with an Anabaptist vision, offering theological education for learners both on campus and at a distance as well as a wide array of lifelong learning programs — all with the goal of educating followers of Jesus Christ to be leaders for God’s reconciling mission in the world. ambs.edu

St. Francis of Assisi: An Enduring Model of Peace

Tiskilwa, IL – In the early 13th Century, St. Francis of Assisi lived his life in harmony with the Gospels of Jesus Christ and promoted a message of peace, forgiveness, and harmony. Francis’ teachings are as relevant today as they were in his lifetime, and appeal to all Christian believers regardless of denomination.

All are invited to the Willow Springs Mennonite Church Retreat, Saturday, 6:00 pm and Sunday, April 28 at 9:30 am to reflect on St. Francis and our lives.

In three sessions, we will learn about the life and times of St. Francis, the environment and events that inspired his message; we will look at the values and virtues that Francis preached to his followers; and explore together what Francis’ vision means for us in the 21st century.

Your guide in these conversations is Sister Glenna Czachor, OSF, a Wheaton Franciscan Sister with more than 25 years experience in group facilitation and retreat leadership, specializing in contemplative prayer and worship, scripture study, and creative spirituality. She holds a Masters of Pastoral Studies from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and is a graduate of the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction of Tuscon, AZ.

The retreat starts with a carry-in meal at 6:00 pm on Saturday.  Bring a dish to pass.  For more information contact wsmenno@juno.com or Cal Zehr 815-646-4819.  Willow Springs Mennonite Church is located at 16621 Kentville Road, Tiskilwa.

MC USA launches new podcast!

Holding it(,) Together podcast to feature people living and working out their faith

Posted on the MC USA website on March 12, 2018.

(Mennonite Church USA / The Mennonite, Inc.) — “Too often in the context of faith and lived experience, the stories we tell are stories of overcoming, of success,” said Jenny Castro, coordinator of Mennonite Church USA’s Women in Leadership, in the first episode of Holding it(,) Together, a new podcast created in partnership with The Mennonite, Inc.

“Our podcast is about people in process,” said Castro. “Whole people, authentic people who need others to hold it, [all that they carry] together with them, recognizing that so many of us, in our day to day lives, are really just barely holding it together.”

The Holding it(,) Together podcast will highlight stories and interviews with people living and working out their faith in diverse contexts across Mennonite Church USA. Holding it(,) Together will explore themes like women in leadership, breaking silences, family systems, and healthy sexuality. Themes will change quarterly, with about four to five episodes focused on one theme. The first series theme, women in leadership, will feature Iris de León-Hartshorn, Michelle Armster, Shirley Showalter, Sue Park-Hur and Alison Brookins among others.

Holding it(,) Together launches today and the first episode can be found on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and at TheMennonite.org. New episodes will be added every two to three weeks.

Initial Healthy Boundaries 101 Trainings Complete

Normal, IL – On Thursday, March 8, over twenty IMC pastors gathered for Healthy Boundaries 101 training. This was the last of four training events offered by IMC following the implementation of a policy requiring all active IMC pastors to have healthy boundary training.

Pastors from across Central Illinois discussed the difference between boundary crossing – which is necessary for healthy and effective pastoral ministry – and boundary violations – which are harmful to those pastors serve. The pastors also explored diverse topics such as appropriate touch, dual relationships, gifts, transference and self-care.

This training is part of IMC’s commitment to ensuring our pastors are healthy and well-supported in their ministry. IMC is committed to healthy pastors in healthy congregations.

If you are a congregational leader, please do all you can to create space for your pastor to engage in healthy self-care through having well-defined, reasonable expectations for pastoral ministry. Each pastor is responsible for maintaining their health and vitality in ministry. Each congregation is responsible for making that possible. If you need assistance with job descriptions, covenants of understanding, salary guidelines, or assistance with pastor/congregational relationships, please contact Conference Executive Minister, Michael Danner at michaeldanner@mennonite.net

Anabaptist faith leaders advocate for better immigration policies

By Cherelle Dessus   March 13, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seventeen faith leaders from Brethren in Christ, Mennonite Brethren and Mennonite Church (MC) USA congregations advocated for better immigration policies at 30 congressional offices representing eight states, in late February.

 

The faith leaders told legislative aides about problems that current immigration policies are causing in their communities. They also urged their legislators to support a “clean” Dream Act – a bill to give undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children a path to citizenship without allocating money for more border walls or more deportations.

 

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. Washington Office hosted the group on Feb. 27 and 28. MCC staff prepared participants for meetings on Capitol Hill, supported them as they spoke to legislative staff members and debriefed afterward.

 

The event was financed and planned jointly by the Washington Office and MC USA, and it was coordinated by Danielle Gonzales, immigration project coordinator for MCC U.S. A similar delegation came to Washington, D.C., in 2013.

 

“Working with the MCC Washington Office to organize a second delegation of MC USA leaders gives the church a chance to share our stories as both immigrants and leaders,” said Iris de León-Hartshorn, who serves as director of transformative peacemaking for MC USA and helped plan the delegation as a continued response to MC USA’s 2014 Churchwide Statement on Immigration.

 

“My hope and prayer are that hearts will be open to hear the stories and have the moral courage to do what is right,” de León-Hartshorn added.

On the first day, Tammy Alexander, senior legislative associate for domestic affairs for the Washington Office, reviewed immigration legislation and described expectations for meetings with legislators. The group also discussed how federal immigration policies were affecting each of their communities.

 

“People in my community are being deported. I don’t know what’s going on in this world. I am angry,” Esmirna G. Maldonado de Martins of Salem Mennonite Church in Wooster, Ohio, told other group participants. “Almost everyone in this country is an immigrant [or descended from immigrants], but they treat us like we’re nothing.”

 

Many faith leaders shared that immigrants make up a large percentage of their communities. Some churches are experiencing deportations within their congregations while others are offering “sanctuary” – housing an undocumented immigrant who is at risk of deportation.

 

“They came for one person, but they took two families,” said Sandra Montes-Martinez about people from her church, Iglesia Monte Horeb in Grand Prairie, Texas, who were deported recently.

 

Participants discussed the critical need for immigration policies that provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, embrace refugees and treat immigrants with dignity and respect.

 

Alexander reminded participants of immigration policies of past administrations.

 

“Anti-immigrant policies are not something new,” she explained, referencing the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. “Hundreds of miles of U.S.-Mexico border wall have already been built and mass deportations were happening long before President Trump.”

 

Some of the faith leaders were initially anxious about the congressional meetings, but as they prepared their talking points and gathered personal stories to share, their confidence rose. The leaders felt called to pray for policymakers as they discussed issues important to their congregations and communities.

 

In addition to their desire to support immigrants in their communities, the faith leaders attributed their core convictions for these meetings to recognizing the injustice of current immigration policies and understanding that much of this injustice stems from racism and fear.

 

As the faith leaders returned to the Washington Office after their Capitol Hill meetings on Feb. 28, many reported that their meetings were positive. Some said their legislators support a “clean” Dream Act. Others mentioned that, while their legislators did not agree with their policy positions, their aides, nevertheless, listened to their recommendations earnestly.

 

Most of the leaders shared that they felt more confident and equipped to meet with their legislators back in their home districts to continue the dialogue about immigration policies and how those policies are impacting their congregations.

 

“I got over a barrier. I’m sure I will continue in-district. We have to be vigilant. We can’t lose steam,” said Rodney Eugene Schmucker of Hope for the Broken Mennonite Church in Los Fresnos, Texas. Schmucker also appreciated the time for faith leaders to talk with one another and learn from each other. “For pastors to get around the table to share on these issues is invaluable.”

 

MCC continues to push for fairer and just immigration policies, but many more voices are needed. Learn more about immigration at the MCC Washington Office website and by subscribing to monthly immigration updates.

 

Participants included:

Heidi Regier Kreider, Western District Conference of MC USA, Newton, Kan.; Izaete Nafziger, North Goshen Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind.; Isaac Villegas, Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Marty Lehman, College Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind.; Melissa Florer-Bixler, Raleigh (N.C.) Mennonite Church; Hyun Hur, co-director of ReconciliAsian, Pasadena, Calif.; Kristina (Tina) Schlabach, Shalom Mennonite Fellowship, Tucson, Ariz.; Joel Miller, Columbus (Ohio) Mennonite Church; Suhelen Irene Cazares, Iglesia Mennonita Casa Betania, Newton, Kan.; Richard Lee, Homestead (Fla.) Mennonite Church; Rhonda Dueck, North Fresno (Calif.) Mennonite Brethren Church; Jeanne Assinthe, Homestead (Fla.) Mennonite Church; Sandra Montes-Martinez, Prairie Grand, Texas (Iglesia Menonite Hispana); Esmirna G. Maldonado de Martins, Salem Mennonite Church of Wooster, Ohio; Rodney Eugene Schmucker, Hope For The Broken, a Mennonite Church, Los Fresnos, Texas; Juan Sebastian Gallo, Holy City Church (Brethren in Christ), Hollywood, Fla.; Samuel Resendez, Iglesia La Roca (Mennonite Brethren), Sanger, Calif.

Mennonite Central Committee: Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ

First Impressions: Connecting your congregation and community in the digital age!

Click Here to Register

 

Click here for an event flyer suitable for printing/posting

 

Click here for a printable registration flyer

 

People used to form a first impression of your church when they walked through the doors on Sunday morning. Now they do it with a google search. What they discover about your church on the web will form their first impression of your church.

Will they encounter a clear and consistent message? Will they be able to sense the kind of community you are by what they see, read, and hear?

There are incredible, affordable – and even free – communication tools waiting to be used by local congregations to make an accurate first impression.

This one-day workshop will help you…

  • Sharpen your church’s core message
  • Evaluate which online communication tools fit your resources and capacity
  • Plan to communicate your core message effectively

Dustin Wyse-Fisher PRESENTER: Dustin Wyse-Fisher is an educator and designer in central Illinois. He spends most of his time teaching graphic design and multimedia at an area community college. For more than a decade, he has worked as a freelance designer and printer, most recently overseeing web services at a small liberal arts college managing all aspects of the college’s online presence.

When: Saturday, May 12, 2018 from 9 am – 3 pm

Where: Roanoke Mennonite Church, Eureka, IL

Cost: $35 per person including lunch, snacks, etc.

Use links above to register or get printable posters and registration flyers!

Mennonite Church USA – Renewed Commitments for the Journey Forward released

By Janie Beck Kreider

 “On this journey together, we commit to: Follow Jesus; Witness to God’s peace; Experience Transformation,” reads the updated draft of core commitments for Mennonite Church USA’s denomination-wide renewal process called Journey Forward. As the church takes its next steps in Journey Forward, these three statements will serve as a springboard for Bible study, wrestling with identity and storytelling about how congregations live these values out in different ways and in different places.

The Journey Forward writing team – Sarah Bixler, Isaac Villegas,Natalie Francisco, Jack Swaim, Jon Carlson and MC USA staff representative Janie Beck Kreider – met Jan. 25-27, 2018 in Philadelphia to workshop an earlier draft of the document based on feedback they received from the Executive Board (EB) and a seven-person reference council. In this meeting, they named the document Renewed Commitments for MC USA, and it can now be found in its entirety at mennoniteusa.org.

In a Jan. 25 video conference call, the Journey Forward Reference Council responded to a previous draft of the document, challenging the writers to simplify the language, situate the commitments in the context of our current realities as a church, and “make the document sing” or sound poetic.

The task that’s been asked of the writing team – to summarize the commons bonds of a national church with almost 70,000 members – has felt daunting at times. We have relied on the Holy Spirit and each other,” said Jon Carlson of the writing team. “I believe this draft can be a catalyst that generates discernment, dialogue, and maybe even some healthy disagreement, as we listen together for what God’s Spirit is saying to our church.

In addition to naming three core commitments, the writing team crafted a preamble that confesses the belovedness of all creation, and the sin that fragments our wholeness and strains our relationships with God, each other and the world.

“Confronted with the misuses of power in our lives, communities and institutions, we seek to tell the truth and repent,” the updated document says.

“It was important for us to emphasize that members of MC USA have experienced the misuse and abuse of power, which was articulated at the Future Church Summit held in Orlando,” said Natalie Francisco of the writing team. “We lament this reality and were compelled by the Holy Spirit to address it in our identity document.”

The Holy Spirit beckons us toward the restoration of all things in Christ,” the document continues. “God continually calls us beloved.

The EB affirmed the work of the writing team in a Jan 29 video conference call and voted unanimously to move forward with the process using this draft of the document for congregations to engage with and provide feedback during all of 2018.

In its current form, Renewed Commitments is available online and will be sent out to all congregations accompanied by a study guide on June 1, 2018. All congregations, area conferences, agencies and small groups interested in engaging with the Journey Forward process are encouraged to use the study guide in Summer or Fall of 2018. The process will include multiple channels for providing feedback, which will inform the writing team and EB as they update Renewed Commitments for the Delegate Assembly at MennoCon19 in Kansas City.

MC USA staff released resources for area conference, constituency and agency leaders to host regional gatherings from now through May 2018 to orient their constituency to the Journey Forward process. They held a webinar for area conference and denominational leaders on Feb 14 and have planned the next one for Feb 19.

The Journey Forward process is propelled by the energy and outcomes of the Future Church Summit (FCS) in Orlando 2017, and extends the conversation for broader churchwide participation. The themes in the FCS Outcomes Report served as the basis for the writing team’s work on Renewed Commitments for MC USA.

“This process fulfills a promise to engage the denomination and give voice to the members of MC USA as they live out the mission of the church in their context,” said Glen Guyton, who initiated plans for the FCS and will serve as the next executive director of MC USA. “Because of the significant changes in the global church and in our Anabaptist churches in the last several years, the FCS was a way to gauge where we as MC USA are currently, and where we feel God has called us to go. The Journey Forward takes the next steps to center MC USA around our core commitments as Anabaptists.”

To stay updated on Journey Forward news, or read more about the process and responses to Frequently Asked Questions, visit mennoniteusa.org/resource/journeyforward.

Healthy Boundaries 101 Training Continues

Chicago, IL – On February 1, 2018, seven IMC pastors gathered at Living Water Community Church for healthy boundaries 101 training.  Pastor Kristin Jackson, certified training through FaithTrust Institute and pastor of Living Water, led the training.

This marks the third HB 101 training since the IMC Church Life Team instituted a new policy requiring all IMC credentialed pastors, who are active in ministry, to complete this training. There will be one more training (March 8 at the Mennonite Church of Normal) prior to the June 1, 2018, deadline for completing this training.

The purpose of the training is to provide an introduction to healthy boundaries in ministry. The training covers topics such as;

  • Boundary Basics for Clergy
  • Dating, Friends, Dual Relationships, and Gifts
  • The Pulpit, Transference, Touch, and Intimacy
  • Preserving Boundaries through Personal and Professional Health

Of the 67 credentialed persons who are required, under the policy, to complete the training, 39 have taken the training, 15 are scheduled to take the training on March 8, and 4 have provided proof of similar content training in another professional capacity (chaplains, counselors, etc.). If you are not doing the math, 58 of 67 credentialed leaders have completed the training.  We have had two persons complete the training that are not credentialed but wanted to learn the content and one pastor from another conference.

IMC partners with neighboring conferences who offer the same training through a certified trainer. Pastors are required to take advanced boundary training every three years.

If you would like your Elders, Board, or Pastor/Congregation Relationship Committee to take this training, please contact Michael Danner. He has led a shortened version of the training, called Taking it Home, in one congregation and is open to doing this in others.  You can take advantage of Michael’s presence in your congregation on a Sunday morning, to provide this training during Sunday school or in a special session during or after lunch. 

Glen Guyton named next executive director of MC USA

The executive board of Mennonite Church USA named Glen Guyton as the next executive director. He will begin in this role on May 1, 2018.

In a press release on the MC USA website, Joy Sutter, chair of the search committee and moderator-elect of MC USA said,

We believe that Glen is called at this time and place to lead MC USA. We are impressed by Glen’s love for the church, his vision and passion for the future, his commitment to anti-racism, his excellent skills in communication, his business acumen and the hope he holds for the future of the denomination. His gifts in administration and vision, and his broad respect throughout the church, will serve us well.

Read the full press release here.