Gary Martin Installed as Transitional Pastor

St. Louis, MO – On Sunday, November 12, Gary Martin was installed as transitional pastor at St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship. Gary began his work in October 2017. He is following the long-term pastorate of Samuel Voth Schrag who was there for 10 years. Gary will assist the congregation as they create a vision for the next leg of their journey.

Please be in prayer for Gary and SLMF as they work together to consider God’s future for their congregation.

Listening in the Dark: Daily Advent Reflections for Radical Discipleship Communities

IMC Pastor, Ric Hudgens, is part of an Advent Devotional published by Bartemeaus Cooperative Ministries and Word and World  The Devotional is entitled Listening in the Dark: Daily Advent Reflections for Radical Discipleship Communities.

The Advent devotional has daily readings for the entire Advent season and costs $10 (shipping is included!).  It includes short readings from authors like Rose Berger, Bill Wylie-Kellermann and Denise Griebler, Wes Howard-Brook and Sue Ferguson Johnson, Kate Foran, Wesley Morris, Ric Hudgens, Timothy Jones, Kim Redigan, Tim Nafziger, Ched Myers, Joyce Hollyday and Ken Sehested…not to mention, beautiful artwork from Sarah Amalia Holst, Daniel & Lucia Wylie-Eggert and Moogan Kashoonin.

Order by November 15 to get your booklets on time for the start of Advent!

To order click here

IMC and CDC Ordain Debra Sutter

Evanston, IL – On Thursday, October 26 the Illinois Mennonite Conference Church Life Team, along with Central District Conference Minister, Doug Luginbill and CDC Ministerial Committee member Ardean Friesen (via skype), interviewed Pastor Debra Sutter for ordination at Reba Place Ministry Center.

Debra Sutter is a pastor at First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana, where she has served on the pastoral staff since 2015. She has been a member of the church since 1991.

Following a time of questioning, the team voted unanimously to affirm Debra’s ordination. This concludes a two-year period of licensing towards ordination, which is a season of confirming the initial call to ministry. Debra, the congregation of First Mennonite, and the credentialing bodies of CDC and IMC all confirm that there is evidence of God’s call to ordained ministry in Debra’s life and ministry.

This is a joyful time in Debra’s life, the local church, and the wider church where we celebrate that God calls and equips God’s people to serve God’s church. We recognize that God does this in many ways. One of those ways is the call to pastoral ministry in the church.

An ordination service is planned for November 19, 2017 at First Mennonite Church.

For more information about ministerial credentials within Mennonite Church USA congregations, please read A Shared Understanding of Ministerial Leadership, published by Menno Media.

Price vs. Cost in the Church

Price vs. cost

Price is a simple number. How much money do I need to hand you to get this thing?

Cost is more relevant, more real and more complicated.

Cost is what I had to give up to get this. Cost is how much to feed it, take care of it, maintain it and troubleshoot it. Cost is my lack of focus and my cost of storage. Cost is the externalities, the effluent, the side effects.

Just about every time, cost matters more than price, and shopping for price is a trap

– Seth Godin

This is an important word for churches, too. Sometimes, as we make decisions in the church, we consider the price but do not adequately consider the cost.

In my experience, the concern for price over cost is most dangerous when congregations need outside help, like mediation, to restore health to the congregation. Many congregations have said no to mediation because of price without fully considering the long-term cost of unhealth. Congregations have closed their doors because the cost of congregational unhealth was much greater than the price of mediation.

This is also true for persons. The concern for price over cost is damaging in circumstances where a person or couple need counseling to restore health. Yes, counselors cost money. But there is a greater cost to unhealth that goes unchecked or unaddressed.

If you are a leader in the church, part of your work is helping those around you consider all the costs involved in doing particular things or not doing other things. Price is in the mix, to be sure. But it isn’t the only factor. Sometimes the cost of inaction is much greater than the price of action.

If you are a leader in the church, part of your work is also practicing this in your life. Are there areas of your life or leadership that need to be addressed? What is the price of addressing them?  What is the cost of not addressing them?

If you are not dealing with your stuff, it will be very hard for you to help other people deal with their stuff.

There is a cost beyond price.

 

Seeking Peace in Israel Palestine

Click Here to read the Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine Resolution

At the Mennonite Church USA gathering in Orlando (July 2017), delegates overwhelming affirmed a resolution entitled Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine. Now it is up to individuals, local congregations, and conferences to live into the resolution.

Below is a letter from Danny Aramouni, a pastoral intern at Reba Place Church in Evanston, IL. Danny provides a starting place, as well as helpful information about legislation that is intended to limit peacemaking efforts. This letter was originally sent to Reba Place Church members. IMC is posting it here with Danny’s permission.

Let us know how your church is living into this resolution!

Dear Reba Place Church family,

As you know, our denomination, Mennonite Church USA, recently overwhelmingly passed a resolution in opposition to both anti-Semitism and the oppressive Israeli military occupation of Palestine. One of the points of the resolution is encouraging our denominational agencies to divest from companies that support the occupation. When we discussed this resolution as a congregation, many of you asked how you could personally make your voices heard against military occupation, and I pointed you to the international boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement to put pressure on Israel to recognize the human rights of Palestinians.

Recently, however, a bill has been introduced in the Senate known as the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which would make boycott activity in conjunction with an international governmental organization, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a criminal offense punishable by up to a $1 million fine and 20 years in prison. This is not only counter to human rights–it is also a blatant and unprecedented violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, which includes the right to boycott, as in the early colonial American boycott of British goods and the Montgomery Bus Boycott during the Civil Rights Movement.

I would strongly encourage you to watch the short video (under two minutes) linked below from our Quaker friends at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) regarding this bill, and then, if you feel led, to use the form they provide below the video to quickly and easily contact your senators and representatives, informing them of your opposition to this bill and support for global human rights. I believe that this is the most consistent action we can take as people of God, whose Kingdom transcends all earthly powers.

Watch AFSC’s video and make your voice heard.

If you are interested in more information concerning the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has a helpful FAQ page about it.

Thank you for your time and support.

Grace and peace in Christ,

Danny Aramouni

RPC Pastoral Intern

Training Healthy Pastors

Illinois Mennonite Conference is committed to supporting and equipping healthy pastors for local Anabaptist/Mennonite Congregations. Part of that support and equipping is helping pastors maintain healthy boundaries as they navigate the maze of relationships within a ministry. On May 10 and 11, pastor Kristin Jackson (Living Water Community Church) and CEM Michael Danner (IMC), are attending training in Kansas City, MO for this task.

This training is led by FaithTrust Institute, in conjunction with MC USA. FaithTrust Institute leads the way in helping churches create safe spaces for all persons in the church. This two-day training will equip Kristin and Michael to lead the Healthy Boundaries 101 and 201 events for IMC pastors.  In January 2017, the IMC Church Life Team adopted a policy that makes this Healthy Boundary training a requirement for all credentialed leaders within IMC.

This two-day training will equip Kristin and Michael to lead the Healthy Boundaries 101 and 201 events for IMC pastors.  In January 2017, the IMC Church Life Team adopted a policy that makes this Healthy Boundary training a requirement for all credentialed leaders within IMC. By training Kristin and Michael, we will be able to provide this training regularly and in a cost-effective way within the conference.

The next Healthy Boundaries training will be October 14, 2017, at First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana. This training is free for all IMC credentialed leaders. Others are welcome to attend for the cost of course materials and lunch. (around $25).

Please email the conference office with questions, or to sign up for this event.