Listening Circles

As you may know, from December 2-10, facilitators Craig Gilliam and Betty Johnson will lead listening circles throughout Virginia Mennonite Conference. Working with circles of up to 12 participants, plus 2 liaison team reps. listening circles will be held in each district. Please allow 1.5 hours per session.  For rational and history for initiating this…

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iCLT News by Maren Tyedmers Hange

My title is Minister of Formation and Soul Care. This is a new role, and a portion of my initial work is discovering what that might look like for the conference. In the midst of the chaos of our days, I think of the prayer Paul prays in Ephesians…”to strengthen you with power through his…

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iCLT News – Bishop Leslie Francisco, III – What If?

Bishop Leslie W. Francisco

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to see the world through the eyes of a melanated person? What if you woke up tomorrow as a person of color. Would you choose light brown, medium brown, or black skin? If you had no choice in your skin pigmentation, how would your life change? Systemic racism is an undercurrent that is easily dismissed…

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Trauma-Informed Care-Giving

On September 22, Virginia Mennonite Conferenced hosted a Leadership Enrichment workshop with Dr. Leah Thomas on the topic of Trauma-Informed Caregiving. Dr. Thomas, is the Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Contextual Education at AMBS. Ridgeway Mennonite Church welcomed 30 participants who were eager to learn more about how to care for those in our…

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What’s under the surface in your neighborhood?

Gay Street Mission. Photo from VMC Archives.

What’s under the surface in your neighborhood? In Harrisonburg, Virginia, part of the answer would be shale and limestone underneath the rich topsoil. But, examining the stories under the surface of Harrisonburg brings forth glimpses of urban renewal, communal and individual resilience in the face of segregation and structural racism, and ongoing efforts at truth-telling…

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Repacking and racial justice

Caleb-Schrock-Hurst

In February, it will have been two years since the creation of the VMC Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF). Two years, in the stream of Christian history, or world history, or even compared to the course of a lifetime, is not a particularly long time – and this is something we need to remember even as…

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45 Years: Daniels Run Peace Church Celebrates

On September 25 Daniels Run Peace Church (the former Northern Virginia Mennonite Church), had a special Sunday morning worship service to CELEBRATE 45 YEARS OF CONGREGATIONAL LIFE. Former founding pastors Loren and Earlene Horst were present for the celebration, and former pastors Pearl Hoover (Hartman) and Earl Zimmerman brought greetings/memories prerecorded, and former pastor Karl…

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Changing Seasons

The cooling temperatures and golden, red leaves herald that change is in the air. As much as we might want to hold onto summer—or any season for that matter— we must let go of long, warm, greenly glorious days to stay in sync with what God has in store for us. Thankfully, we can carry…

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iCLT News – June Miller

from June MillerDirector of Administration and Communications From Office Manager and Strategic Marketing to Acting Conference Executive, I am now settling into my role on the iCLT as the Director of Administration and Communications at 0.75 FTE. My responsibilities include: Administration including assembly planning, Credentials Committee, Leadership Enrichment Committee, Congregational Life Committee, fundraising. Finance including…

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