Posts by Jon Trotter
Watch video of MDS Partnership Home Project at Assembly
Credit: Video shot and edited by Terry Burkhalter and shown at Virginia Mennonite Conference Assembly, July 19, 2019. VMC member congregations are invited to donate toward the Partnership Home Project. This project is $70,000, however, FEMA has already provided $30,000. VMC congregations are being invited to hold a special offering to raise $40,000. Please consider…
Read MorePutting hands and feet to what we believe through MDS
Springdale Mennonite Church “strives to be a growing community of believers that inspires engagement by all, cultivates discipleship, and shares God’s reconciling love and healing with our neighbors and our world.” This is our vision statement that we adopted in 2016. We are attempting to put our words into action through involvement with Mennonite Disaster…
Read MorePastors and leaders to focus on loving neighbors in tense times
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — How can church leaders and congregations respond to hate, intolerance and systemic racism in their communities in productive and transformative ways? What does the gospel of Jesus Christ call Christ-followers to do in situations like these? Participants in Pastors and Leaders 2019 — an annual leadership conference formerly…
Read MoreMeet Michael Danner, Mennonite Church USA Associate Executive Director for Church Vitality and Engagement
About Michael Married to wife Melissa for 28 years Has three adult children, Julia, 27, Nicholas, 23, and Isabelle, 21 Has a BA in Speech Communications from University of Illinois, Urbana; a Masters in Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; a DMin in Contextual Theology from Northern Seminary Pastored at Metamora Mennonite Church, Metamora, Ill.,…
Read MoreConsidering moral distress in the church
What it is and how we can address it Following a recent conversation on moral distress with the Faith and Life Commission, I have been reflecting on ways in which VMC has been impacted by this phenomenon over the past several years. I am convinced that paying attention to the way in which moral distress…
Read MoreUpdating VMC’s understanding of accountability
During the summer delegate session at Conference Assembly, I reported on Conference Council’s commitment to become more transparent and accountable in the work of Conference. This means that we’re committed to providing more opportunities for folks in our churches to share their stories about how they are joining the Holy Spirit’s work on behalf of…
Read MoreThe 3D experience and beyond
Reflections on the Conference Assembly theme and experience If you found yourself wondering what “the 3D experience” means, or are thinking, I get the out part but what’s up? What’s in? And what do 3D glasses have to do with the conference, my congregation or me?— you’re probably not alone! This language might be new…
Read MoreBeing a follower of Jesus has three dimensions
Virginia Mennonite Conference held our Assembly at C3 Hampton (Hampton, Va.) with the theme God’s Kingdom: The 3D Experience. This theme emerged as our Assembly Vision Team sought to bring a new lens to the multi-dimensional nature of being a disciple of Jesus in our time. Our encounter with God through Jesus Each person experienced…
Read MoreHope in a time of change
Virginia Mennonite Conference is a network of congregations and organizations seeking to live out God’s mission in the world. Our congregations are located in rural and urban settings. Our membership holds diverse views on a range of theological issues and concerns about society. While we are historically a peace church, we have not always known…
Read MoreWalking with USA Ministries: How to recover from an aversion to evangelism
“My name is Skip. I am here because I want to recover from an aversion to evangelism.” This wasn’t just a catchy line to begin a workshop entitled “Evangelism Aversion Recovery.” It was an admission that during this last season of life as VMMissions staff persons, both of us have had to work hard at…
Read More