Bulletin notes

Sunday, December 22, 2024

If you have a bulletin announcement to share, email a succinct blurb (less than 100 words) to [email protected] by Wednesdays at noon. ***Please note that there will be no weekly bulletins sent out for December 28 or January 4.

Virginia Mennonite Conference

Epiphany Messiah Sing-Along: A community sing-along of Handel’s Messiah (mostly Part One), with a live Chamber orchestra and soloists.  The congregation sings the choral numbers.  Bring your score.  There will be extras if you don’t have one. Monday, January 6, 7:00 pm at Park View Mennonite Church.

Pray for VMC Tuesdays: Join us as we are praying for the congregations, pastors, leaders, and the endorsed ministries of Virginia Mennonite Conference. The prayer meeting will held every Tuesday at Ridgeway Mennonite Church from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. For more information, contact Carlos Malvaez at [email protected].

Pathways 10.2 is now online. Look for hard copies in your mailbox or at your church. https://virginiaconference.org/read-pathways/

Celebrating Anabaptism at 500

UPDATED! “Five Centuries, Five Lectures”: Remembering Anabaptist & Mennonite History. All are invited to a Thursday lecture series from January 30th to February 27th. It is free of charge with in-person or online options. These lectures feature Dr. John Roth, Dr. Mary Sprunger, Elwood Yoder, Caleb Schrock-Hurst, and Dr. Andrew Suderman. Stay tuned. For specific dates and locations, click here.

Global Anabaptist Read-a-thon is looking for 500 people to record themselves reading a small portion of the Bible. When combined, we will have a recording of the entire Bible, read in various languages, by 500 Anabaptists around the world. To participate in this grand project, all you need to do is register your name/email. You will be sent instructions regarding your passage of Scripture along with a Zoom link. You can read your passage in whatever language is most comfortable.

On January 21, 2025, upon the 500th anniversary of the beginning of Anabaptism, all are invited to Park View Mennonite Church at 7:00 pm. We will remember our baptisms, our hymns, and our history. Song Leader Andrea Early is choosing hymns from five centuries which will be printed in a booklet to be taken home after the service. The planning committee includes those from the Old Order Mennonite community, the Southeastern Mennonite Conference, and the Virginia Mennonite Conference. If you cannot attend in person, join online at pvmchurch.org. For more information, visit here.

CELEBRATING 500 YEARS OF ANABAPTISM—On Sunday, February 2, from 4-6 pm, First Baptist Church of Richmond (2709 Monument Ave) will host an ecumenical gathering from around Virginia to celebrate the impact of Anabaptism and explore how its spiritual commitments are relevant for today’s church. Greg Boyd, pastor, theologian, and leading voice for the Neo-Anabaptism movement, will be the keynote speaker (live via Zoom). Cantore (men’s a cappella) will perform, and a panel of speakers from other denominations will be featured, including Dr. Jim Sommerville, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, and Dr. Phyllis Blair Milton, bishop of the Virginia Synod of the ELCA. A reception will follow, and a free-will offering will help defray expenses. Mark your
calendars now to attend! Sponsored by First Baptist Church of Richmond and the Eastern District of the Virginia Mennonite Conference.

AMBS Pastors & Leaders 2025: Anabaptism at 500: Looking Back, Living Forward: Feb. 17–20 (in person and online). As we celebrate 500 years of Anabaptism, join us to examine how the values of the early Anabaptists still resonate today and can guide us into the future! Gain intercultural perspectives on how reading the Bible in community can help us connect more authentically in our present and future contexts. Speakers (in order of presentation): John D. Roth, PhD; Kelbessa Muleta Demena, MDiv; and Lesley Francisco McClendon, DMin. Register by Jan. 20 and save $50! ambs.edu/pastors-and-leaders

Mennonite Church USA

UPDATED! Registration for Mennonite Church USA’s Follow Jesus ’25 convention will open Jan. 6, 2025, for early-bird pricing. The denomination’s biennial faith formation gathering will take place at Koury Convention Center, in Greensboro, North Carolina, July 8-12, 2025. Learn more here: mennoniteusa.org/news/registration-jan6 . Register here: convention.mennoniteusa.org/ 

Join us for a transformative celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Damascus Road anti-racism process and its pivotal role in the Anabaptist commitment to justice and reconciliation. Co-hosted by Hope for the Future, this special event will gather BIPOC leaders and white allies who are actively engaged in the ongoing work of confronting and dismantling racism in the church. Together, we will honor the legacy of the Damascus Road while deepening our connections and renewing our dedication to equality and love in action. February 28 to March 2. For more information, visit here.

Check out the Lead/Follow podcast, hosted by executive director Glen Guyton, on the Mennonite Church USA YouTube channel! Click here to view current and past seasons.

Read and subscribe to Equipping, Mennonite Church USA’s quarterly resource newsletter for pastors and ministry leaders. View the most recent issue here: mennoniteusa.org/equipping-april-2024 Subscribe to Equipping here: mennoniteusa.org/equipping-subscribe

Agencies

Last Day! The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center’s annual Christmas event will this year feature a dramatized tour, titled This Solid Ground. In This Solid Ground, visitors will progress through four different buildings on the Heritage Center campus, each with a scene that brings to life what Christmas Eve in 1871 might have been like for Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley.  These special tours will take place on December 14, 15, 21 and 22, from 2:30 to 5:30 pm each day. Tours will begin every 15 minutes, with a maximum of 10 persons per group.  Registration is required to attend; for more information and to register, please visit https://brethrenmennoniteheritage.org/heritage-christmas-1.

Register Now for Shalom Academy 2025 at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Join us for the Shalom Academy (formerly SLT) from January 6-8, 2025, the the theme: “Release to the Captives: Restorative Justice, Abolition, and Ministry with Incarcerated Persons.” Learn with Chris Hoke (Underground Ministries) Howard Zehr, and David Evans, and more. For more details and to register, click here.

Job Opportunities

NEW! Family Life Resource Center is seeking a dynamic Executive Director with both clinical and administrative gifts who is aligned with its mission “to provide professional counseling and services for growth towards hope, health, and healing.” This position is responsible for providing the overall leadership to effectively grow the Center by ensuring clinical excellence, operating efficiency and financial strength. For a more detailed description, please click here. Interested candidates are invited to contact Angela Hackman at [email protected].

MennoMedia seeks a full-time and a part-time customer service representative to work from our Harrisonburg office. Customer service representatives are responsible for providing exceptional service to customers, addressing inquiries, and building relationships. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Amy Gingerich, [email protected] or read more at www.mennomedia.org/job-openings/.

Mennonite Mission Network is looking for a Regional Director of North America (Longer-Term Service) (Full time – Hybrid or In-Office in Elkhart, Indiana or Newton, Kansas, Remote).The Regional Director of North America (Longer-Term Service) will oversee the partnerships and program logistics of Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS), a one-year volunteer service experience for individuals age 20+, and Service Adventure, a 10-month service experience for those who are 17-20 years of age, and other longer-term opportunities. If further interested or to apply, you may visit us at  www.MennoniteMission.net/about/Employment. Please email Mennonite Mission Network – Human Resources if you have additional questions at [email protected].

Upcoming Events

Dec 24 VMC Prayer Meeting

Mar 1 2025 Winter Delegate Assembly @ First Mennonite in Richmond NEW DATE!