Conference Endorsed Ministries
The Importance of Relationships and Community at Pleasant View, Inc.
During a pandemic, how do you safely celebrate fifty years of growing supports for individuals with disabilities from a six-person group home to the multifaceted supports we provide to over 160 individuals throughout Harrisonburg and Rockingham County? How do you come together as a community and foster the important relationships that helped Pleasant View become…
Read MoreVMRC: Expanding Connections Amid a Pandemic
Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) are more accustomed to mask-wearing, temperature screenings and physical distancing than we were in the spring. The processes put in place to keep residents and staff healthy such as meal delivery and wellness center visits by appointment feel smooth and streamlined. Around…
Read MorePressing On In Faith
Since the beginning of Family Life Resource Center (FLRC) over three decades ago, we have experienced many changes and hardships, but nothing quite compares to our experiences with COVID-19. This has been uncharted territory for the agency and clients alike. Although we weren’t sure how to navigate through it, one thing was for certain: we…
Read MoreFacing Into Uncertainty, Seeing God at Work: Mennonite Disaster Service Responds Even As Project Look Different
When your organization is best known for doing things like bringing volunteers together from all over North America to build and repair houses for survivors of disasters, what do you do when you can’t do that? That was the situation Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) found itself in last March when the pandemic struck. In mid-March,…
Read MoreMissing Our Connections: Encouraging Mennonite Women to Live in Hope
Dear Mennonite Women: I wonder how you are doing. At this time of year, I am usually anticipating our annual retreat, a time to get away from all that is part of my usual routine, and to connect with all of you. I would look forward to the challenges and encouragement from the speaker. I…
Read MoreEmpowering the Essential: RWCCC Adapts to a New Educational Experience
During COVID-19, the mission of The Roberta Webb Child Care Center has evolved and expanded tremendously. We are not just “serving ethnically diverse families by providing affordable and quality childcare,” we are empowering our “essential workers” and empowering our children to adapt to a new educational experience. The majority of our families have been deemed…
Read MoreCaring Leaders
I have a collection of coffee mugs. I have one from Michelin Tire, from the time when I changed truck tires for Moyer Packing Company, the largest beef packer on the East Coast. I have a series of coffee mugs of major league baseball teams that I purchased at games. I have Eastern Mennonite College…
Read MoreVMMissions Sees Hope Amid the Hardships
The coronavirus has upended lives in countless ways and has lasted much longer than anyone would have hoped. Even so, the staff members at Virginia Mennonite Missions (VMMissions) note a number of ways the pandemic has been an opportunity to learn and even thrive in ministry. Mission workers have turned obstacles into opportunities. Several international…
Read MoreSamuel S. Funkhouser Named Executive Director of Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center
The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hiring of Samuel S. Funkhouser as the new Executive Director beginning January 1, 2021. Sam grew up in the Wakeman’s Grove Church of the Brethren (near Edinburg, Va.), where his great-great grandfather had served as the congregation’s first ordained minister. Sam…
Read MoreEMS: With Deep Commitment and Diligence
Reaching the midpoint of any academic year is reason to celebrate. This year, however, brings with it relief, awe, and gratitude at Eastern Mennonite School. Administrators, faculty, and staff launched the year on August 25 amidst pandemic-related unknowns and a slew of new plans, protocol, and procedures for safely welcoming “every student every day.” The…
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