Mission in Charlottesville

  On Sunday, October 13th, Charlottesville Mennonite Church dedicated their new ministry house called Crossroads. The house was refurbished over a number of years by volunteer labor from inside the church and from other Mennonite communities. The house is primarily being used to host families with patients at the University of Virginia Medical Center in…

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Pastoral Consultation meets to engage questions of “Same-Gender Attraction, Relationship, Lifestyle”

Phil Kniss presents on unity - A Church Worthy of Its Calling

One hundred pastors and credentialed leaders in Virginia Mennonite Conference gathered in November at Lindale Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va., for a three-day Pastoral Consultation, a time of intentional listening, sharing and discernment on “Same-Gender Attraction, Relationship, Lifestyle.” This was the fifth in a series of five Virginia Mennonite Conference consultations that offered a space for…

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Potomac District Council meets at Washington Community Fellowship

03-15-potomac-meeting

Potomac District Council met on January 10 at Washington Community Fellowship. Sixteen people gathered, including Potomac District Council Church pastors and delegates. After welcoming remarks and introduction, District Minister Luke Schrock-Hurst led devotional session. He shared Menno Simons’ message, “True Evangelical Faith Lie Dormant” in 1539. The message emphasized serving the poor neighbors: “It clothes…

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Kanagy examines VMC data at Winter Delegate Session

Jon Trotter

As Virginia Mennonite Conference works among the debates affecting Mennonite Church USA (and many other denominations) over same-gender relationships in the church, one of the unexpected themes to emerge from Winter Delegate Session on February 7 was hopefulness. It may not be easy to see a path forward when 50% of credentialed persons responding to…

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Renewing our Connections

Clyde G. Kratz

For the past 25 years, Virginia Mennonite Conference (VMC) and Virginia Mennonite Missions (VMMissions) have shared the publication, Connections. In this editorial, Clyde Kratz, VMC Executive Conference Minister, and Aaron Kauffman, VMMissions President, discuss the challenges and the dreams that have emerged about this communication tool. Clyde: I value the joint effort by VMC and…

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Pastoral Leadership Consultation will explore “God’s Gift of Sexuality” with David and Shana Boshart

Dave and Shana Boshart

Pastors and credentialed leaders in Virginia Mennonite Conference are invited to the fourth Pastoral Leadership Consultation on May 15 at Mountain View Mennonite Church, Hickory, N.C. David and Shana Boshart will present from their research, writings and experiences on “God’s Gift of Sexuality.” David has been a Mennonite pastor for over 28 years. In 2010,…

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Winter Delegate Session to feature Conrad Kanagy

Conrad Kanagy

Conference delegates are invited to Winter Delegate Session on February 7 at Waynesboro Mennonite Church, Waynesboro, Va. Conrad L. Kanagy will facilitate a presentation and discussion on data from the national pastoral survey of Mennonite Church USA, as well as the Virginia Conference pastoral survey. He will examine this data and analyze it with an…

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Making disciples through Life Transformation Groups

Skip Tobin

Workshop will explore ways to create a discipling culture in congregations Are you interested in exploring a deep, reproducible yet simple way of making disciples within the congregation? Are you tired of talking about becoming missional and are eager to gain traction in the disciple-making task? Join us on Saturday, January 31 (8 a.m. to…

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Conference to host retreats for youth workers and pastors

Virginia Mennonite Conference is hosting two upcoming retreats, both at Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center. If you are a youth minister or sponsor, we encourage you to consider attending “The Changing Face of Youth Ministry,” with Rachel S. Gerber. If you are a credentialed minister in a VMC congregation or constituency, we invite you to “Learning…

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In the beginning!

Clyde G. Kratz

The biblical account of creation opens with the proclamation “In the beginning God….” (Genesis 1:1). The affirmation that God was present in the beginning, engaged in purposeful creation, bringing order out of chaos, is not lost on biblical commentators 1. When Jesus teaches his disciples and subsequently all disciples how to pray, “Your will be…

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