Pathways
Group Sews “Peace By Piece” at Williamsburg Mennonite Church
The Williamsburg Mennonite Church (Williamsburg, Va.) “Peace By Piece” sewing group: Front row: Alta Blosser, Mary Jo Evans, Kay Smith and Lavonne Lehman. Back row: Millie Webb, Lorraine Mooney, Wilda Kruzinski, Kathleen Kennedy and Marion Delagrange. In the background are quilts that were auctioned at the relief sale. On the table and floor are school…
Read MoreThe Blessing of Hospitality
In August 2021, the United States armed forces pulled out of Afghanistan, prompting the evacuation of more than 123,000 civilians from that country. In the weeks that followed, over 15,000 Afghan refugees arrived at the Virginia military bases of Quantico, Fort Pickett, and Fort Lee. Their presence offered an opportunity to put into practice the…
Read MoreEastside Church Awarded JoinHands Building Grant
Eastside Church, a Virginia Mennonite Conference congregation in Harrisonburg, Va., embarked on a building purchase and complete renovation at a bad time. As building materials skyrocketed in the pandemic, the project suddenly cost much more than budgeted and raised. “It is likely no surprise that a building project during the pandemic, with greatly increased material…
Read MoreReconciliation and Transformation
As followers of Jesus in the Anabaptist tradition, Northern District is working toward reconciliation with God, each other, and the world. We believe the Racial Justice Task Force is an important part of this work. Recently, Northern District funded a tour of the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center in Harrisonburg, VA. for District pastors and their…
Read MoreTakeaways from My Sabbatical
In the final week of a three-month sabbatical, I was surprised how excited I was to return to the work of Virginia Mennonite Conference. Looking back to the beginning of the sabbatical, I realized the extent of my exhaustion and fatigue, and my somewhat fragile emotional state. The timing was perfect to undertake my sabbatical…
Read MoreBack to the Fairgrounds for the 2021 Relief Sale
The 2021 Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Relief Sale is scheduled for October 1 and 2. After the 2020 virtual Relief Sale, we are hoping to be back at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds this year. The extent the relief sale can be in-person will depend on safety guidelines at the time. We may, for example, have…
Read MoreMEDITATION ON ISAIAH 61:4-9 – God Still Promises to Restore
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will…
Read MoreMEDITATION ON ISAIAH 61:1-3 – What If We Are The Losers?
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day…
Read MoreDelegates Approve Nominees for Leadership Positions at Summer Conference Assembly
Sara Wenger Shenk CONFERENCE MODERATOR-ELECT “I would love for the conference to be known for our open-hearted hospitality, trustworthy communication and non-anxious, courageous faith,” Sara Wenger Shenk writes. She is currently retired after serving in theological education as teacher and administrator, most recently as president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana, 2010-2019 and earlier…
Read MoreCalled to Serve
Without congregations, Virginia Mennonite Conference cannot exist. Our bottom line is serving the church. In a strategic planning meeting last fall, I was working with Clyde and Jon to understand who and what we are. One of the duties of Conference Council (by-law Article IV, 3.3) is to project vision, define direction, and promote unity.…
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