Journey Forward

Mennonite Church USA is on a Journey

Journey Forward is a churchwide renewal process of engaging in scripture, storytelling and sharing how God is at work in the lives of people and congregations across MC USA.
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The Journey Forward process grew out of the Future Church Summit in Orlando 2017 – and opened the conversation of where God is calling MC USA in the 21st century to broader participation across the whole church.

A Writing Team & Reference Council were comprised to create a study guide, Pathways, to be sent out along with the identity document to every MC USA congregation in June 2018.

Read the Blog  Meet the Team/Council
Pathways Study Guide  Journey Forward Survey

How the process worked

  • A Writing Team & Reference Council created the  Renewed Commitments for MC USA document.
  • We invited people to use the Journey Forward Pathways study guide with congregations, Sunday School or small groups in the summer or fall of 2018.
  • We invited feedback through our online survey by Dec. 31, 2018.
  • Sign up for future news and to stay connected to future processes like this.

Journey Forward Timeline

2018
December 2018

There is no 13th/capstone session of Pathways.

We decided not to do the 13th/capstone session of Pathways because at the time we were finalizing the curriculum, the Delegate Assembly process had not yet taken shape. Instead, we incorporated the questions from what would have been the final session into the feedback survey, which can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C9GPF7D..Read More

August 2018

Journey Forward Feedback Survey

Journey Forward Feedback Survey

The Journey Forward Feedback Survey is now available online. Use “Pathways” with your small group or congregation and complete the survey by December 31, 2018.

June 2018

“Pathways” study guide is now available!

“Pathways” study guide is now available!

MC USA releases the Journey Forward study guide “Pathways” to invite churchwide engagement in the two-year Journey Forward process. “Pathways” invites congregations and groups across MC USA to engage in studying Scripture, singing, praying, storytelling, exploring Anabaptist history and values, and discussing how they see God working. Visit mennoniteusa.org/pathways.

April 2018

Churchwide leadership engages with Journey Forward

Churchwide leadership engages with Journey Forward

At a joint meeting of the MC USA Executive Board and Constituency Leaders Council on April 12-14, attendees got a sneak peek at the newly launched Journey Forward website and “Pathways” study guide, which is still a work-in-progress. MC USA staff emphasized that Journey Forward is a process, not a document.

February 2018

Renewed Commitments for the Journey Forward released

Renewed Commitments for the Journey Forward released

“On this journey together, we commit to: Follow Jesus; Witness to God’s peace; Experience Transformation.” As the church takes its next steps in Journey Forward, these statements will serve as a springboard for Bible study and storytelling about how congregations live these values out in different ways and places.

January 2018

The Journey Forward Writing Team meets for the first time in Washington, D.C.

Journey Forward Writing Team

The Journey Forward writing team meets for the first time and begins work on an initial draft of a new shared identity document based on the themes from the Future Church Summit. A reference council provides feedback to the writing team as they develop the one-page document.

2017
November 2017

Executive Board and National Staff Develop Journey Forward Process

Journey Forward Logo

Growing out of the Future Church Summit, the Executive Board and national staff made plans for a churchwide process to consolidate the Future Church Summit outcomes into a new identity document for MC USA. The Journey Forward process develops, and a writing team and reference council are appointed.

July 2017

Future Church Summit in Orlando

Future Church Summit logo

The Future Church Summit in Orlando brought together broad representation of the denomination for conversation around shared values and dreams for the future of the church.