By Walt Wiltschek GOSHEN, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA) — Last summer Julia Schmidt took a trip that changed the way she sees the world. Traveling on a learning tour with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and later walking the “Migrant Trail,” Schmidt spent two weeks in the United States-Mexico border region, seeking to understand some of the issues that immigrants face. After doing some educational sessions with MCC along the border, she joined a group of about 70 people who walked the Migrant Trail, a... read more →
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Colleen Whigham-Brockington is in her 15th year serving as the administrator of Precious Life Ministries and is an advocate for children with special needs. She has over 25 years of experience working in children’s ministry and is a member of Norristown New Life Nueva Vida Mennonite Church. Colleen lives in Norristown, Pennsylvania and is the mother of two exceptional boys, Marques and Matthias. Be imitators of God as well-beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. (Ephesians 5:1) Recently, my oldest son participated in a holiday concert which I attended with my... read more →
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Kathleen Nofziger Yeakey is executive director for Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADN). She lives in Goshen, Indiana, with her husband and four teenage children, and is a member of North Goshen Mennonite Church. She was drawn to her position with ADN two years ago out of her personal experience with disability in the form of anxiety and depression. Kathy is also administrator for Chain Reaction Bicycle Project, Inc., a non-profit sales and repair shop specializing in used-bicycles in Goshen. We are expanding access to accessibility services at Orlando for persons touched by disabilities. Anabaptist Disabilities Network has been asked to help... read more →
By Walt Wiltschek HARRISONBURG, Virginia (Mennonite Church USA) – Who would have thought that 11 words on a small, cardboard sign could have such a monumental impact? Yet like the biblical mustard seed, quite a bit of good had sprung from this one small idea that began a year and a half ago at a Mennonite Church in the Shenandoah Valley. Matthew Bucher, pastor of that church—Immanuel Mennonite Church in downtown Harrisonburg, which averages 35 to 40 people at worship on a given Sunday—says it’s all simply about being faithful. “One of the statements that’s central to the identity of... read more →
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Erin Bradley volunteers full-time at two organizations through the Ameri-corp program, Public Allies. Coming from Kansas, she now enjoys the change in view and lifestyle that San Antonio provides. In free time, she enjoys being creative and involved in art, watching movies and exploring new places and activities. “Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NRSV) Sometimes, this world can be hard. More for some than others. Hard times fall onto families and leave them on the streets. Some families and individuals are stuck in societal cycles that keep them down — financially, educationally... read more →
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Elisabeth Barahona considers herself rich because she has the privilege of sharing life with her amazing husband and three children. Professionally, she is a licensed clinical social worker at Maple City Health Care Center in Goshen, Indiana. She is an artist, beauty-seeker, life-learner, justice-pursuer and ever on a quest for her soul. Marriage is a mysterious journey of learning how to consent to God in order to learn how to say “yes” to one’s spouse. It is a delicate interdependence of honoring both the I and the we in this journey towards marital togetherness. Archbishop Desmond Tutu provides a powerful... read more →
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Edgar Stoesz grew up on a farm near Mountain Lake, Minnesota. After working for MCC 35 years, he is retired in Akron, Pennsylvania. He has served on numerous boards and written several books, including Doing Good Better: How to be an Effective Board Member. A version of this story first appeared in the Atlantic Coast Conference “Currents” newsletter in July 2016. Do we still neighbor, or has that become another casualty of urbanization and modernity? Our houses used to have open porches where people relaxed and neighbors conversed. Now, instead, we see more fences. Our garage doors open to permit... read more →
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Jenny Castro is communications associate and coordinator of the Women in Leadership Project for Mennonite Church USA. This article originally appeared in the fall issue of Mennonite Women USA's Timbrel magazine. When my spouse Jake and I decided to marry back in 2001, we knew we weren’t ready to “build our family” quite yet. We were young and adventurous with a list full of places to go and things to see. But when I was presented with contraceptive options, none seemed incredibly appealing. In the midst of weighing pros and cons, a friend recommended the book, “Taking Charge of Your... read more →
By Kate Lichti GOSHEN, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA) — In the Gospel of Luke, when Mary visits Elizabeth, the two mothers-to-be are so filled with joy and the Holy Spirit at their meeting that Mary is emboldened to prophesy. At Maple City Health Care Center (MCHCC) in Goshen, Indiana, staff and patients are also witnessing the empowerment that can happen when women come together for prenatal care, rather than going through pregnancy in isolation. Based on a model called “Centering Pregnancy,” out of Yale University, Maple City Health Care Center offers Pregnancy Circles to expectant mothers as an alternative to... read more →
By Kate Lichti SHICKLEY, Nebraska (Mennonite Church USA) — Salem Mennonite Church celebrated its 125th year this fall with the theme “God’s Faithfulness Throughout All Generations.” The theme prompted long-time member Jan Noel to think about the changes that this rural congregation has seen over the years and to preserve some of its memories through oral history. Founded by a handful French and German farmers in Shickley in 1891, Salem Mennonite was a member of the Amish Mennonite Conference before joining the Iowa-Nebraska Conference of the Mennonite Church and finally Central Plains Mennonite Conference and Mennonite Church USA. [caption id="attachment_29042"... read more →
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Jill Schmidt lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband Ben Gerig where they are members of First Mennonite Church of Denver. She is working as an admissions representative for Colorado Mountain College and as a conflict management class instructor for The Conflict Center in Denver. She also serves as a member of the Mountain States Conference Dialogue Resource Team. This article first appeared the August-September issue of Zing!, the newsletter of Mountain States Mennonite Conference. Growing up on a dairy farm in Kansas, planting and harvesting were deeply ingrained in me. Spring days were spent helping my mom plant and... read more →
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Rev. Joanna Harader serves as pastor of Peace Mennonite Church in Lawrence, Kansas. In addition to all of the pastor stuff she does, Joanna also enjoys writing, reading, card-making, and playing board games. You can read more of her writing at SpaciousFaith.com. Several weeks ago I was at a church convention — the 40th anniversary celebration of Brethren Mennonite Council. It was much smaller than a biennial Mennonite Church USA convention, but it still had all the great church conference elements: old friends, new friends, worship, laughter and lots of amazing singing. After Friday night’s opening session, I gave into... read more →
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Candi Horton has spent the past 25 years starting and growing fair trade stores across the United States and Canada. She has lived in Sonoma, California since 1997 and is recently retired from being co-owner of Baksheesh, a fair trade gift retailer with stores in Sonoma and St. Helena, California. In her work with fair trade she has visited artisan groups in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Ghana, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. This year I spent almost four months volunteering at the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund (NCPTF) office in Washington D.C. This was a start to fulfilling... read more →
By Doreen Martens ALTADENA, California (Mennonite Church USA) — With a ceremonial snip of the ribbon, Full Circle Thrift officially opened for business Oct. 29 in a beautiful historic building on a major street in the Los Angeles suburb of Altadena. The soaring shop is the fruit of many months of hard work for entrepreneurial Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference (PSMC) mission minister David Gray, a tireless team of volunteers from area churches, and contributions of time, energy, expertise and many truckloads of goods for sale from Mennonites as far-flung as San Francisco and Tucson, Arizona. The thrift shop is designed... read more →
By Walt Wiltschek HARRISONBURG, Virginia (Mennonite Church USA) — Mennonite actor and writer Ted Swartz performs in a variety of shows across the country each year. “Laughter is Sacred Space,” though, is a particular act of love. Swartz wrote the play after his long-time acting partner and “comedic soulmate,” Lee Eshleman, took his own life in May 2007 following a lengthy battle with bipolar illness and depression. Swartz developed the script over the next few years to deal with his own anguished grief and professional loss as well as to provide a tribute to his friend—a blend of theater and personal... read more →