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Brent Eash, moderator
Shore Mennonite, Shipshewana, Ind.
brenteash@gmail.com
What excites you about being part of the new conference structure? I am excited about the purpose of conference as nurturing missional imagination in each congregation. I want to be part of that.
A Scripture passage that is meaningful to you. As I consider the change and uncertainty that is so much part of our life as a conference right now, I identify some of my own feelings and |
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anxiousness with the blind whom
God promises to lead in Isaiah 42:16. I trust God is leading us, but it's unsettling, too, to be intentionally led onto paths we don't know. |
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Wes Bontreger, moderator-elect
Yellow Creek Mennonite, Goshen, Ind.
wes@yellowcreekmc.org
What excites you about being part of the new structure? I am pleased about some of the new ways that congregations and pastoral leadership can work together and the potential for new and more effective ministries. The vision for being missional and reaching persons that we may not have traditionally connected with is exciting to me.
A Scripture passage that is meaningful to you. Romans 8:28 was a key |
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verse during my struggle with childhood leukemia and it challenges me to keep pursuing my calling. |
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Gary Martin, member
Faith Mennonite, Goshen, Ind.
gmartin5@verizon.net
What excites you about being part of the new structure? Encouraging Mennonite congregations to enter and continue on the journey of missional transformation has been my passion throughout 33 years of ministry. I'm excited about being on such a journey as a conference, and knowing that a new structure has been designed to navigate the uncharted waters we have entered. |
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Scripture passage that is meaningful to you: In Ephesians 3, Paul writes about his missional passion to share the gospel with Gentilesand see them integrated into one body. He puts it in an eternal framework. Two verses in particular speak to missional imagination: "Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom." (v.10) "God's power at work in us [the church] can do far more than we dare ask or imagine." (v. 21) |
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Frances Ringenberg, member
Prairie Street Mennonite, Elkhart, Ind.
mfvr@juno.com
What excites you about being part of the new structure? I am increasingly aware of the important role conference plays in the bigger picture of being church. This opportunity to work with those from other congregations humbles and energizes me as we join our gifts together and consider new possibilities. Conference is a vital and alive aspect of being the Body of Christ and I am eager to participate in this challenging and intriguing work. |
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Share a Scripture passage that is meaningful to you. Exodus 4:10 along with Deuteronomy 32:1-2. In this scripture, Moses is going through a time of trying to avoid the demanding call of God. After many chapters and many years we're offered another glance. The slow-of-tongue Moses now declares words addressed to the heavens themselves with powerful certainty and authority! Might we too take the long trek and discover ourselves in new unimagined spaces. |
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John Troyer, member
Clinton Frame Mennonite, Goshen, Ind.
johnsheila@troyernet.com
What excites you about being part of the new structure? I am amazed at the way God is working in our world today and believe that the next few years will be exciting ones for our conference. I am especially hopeful that as we focus on where God's work is flourishing, we will become more and more engaged with our surrounding communities and neighborhoods.
Share a Scripture passage that is meaningful to you. Galatians 5:5, "By |
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faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope." I like this verse because it emphasizes our dependence on the Spirit for everything we are about. |
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Samuel Wilson, member
Community Christian Fellowship Ministries, Detroit, Mich.
revswil@netscape.net
What excites you about being part of the new structure? Possibilities for enhancing the multi-cultural and multi-dimensional aspects of the conference.
Share a Scripture passage that is meaningful to you. My quest in life and ministry is echoed in Paul's statement in Philippians 3:13-14 which says "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to |
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those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." |
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Talashia Keim Yoder, member
College Mennonite, Goshen, Ind.
talashiakyoder@hotmail.com
What excites you about being part of the new structure? The Mennonite church and the broader world are in a time of rapid change and I am glad that the conference has recognized that and adapted to be better able to serve. Being part of something new requires flexibility and creativity, and I am happy to be able to contribute that.
Share a Scripture passage that is meaningful to you. At this point in my |
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life, the letters to Timothy have been meaningful to me in a new way. Being young in ministry, the words of these letters provide comfort and challenge. A verse I've come back to often has been 1 Timothy 4:14, "Do not neglect the gift that is in you." A reminder not to become complacent, and a challenge to be a good steward. |
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