Join us on Saturday, February 3, 9 am to 4 pm at First Brethren Church of Warsaw (1318 East Center Street, Warsaw, IN 46580) for a Cultivating Generosity Seminar!

We are inviting pastors and 2-3 members of your leadership team to join Everence® for an interactive training experience that offers fresh ways to engage a call to generosity from spiritual and practical perspectives. In this one day seminar, you will learn about: giving trends, the theology of generosity, money secrecy in congregations and gain new tools for leaders to inspire greater generosity. Cost is $50/church this will include materials and lunch. Deadline to RSVP is January 29.

Check out this flier for more information.

RSVP or find out more information by contacting Marlene Kroeker by email at Marlene.Kroeker@everence.com or by phone at 574-537-8773. Marlene will need name of the pastor or contact person, their email, and the name of the church.

Registration will open at the beginning of February. You won’t want to miss this event as we consider exciting new developments and seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit together!

• Epiphany and our new understandings of Light, Love, and Grace that came as Jesus took the form of a human body.   
• The credentialing and commissioning of Osée Tshiwape on January 7, to join recently appointed pastor Maria Hosler Byler on the pastoral team at Sunnyside Mennonite Church. The power of blessing and touch was deeply moving as the community surrounded Osée and Sarah and their 4-month-old son and joined in the ancient practice of laying laid hands upon them. May God bless Osée and Maria and the Sunnyside community as they begin this new pastor-congregation relationship.
• Strong end of year contributions. Thank-you for supporting IMMC!

• We were blessed to visit over snacks with those who came to our Christmas Open House. Thank-you for joining us!
• Joanne meets monthly with pastor cluster groups from Elkhart, Goshen, Swanee area, and southern Indiana. She also meets with the youth pastor gathering.
• Joanne will join First Mennonite Church on January 21 to celebrate the ministry of Monica Miller. Monica will be ending her ministry there on January 25.

• Sharon met with the newly formed search committee at North Goshen Mennonite Church January 9 to help orient them to their work. A volunteer search guide will join them for future meetings.
• Joanne continues to meet with members of IMMC’s leadership teams for debriefs after taking the Intercultural Development Inventory which encourages a plan for continued intercultural growth and competence.

Ursula Hess is actively involved in ministry in her community, serving as a lay/volunteer chaplain and volunteer grief group facilitator. She is also a lay leader in her congregation — Waterford Mennonite Church in Goshen, which is part of Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA. She is involved in a prayer ministry for Two-Way Mission, assists with Senior Adult Ministries, leads worship and is part of a Peace and Justice group. Professionally, she works as a registered nurse in hospice care.

“The Journey program has enriched my life and increased my faith in God,” Ursula reflected. “I have gained a new rich understanding of the Bible and how to interpret it. I learned to see God as who God is according to my new understanding of Bible texts. I experienced a spiritual transformation and growth in my walk with God.”

“My heart was deeply touched by our studies on pastoral care,” she added. “They prepared the way for me for my current involvements.”

Journey, a distance-friendly undergraduate-level certificate program develops leaders centered in Jesus Christ for ministries in local churches and communities. It’s designed for pastors, those exploring a call to ministry, church planters and lay leaders. The program consists of online study, biweekly meetings with a mentor, and face-to-face gatherings twice a year. Ursula’s mentor in the Journey program was Mary Hochstedler, also of Waterford Mennonite Church.

This month, Joanne contributed an article that encourages us to consider 5 ways of embracing a multicultural epiphany. Read the Five Things Friday Roundup: Multicultural Epiphany.

Register your youth group to meet via Zoom with Mission Network staff to find out about all the enriching growth experiences awaiting volunteers ages 15-22. From international learning trips to domestic service terms, Youth Venture and Service Adventure have options for you! Register by clicking the link below!

Youth group Zoom meeting — Wednesday January 24 at 7 pm EST, Register Here

Youth group Zoom meeting — Wednesday, February 7 at 8 pm EST, Register Here

Individuals and parents Zoom meet covering Service Adventure, Youth Venture, and Mennonite Voluntary Service — Wednesday, February 21 at 8 pm EST, Register Here

For any youth interested in applying, here are the application links for Service Adventure and Youth Venture.