IMMC Conference Co-Minister Candidate of Choice

The MLT, along with the search committee, is delighted to recommend Joanne Gallardo as one of the Conference Co-Ministers beginning sometime in the Summer 2021. Both Sharon and Joanne will be .75 FTE in their respective roles. An electronic vote on this recommendation will be taken on June 10-18 (the vote closes at the end of the first day of Annual Sessions, a virtual session).

 We are very grateful for the many ways the Spirit has prompted and guided us and many others throughout this entire transition process. We invite your continued prayers in this time of discernment for our conference and for Joanne.

 More information on this process and on Joanne can be found here: https://im.mennonite.net/conference-pastor-search/

Becoming One – Annual Sessions 2021 – virtually and in person 
We welcome everyone to join virtually on Friday and in-person on Saturday for this year’s gathering. (Parts of Saturday are also available virtually. There will be worship, equipping and fellowship! 
Be prepared for something old and something new. Many parts will be familiar, and some will be new or done in new ways because of the intercultural work we are doing together and because of Ccovid. More information on registration and the virtual packet is available on the IMMC website! 

 Farewell Celebration for Dan Miller– June 19th, 4:30pm 
All are welcome to join in celebrating Dan’s work with Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference on June 19th at 4:30pm. The celebration is at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, MI and will follow Annual Sessions. If you’d like to join, please register HERE. More information available on the Annual Sessions page of the IMMC website.

* the work of the conference pastor search committee and Missional Leadership Team, and their recommendation that Joanne Gallardo join Sharon Yoder as conference co-minister. 

* the virtual and in-person options for Annual Sessions next week!  

* the Annual Sessions planning team of Anna Board, Wanda Bradford, Jeremiah Chuiha, Shawn Lange, Muthoni Maina, and Izaete Nafziger. THANK YOU! 

* plans to welcome Piedra Viva (Elkhart) as a member congregation during next week’s gathering! 

* the team of people providing simultaneous translation for Annual Ssessions.  

* the work done by conference leadership teams this year. (See leadership teams reports in the report book!)  

* the enthusiasm and gifts Anna Board has contributed to IMMC during the three years she has been part of staff!

* IMMC staff and the East Goshen staff enjoyed in-person lunch together on June 2. Everyone has been vaccinated. These two groups shared a weekly break time together before covid. This was our first joint gathering since March 2020.  

* IMMC staff and a couple of IMMC congregational pastors participated in a webinar on May 26 led by Marganne Hoffman from WellSpan: “Navigating through Change.”

* LET hosted a training for coaches on May 12 focused on pastor/congregation reviews.  

* Ministry Credentialing Team recently developed a handout for credentialed leaders to invite careful and thoughtful use of social media. 

* During the month of May, Sharon had contact with 15 people about pastoral ministry openings in IMMC. Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Contributions for May were $7,246 below expectations and $4,727 below expenses.  In the year to date column income is $14,419 below expectations but $5,734 above expenses. Thank you for your support. –Jim Norton, IMMC Bookkeeper

• Amigo Centre is looking for their next Executive Director. This full-time position is responsible for the oversight of all programming, administration and maintenance of Amigo, offering strategic vision toward the future. This position also includes publicly representing Amigo Centre and finding various ways to strengthen support for Amigo within its diverse constituency. Qualified applicants will demonstrate strong leadership skills of leading and managing an organization. They will have a passion for transformative faith experiences and a gift for working with people, including excellent communication skills. Letters of interest and resumes can be sent to amigosearch@amigocentre.org. Join us in praying for Amigo and the search process as we discern a new Executive Director.
• RETREAT TO AMIGO: If you are looking for a way to get out of the house and have a safe place to stay, consider coming to Amigo! By using the Retreat Center and West Shore Lodge we have created six small designated suites to limit contact with people outside of your group. Meals and staff led activities available, and limited access to the Activity Center. When’s the last time you just sat and listened to the birds, Sandhill cranes and geese communicating around a lake… or watched the chipmunks and squirrels play… it’s very entertaining! Bring your family and we will provide the space for you to relax and play. Call 269-651-2811 or email us at info@amigocentre.org
• Amigo Park is taking reservations for summer 2021 (to mid-October). We look forward to a more normal summer at the Park, including the availability of the bathhouse. Call or email to inquire about availability soon. Phone: 269-651-2734 or email: amigopark@amigocentre.org
• Looking for a fun family get-away this summer, but not too far away? Amigo is hosting two weeks of Family Camp, July 18-22 and July 25-29. Register online at amigocentre.org or call 269-651-2811. Contact colton@amigocentre.org for more information.
• We continue to celebrate 50 years of Outdoor Environmental Education at Amigo. Check our website for additional details for ways you can come celebrate with us this summer! https://www.amigocentre.org/oee-50th-anniversary-calendar-of-events.html
• Amigo Bike Michiana scheduled for October 8-10, 2021. Our speaker will be Dr. Sibonokuhle Ncube, founding Executive Director/National Coordinator of the Brethren in Christ Compassionate and Development Services in Zimbabwe, currently studying at AMBS. In fall of 2018, Dr. Ncube was part of a Global South Voice Speaking Tour of the Great Lakes region, co-sponsored by MCC and the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions. Here’s a story about our project: https://mcc.org/stories/addressing-conflict-caused-limited-resource Visit our web site for registration and additional information.