By Joanne Gallardo, Conference Co-Minister

In many of our IMMC congregations, meetings are a regular part of community life. There’s our community life team, our trustees, our board, and after a while, these meetings can feel perfunctory and obligatory. But Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship in Goshen has seen how the Spirit is moving in those “ordinary meetings.”

Next to Berkey’s property sits a house. It was originally purchased in 2011 with the intent to use it for Christian Education. The church later found out that because of issues with the house not being up to code, it couldn’t be used for that purpose.

For a time, Berkey rented out the property to people who inquired. In 2023, Berkey formulated a Mission Survey to ask the congregation for responses as to how Berkey might move with their ministry. They received feedback that congregation members would like to see the property next to them used for local needs. Berkey was eager for the property not to be sold, but for it to serve as a place providing tangible needs for locals.

According to the mission survey, the congregation wanted to prioritize service and care for basic needs rather than education; make larger investments in fewer organizations; when possible, direct funding locally in ways that allow for relationships with local organizations; and give preference to developing relationship across differences and to concrete actions they might create and do as opposed to simply giving dollars.

After consulting with Lacasa in Goshen, they were directed to Downtown Ministries (DTM). Berkey consulted Waterford Mennonite Church in Goshen who had a positive experience with this organization. DTM is a faith-based non-profit founded in 2017 whose mission is to “…love our neighbor and serve our city.” DTM provides guidance in the areas of faith and finance, employment, and transitional housing. DTM has five different homes in Goshen, and the families in these homes are provided housing for $300 a month. They are encouraged to make use of DTW’s other supplemental services.

Over the course of nine months, Berkey had put into motion a new life for “The House Next Door,” as they call it.

The House Next Door now serves as transitional housing for families in need. After the house underwent a few renovations, the first family moved into the house in August to begin their temporary housing journey. DTW defines “temporary” as one to two years.

In the midst of normal, commonplace meetings, the Holy Spirit was moving at Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship. With a deep heart for mission and service, the congregation enacted a whole new ministry that put to good use resources they already had. Pastor Mark Schloneger said at the end of our conversation, “I think in the political climate we find ourselves in, it’s so good to be thinking of ways we can model a community that’s based on mercy, empowerment, and justice.”

By Andrea Dean, Administrative Coordinator

North Goshen Mennonite Church is in Goshen, Indiana, and Wildwood Mennonite Church is about 400 miles away in Engadine, in Michigan’s upper peninsula, yet since September, attendees at North Goshen have waved hello to Wildwood members on the first Sunday of each month.

North Goshen and Wildwood were recently matched through IMMC’s Sister Churches project. Over the past several months, the two churches have been exploring how to engage as Sister Churches. The relationship is still new, but a feeling of mutual blessing and enjoyment was clear in my recent conversation with Becky Helmuth, pastor at North Goshen, and Meredith Sommers and Janice Wagner, lay leaders at Wildwood.

The congregations’ leaders were first put in touch by email, but it was when Becky was able to visit Wildwood in person that the connection came to life, and they came up with ideas for how to connect. Becky, Meredith, and Janice agreed that meeting in person was pivotal.

Wildwood is a small congregation that Meredith describes as “somewhere on a continuum from unsettled to nimble.” For the past 10 year, they haven’t had a pastor, but have been lead by lay leadership teams. One of the first ideas that came up was that Wildwood could join North Goshen’s worship service virtually once a month. This was easy to implement since North Goshen already shares their service on YouTube, and Wildwood was already used to meeting on Zoom when necessary, especially in the winter.

This arrangement has already been a huge blessing to both congregations. In fact, during my conversation with them, each church said they felt they were getting the better end of the deal. For Wildwood, being part of a larger group and hearing a sermon is a real treat. And it’s a relief for Janice and Meredith as lay leaders to have a week off each month from preparing worship and just come to worship instead. For North Goshen, knowing that Wildwood is joining on the first Sunday gives a different energy to whoever is worship leading. The congregation takes a moment during every first Sunday to wave hello to Wildwood.

Sharing a service has led to other ways of connecting. During a recent first Sunday, North Goshen’s youth announced that they were doing a food drive for the community pantry at Center for Healing and Hope, a Goshen organization that provides care for low-income people and recent immigrants. Wildwood was inspired to help and put in an order at the Goshen Meijer. Those from North Goshen who went to pick up the order were astonished—Wildwood’s contribution filled the tiny pantry and overflowed into storage, leaving North Goshen deeply touched. Wildwood, in turn, was inspired by a Mission Sunday held at North Goshen to plan their own Mission Sunday, realizing they hadn’t done that in a while.

Looking ahead, the churches are talking about ways to make in-person connections. Wildwood has invited North Goshen to visit in the summer, camping on Wildwood’s property and using the informal retreat center in the basement. And North Goshen invited Wildwood members to participate in the pie booth at the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale, although no one was able to come.

The leaders acknowledged that the distance is a real challenge, and they need to think creatively to bridge that distance. They would love to “steal” good ideas from other Sister Church pairings, and hope their experiences and ideas can inspire other pairs as well. Both congregations agreed that they are still in early days of the relationship, and just “feeling their way through,” but they have already been richly blessed.