Joanne Gallardo, IMMC Conference Minister, shares highlights from Summer Fest 2026 in June.

Summer Fest takes months of planning, but it truly is a labor of love. It’s also fun and exciting. Working with our theme, finding speakers, asking for talented worship and music leaders to share their gifts, all of this contributes to a successful Summer Fest.

My favorite part of Summer Fest this year was working at the registration table with Derrick Ramer, our moderator-elect. Getting to see and connect with many of you was a true joy. While it’s hectic, it’s incredibly fun, and it fits in with one of the goals of Summer Fest: to fellowship with one another. It was a joy to see you all fellowship with one another!

I also appreciated the enthusiasm for the hymn sing. I was stretched with learning new songs that have now become favorites. Some people even indicated that they would like it to be longer, which is music to a music leader’s ears! I’m so glad that for many of us, singing is prayer.

I was very gladdened by people’s responses to learning more about Safe Church and MC USA’s new Prevention and Accountability document. This is a very important topic that many churches find difficult to address. Some churches are small or lack resources, and others are so large that background checks seem overwhelming. My hope is that the seminar that was shown and discussed can help churches take steps forward in the right direction. You can access the seminar, “Living with the Prevention and Accountability Resource: A Guide for Congregations,” and other resources at mennoniteusa.org/safe-church-resources.

Now the work begins on next year’s gathering! Currently staff are working to choose a scripture and theme, that we’ll share with you soon. We look forward to what the Spirit might have in store for us in 2027!