Registration will open soon for Summer Fest 2025, which will be held at Waterford Mennonite Church in Goshen on June 13-14, Friday evening through Saturday afternoon. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for this weekend of celebration, worship, and fellowship!

Worship materials and a recorded sermon will be available for your June 15 worship service (or another Sunday that fits your worship schedule). These resources invite congregations to engage in the Summer Fest worship themes: I Corinthians 13:7-8a, Love Has No Borders. They also offer support to pastors and worship leaders who will be at Summer Fest on June 13-14. Watch for these resources to come to your inbox in late April or early May. When available, you’ll also find them on the Summer Fest Webpage.

• Youth and young adults can attend Summer Fest in June at a discounted registration rate. Congregations may send two youth and young adult delegates; other youth and young adults are welcome to attend as non-delegates. More information is available here. Inviting youth to join us and giving them voice as they interact with the church and practice leadership in new ways will change us and them. Thanks be to God!  

• We are deeply grateful for Andrea Baker Dean, who has joined us as interim administrative coordinator. She comes with helpful experience and training and blends well into our office culture. You can reach her at the same office email address: imoffice@im.mennonite.net.

• We also celebrate that Cindy Steiner is working with us in a short interim bookkeeping position while Michelle Cabanaw is on medical leave.

• Missional Leadership Team (the visioning board of IMMC) met via zoom on Wednesday evening April 9. In our ongoing work with Growing our Intercultural Witness, Joanne led us in a power audit. We were invited to consider what things make for power, amounts of space we take up with our personal power, and how power is used to exclude or to include.

• Sharon will join the Good Friday service hosted by Elkhart Mennonite churches, held at Prairie Street Mennonite Church on April 18.  

• Sharon attended the memorial service for Gary Martin, long-time pastor in this region who passed away March 21 at the age of 71. Credentialed by Central District Conference, Gary began ministry at Silver Street (now Silverwood) at the age of 20. He also planted churches in Chicago and served as a transitional pastor in 19 congregations. He is remembered for his prayerful leadership and the many people (especially women) he encouraged to follow a call to ministry. We remember his wife Pat and their family as they grieve this deep loss. 

• Joanne has been connecting regularly with Ohio and Central District Conference Ministers about the Journey Program and attended the Journey Board Meeting on March 28.

• Joanne and Sharon both meet with spiritual directors and leadership coaches to increase their awareness of God’s Presence in their lives and ministry and to grow their leadership capacity. We encourage all leaders to be intentional about spiritual health and professional growth.

• Healthy Boundaries (HB) training is required for credentialed leaders every 3-5 years. See the MC USA Healthy Boundaries website for information about upcoming trainings.

• Joanne and LET continue to connect congregations with congregational coaches and recently matched a congregation with an experienced coach.

Grab Your Golf Clubs! Register for Amigo Centre’s Golf Scramble at Klinger Lake on May 31, 8 am – 1:30 pm. Proceeds from this event support Amigo Centre’s high-quality summer camp programming, especially providing registration scholarships for low-income youth. Register your team of four by May 15 at bit.ly/AmigoRegistration. For more information about sponsoring the event, visit AmigoCentre.org/golf-scramble or call 269-651-2811.

Wild Church Women’s Retreat at Amigo Centre, May 9-11. Experience the presence of God through observations of nature and interactions with other women. Along with facilitator Sharon Brugger Norton, Amigo invites you to connect with women of all backgrounds and abilities as we learn more about ourselves and God through the Creation around us.

Register at bit.ly/AmigoRegistration. For more information, visit AmigoCentre.org/womens-retreat.html.

Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference (IMMC) has an employment opportunity for an Administrative Coordinator at 0.50 FTE. This position is eligible for benefits including health insurance, retirement, and paid time off. A good fit for IMMC is someone with a belief in Christ’s transforming power for all people, an appreciation for the local church, and an understanding of administration as pastoral care. The qualified candidate is proficient in using oral and written communication, writing and editing publications. They are competent with planning and managing multiple projects and meeting deadlines and using technology in its various and changing forms (MS Office, MS Access, WordPress and social media, etc.). They will relate with diverse cultures with strong intercultural competence, managing and making decisions consistent with IMMC’s stated mission and vision. Underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. For a job description or to apply, contact sharon@im.mennonite.net.

Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) is seeking a Regional Director for Latin America (hybrid; in-office in Newton, KS or Elkhart, IN; or remote). This position leads MMN’s work in the region by overseeing partnerships, mission strategies, and international service workers. This role strengthens connections between Mennonite Church USA and Latin American partners while fostering cross-cultural collaboration and guiding anti-racism efforts. Spanish proficiency, experience in Latin American mission work, and frequent international travel are required. If further interested or to apply, you may visit us at www.MennoniteMission.net/about/Employment.

In a post for Anabaptist World celebrating Women’s History Month, Conference Co-Minister Joanne Gallardo shares the contributions of five courageous women. Learn about them in Five things Friday roundup: Women’s history month.