• God’s promise to refresh and renew! “Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness.” (Isaiah 43:19) This scripture will guide our conference work in the coming year.
• The visioning work of Missional Leadership Team (our conference board) at our annual retreat August 4-5. We reflected on when IN-MI Mennonite Conference was at its best, what has kept us involved with conference, and what possibilities have the power to inspire and transform us.
• The warm welcome for interim pastoral team Steve Slagel and Sean Swanson at Kern Road Mennonite Church on August 6. Sharon Yoder and congregational coach Phil Waite led in a commissioning of pastoral team.
• Joanne is excited to start her Doctor of Ministry Courses at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis next week.

• Elkhart area Mennonite Churches worshipped together at Island Park in Elkhart on July 30. Pastors and leaders collaborated to plan the joint worship service and invited Cyneatha Millsaps to bring the message.
• During the month of July, Sharon had contact with 11 congregations who are in various stages of pastoral leadership transition.
• Joanne preached at Kern Road on July 30.

• SAVE THE DATE: Healthy Boundaries 201 will be offered by Nancy Kauffmann and Michael Danner on November 6. This hybrid event will be held at Amigo and on zoom. Watch for registration information. Other trainings are available here: Healthy Boundaries Training | Mennonite Church USA (mennoniteusa.org). Boundaries training is required for credentialed leaders every 3 years.
• Benton co-pastors Brenda Meyer and Doug Kaufman will conclude 27 and 23 years of ministry this month. Sharon preached at their farewell service on August 13. Becky Helmuth will begin as transitional pastor at Benton on September 1.
• Daniel Yoder will conclude 14½ years of ministry as youth pastor at College Mennonite Church on August 15.
• LET is happy to welcome Kent Miller as our new chair.

2023 Scrap, Craft, and Quilt Dates:

• September 29-October 1
• December 1-3
• These creative retreats are open to all who wish to scrapbook, craft, quilt, or sew in a community setting. A full 6 or 8 foot table with power will be provided for every guest. Cutting and ironing stations will be available in the quilting/sewing work area.
• Working on your projects next to friends, new and old, is a great way to fellowship and live into our calling as co-creators with our Creator. Enjoy the peaceful setting in the woods at Amigo. Weather and season permitting, enjoy a guided hike, a pontoon ride, bird watching, a campfire, and kettle corn, among many other amenities. Devotions/blessings at meals and an optional, casual Sunday morning worship service will also be available. These retreats will run from Friday through Sunday. As usual, Thursday and Monday are available as add-ons. Register here!

MCC Bike Michiana:

• September 15-17
• Bike Michiana is a cycling fundraiser for an MCC project. Each day’s ride, on Saturday and Sunday, will begin and end at Amigo Centre, with Saturday’s ride being approximately 50 miles, and Sunday’s ride having approximately 50 and 35 mile options.
• Bike Michiana riders will raise money in 2023 for MCC’s newest kit – Dignity Kits. Dignity kits are distributed through schools and orphanages where sanitary supplies are not readily available allowing young women to stay in class when they have their period. The kits include supplies and fleece pads that are washable, reusable, and durable enough to last for a year or longer. These kits help to relieve the financial burden on vulnerable families, giving young women the opportunity to complete their education and reducing the risk of early marriages.

Conference Minister Joanne Gallardo writes one of the monthly Five Things Friday Roundups for Anabaptist World. You can read her most recent article here: Trauma Informed Care in the Way of Jesus

This fall, MennoMedia is offering three sessions focused on stewardship and generosity featuring input from consultants at Everence. Beginning August 17, the monthly sessions will unpack the “why” behind our giving and provide input on specific charitable tools that you can use to support the causes and organizations that are important to you. Learn more and register online at MennoMedia.org or by emailing Mitch Stutzman, Director of Development and Partner Engagement at MennoMedia, at MitchS@MennoMedia.org.

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) invites applications for Seek, its newest young adult program for 18- to 20-year-olds who want to do six months of service, discipleship training and cross-cultural sharing in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Starting in January 2024, Seek participants from around the world will stay in the Southeast Asian country, considering together what it means to live, love and serve like Jesus. Seek is firmly rooted in an Anabaptist reading of Scripture and involves Bible study, individual prayer, lectures and conversation.

Seek participants will live in a gender-divided dormitory with Cambodian Christian youth, an arrangement that lends itself to cross-cultural dialogue and worship. The Seek cohort will be a group of 6-10 international participants.

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Young adults who want to participate in the 2024 Cambodia program can apply between Aug. 7 and Sept. 30 While Seekers must cover preliminary expenses like visa fees, MCC pays all in-country costs and provides participants with a small monthly stipend.

To learn more, please visit mcc.org/get-involved/serve/volunteer/seek.