Make Room by Mercedes Thomas These were the words shared with me a week and a half ago during a visit with Aled Griffith, Nick Scott, and Shane Good. Aled is the Team Leader for Synergy, a family of churches across the UK, Spain, and the US Midwest. Visiting from the UK, Aled brought along his friends Nick (from New Zealand) and Shane (from Indiana) to Lancaster,… Read More
Life as an Urban Missionary by Michael Clancy As I enter my eighth year as an urban missionary, I wholeheartedly dedicate myself to helping men transition from prison and programs back into society. In 2016, I met Shawn Connatser, a man with long hair and a warm smile. He first attended my Bible studies at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility, and soon after, he became part of our congregation through… Read More
Movement Update: June 2025 by Rodney Martin Glenn Kauffman and I recently completed a survey asking how many leaders LMC has trained in the past year. After we thought about it for a moment we realized, to our surprise, that the number is higher than we imagined. In our movement development work, Glenn and I are leading—or learning to lead—two different labs by the Movement Leaders Collective. They are… Read More
LMC at Movement Leaders Collective’s Global Gathering in London Bishop Elders Rodney Martin and Keith Blank, and Movement Navigator Glenn Kauffman in London in May 2025 for Movement Leaders Collective’s Global Gathering by Rodney Martin Glenn Kauffman, Keith Blank, and I recently attended the Movement Leaders Collective (MLC) gathering in London. MLC hosts an annual, three-day Global Gathering. Previously held in the US, the gatherings include a variety of collective partners (church groups and… Read More
The Impact of STEP in Leadership Development by Mercedes Thomas and Lynn Shertzer “One of my goals is that we transition well, and that we have a plan in place—not just when we have to—but we are actually being proactive in what that looks like. I thought, what if churches have a proactive plan for the next generation of leaders? What would that look like? And I think what that looks like… Read More
My Story: How the STEP Program Changed My Life by Zelalem Eshete I would like to share my story of how the STEP program became a turning point in my spiritual journey and changed my life for the better. First, a brief background. I came to know the Lord early in life while I was in middle school in Ethiopia. At that time, the church was under intense persecution due to the communist regime.… Read More
Taking the Preaching Plunge by Tom Eshleman Year 1 of STEP challenges students with a class that, for some, can feel like a swimming pool on a frigid day. Each year, at least half of STEP participants have never preached a sermon, so the pulpit assignment can feel as unwelcome as taking the swimming plunge in the cool of spring. Occasionally, a student may make a compelling argument for… Read More
Teaching in Vietnam – March 2025 by William Higgins I had the privilege of traveling to Vietnam in March to teach a class at the Vietnam Mennonite Training Institute, the school of the Vietnam Mennonite Church. This was a follow-up to a class from last year, finishing up our study of The Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (1995). Beyond the regular college students, a number of pastors and church leaders attended… Read More
“This Is All God:” The Lord’s Healing Power by Mountville Mennonite Church “We don’t do anything, this is all God.” In this video story, Dale Ebersole and Mark Mummert from Mountville Mennonite Church share two stories of the Lord’s healing power. On two occasions, Dale experienced injuries/pain and sought the prayers of his church community. Mark, who has had some training in healing prayer, was one who prayed for Dale both times. And… Read More
Far From God to a Relationship with the Father by Steve Campbell I am the pastor at Zion Mennonite Church in Birdsboro, PA. Last year, I began a membership class with a few folks who were interested in journeying with us. One young woman shared deeply with us about her life choices that took her far away from God. During our discussions, the Lord prompted me to keep sharing with the larger group about… Read More