Given to God as a Tithe-Called to be a Pastor STEP Student Reflection (Year 1) By Pham Dinh Ton My name is Pham Dinh Ton. I am Vietnamese. I am thirty-nine years old. I have a wife and two kids – a son and a daughter. I was born in a Christian family. My father has ten children and I am the last one. When I was a child, my father told me he would… Read More
Listening to the Call of God … …REQUIRES SURRENDER Danwe N’Dikwe clearly remembers telling his STEP cohort during the first day of class, that he did not want to be a minister or a pastor! Instead, curiosity and a desire to deepen his understanding of his journey with Christ sparked an initial interest in STEP. Not one to be particularly disciplined to dive into or stick to academic research or studies, when… Read More
Just Follow Jesus’s first words to His disciples were, “Come follow me!” He later told them to go and make disciples of all nations. If we have not first encountered Jesus and fallen in love with the “Word who became flesh,” we cannot partner with Him in making disciples. We must learn to hear His voice, trust Him to guide us, and follow wherever He may lead… Read More
The Invitation God invites us into communion with Him. Jesus spoke these words, “Come to Me all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].” (Matthew 11:28 AMP) When we accept this invitation and get to know Him, we experience His love, grace, and goodness. Our lives are transformed into His… Read More
Unity By Janai Gibson “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6). Do you remember the statement, “there is no ‘I’ in team”? Maybe you have heard it from managers… Read More
A Spirit-led movement of mobilizing every member as a missionary By The LMC Bishop Elders Team Given Keith Weaver’s plans to retire on October 1, 2022, LMC has been in a season of discernment related to LMC’s governing structures. A supporting factor in this liminal season is our shared aspiration to become a Spirit-led movement, which suggests less institutional control and more nimble, organic ways of making decisions that offer space for LMC to become… Read More
No Longer An Outsider (Servant), I Call You Friend A Reflection of Gospel-Centered Relationship By Wes Bontreger The Yellow Creek Mennonite Church congregation is deeply grateful for the opportunity to share fellowship with Sungbin, Shinae, and Seungju and for their significant contribution to the service and leadership of our ministries. We continue to joyfully support and partner with them in mission with God’s blessing and rejoice in our lifelong friendship. John 15:15-17 reads: I… Read More
Who Is My Neighbor? By Deb Muenstermann, Hub 450 Manager Who is my neighbor? If you are part of an LMC congregation in Lancaster County, the answer to this question is different than you might expect. Most people think of the Amish or persons of Pennsylvania Dutch descent when thinking of Lancaster County. It may come as a surprise that the nations are our neighbors in Lancaster! Lancaster has… Read More
God Opens Doors By Erik Giron My name is Erik Girón, happily married to Minerva Girón. I was born in Guatemala. During my childhood, I witnessed the severe needs of people living in the world, where there is a lot of idolatry. I was interested in the gospel and attended the Christian church. When I was 13 years old, my family emigrated to the United States. It was… Read More
Some Appointed as Pastors My beginnings in the pastoral ministry with my wife, Ivania García, began on March 27, 1994, at the Manantial de Vida Evangelical Mennonite Church, in Camden, New Jersey. My calling was confirmed by my pastor and by the congregation when I had barely decided to follow Jesus Christ three years earlier. I was only 27 years old. I could personally say that the Lord prematurely… Read More