A harvest in the hard places
February 7, 2019
Workers in Asia and Europe share stories of potential harvests in difficult soil, and of immense needs. Is God inviting you to serve?
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Grants received for Thailand Anabaptist Gathering
November 30, 2018
Traveling for up to 14 hour by public bus, van and train, Anabaptist believers from Thailand and Laos gathered together in Chonburi, Thailand, for a rich time of lively worship, fellowship and interactive teaching at the 4th Thailand Anabaptist Gathering (TAG), October 8-12, 2018.
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Consider Alternative Christmas Gifts this holiday season
November 28, 2018
Each year, VMMissions workers propose projects to meet some special or immediate need for our Alternative Christmas Gifts program. Consider a gift to engage their ministry passion and enhance their mission.
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Donors & Prayer Partners Banquet is November 17
October 10, 2018
As a small token of our gratitude for the ways in which you have prayed earnestly and given generously to the work that God is doing through Virginia Mennonite Missions, we invite you to an evening of food, music and stories of our work in the past year and right now.
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Results of fiscal year end campaign
September 10, 2018
We are seeing the fruit of changed lives and communities that God is producing through our ministries! Like an abundant harvest, a great deal of work lies behind these fruitful ministries. Thank you for making this possible.
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N.T. Wright to give lectures in Harrisonburg, VA
September 4, 2018
Prolific writer and New Testament scholar N.T. Wright will give a series of presentations on “Discerning the Dawn” in Harrisonburg, Va., November 13-14.
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From anywhere to anyone
August 16, 2018
At first glance, the idea of all of us “going” sounds like a perfect recipe for chaos! But, somehow, this is what the Holy Spirit does when he gets a hold of us. Our hearts enlarge. Our vision expands. We go beyond our culturally comfortable borders.
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Called to go: Norma’s story
August 14, 2018
Norma Teles is a Brazilian VMMissions worker in Lezhë, Albania, working with Roma children at the school she has founded, the Joshua Center. By Norma Teles Norma Teles at the Joshua Center. Courtesy of Janet Blosser I grew up in a Christian family with nine siblings in Salvadore, Brazil. I was expected to […]
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Preserved for a purpose
August 13, 2018
Francisco and Juanita came to the U.S. as asylum seekers from Honduras. Now God is using them as church planters in Madrid, Spain.
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A tailor-made niche
May 21, 2018
With J.T’s type of design work, he gets to continue in this “cultural mandate” of developing this language and while doing it, share with his Muslim colleagues this beautiful heritage of how Christianity uniquely uplifts languages.
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Work as witness
April 30, 2018
Too often we as Christians have adopted our culture’s divide between the spiritual and the secular. We designate what we do at church or in our personal devotional life as “spiritual,” and the rest of life as “secular.” Except for paid ministry, we rarely think of work as spiritual. The Bible, however, makes no such distinction between spiritual and secular.
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Community Church Planting Local Training
March 22, 2018
Attend a training by Bruce Bennett, CCP founder and international church planter, on Thursday, June 7 and Friday, June 8, at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church. You can attend one or both days of this two-day training.
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SVMC concerts benefit worker family
January 29, 2018
The Shenandoah Valley Men’s Chorus, directed by Jared Stutzman, performed two public concerts on Sunday, February 25, at Eastern Mennonite School and VMRC. Offerings collected to support a VMMissions worker family serving in South Asia raised $1,945.
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Volunteer this summer at Lady Latte!
January 23, 2018
Lady Latte needs summer time volunteers in 2018! A couple is needed to come to the beautiful rural town of Istog, Kosovo, from May 15 – September 1 (flexible) to give temporary oversight to a recently opened coffee shop just for women!
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A shared heartbeat for mission
November 3, 2017
If the church is made up of disciples, then everything we are part of should replicate: disciples who can make disciples, small groups who can make new small groups, churches that can plant churches. I have missional dreams that from Eastside would come churches in many locations. That replication process must begin with individual disciples.
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Local mission on the map
November 2, 2017
I am excited about all that is happening within VMMissions USA Ministries: my daily interactions with workers and prospective workers, the requests for tranSend interns from local pastors, the interaction with district leaders regarding their missional hopes, the ground work of discipling that happens in my coaching contexts and in the many new huddles.
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Call to Prayer: Teaching children to pray
August 30, 2017
As believers, we are tasked with the job of bringing the little children to Jesus. One of the ways we do this is by encouraging and teaching children to pray. We can spend all the time in the world teaching children about God, but if we don’t teach them how to relate to God, we’re not doing any better than the disciples who tried to shoo the children away.
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A knock on the door, seeking and finding
August 19, 2017
“I believe that Jesus is God, and I want to be a Jesus follower.” I couldn’t believe my ears as Yousif prayed a beautiful prayer of repentance, expressing a humble need of Christ. How could this be happening? A Muslim young man, coming to faith so quickly?
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Sharing the good news in Switzerland
August 16, 2017
I wasn’t sure if my writing and work on spirituality in the United States would connect with the people of Europe, but the loneliness, brokenness and hunger for a deeper relationship with God is as evident here as at home. Sharing the good news here in Europe is helping people develop a closer relationship to God and helping them to return to what God created them to be, rather than what the outer world forced on them.
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Sowing seeds of good news
August 9, 2017
Holy moments right here and now: mission workers and staff share fresh stories of gospel seeds being sown in the course of their everyday lives. “God, may you bring the fruit!”
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In Word and with Power
August 7, 2017
In a slum community in a large Asian city, Anita and Yosiah have gained their community’s trust through deeds of love. Now they ask, “How do we proclaim the gospel holistically?”
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Loving our neighbors in jail
June 15, 2017
Jason Wagner, appointed to serve as chaplain at the Rockingham Regional Jail. Courtesy photo By Jason Wagner I have seen firsthand the deep hunger for connection to God and loving fellowship that inmates have in the Rockingham Regional Jail. Since being appointed as a VMMissions worker to serve as jail chaplain, I have been […]
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Call to Prayer: Praying Together
June 15, 2017
By Sarah Showalter “The difference between success and failure is a great team.” —Dave Kerpen “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” —Michael Jordan “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” —Helen Keller “Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.” —Ifeanyi Onuoha “Sticks […]
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Becoming one: God’s purpose for community
June 12, 2017
Crystal Lehman (second from right) works with an international team of teachers who actively support each other to love and effectively educate the students at Buenos Aires International Christian Academy in Argentina. Photo courtesy of Crystal Lehman By Crystal Lehman Missions has always played an important role in my life. I am, however, still […]
moreWorker commissioning and Taste of Missions
June 8, 2017
You are invited to celebrate the commissioning of new mission workers at the Friday evening worship service of Virginia Mennonite Conference Assembly, held at Park View Mennonite Church, 1600 College Ave, Harrisonburg, Va. (map), on Friday, July 21. Gathering music begins at 6:45 p.m.; the service begins at 7:00. The 2017 class of tranSend, […]
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Visit our booth at Convention in Orlando
June 5, 2017
If you are attending Mennonite Church USA Convention in Orlando this summer, stop by the VMMissions booth in the display area of the convention center. Staff will be available to connect with you and share some stories of our work. Pick up a mission activity card, complete it, and you will be registered to win […]
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Better together
May 31, 2017
Bethany and Steve desire to enhance their evangelism and discipleship ministry among Isaan migrant workers in Bangkok, Thailand, by again bringing a team together. Steve and Bethany’s Isaan friends help with evangelism efforts to share the Good News with other Isaan people over pizza at the Horst’s home in Bangkok. Photo by Steve Horst […]
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The wisdom of teams
May 31, 2017
Have you ever tried playing baseball by yourself? Or singing four-part harmony alone? There are some things you simply can’t do without the help of others. And we believe mission is one of them. One of the guiding principles for our work at VMMissions is that team is our preferred mode of engaging in mission. […]
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God’s worldwide team
May 30, 2017
Steve and Laura work with the leadership team of one of only five evangelical churches in the country of Montenegro, with a focus on discipling believers, and a vision for growth. Vladimir Cizmanski and Steve Campbell meet to plan various activities at the church. Photo by Janet Blosser By Steve Campbell When Laura […]
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Loving our refugee neighbors
March 15, 2017
By Ben Emswiler It was yet another very cold night in Harrisonburg, Virginia, as we searched for a parking space outside of James Madison University’s Convocation Center where JMU was hosting Eastern Mennonite University in a cross-town men’s basketball game. I apologized to my Congolese friends in the car with me for having to park […]
moreCoworkers for the kingdom
March 8, 2017
Our culture idolizes heroes. Hollywood tells story after story with the message, we need heroes to solve the world’s problems. Right now my little boys are fixated on Superman, Spider-Man and Batman—a curious thing, since they’ve never seen them on the big screen. But somehow they’ve caught our culture’s love of heroes. Who doesn’t wish […]
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Nazareth Village: a living witness to Christ made possible by partnership
March 6, 2017
By Elsa Miller Located in the city of Nazareth, Israel, Nazareth Village is a working historical village that gives visitors to the Holy Land a chance to experience what life would have been like for Jesus growing up in his hometown. One aspect that brings the village to life is the team of historical actors […]
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Local church, global body
March 3, 2017
Rafael and Solange Tartari serve as pastoral leaders of the Guri I Themelit (Cornerstone) congregation in Lezhë, Albania. Through a partnership that spans three continents, they engage in evangelism, discipleship and mentoring. By Solange Tartari In Ephesians 2:11-22, the Apostle Paul gives us a vision of the church that is not just the local community. […]
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Partners in planting
February 21, 2017
Mennonite Hispanic Initiative is a joint effort to birth, nurture and sustain new mission impulses among Spanish-speaking people in Virginia and beyond. By Lizzette Hernandez and Marvin Lorenzana God’s model for eternal existence is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit living in loving relationship with each other. God has modeled this perfect relationship of […]
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What is church?
December 2, 2016
(From left) Granit, Bledor, Bek, Valdet and author Vince at the fitness center. Vince is holding his training schedule. Photo courtesy of author Living in an under-reached nation, with no church in their community, Vince and LaVonne Ramella and their children seek to embody the gospel in their daily lives as a picture of church […]
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Mission and the church in a post-Christian context
November 21, 2016
The front entrance to the Protestant church the Stutzmans relate to, with a crane in the background. Photo courtesy of author In Mannheim, Germany, Dave and Rebekka and their three children serve in a context where churches have experienced decline, but opportunities for mission abound. By Dave Stutzman One of the things that interested me […]
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Thai Anabaptists gather for encouragement on the journey
November 15, 2016
Some of the participants at the Third Thai Anabaptist Gathering. Photo by J* By Carol Tobin, VMMissions Asia Regional Director Det Udom, Thailand – A simple open air pavilion at the Life Enrichment Church Center in a far corner of Northeast Thailand (Isaan) served as the location for Thai Anabaptist Gathering, from September 27 to […]
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Get threaded into the story with Perspectives
November 10, 2016
Since 2008, more than 200 students have been challenged and blessed by taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class right here in the Valley! The Harrisonburg coordinating team is thrilled to bring the Spring 2017 class to the Baptist Collegiate Ministry Center, 711 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg, Va., on Monday nights, January […]
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Donor and Prayer Partners Appreciation Banquet
October 31, 2016
Thank you! As a small token of our gratitude for the ways in which you have prayed earnestly and given generously to the work that God is doing through Virginia Mennonite Missions, we invite you to honor us with your presence at an evening of food, music and stories of our work in the […]
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EMM Christian/Muslim Relations Team to present at public forum
October 11, 2016
David and Grace Shenk, Andres Prins and Sheryl Martin, members of the EMM Christian/Muslim Relations Team, will present at a public forum at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 27, in Martin Chapel (Eastern Mennonite Seminary) (map). The goal of the forum is learning how to be better equipped to know, love, and share Jesus […]
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Festival of Praise to benefit VMMissions on November 6, 4:00 pm
October 6, 2016
The Festival of Praise is an annual praise-filled concert of men’s a cappella singing groups and combined chorus directed by Jared Stutzman. This year, the Festival celebrates 15 years of song and raising money for Virginia Mennonite Missions. Join us on November 6, 2016 at 4:00 pm at Eastern Mennonite School, 801 Parkwood Drive, […]
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Kingdom Vision as a Way of Life with Dr. Scot McKnight
September 13, 2016
Dr. Scot McKnight, author of The Kingdom Conspiracy, will speak in a series of events in Harrisonburg, September 28-29, 2016. Hosted by a partnership of agencies (Eastern Mennonite University, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Park View Mennonite Church, Virginia Mennonite Conference and Virginia Mennonite Missions) and co-sponsored by Eastern Mennonite University’s Augsburger Lectureship, Dr. McKnight will […]
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A tidal wave is coming!
September 1, 2016
Story by Megan* James and Megan* live in a guesthouse for Muslim pilgrims, immediately adjacent to a shrine which is packed from morning until night with devotees and seekers from all over the region. They see a ‘tidal wave’ movement to faith in Jesus coming in their country and region, built upon God’s promises to […]
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Finding life inside
August 19, 2016
Story by Opal* In the North African context where Raleigh and Opal* and their two children serve among Muslims seeking to overcome their debt to God, they are finding open doors. We live near a gated community, of sorts. The first time we walked past its medieval-type turrets, sun-baked stucco walls, and arched […]
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Mission Fund goal met!
August 18, 2016
On behalf of Virginia Mennonite Missions, I want to thank you for your generous support. You helped us not only meet our goal, but exceed it! What a surprise! With God’s help and your gifts, we have successfully completed another year of making disciples in the way of Christ among neighbors near and far. […]
moreBike Shenandoah to benefit VMMissions and others on September 17
August 3, 2016
Bike Shenandoah is a family-friendly and healthy way see the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, connect with other riders, and support seven local agencies: Mennonite Central Committee, Virginia Mennonite Missions, MennoMedia, Our Community Place, Roberta Webb Child Care Center, and NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center. Bike Shenandoah draws more than 100 riders each year for rides ranging […]
moretranSend service of commissioning July 14
June 13, 2016
Join in blessing and sending the 2016 class of tranSend into their service assignments on Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 pm at the Hershberger Barn (location map). There will be a dinner provided for persons serving on MSTs (by invitation) beginning at 5:00 pm. Friends, family and supporters are invited at 6:30 for a meaningful […]
moreLong roads to leadership
May 6, 2016
By Nancy Marshall All photos courtesy of Nancy Marshall Nancy Marshall has discipled several potential leaders for pastoral ministry and church planting at Jesus’ Deaf Church in Belize, with major setbacks along the way. The first verse I tacked on my wall here in my house in Belize is Ephesians 3:20 from The Message: […]
moreSeeds of multiplication
May 4, 2016
By Carol Tobin All photos by Mark & Sarah Schoenhals Where the Mark and Sarah Schoenhals family serve in the Isaan region of Thailand, seeds of a multiplying church planted over 20 years ago are beginning to sprout. Throughout the long, dry months when the only rain that can be expected in Northeast Thailand […]
moreNew workers appointed
May 2, 2016
Two VMMissions workers have recently been appointed for service assignments. Francisco and Juana Machado have been appointed (jointly with Mennonite Mission Network) to church plant in Burgos, Spain. They have been invited by Anabautistas, Menonitas y Hermanos en Cristo – España following a one-month exploratory visit to Spain in early 2015. Alisha Brubaker has been […]
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