Stories of Mission
Explore mission themes in our quarterly magazine as workers tell stories of making disciples in the way of Christ.
Stay informed of all the latest VMMissions news.
Engage. Establish. Equip. Empower.
As a discipler with Every Nation Campus and partner in mentoring a number of VMMissions tranSend interns, Carlin Kreider uses four principles:
- Every person is valuable to God.
- Every church, campus ministry, and small group can grow.
- Every minister should prepare others to minister.
- Every disciple should make disciples.
God’s Arithmetic
Life Enrichment Church (LEC), a network of house churches in a forgotten rural corner of Thailand, was planted with the vision of multiplication in the late 1990s. How might God reach this impoverished, minimally educated corner of the country? Those first pioneer missionaries mounted their motorcycles, braving heat and dust – or monsoons and mud – to spread seed broadly, looking for the few who would respond.
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A Call to Shkodër
“We must make disciples for the kingdom of God,” Rafael Tartari writes. “We are not setting goals for our own convenience, according to our own agenda. This is not something we choose to do. It is something for which God has chosen us!”
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Elio Milazzo: A Man Whose Voice Mattered
Within the Italian Mennonite world, there are few who would not recognize the powerful voice of Elio Milazzo, who for years was producer and voice of Parole di Vita, a radio broadcast sponsored by Italian Mennonites in partnership with Mennonites in North America, including VMMissions.
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My Coins Count Raises Over $17,000
My Coins Count is an annual campaign that benefits programs designated by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and VMMissions. In 2021, contributors donated a preliminary total of $17,073.74, of which $8,536.87 will benefit the family discipleship ministries of VMMissions workers Hannah Shultz and Seth & Theresa Crissman.
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Riders Raise Over $25,000 at 25th Annual Bike Shenandoah
On Saturday, September 18, nearly 100 bicyclists gathered at the grounds of Eastern Mennonite School to participate in the 25th annual Bike Shenandoah Cycle for Service. The event raised over $25,000 to be shared evenly among its six partnering entities, including Virginia Mennonite Missions and the Stephen R. Leaman Memorial Endowment for Missions.
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Declaring the Healing Power of Jesus
I want to share two recent stories of the healing only Jesus can bring. Dramatic physical healing is not always our experience today, yet Scripture promises that the cross is God’s ultimate answer to the sickness of sin. Your generosity makes these stories possible.
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VMMissions to Host Fall Cohort on Cultivating a Life of Prayer
Prayer continues to emerge as a priority as VMMissions looks ahead at the next decade. One concrete opportunity is available this fall: Michael and Ruth Hershey will be leading a three-month exploration and discovery called “Cultivating a Life of Prayer.”
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Kauffman Reappointed to Third Term as VMMissions President
The Board of Directors of Virginia Mennonite Missions announces the reappointment of Aaron M. Kauffman as President for a third four-year term, beginning January 1, 2022. “Under Aaron’s leadership, VMMissions has continued to thrive and increase in numbers of appointed workers and in financial assets,” noted Lavonne Lehman, Board Chair.
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Worker profile: Norma Teles
Norma is the director of the Joshua Center, which provides a safe place for Roma children and encourages the participation of the family, helping them to be involved in positive ways with their children’s development. She also connects regularly through a girls club with girls aged 9-19 and with a group of mothers.
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Call to Prayer: The Honor of Co-Laboring
“God really does want to teach us to pray,” Ruth writes. “Prayer has become much more than something that we ‘should’ do. It is something we desire and enjoy, something that feels like a great honor.”
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Our Family Rediscovers Sabbath
“In December 2019, [my wife] Theresa suggested that we begin a few faith rhythms as a family, mostly concerning Sabbath. We’ve job-shared and worked bi-vocationally these last several years and at times it has been difficult to stop and disengage and receive God’s rest,” Seth writes. Learn what difference these changes made in their family.
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