December 7, 2012
When I think of consequences my mind first goes a rather negative direction. We call it the fear of consequences and are reminded that we reap what we sow, or are warned, “be sure your sins will find you out.” This may be due to a particular kind of upbringing that believed that stern warning […]
moreSeptember 20, 2012
When Shawn and Laura Green first tested their call to long-term missionary service through a one-year internship with tranSend, they discovered that nearly 50% of the support needed for their service was already in place. The tranSend grant fund was ready, covering up to 50% of the cost of one year internships for up to […]
moreAugust 9, 2012
I have no bone to pick with those who are paid to serve the Lord. After all I do know the Bible says that, “those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” And too, I am one such person, which probably biases me in a particular direction. Being paid to serve […]
moreJuly 5, 2012
Exponential Conference has become a significant conference of leaders and practitioners engaged in God’s work of planting churches. Held annually in Orlando, Florida, this year’s conference included 5,000 people, with 24 persons attending through Virginia Mennonite Missions. It has become one tool that VMMissions has used to foster church planting vision, provide access to ideas […]
moreMarch 26, 2012
The Spirit blows at will we are told. We do not fully know its direction nor can we ever adequately predict its affect. We can, however, see some of the results. About 100 years ago, the Spirit blew Virginia Mennonite Conference westward into the highlands of Virginia and West Virginia. Later this same Spirit moved […]
moreDecember 6, 2011
Christmas reminds us that God is on a mission. Our future and the future of the church rest entirely on our embrace of that mission. We start by discerning God’s activity in the world. Then we enthusiastically align our priorities with God’s. At VMMissions, God’s work takes many different forms. • Church planting efforts in […]
moreMarch 10, 2011
As I stepped off the platform at Winter Delegate Session a couple weeks ago, I whispered to Conference Minister Owen Burkholder, “This is good!” We had just received two more congregations into Virginia Mennonite Conference, Eastside Church and Iglesia Discipular Anabautista. This is becoming a regular and healthy occurrence in our conference. In the history […]
moreFebruary 10, 2011
God is on a mission to change the world. Everyone knows the world needs it. Humanity has a propensity of messing things up and we all have done our share. Sin, we call it, and it ripples out into all of our relationships, human institutions, and even affects creation. God’s mission to change the world […]
moreDecember 23, 2010
Core values are those values we hold dear. They represent the orienting center of our lives, the priorities by which we live. They are usually expressed by how we live our lives and what occupies our attention in terms of time and money. Sometimes core values are also expressed by our words. When our core […]
moreDecember 8, 2010
I attended a baptismal service again recently. Four members of the Daniel family went “under the water” as the pastor put it. Father, mother, and two sons all gave verbal witness to their faith in Jesus Christ and accepted the sacrament and sign of baptism in the presence of God and a company of people. […]
moreDecember 2, 2010
With a bit of sadness this summer, I witnessed the final decisions associated with dissolving Ohio District of Virginia Mennonite Conference. It made sense since the district had essentially become an “empty set” as Conference Minister Owen Burkholder put it. Chestnut Ridge, the last remaining congregation, had transferred amicably to Ohio Conference earlier. Still, since […]
moreNovember 1, 2010
“We could never do it on our own.” These or similar words express the sentiment of everyone at VMMissions—our staff, our board and our workers. We constantly receive reminders that we are involved in something far larger than ourselves. Sometimes we lead. Sometimes we follow. Sometimes we just get out of the way! VMMissions continues […]
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