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.
Let’s transForm missions and transform the world
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…
Read MoreOrganic church planters’ Greenhouse event coming to Harrisonburg
An excellent opportunity to continue to learn and grow as followers of Jesus is coming up soon. On October 19-21, Virginia Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Hispanic Initiative (MHI) will host an “Organic Church Planters’ Greenhouse” intensive training with Neil Cole from Church Multiplication Resources (CMAR), held at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church. A Greenhouse is a three-day…
Read MoreMission and money musings
Is there a rise in donor fatigue? We at VMMissions are pleased that so many gifted persons are sensing a call to serve in mission here at home and overseas. In conversations, I sense that family, friends and congregations are pleased as well, yet have mixed feelings. “Does this mean yet another fundraising letter in…
Read MorePaid to serve the Lord?
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…
Read MoreFormed by gratitude
I have great blood! My blood is type O Negative (universal donor), and CMV Negative (it does not contain cytomegalovirus.) The attendants at the blood donor room tell me my blood can be pulled off the shelf and used immediately for trauma patients, and it can be used in young children. I was quite pleased…
Read MoreExponential: accelerating multiplication
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…
Read MoreOne body, one faith
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 Arriving in Jamaica on March 1, I was immediately captivated by the…
Read MoreWinds of the Spirit
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…
Read MoreGlobal sisters enrich my life
Mennonite Women USA invited responses to this question for the November/ December issue of Timbrel: How do our global sisters enrich our own lives as well as enrich the life of the church? I immediately knew that this is a question I can answer. I have the unusual privilege to visit church sisters in the…
Read MoreRemember, remember not
One of the paradoxes of the Bible is God’s call to remember but not dwell on the past. “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there,” declares Deuteronomy 24:18 (NRSV). That memory forms the basis of Israel’s identity. When remembrance turns to nostalgia, however, God has…
Read MoreWill you join us as we join God?
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…
Read MoreThe global family of faith
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…
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