MC USA Govt Director Glen Guyton interviews Mennonite Mission Community Govt Director Marisa Smucker for the “Lead/Follow” podcast, whereas Andrea Rogers of Grassroots Media movies. (Picture by Camille Dager.)
Mennonite Church USA is launching two new podcasts, aimed toward encouraging and equipping right now’s pastors and congregational leaders.
“Communicating our values is one of our most important roles as denominational leaders,” mentioned MC USA Govt Director Glen Guyton. “We want to use the technology available to share with our members and give them a glimpse of how people are living into our mission in various ways across MC USA.”
“Lead/Follow”
“Lead/Follow” (mennoniteusa.org/leadfollow) is a video podcast for pastors and congregational leaders, hosted by Guyton. Throughout a relaxed, half-hour dialog, he talks with people throughout the denomination, digging deep to uncover insights, inspiration and techniques to equip those that are main others to observe Jesus.
Every season of “Lead/Follow” will characteristic 10 weekly episodes targeted on a central theme. There shall be two seasons annually, launching within the spring and the autumn.
The primary season, which debuts Might 1, 2024, addresses methods to have interaction with youth and younger adults, from Gen Alpha to Gen Z. Subjects embrace fostering resilience and psychological wellbeing, encouraging religious progress, connecting by means of service, gathering round a peace witness, constructing religion at residence and extra. Company embrace pastors, psychological well being consultants, educators and younger individuals from throughout the denomination.
Within the first episode, Amy Zimbelman, convention minister for MC USA’s Mountain States Mennonite Convention, shares concerning the convention’s Future Anabaptist Leaders program that permits 18- to 30-year-olds to discover management roles in church buildings and affiliated ministries.
The “Lead/Follow” podcast is finest considered on MC USA’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@MennonitesUSA). Watch the primary episode right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFaoVIPhc48. The audio portion can be out there on Apple and Spotify.
The primary two seasons of “Lead/Follow” are sponsored by The Schowalter Basis.
“The Competent Pastor”
“The Competent Pastor,” is an audio podcast of MC USA’s Church Vitality division, hosted by Michael Danner, affiliate govt director for Church Vitality, and Rachel Ringenberg Miller, denominational minister for Ministerial Management, particularly for pastors.
“Pastoring is an essential vocation in the church,” Danner mentioned.
Every episode will characteristic an in-depth dialog with an skilled MC USA credentialed chief that begins with a single query, “What is the most important skill of a competent pastor?” The episodes shall be launched month-to-month, starting this spring.
“Congregational ministry has a large learning curve, and pastors never stop encountering new and challenging aspects of the job,” mentioned Ringenberg Miller. “We wondered, then, what specific skill helps pastors navigate the ever-changing landscape of congregational ministry? What skills do pastors value most in congregational ministry?”
Preliminary friends will embrace Melissa Florer-Bixler, pastor of Raleigh (North Carolina) Mennonite Church; Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, affiliate dean of Jap Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Guyton, and Rod Stafford, lead pastor of Portland (Oregon) Mennonite Church.
“Often saying someone is competent is a polite way of saying they’re good enough, but not great,” mentioned Danner, explaining the genesis of the podcast’s identify. “The truth is, that being competent is a high bar when talking about the various skills and tasks facing pastors. It is also an acknowledgment that pastors will not be great at everything, but there are some things that they need to be able to do and do well,” he added.
“The Competent Pastor” shall be out there quickly on Apple and Spotify.
Mennonite Church USA is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, based in 2002 by the merger of the Mennonite Church and the Common Convention Mennonite Church. Members of this historic peace church search to observe Jesus by rejecting violence and resisting injustice. MC USA’s Renewed Commitments state the next shared commitments amongst its various physique of believers: to observe Jesus, witness to God’s peace and expertise the transformation of the Holy Spirit. Mennoniteusa.org
Written by MC USA workers.
“Well bless their hearts.”
