Despite feeling some discomfort with the Letter to the Hebrews and the idea of writing a commentary, Debra Bucher just released her Believers Church Bible Commentary on Hebrews. She shares her principles and how she worked through the discomfort. Debra Bucher grew up in the Church of the Brethren, an Anabaptist denomination, and is co-author of the Believers Church Bible Commentary volume on Hebrews. Her day job is head of collections and discovery at Vassar College Libraries in Poughkeepsie, New York. She also loves to sing, read, bake, garden, play music and take walks in the beautiful Hudso ..read more

Sarah Augustine recounts a moment early in her time on the Yakama Indian Reservation, when she realized that children have an important place among the tribal community, not segregated from their parents. This blog post is in celebration of Mother’s Day, May 12. Sarah Augustine, who is a Pueblo (Tewa) descendant, is co-founder and executive director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. She is also the co-founder of Suriname Indigenous Health Fund, where she has worked in relationship with vulnerable Indigenous peoples since 2005. Sarah is a mother, grandmother, wi ..read more

After years of avoiding pastoral ministry, Jen Shenk felt a calling that she needed to say “yes” to. Her position as campus pastor officially began on Aug. 1, 2023, after she served as interim pastor in April and May 2023.  This post is part of Mennonite Church USA’ Follow Jesus series, which highlights how individuals, congregations, conferences and organizations are living into discipleship today. Sadie Brenneman is a junior at Goshen (Indiana) College, studying journalism and marketing. She is from Goshen and is a member of Belmont Mennonite Church, in Elkhart, Indiana ..read more

Jenna Liechty Martin identifies what makes camp such a special place for faith formation. This post is part of Mennonite Church USA’ Follow Jesus series, which highlights how individuals, congregations, conferences and organizations are living into discipleship today. Jenna Liechty Martin lives and works at Camp Friedenswald, in Cassopolis, Michigan, where she has served as the executive director for ten years. She is a member of Eighth Street Mennonite Church, in Goshen, Indiana. ____________________________________ At a recent MC USA Constituency Leaders Council meeting, I had the ..read more

Having grown up  in Texas, Hannah Koester felt distant from China — her birth country — and her cultural heritage. Her Mennonite faith has helped her feel safe to explore what it means to be Chinese. This blog post is in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which runs through the month of May. Hannah Koester, or “HK”, is originally from China, by way of Texas. She currently lives in Pasadena, California, and attends Pasadena Mennonite Church. She enjoys attending vigils for Palestine on Monday nights with her community, playing Dungeons and Dragons (Dn ..read more

Chris Meyer reflects on his passion for creation care, on behalf of Everence and his own family, reminding us how much we all have invested in caring for creation — and how rarely we stop to bask in its glory. This article was first published in Green Money Journal in February 2024. Republished with permission. This blog is part of the ongoing Learn, Pray, Join: Climate Justice: Seeking Shalom series. MC USA’s Climate Justice Ministry is sponsored by Everence. Chris Meyer is the stewardship investing advocacy and research manager at Everence. By day, Chris leads the corporate engagement ..read more

Janet Szabo share how, after a period of declining attendance, Mountain View Mennonite Church is experiencing a spring new life, through active church participation from adults and children alike. This post is part of Mennonite Church USA’ Follow Jesus series, which highlights how individuals and congregations are living into discipleship today.  Janet Szabo is a member of Mountain View Mennonite Church, in Kalispell, Montana, where she serves as the pianist. She also hosts a weekly sewing podcast and teaches sewing and knitting classes around the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband li ..read more

Pasadena Mennonite Church helped foster Celeste Sharp’s passion for the environment. This interest has led Celeste to pursue an education agroecology, with hopes of providing people with more sustainable food systems and practices. This blog is part of the ongoing Learn, Pray, Join: Climate Justice: Seeking Shalom series. Celeste Sharp grew up attending Pasadena Mennonite Church. Celeste is currently a first year student at the University of California Santa Cruz and is studying agroecology. _________________________________________________ I wasn’t born a Mennonite, but growing up at Pasadena ..read more

In February, Chialis Thuan Santoso attended MC USA’s Hope for the Future 2024 conference. In this blog, she reflects on what she learned and how it applies to her life as a sojourner in Christ. Chialis Thuan Santoso is originally from Indonesia. She is married to Andi Santoso, and she is the mother of two daughters: Phoebe Liem and Chloe Liem. Chialis is a reflective practitioner in Christ, who is currently working on earning a Master of Arts in Christian Formation at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. She enjoys listening to Christian songs and loves teaching and working with women, you ..read more

Troubled by feeling of impending danger, despair, panic and doom, Ingrid Friesen Moser uses controlled breath to help her worship. Ingrid Friesen Moser, MA, RDN, has worked in wellness for over 25 years. In addition to her role as wellness coordinator with Mennonite Church USA’s (MC USA) Corinthian Plan, the health plan for MC USA pastors and church workers, she works with children and adults at Maple City Health Care Center in Goshen, Indiana. Her degrees in nutrition (Goshen College) and Christian formation (AMBS) reflect her passion for the intersection of health and wellness wit ..read more