Weekly Word

Iglesia Menonita Rey de Gloria has been operating a summer daycare for many years and had been planning their summer programs when COVID-19 hit and School Districts closed in mid-April.  The daycare fills the supervision void left when schools close for the summer but parents must continue to work without means to pay for full-time […]

By Kevin B. Santiago on April 29, 2020 Change is difficult. Like cement, the older we get the more set in our ways we become. Serving as a pastor in a congregation that has a substantial older demographic comes with its challenges. Most of my congregants are over twice my age and some three times […]

The town of Greensburg, Kansas was devastated by an EF5 tornado on the evening of May 4, 2007.  Pastor Jeff Blackburn of Greensburg Mennonite Church published his reflections of that night and the following years in a book, Light at the end of the Funnel: A Journey Through Disaster and Trauma, on the 10th anniversary […]

Regional Conference Minister Howard Keim’s normal pattern had been to have a monthly hour-long conversation with the pastor of each congregation he serves.  When the pandemic crisis began to build he contacted each of them individually and noted that they were doing things a bit differently but all had ideas that might benefit others.  After […]

Eden Life Youth gather for discipleship (photo taken before COVID outbreak) Hanna Aganya, church planter in Kansas City, has expressed appreciation for the Bethel Mennonite Church Youth Group that visited two times over the last three years.  She said, “The first time that they visited, Eden Life was looking for a meeting place for our […]

Though it feels long ago and would be impossible in our current world, we would like to share with you Howard (Church Growth and Visioning Team Chair) and Cathy Wagler’s reflections on their visit to south Texas a few months ago to visit some SCC pastors and churches.  We delivered 36 detainee kits/backpacks from MCC […]

Zach Batson, Associate Pastor at Journey@McPherson was licensed towards ordination by Regional Conference Minister Clarence Rempel on January 26. It was also the 7th Anniversary of the beginning of the church. Zach came to a fullness of faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized in the early years of the church. He was mentored by […]

Since 2015 SCC has been supporting the IBA program from Mennonite Education Association with tuition assistance for students in Matamoros, Mexico.  The IBA program exists to provide biblical training to Hispanic leaders, increasing their theological and spiritual maturity.          SCC has supported four pastors in Matamoros for five years, from their first […]

Four years ago Pleasant View Mennonite Church began using an Annual Evaluation Tool as a way of yearly  “taking the temperature” of the congregation. This short questionnaire asked congregants to evaluate pastors, elders, and even participation.  Being so close to specific situations, however, congregational leaders had struggled to compile and summarize the results without getting […]

The ministry of South Central Conference is to equip and encourage congregations through disciple making.  One of the ways congregations are equipped is through Regional Conference Minister (RCM) support, particularly during pastoral transitions.  RCMs do much of their work behind the scenes, in contact mostly with only the pastor(s), candidates, and search committee.  RCMs walk […]