Expect to be welcomed & included. You’ll drive around back to parking lot or park your bike in the rack on the west end of the church, then as you come in the main doors, you'll be welcomed by one of our greeters or ushers. Just to the right of your entrance you will see the Welcome Counter (with words of Welcome in 5 languages) with information about the church and often someone standing behind the counter before and after worship to answer questions you may have. They may offer you some materials about our church or the Mennonite (Anabaptist) tradition in case you have never been to a Mennonite church before. We offer a nursery for younger children during worship, and Formation (Sunday School) classes for 2-year-olds through adults following worship during the school calendar year.
Expect to be accepted. The dress code is usually casual and not the plain dress of the Amish and Old Order Mennonite that you may see in some Indiana, Ohio or Pennsylvania counties or in photographs. About half of our congregation grew up outside the Mennonite tradition so many different styles of singing and worship find their way into our Sunday services. Our worship includes singing, scripture, and hopefully a thought-provoking and challenging sermon with story given by one of our pastoral team or a guest speaker. We often include dramatic readings, skits, or storytelling. Often in the worship hour, we give opportunity for sharing for those who want to speak or ask for prayers.
Expect to be empowered. A big part of the Mennonite tradition is a focus on peace and social justice in the name of Christ and working within our local communities to promote reconciliation and understanding. Former and current members of our congregation have founded or started Hope Ministries, the St. Joseph County chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Community for Peace and Non-Violence, the Granger location of Ten Thousand Villages, the Southfield Village retirement community, and Vesper Chorale (Musical Arts of Indiana). Members work in a variety of professions and trades; education, health, and social service, but also in business and industry and incomes cross the economic divides. The congregation has five regional Area Groups and numerous small group that seek to equip our members to stay connected to God and to one another and support growth in faith and discipleship.
