WDC-Stories Archives - Western District Conference

News Release for Nurturing Children Initiative

News Release for Nurturing Children Initiative Western District Conference of Mennonite Church USA Contact: Kathy Neufeld Dunn, Associate Conference Minister 316-283-6300, kathynd@mennowdc.org October 8, 2024 Western District Conference of Mennonite Church […]

Listen (or Not)!

Jesus said many times over, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” As a trained mediator and on conference ministry staff, I think I’m a pretty decent listener much […]

Sharing God’s Goodness

Recently I joined a group of church leaders at an out-of-town training conference, and one evening we went out for supper and then stopped for dessert at a Dairy Queen. […]

Witnessing the Faithful Givers

The Widow’s Offering Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in […]

What is our “Why”?

*Pictured: Families watch Pastors Laura Goerzen and Luke Unruh lead Communion at First Mennonite Church, Newton KS. Recently I attended an organizational meeting for a new small group at my […]

Rooted, Renewed, and Restructured for the mission.

We are about to enter the fall season and as I travel the roads visiting congregations, I can’t help but compare the changing seasons to the life cycle that churches […]

“Foundational Hope”

I’ve been hearing a lot about hope in the news and on podcasts recently. That makes me wonder, “How do you define hope? How do you live out your hope?” As […]

Worthy of God’s call

*Pictured: “Fields of Hope”, a sculpture by artists Ann Zerger and Chip Parker recently dedicated in Moundridge, KS, by the Moundridge Arts Council and the Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical […]

Growing Together as a Spiritual Family

On Sunday, our pastor was preaching on the power of our spiritual family (at church in particular) for growth in faith. As Palmer Becker writes in What is an Anabaptist Christian?, […]

Western District Conference gathers for 116th Annual Assembly

*Pictured: Delon Martens, now former WDC Moderator, leads the 2024 WDC Assembly Delegate Session. Photo by Caleb Gingerich Approximately 170 people gathered for the Annual Assembly of Western District Conference, […]

WDC Dismantling Racism Action Team Article

*Pictured: Gilberto Hernandez, member of San Antonio Mennonite Church The WDC Dismantling Racism Action Team will periodically offer articles in the WDC newsletter, featuring stories and resources related to racial […]

Gardening and Gathering

Early in Spring I sort through my garden seeds, tossing out what is outdated and keeping seeds that might still germinate. I clear away dead plants and left-over weeds from […]

A Unique Library

What makes the WDC Resource Library special? We have a curated collection of faith-based resources to help people of all ages grow in faith and their relationship with God. We […]

Our collective efforts will transform lives, strengthened communities, and a growing witness to God’s Kingdom

The calling of the Western District Conference (WDC) Church Planting Commission to plant new churches is a beacon of hope and renewal, grounded in the vibrant Anabaptist tradition. By fostering […]

Young Adults and REAL Faith Formation

Want to reach out to young adults? Do you want to do authentic faith formation together with them? Get comfortable with doubt. Young adults don’t want easy “Sunday School” answers. They can […]

Why do we gather?

Why do we gather? This question is posed by facilitator and author Priya Parker, in her book The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters. Our lives […]

Why You Might Not Like Your Estate Plan

In my work in charitable gift planning for some 26 years, I have come to understand that many consider the topic of estate planning with the same dread as tax […]

Unsung Heroes

*Pictured: Jennie’s daughter sketching the statue of George Washington Carver as a boy in the woods at George Washington Carver National Monument, June 2024. Last night we arrived home from […]

Empowering Leadership Training in Church Planting with Integrating Cultural Values

*Pictured: Gilberto Flores, WDC pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Anabautista Casa de Paz in Guatemala City, works with leaders of WDC church plant, Iglesia Arca de Salvación in Uspantán, Guatemala. Developing […]

Thoughts on Real Community

Our Annual Assembly theme is “In Community We Transform.” How do we recognize real community? I have said, “I recognize it when I see it—or when I’m in the midst of […]