An Important Message from CMF Council
Joel's Sabbatical

Joel has completed five years of service with our congregation and we are looking forward to his continuing ministry with us. The leadership development offices of Mennonite Church USA recommend a three-month sabbatical for pastors every four years. At Council we have been in discussion with Joel over the past two years to determine what would be the best time for his sabbatical. Summer of 2011 emerged during the past year as the best possibility.
         Joel has worked hard to determine a course of reflection, study, engagement and renewal which best fits his needs and that will equip him for the next phase of ministry within our congregation. In Council we reviewed this plan with Joel and approved it at our last meeting.
         We look forward to this time of sabbatical for Joel. We will look forward eagerly to his return as he begins to share with us his reflections from this period of intense meditation and study, and as he resumes his ministry with us upon return.
         For the period of his absence Council reviewed plans for his absence. Both the Worship Committee and the Spiritual Leadership Team are working on plans for congregational life during his absence and are in communication with Council as they develop them. We expect that this period will permit the cultivation of the gifts of members that have not been widely utilized in our common life and a time to test some different possibilities in our worship life. We thank both the Worship Committee and the Spiritual Leadership Team for their open spirit and their diligence as they have approached plans for this period. We think that this will be a very good and interesting time for the Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship.
John K., Council Chair

Pastor's Perspective by Joel M.
This summer I and my family will be on Sabbatical during the months of June, July, and August. Sabbatical, as I am approaching it this time around, is a time of both rest and activity,
disengagement from and engagement with issues that pertain to ministry. A time to live in a different routine than the weekly pattern of pastoral work, with the hope that the sabbatical routine will inform and energize pastoral ministry.
The bulk of my sabbatical consists of establishing a daily rhythm of work and study. For the months of June and July, this consists of living and working, along with Abbie and the girls, on my parents' farm in Bellefontaine, Ohio. I plan to have half days of working in the garden, in the field, and with the animals. The other half of these days I will be studying. I would like for my studies to begin with topics of ecology, gardening, and sustainable living, and move toward theology and spirituality, ending with integrating these insights into pastoral theology and practice. A key part of this component will be having study partners for different books/topics. I plan to arrange for conversation and mutual reflection among a number of peers throughout the summer. These will happen face to face, over the phone, and online.
Part of the impulse to pursue this focus at this time is a desire for deeper integration of my own person. I have roots on the farm but have spent most of my adult years in urban areas. I have a growing appreciation for the wisdom of the natural world and feel that this is an area to which I have given little attention up to this point. Having extended time to be in a routine that includes being close to the land, with plenty of time for study and contemplation, feels like an important step for me and our family. Being at the place where I grew up adds to the richness of the experience.
The Sabbatical also includes other blocks of time that widen this focus and connect with
pastoral ministry. I'll be beginning and ending the Sabbatical with a personal retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where Trappist monk and peace activist Thomas Merton lived. I plan to visit various congregations around the area for Sunday worship.
I'll be attending the Mennonite Church Convention in Pittsburgh. I'll be leading a
weekend church retreat for St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship on the topic of Healthy
Sexuality, drawing from the work I did in the September 2010 series at Cincinnati
Mennonite. And one of the things I'm most looking forward to is a class through the
Appalachian Forest School in Southern Ohio titled Trees of the Eastern Temperate Forest: A Tree Recognition and Forest Ecology Class.
During the month of August we'll be back in Cincinnati for the beginning of Eve's school. I'll continue with the study focus and look for different opportunities for some volunteer work in the Cincinnati area.
One of my main understandings of the pastoral role is that pastors are to nurture an
environment where flourishing is possible. I believe I'll be a better pastor having
nurtured my own soul in the ways described above and also having more direct
experience with one of the main areas from which this metaphor comes tending/nurturing the flourishing of life in the natural world.


Look for more information in the coming weeks concerning what we can do to help develop and maintain our congregational life during Pastor Joel's sabbatical.

A Coming of Age Celebration 2011 by Violet S .

On Sunday, January 23, CMF celebrated the coming of age of a new group of 12 and 13-year-olds: Matthew B ., Caroline L . , Vincent S . , and Ben M . . As explained by Pastor Joel, our purpose in this special service is to celebrate our young people as they enter this ``in between'' period as they set out on the journey of adolescence. When a group of children gets around the age of 12, we have this public ritual to let them know clearly that they are leaving childhood behind. They are growing, they are taking on more responsibility, they are discovering their God-given gifts and they are on their way to becoming young women and young men. So we as a community acknowledge this with them, and bless them for the journey ahead, and invite them to begin using these gifts all the more in our church life.
With that in mind, Matthew, Caroline, Vincent, and Ben helped to shape and lead the service. In the weeks leading up to the celebration, they chose the scripture passage from which Pastor Joel preached, formed the service, and chose the hymns for the service. The Bible passage chosen was Genesis 28:10-19. Jacob is leaving home to travel to Haran with his Uncle Laban to find a suitable wife. To this point, Jacob had never been without the guidance or influence of his parents, Rebecca and Isaac, or his twin older brother Esau. He was on his own…or was he?
In his travels, Jacob, not at home and not quite to his destination (a similarity to adolescence) finds himself in this in between land, ready for sleep. Using a rock as a pillow, Jacob soon dreams of a ladder or a stairway, connecting heaven and earth. In the dream, Jacob sees messengers going up and down, showing him that the lines of communication are wide open between the spiritual and the physical worlds and that God is with us wherever we find ourselves.
Pastor Joel went on to say, ``your mentors and teachers and parents and pastor are going to be encouraging you to let your guard down (as you dream), to let these mysterious messengers of God speak to you. Be a dreamer. Listen for God dreaming through you. These hopes that you have for life. These things that you sense deep within you about what is wrong with the world, or what is wonderful about the world, places where you see beauty and joy and love, these pictures that you have in your mind about these things, this is part of the way that God speaks to you. Maybe through dreams at night, but certainly through dreams when you're awake. Martin Luther King Jr. said `I have a dream,' and we know that you also will have a dream that is given to you by God. Listen for God dreaming through you.''
As part of this celebration, Pastor Joel shared his impressions of each youth, reading selections from their individual Coming of Age books that they helped to create, containing their own thoughts and writings, as well as comments and affirmations from many in the congregation ranging from recognition of gifts and talents to words of encouragement. The youth were then presented with the books. Finally, the congregation joined in a litany of blessing.
It was a morning to reflect on the many ways these young people have already made their mark on this congregation, and to eagerly anticipate the many more ways they will continue to bless CMF. It also reminds us that many others are coming along behind, who will also begin to take their places in the life of CMF. It is a great privilege and a great responsibility to have the stewardship of these young people.

As part of a developing process of youth faith formation, the church's children and youth are recognized at several landmark occasions in their spiritual journey. By long-held tradition,
children at CMF receive a bible the year they turn 9. Children are recognized again in the year they turn 12/13 with a coming of age celebration, where their gifts are recognized and affirmed and they begin to assume larger roles in the life of the congregation. It is anticipated that around the age of 15, youth will begin catechism classes with the pastor, which may lead to a decision to receive baptism.

Spotlight on Newer Faces at CMF

2010 was a year of changes for our family, including moving to Cincy and beginning to attend CMF. In June, Maurice and I both finished masters programs at Ohio University (Maurice in philosophy, myself in Social Work). Serenity was born a week before our graduation, just 2 days after I completed my coursework. Maurice is currently working on his PhD in philosophy at UC. I have been thoroughly enjoying my time as a stay-at-home mom but am now in the beginning stages of job-searching (therefore any tips on jobs and childcare are welcome J ).Zao is 3 ½ and enjoys preschool, playing with friends, and music (especially drums). He brings much laughter to our family and keeps us on our toes. Serenity's new-foundobsession is mobility. She crawls, but certainly prefers someone providing a couple of fingers so she can walk where she wants to go. She has been a delightful, happy baby thus far. If Maurice and I had more spare time, we would enjoy hiking, travelling, reading, and cooking together.
Attending a Mennonite church again is somewhat of a return to our roots. I consider it my heritage, as both sides of my family have been Mennonite as far back as I am aware of. I grew up in the small town of Fairview, MI and attended the Mennonite church there from birth till I moved away after high school. My worldview has been shaped by Mennonite beliefs and values. Though Maurice's home church in Bristol, IN left the Mennonite denomination shortly after his family began attending, they maintained similar theology and close connections to the Mennonite church. Maurice and I met through a Mennonite missions program, Reaching And Discipling (RAD, now Radical Journey).
We have appreciated the hospitality we've found at CMF and look forward to getting to know all of you more.

Submitted by Kristen L.

Peace, Justice, Outreach and Service
by Christine S . , Chair

With the new fiscal year, the PJOS committee has reviewed its priorities and made decisions about future efforts and actions. We hope to include the congregation in these ventures as we are led, not just see these as functions of the committee.

         MCC has a long and meaningful history of serving others in the name of Christ. We want to maintain a strong connection with the organization and be involved in their outreach. Rod Stucky is the new congregational representative with MCC.

         Immigratio n is a topic that people have strong and varied positions in our communities and our nation. As a church community that believes our citizenship and allegiance is first to the Kingdom of God and not to a national government, we want to learn how we can best learn, reach out, speak to injustice and have a voice in our local community. There are other groups in the area and our national organization that are working on these issues and we want to join the discussion and action.

         Interfaith Hospitality Networ k provides housing through congregations in the city to families that are homeless. With the First Unitarian Church as the host congregation, we continue as one of the supporting churches to provide meals, activities and an overnight presence.

         Local community need s is an area that we hope to discern how best we can intervene. The community meal and the Oakley Pantry are active outreach areas already established in our Fellowship.

         We recognize that earlier outreach and service activities are now included in other ways in our congregation: Jean S . is the liaison with People Working Cooperatively (PWC) and church members provide help two weekends a year in the community. Violet S . provides leadership with City Gospel Mission outreach.



         If you have a special interest in any of these areas, or have suggestions, let any of us know on the committee (Mary W . , Steve H . , John D . , Rod S . , Tiffany M . , Christine S . ) and we'll be glad to talk with you.

A Big ``Thank You'' to you, CMF!
Submitted for CMF Finance Committee
The Finance Committee would like to announce that our Special Offering collected during this past Advent season raised a total of $621.00 for the Children's Home of Cincinnati! Thanks to everyone for contributing what you could. A special thanks goes out to Connie B. for counting and rolling all the coins for the bank. Everyone's effort is greatly appreciated!!

"Recipe to Beat the Winter Doldrums"
Aka... What the youth are up to this winter by Rachel S .
1. Gather friends
Add Brianne, Jake, Luke, Emily, Heather, Greg, Neil, and Rachel
2. Celebrate
Mix in a rousing basketball game played by Brianne and her team in
Mason.(Brianne's team won. Congrats Brianne!)
And a cheering section by CMF youth
3. Eat
Flavor with Dewey's Pizza.
Dewey's saved the day on a cold winter's night in the church basement
4. Compete
Marinate the group in the competition of goofy games like
Guesstures, Mofia, Ghosts in the Graveyard, and Sardines
5. Rest
Allow group to tenderize in there jammies and sleeping bags
in the church sanctuary
6. Bake
The warmth of friendship and community will soon reach a comforting heat,
bake until the winter chill subsides.


That's right CMFers we had another successful youth lock-in. This is one of the times annually where our youth and leaders get to get together and let our hair hang down and enjoy our growing relationships with one another. Thanks to Joel and Abbie for making sure the building was heated for our event!



Dialogue and Discernment: Summary Statement from CMF Small Groups

The Dialogue and Discernment Committee summarized input from each of the six small groups
that met in November 2010. This outline is a synthesis of those summaries in an attempt to
provide a representation of the positions, concerns, and visions expressed in those groups:

I. Current position (s)

A. We perceive ourselves as welcoming by practice and consider ourselves a seeker congregation
B. All-inclusive Welcoming toward``Closeted'' Openness
1. CMF's position on same sex orientation can be perceived on this spectrum
2. There is a reluctance to define a specific demographic in a welcome statement
3. We want all to feel welcome; concern was expressed whether a statement
would exclude some or call out others

         C. More time needed on the issue
         1. Gather more information; more voices need to be heard
2. We have a tendency to discuss issue without tension,
while action or decision causes conflict
                  3. Concern with whether or not the timing is right

D. Diversity of viewpoints (an overview of various positions from the groups)
1. Develop a focus statement all could agree with
2. Ready for more diversity, to serve as a witness against homophobia
in Cincinnati
3. Small urban church could be at the forefront on this issue
4. Need more information before creating a statement
5. Continue in welcoming tradition without making a ``political'' statement
        6. Questions about purpose of creating a welcome statement about
ramifications of creating a statement
7. Does this flow from the priorities of the congregation? Is this part of the
congregational vision?
                 
II. Church Polity (CMF and Wider-Church Considerations)
A. Wider-Church
1. Concerns about our relationships to conference and national organizations.
a. There is a focus on the wider church
b. Recognition that this question impacts more than CMF congregation
2. Concerns about losing relationship with Ohio conference / importance of
maintaining dual affiliation

B. Congregational level
1. How would having (or not having) a welcoming statement change us?
2. Concerns about pastoral role/official actions
a. Does this affect baptism/ membership?
b. Marriage (expressly mentioned in MCUSA membership guidelines)
c. Is minister in the position to affirm people in a loving relationship?

C. Awareness that discussion was from a status quo / straight perspective
1. Are we taking the center perspective instead of the perspective of the
margins?
2. What are the ramifications for all of us?
a. How will LGBT persons in our church respond if we don't continue this process?
b. We don't want to exclude those who are already in the church by nature
of our stance

III. More information needed

A. Scientific understandings
1. Same sex-orientation as a ``choice''
2. Better understanding of bisexuality and transgender
3. Understanding homophobia; hostility toward LGBT

B. Mennonite Church resources (hearing other voices)
1. Ohio Conference minister
2. Churches who have gone through this process
a. Some have made welcoming statements
b. Some have chosen not to make welcoming statements
c. Understand the ramifications of those decisions
3. Traditional or conservative perspective

C. More Biblical discernment

D. Clarifying ``Welcoming''
1. What does it mean to CMF / MCUSA / Pink Menno / BMC?
2. What language will we use to describe ourselves?
3. How would that language be disseminated?

Submitted by the Dialogue and Discernment Committee: Keith L . ,
Carol L . , Joel M . , Judy H . , Greg K . , and Ron H .
16 December 2010. Printed with permission.

CMF and Inclement Weather

In the event of bad weather and you are wondering whether or not services are canceled, please check your email or call the church office at (513) 871-0035 to listen to the voice mail. Both will be updated to reflect any changes.

May God's Peace be with You .