Dan Koop Liechty, director of alumni engagement, and Trisha Handrich, major gift officer.

Faculty, students present at MCUSA Convention in Cincinnati

Goshen College faculty, staff and students are scheduled to present workshops during the hybrid and in-person and online Mennonite Church USA biennial convention, or MennoCon21, July 6-10, 2021 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Several employees, including President Rebecca Stoltzfus her spouse Kevin Miller, are available at the Goshen College booth in the exhibit hall, and GC will host an alumni and friends reception on Thursday, July 8 at 9 p.m.

The presentations include:

Breanna Nickel

Breanna J. Nickel, assistant professor of Bible & religion
Adapting the Meaning of a Mennonite College Education | July 7, 9 a.m.
This seminar explores the meaning of denominational-based college education. It includes stories of church-college relations in the last century, but the main subject is the recent approach of U.S. Mennonite colleges. Questions include: 1) how has “Mennonite education” changed over time? 2) how do colleges embody a denominational identity? 3) what makes a beneficial church/college relationship? and 4) how will college missions keep changing in light of increasingly non-Mennonite student bodies?

Headshot of Jennifer Schrock

Jennifer Schrock, administrative assistant for international education and director of Mennonite Creation Care Network
Reading the Bible through the Lens of Climate Change | July 7, 1:30 p.m.
“You may think the Bible has nothing to say about climate change because this is a modern problem. But what if we ask, “Was there ever a time when biblical people could see disaster coming but felt powerless to stop it?” Suddenly, the whole book is about climate change. Find hope and nourishing spiritual roots for an uncertain future.

Rustin Nyce, head track & field, cross country coach & assistant athletic director
Being a Competitive Athlete AND Mennonite | July 7, 4:15 p.m. (Online), July 9, 2:45 p.m., July 10, 9 a.m.
Find out how athletics can be a conduit to share Mennonite history and values as we consider the ways we win, compete and lose. We’ll discuss how strength and power can be perceived as positive attributes for Mennonite athletes.

Jerrell and Jane Ross Richer

Jerrell Ross Richer, professor of economics, and Jane Ross Richer
Two Way Mission | July 8, 9 a.m. | July 9, 1:30 p.m.
Many of us have had eye-opening experiences living in other countries or relating to people in contexts different from our own.  How can we integrate what we have learned from one setting into another?  Jane and Jerrell Ross Richer migrate between the Global South and Global North each year, being in the Ecuadorian rainforest with indigenous people and doing life in Goshen, Indiana.  Learn how our diverse experiences in varied contexts can help us see, hear and live with authenticity wherever we may be.

Suzanne Ehst, professor of education
Teaching Tools for Church Contexts | July 9, 1:30 p.m
Wish you could become a better teacher in your church? This seminar will describe various instructional strategies that could be adapted for any age group and is designed to equip those who do not have formal teacher training but teach in church contexts like Sunday school, Bible school, or camp. Specific topics will include 1) ways to facilitate discussion to promote balanced participation and active listening; 2) structures for interpreting and responding to text; 3) learning strategies that involve the body and movement for all ages; 4) the value of “backward design,” or developing your plan in light of your desired outcome.

Students Laura Miller, Samantha Shank, Talia Miller, Emma Nouri, and Katie Baer and Suzanne Ehst, professor of education
Becoming an Effective Bystander: Sexual Assault Intervention & Prevention | July 9, 2:45 p.m.
Student educators from Goshen College’s Prevention Intervention Network (PIN) will introduce what it means to be a prosocial bystander who is able to intervene in a range of instances related to sexual assault and misconduct. They will discuss the concepts related to sexual violence, with the goal of equipping participants with an understanding of how they can intervene before, during, and after an incident in order to create healthy and survivor supportive communities.

Jennifer Schrock, administrative assistant for international education and director of Mennonite Creation Care Network
Congregations Caring for Creation: Four Starting Points | July 9, 2:45 p.m.
Effective creation care requires a long-term commitment and strategic planning, not just a few random activities. Katie Isaac, a former research fellow with the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions, spent a year listening to a wide range of congregations and designing a series of plans to guide them. Hear from Katie, congregants who have used the plans and Jennifer Schrock of Mennonite Creation Care Network.

Jerrell Ross Richer, professor of economics
Becoming Carbon Positive | July 10, 9 a.m.
We live in an interconnected world, one where the actions we take affect people all over the globe.  How can those of us living in the industrialized nations of the Global North become pro-active when it comes to climate change?  A group of environmental economics students at Goshen College is developing a mechanism to do just this.  Equip yourself to become carbon positive by learning how to onset greenhouse gas emissions and take better care of God’s creation.

Robert Brenneman, professor of criminal justice & sociology
Friendship and Community in the Digital Age | July 10, 9 a.m.
This seminar will examine some of the threats to community, mental health and friendship posed by the proliferation of screens and media competition for our attention. COVID has further weakened our “social muscles” after months of avoiding contact with those outside our bubble. We’ll consider the threats we face — not only physical but social — and how we will “re-build” our social muscles as individuals and communities.

In addition to these Goshen College employees and students, many alumni and former employees are presenting workshops and involved in other ways during this convention. See a full list of workshops.