Alumni
Did you know that over 600 pastors in Mennonite Mission Network-connected churches are alumni of our service programs? It’s true!
Those numbers are no accident.
As an alum of our service programs, you already know the impact that a service experience can have on the life of a participant. Putting your faith into action, experiencing life from a different perspective and forming community with others are not easy things to do. They are, however, experiences that help us grow. They allow us to experience God in formative ways. They strengthen our bonds to our communities of faith.
Alumni newsletter
In Alumni Connections, you’ll find uplifting stories from Mission Network’s service programs. As you read, think about how your service experience has affected your connection to your faith community.
- What was changed?
- What was strengthened?
If your service experience was formational for you, consider sharing your story with your congregation. Going by the numbers, your pastor may be able to relate!
Alumni Stories
Alumni Perspectives
Service Adventure is a good way to explore your own faith apart from your parents, and kind of like, what they’ve built for you. It’s really good to explore that and make your faith your own instead of just being you living your parent’s faith.
- Anna Millsap
- Anna served with Service Adventure in Jackson, Mississippi
There’s always more to the story than you know, and we, as humans, long to care for each other and help where we can. Maria Skobtsova House is a wonderful opportunity for us to plug into that possibility.
- Kathy Howell
- Kathy served with SOOP at the Maria Skobtsova House in Calais, France
To this day I still credit my term with Service Adventure as one of the most influential experiences in my life. It not only led me to my current career, but opened many doors for me, gave me a new ‘family,’ and ultimately changed the way that I view the world.
- Erin Graber
- Erin served with Service Adventure in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Something that I’ve learned a lot about is social justice and how to participate in that. Coming from a context of being a college student and hearing about all of these protests but not really being involved in any of them, it’s been really cool to learn more about that process and get involved and be able to make my voice heard in some of these actions.
- Conrad Liechty
- Conrad served with Mennonite Voluntary Service in San Francisco, California
Serving as an environmental advocate for the greater Madison community was more than just a year-long commitment. It was an experience that helped shape my vocation.
- Mikhail Fernandes
- Mikhail served with Mennonite Voluntary Service at the Audubon Society in Madison, Wisconsin.
What I would say to somebody on the fence about MVS is you get to live in a cool place. You get to live in community with other people — built-in friends, in a way. And, it’s a way to explore who you are. And, have a break before you go into your major career or whatever else you want to do in your life.
- Schyler Entz
- Schyler served with Mennonite Voluntary Service in Tucson, Arizona
We learn as we relate with churches that are diverse. It helps to bring us into a deeper understanding of God and what God calls us to do.
- Linda Shelly
- Linda served as Regional Director for Latin America at Mennonite Mission Network
We’re here to experience the community and be part of it. I’ve learned a lot about how I experience Mennonite religion and culture through that, and learned a lot better about how to talk about it. That’s not something I was expecting.
- Conrad Liechty
- Conrad served with Mennonite Voluntary Service in San Francisco, California
After college, some of my friends moved to a new city and had trouble meeting people and building up a sense of community. MVS is really good at creating community, both within your unit, within your house, as well as your place of work, and within the broader community. I would say that I have really found that community in Alamosa.
- Josh Kennell
- Josh Kennell served with Mennonite Voluntary Service in Alamosa, Colorado
We need to fight the temptation that we are self-suffiecient and that we have all the answers and we learn everything just by talking to ourselves. Our relationship with Benin Bible Institute reminds us that we are part of something larger. It also helps keep us in a posture of curiosity and learning. Our relationship with Benin Bible Institute gives us a fuller understanding of who God is and what it means to faithfully follow Jesus.
- Cindy Voth
- Cindy is lead pastor at Waterford Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana
