About

We are part of Central District Conference; The CDC is an affiliation of 40 congregations from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida and Virginia. We are one of 21 conferences that make up Mennonite Church USA, which was formed in 2002 by the merger of the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Church. We share a common mission the congregations of the Central District:

Promoting a Christ-like community of hospitality where grace-filled relationships flourish, and patience and generosity are practiced.
Calling and nurturing wise, dynamic and compassionate Anabaptist leadership.
Supporting missional partnerships that make God’s reign visible and fostering ministries of evangelism, healing and hope.

KNOWING CHRIST’S LOVE. . . ANSWERING GOD’S CALL

Our Journey

In October of 2007, a group of Anabaptist believers in Berne, Indiana, began to “wonder aloud” about beginning a fellowship guided by the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective. We understand confessions of faith as mile markers on our journey, providing us an “updated interpretation of belief and practice in the midst of changing times” (Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, 1995, p. 8). We continue to reference the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective as one of our foundational documents. At the same time, we are open to and grateful for the Spirit’s leading into new understandings of faithful witness to the way of Jesus in 2016 and beyond.

This small group met monthly for worship and to ponder the possibilities of forming a new fellowship. Our first formal worship was held in January of 2008, and by August of the same year, we began meeting weekly for worship. The Fellowship seeks to be a Christian community of love and service, sharing the Good News of shalom as we invite people to be followers of Jesus Christ.

Led by the Spirit, we seek to participate in the Kingdom of God, known to us through Jesus, reconciling and restoring all things in Christ. Our mission is to share with others the gift of God’s love through worship, witness and life together.

Just like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, (Luke 24), we recognize that we continue on a journey toward greater recognition of the Spirit of Jesus among us. We are grateful for God’s unending gifts of grace and peace as together we share life’s joys and sorrows. We invite anyone who is interested in discovering a faith in an Anabaptist perspective, who is attracted to reflective, engaging worship, and who longs for participation in a committed, caring community, to come and worship with us.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

The Center of Our Faith

We identify ourselves as Christians with an Anabaptist perspective on faith and life. (There’s more explanation about that in the link below.) We often speak of these three core values as we discuss the meaning of Scripture for our lives today and as we make decisions.

Our Core Values

Jesus is the center of our faith.
Community is the center of our lives.
Reconciliation is the center of our work.

For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid down, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11

What is an Anabaptist Christian

by Palmer Becker

Christians with an Anabaptist perspective on faith and life have existed from the very beginning of the Christian era. Even today, in nearly every group of churches and perhaps in nearly every congregation, there are people who have understandings of the Christian faith similar to those held in the Anabaptist tradition. Anabaptist is a way of being Christian. Just as there are Anglican, Baptist and Lutheran Christians, so there are Anabaptist Christians.“ Anabaptist” is an invented name meaning “re-baptizers.” It was given to 16th-century Christians who saw little value in infant baptism and, therefore, baptized each other as adults upon confession of faith. These Anabaptist Christians were the forerunners of today’s Mennonite Christians and many others in the Free Church tradition. Anabaptist/Mennonite Christians hold many beliefs in common with other believers. They believe in a personal three-in-one God who is

both holy and gracious, in salvation by grace through repentance and faith, in the humanity and divinity of Jesus, in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and in thechurch as the body of Christ. But they often hold these convictions somewhat differently than others.

Anabaptists are sometimes identified as the left wing of the Protestant Reformation. They rose up in a time of social and economic upheaval and were intent on carrying further the reformation begun by Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. Christians of an Anabaptist perspective have throughout history placed strong emphasis on following Jesus in daily life, being covenanted with each other in Christ-centered community, and seeking to overcome conflict in nonviolent ways. Read more…

FAQ

Where do we meet?

We gather for study and worship each Sunday morning at our meeting place, 1195 Hendricks Street in Berne, Indiana. We enjoy our view of the fields and neighborhoods along the Conoper Trail. The facilities are handicapped accessible. During the week, we meet for all kinds of activities: meetings, coffee hour, play time, sewing bees, and cleaning too!

When do we meet?

Join us for Coffee and Fellowship at 8:45am. Our Sojourners Study hour begins at 9:00am. Worship is at 10:15am.

What should I expect?

A caring community sharing God’s love, mercy and justice

About Us

At Emmaus Road Mennonite Fellowship, in our walk to be more Christlike, we recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all persons.

We recognize that each person is made in the image of God, loved by God, and given gifts by God to serve the church and our community.

We welcome all races, ethnicities, physical and intellectual abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, marital statuses, ages, educational levels, and financial and immigration status into full participation in all aspects of church life. This includes baptism, marriage, and lay and pastoral leadership.

We recognize that there are many injustices in our community, nation and the world that are inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. We name and address these injustices, believing that part of our mission as a people of God is to be truth-tellers, justice-seekers, and peacemakers.

We begin at 9:00am with Sojourners, an opportunity to develop friendships and to dig deeper into the Bible as well as matters of faith and life. The discussions share prayer and life concerns and support for each other.

Our worship service begins at 10:15am with the children bringing the Light of Christ.

All are invited to participate.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we follow Jesus…

In the Spirit …
We seek to grow in the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our community as we more closely follow Jesus together.

In service …
We share in God’s work of caring for one another, within our Fellowship, and throughout the world. We are a servant church.

In celebration …
We begin our worship with our children bringing the Light of Christ. As an intergenerational community we celebrate Jesus’s life and God’s movement in the world around us. We joyfully journey with each other as we grow into full maturity in Christ

In justice and peace …
We seek wholeness in our own relationships, with our neighbors, around the world, and in the creation. Non-violence is core to our beliefs.