Seminary Alums Launch Blog for Young Adults

Where do young adults go to discuss what’s right with the church, not just what’s wrong with it?

Two Eastern Mennonite Seminary alumni have created a blog and web magazine to provide a forum for young adults who are committed to staying in the institutional church but want to discuss what that means.

"Work and Hope: Finding Christ in the Church" was created by Jeremy Yoder, a 2010 graduate currently living in Baltimore, Md., and Laura Lehman Amstutz, a 2006 alumna, a Harrisonburg resident. Both completed the three-year master of divinity degree program.

Perspectives on faith, heritage and more

Their blog and quarterly online magazine will attempt to bring together various young adult perspectives about the church.

The first issue of the magazine was launched July 20 and focused on the theme, "Why am I [still] Mennonite" or in the case of one writer "Why am I [still] Brethren."

Six contributors address this question, citing family connections, ethical understandings and a commitment to a heritage and theology that makes sense to them.

Work and Hope

"We chose ‘Work and Hope’ for the blog’s title because are the words in the inscription on many editions of the ‘Martyrs Mirror,’ the historical account of Anabaptist martyrs," said Yoder. "It also signifies the perseverance we believe the church needs to survive."

"We feel like there’s been much emphasis on that segment of our generation who is leaving the church," Amstutz added. "We wanted to create a place for those of us who are staying to discuss what that means for us."

About the editors

Amstutz and Yoder are hoping to attract a wide cross-section of writers for the quarterly magazine from across the Anabaptist-Mennonite faith tradition and perspective.

The editors, Yoder and Amstutz, will also be blogging regularly about other topics related and tangential to their commitment to the church.

Yoder is currently looking for a ministry position within a Mennonite congregation. Amstutz is admissions associate and communication coordinator for Eastern Mennonite Seminary.