1. Many ways to worship

I appreciated the Mennonite Church USA convention for the multiple ways we could worship. From the morning hymn sings to evening worship with a worship band, I felt there was something for everyone. I don’t believe worship is “about us,” or our preferences. That being said, we have different ways of connecting with God. For some of us, that is through song, scripture or the message. I felt convention did an excellent job of creating space to connect to all elements of worship, leading to times of comfort and times of stretching ourselves.

2. Women in Leadership conference

What I most appreciated about convention was the Women in Leadership conference that happened the day before. Seeing women from all across the denomination gather together to fellowship and equip one another was powerful. I especially appreciated the focus on rest and rest being resistance. The pace of the conference was such that I felt like I had space to breathe, which is sometimes difficult at convention! I also walked away with some amazing homemade stuff from the silent auction that was a fundraiser for Women in Leadership.

3. Disability advocacy

One of the most powerful worship services for me was a panel discussion that took place on Thursday evening. The focus was on disabilities and mental health, topics that some church folk might be reticent to talk about. The panelists did an excellent job sharing from personal and professional experience, and the questions were deep and pertinent. I would encourage any congregation to use this format as a way of storytelling to approach difficult topics that happen in the life of the church. In short, all of us are impacted by mental health and the reality of disabilities, whether we live with it, those close to us live with it, or not! It impacts everyone.

4. It’s ok if you can’t do everything

We all have FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. There’s so much to do at convention. There are many seminars, events, dinners and get-togethers that can happen! And at least for me, there are people I haven’t seen in years with whom I always want to connect. But I continue to reflect on the invitation to rest that I heard at the Women in Leadership conference. We can’t do everything. There’s always yet another thing we can do at convention that looks interesting and enriching. Embracing what we have capacity for is not only essential in places like convention, but life in general.

5. Introvert time needed

My friend describes herself as a “low extrovert,” and I’ve found her definition applicable to me as well. I get some energy from group settings, but I get the most energy from one-to-one or small group settings. And after a while, I’m done! I reach my limit, and I can’t “people” anymore. I need time alone to recharge. This balance is difficult at places like convention. And as I stated previously, this is also difficult in our everyday lives when we have so many demands on our attention. I think allowing ourselves permission to show up as we are, without judgment of ourselves, is key. Whether extroverted, introverted, or somewhere in between, we all have needs. And those needs are ok.