Paoli Mennonite Fellowship

10/29/2026

We will celebrate All Saints’ Day on November 1st.

Come gather with us this Sunday as we remember and give thanks for those we have loved and who have gone before us. Their lives have shaped ours, and their love continues to nourish us in ways both seen and unseen.

We’re planning to worship together in our outdoor worship area, tucked away in the middle of the woods (unless there’s a downpour! ).

There’s something special about gathering in the beauty of creation, surrounded by trees, leaves, and the quiet reminders that life is always changing and renewing. We might even learn a few things from a leaf!

We’d love to share this sacred time with you. Bring your memories and gratitude.
Come enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, breathe in the woods, and join us as we celebrate the lives and love that continue to shape who we are.

Because love doesn’t end. It keeps growing.

10/28/2026

Why We Are Weird Wednesday… TWO IN ONE DAY!

We had an exceptionally weird Sunday! 😂

At PMF, we invite people from within our congregation (and beyond!) to bring our Sunday meditation because community deepens our understanding of Scripture, grows our faith, and reveals more about God through one another’s experiences.

This Sunday, Rosemary challenged us to see the story of Bathsheba in a whole new light - rejecting patriarchal misogyny, reclaiming the Divine Feminine, and calling us to RISE UP with this ending:

“So rise up as Chokmah, Holy Wisdom. Rise up as the midwives of a new creation, birthing a faith that is fierce, tender, equal, and free. Live your divinely created roles out loud, un-apologetically. MAy you leave this place refusing to be minimized. May you live fiercely, love deeply and embody the beautiful, untamed Divine Feminine that this aching world so desperately needs to heal.”

AMEN! 🙏🏾

We also took time to admire Rosemary’s art - vibrant, mystical icons painted on old barn wood. Like ancient Eastern Orthodox icons, they carry sacred presence while expressing her unique vision. She transformed weathered wood into something alive with color, meaning, and spirit.

So, why might we be considered weird? We make room for new voices, challenge old assumptions, celebrate God-given creativity, and believe faith is always growing and transforming.

10/28/2026

Why We’re Weird Wednesday! 🎃
- Just a fun way to get to know us better!

Pumpkins, a cookout, and some fun! This past Sunday, our mentor-mentees gathered for our annual pumpkin carving. We had a great time getting creative, roasting hot dogs over a fire, and making memories together!

But our mentor-mentee program is about more than pumpkins and cookouts. At age 10, children in our church can ask an adult to be their mentor. This is someone who will walk alongside them, offer encouragement, and provide another caring adult to support them on their journey.

Throughout the year, we get together for activities that help these relationships grow and give our youth and mentors opportunities to connect.

We’re grateful for the adults who show up, the young people who participate, and the relationships that continue to grow along the way.

10/14/2026

Why We are Weird Wednesday: Cultivating Peace
(just a way to get to know us better)

What if something that was made for destruction could become a tool for growing food and nurturing life?

The prophet Isaiah imagined a day when weapons would be transformed into tools for cultivating the earth (Isaiah 24). What a powerful picture of turning away from violence and toward life.

One of our own has recently done just that, transforming unwanted guns, including an AR-15, into a beautiful garden tool. We are thankful for and proud of Darren for taking time to share his blacksmithing skills to make this transformation possible! Below are pictures of his creation! Don't you love how you can still see remnants of the r***e?

PMF is part of the Anabaptist tradition, which places a strong emphasis on peace and nonviolence. We believe peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It's about how we live, how we care for our neighbors, and how we care for creation.

Link provided in the comments to an article about this event.

09/24/2026

We took advantage of one of the last hot summer days and headed out on the pontoons on Patoka Lake!

Our mentor and mentee pairs spent Sunday enjoying time together on the water—eating, finding fossils, skipping rocks, swimming, sliding, and paddle boarding.

A beautiful day of fun, laughter, and connection!

09/09/2026

Why We’re Weird Wednesday

We talk about death.

We believe dying is a normal part of every person’s life and that preparing for it can be an act of love for ourselves and the people we care about.

Our culture often does EVERYTHING it can to avoid death and talking about it. We push it away, pretend it isn’t coming, and sometimes leave our greiving loved ones to figure things out when the time comes.

We think it’s important to have the conversation while we’re still here.

So, on September 23, we’re gathering for an ELF Night (Eating, Learning & Fellowship) called: “What?! I’m Going to Die?”

We’ll hear from people who have walked alongside loved ones who made plans for the end of life. We’ll talk about what matters to us, learn about some practical ways to prepare, and have the opportunity to begin making our own plans. Forms and resources will be provided.

Maybe talking about death isn’t so weird after all. Maybe it’s one of the ways we learn to live and love more fully. ❤️

Come eat, learn, and talk about the one thing we all have in common.

09/03/2026

Why We’re Weird Wednesday

We do a few things the old-fashioned way.

Like making apple c***r with an antique c***r press!

This past weekend at our summer campout at Tipsaw, we pulled out the old press and turned apples (and even some pears!) into some delicious fresh c***r. We couldn’t resist experimenting with an apple-and-pear combo, too.

There’s something wonderfully satisfying about slowing down, doing things together, and enjoying the simple stuff.

08/29/2026

Just a reminder that we will NOT be gathering at the church building this Sunday.

Instead, we’ll be worshiping, playing, eating, and enjoying creation together at Tipsaw Lake!

Sunday worship will be at the East Pavilion, down by the lake at 11 AM Eastern Time

Bring a lawn chair and your sense of adventure. Come for worship, stay for the fellowship!

See you by the lake!

Why We’re Weird Wednesday ⛺🌲

Apparently, the woods at PMF aren’t enough. 😁

Every summer, we pack up and spend a weekend together in the Hoosier National Forest at Tipsaw Lake. We take two intentional days to get out in nature, connect, and have fun together.

We hike, swim, ride bikes, play games, eat, and tell stories around the campfire.

And then on Sunday morning, we gather by the lake for a short, relaxed outdoor worship service, followed by a meal together.

Because we think faith is about more than just what happens inside a church building. Sometimes it looks like muddy shoes, campfires, lake water, laughter, good food, and stories shared under the starlit sky.

This year, we’re heading out August 29–30. 🌲🔥

08/23/2026

Today was our third and final week of our This I Believe worship series.

We were a little nervous about starting the morning with such a blank slate up front. But then you brought your creativity and a beautiful creation emerged.

Thank you to everyone who shared your gifts: poems, songs, paintings, quilts, woodworking, photography, handmade pieces, and so much more. Each creation became part of a visual reminder that the Spirit moves through the things we make, imagine, and bring into the world.

And a special thank you to one of our youth, who quietly drew throughout the reflection. What a beautiful gift to watch the words being heard and the Spirit being expressed through art right there in the moment.

We may have started with a blank space, but together, you filled it with beauty, creativity, and Spirit.

08/19/2026

Why We’re Weird Wednesday ⛺🌲

Apparently, the woods at PMF aren’t enough. 😁

Every summer, we pack up and spend a weekend together in the Hoosier National Forest at Tipsaw Lake. We take two intentional days to get out in nature, connect, and have fun together.

We hike, swim, ride bikes, play games, eat, and tell stories around the campfire.

And then on Sunday morning, we gather by the lake for a short, relaxed outdoor worship service, followed by a meal together.

Because we think faith is about more than just what happens inside a church building. Sometimes it looks like muddy shoes, campfires, lake water, laughter, good food, and stories shared under the starlit sky.

This year, we’re heading out August 29–30. 🌲🔥