A Bluffton University junior from Hopedale, Ill., is serving this summer in an Orrville, Ohio, church as part of Mennonite Church USA’s Ministry Inquiry Program (MIP).

Participating in the program at Orrville Mennonite Church is Ashley Litwiller, a youth ministries and recreation major at Bluffton. Her home church is Hopedale Mennonite.

The MIP enables students from Mennonite institutions to test their calling and gifts for ministry. Supervised by host pastors, they take on various worship, pastoral care and administrative roles during the summer term, including preaching, leading worship, youth ministry and hospital and home visits. Bill Seymour is Litwiller’s supervising pastor at Orrville Mennonite.

Each student receives a $2,000 scholarship to be applied toward college tuition, along with a $500 stipend. In addition to the Mennonite institutions and Mennonite Church USA Denominational Ministry, funding sources include host churches and the students’ area Mennonite conferences and home churches.