2015

January - First RINGS class in Champaign County since 2010, led by Steve and Joy Sherman at the Urbana Community Room. Marriage failure stats from highest to lowest since 1999 show decreases of 43.2% in Clark, 40% decrease in Greene and 24.4% decrease in Champaign counties.
February - Lavern and Ronda Nissley take RINGS to Canada! Wainfleet Brethren in Christ Church in Ontario hosts RINGS with 20+ couples attending. Updated MRCMV vision statement to include components of developing marriage and relationship champions.
April - Completed online Mentor Training in DigitalChalk for preparing mentor couples. Director's Team attends leadership training at Fellowship Church by David Marquet, author of Turn the Ship Around. Board completes discernment/discussion process on beliefs/actions surrounding same-sex attraction, seeking input from 3 pastors, 2 team members and various external perspectives; the process affirmed understanding of God's original design for marriage to be male and female while resolving to serve all without judgment or discrimination.
June - Awarded 2 year contract with Clark County Job and Family Services (received highest score of all proposals!). Supreme Court of US strikes down DOMA and affirms legality of same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
July - Entered into 3 phase agreement with First Christian Church to train mentor couples. Lavern and Ronda present Connecting/RINGS Chat workshop at Better Marriages Conference in St. Louis.
August - RINGS class hosted by RiverSong Church with 22 couples attending.
September - Mentor Appreciation Dessert held at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, including presentation by Pastor Dan Powell and testimonials from 3 couples who had received mentoring. Medway Church seeks training for their mentor coordinator couple.Federal grant (after 9 years of funding) expires, resulting in 85% decrease in revenue, layoffs and decrease in some services/programs. Farewells to outgoing employees: Rex and Becki Robinson, Joy Sherman, Tanya Funk, Kevin Frank and Derek Ellis.
October - Two excellent Springfield News-Sun articles by Kermit Rowe on MRCMV's funding transition and plans for going forward.
November - Invited to participate in Dayton Project, an initiative funded by private donors to bring marriage resources into the region. MRCMV to subcontract under anchor entity The Ridge Project.
December - Giving Tuesday campaign launched at Rudy's Smokehouse along with Vote and Share appeal to raise donations for keeping resources accessible and affordable.