Become a Service Adventure leader
Cynthia and Roger Neufeld Smith share about their experience of being Service Adventure leaders in Jackson, Mississippi. Anyone ages 24+ may apply. Service Adventure leadership is a great opportunity for those who are ready to live out their faith in a unique, intentional setting that is structured for authentic Christian discipleship and living. Contact Susan […]
Hispanic peace church birth brings good tidings to established congregation
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — Last summer, Naun Cerrato, a participant in Mennonite Mission Network’s Sent Network church-planting training, was primed to launch Iglesia Menonita Piedra Vida (Living Stone Mennonite Church), a new Hispanic peace congregation in Elkhart, Indiana. But where, since they had no rental finances? About the same time, Sunnyside Mennonite […]
Singing the Lord’s song in a new land
I arrived in Australia at the end of January, when the air was filled with smoke from uncontrolled bush fires and dust storms caused by one of the longest and worst droughts in recent memory. Rain finally arrived in February, and we rejoiced in the green that sprang up, welcoming the smoke- and dust-free air. […]
Lessons from Bertha the goat
Jae Young Lee and Karen Spicher are Mennonite Mission Network mission associates in Namyangju, South Korea. Spicher serves as the communications coordinator for Northeast Asia Regional Peace Building Institute (NARPI). Jae Young directs the Korea Peacebuilding Institute (KOPI) and provides leadership to NARPI. Lee, Spicher, and their four children work and live in community with […]
Partners celebrate anniversaries in Ecuador before border shuts down
IOWA CITY, IOWA (Mennonite Mission Network) — On Mar. 6, just 10 days before Ecuador closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, mission partners from Ecuador, Colombia and North America gathered in Quito to celebrate two anniversaries marking milestones in Mennonite ministry in Ecuador. One anniversary marked 30 years of Mennonite Mission Network’s presence […]
Upcoming webinar teaches cultural humility in a connected world
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – When Andrea Sawyer-Kirksey talks about cultural humility, she traces her personal journey directly to her mother. Speaking to a group at the Mennonite Church USA convention last summer, she described that her learning started when she was “[born] Black in America. Fortunately, the woman who took me home was […]
A Luke 4:18 Journey: José Manuel Guamán shares a testimony of transformation
Editor’s Note: José Manuel Guamán, president of Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Ecuador (ICME), shared the story of his faith journey during Ecuador Partnership meetings Mar. 6. Thirty years ago, indigenous Christians invited Mennonites to begin partnership in Ecuador. In 1990, when Guamán had been president of FEINE, a nationwide indigenous organization, Mennonite Mission Network (a predecessor […]
Hope Series expands community building in isolating times
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Mission Network) — To further reduce the spread of isolation caused by physical distancing, Mennonite Mission Network is expanding its Hope Series to launch two new programs in mid-April. One of those programs, called Hope Communities, begins Apr. 13. It consists of three virtual gathering spaces that will help participants focus together […]
Making faith sense amidst the pandemic, a resource for youth groups
We are all in an unusual situation with the current pandemic, and this is a critical time for youth leaders to be especially attentive to how youth are processing these events and interpreting them through the lens of their faith. With this mind, I’m hoping to be a helpful resource to you all! Here and in […]
In times of pain, Mennonite Mission Network offers practical help and hope
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — To provide practical help and hope during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mennonite Mission Network is sharing fiscal, pastoral and communication resources with its domestic and global partners, constituents, staff members, and the wider church. Emergency aid to partners, a live-streaming Hope Series, outreach to supporters, and collaboration with Mennonite Church […]
Live-streaming Bible studies bring silver lining to pandemic’s dark cloud
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) Theologian Joe Sawatzky, Church Relations representative for Mennonite Mission Network, had been deliberating about whether to share some of his Bible studies online. The dark cloud of COVID-19 gave him an answer. The pandemic inspired Sawatzky and his Church Relations colleagues to provide a silver lining in the crisis through a live-streaming […]
Christian Service programs calm waves of COVID-19 crisis through short-term shifts
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — As COVID-19 creates waves of crisis, directors of Mennonite Mission Network’s Christian Service programs are seeking to calm the waters by making short-term shifts. Directors of Mission Network’s five Christian Service programs are making these changes now in hopes of renewing a full roster of opportunities for volunteers in […]