Adding insult to injury
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Mission Network) – On Aug. 22, 2018, President Trump gave voice to false information being circulated in other media when he sent a tweet that said, "I have asked Secretary of State @SecPompeo to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers. […]
What can I do?
We are hearing the question "What can I do?" a lot these days as immigration rules change often and make life very difficult for those directly affected by the changing landscape. Once again, here in LaGrange, Georgia, we are incarnated into the lives of people directly affected, through the households on our street as well […]
A strong commitment to education in Colombia
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Mission Network) – After 94 years of a life dedicated to education and advocacy, Vernelle H. Yoder of Berne, Indiana, passed away Sept. 26. She was born July 26, 1924, in Adams County, Indiana, to Ida (Habegger) and Raymond Yoder. Yoder graduated from Fort Wayne Bible Institute with a bachelor’s degree in […]
Out-Spokin’ staff reunion creates space for celebration and reflection
Former Out-Spokin’ staff spent Labor Day weekend reminiscing at Laurelville Retreat Center near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Thirty-five of us celebrated, laughed, cried, and shared memories of how lives unfolded over the 50 years since Terry Burkhalter founded Out-Spokin’ – Christian community formed on 10 speed bicycles. The mission of Out-Spokin’ was to engage youth on 10-speed bicycles, […]
Rosedale communion and airport reunions
Six weeks ago, my dad dropped me off at the beautiful Mennonite Voluntary Service home in the neighborhood of Rosedale in Kansas City. Within five minutes, the entire staff of Rainbow Mennonite Church, my down-the-street host congregation, had arrived to say hello, help me carry my bags up the stairs, and assure me that friendly […]
Paul Nelson’s legacy: a peaceful presence
BERLIN, Ohio (Mennonite Mission Network) – Paul Nelson, former mission innovator in Ireland, died Sept. 13, 2018, at Souderton (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Home. He was 67 years old. Nelson was born Apr. 23, 1951, in Wayland, Iowa, to Boyd H. and Welma B. (Graber) Nelson. The family moved to Elkhart, Indiana, where he graduated from Bethany […]
Shodah: Walking the Trail of Death
In June 2017, I learned history by traveling in another person’s shoes when I participated in the Trail of Death pilgrimage sponsored by Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. We retraced the route the Potawatomi people took when they were violently forced off their lands in 1838. George Godfrey of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation is an author, […]
Tanya Franklin joins DOOR as the national operations coordinator
DOOR is pleased to announce that Tanya Franklin has been hired as the DOOR national operations coordinator. Tanya Franklin was born and raised in New Jersey; lived in Nashville, Tennessee, for 10 years; and moved to Chicago two years ago in response to God calling her into urban ministry. She holds a BS in […]
The one where she talks about anti-Millennial sentiment
Entitled (adj) believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment With so many problems created by past generations that need tending, it seems ironic to me that there is a huge, cultural preoccupation with complaining about those of you born between 1980 and 2000. I have seen with my own eyes the […]
The laborers are many
Most Mennonites believe in church planting, and some are willing to act on those beliefs. In 2007, Conrad Kanagy published a comprehensive survey of Mennonite Church USA[Footnote 1]. Kanagy noted that interest in church planting had declined since the last survey in 1989, but remained stronger with Racial/Ethnic members and pastors. The numbers could be disappointing […]
Planting peace churches
The Holy Spirit is the architect for new bodies of believers, but it takes people guided by principles to carry out the plans. This article focuses on calling leaders, sustaining ministry, and encouraging multiplication. These principles are the core of the peace church-planting pipeline that Mennonite Mission Network is launching in January 2019. Calling […]
Face-to-face with church decline
BERLIN, Ohio (Mennonite Mission Network) – Next time you’re in church, look at the people around you. Do you see deep friendships? Do you see people who share in their daily struggles and in their spiritual life? It can be easy to see God is at work through these relationships. But in a culture where […]