A SOOP sabbatical
HILLSBORO, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — Some pastors take a sabbatical to be stretched and refreshed. Some to experience a new culture and enlarge their world. Others to establish new life rhythms of meditation and prayer. Judy and Ron Zook experienced all of the above as they spent two weeks of a pastoral sabbatical with […]
Wheat harvests, home repairs, and honoring immigrants
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — Growing up on a farm outside Moundridge, Kansas, Michelle Schrag drove the tractor and grain cart to catch harvested wheat pouring from the combine. If the truck or cart broke down, Dad Kyle Schrag and Grandpa Lee Flickinger fixed them, or took them to the shop. Last August, that […]
SOOP enables book lovers to become part of the story
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — Since Judy and Keith Harder retired, they’ve finally had time to tackle a stack of unread books. In a recent interview, they said they relish the more reflective pace after ending longtime vocations: she as a college theater director, and he as a Mennonite pastor and denominational leader. Yet, […]
The wound in the wall
As I peered at the 15-foot-high U.S.-Mexico border wall on the outskirts of Douglas, Arizona, I felt sick to my stomach. Was this really happening here, in the United States, in the 21st century? My breath caught as the sight of this immovable barrier hit me. The closer I walked toward the monstrosity, the more […]
Mennonite Mission Network exceeds fundraising goal
Mennonite Mission Network closed out 2019 with one of its highest fundraising months ever in December, demonstrating how Mennonites continue to practice what they pray – "on earth as in heaven." By giving $1.2 million last month, donors are continuing to support the ability of the agency to join God’s work in the world through voluntary service, […]
Border prayers, vigil voice solidarity with persevering migrants
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — On a frigid early morning last November, participants of Mennonite Mission Network’s alumni service-learning tour struggled to pray through their lament and grief at a 15-foot-high border wall separating Douglas, Arizona, from Agua Prieta, Mexico. Talks by Jack and Linda Knox, migrant advocates and members of Shalom Mennonite Fellowship […]
The Christmas story, our story
"So, I am like Jesus?" Jesse, our 10-year-old son, was seeking to understand our recent recounting of the events leading up to his birth. Eleven years ago, during Advent, we received a notice of eviction from our first South African home even as we learned that we were pregnant with our fourth child. Like Mary, […]
The Mennonite, Mennonite Mission Network launch Spanish-language podcast
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — For those who want to nibble sound bites for the soul while sipping evening tea with friends, listening to a new Spanish-language podcast, Merienda Menonita, may be the perfect match. The new podcast, named after the Spanish term for a light dinner or tea in the evening, is being co-hosted […]
Traveling to the Arizona deserts where others have trod
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — From the comfort of two vans, participants in Mennonite Mission Network’s alumni service-learning tour traveled through Arizona to gain greater understanding of the perilous journeys that migrants and indigenous people take through the same terrain. From Nov. 9-17, 16 people — mostly alumni of Mission Network’s SOOP and Mennonite […]
Practical and profound
The growth of a vibrant movement of voluntary service is an inspiring story of simple, youthful, practical Christian idealism applied to human suffering and struggle. Many Mennonite voluntary or alternative service programs birthed sincere discipleship convictions and unleashed the latent talent and skills of thousands of young men and women engaged in peaceful service. […]
Walking in peace through perplexing times
Though they grew up in different eras, many young people in the past seven and a half decades have shared a similar dream: In a world of militarism, materialism and me-ism, they desired to seek a road less traveled. Instead of marching to the beat of the times, they wanted to follow Jesus into a […]
Timeline of service
Henry Hochstetler cultivating at CPS Camp 138 in Malcolm, Nebraska, in 1946. 1940–1960 World War II was underway when the 1940s began. Historic peace churches responded to this violence by creating peace-oriented conduits for service. For example, in the United States, Civilian Public Service (CPS) provided an alternative to military service during World War II. […]