Awakening to God’s love
Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century anchorite mystic, is well known for her book Revelations of Divine Love. It’s the oldest surviving book in the English language known to have been written by a woman. Still readily available in print and e-book forms, Julian reminds us that in brokenness and strain, "all shall be well, and […]
Sharing God’s abundant hope during uncertain times
Etty and beauty By Laurie Oswald Robinson If I could channel the resilient spirit of anyone during this pandemic, it would be the late Esther "Etty" Hillesum(Jan. 15, 1914 – Nov. 30, 1943). She was the Dutch author of confessional letters and diaries, which describe both her religious awakening and the persecutions […]
Displacement
The legacy of boundary-crossing colonial mission includes massive displacement—of native peoples from their homelands in Africa and the Americas, and of the produce of many lands, such as sugar, tobacco, and opium, for imperial purposes. The coerced movement and violent destruction of bodies and goods entails further displacements of psyches and families, cultures and languages. […]
Repentance that leads to life
November is mission month. Racism harms the body of Christ and God’s reconciling mission. But God has made a way to receive forgiveness — the repentance that leads to life! Mission Network November mission month materials invite MC USA to witness across the church to God’s plan for reconciliation. Introduction Two plagues have erupted in 2020 — […]
Mennonite peace witness
Peace with God, peace with neighbor, peace with the world. If we are pursuing peace in those areas, we are on the right track, because that is the track Jesus modeled for us. The time spent in prayer and communion with God gave Jesus strength and wisdom to do his work in the world. […]
Farewell and blessings to my successor
Leaving is always bittersweet. Even if it is a decision for good reasons, I find no consolation in stepping away from a job that I have loved and felt privileged to be engaged in for almost three decades. During those years, I had the honor of visiting with you in your office, at home, or […]
Responding to a renewed peace commitment
When they launched the Brooklyn Peace Church and Center in New York City this past January, Jason and Vonetta Storbakken and Ruth Yoder Wenger did not know that two months later a pandemic and protests would threaten to stop them in their tracks. Rather than stopping them, however, the COVID-19 lockdown and protests over the […]
En respuesta a un compromiso renovado con la paz
Cuando en enero inauguraron la Iglesia y el Centro de Paz de Brooklyn en la ciudad de Nueva York, Jason y Vonetta Storbakken y Ruth Yoder Wenger no sabían que dos meses después una pandemia y múltiples protestas repentinamente amenazarían con inmovilizarlos. Sin embargo, en lugar de paralizarlos, la cuarentena por el COVID-19 y las […]
Compassion, bravery, and the pursuit of hope
Humans have faced crises before: plagues, wars, economic meltdowns, and widespread devastating famines. I believe that it is not trite or reckless to say we will get beyond this pandemic also. All of us must act responsibly. We must, among other things, practice physical distancing, we must wash our hands, and we must wear masks. […]
Hechos para más – Guía Visual
Exponential presentó 3 nuevos marcos de referencia de multiplicación para el tema del 2019. Estos marcos de referencia se enfocan en ayudar a los líderes de iglesias a movilizar al pueblo de Dios, a la manera de Dios. ¡Imagina a cada seguidor de Jesús liberado para ser misioneros cotidianos en sus campos misioneros cotidianos donde […]
Building a Discipling Culture, 3rd Edition
Much ink and many pages have been devoted to all of the missional issues facing the Western church today. As our culture becomes more post-Christian with each passing day, we are all realizing that what has worked in the past is no longer working, that we are far less effective for the Kingdom than we […]
Made for More Visual Guide
The Made for More Visual Guide provides a vision and roadmap for releasing the huge latent capacity that is pent up within the people of God. This "read in an hour," visually engaging, resource introduces and integrates three new frameworks to help shift your ministry from a volunteer based "we can do it you can help" approach […]