Remembering forward
Centennial festivities began in Argentina in 2017 to celebrate the arrival of the first Mennonite missionaries sent to Latin America. They were sent by Mennonite Board of Missions (MBM) — a predecessor agency of today’s Mennonite Mission Network. Two years later, in 2019, Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Argentina (IEMA, Argentina Mennonite Church) commemorated the centennial anniversary of its […]
Sent Network sessions
Sent Network is a resourcing curriculum launched to recruit, equip and prepare church planters for their task. The Sent Network is set up in three phases—explore, equip, and send. 1. Explore 1.1 The Calling Goal: To explore your own call to plant a church or be part of a church-planting initiative. This call will be discerned in […]
Conferencia Sent 2021
English Construir tabernáculos de paz en el desierto de la realidad actual Conferencia Sent (Enviados) 2021 Mirar (Abril 22, 2021) Mirar (Abril 23, 2021) En estos tiempos de pandemia, es fácil sentirse desanimado. Acompáñenos en la Conferencia Sent 2021 para escuchar historias de esperanza y resiliencia de plantadores de iglesias de paz. Se extiende esta invitación a todas las personas que se sientan enviadas al mundo […]
The wind blows where it wishes
In March 2020, two anniversaries were celebrated in Ecuador. One anniversary marked 30 years of Mennonite Mission Network’s presence in Ecuador. The other marked 20 years of the partnership formed for ministry in Ecuador, which includes Mission Network, Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia (IMCOL–Colombia Mennonite Church), and Central Plains Mennonite Conference (CPMC), an area conference of Mennonite […]
As sheep sent to sheep—Missional Meditations
Looking at the scriptures with an eye toward mission. Joe Sawatzky shares a Missional Meditation entitled, "As sheep sent to sheep" based on the Revised Common Lectionary for November 22, 2020. Christ our Shepherd sends us as sheep to other sheep, to give and to receive the hospitality of the kingdom. Ephesians 1:15-23 Psalm 100 Ezekiel 34:11-24 Matthew 25:31-46 […]
A calling to mission in Europe
Alisha and Joshua Garber, with their son, Asher, have served for the past three years in Barcelona, Catalonia (a region where allegiance to Spain vies with voices calling for independence). Before that time, they served for four years in Lithuania. During their service, they’ve spent much time dispelling myths about their mission work in Europe. […]
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 […]
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 […]
The newborn of God renews older congregation
Shortly after Christmas last year, Naun Cerrato, a participant in Mennonite Mission Network’s Sent Network church-planting training, was primed to launch Iglesia Menonita Piedra Viva (Life Stone Mennonite Church), a new Hispanic peace congregation in Elkhart, Indiana. But without rental finances, his fledging community feared there would be "no room at the inn" in which to be born. At about […]
El recién nacido de Dios renueva una congregación más antigua
Poco después de Navidad del año pasado, Naun Cerrato, un participante de la capacitación sobre plantación de iglesias de la Red Sent (Enviados) de la Red Menonita de Misión, estaba listo para el lanzamiento de la Iglesia Menonita Piedra Viva, una congregación de paz hispana nueva en Elkhart, Indiana. Pero sin seguridad financiera para alquilar […]
Church planting reading list
Dive into these books to enhance your work at planting peace churches. Compiled by Brad Brisco, author and Director of Bivocational Church Planting for the North American Mission Board BIVO/COVO CHURCH PLANTING • BiVO by Hugh Halter • The Tangible Kingdom by Halter & Matt Smay • Kingdom First by Jeff Christopherson • The Wholehearted […]
Top five reasons we really don’t want to be missional
Missional. We’ve been hearing this word for 20 years. Our seminaries have been teaching it, our agencies have been producing books on it and our congregations have been using the word "missional" to justify programs, mission efforts and other worthwhile "regularly scheduled" activities the church has done for the last 20 years. But as I […]