The Mission of God and the Fullness of Faith: A Reflection on John 20:19-29
"As the Father has sent me, so I send you." These words, from the resurrected Jesus to his disciples, have become the namesake of Sent, Mennonite Mission Network’s church planting and revitalization initiative. They also appear at the center of John 20:19-23, the theme text for Mennonite Church USA’s bi-annual convention in 2019. On a […]
Peace church planting webinar—Learn, pray, join
As part of the Learn, Pray, Join effort around peace church planting, Mennonite Church USA held this webinar with Mennonite Mission Network staff and a panel of church planters who shared some of their experiences, and learned about The Sent Network, a new online platform for those interested in church planting.
Creating an Anabaptist church-planting culture
New faith communities do not fall out of the sky. They generally emerge slowly through the Spirit-guided vision, sweat, and intentional effort of followers of Jesus who believe that giving birth to new communities is, as Stanley Green puts it, “an essential part of our spiritual DNA as the body of Christ” (p. 1). The […]
Working together for the cause of Christ
Tucked away in the mountains of northern Thailand is a town called Pakouay. In that town is a small Mennonite church we worshiped with on a recent visit. The rural church, mainly comprised of farmers, is one of 23 in the Hmong District 20 church conference. The leadership, given by Thawee Saeya and Chanisara Saeya, […]
Sitting down while others stand up
Jane and Jerrell work half the year with indigenous church leaders in the Ecuadorian rain forest and half the year as mission workers and educators in the United States. It’s an unusual model and we asked what feedback they have heard. Here’s what Jerrell had to say: One bit of feedback that has been important […]
Sentarse y que otros se pongan de pie
Jane y Jerrell trabajan medio año con líderes de la iglesia en la selva tropical ecuatoriana y la otra mitad del año como obreros de la misión y educadores en los Estados Unidos. Es un modelo poco común, y les preguntamos por la devolución que reciben al respecto. Esto es lo que compartió Jerrell. Una […]
God’s table
Practicing Lectio-Divina By Dani Klotz OK. I’m just going to say it. Here I go … I am not a huge fan of Lectio-Divina. Now, don’t judge me just yet. Let me explain. For those of us who might need a refresher on what Lectio-Divina is, it is a Benedictine practice of scriptural reading, meditation, […]
God’s people in mission
This book has been possible thanks to the grace of God that has guided the writers to share gracefully their time, experience, knowledge, and wisdom for the benefit of God’s Kingdom and the communities of faith. We are offering this book as testimony of God’s grace, love, promises, and hope for us and the entire […]
Ministry—consistency and continuity
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." —Matthew 28:19-20 My spouse, Ursula, has […]
Paths of love through diversity
As was his habit, Francisco scrolled through e-mails before calling it a day. Almost ready to go to sleep, he saw the invitation to serve from Mennonite Mission Network. "When I read the word ‘Spain,’ my heart started beating faster," he said. It had only been a few months prior that he had begun to […]
Pasadizos de amor en medio de la adversidad
De acuerdo a su rutina, Francisco le echó un vistazo a su correo electrónico antes de finalizar la jornada laboral. Estaba a punto de irse a dormir cuando vio la invitación a servir de la Red Menonita de Misión. "Cuando leí la palabra ‘España’, mi corazón comenzó a latir más fuerte," el dijo. No […]
Growing the church in the rural neighborhood
If you are inclined to use words like “depressed,” “declining,” or “disappearing” to describe the state of rural churches today, you will find hope in reading this booklet. Brad Roth, himself a pastor in small-town Moundridge, Kansas, believes it is time to take a new look at the rural church reality. “In a lot of […]