Cross Vision
The Old Testament God of wrath and violence versus the New Testament God of love and peace it’s a difference that has troubled Christians since the first century. Now, with the sensitivity of a pastor and the intellect of a theologian, Gregory A. Boyd proposes the "cruciform hermeneutic," a way to read the Old Testament […]
Episode 13: women of color discuss leadership and developing a peace church
Jenny Perez Castro, coordinator of the Women in Leadership Project for Mennonite Church USA, hosts this edition of the PeaceLab. She talks with Calenthia Dowdy, Regina Shands Stoltzfus and Sue Park Hur about the recent definition of a peace church developed by leaders of color in Mennonite Church USA and about what its like to […]
The “M” word
Be prepared, in this booklet, to take a journey. Your guide is Paula Killough, senior executive at Mennonite Mission Network, as she describes her changing understandings of God’s reconciling work in the world. “In 2006,” she writes, “the ‘M’ word—mission—was not a part of my vocabulary.” Mission, in her view at that time, was “the […]
When one part suffers
Why is racial justice vital to mission? Because God desires to restore community. “Diversity is a biblical imperative, not a political issue, or a human resource issue,” Leroy Barber said, as he described John’s vision in Revelation 7. “John looks out and sees every tribe, tongue and nation. For him to see that, there needed […]
Cuando un miembro sufre
“Por qué la justicia racial es un aspecto vital de la misión? Por el simple hecho de que Dios desea restaurar la comunidad. “La diversidad es un imperativo bíblico, no una cuestión política, o un problema para el departamento de recursos humanos,” dice Leroy Barber, al describir la visión de Juan en Apocalipsis 7. “Juan […]
Live Your Call
Is this what my life was meant to be? Caught up in the everyday realities of life? Are you left wondering how you fit into God’s larger mission? Live Your Call empowers and motivates women to name and share their gifts as they serve God. This twelve-session Bible study guides women toward the Spirit’s gentle nudging or […]
Following the Holy Spirit in Mission
On my first visit home from seminary, I told my pastor that I had been reading and enjoying Mennonite theology. My pastor, a former Assemblies of God missionary turned nondenominational church planter, affirmed my interest but also observed that Mennonites belonged to the "obedience stream" of Christianity while we belonged to the "Holy Spirit stream." […]
Anabaptist Essentials
Available in French. Available in Spanish. What is the essence of Anabaptism? Jesus. Community. Reconciliation. These sum up the core values of Anabaptist faith and life, writes pastor Palmer Becker in this concise new resource. In Anabaptist Essentials, Becker introduces readers to the key convictions and practices of Anabaptism, the Christian tradition of the Amish, […]
Steps toward a more peaceful year
What are your hopes for peace in 2017? Are they for a specific issue, country, or group of people? Most of us have certain "hot buttons" that drive us to do more and work harder. I have ideas on what peace topics perhaps should take priority over others, and so do you. But after a […]
Unexpected Invitations
An unexpected invitation to spend a summer at a Mennonite church in Pennsylvania impacted the rest of our lives. We had grown up on the fringes of General Conference Mennonite Church, but God led us to serve in its denominational center in Kansas and its eventual merger into Mennonite Church USA. That path included a […]
Preparing local leaders for success
The Bible is a story of leadership succession. Though God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, the task of bringing the people into the land of promise fell to another, Moses’s assistant, Joshua. King David did great things for God, but God appointed Solomon to build what was in his […]
White Awake
Daniel Hill will never forget the day he heard these words:"Daniel, you may be white, but don’t let that lull you into thinking you have no culture. White culture is very real. In fact, when white culture comes in contact with other cultures, it almost always wins. So it would be a really good idea […]