Prayers of gratitude and intercession

Bogotá, Colombia – As excitement continues to grow for the global Assembly, Mennonite World Conference has created a variety of free resources for congregations and communities to use as they talk about and promote Pennsylvania 2015, all available on the MWC website.

Church leaders can find a downloadable word doc with ready-made announcements to use in church bulletins. They come with suggested dates for when to publish them and are an easy way to mention MWC on a weekly basis.

If a visual is needed there is a colour poster for PA 2015 with dates including Assembly Gathered, Assembly Scattered and the Global Youth Summit. This is available as a PDF file, easy to download and print.

As a way to introduce MWC to congregations and friends, there is a 3.5 minute video called, “Who is Mennonite World Conference?” This video explains what it means to be a worldwide community of faith and is available in English, Spanish and French.

Another great video, that shows how MWC is much more than just the global Assembly every six years, is “Beyond Assemblies.” This video is available in English and Spanish.

There are also resources for those who want to support PA 2015 in prayer. Brothers and sisters from the global Anabaptist family world-wide are invited to join the PA 2015 Prayer Network. There is information posted online and people can sign up to receive monthly communications with scriptural meditations, stories, information surrounding Pennsylvania 2015, and items to pray about.

The latest issue of Assembly News is posted online. This 2 page news sheet contains all the latest information about PA 2015 preparations and is also available for download.

All of these resources are easily found on the “Resources” page in the Assembly section of the MWC website: www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015resources.

MWC Release

 

Amid growing anticipation and excitement about the Mennonite World Conference Assembly (PA 2015) to be held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania July 21-26, 2015, a number of questions keep surfacing within North American churches. MWC General Secretary, César García of Bogotá, Colombia, shares his thoughts and answers to questions being talked about in hallways and over dinner tables.

Question: Should we really come to PA 2015? I hear they don’t want too many North Americans there. Will there be enough internationals for this to be a truly global event?

García: At Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assemblies, the people of the hosting country always outnumber their guests. It was true in India, in Zimbabwe, and in Paraguay. Those who live in the host country know there’s a rich feast to experience, and they don’t want to miss it.

It’s also a chance for the various Anabaptist groups from within the hosting country (and continent) to work and worship together. This will include not only the host churches (Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren, Brethren in Christ, Conservative Mennonite Conference), but also newer immigrant churches (for example Vietnamese, Ethiopian and Korean congregations), which are firmly planted and growing in strength and numbers in the United States and Canada.

All of these MWC members based in North America will be at PA 2015, fully participating. You’ll have them as friends and resources long after your guests have gone home. Why not build your futures together? So, please don’t hold back. You are ALL absolutely welcome. And, yes, there will be enough internationals for this to be a truly global event. Registration so far shows strong enthusiasm.

Question: Why have the event in the U.S. with the visa issue? What is being done about ensuring that our sisters and brothers from the Global South can get visas?

García: We learned something from the Zimbabweans when they invited all of us to their country for the MWC Assembly in 2003. They had worrisome food and fuel shortages. Inflation was out of control. Daily life was a major struggle for many church members. But they wanted to share what they had – and they needed to experience the support of their sisters and brothers from around the world. So they stockpiled food and fuel for months before the Assembly. And they set up a Prayer Network throughout their country, and they prayed vigorously.

Mennonites in the U.S. are saying, “We humbly acknowledge that we live in a deeply fearful society and that our government is preoccupied with security. But we need the presence of our faith family with us. We believe they can help us be more faithful if they spend a week in our country.

“We have established a Visa Task Force [go to http://www.mwc-cmm.org/visaissue to read about its efforts] to work carefully with this issue. And we’ve called a Prayer Network into being so that together we can ask God for guidance, hope, and strength as hosts of this global gathering.”

All countries have problems, but MWC goes where its people are, despite the difficulties. We all need the support of our faith family.

Question: Why is the Mennonite Church USA Convention being held in July 2015, just a few weeks before PA 2015?

García: MWC is a global community. Each of its member churches has its own calendar of events. MWC hasn’t been able to find dates for its Assemblies that don’t conflict with major events put on by its member churches somewhere in the world.

In fact, two of the inviting churches within the US have their conventions close to the time of PA 2015. But when the MWC member churches in North America invited MWC to bring its every-six-year-Assembly to its continent in July, MWC wanted to accept their invitation rather than (impolitely) question the wisdom of holding its event so close to Mennonite Church USA’s convention (June 30-July 5) and to Conservative Mennonite Conference’s annual meeting (July 16-19).

Question: Why is the registration cost so high for PA 2015?

“Global North pricing” and “Global South pricing” is the way in which MWC recognizes the economic differences in our global family. MWC uses the principle of each paying their “Fair Share” – based on their country of citizenship – when calculating how much persons should pay to attend PA 2015.

It is not a perfect system. MWC’s goal is to distribute costs as evenly as possible around the world, so that it is not a heavier burden proportionately in one place than in another.

Question: Why does PA 2015 include two “youth” events, and one of them is not even for youth? Why didn’t MWC change the name of the young adult event so it wouldn’t be so confusing?

García: North Americans are simply fitting into a tradition which made sense when it was begun by MWC and still makes sense in many places in the world.

The Global Youth Summit was created for persons aged 18 to 30. It began in Zimbabwe in 2003 with more than 220 registrants and happened again in Paraguay in 2009 with more than 700. It is a movement that is growing. More than 1000 registrants are expected to attend the GYS in PA.

At PA 2015, there will be planned activities for children and high-school-aged young people at an MWC Assembly. Children from ages 4 to 11 years will gather every day from 10:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

There will be a special program for youth 12 to 17 years of age every day from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. In the afternoons youth will be able to choose from workshops with a special focus on youth, sports, games and fun, afternoon tours, service opportunities and the Global Church Village & Stage.

Each day will start and end including everyone—in the morning with singing with an international choir, and in the evening with a worship service that will include participation from all continents.

Question: Why should I take a week off and come to PA 2015?

García: We hope that North Americans will feel called to join this global experience. Yes, it does involve committing time and money, but we believe that this is a rare opportunity to become involved in a spiritual experience that will be truly transformative. Are North Americans really so busy that they can’t set aside 5 ½ days to spend time worshiping and fellowshipping and sharing about their faith-lives with sisters and brothers who live faithfully in many parts of the world? North Americans are being offered a chance to practice true hospitality by sharing life with our global faith family. What’s more important than participating wholeheartedly and seeing what we can learn? And why not include children and young people so that they have an indelible experience of life in God’s rich community, which could shape their understanding of church for the rest of their lives?

Question: What is Mennonite World Conference? If it is more than a once-every-six-years conference, why is it called a “conference”?

García: Mennonite World Conference began as an event, a single meeting in 1925, when a relatively small group of European and North American Mennonites planned a “conference” to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Anabaptism in Switzerland in 1525. (The Mennonite world at that time was largely confined to Europe and North America.)

Other Mennonite World Conferences followed, being held about every five or six years, often to celebrate an historical occasion, and over time, to consider themes of interest and concern to Mennonites as a whole. Fellowship and support for each other became increasingly important, although MWC has never had the authority to control or impose doctrine or practice on its members.

The word “conference” accurately described the activities of these early get-togethers. And the name has stuck, although there is periodic discussion about using the term “communion” instead of “conference.”

Over the years, as fellowships began to form around the world, MWC began to recognize ways in which national churches could become resources to each other. MWC began to develop programs that are year-round and ongoing to bring the global family into greater relationship with each other.

Today, in addition to its global Assemblies, MWC sponsors World Fellowship Sunday, nurtures solidarity and networking among its member churches, publishes periodicals, encourages the publishing of the Global Anabaptist Shelf of Literature, includes Commissions who support the faith life of MWC member churches, and much more. All of this contributes to our becoming a global communion.

As the founder of MWC said 90 years ago, “We are stronger when we are together.” In the midst of persecution and suffering, MWC brings hope to a world that needs to see that in Christ, it is possible to find an interdependent, multicultural community that loves and serves in the way of Jesus.

For more information about PA 2015, the next Mennonite World Conference Assembly, to be held July 21-26, 2015, at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015.

 

 

Harrisburg, PA, USA – “Mennonite World Conference Assemblies come with many parts. Two of them are Assembly Gathered and Assembly Scattered,” explains Liesa Unger, Chief International Events Officer for MWC. Unger, of Regensburg, Germany, is overseeing the planning of “Pennsylvania 2015,” the next MWC Assembly to be held in July 2015.

“Assembly Gathered will happen at one place – Harrisburg, PA – during one week, 21-26 July 2015. Assembly Scattered will take place at multiple sites, with some events before Assembly Gathered and some following.”

Assembly Scattered first occurred as part of the MWC Assembly in Calcutta in January 1997. Because few Mennonites live in Calcutta, MWC leaders worked with churches throughout India, and in other countries in Asia, to host travelers on their way to or from Calcutta. Visitors experienced church life in communities across the region, and locals who weren’t able to attend the Calcutta Assembly fellowshipped in their home communities with sisters and brothers from other parts of the world who were traveling to or from the Assembly.

“Many of the Assembly Scattered sites for PA 2015 also include visits to nearby historical or cultural landmarks. Hosts will introduce their guests to places and activities they’ve read about. But this is more than tourism. By experiencing each other’s settings, we learn to know each other better,” reflects Unger.

“We’ve enlarged the Assembly experience for everyone’s benefit by offering both Assembly Gathered and Assembly Scattered,” explains Unger. “If you’re making the trip to North America, why not visit Mennonite communities that are close to or within southeastern Pennsylvania, or choose some that lie beyond? And if you live in Canada or the U.S. but can’t get to Harrisburg, why not experience the global faith family by welcoming members into your home and congregation?”

Assembly Scattered will take place in more than 10 communities during July 2015.

“This opportunity for fellowship flows both ways,” says Unger. “Visitors learn about day-to-day life in the U.S. and Canada, while also worshipping in Anabaptist-related congregations. And locals are enriched by opening their homes and churches to ‘family’ they would otherwise not have known. This is how lifelong relationships become real.”

Details about Assembly Scattered are available on the registration form for PA 2015.

MWC release by Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.

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Assembly Scattered Opportunities

Before Assembly Gathered: Pennsylvania locations

1.    “Mennonites of Lancaster County, PA.” Visit several Mennonite congregations, dating from the 1700s, which are alive and well in beautiful Lancaster County, PA. Hear their joys and challenges; worship and fellowship with them. Learn about early Mennonite interaction with Native Americans. Tour the oldest home in Lancaster County. Visit a farm operated by Amish, as well as a modern farm operated by Mennonites. Become acquainted with Eastern Mennonite Missions in western Lancaster County. From 9:30 a.m., Saturday, 18 July through Tuesday morning 21 July.

2.    “Mennonite Farms of Lancaster County, PA.” Visit some of the farms owned for generations by families who are members of the 300-year-old Mellinger Mennonite Church. Learn about modern farm operations in North America. Why do young people choose farming? Enjoy worship, fellowship, and recreation with the congregation on Sunday. From 8:00 a.m.  Friday 17July through 7:30 p.m. Monday, 20 July.

3.    “Fun and Fellowship with Pittsburgh (PA) Mennonite Church.” Discover this urban, multi-generational church’s efforts in environmental stewardship and sustainability, fellowship, peace, and justice. Learn the steel-industry beginnings of the “City of Bridges” and its rising economy in technology and education. From Friday evening 17 July through Monday morning 20 July.

4.    “Anabaptist Welcome and Witness in Philadelphia Since 1683.” Beginning in 1683, Philadelphia was the primary port of entry for Mennonite immigrants. Today, 332 years later, 28 Anabaptist congregations in greater Philly worship in nine languages. Join multi-cultural worship with testimonies of how God is at work in the city. Experience three urban ministry sites. Visit historical sites in one of the U.S.’s oldest cities. From noon Friday, 17 July through Sunday evening, 19 July.

5.    “Living Discipleship in Community.” Visit one of two Bruderhof communities in Pennsylvania: Spring Valley or New Meadow Run. Join in community gardening, work projects, meals, games, outdoor activities, and campfire fellowship. From 11:00 a.m. Friday 17 July through noon on Sunday 19 July.

Before Assembly Gathered: Eastern U.S. locations

6.    “Mennonites, Monuments, and African American History in Washington, D.C.” Take guided and interpreted walking tours of national monuments (focusing on peace monuments, among them, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s) and of Georgetown (focusing on African American history). Includes attending area Mennonite congregations. From Friday morning 17 July, through Sunday evening 19 July.

7.    “Diverse Anabaptist Communities in Miami (FL) Metro Area.” Experience Miami and Dade County, home to 50 BIC congregations, 10 Mennonite, and three Amor Viviente fellowships, with members from Hispanic, Haitian, Anglo, Garifuna, and other cultural groups. An introduction to immigration realities through testimonies of immigrants and those who offer assistance. Join in spirited worship and fellowship. From Friday 17 July, through Monday 20 July.

8.    “Join North Carolina’s Six Historic African American and One Hispanic Mennonite Brethren Congregations for a Weekend of Worship, Music, and Inspiration.” Learn how the only MB congregations in the eastern US began during segregation in the South and about their vibrant ministry today in the mountain communities of eastern NC. Enjoy fellowship on Friday evening 17 July, a visit to the churches and their ministries on Saturday, and a final worship service on Sunday, ending at noon, 19 July.

9.    “Living Discipleship in Community.” Visit one of two Bruderhof communities in New York: Foxhill or Bellvale. Join in community gardening, work projects, meals, games, outdoor activities, and campfire fellowship. From 11:00 a.m. Friday 17 July, through noon on Sunday 19 July.

Before Assembly Gathered: North American locations

10.  “DOOR San Antonio (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection) in Partnership with San Antonio Mennonite Church, Texas.” Hear from locals about immigration. Witness life at the US/Mexican border. Volunteer with nonprofit agencies in San Antonio. From Friday 17 July, through Sunday 19 July.

11.   “Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ Churches in the Pacific Region.” Experience the diversity of MWC-related churches – Indonesian, Latino, Nigerian, Congolese, and Korean – while interacting with church members and visiting outreach ministries and church institutions in Fresno, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino/Riverside counties, California. From Thursday 16 July, through Monday 29 July.

12.   “Walking with God in the City and the Wilderness: Anchorage, Alaska.”  Fellowship with members of Prince of Peace Mennonite Church (the northern-most Mennonite church in the world!), visit ministry locations of the Voluntary Service unit, engage Alaska’s native cultures, and hike and sightsee in the wilderness.  From early Thursday 16 July, through late Monday 20 July.

13.   “Participate in the 105th Annual Conference of Conservative Mennonite Conference (CMC) in Hartville Ohio.” Our theme will be “Step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).  You’re welcome to join with representatives from over 100 North American CMC churches in worship, workshops, discussion, and fellowship. Begins Thursday evening 16 July, and concludes at noon, Sunday 19 July.

After Assembly Gathered locations

14.   “Two Kingdoms, Two Loyalties: Anabaptist Engagement with Government in the U.S. Capital.” Visit and converse with various Anabaptist-related advocacy offices in Washington, D.C. From Monday morning 27 July, through Wednesday evening, 29 July, or Thursday morning 30 July.

15.   “DOOR San Antonio (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection) in Partnership with San Antonio Mennonite Church, Texas.” Hear from locals about immigration. Witness life at the US/Mexican border. Volunteer with nonprofit agencies in San Antonio. From Monday 27 July, through Wednesday 29 July.

Pending Assembly Scattered location

16. New York, New York. Visit with members of the Anabaptist-related Garifuna-, Spanish-, and English-speaking churches in at least three of New York City’s boroughs.

Members of the Prince of Peace Mennonite Church in Anchorage, Alaska, one of the congregations that will welcome Assembly Scattered participants. Photo courtesy of John David Thacker

 

 

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – Mennonite World Conference is seeking gifted vocalists to join the International Vocal Ensemble for the Pennsylvania 2015 Assembly.

This ensemble will lead congregational singing during the Assembly. The singing and worship services will reflect the global fellowship of Mennonite World Conference, and be rich in music and worship diversity. The purpose of this group is to lead, teach, and inspire – not to give a performance.

The ensemble will consist of ten persons representing all continents. Those applying to  sing in the ensemble should have a strong commitment to Christian/Anabaptist values, excellent team skills, previous performance experience, reference from a pastor. Applicants should be familiar with (or be willing to learn) a wide variety of international types of music and different worship styles, able to communicate in English, sing a vocal part and play an instrument.

Prior to Assembly, ensemble members will practice and become familiar with the music in their home countries, beginning in May 2015. They will need to arrive in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by 16 July to have several days of practice before the Assembly starts on 21 July.

Those interested in applying to be on the Assembly International Vocal Ensemble, should provide a brief resume and videos or MP3s (or links) of their performances to Don McNiven (ibica.dmcniven@gmail.com ) and John Williamson (JohnWilliamson@mwc-cmm.org). Applications should be sent prior to 15 January 2015. For more information please contact JohnWilliamson@mwc-cmm.org

MWC release

Photo: Merle Good

 

 

 

 

 

Harrisburg, PA, USA – In less than a year from now, our sisters and brothers from around the world, and from across North America, will be coming to Harrisburg to worship and fellowship with us. “PA 2015,” the Mennonite World Conference Assembly, will be held at the Farm Show Complex, July 21-26, 2015.

“We expect to host up to 8,000 guests,” says Lynn Roth, North America Representative for MWC. “Our team is lining up lodging, food, transportation, the worship services, the seminars, the Global Church Village, and the choirs, but we need local people to provide a heartfelt welcome, to enter into the event as fully as possible, beginning now!”

Here’s what you can do:

1. Plan to attend the whole 5½ days. This is the way you’ll make lasting friendships and discover the gift of belonging to an international family of faith. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015registration.

2. Join the Prayer Network now. You’ll receive monthly messages about particular needs in planning the Assembly. Two big ones—that our sisters and brothers from the Global South will be granted visas so they can attend; and that we North Americans will offer hospitality of the heart to our visitors. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015prayernetwork.

3. Urge your congregation to partner with another congregation whose members have fewer financial resources or are recent immigrants to the U.S., so its members are able to attend and join in the global fellowship. For more detail, go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015partnership. Contact your conference office for information about how to do this.

4. Learn more about your global family of faith by reading What We Believe Together, by Alfred Neufeld, based on MWC’s “Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists” statement. The book includes discussion questions, so find others who will read the book, and discuss it together. Or read and discuss the five books in MWC’s Global Mennonite History Series. Each history has been written, not by North Americans, but by persons from those continents. All these books can be ordered from www.lmhs.org, or by calling 717-393-8745.

5.  Don’t miss “Resources for Congregations” on the MWC website. You’ll find a video about PA 2105, information for your church bulletins, background articles, ideas for planning events leading up to the Assembly, and more. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015resources.

6. Volunteer to help now and/or during PA 2015. Consider hosting guests in your home. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015volunteer.

“Remember,” says Roth, “PA 2015 will be an experience of Jesus we can’t fully replicate in our own congregations, a taste of heaven as we worship and fellowship in many languages and cultures.”

Article by Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for MWC

PA 2015 will feature exuberant singing. Photo by Merle Good

 

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – “Isn’t English your first language?” Marius van Hoogstraten (Netherlands) asked Don McNiven (Canada), after a laughter-filled conversation about the proper spelling of the English word “future.”

Both men are members of Mennonite World Conference’s Program Oversight Committee, which met in October to further plan the upcoming Assembly at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA 21-26 July 2015.

The committee members represent churches from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America and each speak at least two languages. In order to communicate for their planning sessions, they use the one language they have in common: English.

While all committee members speak English fluently, they discovered that translating their conversation into the languages of their homelands was not always as easy.

“When looking for a theme we had wanted to use the word ‘story’ in the title,” reflected Liesa Unger (Germany), Chief International Events Officer for Mennonite World Conference (MWC).  What they discovered, however, was that the English word “story” would translate into “history” in many languages and the idea of “history” was not what the team was trying to say.  So they settled instead on the theme of “Walking with God.”

One of the committee’s tasks during their October visit to Pennsylvania was to plan the subthemes for each day of Assembly. This task was more difficult than it seemed: how would they find simple, memorable words to describe the theme of each day that mean the same thing in all of MWC’s worshiping languages?

They encountered their first problem in deciding on a word to use to describe the work of evangelism and social justice: words that translated well into Ndbele, the language spoken by committee member Thobekile Ncube (Zimbabwe), or French and Spanish but didn’t have direct translations into modern German, for instance. Other words described only speaking the good news of Jesus without including caring for the poor or working for justice as part of evangelism.

Why so much effort for clear communication?  Because communication is an essential value for MWC, said César García, MWC General Secretary, in a recent article.  “Communication has the same root as other important words in MWC’s mission and vision: communion and community. It is not possible to have real communion with those with whom we do not communicate.”

And so the work for clear communication continues for an event that will include as many as 10,000 people from 85 different countries. Fiona Neufeld (Paraguay), one of Assembly 2015’s interpretation coordinators, joined the Program Oversight Committee to plan translation for the event, which will be available for all worship services in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. 

And yet the Assembly planners are also aware of a challenging reality: for many of those traveling to the United States in 2015, these “common languages” are still not their first language. The team plans to honour and celebrate this diversity by using other languages as part of the morning and evening worship services.

MWC’s diversity of language and culture will also be celebrated through the Global Church Village, which, under the direction of Vikal Rao (India), will provide space for congregations from each continent to share their culture, food, worship practices, and way of life with the global church.  The Global Church Village will include a stage for performances of music and dance from around the world.

“You get to know other cultures and worldviews through their language, which allows you to get to know other people and their realities,” reflected Egon Sawatsky (Paraguay), youth program coordinator. “Getting to know these people from around the world and their stories shows how great God is, and how diverse his creation is. Sometimes we think we [alone] have the image of God, but then we realize that his ways and his thoughts are way higher than ours.”

MWC release by Emily Ralph

 

Harrisburg, PA, USA – We Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ of North America have invited our sisters and brothers from around the world to come to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in a little more than a year from now—July 21-26, 2015.

The event, Pennsylvania 2015, is Mennonite World Conference’s every-six-year Assembly, fondly known as a reunion of the worldwide Anabaptist-Mennonite family. It’s the first time the event will be held in the eastern US in MWC’s 90-year history. The Assembly was last in the US in 1978 in Wichita, KS.

Here are some basic facts so you can plan to join this exuberant event and prepare to offer hospitality to those who accept our invitation!

Who’s invited?

Everyone who’s part of the family of 1.7 million souls (see the sidebar). Mennonite World Conference (MWC) staff are preparing for 6,000-10,000 people. Attending will be interested laypeople, leaders who represent their churches, families with young children, youth groups, and young adults.

When?

Tuesday afternoon, July 21, through Sunday morning, July 26, 2015.

Where?

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (This is close to the large Pennsylvania Mennonite and Brethren in Christ (BIC) communities of Lancaster, Grantham, Chambersburg, and Franconia. And it’s an easy drive from Philadelphia, central PA, and the Shenandoah Valley of VA.)

What will happen at PA 2015?

• Each day will begin with singing, led by a multinational worship team, with music from all continents.
• Each morning one of MWC’s four Commissions (Faith and Life, Missions, Peace, and Deacons) will present, and a young adult, selected by the Young Anabaptist group, will respond.
• Everyone attending will join a small multicultural group of 15-20 people for fellowship and a deeper discussion on the morning theme. The same groups will continue to meet throughout the week—a great opportunity for visiting and discovering new relationships.
• Afternoons will be filled with workshops, service opportunities, local tours, sports activities, and performances and exhibits in the Global Church Village.
• Each continent will contribute to each evening worship service, which will include testimonies, singing, prayer, and times of encouragement.
• PA 2015 will include a children’s program. After morning singing, children will experience their own multicultural program all day, including lunch.
• PA 2015 will also include a youth program (ages 18 and under). After morning singing, youth will meet for their own presentations, discussions, and service projects. They’ll join the adults for workshops, sports, tours, music, and relaxing in the Global Church Village. 
• An international young adult convention, the Global Youth Summit (ages 18+), will take place July 17-19, three days before PA 2015. It will be held at Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, PA, just across the river from Harrisburg. Its theme is “Called to Share: My Gifts, Our Gifts.”

What is the theme for PA 2015?

“Walking with God.” Speakers each morning and evening will work with biblical texts and our own stories and experiences of joy and grief, uncertainty and hope.

Why should you plan to attend?

• Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience worship with our global Anabaptist family on our own continent. (If the MWC Assemblies continue to be held every six years, rotating among the five major continents, it will be another 30 years before the Assembly comes back to North America.)
• Because it is relatively inexpensive to attend, compared to the next Assembly, scheduled for 2021 in Indonesia.
• Because it will be global and colorful, full of character, stories, and inspiration, even though it is in the US!
• And mostly because worship with our sisters and brothers from all over the world will feed and nourish our souls and faith for years to come. This will be an experience of Jesus that we cannot fully replicate in our own congregations or denominations, a taste of heaven as we worship the Lamb of God in many languages and cultures.
• Because all of us who are members of the Body of Christ will learn about how to be more faithful Christ-followers today, as we fellowship and worship together.
• Because we will all be encouraged and have our hopes renewed by engaging with individuals from our global family, many of whom live in inhospitable settings.

What if you speak only English? Or Spanish? Or French?

The platform language will be English. There will be simultaneous translations for Spanish and French speakers.

How can you get updates about PA 2015?

Go to mwc-cmm.org/pa2015. And to be part of the ongoing conversation about PA 2015, go to Facebook.com/MennoniteWorldConference.

When and how do you register?

Registration opens on August 20, 2014. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015 for registration materials.

A special welcome from MWC’s leader

César García, MWC General Secretary, from Bogota, Colombia, says, “It isn’t possible to have real communion with those with whom we don’t communicate.  It isn’t possible to build a global community if we don’t talk with each other. It isn’t possible to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep if we don’t know each other’s joys or sufferings.

“If we share our experiences, our resources, our gifts, and our fears and doubts, we will be strengthened and we will be more effective. Isn’t this what it means to be Christ’s church?

“Let’s come together in July 2015 in Harrisburg as a global family, an organic body, that is interconnected and ‘intercommunicated,’ so that we’re more than just a network of institutions!”

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What is Mennonite World Conference?

A communion of Anabaptist-related churches, linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service and witness.

Who is included in Mennonite World Conference?

• 1.2 million baptized members of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches around the world. (There are a total of 1.7 million in the family, but not all are MWC members.)
• 101 national conferences (about 9,500 congregations)
• located in 83 countries
• 78% of baptized believers in MWC member churches are African, Asian, or Latin American.

What is a Mennonite World Conference Assembly?

A reunion of the Anabaptist-Mennonite family worldwide, usually held every six years, meeting on one of the major five continents on a rotating basis. During the nearly week-long gathering, attendees engage in fellowship, worship, service, and witness.

In recent years, a Global Youth Summit has preceded the Assembly. Young adults (ages 18-30) gather to experience the global church and to develop a network of relationships, prayer partners, and co-workers in Christ.

MWC release by Phyllis Pellman Good, a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference from Lancaster, PA.

Storytelling and meditations will be shared by speakers from all of the continents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opportunities for visiting will fill the days—from small discussion groups each morning, to mealtimes, to relaxing in the Global Church Village in the afternoons.

 

(All photos by Merle Good)

Harrisburg, PA, USA – Registrants for PA 2015 will be able to choose from 47 tours while attending the Mennonite World Conference Assembly, to be held July 21-26, 2015 in Harrisburg, PA.

Ten full-day tours will take place on Monday, July 20. Registrants may choose among visits to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and several Anabaptist communities in eastern PA. One of these is a full day in Lancaster County, where participants will meet with Old Order Amish and Mennonites, have dinner in an Amish home, and join in an evening singing with four Old Order groups.

Areas of focus for half-day tours offered during the Assembly include local historical sites of Mennonite-related groups, activities and locations of current-day Anabaptists, United States history, general interest, and general interest/family friendly.

Among the destinations of these 37 half-day tours are: active, non-farming Amish businesses; Native American village sites, as well as the Lancaster Longhouse of the eastern woodland Indians; Underground Railroad locations of 1800-1860, used to help enslaved African Americans; and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, designed to assimilate Native American children from 140 tribes into USA’s majority culture (1879-1918).

Other tours will visit: a currently used Old Order Mennonite meetinghouse, along with an active buggy and carriage shop; the Ephrata Cloister where the Martyrs Mirror was first published in German; and a greenhouse employing guest workers from Mexico, the Spanish-speaking Brethren in Christ congregation where many of them worship, and stories from the immigrant workers.

There will be: a PA Dutch Food Tour; walking tours of historic downtown Lancaster and the nearby town of Strasburg; a visit to three York County farms that are intentionally small scale and sustainable; kayaking on the Susquehanna River; and hiking the Appalachian Trail.

“The Farm Show Complex is situated in a beautiful, historic, and culturally rich area of southeastern Pennsylvania,” says Howard Good, National Coordinator of “PA 2015.” “We want registrants to be able to visit nearby landmarks and join in local activities while they’re here for the Assembly. We’ve lined up the hosts and the transportation so our guests can fully absorb the experience.”

Details about all tours are available on the registration form for PA 2015.

MWC release by Phyllis Pellman Good of Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.

One tour option for Assembly participants will be a visit to the Material Resources Center, a Mennonite Central Committee project in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. The center is a collection point for items given by people who are responding to requests for materials from MCC partners in places of need. Photo: MCC

Harrisburg, PA, USA – “What a sad irony it would be if we welcomed the world to PA 2015 but we failed to find a way for our U.S. and Canadian sisters and brothers who belong to immigrant congregations, and to congregations who need financial support, to attend MWC’s Assembly next summer,” reflects Lynn Roth, Mennonite World Conference’s lead North American staff person.

“We have a rich diversity of nationalities within our 1400-plus congregations in the U.S. We worship in at least 20 languages – Indonesian, Amharic, and Karen, to name just a few. Many of the members of these congregations are fairly recent immigrants. Many of them have limited incomes. They want very much to attend PA 2015. But many cannot afford the registration fee, nor can they afford to take time off from work to attend.

“Yet we believe it is essential for people from these congregations to experience the global church and to be strongly represented at the Assembly to be held July 21-26, 2015 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“Their presence at PA 2015 will help all of us more fully grasp the wonderful variety within the North American church,” says Roth.  “And having had this experience, we won’t be content to live so separately in the future.”

A partnership solution

“We’ve put together a plan that shares responsibility for solving this dilemma,” explains Roth. “Regional and area conferences, together with local congregations and church organizations with resources to share, are invited to partner with Mennonite World Conference, and with these congregations with limited financial resources.” (See sidebar for details.)

“We urge all congregations and area conferences across North America to join us in this effort – both those who need financial support and those who have funds to share. Please keep this opportunity to ‘care for those in our household of faith’ in mind as you plan your 2015 budget,” suggests Roth.

“Email registrations@mwc-cmm.org for instructions about how a conference or congregation can become a partner by sending funds to MWC for their portion of the registration, and how the persons receiving the subsidy should register.”

A gift that keeps on giving

“Think of this as an investment in our ongoing life together as a North American church,” says Roth. “PA 2015 gives us a rare chance to learn to know our neighbouring churches – our sisters and brothers from other cultures and language groups, and with different economic status – as partners.

“We want to continue our shared life together when the last guest has gone home from PA 2015,” reflects Roth. “As a North American church, we want to more fully experience being part of a global faith family as a result of preparing for and hosting the Assembly.”

Article by Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.

Here’s how the partnership solution will work:

The registration fee for a North American adult for PA 2015 (including the full meal plan) is $575.

• Mennonite World Conference will subsidize $150 of that cost.
• MWC invites the congregation’s regional conference or a partnering congregation to donate $150.
• The participating individual (or his/her congregation) pays the balance of $275.
• In addition, these persons will be given priority to stay in private homes for $25 per night (totaling $125 to $150).
• An additional cost for which creative funding must be found is transportation to and from PA 2015.

 

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – “We should be well informed hosts,” said Richard Thomas recently about PA 2015, the Mennonite World Conference Assembly, to be held next July 21-26 in Harrisburg, PA.

Thomas, who chairs the National Advisory Council for the event, is urging all North American Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ to honour their guests next summer by starting to prepare now.

“Most of us probably can’t become fluent in Indonesian or Amharic or French between now and next July. But we can certainly learn to know more about our sister churches around the world before we’re sitting next to their members at next summer’s Assembly!” commented Thomas.

Five-volume Global History Series available

Mennonite World Conference commissioned the writing of a five-volume Global History Series over the span of several years. The volumes, one for each continent, are written by persons from their respective continents, and so reflect the perspectives, experiences, and interpretations of the local churches.

“I’m reading these books as one way to get myself ready for PA 2015. I want to have a deeper understanding of how my sisters and brothers have found and sustained their faith,” said Thomas. “Many of them have survived wars and hunger and immense political pressure. Many have Muslim neighbors. I have so much to learn from them – and the histories tell those stories.”

Book about Shared Convictions

Thomas said he is also reading What We Believe Together: Exploring the “Shared Convictions” of Anabaptist-Related Churches. The book is a lively expansion of one of MWC’s great gifts to the global church – the brief statement, “Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists.” In the book, Alfred Neufeld from Paraguay writes with unusual insights and examples from around the world.

“Everyone should read these books, whether they’re coming to PA 2015 or not,” said Thomas. “This common reading material can be one of our global glues. And we’ll be talking about our ‘Shared Convictions’ when we’re together next summer.”

Book discussions planned

In eastern Pennsylvania, book discussions are scheduled, beginning October 26, 2014, and continuing through June 1, 2015. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/journeytopa2015 to see the dates for the discussions, the book being discussed each time, and the location of each event.

“If you live too far away to attend these get-togethers, why not schedule discussions of the books in your community? Invite anyone to come who’s interested, even if they haven’t read the books,” urges Thomas.

The five histories include: Testing Faith and Tradition (Europe volume), Mission and Migration (Latin America volume), Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts (Africa volume), Churches Engage Asian Traditions (Asia volume), and Seeking Places of Peace (North America volume). These titles are available in the United States from the Bookshop and Online Book Service of Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society (www.lmhs.org, 1-717-393-9745) and in Canada from the online Bookshop at Pandora Press (bookshop.pandorapress.com, 1-866-696-1678). The title What We Believe Together is available only from the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society.

MWC release by Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – Mennonite World Conference is establishing a Prayer Network, recognizing the importance of prayer as preparations are made for PA 2015, the global Assembly being planned for July 21-26, 2015, in Harrisburg, PA.

“We are confident that the Assembly will be a wonderful time of worship, celebration, and engagement next summer,” Lynn Roth, MWC North America Representative, reflected recently. “The Program Committee is putting together a week of amazing music, meditations, worship, seminars and arts performances and events around the theme of ‘Walking with God.’”

Visa concerns

“As with all of the Assemblies in recent years, we will face significant challenges that will allow us to experience God’s presence and answers to prayer,” said Roth. “The first worry on everyone’s mind is obtaining visas for registrants. Our main concern is for young people. But older persons from some of the countries where the largest Anabaptist churches are located – Ethiopia, Congo, and India, for example – may have trouble, too.

“We confess that the American government’s concern for security, now more than ever, means that many of our sisters and brothers will likely be denied the possibility of worshiping and fellowshipping in this grand reunion.

“When we invited the global church to come to the U.S. for the Assembly, we promised to do all in our power to work with U.S. government officials and embassies in those countries where this issue is especially difficult. We have a highly active and competent Visa Task Force and coordinators. We are leaving no stone unturned as we prepare, support, and walk with registrants as they go through the visa process.

“But we believe that prayer is essential to this whole effort. This is one way Americans can humbly bear some of the burdens of our country’s travel policies, while exercising faith at the same time.”

Learning to participate with the global church

“We have a second concern,” said Roth. “Can we North American Anabaptists see the Assembly as a not-to-be-missed opportunity to participate in an unusual global celebration?

“We’re endlessly busy. We’re quite independent. We have no extra margins of time in our days. Many of us will probably question whether we can set aside things in our daily lives long enough to travel to and attend the whole 5½ days of PA 2015.

“And so we want to pray for ourselves, that we will learn the gift of hospitality of the heart and be willing to be transformed by the experience of hosting the global church.”

 “There will always be additional challenges like health concerns or international incidents that affect travel. We are organizing an event which will bring people together from all over the world. I believe it can happen only if it is bathed in prayer and is God’s doing.”

Inspired by the Zimbabweans

The idea for a Prayer Network for PA 2015 came from the Zimbabwean Brethren in Christ Church, who hosted the MWC Assembly in 2003. Within Zimbabwe, food and fuel were extremely scarce, the economy was weak and wobbly, and the government was unreliable. The Zimbabweans acknowledged all of this, and so they began stockpiling food and fuel for months in advance of the event. They also prayed.

Ethel Sibanda, a member of the Zimbabwean BIC, stepped up to lead a Prayer Network across the country. She also rallied persons who weren’t attending the Assembly, but who wanted to assure hospitality for their church’s guests.

 “We have learned from the Zimbabweans,” says Prayer Network Coordinator, Joanne Dietzel of Strasburg, PA. “We invite everyone who believes in prayer and the global church to join the Prayer Network, even those who may not be planning to attend PA 2015. We will be sending e-blasts to all who sign up on the MWC website (www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015prayernetwork), sharing specific needs and giving thanks for particular blessings.

“We believe this is an opportunity to transform our hearts and our behavior if we together ask for God’s grace and help with this gathering of the global church.”

MWC Prayer Walks forming

Jane Hoober Peifer, a member of the Prayer Network Planning Team, has launched a regularly scheduled MWC Prayer Walk in the city of Lancaster, PA. “’Walking with God’ is the theme for PA 2015, so walking while praying seems like an appropriate discipline to practice,” says Peifer. “Not only will our guests be on a pilgrimage. As hosts, we’ll be ‘traveling,’ too, as we open ourselves to welcome them into our hearts and homes.

“I hope that little groups of walkers will form in our communities across North America – and around the world – so that together we strengthen our faith in praying, and so that we all experience a renewed sense of God’s presence through PA 2015.”

Ideas for forming an MWC Prayer Walk Group will appear on MWC’s Prayer Network page, along with passages of Scripture and prayer requests from the planners of PA 2015.

“We will post the dates when individuals are scheduled for interviews with embassy staffs to secure their visas. We will ask for prayer for speakers and choirs. We will list requests for wisdom, courage, and imagination as uncertainties develop,” comments Dietzel. “We want to walk in prayer with all who are involved in PA 2015, rather than pray for them. So come walk with us!”

Article by Phyllis Pellman Good of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a writer and editor for MWC.