Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday 2025

    In many cultural contexts, and particularly in Africa, the offering is as important as the sermon, as a meaningful part of worship.  

    The pastor often asks one of the ushers to pray, to bless the givers, and also that those who are not giving may be blessed to give. Often someone will give a testimony and Scripture on the theme of giving, as part of the offering.  

    Sometimes helpers will take baskets around, and at other times members are all encouraged to come up to the front to put their offering into a basket at the front. In many places the people sing and dance while giving their offering at the front, because giving something as an act of worship elicits much joy.  

    MWC invites a special offering to be taken for the global Anabaptist church community on Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday. One way to think about this offering is to invite every member to contribute the value of one lunch in their own community to support the networks and resources of our global Anabaptist church family. Sacrificing one lunch is our humble way of giving thanks to God and supporting the on-going ministry of God through the church. 

    This gift of “one lunch” (the value within one’s own country) per person, once a year, is something that most MWC members can do, except in times of famine or violence. People who have more resources can give much more than this, and could be encouraged to do so. Others with more scarce resources could consider giving the monetary value of one item that they would normally include in a meal.  

    Here are some ideas on how to plan for a special MWC offering in your congregation.  

    1. Plan for One Lunch offerings to be put into a special basket at the front or in culturally appropriate lunch bags/containers during the worship service as a separate offering from the normal offering. 
    2. Plan for a shared congregational meal together before or after worship on Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday.  
      This could be “potluck”, with each family bringing dishes of food to share, with an offering basket for MWC to “pay” for the meal. 
      This could be auctioning off or selling a prepared packed lunch brought by families to the church. These packed lunches are then available for auction or for purchase or donation by anyone to take home, or to eat together after worship. 
    3. Plan for a time of shared fasting and prayer for the global church during a mealtime before or after worship on Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday. Include an offering for MWC during that time. This offering would approximate the value of the meal that is not being eaten by the participants in the fast. 

    Funds that are gathered through this special offering in each congregation can be sent directly to Mennonite World Conference using the various mechanisms shown on our website

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    Or, these funds can be sent to your national church office with a request to pass the funds on to MWC. Clearly mark the offering as designated for Mennonite World Conference and indicate it is an Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday offering. 

  • Many hands make light work 

    This adage is one we use frequently when we’re doing work together. A core part of our identity as Mennonite World Conference is living out unity, so pooling our efforts to make a positive difference in the world is fundamental. 

    Living out unity is calls on each one of us to to share with each other. MWC’s Fair Share operates on this principle (More on Fair Share below). It insists that we all have something to share but also for that sharing to be just, we need to acknowledge our different situations across our planet.  

    Fair Share 

    MWC has 110 national member churches in 61 countries around the world. Except in the context of the most grievous situations like active warfare, all member churches are expected to make annual Fair Share contributions to help support MWC’s core work as we’re linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service and witness.  

    We share what we have is a meaningful sentiment in most parts of the world. Of course, some have more and some have less, but what’s foundational is that we all give from what we have. We know from Jesus’ story of the widow’s offering in Mark 12 that sacrificial giving is part of reaching out with God’s love.  

    Today, about 30% of MWC’s annual unrestricted revenue comes through Fair Share contributions from national member churches. These contributions are critical to MWC’s thriving as a worldwide Anabaptist family of faith. In our community of faith, we inspire each other by our investments in building-up the global church community.  

    Stewardship in the household of faith 

    We asked several regional representatives to reflect on the meaning they find in MWC’s work in the area of Fair Share. Across the globe, these 13 people are the face of MWC to and for our national member churches. They live in 5 regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean and North America. These experienced leaders help interpret their regional contexts to the rest of the global family They also use their contextual wisdom to help negotiate Fair Share.  

    Here are some of their thoughts on Fair Share: 

    Siaka Traoré, living in Burkina Faso and MWC regional rep for Central West Africa, insists that Fair Share is an act of justice, collaboration and communion. Siaka Traoré sees it as justice because it is required of all members without exception based on race or place. To be part of the community, all must contribute. 

    Willi Hugo Pérez, living in Guatemala and MWC regional rep for Central America, sees MWC’s Fair Share approach as a gesture of love, gratitude and commitment. Willi Hugo Pérez sees the gratitude for the generous gifts, joys and blessings that we receive from God through the beloved family.  

    Jeremiah Choi, living in Hong Kong and MWC regional rep for Northeast Asia, observes the practical benefits of these annual investments by MWC national member churches. MWC’s support makes it possible for national member church delegates from all over the world to gather and see each other face-to-face as we live out unity together. 

    Jumanne Magiri, living in Tanzania and MWC regional rep for East Africa, sees Fair Share as a duty we all carry as part of the global Anabaptist family. As we all contribute together, it is an indicator of our stewardship and responsible action as members of the household of faith. 

    As we join together in the MWC family, we are all called to bring our full selves to enrich each other’s lives. Just as in our families at home, we share love in a variety of ways. Contributing to the building-up of the worldwide Anabaptist family of faith is a powerful way to “preach the gospel” without necessarily using words. It’s an opportunity for all of us to do our share – our Fair Share.  

    May God continue to bless the work of our hands together.  

    —Bruce Campbell-Janz is MWC’s Chief Development Officer. He lived in DR Congo on church-related service for eight years and now lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, with his wife Ann. 

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  • “Disperse and connect.” This motto guided Hawkesville Mennonite Church as they closed the congregation’s active ministry and disbursed the assets to support other ministries. Mennonite World Conference was one of the beneficiaries from this congregation in rural Ontario, Canada.

    “The church’s assets will be used to promote the ongoing mission of the church,” says David Martin, interim pastor at Hawkesville at the time of closure. (Canada Revenue Agency requires that donations are used according to their designation.)

    The congregation chose Mennonite World Conference, Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada – representing the global, national and local ministries of the church.

    “The closing service had a sense of commissioning: take what we received here and bring those gifts elsewhere,” says David Martin.

    The church’s money and members are now dispersed for continued connection: people and the gospel.

    Before it closed, the worship leader at Hawkesville’s weekly services would give a short update on how MWC, MC Canada and MCEC are working to build the church. This built the congregation’s role within the wider work of the church. “The global church is important,” says David Martin.

    Closing the church was “a bold decision,” says David Martin. The congregation had strong leadership and the financial resources to continue.

    However, the congregation recognized there was little possibility of accepting new members in their rural context. The region is well resourced with many other congregations, meanwhile younger people usually settle in urban centres.

    “The congregation was not likely to thrive well without getting smaller,” said David Martin.

    There was nearly a year of discernment that led up to the decision and another year of grieving and celebration that preceded the final service in June 2024.

    David Martin guided the congregation in spiritual practices to grieve, release, celebrate and position themselves for “a new future that God is creating for us,” he says.

    Over almost 75 years of ministry, Hawkesville Mennonite served in many ways: member made quilts for MCC, pillows for a local hospital, cream buns for the annual relief sale, and more.

    “We decided to put efforts behind other local churches, to find different ways to reinvest ourselves in the mission of the church, to use assets to seed the future.”

    Every member had at least one if not several options within a 15-minute travel radius, says David Martin. So they dispersed to find new connections and devote their energies to new avenues of service.

    “There is sadness and we wish it had not happened. But there are no regrets,” says Julene Fast, congregational chair.

    Informal gatherings planned the next year will continue to bring the dispersed Hawkesville members together again for connection. God’s mission continues in new forms.

    Read more:

    Canadian Mennonite: HAwkesville closes with gratitude
    MCEC: Closing with Grace