Stories

Striving for integrity

Andre Wiederkehr, of Ontario, Canada, doesn’t have a driver’s license. That’s because he chooses not to use fossil fuels to get around. Without using a car, attending Hanover Mennonite Church on Sundays means riding 21 kilometers by bike. “None of... more/más/suite

Less rain, less shade, more people

January to April is the rainy season in Guayaquil, a port city on the coast of Ecuador. But this past year, says Sara Noemi Viteri Moreno, a member of Iglesia Jesus el Buen Pastor (Jesus the good shepherd, a Mennonite church) in Guayaquil, it hardly... more/más/suite

MWC calls for global energy transition

Earth in all its diversity, vitality and abundance is a gift that has been overshadowed by neglect, exploitation and unsustainable consumption. Anabaptist values, by contrast, call for stewardship (thoughtful care-taking), simplicity and the dignity... more/más/suite

COP 28 blogs by a Dutch Mennonite

Many citizens all over the world are concerned about climate change. That is very understandable, because far too few measures have been taken so far. Realistically it’s very difficult to reach good agreements with all those countries. more/más/suite

One new step each year

You are invited! Join us for Climate Pollinators, a webinar series on creation care. See below! On a map of Green Churches in the Netherlands, there is a green dot for the Mennonite congregation in Aalsmeer. Another dot represents Arboretumkerk (... more/más/suite

Eco-theology reconciles the church with nature

You are invited! Join us for Climate Pollinators, a webinar series on creation care. See below! When human beings were created in Genesis, “This was the first mission of the human… to both enjoy but also to protect and take care of creation,” says... more/más/suite

Building resilience in church members

Like many in Zimbabwe, Sukoluhle Ncube splits her time between the city where her family lives and works, and the rural community where they farm, 40 minutes away. “Most of the people have two homes,” Sukoluhle Ncube says. “In the town, you come and... more/más/suite

The rule of ayni: reciprocal relationship

In Kichwa, there is a word, ayni , that describes the rule and practice of interdependence. “One does not exist unless the community exists,” says Julian Guamán. In the Kichwa worldview, that community includes all of creation, not just humans. Ayni... more/más/suite

Resources on creation care

One encouraging piece of news about creation care is that there are an increasing number of good organizations and websites with excellent resources. The Creation Care Task Force of MWC recommends the following as particularly good sites to start... more/más/suite

How should Mennonite World Conference engage the church with creation care?

This series of stories on the creation care survey has illuminated the importance of issues like climate change in the lives of Anabaptists around the world. We now come to the last question: what should Mennonite World Conference do in response?... more/más/suite

Anabaptists around the world care for creation

Stories from around the world teach how we respond as faith communities to the challenges of climate change. The 353 responses to the Creation Care Task Force survey contained many stories of churches caring for creation. This month, we highlight... more/más/suite

What would help churches engage more with creation care?

Last month we looked at what activities churches actually do with creation care. This week we look at what they would like to learn more about. In other words, what do churches wish they could do more? 1. Respondents are interested in learning about... more/más/suite

Created in the beauty of climate

On 23 September 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the Intergovernmental Panel report on climate change was “a code red for humanity.” And yet Guterres was hopeful, saying “it is not too late to act to ensure that climate action... more/más/suite

How do churches practice creation care?

Our previous stories from the global survey shows that 1) Mennonite-Anabaptist congregations around the world are being impacted by environmental issues such as climate change in diverse ways, 2) are feeling anxious and sad due to those impacts, and... more/más/suite

Are our churches and leaders engaged with creation care?

“In Germany environmental care has been on the public agenda already for a very long time, making it a part of our church’s collective conscience for a while. We are trying different ways to make good on the belief that we are to be God’s stewards... more/más/suite

How does climate change intersect with other community challenges?

“The majority of our members do not have jobs; survival is very difficult.” Leontina Mahamba, Paroisse Alegria de Malanje, igreja Comunidade Menonita em Angola “Mental illness is the major factor keeping the people we encounter homeless. Heat,... more/más/suite

How do environmental problems make people feel?

(...and why does that matter?) “It makes me so sad to see the consequences of environmental damage all across the globe. We have not been good stewards of God 's creation; we have destroyed it rather. It makes me feel guilty to be part of the... more/más/suite

How environmental crises impact church communities

“These repercussions had a negative impact in my personal life and that of other members of our congregation, because they accentuated the already existing level of poverty in the church. The explosion in the price of food products disrupted... more/más/suite

Hurricanes wreak havoc in Central America

Climate impacts What resources on creation care would be most useful? The recently formed Creation Care Task Force (CCTF) of Mennonite World Conference asked this in a survey of Anabaptists around the world. Many respondents wanted to learn more... more/más/suite

Season of Creation – 7

Psalm 19 The heavens are telling the glory of God; the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes... more/más/suite