Stories

How can I celebrate?

I am tired of war, conflict, hunger, poverty, division, hatred, gun violence, black and white class difference, the oppression of women, slaughter of children and women, fake news, liars and unjust authorities and leaders and so many, many issues... Lees meer

Intergenerational solidarity relationships

Saturday morning When we think of older generations, we think of those who came before us, the ones whose shoulders we stand on. However, when we think about the solidarity of our relationship with those generations, there seems to be a gap... Lees meer

Let us mutually care for one another

Friday night Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden... Lees meer

Interethnic and ecumenical work in violent contexts

Friday morning Ephesians 2:14-17 “ For he is our peace, in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he... Lees meer

United in the defence of life: water more precious than gold

Friday morning Once the laws became progressively more flexible during the lockdown we all experienced in 2020, I was able to cycle through the mountains in my home city. Although we were not allowed to mill about on the street, we were allowed to... Lees meer

Together across barriers

“Our duty is to bring peace and love.” These words, relayed from Indonesian by a translator at the closing worship service of Mennonite World Conference’s Assembly 17 in Indonesia, came not from one of the featured speakers but from the governor of... Lees meer

Assembly tours and service projects

Assembly activities Connecting with people is at the heart of MWC Assemblies. Participating in local tourism and serving with local ministries provided another chance to connect. “I get a lot of value and joy out of helping people,” says Daniel... Lees meer

We do not lose heart

Thursday night In April, I received an invitation of sharing on the topic “living together in the hostile environment.” The title really stirred my heart. And I think one of the reasons of my invitation is that they know we Hong Kong people were... Lees meer

Living the good life is good and even necessary

Thursday morning "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.” Psalm 133:1 is an affirmation of how the biblical David delighted in the company of his brothers. As a social species, humans need the fellowship of others... Lees meer

A good kind of infidel

“We were far away from peace, but now we are friends with Christians. We are working for peace and humility.” Through an interpreter, Commander Yanni Rusmanto from Solo, Indonesia, spoke at the “Mennonites in Indonesia and Radical Muslims making... Lees meer

We are the hands of God in times of crisis

Trust in the power of the Holy Spirit that there is hope in this difficult time. We, as a communion of churches, will be each other’s help in times of need. When the power of the Holy Spirit flows through us you cannot help but take action. The Holy... Lees meer

Global Youth Summit (GYS)

Life in the Spirit: Learn, Serve, Worship 34 delegates: 4 from North America, 4 from Europe, 11 from Asia, 6 from Africa, and 9 from Latin America. In delegate sessions, some common challenges for young people that surfaced were loneliness and the... Lees meer

We speak the same language

“I cannot be grateful enough that even though we are a large and diverse group, we speak the same language: the language of love for Christ and his people,” says Daniel Nugroho. He was part of the team that made it possible for all to understand. Up... Lees meer

Practice before the storm

Wednesday night When he was 17, my grandfather was forced to fight in World War II (WWII). When I started talking about my plans to study peace and peace theology, he got a little upset. He said: “You talk about peace and war, but you don’t know... Lees meer

Learning together to discern the will of God

Wednesday morning Learning together to discern the will of God”: the first Christians were confronted with this challenge from the beginning. Indeed, “learning together to discern the will of God” is not mere wishful thinking! It is not a... Lees meer

Learning together to handle diversity

Wednesday morning There have always been two main kinds of learning: academic and experiential. Most of us have an inclination toward one or the other, but the reality is that both are necessary for learning. Knowledge doesn’t do anyone much good if... Lees meer

Puppies and goats are welcome at the table

May we learn from Jesus what God is truly like, crafting a plan to save the world, working in time and space to bring that plan to its glorious fulfillment and pouring out grace on individuals all along the way. May we learn from Jesus what we are... Lees meer

A fruitful event

Following Jesus together across barriers Mennonite World Conference (MWC) global Assemblies are the equivalent of a Sunday meeting at a local congregation. Through the liturgy, we declare the sovereignty of Christ in our global church, challenging... Lees meer

Together proclaim the “manifold wisdom of God”

India The missionaries from USA started Mennonite mission work in central India, presently Chhattisgarh state in November 1899. They began with philanthropic works, providing relief to the drought-stricken people. The first baptism of 43 new... Lees meer

The brightest and best

Canada It was 20 years ago when my husband and I were mourning the messy demise of our church, which had destabilized during the renewalism of the 1990s. I felt both cynical and yet wistful, regarding the charismatic. In search of sanity, stability... Lees meer