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“We should do this again”
A glimpse of Assembly 2015, a glimpse of God’s intention to bring peoples together, a calling for one multicultural congregation “We should do this again!” commented a Hmong young adult, a sentiment heard often after Kitchener First Mennonite Church’s Assembly Scattered weekend in early October 2015. Nearly 60 youth, children and adults from the congregation…
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European leaders release statement on refugees
Bogotá, Colombia – Leaders of Mennonite conferences in Europe and international guests met in Buhl, France, for their annual gathering of planning and fellowship 23-25 October 2015. The assembled leaders drafted a statement to express their concern about the refugee crisis in Europe. “The refugees of our time remind us of biblical stories of power…
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A quelles conditions ‘tre baptisé ?
Comment répond-on à cette question, selon que l’on vit dans le Nord ou le Sud du globe ? Points de vue suisse et congolais. Point de vue Suisse Dans la vie communautaire des mennonites suisses romands ou francophones, certaines questions se posent par rapport au baptême. Elles sont révélatrices des changements intervenus au sein des…
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Taiwan Mennonite Church celebrates 60 years
Taipei, Taiwan – On 25-26 October 2014, more than 1,100 Taiwanese Mennonites attended a gala celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of the Fellowship of Mennonite Churches in Taiwan (FOMCIT). FOMCIT is a Mennonite World Conference member church. Held at the China Youth Activities Center in Taipei, the two-day celebration focused on the theme “Legacy,…
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The gift of conversations at Assembly PA 2015
Friendship Groups and Activities There were so many great things about the Mennonite World Conference [Assembly, PA 2015]. This was my first time going, and I really appreciated the worship sessions, especially the diversity. (I had no idea what Japanese worship was like!) But perhaps the most important reason I wanted to go to [PA…
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God will show you the way
Meal ministry at Dutch Mennonite church welcomes addicts and homeless Life did not go as planned for Max Tauran. A patron of Doperse Dis (a three-year-old meal ministry in a northern Dutch city), he told the audience at a fundraising dinner that “[Life] simply went as it came…[including] chaos, mistakes, pain and sorrow.” For six…
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Churches of all stripes call for freedom of religion
Winnipeg, Canada – Representatives of every stream of global Christianity met in Tirana, Albania, 1–5 November, 2015 for a consultation on Discrimination, Persecution, Martyrdom: Following Christ Together, convened by the Global Christian Forum. Together, these 145 Christian leaders recognized the continued persecution of Christians, repented of the times Christians have persecuted those of other faith,…
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Powerful pen
A retired school teacher and prison inmates are unlikely pen pals who have exchanged thousands of letters in Curitiba over the past decade. It began when a man in prison responded to a short piece 76-year-old Dona Maria Martins published in a devotional magazine in 2006. She replied to the letter that arrived at her…
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Virée historique en Europe mennonite, novembre 2015
Collaboration de Zacharie Leclair, Muriel et Claude Queval, Richard Lougheed et Danielle Lajeunesse L’idée avait germé à Montréal, autour d’une table lors d’un repas pris en compagnie de Neal Blough, directeur du Centre mennonite de Paris et l’un des initiateurs du Réseau mennonite francophone mondial (Rfm), de Marc Paré, directeur du Centre mennonite de Montréal,…
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A Vision for Reconciliation
How did you become interested in the life of the church? Kraybill: Growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, my family was deeply involved in the mission of the church at the local level. Both of my parents gave tirelessly to the congregation, serving in many roles, from Sunday school teachers to janitors. My uncle Nevin…
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A deeper shade of green: Waste reduction measures at PA 2015
Winnipeg, Canada – Mass events can leave behind a mountain amount of trash. But at Mennonite World Conference’s 16th Assembly in Harrisburg, 21–26 July 2015, the management of garbage was an expression of worship to God the creator. Assembly organizers “decided early on that we would attempt to make the conference environmentally friendly to the degree that…
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Celebrating Peace Sunday: A call for people who sow peace in peace
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa – September 21 marked the International Day of Peace – an event observed around the world with the hope that global citizens may renew their desire to work for peace. Mennonite World Conference and its member churches participated in this global day of commitment to peace by celebrating Peace Sunday on September…
