A look back at the most influential Mennonite Mission Network stories of 2010, from an important step for conscientious objectors to the celebration of significant service program milestones.  

MVS and Selective Service sign agreement — On April 20, Mennonite Voluntary Service, a Mennonite Mission Network service program for adults, and the United States Selective Service signed an agreement to make MVS an officially recognized option for conscientious objectors should the draft ever be reinstated. “The importance of this signing is that it ensures that, in the event of a draft, people who have convictions about war and come from historic peace church backgrounds can serve their country with their convictions intact,” said Stanley W. Green, Mennonite Mission Network executive director.

Two current workers die in service — Two mission workers died this year while serving God and their communities.

Richard Friesen died Aug. 11 in Formosa, Argentina, after a cardiac arrest. Friesen had recently completed his work on a New Testament revision project in the language of the Toba, an Argentinean indigenous group.

Chloe Weaver, a 20-year-old MVS participant in La Jara, Colo., was killed Oct. 24 in Alamosa, Colo., after being struck by a vehicle while riding her bicycle. Weaver, from Nederland, Colo., was the daughter of Cindy and Herm Weaver, the conference minister for the Mountain States Mennonite Conference.

Their work lives on — Mennonite Mission Network said goodbye to seven long-term mission workers who died in 2010. Fremont Regier, who spent 23 years in multiple African countries, died May 27 in North Newton, Kan. Olga Claassen, who worked for 28 years in India, died July 5 in Berne, Ind. Ramoth Burkhalter, who served for 42 years in India, died Aug. 14 in Berne. Nancy Conrad, who served as a nurse in Egypt, Ethiopia and India, died Aug. 28 in Goshen, Ind. Marie Shenk, who served for seven years in Israel and Palestine, died Sept. 7 in Harrisonburg, Va. Sophie Brown, who spent 40 years in Taiwan, died Sept. 4 in Newton, Kan. David Shank, who spent more than 30 years in Europe and Africa, died Oct. 20 in Goshen.

SOOP celebrates 20^th anniversary — SOOP, a service program for adults and families, celebrated 20 years of serving communities all over North America. During the Oct. 29 celebration, the SOOP co-founder, Barbara Reber, was honored for her vision in the program’s creation. To date 2,438 volunteers have served at more than 70 SOOP locations in the United States and Canada.

New service locations — Mennonite Voluntary Service returned to Rochester, N.Y., after a 35-year hiatus. The location is the 22^nd service location around the country. Additionally, Service Adventure, a Mission Network service opportunity for young adults, opened a new unit in Colorado Springs, Colo.—the sixth location.

Worldwide Anabaptist leaders strengthen networks — Networks of Anabaptists are springing up all over the world, and existing networks are strengthening their ties. In December 2009, 40 people gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, to mark the first gathering of the Scandinavian Anabaptist Network. In October, 50 representatives of the Anabaptist Network met in London to discuss how to better support each other. Since its formation in 1992, the Anabaptist Network, previously a loose-knit group of individuals, has grown to also include organizations that are seeking ways to live out an Anabaptist understanding of Christian faith.

New resources help churches understand immigration, Mennonites — In the latest booklet in the Missio Dei series, titled Immigration and the Bible, professor Daniel Carroll lays out what the Bible says about immigration, a hot-button topic worldwide.

The second edition of Palmer Becker’s Missio Dei booklet, What is an Anabaptist Christian?, was translated into Korean. It is now available in eight languages, with seven more translations underway.

Who are the Mennonites? — a new DVD and print brochure offering a glimpse of Mennonite/Anabaptist history, beliefs and practice—was sent free to all Mennonite Church USA congregations in early November. This resource, produced by Third Way Media, is meant to help newcomers and long-term members alike understand what it means to be Mennonite.

Third Way Media and MPN merge — The Mennonite Mission Network board lent its support to a proposed merger between Third Way Media and Mennonite Publishing Network. The merger will help consolidate as many operations as possible into one primary location, probably Harrisonburg, Va., to improve efficiency and financial sustainability. Third Way Media has been part of Mission Network for more than 50 years.

Groundbreaking on new denominational offices — Construction began on the new energy efficient building that will house Mennonite Church USA agency staff based in Elkhart. Staff are expected to move into the new building, located adjacent to the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary campus in Elkhart, Ind., in November or December 2011. Follow construction progress at the Joining together, Investing in hope blog.