Count down the twelve days of service with MVS!
The song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ begins with a rather lavish gift (a live bird in a fruit tree), and only gets more extravagant from there. But what might the song look like for Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) and Service Adventure units across the country, whose focus on grassroots community and simple living rules […]
Shia Muslims pray for Christ to revive humanity
When Peter Sensenig went to Iran to speak at a conference, he saw an Arabic wall-hanging with a prayer addressed to Jesus in his host’s home. Shia Muslims look for the return of Christ to restore justice to the earth. Sensenig states that in Advent, Christians, too, are waiting for the coming of Christ. What […]
Thanksgiving is bittersweet when celebrated with people looking for a place to belong
Joseph and Rachel Givens serve with Mennonite Mission Network in Calais, France, at Maria Skobtsova House, where they, with other volunteers, offer temporary shelter to people fleeing persecution and poverty. In the United States, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on life and all the things that we’re thankful for. It’s a time when people […]
Exploring the history of colonialism and apartheid in South Africa — Just Peace Pilgrimage photos
20 people from across the United States joined Chapter 2 of Mennonite Mission Network’s Racial Justice Pilgrimage. The Just Peace Pilgrimage ran from October 16-27 and had the group travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town, exploring the long history and legacy of colonialism and apartheid — a political social engineering project based on racial segregation […]
New film, ‘Unexpected Peace,’ inspired by producer’s mission experience
Jonathan Bornman first encountered Muridiyya Muslims in Senegal, where he and his wife, Carol, served for 10 years — sent by a partnership between Friends of the Wolof (FOW), African Inter-Mennonite Mission and Mennonite Board of Missions (a predecessor agency of Mennonite Mission Network). Even though some of the Muridiyya joined the Bible study and nascent church fellowship that Bornman […]
Mission Network accepting applications for Anti-Racism Grant
Mennonite Mission Network is offering Anti-Racism Grants specifically for organizations and ministries managed by Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous or other People of Color groups who are engaged in peacebuilding, social justice and anti-racism efforts. The grant program is an acknowledgment of the historical and ongoing systemic disparities that disproportionately affect diverse communities and aims to empower those […]
Anti-Racism Grants
Grant applications are accepted from October to January. Awards are announced in the spring. Mennonite Mission Network is offering anti-racism grants for underfunded ministries and agencies in the United States managed by Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous or other People of Color groups who are engaged in peacebuilding, social justice and anti-racism efforts. The grant program is an acknowledgment of […]
Say, “Bonjour!” to Joseph and Rachel
Find out what a “typical” day looks like for Joseph and Rachel Givens, the facilitators for the Maria Skobtsova House in Calais, France. Together with their family, the Givens welcome people who are on the move through Europe and seeking refuge en route to England. The Skobtsova house offers temporary shelter and meals. “[Our job is] […]
A journey of reflection
Mission Network’s development team set out on a U.S. Civil Rights Just Peace Pilgrimage. While there, they visited powerful memorials and engaged with people who participated in the Civil Rights Movement. The following is a selection of pictures taken during their pilgrimage. Senior Executive of Advancement Wil LaVeist talks with Jake Williams of Mongomery Tours, who showed staff […]
The Doctrine of Discovery is at work in the U.S.A.
The Season of Creation is a time when the global Christian family unites in prayer and action to protect the Earth, our home, starting September 1 with the Day of Prayer for Creation and ending with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, on October 4. See Prayer for the […]
Building community, building peace
I recall a piece of paper I held onto for years. This was before memes became popular on the internet, but it had the same feel, only it was in print, instead of on a screen. It was a line drawing of two birds sitting on a tree branch, with snowflakes falling all around. The text […]
Honoring Indigenous pathways and challenging the Doctrine of Discovery
The Season of Creation is a time when the global Christian family unites in prayer and action to protect the Earth, our home, starting September 1 with the Day of Prayer for Creation and ending with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, on October 4. Download the Mennonite Church […]