ELKHART, Ind.–Maxine Kauffman took prayer seriously.
Her copy of Mission Mosaic, Mennonite Mission Network’s prayer directory, is marked with notes about workers and special prayer requests sent by Mission Network. Her devotion to prayer was remembered at her funeral.
“Aunt Maxine was so dedicated to prayer and to the mission of the church, that she made sure that her friends and everyone at her church (Clinton Brick Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind.)knew about the mission workers and any special needs they had,” said Del Hershberger, Mission Network’s director of Christian Service and Maxine’s nephew. “This is one of Maxine’s enduring legacies; her commitment to praying for Mennonite mission workers and the ministries they are engaged in.”
Maxine’s story inspired Kelsey Hochstetler, a Mission Network employee who leads the committee that plans MMN’s Day of Prayer, scheduled this year for May 15.
“Seeing how much time and energy Maxine put into her prayer time was a reminder to me of the importance of prayer in our work,” Hochstetler said.
While many of Mission Network’s prayer partners pray daily, Hochstetler and her committee members chose a specific day to encourage congregations and individuals to pray for mission. The first Day of Prayer was held in May 2011. Over the past two years, the Day of Prayer has been marked in a variety of ways. Congregations have held 24-hour prayer vigils, evening church services, mission fundraising meals, and posted prayer requests online or on Facebook.
Some congregations have focused on specific mission workers, praying for the requests on the workers’ prayer cards. Others have focused on a country. And some have gone through the Mission Mosaic page by page, praying for each worker and mission partner.
Hochstetler and the rest of the Day of Prayer planning committee are excited to see how congregations and individuals celebrate the Day of Prayer in 2013. The Day of Prayer website has many prayer resources, including ideas on ways to pray, testimonials from people whose prayers have been answered in powerful ways, and suggestions of what to pray for. This year, there will also be a Day of Prayer worship service outline with suggestions about how to celebrate the day of prayer at church, in small groups, or at school chapels.
To see all the Day of Prayer info and to learn more about how you can pray for mission, visit www.MennoniteMission.net/DayofPrayer.
###
For immediate release.
Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact Andrew Clouse at andrewc@mmnworld.net, 574-523-3024 or 866-866-2872, ext. 23024.
