Fwd: MWC Info: “We are with you”

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kristina Toews – Mennonite World Conference <info@mwc-cmm.org>
Date: Wed, Jul 21, 2021 at 8:21 AM
Subject: MWC Info: "We are with you"
To: Phil & Kelly Horning <philandkelly@gmail.com>

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"We are with you"

It's the role of the Deacons Commission to hold this awareness that to be a deacon is part of everything we do in body of Christ. Mission, peace, theology – we are always deacons.

Sharing or giving: this is the core of being a deacon. You don't go to find solutions, you go to listen and pass on what you have received.

I receive a lot of encouragement from visiting or hearing stories. It's not so much bringing. It's receiving and being encouraged.

Is church online for good?

"We're all going through the same storm but we're not all in the same boat. Context is everything." These words, spoken by a North American pastor, address the divergent responses to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Many congregations in Canada and the USA continue to experience restrictions on in-person meetings, while others have had the freedom to safely gather again.

Suzen Ngulube, Absalom Sibanda, Nomusa, Samukeliso Ndebele

Revival in lockdown

"People in Africa have responded favourably to the gospel of Jesus and have always turned to God in the midst of adversity," says Samukeliso Ndebele. Although COVID-19 restrictions limit the number of people gathering in churches, they don't limit the church's message. Congregations of Brethren in Christ Church Zimbabwe hold revival services on a quarterly basis – and they didn't let COVID-19 stop them.

masked preacher in church with peace Sunday banner

Peace Sunday: Finding hope and healing in crisis

In these gospel passages, Jesus brings salvation in the midst of crisis. We desire and need this peace, especially after this year! And as followers of Jesus, we follow his example and work to bring peace in the midst of chaos.

Mayas and Anabaptists: A spiritual encounter

I have been transformed and now I am an even more faithful follower of Christ! That strong, brave, indomitable Mayan spirituality along with Anabaptist teaching has taught me that following Christ is not easy; it is arduous and yet this is the way that unites us with the Father.

Anabaptist dialogues unite Latin America

As the pandemic closed church activities among others, three friends in three different countries started discussing and dreaming of ways to bring Anabaptists together while physically apart. Víctor Rey (from Chile, living in Ecuador), María Elena Arango Libreros (Colombia) and Luis María Almán Bornes (Argentina) chatted on WhatsApp and began to make plans.

Do not be afraid

The 17th of August 2011 is an unforgettable date for me. It is Indonesia's independence day, one day after my 49th birthday – and the day the Chinese government tightened the regulation of bird's nest imports from Indonesia. Many entrepreneurs collapsed due to Chinese government's decision. We were one of the entrepreneurs who were affected by the decision.

Prayers of gratitude and intercession

The death toll has risen to the highest level in Burma's Kalemyo, which is suffering from the third wave of COVID-19.

Pray for Myanmar which is suffering a severe third wave of COVID-19 amid continuing political unrest after a government coup several months ago. A pastor reports 63 Christian pastors have died in Kalemyo including two from the small national Mennonite church. There is a severe oxygen shortage. "People are suffering because of the civil war and dying of COVID," writes the pastor, whose name is withheld for safety reasons.

Pray for peace and stability of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. We strongly request your prayers for our brothers and sisters in Tigray and Metekel areas. They need our support to heal from the trauma and rehabilitate. Pray for brothers and sisters who are persecuted because of their faith in some parts of the country. Pray for funds to rehabilitate people affected by natural and human-made crisis in different parts of the country.
—Meserete Kristos Church

You can sing in the international choir at Assembly 17 in Indonesia.[KB1]

To apply to participate in the Assembly international choir, please provide

a brief resume
videos or MP3 of vocal performance, and
a reference from pastor or a church leader.

Please send the files or links to BenjaminBergey@mwc-cmm.org. All applications should be sent prior to 30 September 2021.

Assembly

GKMI Brangkongan: When you get a chance to visit them next year, enjoy the countryside feel and the hospitality of its people.

Courier

Each time that tension arises, regardless of the nature of the tension, we are called to search for a peaceful solution.

ICOMB

It was wonderful to see the very diverse body of Christ united and focused on Jesus and the gospel.

Job posting: MWC Web Communications assistant

The MWC Web Communications assistant is part of the MWC Communications team. This position manages the MWC website and social media accounts in all three official MWC languages and works with the MWC Communications team to create content for MWC.

To apply, email a cover letter and resume to jobs@mwc-cmm.org.