Peace
Mennonites talk about ways to respond to war in Gaza
More than 800 people from 250 congregations across Canada and the U.S. met online Nov. 28 to talk about ways to respond together to the war in Gaza and Palestine. See the Anabaptist World report for details: https://bit.ly/Nov28Meeting.
Toledo pastor provides peace witness with the help of an anvil
Joel Shenk, pastor of Toledo Mennonite Church, describes how he learned blacksmithing as part of his personal peace witness and how Ohio Conference and his congregation have joined him in this work. Camille Dager, chief communication officer for Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), recently talked to Joel Shenk about his peace witness in response to growing gun violence in the…
MWC invites congregations to celebrate Peace Sunday 2023
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) invites your congregation to observe Peace Sunday on Sept. 17, 2023. The MWC Peace Commission has prepared Peace Sunday worship resources for congregations. These resources can be used on Sept. 17 or another Sunday which fits your congregation’s schedule. MWC Peace Sunday Worship Resources for 2023
EMU to host peacebuilding conference
Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, will hold the third Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Conference and Festival June 15-18. The theme of this gathering is “Coming Together: The Journey of Faith and Peace.” The Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Conference and Festival brings together Mennonite practitioners, artists and theologians from around the world to learn, share and discuss their work for peace. The…
‘Finer Points’ offers peacemaking tools
Interested in learning more about peacemaking on an interpersonal level? Check out “Finer Points,” a blog on the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center website: https://lmpeacecenter.org/finerpoints.
Restorative Conversations workshop planned
Coming in 2023: Lombard Mennonite Peace Center will be offering a new one-day workshop called “Restorative Conversations: Storytelling, Healing and Community Building.” This workshop will introduce church leaders to the key concepts of circle processes and ways in which circles can be used within their congregations. Restorative conversations are useful when working through difficult or polarizing topics, processing shared painful experiences, building…
MCC offers worship resource for Day of Peace
To help your church observe the International Day of Peace, which is Sept. 21, Mennonite Central Committee has created a short worship resource. Congregations can choose to celebrate and pray for peace on Sunday, Sept. 25, or another Sunday. International Day of Peace – Worship Resource
Peace Sunday is Sept. 18
Mennonite World Conference invites you and your congregation to observe Peace Sunday together with brothers and sisters in the global Anabaptist church family on Sept. 18, 2022. The theme for this year’s Peace Sunday is “Being a new creation in the midst of external turmoil.” Worship planning resources for Peace Sunday 2022 are available now: 2022 Peace Sunday Worship Materials
Webinar to explore nonviolent direction action
Mennonite Mission Network invites you to join peacemakers Jonathan and Sarah Nahar for the Stir Up Peace webinar and learn more about this curriculum that’s perfect study material for your organization, small group or Sunday school class. The webinar will take place on Monday, June 6, at 7 p.m. EST on Zoom and Facebook Live. Register here: https://bit.ly/StirUpPeaceWebinar.
Collaboration seeks to counter military recruitment
Mennonites Against Militarism – a collaboration of Mennonite Central Committee, U.S. (MCC) and Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) – is seeking to launch an initiative to counter military recruitment of U.S. youth. The vision for the project, Alternatives to Military Enlistment Network (AMEN), is to connect young people with volunteer advisors who can help them find non-military career, service and training opportunities. To learn…
Peacebuilding institute offers online winter courses
Peacebuilding institute offers online winter courses The Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University is offering five-week online training courses this winter. Each course will meet virtually twice a week from Feb. 14 to March 18, 2022. The deadline to apply is Feb. 7. Funding is still available for partial and matching scholarships. Learn more at https://emu.edu/spi/courses.
Resource offers conflict transformation tools
Conflict is a normal part of life. It arises in our workplaces, in our churches and with our families. To help people learn to work through divisive issues, Mennonite Central Committee U.S. has produced a new adult Sunday school curriculum, Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict. It invites churchgoers to follow Jesus’ call to peacemaking through dialogue with…
Peace Sunday is Sept. 19
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) invites all Mennonite congregations to observe Peace Sunday together with brothers and sisters in the global Anabaptist church family on Sept. 19, 2021. The theme for this year’s Peace Sunday is “Finding hope and healing in crisis.” The MWC Peace Commission has created worship resources for celebrating Peace Sunday. Download the Worship Materials
MMN video series seeks to ‘Stir Up Peace’
From Mennonite Mission Network: Check out the brand new Stir Up Peace video series! Learn the tools to seek positive change in nonviolent ways. All nine video episodes are less than six minutes long. See the videos at https://bit.ly/StirUpPeace.
Military service from a Mennonite perspective
Picture this scene: Three Mennonite pastors, two of whom are military veterans, sit down for a discussion of Mennonites and the military. This scenario may sound unlikely, but it’s actually a description of the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast. In this podcast episode, hosts Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez talk with Lucas Johnson, pastor of Valley…
Webinars to focus on peace and justice issues
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is offering a new webinar series titled Shalom: Six Perspectives on Peace and Justice. Each webinar will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. A variety of topics will be explored: June 8 — Why did Jesus have to die? — led by J. Denny Weaver June 29 — Does our past really matter?…
Peace Sunday is Sept. 20
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) has created resource materials for a Peace Sunday worship service on Sept. 20, using the theme “When one member suffers, all members suffer: Peace as accompaniment and solidarity.” Go to https://bit.ly/2020MWCPeaceSunday to download these materials.
Oak Grove to host concert by Anthony Brown
Update: Please note that this concert has been canceled. Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville is hosting a concert by Anthony Brown, baritone, featuring the theme “Songs and Stories of Peace, Hope and Justice.” The concert will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. Using songs and stories from his international travels, Anthony Brown illustrates how music is…
A time for prayer
We find ourselves in a time of great divisiveness, both in America and in many places around the world. We find ourselves in a time where the United States and Iran are on the brink of war. This is a time for us Christians to unite and pray for peace: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but…
Course offers congregations tools for engaging conflict
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) — For six weeks each year, Betty Pries, Ph.D., a conflict management specialist based in Waterloo, Ontario, leads an online short course for AMBS as a sessional instructor. In the course, Transforming Congregational Conflict and Communication, Pries and her students draw on biblical, theological, practical and spiritual sources in examining difficult experiences that pastors and…
A peace church?
By Dick Barrett Conference Minister This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” — Luke 2:12-14 (ESV)…
Congregations encouraged to apply for Spread the Peace Grants
To encourage congregations and conferences to “spread the peace” in and beyond Mennonite Church USA, the Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Mission Network has small start-up and sustaining grants available. Funds will be given to those meeting the following criteria and as funding allows: To Mennonite congregations or conferences for projects based in the United States. For church…
MC USA shares a call to prayer and action
Mennonite Church USA has shared a call to prayer and action in response to gun violence following the mass shootings in Gilroy, California; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio. Along with a prayer of lament for the lives lost, the statement includes a list of suggested action items for churches and links to resources from Mennonite Central Committee and RAWtools.…
MWC Peace Sunday is Sept. 22
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) invites all Mennonite congregations to observe World Peace Sunday on Sept. 22. The theme for the 2019 World Peace Sunday is “A peace that passes all understanding….” MWC has developed worship planning materials for this special Sunday. To download these materials, go to http://bit.ly/MWCPeaceSunday.
Peace center seeks new executive director
The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (LMPC) is searching for a new executive director. The current executive director, Rev. Richard Blackburn, is stepping back from that role at the end of 2019, having filled the role since 1983. He will continue to be available as needed to assist with the transition process, which will include providing leadership for LMPC’s major training events, until…
Early registration deadline nears for Mediation Skills Training Institute
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is holding a five-day Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders Aug. 5-9 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. Participants will acquire 32 contact hours that they can apply towards continuing education credits. To register for this interdenominational training event, fill out and submit the registration form on…
MCC plans Peace Camp for young adults
Coming this summer: Peace Camp. Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes is offering a week-long Peace Camp at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Michigan, July 21-26. This experience is for young adults ages 18-22 who are interested in learning about a biblical approach to peace and justice. During Peace Camp, young adults will explore the theme of “Responding to Violence” through hands-on…
Peacemaking representatives from Ohio Conference sought
On Tuesday, July 2, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., just prior to the start of the Mennonite Church USA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, there will be a gathering of peacemakers from across the denomination. The gathering planners are looking for two or three representatives from each conference. If you are planning on attending the convention, have a passion…
Register now for Peacebuilding Institute courses
The 2019 Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, starts in less than one month. Space is still available for additional participants in many of the courses being offered. Matching and partial scholarships are still available, as well as organizational discounts for organizations that send three or more people to SPI. For more information about SPI, please see the…
The Mennonite seeks submissions about congregational peace witness
The Mennonite Inc. invites your original submissions for the June 2019 print magazine issue and corresponding online content focusing on the theme “Congregational peace witness.” Submissions are due to Editor@TheMennonite no later than May 3. For more details, please see http://bit.ly/TheMennoniteJune2019.