The Mennonite World Conference was founded 101 years ago with a desire to be in solidarity with Mennonites facing persecution. This was a time when political leaders were misusing their power and life was difficult for believers who held a peace position. My own relatives were living in a time of horror in the Soviet Union before they were sponsored to come to Canada in 1926.

While I’m not entirely sure if it was the pastor’s plan, the senior lady began going to each of the young people gathered in the front and praying individually. There were prayers for growth in their love for Jesus, sensitivity to the Spirit, and acknowledgement of challenges. The prayers were personal even though she didn’t know all the kids, youth, and leaders she was praying for.

“What an exciting day! This morning I picked up 210 copies of the Gospel of Luke!!!!” That is the first sentence of a recent newsletter that we received from Paul Thiessen after more than 30 years of translation work in West Africa.

I am rarely guided by God in decisions the way others report being directed. God never told me to become a pastor, marry my spouse, or go to school. God certainly never told me to live in Winnipeg. God is rarely my spiritual GPS.

♪Maybe this has happened to you. You receive a group text that says, “I just received a bad diagnosis.” Immediately, the 🙏 begin to flood the group. In a world that’s focused on social media thumbs ups, hearts and lol’s, these prayer emojis remind us that our concern has been heard by others and brought to the Father on our behalf.

Join us in prayer for Burkina Faso. Siaka Traoré, a leader in the Evangelical Mennonite Church of Burkina Faso and Regional Representative for Mennonite World Conference, is asking for prayers as the country continues to face terrorist attacks.

Upon entering the foyer of Abbeydale Christian Fellowship on February 18, 2024, it was obvious that something special was in the air. Each of the ten various displays set up there represented and encouraged a specific area of needed prayer.

The news we are reading and seeing has many of us sad, disturbed, and praying for peace. The conflict that has developed in Israel is concerning. The headlines are relentless and horrific. A brutal attack, followed by retaliation and now a humanitarian crisis. As this story unfolds, we hope that the narrative will shift to resolution and peace. That lives can be spared.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the constant onslaught of articles competing for our affections, our outrage and our hearts in general? There are times when we should disconnect from those things in order to better focus on serving the people right in front of us—yet we can’t just stick our heads in the sand forever.

Recently, I decided that my two children were ready to learn piano. I sat at the piano with my children beside me. Oh, the painful slowness! I imagine this is how I seem as I struggle with my unbelief.

Before I hit delete on an email (which surprisingly even I do on occasion), I first look for the unsubscribe link. As I’ve considered my predicament, I’ve thought about how prayer is beyond legislation.

Media is one way some EMC missionaries minister: from radio work to filming projects, from social media campaigns to audio recordings distributed by WhatsApp.