This blog is in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, June 23. Krista Dutt is currently the Mennonite Central Committee Chicago (Illinois) program coordinator. Most of her work is focused in the areas of gun violence prevention and mass incarceration. She has degrees from Bluffton University and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and she wrote a book, but she is on such a steep learning curve to understand and practice abolitionist and restorative justice principles that she feels like she is just beginning her education. Krista loves exploring Chicago, appreciates tryi ..read more

This blog post is part of the “I choose to be Mennonite because …” series. See the call for blogs and submit your own here. Roger Farmer is a retired pastor of the Sugar Creek Mennonite Church, Wayland, Iowa. He graduated from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), in 1993, where he raised the average age of the student body. Roger has served as the chair/a member of the outreach and service committee of the Central Plains Mennonite Conference and as a member of the Mennonite Mission Network Peace and Justice Support Network. He also volunteers as cashier ..read more

This blog is in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.  Andi Santoso is from Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. He is an ordained minister of Gereja Kristen  Muria Indonesia (GKMI), also known as the Muria Christian Church of Indonesia. He came to the U.S. in August 2019, after completing a term as general secretary of the GKMI Synod. He earned a Master of Arts in theology and peace studies from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, April 2022. Currently, Andi is serving as Mennonite Mission Network’s regional director for Asia and the Middle ..read more

This blog is in celebration of Pentecost Sunday, May 28. Katerina Gea pastors Wild Church Fresno (California), an MC USA congregation that gathers outdoors, near the San Joaquin River on Yokuts and Mono homelands in central California. She organizes faith communities for Indigenous justice with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and enjoys poetry and dancing for joy. Katerina graduated from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary with an M.Div. in theology and peace studies in 2016. ______________________________________________ Have you ever paused in a forest or a city park ..read more

Photos provided by Plains Mennonite Church, Salford Mennonite Church and Zion Mennonite Church. By MC USA staff On Sunday, May 21, 2023, more than 260 people – including members of at least six local Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) congregations – gathered for a Gun Violence Awareness Day witness walk in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Participants were walking to honor those lost to gun violence and to support stronger and more effective gun laws and regulations. The event included a “Memorial to the Lost” T-shirt display in memory of local victims of gun violence, remembrance moments by participatin ..read more

Bonita Croyle (she/her) is a transracial adoptee, speaker, writer and legal communications professional. She routinely engages with interfaith communities and individuals on topics regarding racial justice and  transracial adoption, and she also works to provide BIPOC farming communities with access to legal resources and education. Bonita is a graduate of Hesston (Kansas) College and Millersville (Pennsylvania) University and has a Bachelor of Arts in English and certificates in Human Rights and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She lives on the occupied land of the Susquehannock peoples ..read more

This blog is shared in celebration of Bike to Work day and was first shared on Columbus Mennonite Church’s Mid-Week blog. Shared with permission. Joel Miller has been the pastor of Columbus Mennonite Church since 2013.  He and his wife have three school-aged daughters who keep them on their feet and backyard chickens who miraculously turn compost into tasty eggs.  As a pastor, Joel has the honor of walking with people through the sacred events of life and challenging his congregation to recognize all of life as sacred.  He grew up on a farm in Bellefontaine, Ohio, but has lived ..read more

Leslie James is a retired medical librarian and worship planner. She resides, gardens and works in her studio in Wichita, Kansas. She is a member of Hope Mennonite Church.   _______________________________________ Whether you call them actions, traditions or rituals, congregations, much like nuclear families, have ways of celebrating, mourning or remembering together that act as treasured ways of being family. Some examples include certain ways of celebrating communion or gathering for Maundy Thursday, or what will be served at a funeral meal or given to children following their Christmas ..read more

This post is part of the MennoCon23 #BeTransformed series. MennoCon23 will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, July 3-6. Nelson Okanya is the Global Missions President for the Center for Serving Leadership in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also the chair of the Global Mission Fellowship, a support network for Anabaptist-related churches and mission groups, facilitated by Mennonite World Conference. Previously, Nelson served as a pastor and the president of Eastern Mennonite Missions. He holds a Master of Divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a doctorate in intercultural studies from ..read more

This article is part of our series on The Peace Table , the new storybook Bible from Shine, a children’s Sunday school curriculum, jointly published by MennoMedia and Brethren Press Chrissie Muecke has a master’s degree in elementary teaching and curriculum from the University of Rochester and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Christian leadership from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. She has worked for MennoMedia and Brethren Press as a curriculum writer and editor for 14 years. Chrissie co-authored three Bible storybooks, titled” All of Us,” “All Together” and “Great Big Love.”  ..read more