Two new resources are available to help churches plan Peace Sunday worship services. The Peace Commission of Mennonite World Conference encourages congregations to use its Peace Sunday worship resources on Sept. 20, 2015 or on an alternate Sunday. This year’s material was prepared by Mennonites in Europe, who reflect on how God has sustained the Mennonite presence in Europe for nearly 500 years. The theme, “Boundaries and Borders,” uses stories of desperate refugees arriving in Europe. Among the stories is that of a Swiss woman who knits socks for Syrian refugees. The 7-page resource includes a responsive reading, sermon notes, as well as stories and pictures and can be downloaded from https://www.mwc-cmm.org/article/peace-sunday
How should Christians respond to a culture that fears terrorism? Mennonite Central Committee has released “Crossing to the Other Side: Living as a People of Peace in a Time of Fear and Terror.” The resource packet is intended to assist Anabaptist-Mennonite congregations across Canada as they plan for Peace Sunday on November 8, 2015 (just prior to Remembrance Day), but the materials could be used at any other time of year. Written by a team of MCC staff from across Canada, the 26-page packet contains prayers, stories, scripture and other resources and can be downloaded from http://mcccanada.ca/media/resources/3542
—From reports by Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee
A Swiss woman knits socks for Syrian refugees. (Mennonite World Conference photo)
