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Why footwashing – a testimony

I read with interest your announcement of the Foot Washing Conference to be held this summer. I am a retired Mennonite Minister in Des Allemands, LA. I would love to attend your conference.  But that is not possible.  Instead I will share this testimony: Read more

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity coincides with response to Haiti

“This week we join Christians of all denominations and traditions in celebrating the Week of Christian Unity,” wrote Joetta Schlabach, Bridgefolk participant and pastor of Faith Mennonite Church in Minneapolis, to her congregation this week. “Certainly the tragedy in Haiti is drawing people of all faiths—and many who do not profess faith—to join in a unified response of compassion and aid. Let us pray that some of the hostilities and misunderstandings between faith communities will diminish as people join hands in service.”

For more on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2010, including links to a joint statement by World Council of Churches and Vatican bodies reflecting on the occasion, visit http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3193.

Meanwhile, as many people wonder how to respond to the tragedy of earthquake-ravaged Haiti, and how to insure that aid reaches Haitians through reliable channels, Mennonites and Catholics can turn to their churches’ well-respected relief and development agencies. Here are links to the most prominent examples:

Mennonite Central Committee: http://mcc.org

Catholic Relief Services: http://crs.org

Mennonites in Congo learn from Catholic experiences of self-reliance and service

The following news article caught our attention this week. Around the world, churches of all traditions find themselves working simultaneously to put down deeper roots in their own cultural locales while maintaining global ties.  Here we learn of Mennonites in Congo drawing on Catholic experiences struggling to become more responsive to the needs of the poor in their midst.
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Mennonite Mission Network receives prestigious Mader Award on behalf of all Mennonites in service

TAKOMA PARK, Md. (Mennonite Mission Network/Mennonite Central Committee/CNVS) — On Nov. 13, Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS) presented its Father George Mader Award to a group outside of the Catholic tradition for the first time in its 15-year history. Mennonite Mission Network accepted the award at the CNVS National Conference on behalf of Mennonites in mission across the world, including Mennonite Central Committee.

Full story

Radio interview with Claudio Betti of the Sant’Egidio community in Rome

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/enc/stories/s95042.htm

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