MWC World Fellowship Sunday resources available

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Colombia’s MWC member churches prepare worship resources

Mennonite World Conference news story

Each year Mennonite World Conference (MWC) encourages Anabaptist-related churches around the world to worship around a common theme, on a Sunday close to January 21. On that day, in 1525, the first Anabaptist baptism took place in Zurich, Switzerland.

World Fellowship Sunday (WFS) provides an opportunity for Anabaptists to remember their common roots and celebrate worldwide koinonia. Churches are encouraged to plan a WFS worship service that will help them enter into fellowship, intercession and thanksgiving with the global faith family.

The 2013 worship materials include biblical texts, prayers, song suggestions and sermon ideas. They are the fruit of the joint work of members of Colombia's three MWC member churches: Iglesia Christiana Menonita (Mennonite Church), Iglesia Hermandad en Cristo (Brethren in Christ) and Iglesias Hermanos Menonitas (Mennonite Brethren).

The theme for the 2013 MWS is “Justice and the Witness of the Church Today,” an issue relevant in all kinds of contexts. God’s justice is often contrary to human beings’ understanding of justice. “We need to understand God’s vision and desire for justice as we seek to know him,” says the WFS worship resources guide. “God’s own Word tells us that our thoughts are not his thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9) unless these are renewed by him (Rom. 12:1-2).

“Government authorities and religious leaders are challenged to promote justice among peoples and communities, but they often fail. Jesus’ followers, therefore, need to live out and proclaim God’s authentic justice in a world where many forms of injustice exist,” says the worship resources guide.

Worship materials are available on the MWC website, in English, French and Spanish: www.mwc-cmm.org. MWC encourages congregations to choose and adapt materials that fit their context. MWC also asks that congregations record how they celebrated World Fellowship Sunday and share the information with MWC so that it can be shared with others in the worldwide family of faith.

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