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September 2020

To:       All Mennonite, Brethren in Christ, and Anabaptist related churches in the world

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is with great joy that we share the materials for Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday (AWFS) with all of you. Each year, we encourage Anabaptist-related churches across the globe to use a common theme in a worship service to connect with our global Anabaptist family. Many churches choose to celebrate on the Sunday closest to 21 January (in 2021: 24 January). On this date in 1525, the first baptism took place in Zurich, Switzerland.

AWFS is an opportunity to remind our communities of faith that we are all part of one body made up of many tribes, languages and nations (Revelation 7:9).

• It is proclamation that now there is no discrimination among us on the basis of race, social status or gender (Galatians 3:28).
• It is a demonstration that we are living a new life in a new society where we mutually support one another, carry those who suffer, serve the world and interdependently learn from one another what it means to follow Jesus.

On this day, we celebrate that, in Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the cultural and national boundaries that separate us have been overcome by the cross.

Each year, part of our global communion assembles material for AWFS. The theme for AWFS 2021 is “Following Jesus together across barriers”, prepared out of the experience of our churches in Asia, looking ahead to Assembly 17 in Indonesia.

The materials contain biblical texts, prayers, song suggestions, sermon ideas, stories and other resources. We hope these materials enable preparations for AWFS in each local congregation.

We encourage each national church to adapt these materials in a way that will be useful in your local congregations and translate them where necessary. Please share and distribute this resource to all your local congregations, encouraging them to celebrate Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday at some time in 2021. See here and at mwc-cmm.org/awfs.

At MWC, we welcome your comments, photos and reflections about AWFS to share with other members of our global faith family. Send photos and stories via email to photos@mwc-cmm.org. Offerings received on this day and shared with MWC contribute toward each member church’s Fair Share contributions and help our global community to continue as a foreshadowing of the Kingdom of God in the midst of our society.

Grace and peace,

César García

General Secretary