Praying for Europe

Posted: December 13, 2016

Leaders of Mennonite national churches in Europe annual meeting. Photos courtsey of  Liesa Unger.

Leaders of Mennonite national churches in Europe held their annual meeting. Photos courtsey of  Liesa Unger.

Leaders of Mennonite national churches in Europe held their annual meeting 28–30 October 2016, in Vienna, Austria. Mennonite World Conference was represented by Chief Events Officer Liesa Unger, Europe Regional Representative Henk Stenvers, YABs committee member Jantine Huisman, and Executive Committee members Rainer Burkart and Jean Paul Peterschmidt.
 
Pray for the needs of the participating churches (listed below):
 
Mennonitische Freikirche Österreich (Austria):
  • Strengthen our Mennonite identity.
  • Mennonite leaders and Mennonite youth leaders for part-time work with German skills.
Association des églises évangéliques mennonites de France (France):
  • Unity of the church in the midst of changes in our conference.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Brüdergemeinden in Deutschland (AMBD - Germany):
  • Strengthening of small churches.
  • Holistic ministry to refugees.
  • Incorporation of new converts from Muslim background.
  • Making disciples.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Gemeinden in Deutschland (AMG – Germany):
  • Small congregations especially are full of fear for their future. This fear is creating demotivation.
Verband der Evangelischen Freikirchen Mennonitischer Brüdergemeinden in Bayern (Germany):
  • Strengthen the churches.
  • Pray that we are not satisfied with the status quo but want to grow.
Laisv?j? krikš?ioni? bažny?ia (Free Christian Church Lithuania):
  • Strengthen discipleship, develop new leaders to be more involved with inner and outside mission work.
  • We are very open to receive missionaries to work in Lithuania.

Algemene Doopsgezinde Societeit (the Netherlands):

  • To encourage and to inspire us being a Christian every moment of the day, in every place we are.

Associação Irmãos Menonitas de Portugal (Portugal):

  • There is a dramatic financial crisis in our conference that might affect the future of the same.

Anabautistas, Menonitas y Hermanos en Cristo – España (Spain):

  • Growth in number of churches and membership.
Konferenz der Mennoniten der Schweiz (Alttäufer) = Conférence Mennonite Suisse (Anabaptiste) (Switzerland):
  • Thanks for growing solidarity among the churches, especially in refugee-work/help in Switzerland and abroad.
  • Finding a youth coordinator for French part of Switzerland conference.
  • Unity in diversity: working toward a common understanding of mission.
  • Convergences: a new church is about to be born in Geneva, a joint effort of Swiss Mennonite conference and the church of St. Genis, France.