Author: Admin account

  • Have I mattered? Can I still?

    Have I mattered? Can I still?

    These questions drew men together in a retreat on generativity in later life.

    This Mennonite Men gathering for men in the second half of life was held at The Hermitage retreat center in southern Michigan on November 1-2. John Kotre, Ph.D., author of Make It Count, Outliving the Self, and the PBS series Seasons of Life, led the retreat based on his work as Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Michigan—Dearborn.

    John observed that ‘There’s a creativity that lies between the generations, touching everything from genes to values. We are not mere conduits to the future, blindly passing legacies through. We shape what comes to us, and we have an obligation to shape it well.’ This is the task of generativity— as mature adults to shape what we leave after us for the next generation.

    Read more.

  • Our New Book “Peaceful at Heart”

    Our New Book “Peaceful at Heart”

    Here’s a book by men for men seeking healthy masculinity.

    This book comes at a time when men and masculinity are in the spotlight. We see many men behaving badly on the news—abusing power, violating women, and mistreating others. But most men I know aren’t like this. In my work as a pastor and with Mennonite Men, I see those seeking to be good men but wondering what that means as we wrestle with issues of gender identity, conventional masculinity, power and privilege, and expectations in the grind of daily living.

    Along with many men, I have questions about masculinity. What kind of man am I? What do I wish for my sons as men? How do I want men to relate to my daughter? What does it mean to be a man? Who are we as males? Why isn’t there more agreement on a description of masculinity? Aren’t we just talking biology? How are men essentially different from women (if at all)? Where can we find healthy models of masculinity?

    Read rest of story here.


  • Healthy Masculinity Featured at MennoCon19

    Just off the press, Mennonite Men presented their new book at Mennonite Convention in Kansas City, MO, July 2-6, 2019.

    At the Mennonite Men luncheon with nearly a hundred men and one woman, Steve Thomas, U.S. Coordinator for Mennonite Men, introduced our new book, Peaceful at Heart: Anabaptist Reflections on Healthy Masculinity (Institute of Mennonite Studies and Wipf & Stock). Strong interest was expressed for this resource for men and churches.

    Read rest of story here.


  • Not because they were male

    Not because they were male

    Don Neufeld shared his reflections on the themes of masculinity and Anabaptism at a “Probing the potential for peace” discussion series held at Grace Mennonite Church in St. Catharines on May 3.

    His insights came from years of experience working for House of Friendship in Kitchener, Family and Children’s Services in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and for almost a decade as a private-practice therapist in St. Catharines. He was recently appointed coordinator of Mennonite Men in Canada. Read more.


  • JoinHands Blesses Eden Life Church

    The four language communities of Eden Life International Church of Kansas City, Missouri, gathered for a combined service of celebration on April 28, 2019 to receive the JoinHands grant of $30,000 towards the purchase of their meetinghouse.

    The church began under the sponsorship of South Central Mennonite Conference in July 2016 with the calling of Ethiopian church planter, Pastor Omot Aganya and his wife, Hanna. Read more.


  • Strong and tough: Reflections on Masculinity from Africa

    ‘Strong’ and ‘tough.’ Males across many cultures often identify these common traits to describe ‘real men.’

    In our North American retreats on healthy masculinity as we examine the so-called ‘man box’ of dominate masculinity, ‘strong’ and ‘tough’ are heard repeatedly. These same words were used at recent men’s retreats I led in South Africa and Tanzania.

    How are we to understand that ‘strong’ and ‘tough’ are so frequently used to describe what ‘real men’ are like?

    Read the entire article.


  • Giving back: the story of Grace Mennonite

    Giving back: the story of Grace Mennonite

    In May 1999, Grace Mennonite Fellowship, Lacey Spring, Va., received word that Mennonite Men, then a General Conference Mennonite organization, named us as recipients of a $30,000 grant. This grant was to be used to support our first church building project… It empowered us to move forward, trusting God would provide all our needs, according to his riches in Christ Jesus.​ Read the entire article.

  • Charlotte Mara Church Purchases Building

    Charlotte Mara Church Purchases Building

    ​In September, 2018, the Mara Christian Church of Charlotte, North Carolina, bought a nearly 100-year-old church on 3 acres of land southeast of Charlotte. After five years of praying, fasting, intensive saving, renting, and with help from Mennonite Men, they are praising God for a permanent place of their own! Read the entire article.

  • How Then Shall We Live?

    How Then Shall We Live?

    ​A Week-long Wilderness Adventure

    Taos, New Mexico, September 8-15, 2018


    Mennonite Men had its first week-long immersion experience in the wilderness of New Mexico to address the question, “How then shall we live?”

    This was led by Todd Wynward, wilderness educator and Mennonite minister for creation care, and author of Rewilding the Way: Break Free to Follow an Untamed God.

    In response to an open invitation from Mennonite Men, ten men from across the country came together for this wilderness adventure to explore how to live as followers of Jesus in a world where our lifestyles impact people and the planet.


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  • Men at Camp Friedenswald Explore Healthy Masculinity

    ​Healthy masculinity was the topic explored by 27 men who met In October 2018 at Camp Friedenswald, Cassopolis, Michigan. Among various issues related to being men, the men considered how to meet five human needs. Read the entire story.