By Jon Zirkle
Mennonite Men is engaged in exciting work with the JoinHands ministry. In the past few months, we have received requests from congregations on the African continent who are without a place to worship. We are humbled to learn of the barriers that our sisters and brothers in Global South countries face which hinder their abilities to build or purchase a church structure and what it means to gather without a secure space. Partnering across continents and across cultures takes relational commitment, patience for all partners, becoming educated about that a project actually entails to get started, and almost always more time than is often desired by both partners. Our commitment to this work and ministry remains, and we are committed to remain rooted in the love and grace and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Being committed to learning, patience, relational care, and the ways of Jesus naturally means that we are constantly being confronted with needs to adapt and change. There are new opportunities to not just share money with congregations but to root ourselves more intentionally in longstanding relationship. We realize ministry involves more than financial transaction, and we long to deepen our commitments to congregations who receive JoinHands grants. This could involve collaborative partnerships with church agencies and other nonprofits, Zoom calls to build connection and understanding with congregations receiving grants, follow-up communication, in-person visits where both parties mutually bear witness, and perhaps modifying our grant application and grant policies. Who knows what the future might hold. But surely the future involves more capacity and engagement.
As Mennonite Men wraps up its fiscal year and begins a new fiscal year August 1, we ask you as our partners to continue praying for the projects in North America and across the world that are in process and for new grant applications we have yet to receive. We ask you to continue believing in our ministry by helping us grow the pool of available resources to new congregations and to spread the word to new congregations in your area, your province, your conference that we are open to receiving JoinHands grant applications. Let’s be creative! Contact us if you have ideas, dreams, and new energy for this longstanding ministry of Mennonite Men.