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2020 Annual Report to Area Conferences Mennonite Men is the men’s organization of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. Our mission: Engaging men to grow, give and serve as followers of Jesus. Our two programs, JoinHands and JoinMen, served this mission in several ways in the last year. JoinHands: Grants for New Churches Thanks to generous contributions from individuals and congregations, Mennonite Men has granted over 2 million dollars through its JoinHands program to assist new congregations in acquiring their first church building. In 2019 we extended grants to three Mennonite churches. $30,000 to Eden Life International Church in Kansas City, Missouri. This congregation in South Central Mennonite Conference serves four language communities: Amharic (Ethiopia), Anouk (Sudan, Ethiopia), English (second generation immigrants), and Swahili/French (Congo). $40,000 to Unity Church of God in Homestead, Florida (pictured to the left). This Haitian Mennonite congregation in Southeast Conference is active serving their community. $40,000 to Centro de Alabanza in Philadelphia, PA (below). This Mennonite congregation in Franconia Conference has a rich diversity of members from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, the United States and Venezuela. The church is active with Instituto Bíblico Anabautista (Anabaptist Biblical Institute) and engaged in several ministries in their neighborhood. These racial-ethnic congregations represent a significant growth edge in our Mennonite church. We are grateful to share our resources with these churches and receive their witness of dynamic engagement in mission. JoinMen: Resources and Retreats for Men What does Anabaptism have to teach us about healthy masculinity? Our new book, Peaceful at Heart: Anabaptist Reflections on Healthy Masculinity, seeks to answer this question. Working with the Institute of Mennonite Studies, this project of Mennonite Men is by and for men, promoting an Anabaptist Christian perspective on masculinity. Mennonite Men had the opportunity to lead retreats with men in Shirati, Tanzania (pictured to the left) and Cradock, South Africa (below). These were rich interchanges, addressing traditional expressions of masculinity and their impacts and what it means to be men following Jesus and serving God’s peace. Join Us: Individual and Congregational Support Mennonite Men invites contributions to support our projects and grants for church buildings. Please consider how you and your congregations can partner with us. To learn more, support our work, download resources, or schedule a retreat, visit MennoniteMen.org. Together in Christ, Steve Thomas, U.S. Coordinator
