We pray for those who are facing hunger due to food shortages, harvest disruptions, and the effects of climate change on local food production. May God provide and may those with many resources share with those who have less, on both local and international levels.

Pray for Communauté des Églises des Frères Mennonites au Congo (CEFMC) which continues to struggle with the loss of an older generation of leaders. Since January, the conference has mourned the loss of 5 pastors. Pray for the families and congregations mourning the loss of Reverend Muyombo from Kikwit, Reverend Mavungu from Kinshasa, Reverend Ndala from Kinshasa, Reverend Mukidi from Panzi, and Reverend Kasombo from Kajiji. May God comfort those who mourn.

Social isolation increases the vulnerability of many people. Pray for those who do not have safe homes to shelter in.

Loving God, who walks alongside the neediest and the little ones of this world, we give many thanks for helping us to accompany our refugee and migrant brothers and sisters. We wish to assist them with bread, with comfort, with a willing and attentive ear and heart. We also desire a more just and humane world where we all have a place to be with dignity and joy. Thank you for your faithfulness; at no point has the oil run dry. Just as you did for the widow and the prophet, you have generously provided. We also thank you because we have felt your presence more closely, and we have become more aware of your being God with us.

—Refugee and Migrant Peoples Project, Iglesia Menonita de Quito, Ecuador

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We are so thankful for the good rains that are covering the whole country of South Africa. They have come late for good crops in areas, but we are glad to get water. The countryside is good and green. We are very thankful. We do need our dams to fill up though.

—submitted by MWC regional representative for Southern Africa Barbara Nkala

Malawi’s constitutional court overturned the 2019 presidential election result citing poll irregularities. Our brothers and sisters in Malawi call us to pray that all parties will accept the news peacefully.

Thank you, God our Creator, who seeks to restore fallen humanity by calling us to faithful fellowship, worship, service and witness together. We worship you, Jesus, Son of God. Through your life, teachings, cross and resurrection, you showed us how to be faithful disciples, redeemed the world, and offer us eternal life. We call upon you, Holy Spirit, to empower us to trust God in all areas of life. May we become peacemakers who renounce violence, love our enemies, seek justice, and share our possessions with those in need.

As the world sees more extreme weather patterns due to climate change, Australia has been fighting widespread bushfires and some cities in Indonesia have suffered flooding from excessive rainfalls. In both countries, more than a dozen people have died and thousands more are displaced.

Mennonite World Conference calls brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for the calamities to be brought under control, for the displaced to soon return to their homes, and for protection for the response teams as they work to save others.

As stewards of God’s creation, let us also pray that governments will create more environmentally-conscious policies to mitigate further climate risks.

As a world-wide community of faith and life we transcend boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender and language. We seek to live in the world without conforming to the powers of evil, witnessing to God’s grace by serving others, caring for creation, and inviting all people to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

—Shared Conviction 7

“Listen to me, my people, and give heed to me, my nation; for a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples. I will bring near my deliverance swiftly, my salvation has gone out and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope” (Isaiah 51:4–5).

Praise God for the salvation we find in Jesus, who crossed the barrier between God and people to show us how to live justly. This Christmas, may we share this good news across barriers with neighbours, friends, and family.