Bogotá, Colombia – Throughout the history of the Christian church, followers of Jesus have been transformed and renewed by the living presence of the Holy Spirit. We persevere with hope in the face of overwhelming challenges.

Today, the churches in the Global South are especially attentive to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The Mennonite World Conference regional representatives from Africa prepared worship resource materials for World Fellowship Sunday 2018.

MWC World Fellowship Sunday is your opportunity to help the people in your congregation become aware of what it means to belong to a global Anabaptist faith community. It is our annual celebration of worshipping in spirit with Anabaptist brothers and sisters around the world.

“On this day, we celebrate that, in Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the cultural and national boundaries that separate us have been overcome by the cross,” says MWC general secretary César García.

The prayers, songs, biblical interpretation, personal stories and cultural suggestions for worship included in the package invite everyone to worship in the style of African Anabaptist churches today.

“WFS is a special day on which to show that we are living a new life in a new society where we mutually support one another, carry those who suffer, serve the world and interdependently learn from one another what it means to follow Jesus,” says García.

Download this resource to celebrate World Fellowship Sunday in your local congregation with the global Anabaptist family in January or at whatever time is convenient for your congregation in 2018. Go to mwc-cmm.org/awfs to download the worship resource, photos and videos.

Mennonite World Conference also invites a special offering to be taken for the global Anabaptist church movement on World Fellowship Sunday. One way to think about this offering is to invite every member to contribute the cost of at least one lunch in their own community to support the networks and resources of our global Anabaptist church family.

Send pictures and stories from your congregation’s celebration to photos@mwc-cmm.org.

—Mennonite World Conference release