Santa Fe Mennonite Church

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

Why Homosexuality Is Not Like Other Sins

Homosexuality is not the only sin prohibited in the Bible, but it is different from all the rest, at least right now. And we have really good news for homosexuals.

Kids retrace the steps of their Mennonite ancestors

HENDERSON—Kids entered their own imaginations Wednesday afternoon as they traced the steps of their Mennonite ancestors as they journeyed from Russia to America. This youth camp is an annual event

West Michigan woman reflects on her 23 years of military experience

Why Your Church Should Move Beyond Web To Mobile

It’s taken too long, but I think the majority of churches finally understand that their website is a key factor in attracting first-time guests. I’ve even heard it said that webpages are actually the front door to the church. Unfortunately, for many churches this door is quickly closing. Don’t believe me? Why not take a momentRead More

Your Small Church Is Not Too Small for Global Missions

Scott Slayon on how small churches can be involved in global missions as they pray, get to know missionaries, meet international neighbors, and go on trips.

A Beloved Canadian Novelist Reckons with Her Mennonite Past

How Miriam Toews left the church and freed her voice.

A Growing Church is a Dying Church

Whenever a congregation goes looking for a new pastor, the first question on their minds when the committee interviews a new candidate is: Will this pastor grow our church? I’m going to go ahead an…

Why Churches Move from Growth to Maintenance

Maintenance mode can take over in any church regardless of its age or its size. Today, we discuss how to combat it and how to stay focused on the mission.

When you’re the only one who shows up to church

At an Episcopal church in Portland, the show must go on – even when it's just the priest and you.

Out of the Mouth of Babes, Principles of Leadership

Social science describes several views of the hierarchy of our societies. There's the near-Darwinian dog-eat-dog concept of dominance. Then there are the more leadership-driven ones, where individuals respect and defer to those in charge. Leadership hierarchies can evolve from election, regulation or prestige – where influence flows from the leader's eminence. The truth is that social hierarchies are a bit of all these abstractions.

How I escaped the Mennonites — and my ‘domestic terrorist’ father

In a case that made national headlines, Mennonite Robert L. Bear was excommunicated in 1972 for questioning church leaders and accusing them of hypocrisy — and treated sympathetically by the press …

Do I Need to Go to Church (If I'm a Christian)?

Do Christians really need to go to church to be saved? Find out what the Bible says about going to church what the purpose for church is.

Do religious people live longer than non-religious people?

British researchers have concluded that people who attend church regularly tend to live slightly longer than non-religious people. Partisan theologians (individuals biased toward a particular religious doctrine) embraced the finding