Petitcodiac Mennonite Church

Colombia Mennonite Church

Go to: Home Page Outreach Page Questions/Comments Last updated on July 30, 2002

Tue, 18 Jun 2002 Hello Werner,       Greetings from Bogota. My name is Janine Martin and I am a new volunteer here at Justapaz. I'll be working with Janna on the sister church project for the next year. From reading your file, I can see that you have been very patient as you waiting for a sister church. I want to assure you that folks here have not forgotten you and have been working to find you a match. I am excited to tell you that, finally, we have one. Your sister church is La Iglesia Menonita de Sinai.      Sinai is an urban, Mennonite congregation located in Southern Bogota. I am told that their church is probably the largest Mennonite church in Colombia with a membership of 250 people.       They are a very active church. They have ministry programs for children, youth and women in addition to quite a few community ministries. Their community outreach includes work with individuals displaced by the violence and prison and hospital ministries. They also collaborate with 2 local government programs that provide childcare to children of working mothers and a drop in center for children and youth who are either homeless or come from homes with very limited incomes. At this time, they have also begun working with displaced youth who have had to abandon their home and families due to the violence and are especially vulnerable and impressionable to the recruiting tactics of the illegal armed groups in Colombia. Sinai does accompaniment and gives pastoral support to other churches in Colombia who are located in high conflict zones.       They haven't officially declared themselves to be a Sanctuary Church, Sinai is actively working towards that end. A small committee is currently involved in a process of learning and discernment and the church has participated in workshops here at Justapaz. Justapaz is supportive of their discernment process and considers Sinai to be an important partner in the justice and peace making process in Colombia       A committee of 5 is overseeing the sister church relationship from Sinai's end. Here are their names: Sandra Liliana Figueroa Ricardo Vivas Guillermo Urrea Javier Segura Miguel Angel Jara You can contact them whenever you wish in order to introduce yourself and your church and begin communicating. I believe Justapaz usually asks that the churches copy their emails to one another to us, especially at first. This isn't to be paternalistic, but we want to make sure that you are able to communicate with one another. It will also be a learning tool for me as I begin working with the program to see how your relationship progresses and to gain tools I can then pass along to other churches who become sisters in the future.       Many Blessing to you as you begin this relationship. I'm looking forward to learning and growing with you as your congregation as you grow to know your new sister church, Janine Martin Colombia Index    Top of this document.