Bogota, Colombia - At its May 2012 meetings in Switzerland, the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Council approved a global communication strategy calling for changes in the reach, frequency, form and content of MWC communications.

Undergirding the new plan is the goal of seeking to connect as many people as possible across cultures within the global Anabaptist family. The guiding conviction is that the global connections facilitated through MWC help individuals and churches gain a fuller understanding of God and equip them for joining God’s redemptive work in the world.

Central to the strategy is a new website (www.mwc-cmm.org) which was launched in early November. Users can switch between English, Spanish and French and most content is available in all three languages. The site includes stories and photos about churches and people from the global Anabaptist community of faith and can be viewed on mobile devices.

The site also highlights the work of MWC’s four Commissions – Deacons, Faith and Life, Mission, Peace – and its related networks, such as the Young Anabaptists. A new position called MWC Web Communications Worker has been created to ensure that the website is up to date and user friendly.

A second part of the strategy is an increased use of electronic communication. Beginning in 2013, the plan calls for a monthly e-alert that will provide links to the most recent news stories, prayer requests and other new information on the MWC website. The Web Communications Worker will manage this new vehicle.

The third part of the strategy builds on the long history of MWC communication through its quarterly magazine, Courier/Correo/Courrier. For over 20 years, the magazine has carried a mix of longer feature and inspirational articles as well as a digest of news. The plan calls for a change in the frequency and timeliness of publication.

Beginning in 2013, Courier/Correo/Courrier will be published every other month as a four-page newsletter. With the subtitle “News/Noticias/Nouvelles,” the newsletter will include short profiles of people and churches, prayer requests, most recent news and other timely updates. Twice a year, the newsletter will become one section in a 16 to 24 page magazine.

The magazine will also carry the name Courier/Correo/Courier and will include inspirational articles, study and teaching documents, and longer features that are not time sensitive.

Both the newsletter and the magazine will be published in English, Spanish and French and will be available electronically or in print form.

MWC release