Despite the stereotypes, our heritage as Mennonites is not simply white and Germanic. Rather, growing numbers of people in the church carry the African slave trade, Native American’s Trail of Tears and other “holocausts” in their familial and cultural DNA just like many claim the Anabaptist martyrs of the 16th century.

They are all components of U.S. Mennonite history, and they are the focus of the 2008 Mennonite Heritage Sunday worship materials from the Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee. Heritage Sunday, which will be observed Oct. 16, is dedicated to commemorating the developments of the past that shape us as a people of faith.

This year’s worship materials were prepared by Robert O. Zehr of Des Allemands, La., a longtime minister and administrator in Gulf States Conference, which has a sizable Native American population. He provides sermon, song and Scripture suggestions as well as prayers, call to worship and other resources to help create a worship service that examines the importance of celebrating the diverse histories of God’s followers. The 2008 Heritage Sunday worship materials, as well as those from previous years, are available on the Historical Committee’s Web site, www.mennoniteusa.org/history.