Our Vision & Mission
Our Vision
Our vision is diverse communities connecting across boundaries by knowing and valuing their own and each other’s stories of life, faith, cultures, and histories.
Vision Illumination
We understand ourselves to be conservers of the historical and ongoing stories of diverse Anabaptists with connections to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
We understand ourselves to be learners, actively pursuing new information and mutually beneficial relationships across boundaries.
We understand ourselves to be communicators, interpreting Lancaster Anabaptist-connected stories for interested audiences.
Our Mission
Our mission is to hold, honor, and share items and stories featuring the lived experiences and faith values of Lancaster Mennonites and interrelated communities.
Mission Illumination
We recognize and value cultural diversity within Lancaster Mennonite-connected communities.
We recognize and value important relationships with interrelated communities, especially, but not limited to, those with Native American partners and African American partners.
Core Values
Education
We encourage exploration of diverse, Mennonite-related historical backgrounds, cultures, stories
Preservation
We keep and care for documents and artifacts
Accessibility
We proactively make our collections and educational experiences broadly available
Intentional Health
We nurture personal and organizational health, living with integrity and accountability
Relationships
We seek to be connected and to connect others
Faith
As communities we seek to follow Christ in daily life
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Featured Stories
March 18, 2025
Fifty Years of the Biblical Tabernacle Experience
DirectionsBiblical Tabernacle Experience (at the Mennonite Life Visitors Center)…
Learn MoreOctober 27, 2021
Introducing Mennonite Life
It’s an exciting time to be a Mennonite history…
Learn MoreOctober 11, 2021
Welcome, Refugees
For Mennonites in Lancaster, loving your neighbor means welcoming…
Learn MoreOctober 4, 2021
Mennonite Artists
Beyond folk arts, Mennonites contribute significantly to visual, language,…
Learn MoreDiscover Something New
May 6
Exhibit: ‘They Went Out from Us’: Zwingli and the Radical Reformation
Mennonite Life joins our global faith community in celebrating…
Learn MoreMay 10 @ 9:30 am
50th Anniversary Community Celebration of the Biblical Tabernacle Experience
Celebrate 50 years of the Biblical Tabernacle Experience in…
Learn MoreMay 31 @ 7:00 pm
Community Hymn Sing: 500 Years of Anabaptism
Join us for a community hymn sing celebrating the…
Learn MoreJune 9
Discovery Days at the 1719 Museum: Celebrating Culture through Craftsmanship
This is a week-long day camp for youth age…
Learn More