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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 8)
Categories: ViewpointsDoubt has a good public relations manager these days. The world seems awash with books, articles, sermons, even a few TED talks, praising its beneficial goodness. I too have tried…
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Isaac Wiens
Categories: ViewpointsThe Isaac S. Wiens real estate office in Herbert, Sask., is pictured in 1911. Wiens (1874-1958), left, was born in Russia and came to Canada as an infant. His family…
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Shimmering peace in the midst of darkness
Categories: Focus on Mental Health“Argh!” I cried out, as I slammed my fist down hard onto the kitchen counter. “I hate this! I’m so tightly wound up my body feels ready to split open.…
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Healing for soul and spirit
Categories: Focus on Mental HealthSinging has always been a passion for Sara Fretz. Long before she took up the profession of music therapy she found music “very therapeutic” for herself through her years of…
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Mental health and ‘having faith’
Categories: Focus on Mental HealthAfter retiring from professional service almost two years ago, Valentine (Val) Warkentin found she missed her work as a counsellor and accepted an invitation to volunteer at Canadian Mennonite University.…
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Being the church in an age of anxiety
Categories: Focus on Mental HealthHigh anxiety is a characteristic of this age. Political and economic uncertainties abound, and electronic media, purported to help people connect with one another, actually seem to make them feel…
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When mental illness drops in at church
Categories: Focus on Mental HealthAsked how many “walk-ins” looking for help at a church are likely to have a mental illness, pastors like Werner De Jong say “the majority, for sure.” De Jong, pastor…
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Leading the leaderless
Categories: UncategorizedWe do not expect our denominational leaders to write encyclicals, assume pompous titles or drop pastors into congregations, but what exactly do we expect of them within our proudly pope-less…
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ReCommission, ReLearn, ReUnion
Categories: UncategorizedWhen delegates from the churches of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) met in Oakville, Ont., on April 28 and 29, the focus was on re-commissioning, based on Matthew 28:19-20, where…
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‘One night changed everything’
Categories: UncategorizedLast November, two Turkish men arrived in the small village of Floradale, in the heart of Ontario’s Mennonite country, seeking refuge. Leon Kehl, a local resident, had developed a relationship…
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Lifesaving latrines and the importance of local partners
Categories: UncategorizedHurricane Matthew hit the rural community of Wopisa-Gabriyèl, Haiti, hard last October, leading Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to respond to sanitation needs identified by community leaders. “There was a lot…
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Learning to let go
Categories: UncategorizedWhen she was admitted to hospital at the age of 14, it didn’t take long for doctors to diagnose Julia Klassen with anorexia nervosa. She displayed all the classic symptoms:…
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Students find relaxation through ‘puppy therapy’
Categories: UncategorizedStudents at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C., have a unique opportunity to de-stress before exams: puppy therapy. For the past two school years, the Student Counselling Centre has brought…
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Men’s choir fosters community, generosity
Categories: Web First“To me, it’s always amazing how the guys come and keep coming to sing,” says Russ Regier. The guys he refers to are A Buncha Guys, an informal choir made…
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Eritrean church grows in spirit and godliness
Categories: Web FirstVoices rise in Tigrinya, the most widely spoken language in Eritrea, and in tongues. Waves of music wash over the gathered congregation of refugees from the East African country in…
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Grebel names new president
Categories: Web FirstMarcus Shantz will serve as the eighth president of Conrad Grebel University College and will take office on Oct. 1, 2017. The Board of Governors cited Shantz’s outstanding leadership skills,…
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Donations sought to send youth to special delegate assembly
Categories: Web FirstYouth are in demand. When the Emerging Voices Initiative (EVI) held a cross-Canada tour in 2016-17, the importance of encouraging youth involvement in area and national church initiatives rose to…
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MDS seeks volunteers for Fort McMurray work
A year after the devastating fires in Fort McMurray, Alta., Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) has announced it will begin building homes there, beginning in June 2017. This project will operate…
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Beyond guilt and lament
Categories: EditorialYears ago, I needed some practical help. A person close to me—someone who had the ability to lend a hand—saw my need and said repeatedly, “I wish I could help,…
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Land is the heart of the matter
Categories: Feature ArticlesIn the opening half of Steven Ratzlaff’s play Reservations, first staged in Winnipeg in 2016, an Alberta Mennonite farmer informs his two children that he plans to give a section…
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