Spring 2022 List of Books & Resources
Theology, Spirituality And If I Don’t: Reimagining the Single Life. April Klassen. Schleitheim Press, Kelowna, B.C., 2021, 130 pages. With frankness and honesty, the author explores what it means to be single in today’s culture, and what the Bible has to say about marriage. Although she values marriage, Klassen suggests that it is not…
New digital resources for ‘Peaceful at Heart’
Peaceful at Heart was released in 2019 to present a vision of peaceful living as an alternative to the expectations for masculinity widely held by society. The goal has been to engage as many men as possible in this important conversation. To that end, Mennonite Men, in collaboration with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario…
Fall 2021 List of Books & Resources
Theology, Spirituality The Baby and the Bathwater: Aspiration and Reality in the Life of the Church. Robert J. Suderman. Privately published with Tellwell, 2021, 120 pages. In this little book, Suderman speaks to concerns about the future of the church. He examines what the church is meant to be, saying we must be careful…
Retired church workers archive MC Canada history
Thousands of files languish in the basement of Mennonite Church Canada’s Winnipeg office, holding decades of history but forgotten by many. Irene and Jack Suderman are bringing these records to light, reviewing and organizing them to be stored in the Mennonite Heritage Archives (MHA). The Sudermans live in Ontario, where they attend First Mennonite Church…
Writer’s struggles offer reassurance to young mothers
When it comes to motherhood, Shari Zook asks, “Why don’t we get more training for the hardest job of our lives? Why do we feel that we have to do it alone?” Because she is so open and honest about the challenges of raising young children, this book can provide comfort and reassurance for others…
Podcast creator shares insights into his craft
Ken Ogasawara counts it a “sacred gift” when he is trusted with another person’s story. As he shapes that into a podcast episode, he is mindful of “doing justice to their story.” Ogasawara, who works on the community engagement team at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario, is the producer and host of Undercurrents, a podcast…
Book mixes Menno history, cocktail recipes
There are countless Mennonite cookbooks, but last month saw the debut of what is likely the world’s very first Mennonite cocktail book. Menno-Nightcaps: Cocktails Inspired by that Odd Ethno-Religious Group You Keep Mistaking for the Amish, Quakers or Mormons arrived on bookshelves on Oct. 12 via B.C.-based publisher Touchwood Editions. Written by Sherri Klassen, the…
Finding connection through communion cups
What does one do with a cracker box full of used communion cups? This was the dilemma facing Lois Siemens as she drove from Saskatoon to Winnipeg in July 2016. Siemens had just attended the Mennonite Church Canada assembly in Saskatoon. She recalls how, in the small group she was part of, a pastor had…
Stories give insight into refugee experience
Canadians who sponsor refugees often discover that the task comes with surprises and challenges. This collection of essays provides insight into Canada’s changing refugee policy and how difficult it can be for people who have been forced to flee their homes and settle in Canada. These are not academic papers; they are first-person accounts written…
A wizard, a child, a goblin and grief
A new book invites readers to explore themes of loss and grief while imagining their own story. Once a Wizard is a wordless children’s book created by Winnipeg author and illustrator Curtis L. Wiebe. It tells the story of Ari, who attends the funeral of Uncle Wizard. Later, Ari meets Uncle Wizard in a dream. Together,…
