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Songwriters’ retreat creates new music for churches
Nichelle Bauman felt pressure going into a weekend retreat of Mennonite songwriters. What would she come up with? What could she contribute? She also had a strong desire to learn. Organizers had suggested in advance that the 23 participants from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico ponder the Beatitudes in preparation for the retreat. One night…
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Foodgrains fundraiser in Leamington
The 10-acre corn field owned by Tiessen Acres near Leamington, Ontario, has a purpose. The proceeds of the field will be donated to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), as part of the Sun Parlor Growing Project. On Sunday, June 25, the project organizers hosted a fundraiser for CFGB in the Tiessen Acres machine shed. Over…
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Tim Khoo’s experience at Grebel leads to baptism
When Timothy Khoo was choosing a university, he looked for something that stood out. “I kept hearing about this Mennonite residence from my family and church community, and it piqued my interest,” he said. Khoo is now a second-year Honours Physics student at the University of Waterloo and a returning upper-year student at Conrad Grebel…
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Niagara church supports seasonal ag workers
The May 4 issue of Canadian Mennonite stated that “Niagara United Mennonite Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, will use a grant of $5,000 to build a laundry facility for seasonal workers who come to the area each year from Jamaica and Mexico to work on local farms.” The money is from the “Spirit of MDS Fund,”…
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MoM 100: Tour’s first leg comes to an end
And that’s it: The first leg of “Memories of Migration: Russlaender Tour 100” is over. From July 6-11, 60 people travelled by train and bus from Quebec City to Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, getting to know each other, sharing stories and learning more about the journeys taken by their ancestors 100 years ago. Laureen Harder-Gissing points to…
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Last German service held at St. Catharines United Mennonite
On June 4, St. Catharines United Mennonite Church held its last German language service, marking the end of 78 years of providing support for the spiritual life of German speakers in the language of their heart. Many German-speaking Mennonites had come to Canada from Russia in 1923 and thereafter, escaping famine, revolution and civil war.…
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Ex-prisoners plant church
The following is an excerpt from the June 2023 issue of MKC News, the newsletter of Meserete Kristos Church (MKC), the Anabaptist denominational body in Ethiopia. Reprinted with permission. ETHIOPIA—Ejere Prison in the West Shewa Zone of Oromia Regional State is one of the prisons where the MKC Prison Ministry has been serving. In…
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Mennonite Centre building in Ukraine under Russian control
At first glance, the office appears unremarkable, but for the photograph of Vladimir Putin on a bookcase and the Russian flag on the desk. The woman in the picture looks awkward, her hands seem to rest uneasily, holding neither paper nor pen. The photograph was shared on a chatroom called “Collaborators of Molochansk.” The room…
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What is a picture worth?
In May, a painting sold for $18,900 at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Christian Benefit Thrift Shop in St. Catharines, Ontario. Bidding started on the progressive silent auction item in mid-December, and closed on May 28, after no new bids had been placed for six business days. The donor of the painting has not been…
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The church that builds together, stays together
With suitcases full of work clothes and spirits full of enthusiasm, 13 people from Mount Royal Mennonite Church in Saskatoon traveled to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The group served together on the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) project to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Fiona in 2022. They were there from May 21 to 27.…
