For 22 years it was ‘all about the residents’
Growth, change and progress are three big words that come to mind when looking back over Linda Tiessen’s time as administrator of Leamington Mennonite Home. And after serving nearly 22 years at the home, she is ready to enjoy retirement. She was hired in 1998 at the encouragement of Menno Epp, then pastor of Leamington…
Breaking bread builds community
Every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., students, staff and faculty at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ont., gather to share a meal called Community Supper. This tradition traces back to the mid-1960s, when the college was founded, and to Grebel’s very first president, J. Winfield Fretz. In those early days, he insisted on having small…
Community Supper bread recipe
This recipe is from the kitchen staff at Conrad Grebel University College. (Read about the recipe’s significance here.) This recipe makes 22 very large loaves 15 tablespoons instant yeast 35 cups warm water 5 cups sugar 5 cups vegetable oil 10 tablespoons salt 98 cups flour or more Mix yeast, water, sugar, oil and salt…
Family of artists share their work in new book
Many individuals dream of writing a book, but it’s not often that an entire family writes a book together. Three generations of artists from the Proudfoot family compiled a book of short stories, essays, paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints and poetry. It was published in February 2019 by Friesen Press. The idea began with Robert Proudfoot,…
‘A mile in my moccasins’
Madelaine Kioke was born in the woods near Attawapiskat, in the James Bay region of northern Ontario, where her parents hunted and trapped. She lived out on the land until she was nine years old, learning to hunt and fish, and set traps and snares with her father. At age six, when her mother first…
Helping others, one stitch at a time
Eric Berg, a member of the St. Catharines (Ont.) United Mennonite Church, has been making blankets and donating them to MCC for a number of years. It all started years ago when he was helping his wife Marlies, an avid sewer and quilter, cut out squares. When he was cutting faster than she could sew…
Glimpsing the face of God
Why are we doing international ministry? As I engage with people in many regional churches I often get this question. It is my favourite question. Don’t ask unless you are prepared for my long answer, but I can also point you to the answers of others for a shorter version. The Ministry Initiative Development Guide…
New vision, new life
Adjust the dial. Pick a colour. Pop, snap. A new pair of glasses is ready to wear in five minutes. This is the project of Global Vision 2020 (GV2020), an organization based in the United States, that works internationally to screen vision and distribute prescriptive eyeglasses to the 2.5 billion people who need them…
Two knitters and a potter
Many people dream of having a business but it never comes to pass. Barb Heidebrecht of Bergthal Mennonite Church in Didsbury, Alta., wondered if it was just a pipe dream as her daughter Mikaela Heidebrecht and daughter-in-law, Lori Pauls talked about how bored they were and how they should open a store together. “I didn’t…
Who goes canoeing with their mother-in-law?
Kyle Penner’s December wasn’t filled with just Christmas preparations, but with a multitude of book launches. The associate pastor of Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach, Man., released his first book, a compilation of tales of his outdoor adventures entitled Who Goes Canoeing With Their Mother-in-Law? The Misguided Tales of an Avid Paddler. Last summer,…
