Remembering Helen Martens
Helen Martens, Conrad Grebel University College’s first music faculty member, passed away on April 9 at the age of 92, surrounded by family in Winnipeg. She last visited Grebel in 2013 during the college’s 50th anniversary. Grebel staff and faculty remember Helen Martens for her extensive contributions to the music department and the college community.…
French Anabaptists gather online to worship, celebrate
Serge Gravel describes meeting with other French Anabaptists online like getting a dose of Vitamin C fortified with Vitamin D and zinc, in order to gain spiritual victory and encouragement, enthusing about how good it was to see the radiant faces and shining eyes of everyone. Gravel was one of more than 50 participants in…
MennoMedia: Do not sing together if you are gathering physically for worship
With stay-at-home orders being lifted across much of the U.S. and Canada, churches are thinking about what it will look like to open their doors again. Yet because the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much with us, it is up to churches to consider how to do so safely. While singing is considered vital in…
Ways to sing together during online worship
One of the most potent ways we cope with hardship is by singing and praying together. Amid the loss of in-person gathering, congregations have shown a tremendous amount of creativity, whether worshiping via video conference platforms such as Zoom, livestreaming a service, or pre-recording the service. While we deeply feel the loss of the ability…
Watch: Quarantine viewing ideas
Looking for a movie to watch? Sue Sorensen has some suggestions for you. Sorensen, an English professor at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, is featured in a series of five short videos CMU posted to its YouTube channel earlier this month. Each video features a film that Sorensen recommends watching, particularly in light of the…
MCC announces program cuts, changes due to COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has scaled up its work to respond to the global crisis, increasing projects related to water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), local health initiatives and food relief. But given the negative economic effects of COVID-19, including funding uncertainties, travel restrictions and other factors, it has made strategic decisions…
‘We are in this together’
In 1990, as the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival on this side of the Atlantic loomed, Mennonites felt compelled to do something tangible. The Conference of Mennonites in Canada (CMC) formally resolved to work with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which was already exploring the establishment of a Jubilee Fund. The intent of the fund was,…
Offline life during COVID-19
When the novel coronavirus pandemic hit, life went online. From school classes to fitness workouts to worship services, everything started streaming on the web. But what happens if you don’t have internet access? How are those Mennonites staying connected with their churches? “It is a little different without being able to go [to church]. We…
Watch: Winter Hour debuts “Letters”
Singer-songwriter Mike Wiebe has given the public a taste of his new project. The Winnipeg musician released a video for his song “Letters” last Friday. It’s the first single from You Made a Shadow, an upcoming full-length Wiebe is releasing under the name Winter Hour. If those room dividers in the video look like something…
Three churches withdraw from MC Eastern Canada
Earlier this spring, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada released the following statement: “We announce with great sadness Kingsfield-Clinton and Kingsfield-Zurich Mennonite Church, Living Water Christian Fellowship and Maple View Mennonite Church have left the MC Eastern Canada family. After healthy conversation with leadership from each congregation, we mourn their leaving, and we bless and pray God’s…
