Do church and journalism mix?
Journalism is a tense and often misunderstood business, especially within the church. Readers get riled, interviewees feel gypped, church leaders squirm. But in many ways the tension is the essence. I distinguish between “newsletterism”: straight up churchy news with no probing of deeper layers (“Relief sale has record year”); devotional articles (“How relief volunteering deepened…
No dust gathering here!
Hearing the word “archives” may conjure sneeze-worthy stereotypes. However, a visit to the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta Archives in Calgary quickly dispels any dusty images. A crowd of lively volunteers surrounded by history laugh around the lunch table, sharing discoveries made during their weekly volunteer stint to preserve the history of Mennonites in Alberta.…
Another necessary conversation: Mental illness and addictions
Helping those in lay and paid pastoral care roles better minister to their congregations, some of whom deal with issues of mental illness and addictions, was the goal of “Mental wellness,” Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s annual pastors, chaplains and congregational leaders event held Jan. 16, 2016, at Steinmann Mennonite Church in Baden. Brice Balmer, now…
A town that welcomes refugees
The Manitoba Prairies have a reputation for icy winters, but they should also be known for their warm hearts. This winter, the town of Altona, Man., embraced 45 new refugees from Syria, increasing its population by 1 percent. It has been a community effort. An Altona-based charity called Build a Village spearheaded the project by…
Remade from the inside out
When Josh Wallace survived a serious car accident at age 10, his father said, “God saved your life in that accident, and he must have done so for a purpose.” Since then, he has tried to figure out what that purpose is. Josh grew up near Bozeman, Mont., in a conservative Christian milieu. As a…
Students in STEM programs thrive at Grebel
Conrad Grebel University College is home to a diverse mix of students studying in all six faculties at the University of Waterloo (UofW) in Ontario. In partnership with UofW, Grebel aims to boost female student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) programs, thereby increasing the potential for future female leaders. Grebel is well-positioned to…
Rockway reduces stigma one tweet at a time
Four Grade 11 students at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate have taken an innovative approach to a class project, and it has been making a difference in their community and beyond. As part of a unit on mental health, Tara Vojinovic, Abbey Young, Veronica Li and Hanna Liu were given the assignment of somehow helping to reduce…
Because we’re neighbours
Buhler Hall, on the campus of Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI), played host to a very special coffee house last December. The event was motivated by compassion for a multitude of displaced Syrians; further inspiration came from Mennonite Central Committee and the bold steps taken by Build a Village, a local charity, to welcome five new…
EMU announces new MBA program director
David Brubaker, who joined the faculty of the Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) in 2004 with a specialty in organizational development, will become the new director of EMU’s MBA program, where he has taught a course in organizational behaviour for each of the past nine years. In recent years, the…
Youth invited to join #thecovenantcrew
UPDATE: Youth Assembly 2016 has been cancelled, due to a shortfall in the number of registrations. See here for more information. Kirsten Hamm-Epp has fond memories from past Mennonite Church Canada assemblies. When she was growing up in Altona, Man., her family planned their summer vacations around such gatherings. “[My parents] always sort of instilled…
