#ICYMI: 2019 in review
It’s mid-December as I sit down to review the content published by Canadian Mennonite over the past year. Here are a few observations. Once again, the longer features anchoring the print issues made it possible for Mennonite contributors from across the country to share inspiration and information. I am grateful for the writers, pastors,…
Ten New Year’s resolutions for an unexamined life
10. Accomplish more by scheduling longer and more frequent committee meetings. 9. Make the world a better place by pointing out how everyone else needs to change. 8. Spend more time getting angry at people online. 7. Constantly download new shows, apps and games for my devices because screen time restores my soul. 6. Spend…
Getting into the Christmas spirit across Canada
In keeping with the season, Canadian Mennonite has wrapped up four Christmas events—from Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia—into one package for your festive reading. CALGARY—Foothills Mennonite Church hosts a seniors lunch once a month, during which they gather in fellowship and share a delicious meal. On Nov. 28, the Menno Simons Christian School Junior-High…
Gleaners host Christmas open house to thank supporters
The work of farmers is difficult. They have to work with the land to bring about a decent crop in order to make a living. And even though they may successfully bring hundreds of hectares to fruition, there’s no guarantee that all of that crop can go to market. Blemishes, bruises, deformities and imperfections can…
175 years by faith
In 1844, just under a half-hectare of land near the east bank of the Conestoga River was purchased from John Brubacher for the sum of five shillings. A log schoolhouse was constructed there, on what was then part of the Haldimand Tract and the traditional lands of the Neutral, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The log…
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,…
‘A bigger impact in the neighbourhood’
In October, Care Montreal opened seven nights a week as a licensed shelter after completing extensive renovations. Now volunteers at the shelter, housed at Hochma, a Mennonite Church Eastern Canada congregation, provide supper in the basement at 6 p.m. for 70 people who are homeless. Guests can take a shower or play games. There…
