What can a white church do?
When the death of George Floyd sparked race-related demonstrations across North America earlier this year, one of our deacons asked, “What can we do in response to this?” My church, Eigenheim Mennonite in Rosthern, Sask., is racially homogeneous. The community beyond our church includes Indigenous, Filipino, Karen and Pakistani people, but they don’t worship with…
Candles of care for health-care workers
A single flame flickered into existence in the window of a home in Steinbach, and now throughout the city—and across the country—candles send warmth to a hurting community. Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach began lighting candles on Nov. 13, putting them in windows and posting photos to social media daily, in prayer and solidarity with health-care workers,…
Flexibility key to youth ministry
The weekly church youth group gathering, whether for service, faith discussions or recreational activity, has had to change this fall in the face of COVID-19. B.C. youth leaders are adapting the best they can, trying to keep young people engaged and connected to the church. Cedar Valley Mennonite youth group in Mission had been meeting…
Celebrating new beginnings at MC Eastern Canada
“Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me . . . I will keep on singing.” These words from a praise song led by Keith Ly of Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church, seemed appropriate at the beginning of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s fall gathering on the morning of Nov. 14. Forced online by pandemic safety protocols,…
Zoom check-in
A regional church check-in meeting last month gave members a chance to learn how Mennonite Church Alberta is faring. With the arrival of fall, when in-person meetings were prohibited, MC Alberta leaders decided to host a Zoom check-in for all the churches so communities could connect and hear how things are going. Brenda Tiessen-Wiens, the regional…
Congregation celebrates despite COVID-19
As with most celebrations during this pandemic, it was a quiet 75th anniversary celebration for St. Catharines United Mennonite Church on Nov. 1. In order to limit social contact, the Sunday services alternate between families and seniors, and this Sunday was a seniors Sunday service. About 86 people attended. The service began with a video…
‘Be It Resolved’ released
A new anthology published by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada and Mennonite Church Canada hit the press this fall. Be it Resolved: Anabaptists & Partner Coalitions Advocate for Indigenous Justice, 1966-2020 is a collection of more than 90 documents detailing commitments Anabaptists have made to Indigenous justice and decolonization since the 1960s. “I was aware of…
Christmas pudding a long-time tradition
For many of us, sitting around the table with extended family is a very important part of our Christmas celebration. In my family of origin, the traditional menu included turkey and dressing, while dessert was always iced sugar cookies and fruit salad with cubes of red and green Jell-O. I’m sure each family has its…
Pastor uses medical assistance to die
Before his death in November 2019, John Regehr of Winnipeg said he wanted to start a discussion about death and dying. Regehr, 93, a former Canadian Mennonite Brethren pastor and professor at Mennonite Brethren Bible College (a founding college of Canadian Mennonite University), did just that when he chose to die using medical assistance in…
