The misplaced pursuit of authenticity
Being authentic has always been important to me. However, what authenticity means or looks like isn’t always as straightforward as I’d like. Especially as a pastor. One of the reasons authenticity has been such a big priority for me is because of my past experiences with church. I grew up in an unhealthy church culture…
‘Whatever happened to simple living?’ – Part 1
Going right back to Menno himself, Mennonites have valued simplicity. But to what extent has this ethos survived the age of gadget-saturation, relentless advertising and soul-numbing consumption? It feels odd to even use the term “simple living” now. It feels outdated and unsophisticated at a time when doing right is often intertwined with constant refinement…
A more inclusive story
How can Mennonite historical sites become sites of decolonization and reconciliation? This question has challenged and inspired my husband Joshua and me for the past four years, as we have served as hosts of Brubacher House Museum. This is an 1850’s Pennsylvania German Mennonite farmhouse owned by the University of Waterloo and operated in partnership…
MDS launches effort to help drought-affected farmers
Nine years ago, farmers in Saskatchewan sent hay to drought-stricken livestock producers in Ontario through Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada. Now farmers in Ontario are preparing to repay their generosity the same way. “Farmers in Saskatchewan are really challenged this year, due to heat and drought,” said Nick Hamm, chair of MDS in Ontario. “For…
Toronto-area leaders reflect on virtual worship
“It is important to let go of perfectionism and the desire to get things right. We will make mistakes. People forget to go on mute, there is background noise, videos don’t work. Despite all this, it is still worship,” says Peter Haresnape, a pastor at Toronto United Mennonite Church. Virtual worship during this past year…
COVID outbreak at Mennonite care home
Menno Home, one of the residential care homes on Menno Place senior care campus in Abbotsford, experienced a COVID-19 outbreak the first week of September. It was announced by Fraser Health on Sept. 2. Menno Place is operated by the Mennonite Benevolent Society, formed in 1953 to provide long-term care and housing for seniors in…
B.C. churches kick off new church year
Mennonite Church congregations in B.C., most of whom are just resuming in-person worship, are celebrating the beginning of the church year in various ways. Youth and young adults from Chinatown Peace Church in Vancouver started off the year in August with tent camping on Mt. Seymour. “[We] had some great campfire conversations around anxiety and…
Preserving history
The Hoffnungsfelder Mennonite Church, near the village of Mayfair, Sask., needed new siding and windows, but there was no money left in the operating fund. So the Toews family decided to hold a barbecue. “Our family has been part of that church from when it was first built,” says Laura Toews. “My grandfather was a…
The end of an era at MHC Gallery
The founder and curator of the Mennonite Heritage Centre (MHC) Gallery, Ray Dirks, retired after 23 years of leadership. His career at the gallery, which ended on July 31, has included producing four books and countless exhibits, receiving multiple awards and building dozens of relationships with artists and visitors. Dirks established the MHC Gallery in…
New book is ‘essential reading’ on conflict
At the Sept. 9 launch for Betty Pries’ new book, called The Space Between Us: Conversations About Transforming Conflict, Jennifer Ball called it a “handbook for being human,” and “essential reading for anyone navigating conflict.” Paul Okoye, senior consultant at Credence & Co., where Pries is founder and CEO, facilitated the evening. Credence, based in…
