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The facility of faith
John Enns remembers a time when 200 children filled the Sunday school classrooms at Waterloo Kitchener United Mennonite Church (WKUM). Currently, the congregation has 225 registered members, but less than half attend. The majority are in their 70s. Enns, who chairs the vision team at the church, says most newly retired members prefer to spend…
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Stepping overboard
Florence Driedger turns to look out the window before she replies to my question. “Well, we never know from one year to the next who and how many . . . whether we’ll still be functioning. We think we will be, but you never know.” Uncertainty about congregational futures is nothing new. In my role…
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Jam
In 2004, at the age of 70, Hans Juergen Wiens sold his business, including several farms, a feed business, and his last pig, all in one year. He was unemployed and restless. But then, one night, he remembered his mother’s resourcefulness. After the Second World War, when there was a food shortage all over Europe,…
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Lymburner elected chair of Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service
On May 13, Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service (CMPS) held its 52nd AGM via video conference. CMPS is the non-profit body that publishes Canadian Mennonite magazine. Kathryn Lymburner of Stouffville, Ontario, was elected chairperson, replacing Henry Krause of Langley, B.C. Krause leaves the board after nine years, six as chairperson. In his final report, Krause said:…
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Adventure Club engages kids
Every Tuesday morning this summer, children from Emmanuel Mennonite Church have been searching for a sheep while finding fun through nature-themed stories, water games, art projects, and hands-on creation care activities. An alternative to the traditional Vacation Bible School, the Kids’ Summer Adventure Club gives children ages 5 to 10 something to look forward to…
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Art gallery nurtures connections with the past
An art gallery lines the hallway between the sanctuary and the auditorium of the Niagara United Mennonite Church near Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The art hanging there reminds viewers of God’s guidance through difficult times, including separation, loss and escape. When the Russlaender centenary train trip stopped in Ontario in early July, about half of the participants…
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Singing to Ukraine
February 23, 2022, was a relatively ordinary day on our planet. Until 10:30 p.m. Ontario time—early morning of February 24 where Nataliia Kurhan lives—when I heard a reporter announce breathlessly, “Missiles are being fired; the invasion has begun.” I saw streaks descending behind the reporter on the screen and heard the sound of rockets. In…
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The hopeful demise of ethnocentrism
Perhaps you remember the 2000 box office hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It tells the story of a young Greek American woman, Toula Portokalos, falling in love with a non-Greek WASP, Ian Miller. Her family struggles to accept him while she struggles to come to terms with her cultural identity. Acclaimed as a romantic…
