A much simplified Mennonite Church Canada organization turned an expected $239,000 deficit into a surplus of $42,000 for the fiscal year ended (FYE) Jan. 31, 2019. The modest... Read More
News & Stories
At Gathering 2019's Leadership Day, Elaine Heath encourages Mennonite Church Canada leaders to be good neighbours in a traumatized world. (Photo by Jane Grunau)
The way of the missional God is that the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood, Elaine Heath told church leaders on June 28 at Gathering 2019’s Leadership... Read More
July 17, 2019 | Gathering 2019 | Amy Rinner Waddell
Colin McCartney
“My job is to love the people in my neighbourhood, accept them for who they are and create a safe place where they are welcome,” said Lyne Renaud, pastor of Hochma in Montreal, as... Read More
July 17, 2019 | Gathering 2019 | Lisa Williams
Mennonite Women Canada executive members met for one last time at Gathering 2019 in Abbotsford, B.C. Pictured from left: Shirley Redekop, president; Elsie Rempel, secretary; and Liz Koop, past president. (Photo by Amy Rinner Waddell)
With tears, hugs and 67 years of memories, participants at the Mennonite Women Canada annual luncheon meeting, held on June 30, said goodbye to each other and to their national... Read More
July 17, 2019 | Gathering 2019 | Amy Rinner Waddell
(Graphic by Betty Avery)
For the first time since Mennonite Church Canada restructured, delegates from the five regional churches met in Abbotsford, B.C., to discuss the future of the nationwide church... Read More
July 17, 2019 | Gathering 2019 | Rachel Bergen
Children at Gathering 2019, enjoys fresh bubblegum ice cream from Birchwood Dairy in Abbotsford. (Photo by Kevin Barkowsky)
“Our God is a God who makes friends,” sang children from three provinces while playing a clapping game with a partner, laughing as the refrain and the clapping got faster. The... Read More
July 17, 2019 | Gathering 2019 | Hilda Bergen
Daniel Dixon, left, and Adrian Jacobs take part in a Talking Circle following a plenary speaker at a recent NAIITS symposium held in Toronto in early June. (Photo by Zach Charbonneau)
Under the bright blue sky, on the grassy hill of Tyndale University in Toronto, situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat peoples, Casey... Read More
July 17, 2019 | News | Zach Charbonneau
Don Neufeld shares his reflections on the themes of masculinity and Anabaptism at Grace Mennonite Church in St. Catharines, Ont., on May 3. (Photo by Jonathan Seiling)
Don Neufeld shared his reflections on the themes of masculinity and Anabaptism at a “Probing the potential for peace” discussion series held at Grace Mennonite Church in St... Read More
July 17, 2019 | News | Maria H. Klassen
Tim Wiebe-Neufeld (MC Alberta executive minister), left, Donita Wiebe-Neufeld (MCC Alberta development coordinator), Sonia Halliday and Dena Harris (MMI insurance advisors) now share a common space in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Joanne De Jong)
After years of dreaming of a Mennonite hub in Edmonton, it finally came to pass. Mennonite organizations that were formerly in basements, spare rooms and kitchens have come... Read More
July 17, 2019 | News | Joanne De Jong
About 45 people representing three MC Saskatchewan congregations walked in the Saskatoon Pride parade on June 22. (Photo courtesy of Ben Borne)
A sidewalk chalk sign invites people into Nutana Park Mennonite Church to ‘Prep for Pride.’ (Photo courtesy of Susanne Guenther Loewen) This wasn’t the first time Mennonites... Read More
July 17, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
Daryl Redsky of the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation stands on a temporary bridge over the man-made channel that used to isolate his community but has now been replaced by Freedom Road. (2014 file photo by Will Braun)
For the first time in more than a century, the isolated island of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation is now connected to the rest of mainland Canada. The Indigenous community, located on... Read More
July 17, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Philip Martin, left, and Ella Strathdee promote Cycling into the Future at a community event at Kitchener (Ont.) City Hall. (Cycling into the Future photo)
When Philip Martin discovered several years ago that “cycling education in Canada is almost non-existent,” he set out to do something about it. With the help of his students at... Read More
July 17, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Pictured from left to right: MVS volunteers Rudy Moyer-Litwiller, Sophia Amstutz, Tjorven Lichdi and Michelle Moyer-Litwiller. (Photo courtesy of Sophia Amstutz)
This year, Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) is celebrating 75 years of placing young adults in service positions across Canada and the U.S. About 20 years ago, when the General... Read More
July 17, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Streets Alive and Mennonite Voluntary Service Adventure volunteer Simon Crelerot, left, and his girlfriend, Cathy Oberli, travel around Lethbridge, Alta., offering sandwiches, clothing and encouragement to people living on the streets. (Photo courtesy of Simon Crelerot)
So how did a 22-year-old Mennonite from France end up volunteering on the streets of Lethbridge as a bouncer for Jesus? Even he’s not sure, but he’s loving it, and when he returns... Read More
July 17, 2019 | People | Joanne De Jong
Refuge de Paix provides a safe place for all in Sherbrooke, Que. (Refuge de Paix photo)
Lucy Roca bundled herself up warmly and made her way through the blustery streets of Sherbrooke, Que., on the way to Refuge de Paix early one Sunday morning. It was the kind of... Read More
July 16, 2019 | Web First | Lisa Williams
From left: John D. Roth, César García, Thomas Yoder Neufeld and Reformed Pastor Peter Detwiller cross the Limmat River in Zurich to visit Reformed and Anabaptist sites. (Photo by J. Nelson Kraybill)
“Reformed and Anabaptist are branches from the same tree,” said Hanspeter Jecker, a Mennonite theologian from Switzerland. “Anabaptist convictions that once were controversial—... Read More
July 16, 2019 | Web First | J. Nelson Kraybill
Francois Tshidimu of the Democratic Republic of Congo addresses the Anabaptist history symposium while Anicka Fast of Canada translates. (Photo by Laura Miller)
More than 30 people from 12 countries gathered at Goshen College on June 17-19 to talk about gathering and preserving the sources that are crucial to the history of the global... Read More
July 16, 2019 | Web First | Laura Miller
Participants in the Spirituality and Aging retreat at Conrad Grebel University College choose a pearl at the end of the event, to represent spiritual resources that bring courage and resilience on the journey of aging. (Photo by Janet Bauman)
“Old age is not for sissies,” quipped Celia McBride, one of six presenters at the annual Aging and Spirituality Seminar sponsored by the Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research... Read More
July 16, 2019 | Web First | Janet Bauman
Local elders greet walkers at the Health Sciences Association of Alberta office in Calgary as part of the closing ceremony. (Photo by Jonas Cornelsen)
Friends and family huddled in light afternoon rain on June 14, waiting for about 30 participants in the Walk for Common Ground to arrive in Calgary. The walkers were led in by a... Read More
July 3, 2019 | News | Jonas Cornelsen
Crowd participation was part of the dance presentations at the World Refugee Day event held in Abbotsford on June 22. (MCC B.C. photo)
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) B.C., along with other local organizations, celebrated World Refugee Day at Mill Lake Park in Abbotsford on June 22. Over 200 people, some... Read More
July 3, 2019 | News |
Church members brought back the circle games they used to play at weddings and church events when they were young. (Photo by Rick Friesen)
While many churches in rural Canada face closure, Arnaud Mennonite Church recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. Located in the prairie town of Arnaud, Man., the church is home... Read More
July 3, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Sarah Johnson, of the Voices Together hymnal committee, displays the blank pages of the new hymnal mock-up, reminding participants at a regional worship service, held at Rosthern Mennonite Church, that the contents of the new hymnal haven’t yet been decided.
The people of Mennonite Church Saskatchewan love being together. In particular, they enjoy singing and worshiping with one another. This apparent enjoyment sparked the idea of... Read More
July 3, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
The 2019 feature quilt, “Little Brown Church.” (Photo by St. Jacobs Printery)
Over the last 53 years, the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale has raised more than $12 million for relief, development and peacemaking efforts around the world by Mennonite... Read More
July 3, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Zoe Matties and Scott Gerbrandt work for A Rocha Canada. Zoe is the Manitoba program manager and Scott is the Manitoba director. (Photo courtesy of Zoe Matties)
Climate change is doing more than triggering environmental disasters. It’s also triggering mental health crises and a sense of impending doom for some people. Zoe Matties, 30, is... Read More
July 3, 2019 | News | Rachel Bergen
Youths and sponsors who attended the retreat at Camp Elim display their dragons. (Photo courtesy of Kirsten Hamm-Epp)
Twenty-five youth and sponsors gathered at Camp Elim, on Lac Pelletier, south of Swift Current, Sask., for Saskatchewan Mennonite Youth Organization’s youth retreat. Held May 24-... Read More
July 3, 2019 | People | Kirsten Hamm-Epp
The SheCycle team of Anna Kuepfer (left), Abby Loewen and Leah Wouda, won first place at the World’s Challenge Challenge in London, Ont. (Photo courtesy of Leah Wouda)
For many women around the world, accessing pads, tampons or menstrual cups isn’t as easy as making a trip to a drug store, nor is it affordable. Some women and girls resort to... Read More
July 3, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
The University of Waterloo Balinese Gamelan in 2017. (Photo courtesy of Conrad Grebel University College)
Over the last two years, Conrad Grebel University College’s YouTube channel has become a go-to source for quality gamelan videos. This moderate internet fame is spurred on by one... Read More
June 28, 2019 | Web First | Conrad Grebel University College
Jeanette Hanson will begin as interim director of Mennonite Church Canada’s International Witness program on Aug. 1. (MC Canada photo)
Jeanette Hanson, associate director for Mennonite Partners in China, will begin as interim director of Mennonite Church Canada’s International Witness program on Aug. 1. Jason... Read More
June 20, 2019 | News | Mennonite Church Canada
St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., has hosted numerous Mennonite-Catholic gatherings. (Flickr.com photo by Keith Ewing, Creative Commons)
One could say Anabaptism began as a rebellion against Catholicism. Our forebears bled and died so we could be not-Catholic. Time does not erase the past, but intervening centuries... Read More
June 19, 2019 | News | Will Braun
The Anglican Church of Canada-Mennonite Church Canada dialogue began in 2016. It had its first face-to-face meeting in 2018. (Image by Ron Porter/Pixabay)
There are hundreds of denominations within Christianity, and it can be easy to focus on the differences between them all. But a group of Mennonites and Anglicans is breaking... Read More
June 19, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Drummers welcome walkers at the Kwantlen Nation Longhouse, Fort Langley, B.C., to begin the Walk in the Spirit of Reconciliation on May 31. (Photo by Ian Funk)
In solidarity with their First Nations neighbours, Mennonites in the Fraser Valley joined others in a Walk in the Spirit of Reconciliation from May 31 to June 2. The event was a... Read More
June 19, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Valerie Proudfoot of Edmonton First Mennonite Church, right, presents Irma Fast Dueck with a picture of a Mennonite Mary. Entitled ‘Mennonitische Madonna,’ the artwork by Helena Dueck of Pennsylvania was originally given to Proudfoot in 1986 as a gift of encouragement. (Photo by Joanne De Jong)
“We grew up never talking about Mary. It was like the Catholics got Mary in the divorce settlement and Mennonites got a 30-minute sermon,” said Irma Fast Dueck in her opening talk... Read More
June 19, 2019 | News | Joanne De Jong
Muriel Bechtel, right, and Dennis Flaming, organizers of the 'My Place is Right Here' play and joint fundraising event, are pictured with Alie Teetzel-Edmondstone and Yasmine Mohamed, representatives of the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank, who accepted the food donations. (Photo by Janet Bauman)
It was all about working together for the good of the local Cambridge community when Preston and Wanner Mennonite churches partnered with a local theatre group to support the work... Read More
June 19, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Meg Harder stands in front of her artwork at the Conrad Grebel University College Centre for Peace Advancement Gallery. (Photo courtesy of the Centre for Peace Advancement)
An Ontario artist is enlivening a Mennonite folk-art tradition that hasn’t been widely practised for more than 150 years. Meg Harder’s six-piece exhibit, “New Fraktur,” draws on... Read More
June 19, 2019 | News | Rachel Bergen
According to Elaine Presnell, a funeral officiant and a commissioned lay pastor at Pleasant Point Mennonite Church, the best gift one can offer a grieving family is non-judgmental listening. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
Elaine Presnell has presided at around 600 funerals. That’s a number most pastors won’t achieve in a lifetime. But Presnell isn’t an ordinary pastor. For more than 10 years, she... Read More
June 19, 2019 | People | Donna Schulz
Dona Park painted a mural at a school in Cambodia during her term with MCC. (Photos courtesy of Dona Park)
For Dona Park, making art is the equivalent of eating, sleeping and breathing. She does it every day because she needs to. The 24-year-old attended Goshen (Ind.) College, from... Read More
June 19, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
A shopper admires the wares of Irene Harms at the artisan market, new to this year’s MCC Saskatchewan Relief Sale and Auction. (Photos by Donna Schulz)
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Saskatchewan hosted its 49th annual relief sale and auction at Saskatoon’s Prairieland Park on June 7 and 8. An estimated 750 people took in a... Read More
June 18, 2019 | Web First | Donna Schulz
Francesco Zuba, coordinator of the Association for Assistance to Orphan Children, stands in front of the damaged preschool in the Munhava neighbourhood of Beira, Mozambique. (Photo by Paul Shetler Fast)
Two broken chalkboards thrown by the 190-kilometre-per-hour winds of Cyclone Idai bake in the sun on what remains of the crumpled tin roof of one neighbourhood’s only preschool... Read More
June 18, 2019 | Web First | Paul Shetler Fast
David Martin, executive minister of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, speaks about confronting ministerial sexual misconduct. (Photo courtesy of Darryl Neustaedter Barg)
In the midst of the #MeToo movement, in which those in positions of power are being called to account for sexual abuse, a conference hosted by four Manitoba Mennonite... Read More
June 17, 2019 | Web First | Rachel Bergen
More than 5,400 people volunteered with MDS last year. (Facebook.com/MennoniteDisasterService)
The folks who volunteer with Mennonite Disaster Service are “gettin’ it done.” We recently published a photo essay featuring Canadian Mennonites who are volunteering with MDS in... Read More
June 7, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Kuri is singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Scott Currie. (Photo by Rachel Pick)
Almost two years after he started recording it, Kuri has released his new album. Titled No Village , the 10-song collection came out today via Nevado Records. No Village is the... Read More
June 7, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Over coffee and Turkish sweets at The Mennonite Story in St. Jacobs, Jim Loepp Thiessen, left, has an animated conversation with Faruk Ekinci and Mustafa Ustan while Mustafa Jr. listens in. These Turkish Muslims were interested to learn that many Mennonites also came to Canada as refugees. (Photo by Barb Draper)
On April 30, several Muslim families from Waterloo Region toured The Mennonite Story in St. Jacobs, in order to understand more about Mennonites. Leon Kehl of Floradale Mennonite... Read More
June 5, 2019 | News | Barb Draper
Mary Funk stands in the community garden at Jubilee Mennonite Church’s Community Roots Resource Centre. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
“If an alien ship were to come take our church away, would anyone notice?” This is the question that members of Jubilee Mennonite Church asked themselves more than a decade ago... Read More
June 5, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
The Flourishing Congregations Institute’s Joel Thiessen, holding the microphone, speaks at Columbia Bible College on May 4. The seminar was sponsored by the Mennonite Faith and Learning Society in conjunction with Columbia Bible College. (Photo by Amy Rinner Waddell)
Key factors surrounding flourishing congregations in Canada, and how congregations can thrive and grow in an age of diminishing importance of the church in society, were the... Read More
June 5, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Charles Olfert, with white cane, participates in a simulation exercise as part of the Rick Hansen Accessibility Certification Program. Pictured with Olfert is classmate Cal Schuler and his service dog, Sierra. (ABE Factor, Inc. photo by Samantha Proulx)
Charles Olfert is enthusiastic about creating buildings that meet their users’ needs. A principal architect with AODBT Architecture + Interior Design, he recently applied that... Read More
June 5, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
People from different cultural and religious backgrounds enjoy food and conversation around tables at the Iftar meal hosted by Breslau Mennonite Church on May 14. (Photo by Janet Bauman)
On May 14, Breslau Mennonite Church hosted an iftar meal after sunset, marking the end of the daily fast for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, a season of fasting, prayer... Read More
June 5, 2019 | People | Janet Bauman
Since opening in 2016, Aurora House has provided housing for 14 people and several babies. (aurorahouse.ca photo)
“When God has a plan,” says Christine Langschmidt, “it just happens, despite us.” Langschmidt is director and chair of Aurora House, which provides community-based housing for... Read More
June 5, 2019 | News | Joelle Kidd
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate students, from left to right, Ramtha Lensung, Jennifer Dawthleipar, Naomi Joy and Rachel Weber visit after a church service at the Kitchener, Ont., Chin Christian Church on April 28. (Photo courtesy of Marlys Neufeldt)
Every year, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener, Ont., facilitates worship services at churches in the area, to build bridges between the school and its constituency. This... Read More
June 5, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Thang Dinh, owner of Calsask Granite in Saskatoon, cites gratitude to the Mennonites who sponsored him 40 years ago as one of the reasons he likes to give back to his community. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
“We’ve experienced a lot of humbling stories,” says Phyllis Roth of her participation in the Saskatchewan Valley Hospital home-building project, but one story in particular stands... Read More
June 5, 2019 | People | Donna Schulz
Jan Carrie Steven, centre, and her husband Laur, right pose with their pastor, David Brubacher, during a 2016 Ride for Refuge event. (Photo courtesy of Jan Carrie Steven)
Type the words “Mennonite vegans” into your search engine and you likely won’t come up with much. But being a Mennonite vegan is very doable, whether you are culturally Mennonite... Read More
June 5, 2019 | People | Jan Carrie Steven
(Photo by Barb Draper)
Vegan cooking can be as easy or challenging as you want to make it. I’m a “10-minute—five ingredient” kind of gal so here is a crockpot bean recipe that takes minutes to make. If... Read More
June 5, 2019 | People | Jan Stevens
It’s the morning of May 10 at about 11 a.m., and in the large meeting room of the St. Clair O’Connor Community in Toronto there are about 10 residents examining a myriad of... Read More
June 5, 2019 | Focus on Seniors | Carolyn Murray
Bill and Ena Van Dam take a walk on the Menno Place campus. (Menno Place photo by Karen Baillie)
When Bill and Ena married, it was the obvious next step for two best friends. Working together as teachers, they saw their love blossom. After retirement, Bill and Ena headed to... Read More
June 5, 2019 | Focus on Seniors | Sharon Simpson
Nithview housekeepers Donna, Judy, Debbie and Wendy have fun as they make every day matter for Nithview residents. (Nithview Community photo)
Santa Claus came to Nithview Community one Christmas Day. This may not seem like a big deal since Santa goes to lots of places at Christmas. But this Santa did not fit the usual... Read More
June 5, 2019 | Focus on Seniors |
Lacey MacKenzie works as the activities coordinator at Bethany Manor’s personal-care home in Saskatoon. (Photo courtesy of Lacey MacKenzie)
For Lacey MacKenzie, working with seniors is a faith calling. The 33-year-old attends Osler Mennonite Church in Saskatchewan and has worked as the activities coordinator for... Read More
June 5, 2019 | Focus on Seniors | Rachel Bergen
Walter Paetkau cuts the cake celebrating the release of his book 'It Takes Raindrops to Fill a Lake' at the Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford. (The Abbotsford News photo by Dale Klippenstein)
More than 50 years ago, Walter Paetkau founded Abbotsford Community Services (ACS), an umbrella organization bringing various local service organizations under one roof. From... Read More
June 4, 2019 | Web First | Amy Rinner Waddell
Refuge de Paix, an Hispanic congregation in Quebec, provides a safe place for all. (Refuge de Paix photo)
Lucy Roca bundled herself up warmly and made her way through the blustery streets of Sherbrooke, Que., on the way to Refuge de Paix early one Sunday morning. It was the kind of... Read More
June 4, 2019 | Web First | Lisa Williams
Cellist and composer Cris Derksen grew up in northern Alberta. (Photo courtesy of CrisDerksen.Virb.com)
The bio on Cris Derksen’s website says it well: The “Juno-nominated and classically trained cellist and composer braids the traditional and contemporary, weaving her classical... Read More
May 31, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Six young adults stand in front of the Mennonite Voluntary Service unit in Washington, D.C. last year. (Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/MennoniteMission.MVS)
Kansas was not an exotic place to hold annual orientations for Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS). Yet when MVS was a shared U.S.-Canada program, Brad Reimer and Miles Reimer, two... Read More
May 30, 2019 | Web First | Laurie Oswald Robinson
The 2019 graduating class of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary: (front, left to right) Renee Epp Reimer of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Dustin Finch of Jonesboro, Arkansas; Margaret De Jong of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada; Tesfaye D. Robelle of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia; Benjamin Isaak-Krauss of Bammental, Germany; (middle, left to right) Yukino Ohyama of Sapporo, Hokkaido, and Tokyo, Japan; Suzanne Engle Ford of Fort Collins, Colorado; Peter Digitale Anderson, originally from Bremen, Indiana; Naún Lucoer Cerrato of Goshen, Indiana; Nel Warkentin of Elkhart; (back, left to right) Grant S. Miller of Danvers, Illinois; Brian Miller O’Leary of Goshen; Pratik Bagh of Kutela-Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India; James Longley of Sydney, Australia; Scott Micheal Litwiller of Delavan, Illinois. (Not pictured: Jeremiah Buhler of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada; Barbara Krehbiel Gehring of Manhattan, Kansas; Sungbin Kim of Seoul, Kyunggi, South Korea; Anne Perkins Munley of Mundelein, Illinois; and Joel Ray Schroeder of Newton, Kansas.) (AMBS photo by Steve Echols)
GOSHEN, Indiana — Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) celebrated the achievements of 20 graduates earlier this month at its 73rd commencement service. The graduating... Read More
May 27, 2019 | Web First | Marlys Weaver-Stoesz and Annette Brill Bergstresser
Rose and Doug Klassen at Foothills Mennonite Church on May 12. The couple is headed to Winnipeg.
Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary, Alta. recently said goodbye to pastor Doug Klassen and his wife, Rose. After 20 years of ministry at the church, the Klassens are headed to... Read More
May 24, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Guerres Lucien, outside her home in Lahoye, Haiti, is a participant in an MCC-supported community mental-health project with partner Zanmi Lasante, the Haitian branch of Partners in Health. (Photo by Paul Shetler Fast)
“Close your eyes and imagine you are walking to your garden,” says Saint-Hilaire Olissaint, a community mental-health worker. His calm, soothing voice carries over the din of the... Read More
May 22, 2019 | News | Paul Shetler Fast
Mennonite politician Jane Philpott (centre) stepped into the middle of the SNC Lavalin scandal. (File photo courtesy of Jane Philpott)
As the partisan jostling over SNC Lavalin wanes, we can more clearly examine the ethical questions at the core of a scandal that Mennonite cabinet minister Jane Philpott stepped... Read More
May 22, 2019 | News | Will Braun
The group Hymn performs at the Bright Lights Festival at Theatre 1308 in Calgary on Feb. 24. (Theatre 1308 photo)
“Light up the church.” That’s what members of Calgary Inter-Mennonite decided they wanted to do when asked about ways to engage with their local community. What that meant for the... Read More
May 22, 2019 | News | John Longhurst
Tuesday’s Book Club at Faith Mennonite Church includes, from left to right: Sonja Kuli, Joan Enns, Anne Reimer, Nancy Hogendyk and Rita Unrau.
Like at many Mennonite churches, the back of any given pew at Faith Mennonite in Leamington includes a blue hymnal, an offering envelope, and, for the lucky few, a small,... Read More
May 22, 2019 | News | Zach Charbonneau
Canadian Mennonite executive editor Virginia A. Hostetler returned from Winnipeg following the 2019 Canadian Church Press (CCP) convention and awards banquet earlier this month... Read More
May 22, 2019 | News |
Nathan Bartel is the newest member of Rosthern Fire and Rescue. He hopes to make a career of firefighting. (Photo by Jason Hogan)
Like many of his peers, Nathan Bartel is fielding questions about what he plans to do after graduation. But, unlike some of them, he has a ready answer. He wants to be a... Read More
May 22, 2019 | People | Donna Schulz
Jacqueline Loewen teaches a fight sequence to an actor on the set of Vietgone. (Photo by Jennifer Villaverde)
Jacqueline Loewen just spent the weekend riding a motorcycle as a stunt double for a science-fiction TV show and will be rolling on the ground with strangers tomorrow,... Read More
May 22, 2019 | People | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Brianna Wiebe of Austin, Man., helped paint doors in Bloomington, Texas. (Photos by John Longhurst)
What do you get when you put Mennonites from all over Canada, and from all sorts of different Mennonite conferences and churches—along with Christians from other denominations—in... Read More
May 22, 2019 | People | John Longhurst
Bethany Amstutz-Schrag, Joanna Loepp Thiessen and Krystal Porter jump for joy as they trek through the mountains of Nepal on an MCC learning tour. (Photo courtesy of Joanna Loepp Thiessen)
From dealing with disaster to mental health recovery, partners of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Nepal and their beneficiaries demonstrate resilience. That was the theme of... Read More
May 22, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Issa Ebombolo, MCC’s peacebuilding coordinator for Zambia and Malawi, unloads cooking oil in the village of Tomali as part of MCC’s Cyclone Idai flood relief project in Malawi. (MCC photo by Amanda Talstra)
Issa Ebombolo was not expecting the level of malnutrition he encountered among people displaced by flooding in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai. But upon arriving in southern Malawi... Read More
May 21, 2019 | Web First | Jerrad Peters
Author Rachel Held Evans impacted thousands of people. (Photo courtesy of RachelHeldEvans.com)
When Rachel Held Evans died on May 4 at the age of 37, it shocked the thousands of people who follow her work. Through her four books, blog, social media presence, speaking events... Read More
May 17, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Paul Plett is filming a documentary exploring his Mennonite roots. (Photo courtesy of YouTube)
Winnipeg filmmaker Paul Plett has announced his next project: a documentary exploring his Mennonite roots. “I’m going to retrace the steps of my ancestors and find out where I... Read More
May 16, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Tom and Christine Poovong, with their children Phimchanok and Joseph, are Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers in Khon Kaen, Thailand. (Photo courtesy of MC Canada)
Mennonite Church Canada has released a video that provides an update on its International Witness ministry. The video was shown at regional church gatherings over the past few... Read More
May 10, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Daniel Epp, left, and his partner Anna-Marie Janzen. Janzen wore a dress she made herself from thrifted fabric, while Epp is wearing a thrifted suit at the Fashion Revolution Week gala in Winnipeg. (Photo by Matthew Sawatzky)
Who made my clothes? That’s what the organizers of the globally observed Fashion Revolution Week want people to ask themselves the next time they put on an outfit or choose what... Read More
May 8, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Refuge de Paix, Sherbrooke, Que., a Spanish-speaking congregation ministering to Hispanic refugees are welcomed into full membership in MC Eastern Canada by MC Eastern Canada moderator Arli Klassen, left, and Henry Paetkau, right, MC Canada interim executive minister. (D. Michael Hostetler)
Representatives of 107 congregations from Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick gathered at Steinmann Mennonite Church for Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s annual church gathering on... Read More
May 8, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Friends and neighbours join residents at The Vine and Table for a birthday celebration. (Photo courtesy of Terri Lynn Friesen)
It’s been eight months since Thomas and Terri Lynn Friesen opened their Saskatoon home as The Vine and Table intentional community. For Terri Lynn, those eight months have been “... Read More
May 8, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
WMEMS Bedson students in grades 6 to 8 participate in a coding club, where they learn to write code for building websites. (Photo by David Stoesz)
Screens. They are what many people look at to check the time, talk to their friends, prepare for meetings and unwind at the end of the day. But it’s not just those who can buy... Read More
May 8, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Q. What is the purpose of the delegate session at Gathering 2019? A. Delegates will review and ratify Joint Council actions; receive and review reports from our programs—... Read More
May 8, 2019 | News | Katie Doke Sawatzky
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada recently offered a public apology acknowledging missteps in how it handled a case of reported sexual misconduct that dates back more than 30 years... Read More
May 8, 2019 | News |
Rainham Mennonite Church has been worshipping for more than two centuries. (Rainham Mennonite Church file photo)
For more than a century, the women of Rainham Mennonite Church—a tiny congregation just off of Highway 3 near the north shore of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario—have continued a... Read More
May 8, 2019 | News | Maria H. Klassen
Wayne Plenert uses a variety of techniques to get people to engage in their conflict instead of trying to win, avoid or compromise. (Photo courtesy of Wayne Plenert)
As a lawyer for more than 40 years, Wayne Plenert has seen his share of interpersonal conflicts in the secular world. But, now retired and a member of Northgate Anabaptist... Read More
May 8, 2019 | People | Amy Rinner Waddell
Joel Kroeker mixes sourdough starter at his dining room table as his daughter, Rehema, looks on. (Photos by Donna Schulz)
Baking bread is more than just a business for Joel Kroeker. It’s also a way to further important conversations. With a deftness that comes from repetition, he slides another two... Read More
May 8, 2019 | People | Donna Schulz
Bethel International Church Edmonton Oromo Congregation families are pictured at the front of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Edmonton, where they meet for services. (Photo by Joanne De Jong)
“I have big dreams,” says Pastor Mezgebu A. Tucho of the Bethel International Church Edmonton Oromo Congregation. Born in Ethiopia, Tucho has planted more than 50 Oromo churches... Read More
May 8, 2019 | People | Joanne De Jong
Golden boys: Royal Canoe released its latest album, Waver, earlier this year. (Sam Katz)
Winnipeg's Royal Canoe have released a politically-charged music video for a song off its latest album, Waver . “The new video for ‘77-76’ is about history repeating itself,” the... Read More
May 6, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
A Sunday school assignment began a Canadian woman’s lifelong investment in prayer. (congerdesign/Pixabay)
A Sunday school assignment in the 1940s to exchange letters with a missionary began a Canadian woman’s lifelong investment in prayer for India. Erla Buehler. (Photo courtesy of... Read More
May 1, 2019 | Web First | Karla Braun
The Raw Carrot employs individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program to cook and package handcrafted gourmet soup. (Facebook.com/TheRawCarrot)
A social enterprise run partially out of Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ont. was in the spotlight recently. CTV News broadcast a short segment about the Raw Carrot... Read More
April 26, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Tamara Shantz, left, and Thea Andres lead the ‘Beyond binaries: Creating an affirming church’ event at Waterloo North Mennonite Church on April 6. (PiE photo)
The gathering hymn, “God Welcomes All,” called some 120 people to worship at the opening of the “Beyond binaries: Creating an affirming church” event hosted by Waterloo North... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Thea Andres led the Beyond Binaries event with Pastors in Exile at Waterloo North Mennonite Church on April 6. (Photo courtesy of Thea Andres)
Churches wanting to take the next step in becoming affirming of LGBTQ+ people might wonder “What’s next?” A workshop led by Thea Andres together with Pastors in Exile (PiE) at... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Rachel Bergen
Muffins and fruit, supplied in part by members of MC Saskatchewan churches, greet students at the University of Saskatchewan Faith Leaders Council breakfast program on Thursday mornings. (Photos by Donna Schulz)
In 2017, when Kirsten Hamm-Epp was appointed to the newly formed Faith Leaders Council at the University of Saskatchewan, she likely didn’t imagine she would be hosting breakfast... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
If you care about connecting with the wider Mennonite community but have trouble keeping up with all the conference restructuring and acronyms—so many M’s and C’s—this article is... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Will Braun
Workshops on Saturday, June 29 • Being Jesus in Today’s World For many, the current post-Christendom reality is bad news, but for followers of Jesus this reality presents exciting... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Katie Doke Sawatzky
Participants at the MC Canada mission consultation gather for a group photo at Calgary’s Chinese Cultural Centre. (Photos by Donita Wiebe-Neufeld)
“To be clear, this is not a missions consultation.” So said Ryan Siemens, executive minister of Mennonite Church Saskatchewan, in his opening address to key regional leaders on... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
A mosaic of mushrooms captured in Joel Penner and Anna Sigrithur’s film, Wrought, coming out in summer of 2019. (Photo by Joel Penner)
Joel Penner is a time-lapse filmmaker based out of Winnipeg’s West End neighbourhood. But he doesn’t capture typical scenes like sunsets or the bustle of the city. Joel Penner... Read More
April 24, 2019 | People | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Brock Peters was the owner and operator of Strong Badger until March 16, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Brock Peters)
Five years ago, Brock Peters dreamed of an affordable coffee shop where everyone in the community would feel comfortable going. “Sometimes, when I walked into coffee shops in the... Read More
April 24, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Glenallen Christo took part in Quest with Columbia Bible College. (Photo by Jeremy Walker)
Starting this fall, Quest, Columbia Bible College’s longstanding one-year discipleship program, is adopting a more flexible approach to its academic requirements in order to... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Stephanie Jantzen
As part of the Women of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s Spring Enrichment Day, Gloria Bauman, left, reflected on her journey with cancer, and Rita Bauman spoke of moving from her home in Abbotsford, B.C., to a dairy farm in Ontario. Journey and wilderness were themes for the April 13 event at Floradale (Ont.) Mennonite Church. (Photo by Barb Draper)
There were rich experiences and mixed emotions at the Women of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s Spring Enrichment Day, hosted by Floradale Mennonite Church on April 13. Along... Read More
April 24, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Charlotte and Ernie Wiens divert 10 percent of what they owe the government each year to Conscience Canada’s Peace Tax Trust Fund. (Photo by Lori Enns)
Like other Canadians, every year Ernie and Charlotte Wiens file their taxes. Unlike others in Canada, the La Salle, Man. farming couple doesn't send the federal government... Read More
April 23, 2019 | Web First | John Longhurst
Winnipeg pastor Phil Campbell-Enns makes guitars in his spare time. (Photo courtesy of YouTube)
Phil Campbell-Enns, associate pastor at Bethel Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, has a unique hobby: building guitars. In the two-minute video below, Campbell-Enns takes viewers into... Read More
April 22, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
'I have received many other awards, but to get an award like this from my own community is really important to me,' acclaimed Mennonite writer Rudy Wiebe says. (Photo by J.D. Sloan)
Fifty-seven years ago, a young Mennonite author published a book that turned the Canadian Mennonite world upside down. That author was Rudy Wiebe, and the book was Peace Shall... Read More
April 17, 2019 | Web First | John Longhurst
Rudy Wiebe, pictured with Conrad Grebel University College professor Hildi Froese Tiessen after a reading at Conrad Grebel in January 2012. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
During a recent interview focusing on his debut novel and recent CMU Pax Award , acclaimed Mennonite writer Rudy Wiebe spoke on a variety of topics, including Omar Khadr, Miriam... Read More
April 17, 2019 | Web First | John Longhurst
Peter Kroeker, a Mennonite Disaster Service volunteer from Vineland (Ont.) United Mennonite Church, works on the exit stairs during renovations at Hochma Mennonite Church to bring its basement homeless shelter up to code. (Photos by Nicholas Hamm)
Every night, from November to April, volunteers from Hochma Mennonite Church in Montreal open its doors as a warming centre for some 40 people who are experiencing homelessness... Read More
April 10, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Stacey Swampy, the Micah Mission’s Indigenous Awareness Program facilitator, tells his story of life within the system and of healing, at a two-day workshop entitled, “The awakening: Indigenous voices in restorative justice.” (Photo by Donna Schulz)
There were two Lego sets and two groups of participants. The first group to assemble its toy would be the winner, but it quickly became apparent that the playing field was not... Read More
April 10, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
Members of the Sherbrooke Mennonite Church’s food-bank outreach ministry enjoy a Christmas celebration together. Participants say the gatherings help them feel like a family. (Photo by Yohan Sanchez)
Food may be what draws people to the basement of Sherbrooke Mennonite Church every Thursday morning, but it’s not what keeps them coming. It’s a feeling of family, a place to call... Read More
April 10, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Sarah Kathleen Johnson, far right, talks with participants, from right to left, Eva Cressman, Carl Bear and Carrie Martens, at the two-part Anabaptist Learning Workshop worship clinic she led on communion at Rockway Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ont., in March. (Photo by Janet Bauman)
For two evenings in March, Sarah Kathleen Johnson led an Anabaptist Learning Workshop focused on the ritual of communion, at Rockway Mennonite Church in Kitchener. Johnson, who is... Read More
April 10, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
In the coming weeks, we will present simple profiles of Mennonite organizations for those people who want to be connected to the larger Mennonite community but get lost in the... Read More
April 10, 2019 | News | Will Braun
Joel Kroeker stencils messages on bread he makes to expand the public discourse on different issues. (Photo courtesy of Joel Kroeker)
From changing their profile pictures and holding rallies, to baking bread embossed with messages of support, young Mennonites are standing up to call for a private member’s bill... Read More
April 10, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Longtime Alberta correspondent Donita Wiebe-Neufeld is pictured with CD, her beloved horse. Over the years, she wrote around 385 stories, features and news briefs. (Photo by Melanie Cumin)
After more than 18 years of contributing to Canadian Mennonite as the Alberta correspondent, Donita Wiebe-Neufeld, who has developed a fondness for horses over the years—... Read More
April 10, 2019 | People | Barb Draper
Arlyn Friesen Epp is the director of CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre, located in Canadian Mennonite University’s Marpeck Commons. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Still a hidden gem for some, CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre is a well of resources for the Mennonite community and beyond. One of the ways it shares these materials and... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Focus On Books & Resources | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Congregants at a Toronto church did a six-week study of 'Unsettling the Word: Biblical Experiments in Decolonization' via video conference. (Photo courtesy of David Warkentin)
In a large city like Toronto, attending a church small group or Bible study may not be feasible for those with families or busy schedules. But Toronto United Mennonite Church has... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Focus On Books & Resources | Joelle Kidd
Begin Anew, authored by Palmer Becker, and its Swahili translation, Anza Upya. (Photo by Joyce Maxwell)
In mid-February, 50 Tanzanian Mennonite Church leaders, under the guidance of Palmer Becker, a Canadian Mennonite author and teacher, studied spiritual leadership, pastoral care... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Focus On Books & Resources | Joyce Maxwell
The Brodsky estate of Peter and Marie Bahnmann. (Photo from The Russian Mennonite Story: The Heritage Cruise Lectures. www.therussianmennonitestory.com)
Peter M. and Susanna Friesen. “The story of Mennonites in Tsarist Russia, the Soviet Union and the Soviet successor states is relatively short, beginning only in 1789. Despite... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Focus On Books & Resources | Paul Toews and Aileen Friesen
Photo: flickr.com/romanboed
Theology, Spirituality Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence . Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin. Brazos Press, 2019, 288 pages. Using the image of turning guns... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Focus On Books & Resources | Barb Draper
Maria Elena Algarañaz de Masabi works at the booth she runs with Mujeres sin Limites, an artisan collective in Montero, Bolivia. (Photo by Matthew Sawatzky)
It’s a hot, humid morning, and Maria Elena Algarañaz de Masabi is working at a booth displaying brightly coloured handicrafts for sale. She carefully lays out cloth purses and... Read More
April 9, 2019 | Web First | Mennonite Central Committee
Literacy trainer Zephirin Koutchengu listens as Claudine Lutondo of Kinshasa reads the Bible in Lingala. (Photo courtesy of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission)
ELKHART, Indiana – In the past two years, more than 260 literacy teachers have been trained in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now, they are helping 2,560 others learn to... Read More
April 8, 2019 | Web First | Lynda Hollinger-Janzen
The Other Brothers (Chris Neufeld, left, and Donovan Giesbrecht) in March 2009. (Photo by Mark Reimer)
On April 3, 2009, southern Manitoba-based folk group the Other Brothers released Points of View . Recorded in the studio at Mennonite Church Manitoba, the album earned critical... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Delegates cluster for small-group discussions at MC Saskatchewan’s annual delegate sessions, held at Zoar Mennonite Church in Waldheim. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
“We looked at the bylaws and asked, ‘Is this what we’re actually doing?’” said Tim Wiens. “Usually the answer was ‘No.’ ” Wiens was reporting to Mennonite Church Saskatchewan’s... Read More
March 27, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
During a litany of release and embrace, MC Alberta delegates lit candles to remember and release individuals who have passed away, churches that have left MC Alberta, and programs no longer present in the regional church. Candles also celebrated and embraced new and hopeful baptisms, churches who have joined MC Alberta and vibrant programs. (Photo by Tim Wiebe-Neufeld)
It was an unusual delegate session, with the bulk of the time dedicated to discussion rather than business. “Discerning God’s call,” Phase 3 of Mennonite Church Alberta’s Vision... Read More
March 27, 2019 | News | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Ysaÿe Barnwell, visiting scholar for the Sawatsky Lecture, teaches a clapping rhythm to her audience at Conrad Grebel University College during an interactive presentation filled with demonstrations of the power of music to create inclusive communities. (Photo by Jennifer Konkle)
With her powerful, resonant voice, Ysaÿe Barnwell, composer, vocalist, speaker and former member of the African-American female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, began... Read More
March 27, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Hope Mennonite Church worships in its new space that is rented from Thomson Funeral Home. (Photo by Heidi Nighswander-Rempel)
At Thomson Funeral Home on Sunday morning, you won’t find a hearse, or the building filled with mourners. Instead, it is bursting with life. The space is home to Winnipeg’s Hope... Read More
March 27, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Gary Jantzi, left, from Jantzi Auctions Ltd., calls for bids on a vintage Darryl Sittler rookie card, held by volunteer, John Snider, right. (Photo by Janet Bauman)
It was standing room only in the community room at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, Ont., for an auction of vintage hockey cards, hosted by the local Mennonite Central... Read More
March 27, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Paddlers enjoy canoeing down to raise money for Camp Squeah's bursary fund. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
For the first time in more than two decades, participants in the annual Camp Squeah paddle-a-thon will be navigating the Fraser River in the fall instead of the spring. “Whereas,... Read More
March 27, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Elaine Heath will be the guest speaker at Gathering 2019 in Abbotsford, B.C. (Photo courtesy of MC Canada)
Gathering 2019 guest speaker Elaine Heath says the greatest challenge for the western church today is to “regain a gospel-centric imagination.” “For the church in the post-... Read More
March 27, 2019 | People | Katie Doke Sawatzky
Alma Darweesh, left, Reem Younes, Krista Neustaedter Barg and Brian Darweesh at Younes and Darweesh’s citizenship ceremony. (Photos courtesy of Reem Younes)
For Reem Younes and Brian Darweesh, everything seems possible now that they’re citizens of Canada. Originally from Syria, Younes and Darweesh moved to Winnipeg in 2015 as... Read More
March 27, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Anneli Loepp Thiessen is pictured playing piano for worship at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg. (Photo courtesy of Anneli Loepp Thiessen)
Mennonites are stereotyped as people who love singing and forming committees. Anneli Loepp Thiessen fulfills both of these stereotypes. The 23-year-old is one of 12 people from... Read More
March 27, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Susan Creer at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Australia. (Photo courtesy of Susan Creer)
I love to bake and cook. Some years ago, while I was studying at Redeemer University College in Hamilton, Ont., money and time were in short supply, but there was a free... Read More
March 27, 2019 | People | Susan J. Creer
Wacky cake is suitable for vegetarians, vegans and those with an allergy to eggs. (Photo by Barb Draper)
This cake is so good and easy; it is my favourite! Because it has no eggs or milk it is suitable for those who are vegetarian or vegan or those with an allergy to eggs. (Read the... Read More
March 27, 2019 | People | Susan J. Creer
Adam McKay is the writer-director of the acclaimed 2018 film 'Vice,' which explores the life of Dick Cheney. (Photo courtesy of Instagram.com/ghostpanther2018)
Filmmaker Adam McKay recently revealed that when he was growing up, he attended a Mennonite church for a time. During his appearance on the March 20 episode of the podcast You... Read More
March 26, 2019 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Mennonite World Conference general secretary César García, pictured in Harrisburg, Pa. in 2015. García relocated to Kitchener, Ont. last month. (Photo by Dale Gehman)
General secretary César García and executive assistant Sandra Báez Rojas of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) have relocated to Canada as of last month to work out of the Kitchener... Read More
March 25, 2019 | Web First | Mennonite World Conference
‘Shake: Rattled by the Radical’ takes place from July 28 to Aug. 1 at Saskatchewan’s Shekinah Retreat Centre, 75 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
Ready to be rattled by the Radical? Youth from Mennonite Church Canada congregations in grades 6 to 12 (including new graduates) are invited to take part in “Shake: Rattled by the... Read More
March 13, 2019 | News | Rachel Bergen
‘Audacious preacher’ Anthony Bailey is pictured with Marilyn Rudy-Froese, MC Eastern Canada’s leadership minister, at this year’s School for Ministers event. (Photo by Janet Bauman)
Through worship, workshops and keynote addresses, Anthony Bailey challenged participants at Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s annual School for Ministers to be audacious: bold,... Read More
March 13, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Nearly 150 delegates and other attendees representing 35 churches attended the annual delegate meeting at Steinbach Mennonite Church. (Photo by Darryl Neustaedter Barg)
The people of Mennonite Church Manitoba discussed and dreamed what the new structure of MC Canada means for their regional church, at this year’s annual delegate gathering. Nearly... Read More
March 13, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
MCBC executive minister Garry Janzen, right, gives a blessing to Tammy and Rob Wiebe of the Church of the Way in Granisle, as they leave MC B.C. for partnership with another denomination. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
Delegates at the Mennonite Church B.C. annual meetings at Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond, Feb. 23, found themselves walking alongside each other, encouraging each other and... Read More
March 13, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Cheralyne Gibson is horsemanship director at the Valley Equestrian Centre, a ministry of Youth Farm Bible Camp. She appreciates being able to offer equine-assisted learning in a Christian setting. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
No one likes to be told, “Hey! You need to change your attitude!” But that bitter pill is much easier to swallow when it’s administered by a horse. Cheralyne Gibson is... Read More
March 13, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
Mennonite places of worship across Canada.
I posed one question to the 186 Mennonite Church Canada congregations for which my search engine found email addresses. My question: “What changes has your congregation... Read More
March 13, 2019 | News | Will Braun
Members of Queerly Christian often take communion together during their meetings. (Photo courtesy of Tamara Shantz)
A handful of Christians were looking for community and a place to meet with others with similar experiences. They found it at Queerly Christian. The participants identify under... Read More
March 13, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Ukrainian IVEPers Maryna Bogomaz and Anton Shylov, left, perform with Daniel Verchau, a German service worker, at North Leamington United Mennonite Church on Feb. 10. (Photo by Zach Charbonneau)
For a week in early February, North Leamington United Mennonite Church played host to the annual mid-year conference of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) International... Read More
March 13, 2019 | People | Zach Charbonneau
Neil and Audrey Rempel, a semi-retired couple from Winnipeg, are part of the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) recreational vehicle program, whose volunteers drive their RVs to worksites to assist with rebuilding after disasters. (Photo courtesy of MDS)
A year off to travel and volunteer—that’s what Neil and Audrey Rempel are doing. The semi-retired couple from Winnipeg are part of the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS)... Read More
March 13, 2019 | Focus on Travel | John Longhurst
Participants in the January 2016 AMBS ‘Encountering Egypt’ learning tour visit a Nubian house in Aswan, Upper Egypt. (Photo by Sara Wenger Shenk)
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary organized a trip to Egypt in January 2016. The goal was to encounter the long history of Egypt as well as to get to know Christian and... Read More
March 13, 2019 | Focus on Travel | Safwat Marzouk
Audrey Voth Petkau of Waterloo, Ont., left, is welcomed with flatbread by Muslim villagers in Ak Metchet, Uzbekistan. Mennonites from Russia settled in Ak Metchet from 1884 until 1935. (Photo by John Sharp)
“[In Tashkent] the nearby river was full of fish and the banks were lined with trees loaded with apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, pomegranates, lemons, oranges... Read More
March 13, 2019 | Focus on Travel | Sandra Reimer
Darryl and Shirley Peters’ vision is founded on bringing Africans and guests together as friends. (Photo by Dashir Lodge and Safaris)
Building “a community of friends around the world” is a driving force behind Dashir Lodge and Safaris, based in the Arusha area of Tanzania. Darryl and Shirley Peters’ vision is... Read More
March 13, 2019 | Focus on Travel |
Dexter Volkman and friends in Wadi Rum, Jordan, during his year of teaching high-school music through the MCC Serving and Learning Together program. (Photo courtesy of Dexter Volkman)
Since I began as director of intercultural studies (ICS) at Columbia Bible College in 2013, the college has sent out 45 young adults to serve in a variety of contexts—Mongolia,... Read More
March 13, 2019 | Focus on Travel | Kara Bergstrom
During an MCC learning tour in 2017, visitors and villagers walk along a gully in the Wotebet watershed in Ethiopia. (Photo by Rose Shenk)
“Seeing for yourself” can be a compelling motivator. It’s one of the reasons Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) offers learning tours several times a year. With projects in more... Read More
March 13, 2019 | Focus on Travel | Renata Buhler
Opened in 2016, this museum tells the Mennonite story from the beginnings of Anabaptism to Mennonites today in Canada and B.C. (Photo courtesy of the Mennonite Heritage Museum)
Headed to Abbotsford, B.C. for Mennonite Church Canada's Gathering 2019, happening June 28 to July 1? Here are some things to do and see while you're in the city. Metzger... Read More
March 13, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
John Paul Lederach is the 2019 recipient of the Niwano Foundation Peace Prize. He will be honoured at a May 8 ceremony in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo courtesy of the Kroc Institute)
Internationally renowned peacebuilder John Paul Lederach, who has committed his life and work to nonviolent approaches to conflict for more than 40 years, has been awarded the... Read More
March 11, 2019 | Web First | Lauren Jefferson
Winnipegger Peggy Unruh Regehr died on September 27, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Keith Regehr)
Before #MeToo and #ChurchToo—before there even was the Internet—there was Winnipegger Peggy Unruh Regehr. Unruh Regehr, a member of River East Church (a Mennonite Brethren Church... Read More
March 8, 2019 | Web First | John Longhurst
'When women flourish... We all win,' Carol Thiessen writes. (Photo by Shaylyn McMahon)
There’s a meme making the rounds on social media lately that I find telling. It depicts three women and three men lined up for a race. Everything looks equal at the starting line... Read More
March 8, 2019 | Web First | Carol Thiessen
Over the past three months, in my role as communications officer for Mennonite Church Canada, I have been busy preparing for Gathering 2019, the first event of the “new”... Read More
February 27, 2019 | News | Katie Doke Sawatzky
Church of the Way in Granisle, B.C., has chosen to leave MC B.C. and has ‘prayerfully and carefully made application to join the Evangelical Free Church of Canada,’ says Pastor Rob Wiebe. (GAMEO photo)
Church of the Way in Granisle, B.C., a member of Mennonite Church B.C. since 1979, has voted to leave the regional church and join another denomination. In a statement to Canadian... Read More
February 27, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Wayne MacDonald sees installing solar panels on the roof of Wildwood Mennonite as “an expression of what we value as a congregation.” The 20 panels are expected to cover 60 percent of the church’s energy costs. (Drone photo by Les Klassen Hamm)
Wildwood Mennonite Church recently became the first Mennonite Church Saskatchewan congregation to go solar. But, as with all major spending decisions, this one wasn’t made... Read More
February 27, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
Following the concert, guests enjoyed conversation over coffee and Syrian pastries prepared by Basem Ahmad and Fadia Almasalma, a Syrian couple who have recently settled in Saskatoon through the help of MCC. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Saskatchewan and Rosthern Junior College (RCJ) joined forces to host a unique fundraising concert. Held on Feb. 10, 2019, at Grace Westminster... Read More
February 27, 2019 | News | Donna Schulz
Irma Fast Dueck leads a group activity comparing the commitment issues related to baptism and marriage as part of her workshop, “Shacking Up: Sex, Love and Church Commitment.” (Photo by Matthew Bailey-Dyck)
Do Mennonite churches have commitment issues? Why are fewer people choosing rituals of commitment like baptism and marriage? In an attempt to answer these questions, Irma Fast... Read More
February 27, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Pictured from left to right: moderator Irma Fast Dueck and panellists Colin Friesen, Emily Hunsberger, Maria Klassen, Yeabsra Agonfer and Jonathan Klassen speak on the topic ‘Taking the plunge: Young adults and the church,’ as part of this year’s Bechtel Lectures at Conrad Grebel University College. (Grebel photo by Jen Konkle)
Christian youth and young adults are seeking church spaces that are authentic, safe and open, but also supportive of their role in leadership. At least, that’s what five people... Read More
February 27, 2019 | News | Rachel Bergen
Members of Bethany Mennonite Church shovel gravel onto a truck to transport it to the next well site in the mountains of Guatemala. (Photo by Herb Sawatzky)
Before there was a mission trip to Guatemala last month, there was a fundraising lunch of hot chili the month before. More than a hundred friends and family of the five teenage... Read More
February 27, 2019 | News | Maria Klassen
Irian Sittler-Fast works as a blacksmith in Floradale, Ont. (Photo by Paul Dimock)
Irian Fast-Sittler spends her days hammering hot steel and welding metals together at a forge in Floradale, Ont. Recently, the 20-year-old blacksmith created a modern-day take on... Read More
February 27, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Michael Veith and his sister Marika Veith prepare for a winter bike ride. (Photo courtesy of Michael Veith)
While a polar vortex and temperatures of -50C with the wind chill attacked Winnipeg, most people scurried from building to building, trying to be outside as little as possible... Read More
February 27, 2019 | People | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Students from Meserete Kristos College’s Entertainment Art group lead worship music at a November 2018 outreach event. Over two days, they shared the gospel with 1,080 people, 117 of whom received Christ. (Henok Tamirat)
Challenges accompany the joys of growth as tens of thousands of people new to Ethiopia’s Meserete Kristos Church (MKC) swell the denomination. Now with more than 600,000... Read More
February 26, 2019 | Web First | Tim Huber
Rebecca Riek (second row, second from left) and Rebecca Yoder Neufeld (next to her) stand among fellow participants at the September 2018 Journey Weekend Learning Event at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Michigan. (Jason Bryant)
Thousands of miles from their homeland, a group of about 30 South Sudanese women gathers on Tuesdays in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. Meeting in each other’s homes, they pray for their... Read More
February 26, 2019 | Web First | Marlys Weaver-Stoesz
Members of CPT's Indigenous Peoples Solidarity team participate in a rally in support of Bill C-262 in front of a local parliament member's office in Winnipeg in 2017. (Photo courtesy of CPT)
In order to address a $265,000 deficit, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) will close its Winnipeg-based Indigenous Peoples Solidarity team at the end of March. While CPT hopes to... Read More
February 23, 2019 | Web First | Will Braun
‘Alive,’ a pen and ink drawing by Anne H. Berry, chosen for the theme of ‘the death and resurrection of Jesus.’ (Courtesy of MennoMedia)
Visual art for the Voices Together hymnal has been chosen by the Mennonite Worship and Song Committee. The 12 visual art pieces selected will appear in the forthcoming hymnal—... Read More
February 23, 2019 | Web First | LeAnn Hamby
Margaret Loewen Reimer navigated huge changes as an editor at Canadian Mennonite and its predecessor publication, Mennonite Reporter. (Photo courtesy of the Reimer family)
“A student of literature and a Mennonite journalist with a special passion for the arts,” is how Margaret Loewen Reimer introduced herself during a lecture series entitled “... Read More
February 23, 2019 | Web First | Ron Rempel
A crane breaks ground on the former parking lot at Cedarcrest Manor in Markham, Ont. The new building will have 32 units for low-income and disabled tenants. (Photo by Myron Nicholson)
A group of churches in Markham is ready to break ground on its latest affordable housing project. Markham Inter-Church Committee for Affordable Housing (MICAH) is a group of 13... Read More
February 13, 2019 | News | Joelle Kidd
Militia members enter the Congolese city of Tshikapa in a truck to lay down their arms on January 29. (Photo by Joseph Nkongolo)
As truckloads of militia drove into Tshikapa to lay down their arms, Joseph Nkongolo went to meet them. Nkongolo—Coordinator of the Service and Development Department of the... Read More
February 13, 2019 | News | Will Braun
Chris Steingart, as Joseph, shows off his amazing Technicolor dreamcoat while his brothers look on with disgust from the background. (Photo by Christine Saunders)
Driving to the cottage while listening to a recording of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , Justin Martin had an idea. Could Breslau Mennonite Church stage it? More... Read More
February 13, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
Werner and Joanne DeJong spent September to December of last year at Meserete Kristos College in Ethiopia. They are pictured with a couple of college staffers on New Year’s Eve. (Photo courtesy of the DeJongs)
Werner and Joanne DeJong returned to Edmonton’s Holyrood Mennonite Church excited about the Anabaptist church in Africa and at home. They see possibilities for ongoing... Read More
February 13, 2019 | News | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Geez’s new Detroit-based staff includes, from left to right: Lucia Wylie-Eggert, Lydia Wylie-Kellerman and Kateri Boucher. (Geez photo)
After more than a decade of operating out of Winnipeg, Geez magazine is moving its offices to Detroit, Mich. The quarterly publication bills itself as “contemplative cultural... Read More
February 13, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
The CMU Singers performed at Portage Place Shopping Centre on Jan. 29. (Photo by Matt Duboff Photography)
Two young composers who are alumni of Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg recently had their compositions performed by a choir from their alma mater. Jesse Krause Mark... Read More
February 13, 2019 | People | Rachel Bergen
Wes Neepin relies on God’s help every day. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
Wes Neepin, a long-time member of Grace Mennonite Church in Prince Albert, has been through some tough times in his 86 years, and God has been there with him. Born in Gillam, Man... Read More
February 13, 2019 | People | Donna Schulz
The former Camp Moose Lake picnic shelter is placed in its new home at Camp Assiniboia. (Photo by Darryl Neustaedter Barg, Mennonite Church Manitoba)
Moose Lake was one of three camps under the umbrella of Camps with Meaning (CwM), Mennonite Church Manitoba’s camping ministry. It opened in 1957 and closed in September 2017, in... Read More
February 13, 2019 | Focus on camping | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Campers learn to canoe on Lake Laverne at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp. (Photo by Chris Pot)
I had the pleasure of leading the Leaders in Training (LIT) and Advanced Camper Experience (ACE) programs at Hidden Acres last summer. Both programs offer youth a chance to... Read More
February 13, 2019 | Focus on camping | Sarah Geiger
Nadya Langelotz is pictured at a ‘theme meal’ at Camp Assiniboia. (Photo by Darryl Neustaedter Barg)
As I prepare to enter my eighth summer as a camp staffer, I have an overwhelming abundance of memories to reflect on. From childhood weeks at Camp Moose Lake and the pubescent... Read More
February 13, 2019 | Focus on camping | Nadya Langelotz
Canoeing across a lake at camp for the first time is not easy. (Fraser Lake Camp photo)
The word “fun” is often used in association with camp but, from my perspective, fun is not the meat and potatoes of what happens at camp. Fun is the byproduct of an accepting... Read More
February 13, 2019 | Focus on camping | Jason McDowell
This Ground participants harvest potatoes at Camp Assiniboia in the fall. (Photo by Barrette Plett)
This Ground is a collective that meets to work, worship and eat together in aid of Camp Assiniboia near Cartier, Man. “This ground, this is the place when we come here we are... Read More
February 13, 2019 | Focus on camping | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Ron Byler, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. executive director, right, attended a Korean Anabaptist Conference in Chuncheon, South Korea, along with three South Korean church leaders. Pictured from left to right: Bock Ki Kim, SeongHan Kim and SunJu Moon, all graduates of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. Byler travelled to South Korea in November 2018 to visit MCC program and partner organizations. (Mennonite Central Committee photo)
It has been more than 60 years since the ceasefire that ended the Korean War, but to this day North Korea and South Korea do not have an official peace, and the divide remains... Read More
February 11, 2019 | Web First | Jason Dueck
The family of a recently deceased Menno Place resident watch as their loved one is escorted out under the ‘butterfly passing quilt’ made for this purpose. (Photo by Austen Holmquist)
Death is a frequent visitor at Menno Place, B.C.’s largest senior care facility. Until a couple of years ago, though, deceased residents were removed as quickly as possible on a... Read More
January 30, 2019 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Labrador Innu elder Elizabeth Penashue, left, hosts an MCC learning tour. (2016 MCC Newfoundland and Labrador Facebook Page photo)
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada is cutting about $350,000 from its Indigenous Neighbours, Restorative Justice and Low German programs. The changes are driven by a... Read More
January 30, 2019 | News | Will Braun
Emily Cohen, left, a workshop leader, chats with Matthew Bailey-Dick, coordinator of the Anabaptist Learning Workshop, at a ‘Caregiving in a #ChurchToo world’ seminar on Jan. 19, 2018, at Steinmann Mennonite Church in Baden, Ont. Behind them on the wall, coloured heads represent people's stories and experiences of sexual abuse that are known to workshop participants. (Photo by Janet Bauman)
How do churches prevent sexual harassment and abuse in their midst? How do they respond when abuse happens? How do they shift the culture in their ranks so that victims feel safer... Read More
January 30, 2019 | News | Janet Bauman
A member of Freedom Concepts Inc.’s staff works on a custom bike. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
If you ever see a candy-apple-red tandem bicycle cruising through the streets of Winnipeg, you can be sure it’s the Dueck family. “We go out pretty much daily, weather permitting... Read More
January 30, 2019 | People | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
‘One of the best things about the group is the community and friendships,’ Incantatem co-founder Allison Alexander says. (Photo by Kyle Rudge)
Don’t expect to hear anything by Bach, Brahms or Beethoven if you attend a performance by Winnipeg’s Incantatem. The a cappella choir’s repertoire has a unique focus: music from... Read More
January 30, 2019 | People | Aaron Epp
Ashisha Lal, an MCC IVEPer who served at Thrift on Kent in Kitchener, Ont., made dal for her coworkers. (Photo courtesy of Ashisha Lal)
During my year of living in Canada as part of the International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP), sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), I made dal (lentil soup) a... Read More
January 30, 2019 | People | Ashisha Lal
Photo courtesy of Ashisha Lal
In 2018 Ashisha Lal, a young Mennonite from India, worked at the Mennonite Central Committee thrift shop in Kitchener, Ont. This spinach lentil soup ( Palak dal ) reminds her of... Read More
January 30, 2019 | People | Barb Draper
College Kindergarten students play in the snow during a Kinderforest Day in Goshen (Ind.) College’s Witmer Woods on Jan. 15. (Goshen College photo by Brian Yoder Schlabach)
About once a month, 24 students from the Goshen College Laboratory Kindergarten class—a partnership between the college’s education department and Goshen Community Schools—spend... Read More
January 30, 2019 | Focus On Education | Abby King
Troy Osborne, Grebel’s dean and associate professor of history, in the classroom. (Conrad Grebel University College photo)
At Conrad Grebel University College, students engage the arts in two ways. Those enrolled in academic programs immerse themselves in questions central to the human experience: how... Read More
January 30, 2019 | Focus On Education | Troy Osborne
Grade 9 Rockway students Thomas Klassen, left, and Haolin Li repair bicycles at the Working Centre’s Recycle Cycles shop in downtown Kitchener, Ont. (Rockway Mennonite Collegiate photo)
Our journey at Rockway focuses on students developing an ability to lead with compassion when classroom learning is extended so they can live out Christ-centred values, develop... Read More
January 30, 2019 | Focus On Education | David Lobe
Benjamin and Rianna Isaak-Krauss sit in front of a pocket prairie at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center’s Rieth Village in Indiana. (Merry Lea photo)
A vision for incorporating sustainability into seminary education came to fruition in the fall of 2018 when two students from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in... Read More
January 30, 2019 | Focus On Education | Jennifer Schrock
Menno Simons Christian School junior-high students pack relief buckets for Mennonite Central Committee Alberta in Calgary. (Menno Simons Christian School photo)
The vision at Menno Simons Christian School to offer “An education for life” challenges us to provide an education that equips children for now and for tomorrow. It encompasses an... Read More
January 30, 2019 | Focus On Education |
RJC Grade 10 students pose with the Win-Stick, an artistic representation of what they learned on their class trip to Winnipeg. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
It’s called the Win-Stick and it tells a story. Created by the Grade 10 class at Rosthern Junior College (RJC), the Win-Stick expresses some of what they learned during a class... Read More
January 30, 2019 | Focus On Education | Donna Schulz
From left to right, Westgate award winners Juliana Moroz, cello; Christina Thanisch-Smith, soprano; and Alexander Moroz, viola. (Photo by Joanne Pearson)
One Westgate Mennonite Collegiate student and two alumni are recipients of scholarships awarded by the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg. Cellist Juliana Moroz, who is in Grade 12... Read More
January 30, 2019 | Focus On Education | Rachel Bergen
Michael J. Sharp addresses the UN Security Council in August 2016. He and a colleague were abducted and killed in 2017 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Photo courtesy of the Sharp family)
Michael J. Sharp and fellow U.N. sanctions monitor Zaida Catalán of Sweden were abducted and killed in 2017 in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo while... Read More
January 17, 2019 | Web First |
Seven women ages 16–22 were baptized at a nearby pool the day the European leaders visited Mennonites in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Photo by J. Nelson Kraybill)
In a region of Ukraine that thousands of Mennonites left generations ago, two dozen of today’s Mennonite leaders from across Europe gathered for three days of fellowship in... Read More
January 16, 2019 | Web First | J. Nelson Kraybill
Pictured from left to right, Elaine Lepp, Pastor Karen Sheil, Margaret Wieler and Elma Lepp pack Christmas hampers for the local food bank in a Sunday school classroom at Harrow Mennonite Church. (Photo by Zach Charbonneau)
In December, Essex County was preparing to rest. The land had done its work, providing crops for farmers to harvest and get to market. The temperature dropped and the workload... Read More
January 16, 2019 | News | Zach Charbonneau
‘It was basically a joke at first,’ Micah Enns-Dyck says of his popular Facebook page. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
When Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) students Micah Enns-Dyck and Nathan Dueck created the Facebook page Hauerwasian Memes for Pacifist Teens last April, they thought its... Read More
January 16, 2019 | News | Aaron Epp
Musician Alana Levandoski and author Marcus Peter Rempel co-host the new podcast, The Ferment.
At his home on Ploughshares Community Farm in South St. Ouen’s, Man., Marcus Peter Rempel chops a lot of cabbage. But, instead of making a salad or throwing it in a soup, he... Read More
January 16, 2019 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Alvin and Helen Lepp pose in front of a mural at the Siksika Nation community hall following a service honouring them for their service to the First Nation in 2010. (File photo courtesy of Neill and Edith von Gunten)
Members of the Rosemary Mennonite Church community and the Siksika Nation gathered together on Jan. 4 to praise God for the life of Alvin Lepp. Pastor Fred Krulicki, who led the... Read More
January 16, 2019 | People | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
An updated photo shows Keith Wagler with his appliance repair van, in his early years. (Photo courtesy of the House of Friendship)
For 34 years, Keith Wagler lived out his Christian faith by serving others through the Appliance Repair Program of the House of Friendship (HoF), a social service agency in the... Read More
January 16, 2019 | People | Janet Bauman
Anna Bigland-Pritchard, left, with her Seanster and the Monsters bandmates, pictured from left to right: Tim Braun, Sean Hogan, Marcel Desilets and Scott Young. (Photo by Mike Latschislaw)
Anna Bigland-Pritchard never anticipated becoming a monster, but today she wouldn’t be anything else. The 26-year-old Winnipegger is a member of children’s musical act Seanster... Read More
January 16, 2019 | People | Aaron Epp
Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) moved to a new office in Waterloo, Ont., in December. Taking part in the ribbon-cutting are, from left to right: Allan Sauder, outgoing MEDA president/CEO; Karen Redman, Region of Waterloo chair; Bardish Chagger, Waterloo MP; Dorothy Nyambi, incoming MEDA president/CEO ; Jenny Shantz, MEDA vice-chair; Jim Erb, Region of Waterloo councillor; and Dave Jaworsky, Waterloo mayor. (Photo courtesy of MEDA)
In December 2018, the federal government announced funding for a new five-year project with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) that will improve the economic... Read More
January 15, 2019 | Web First |
‘Anabaptists around the world’: A 2018 map. (Mennonite World Conference)
“Uganda is ripe for evangelism and the church is growing,” says Bishop Simon Okoth, national coordinator of Uganda Mennonite Church. The new Mennonite World Conference (MWC)... Read More
December 31, 2018 | News |
Warmed by a campfire and the scent of wood smoke, pastors prepare for a forest church experience outdoors. (Photo by Jennifer Schrock)
Hopelessness. Denial. Grief. Guilt. Despair. Pastors face these emotions in their congregations as they walk with people suffering from personal losses. Through a series of... Read More
December 31, 2018 | News | Jennifer Schrock
Family and friends gather together to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Alkhanous family’s arrival in Canada, at the home of Zakia Hamdani. (Photo by David Brubacher)
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Many people will remember seeing the picture in September 2015 of the three-year-old Syrian refugee, Alan Kurdi, whose... Read More
December 31, 2018 | News | Maria Klassen
Laureen Harder-Gissing, archivist at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario, at Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ont., is the new president of the not-so-new Mennonite Historical Society of Canada. (Conrad Grebel university College photo)
Historian Laureen Harder-Gissing does not want to be heard saying, “You should know your history,” the way someone might say, “You should eat your vegetables.” She does not want... Read More
December 31, 2018 | News | Will Braun
Rosthern Junior College student body. (Rosthern Junior College photo)
“It’s called Deeper Life Days for a reason,” says Grade 11 student Shaelyn Nordmarken. Deeper Life Days give Rosthern Junior College (RJC) students opportunity to engage with... Read More
December 31, 2018 | News | Donna Schulz
Ric Driediger has found that telling people he’s a pastor often opens the door to conversations about faith and spirituality. (Photo courtesy of Ric Driediger)
A standing joke among pastors is that if they want to end a conversation, they only need to tell the other person they are a pastor. But this hasn’t been Ric Driediger’s... Read More
December 31, 2018 | People | Donna Schulz
Darian Neufeld, Isaac Schlegel and Zachary Stefaniuk are members of Boy Talk, a group that fosters deep friendship and honest discussion. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
When Isaac Schlegel and Nathan Rogalsky noticed that their friendships with men lacked the same depth as their friendships with women, they decided to do something about it. Last... Read More
December 31, 2018 | People | Aaron Epp
Henry and Gerald Neufeld have assembled a collection of about a thousand archival photographs of First Nation communities in the Berens River watershed. They are holding a photograph of Miskwaatesi ’oskiisik and his wife Kihcimoohkomaan from Pauingassi. (Photo by Gladys Terichow)
Gerald Neufeld and his father Henry share a passion for linking families from First Nation communities within the Berens River watershed in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario with... Read More
December 31, 2018 | People | Gladys Terichow
Abner Martin conducts the Mennonite Mass Choir’s performance of Haydn’s ‘Creation.’ (1975 Waterloo Region Record file photo)
Abner Martin was born at his parents’ farm in Waterloo Township, Ont., the seventh surviving child of Annanias and Susannah (Steckle) Martin. His family, until the time of Abner’s... Read More
December 31, 2018 | People | Kevin Martin
Shawn Klassen-Koop is the co-author of How to Build a Better World in Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
Shawn Klassen-Koop never thought he would write a book before his 30th birthday but that’s exactly what he’s done. The Winnipegger is the co-author, with Montana-based... Read More
December 31, 2018 | People | Aaron Epp
MCC's first steam well, constructed in Bidu, Afar, in northern Ethiopia. (MCC photo by Rose Shenk)
In parts of the world where the effects of climate change are severe and rains are dangerously infrequent, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is supporting innovative projects to... Read More
December 31, 2018 | Web First | Rachel Bergen
Pictured from left to right: CPA director Paul Heidebrecht, and SheCycle members Abby Loewen, Isaac Beech, Daniel Schuurman, Mykayla Turner, Anna Kuepfer and Leah Wouda. (Photo courtesy of Conrad Grebel University College)
A team of six students from Conrad Grebel University College participated in MEDAx, a conference that was part of the larger Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)... Read More
December 31, 2018 | Web First |
Oil lamps light the sanctuary of the little church as guests arrive to experience ‘Christmas by lamplight.’ (Photo by Donna Schulz)
Old-fashioned oil lamps graced each windowsill in the tiny sanctuary, their steady flames bathing the room in warm light as people filed into the pews. The people came to... Read More
December 28, 2018 | Web First | Donna Schulz
Mennonites in Canada today are a diverse group, and the old stereotype of Mennonites as German-speaking agrarian people fits only a small part of the picture. The history... Read More
December 12, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Barb Draper
John Neudorf speaks with Betty Pries of Credence & Co. during a break in the Nov. 16, 2018, session of Mennonite Church Alberta’s first Vision 2020 gathering at Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary. (Photo by Donita Wiebe-Neufeld)
In opening comments at Mennonite Church Alberta’s first of three Vision 2020 gatherings, Tim Wiebe-Neufeld, the regional church’s executive minister, asked people in the crowd to... Read More
December 12, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Roberson Mbayamvula, left, lead pastor of Hagerman Mennonite; Paul Mo, Markham Chinese Mennonite’s pastor; and Joseph Savarimuthu, pastor of Markham Christian Worship Centre, a Tamil congregation, cut the ribbon on their renovated church building on Oct. 14, 2018. (Photo by Godfrey Cheng)
After more than three years and with a budget of $1.4 million, Hagerman Mennonite Church in Markham, Ont., has completed a significant building renovation. But more than efficient... Read More
December 12, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Joelle Kidd
Michael Sambrook guides members of the Canadian Mennonite Health Assembly in drafting a statement on medical assistance in dying based on the group’s values. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
When members of the Canadian Mennonite Health Assembly gathered at Menno Place in Abbotsford in early November 2018 to discuss this year’s theme, “Living our values,” medical... Read More
December 12, 2018 | God at work in the World | Amy Rinner Waddell
Case descriptions for thousands of Mennonites who disappeared in Ukraine are now available online. This one shows an Abram Klassen.
Among the voluminous lists of those disappeared during the dark times in what is now Ukraine, researchers have found roughly 400 pages of Mennonite names, with five or six names... Read More
December 12, 2018 | God at work in the World | Will Braun
Eva Klaassen
Eva Klaassen lives in a seniors housing complex in Prince Albert. She doesn’t own a car, so every Sunday morning she takes a taxi to Grace Mennonite Church. Many of the drivers... Read More
December 12, 2018 | God at work in Us | Donna Schulz
Although Bruce Guenther set out to write a biography of his grandfather, Herman D.W. Friesen, it turned out to be more of a history of the Old Colony Mennonites in the Hague-Osler... Read More
December 12, 2018 | Artbeat | Barb Draper
Choir conductors Ben Pauls and his son Matthew enjoy using their talent, energy and enthusiasm to bring people together through choral music.
Choir conductors Ben Pauls and his son Matthew share enthusiasm, talent and a passion for choral music. This fall, they had the unexpected opportunity to share the stage at a... Read More
December 12, 2018 | Artbeat | Gladys Terichow
Shekinah Retreat Centre is located on 116 hectares in the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Mennonite youth from across Canada will gather there in the summer of 2019. (Photo by Irma Sulistyorini)
Leadership from two of Mennonite Church Canada’s regional churches are inviting youth from across Canada to a gathering in Saskatchewan next summer. “Shake: Rattled by the radical... Read More
December 12, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Michael Taves
Canadian Mennonite asked eight young adults from across Mennonite Church Canada to look back on the year that was and to look ahead to the year that will be. These are their... Read More
December 12, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Jennifer Deibert, left, MCC North Korea program coordinator, and North Korean agricultural delegates An Hui Jun and Jon Bom Ho talk shop with Martin Entz, a professor in the plant science department at the University of Manitoba, at a research farm in Carman, Man. (MCC photo by Colin Vandenberg)
In those first few minutes after arriving at Syl’s Restaurant in Carman, members of a delegation from North Korea sit at the edge of the outdoor eating area, where they see local... Read More
December 12, 2018 | Web First | Julie Bell
Daniel (a pseudonym) took this photo as members of the caravan he is with in Mexico climb aboard big trucks that will carry them north for a while. (Photo courtesy of Daniel)
Daniel (a pseudonym, for security reasons) doesn’t have just one reason for leaving his daughter, 8, and parents in Honduras. He has many reasons for joining a caravan of... Read More
December 7, 2018 | Web First | Linda Espenshade
Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros presents her talk “A Theo(poetic) Revolution: The Language of Liberation” at the 2018 Women Doing Theology conference in Elkhart, Indiana (Photo by Kayla Berkey)
“Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn.” Over 200 people from across North America filled the Chapel of the Sermon of the Mount with these... Read More
December 4, 2018 | Web First | Kayla Berkey
The Manitoba Colony in eastern Bolivia (Photo by Kennert Giesbrecht)
Mennonites are talking about Women Talking , Miriam Toews’s latest novel. What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment below or send letters to letters@canadianmennonite.org ... Read More
November 30, 2018 | Web First | Will Braun
As we celebrate Christmas, it may be helpful to sort out what is worth releasing for the enjoyment of the season and what is worth keeping, or even adding. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
When Jill (a pseudonym) turns her calendar to December, she’ll read a message she wrote to herself a year ago: “Be intentional all through the month to not put pressure on myself... Read More
November 23, 2018 | Web First | Amy Rinner Waddell
As a sign of honour and respect for the work of Steve Heinrichs, left, Mennonite Church Canada’s director of Indigenous-settler relations, Lorne Brandt, the chair of Mennonite Church B.C.’s Service, Peace and Justice Committee, presents his vest and moccasins, that were made by Cree craftspeople in Manitoba in 1974, to him at a meeting of the regional church’s Indigenous Relations Group. (Photo by Henry Krause)
A vest and moccasins presented to the Mennonite Church Canada director of Indigenous-settler relations symbolized the ongoing work of Indigenous relations in B.C. During an Oct... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Amy Rinner Waddell
Elmer Thiessen, a Wilfrid Laurier University professor, spoke and preached at Leamington (Ont.) United Mennonite Church earlier this month on ethics and objective truth. (Photo courtesy of Elmer Thiessen)
When discussing the question of ethics in the church or in society at large, there is an increasing cacophony of voices laying claim to the ideological space governing the... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Zach Charbonneau
If Manitoba Colony members are accused of a crime, they are brought before the congregation at church and judged. For serious offenses like incest, they may be excommunicated, but if they ask for forgiveness, they can return a week later. (Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky (noahfr.com))
Eight men went to prison, the media gaze moved on, and colony life resumed. But the saga of mass rape in the Bolivian corner of our family of faith is far from over. It’s hard not... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Will Braun
Rachel Miller Jacobs of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary teaches participants at MC Saskatchewan’s recent continuing education event how to develop habits that deepen their walk with Christ. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
Anyone who has operated a computer knows that, from time to time, it’s necessary to hit reset. The same is true in the life of faith. “Resetting is an affirmation of God’s grace... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donna Schulz
Mennonite families watch the rape trial in May 2011. After discovering the rapes, Manitoba Colony leaders considered locking the accused in shipping containers for years but eventually called in the Bolivia police. (Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky noahfr.com)
Eight men went to prison, the media gaze moved on, and colony life resumed. But the saga of mass rape in the Bolivian corner of the Mennonite family of faith is far from over... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Will Braun
Karen Peters and Pastor Lee Hiebert stand by the peace pole that displays the prayer, ‘May peace prevail on Earth’ in eight languages. (Photo by Gladys Terichow)
The peace pole and peace garden in front of Steinbach Mennonite Church connect the congregation with more than 200,000 groups and churches worldwide that desire a world at peace... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Gladys Terichow
Pictured from left to right: Zaid Al Rawni, CEO of Islamic Relief Canada; Donna Entz, Mennonite Church Alberta’s North Edmonton Ministry; Salwa Kadri, a committee member of A Common Word Alberta; and Wes Thiessen, who holds a doctorate in Islamic history. (Photo by Tim Wiebe-Neufeld)
For the first time in its six-year history, the annual Christian-Muslim dialogue in Alberta held an event in Calgary as well as in Edmonton. On Oct. 25, 2018, Trinity Mennonite... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Doug Klassen
On Nov. 4, tears and well wishes were intermingled at Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary when Pastor Doug Klassen told his congregation that he had accepted Mennonite Church... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in Us | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
At the farewell celebration on Oct 21, 2018, Ken Warkentin, the executive director of Mennonite Church Manitoba, presents outgoing executive director Willard Metzger with a gift from the Executive Staff Group of MC Canada. (Photo by D. Michael Hostetler)
A farewell celebration was on the agenda for the Mennonite Church Canada Joint Council and Executive Staff Group, that were both meeting over the weekend of Oct 21, 2018. Along... Read More
November 21, 2018 | God at work in Us | Virginia A. Hostetler
Gavyn Stroh spent 370 days travelling through 34 countries by bike. (Photo courtesy of Gavyn Stroh)
When Gavyn Stroh decided to spend a year exploring Europe, he wanted to do it in a way that aligned with his values. “I chose a bicycle . . . to minimize the [environmental]... Read More
November 21, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Remembering a Christmas homemade gift exchange: ‘I presented my brother Thomas with a jar filled with 150 encouraging notes.’ (Photo by Aaron Epp)
I love Christmas. The tree, the lights, the music, the food, gathering with family and friends, special church services. I look forward to all of it. I still go with my siblings... Read More
November 21, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Pastor Erin Morash, left, and artist/quilter Esther Hildebrand stand in front of the banner that was designed and quilted by Hildebrand to commemorate the church’s 70th anniversary. (Photo courtesy of Jill Hildebrand)
About 160 people gathered in Crystal City Mennonite Church, Man., on Nov. 4, 2018, to celebrate 70 years of God’s faithfulness and guidance.The theme “In God’s Hands” was... Read More
November 19, 2018 | Web First | Gladys Terichow
This well-kept building has been home to Emmaus Mennonite Church since it was moved on to the property in 1937. Now that the congregation has closed, the building is for sale. (Photo by Lorna Wiens)
“There’s not one of us that isn’t grieving,” said Lorna Wiens. “We’re all unhappy to lose our church building, our congregation, our friends.” Wiens was reflecting on the decision... Read More
November 19, 2018 | Web First | Donna Schulz
Tarek Al-Zoughbi, left, of Wi’am: the Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center, and Sahar Vardi, with the American Friends Service Committee, provided their views on a just peace in Israel-Palestine at Speaking Our Peace at Canadian Mennonite University. (Byron Rempel-Burkholder)
Sahar Vardi and Tarek Al-Zoughbi live less than 20 kilometres away from each other—Vardi in Jerusalem, and Al-Zoughbi in the West Bank city of Bethlehem to the south. A literal... Read More
November 19, 2018 | Web First | Byron Rempel-Burkholder
Mennonite Church Canada is pleased to announce that Doug Klassen has accepted the call to the position of executive minister. “It is an exciting time in Mennonite Church Canada. I... Read More
November 4, 2018 | Web First |
Bikers taking part in the Winnipeg Ride for Refuge, including those riding in support of MC Canada Witness workers, are pictured at Covenant Christian Reformed Church before the ride began. (Photo courtesy of MC Manitoba)
A big thank you to our 75 participants on 12 teams, and to our generous Mennonite Church Canada family who sponsored these riders in this year’s Ride for Refuge event held in... Read More
October 31, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Jason Martin
Historian Aileen Friesen speaks to a full house at St. Catharines United Mennonite Church at an event commemorating the centennial of the Russian Revolution. (Photo by Randy Klaassen)
Moments in time can change the course of history. Decisions made in Russia in the years following the Russian Revolution in 1917 changed life for thousands of Mennonite families... Read More
October 31, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Maria H. Klassen
Mennonite children learn patriarchy from a young age. Gender roles are strictly defined: men work the fields and women take care of the home. (Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky noahfr.com)
Eight men went to prison, the media gaze moved on, and colony life resumed. But the saga of mass rape in the Bolivian corner of our family of faith is far from over. When word of... Read More
October 31, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Will Braun
The new home of Langham Mennonite Fellowship stands on the same site as the old Zoar Mennonite Church. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
Zoar Mennonite Church in Langham has a new home—and a new name. When the congregation discovered black mould growing in the basement of its old church building some years ago, it... Read More
October 31, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donna Schulz
Panelists Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, left, and Hans Werner at Canadian Mennonite University’s Face2Face discussion on ‘Treaty One and Mennonite Privilegium.’
Public recognition of the traditional territory of First Nation groups that were signatories to specific treaties is a fairly new concept in Canada. Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair... Read More
October 31, 2018 | God at work in the World | Gladys Terichow
Linda Dickinson, MCC Alberta’s material resources coordinator, presents Simon Eng with a cake honouring his achievement in packing 35,000 school kits over the past 12 years. ‘I may not have much, but I have my hands,’ is something he has said many times over the years. (MCC Alberta photo)
Every Tuesday, the bell at the front desk of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Alberta headquarters in Calgary dings incessantly, whether a receptionist is sitting there or... Read More
October 31, 2018 | God at work in Us | Linda Dickenson
Bird-Bent Grass truly is a “memoir, in pieces” as it explores the lives of Kathleen Venema and her mother, with anecdotes from the past, excerpts from old letters and reflections... Read More
October 31, 2018 | Artbeat | Barb Draper
Luke 15 includes three stories about being lost and found that all tie together. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
We love boundaries. These boundaries may help us to define who we are, but they also can lead us to assume we know others based on appearances. Most of the time, if people aren’t... Read More
October 31, 2018 | Young Voices | Moses Falco
Avoidance may temporarily decrease your stressor, but it doesn’t solve the actual problem. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
Do you ever find yourself starting something and not completing it? If so, then you’re familiar with avoidance behaviours. Avoidance is the set of things we do to distract... Read More
October 31, 2018 | Young Voices | Laura Abraham
The heartfelt songs of praise raised by the Meheret Evangelical Ethiopian Church filled the Kitchener First Mennonite Church sanctuary with adoration of God. With eyes closed and hands raised, and even a few tears, Meheret led the gathering in worship. (Photo by Arli Klassen)
It was a rich night of worship as a diverse group of people gathered at the third annual intercultural worship service at Kitchener First Mennonite Church on Oct. 20, 2018. Yoel... Read More
October 31, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Lisa Williams
The surfacing of her bipolar disorder may have ended Bev Miller's teaching career, but the Eastern Mennonite University alumna has used her experiences to educate others about the disorder and to encourage participation in a National Institute of Mental Health study of the disorder in Anabaptists. (Photo by James Pruitt/The Village Reporter)
The Mennonite Game—tracing the genealogy of a new acquaintance until finding a common ancestor—might be a fun pastime for people with Mennonite backgrounds, but their relatively... Read More
October 29, 2018 | Web First | Christopher Clymer Kurtz
Ray Dirks, centre, is pictured with Teresita Chiarella, left, and Winnipeg artist Anthony Chiarella at the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery’s 20th anniversary fundraising event. (Photo by Gladys Terichow)
A nativity painting by Winnipeg artist Lynda Toews brings attention to Joseph’s commitment to God, and to the bond between farm animals and people. The donkey’s dorsal strip forms... Read More
October 29, 2018 | Web First | Gladys Terichow
Marcus Shantz, Conrad Grebel University College president, left, stands with Grebel’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni Service Award winner, Dean Peachey. Peachey was honoured for his far-reaching contributions in promoting peace in church and society. (Photo by Jennifer Konkle)
A crowd of old friends and alumni, as well as people interested in restorative justice, filled the Grebel Gallery on Oct. 11, 2018, to hear from Dean Peachey. He reflected on the... Read More
October 29, 2018 | Web First | Jennifer Konkle
Ken Quiring, pastor of Grace Mennonite Church in Brandon, Man., and a member of the Network of Biblical Storytellers, give a presentation on biblical storytelling and creation care stories, and presented Scripture for a number of the worship sessions during AMBS’s Rooted and Grounded conference. (Photo by Perdian Tumanan)
As the floodwaters of Hurricane Florence crested in South Carolina in late September, three keynote speakers at this year’s Rooted and Grounded conference on land and Christian... Read More
October 29, 2018 | Web First | Annette Brill Bergstresser
Abram Wall Enns, left, was the civic leader of the Manitoba Colony when rape stories first emerged. He wishes the leaders would have acted sooner. (Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky noahfr.com)
Eight men went to prison, the media gaze moved on, and colony life resumed. But the saga of mass rape in the Bolivian corner of our family of faith is far from over. According to... Read More
October 17, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Will Braun
A revitalized sense of mission has led to a change of name for an 81-year-old Vancouver Mennonite congregation. The church formerly known as First United Mennonite Church (often... Read More
October 17, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Amy Rinner Waddell
‘Bees for Burkina’ honey bees hard at work. (Photo by Doug Klassen, Foothills Mennonite Church)
The hard work of some Alberta bees creates a sweet deal for two very different churches. The “Bees for Burkina” project gives people of Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary a... Read More
October 17, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Members of the first-place Bible Quizzing for Grown-ups team, the Canadian Mennonite Scribes, are pictured, from left to right: Jim Loepp Thiessen, pastor of Floradale Mennonite Church; Ginny Hostetler, CM’s executive editor; Barb Draper, CM’s editorial assistant; and Tobi Thiessen, CM’s publisher. (Photo by D. Michael Hostetler)
As people gathered for the Bible Quizzing for Grown-ups event on Sept. 30 at the Huether Hotel in Waterloo, the room buzzed with conversation, but when the quizmasters began... Read More
October 17, 2018 | God at work in the Church |
Uzbekistan hosts Mr. and Mrs. Karimov, standing, share warm hospitality with a TourMagination group visiting Serabulak. Mr. Karimov is a descendant of a merchant who gave Mennonite pilgrims a farewell gift of money and other gifts. (TourMagination photo by John Sharp)
Historical experiences of ordinary people living out their faith were shared at a travelogue presentation of Russian Mennonite migrations in Europe and Central Asia. The... Read More
October 17, 2018 | God at work in the World | Gladys Terichow
Meghan Florian’s name surfaced in the small circle of Mennonite pastors and friends I know in the United States. Because this is how I found this book, I assumed it would be a “... Read More
October 17, 2018 | Focus On Books & Resources | David Driedger
Paul Doerksen coordinates the Take & Read program, which gathers 30 people together four times a year to read and discuss books and theology. (Photo courtesy of CMU)
A widely published poet, a retired professor, a farmer, a recent graduate and an engineer regularly discuss literature and theology together. Hard to imagine? The sight is more... Read More
October 17, 2018 | Focus On Books & Resources | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Theology, Spirituality The Bible Unwrapped: Making Sense of Scripture Today. Meghan Larissa Good. Herald Press, 2018, 312 pages. This book is for readers with lots of questions... Read More
October 17, 2018 | Focus On Books & Resources | Barb Draper
Amanda Snyder is the co-founder of Camp Marafiki Pamoja. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Snyder)
A young woman is impacting the citizens of a community 13,000 kilometres away from her home in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. Amanda Snyder is the co-founder of Camp Marafiki Pamoja, a... Read More
October 17, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Kuri is the solo project of singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Scott Currie. (Photo by Rachel Pick)
After releasing two full-length albums and an EP with experimental alt-rockers Oh Village, musician Scott Currie is striking out on his own. The Abbotsford, B.C. native, who... Read More
October 17, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Victoria Mamani Sirpa noticed that her family was healthier after they started growing and eating vegetables grown in their greenhouse in El Alto, Bolivia. (MCC photo by Matthew Sawatzky)
Before 2008, Victoria Mamani Sirpa had only ever cooked with four vegetables: carrots, chard, celery and onions. That soon changed after she and her family built a huerta (... Read More
October 15, 2018 | Web First | Rachel Bergen
More than 20,000 people attended the annual MCC British Columbia Festival for World Relief on Sept. 14 and 15, 2018, at the Abbotsford Tradex, which raised more than $1 million to support uprooted and vulnerable people locally and around the world. (MCC B.C. photo)
More than 20,000 people attended the annual Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) British Columbia Festival for World Relief in mid-September, raising more than $1 million to support... Read More
October 15, 2018 | Web First | Katie Kowalchuk
Japanese Mennonites used the ‘Shared Convictions’ of Mennonite World Conference to reflect on the faith and practice of global Anabaptists. (Photo by Atsuhiro Katano)
A quiz on global Christianity and Anabaptism (including MWC statistics) prepared participants from Nihon Menonaito Kirisuto Kyokai Kyogikai (Japan Mennonite Christian Church... Read More
October 15, 2018 | Web First | Atsuhiro Katano
This learning event will replace the fall meeting of Mennonite Church Manitoba delegates.
Embracing vulnerability can help congregations “engage with the world the way Jesus did,” says Ken Warkentin, Mennonite Church Manitoba Executive Minister. Through plenary talks... Read More
October 15, 2018 | Web First | Gladys Terichow
The Manitoba Colony is one of more than 80 Mennonite colonies in Bolivia. On one of the photographer’s last days in Manitoba, he and his sister were told by multiple women that, after the ‘ghost rapes’ of 2009, the nighttime rapes still happen, although less frequently. (Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky)
Eight men went to prison, the media gaze moved on and colony life resumed. But the saga of mass rape in the Bolivian corner of our family of faith is far from over. The crime... Read More
October 3, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Will Braun
The documentary Ghost Rapes of Bolivia was produced in 2013 for Vice Media. See the link below.
Eight men went to prison, the media gaze moved on, and colony life resumed. But the saga of mass rape in the Bolivian corner of the Mennonite family of faith is far from over... Read More
October 3, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Will Braun
Blake Rooks tells Patricia Shabbits how much he enjoys his volunteer experience with Parkland Restorative Justice. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
It has been 30 years since Ed Olfert first set foot in the federal penitentiary in Prince Albert, Sask., but he wasn’t there to serve time! Speaking at a Parkland Restorative... Read More
October 3, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donna Schulz
Werner and Joanne DeJong enjoy the company of new friends in a coffee shop across from Meserete Kristos College in Ethiopia. ‘In a communal-based society like Ethiopia there are more opportunities to sit, visit and sip coffee under the trees,’ says Joanne, who is impressed with the strong emphasis the college places on peace, justice and community development. (Photo courtesy of Joanne DeJong)
Werner and Joanne DeJong faced a challenging decision. After many years of pastoral ministry with Edmonton’s Holyrood Mennonite Church, they felt called to consider ministry in... Read More
October 3, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Dave Burkholder, left, and other members of the Pennsylvania German Folklore Society prepare pork shoulder to be seasoned, ground and made into fresh sausages. (Photo by Joelle Kidd)
Despite summer temperatures, the leaves on the trees surrounding Black Creek Pioneer Village were tipped with autumn red on Sept. 15, the day of the annual Toronto Mennonite... Read More
October 3, 2018 | God at work in the World | Joelle Kidd
A scene from #ChurchToo. (Photo by Saul Tahuite)
What does “turn the other cheek” mean when you’re abused by your pastor? What does “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” mean when you’re dealing with gendered power... Read More
October 3, 2018 | Artbeat | Emily Hunsberger
Grebel students, faculty and staff will spend the 2018-2019 school year intentionally singing together as a way of building bridges and exploring issues of diversity, justice, hospitality, faith and peace. (Photo by Jennifer Konkle)
At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, students, staff and faculty at Conrad Grebel University College took a deep breath and sang together, first in unison, and then in... Read More
October 3, 2018 | Focus On Education | Jennifer Konkle
Grade eight Rockway students, Alors Lin (foreground) and Ellery Ezekiel help plant one of 20 10’ by 10’ plots in the Courtland-Shelley Community Centre Garden. (Rockway Mennonite Collegiate photo)
This past spring, students from Rockway Mennonite Collegiate’s Grade 8 class began participating in a new project whose goal is to build character, skills and perspective; and to... Read More
October 3, 2018 | Focus On Education |
Systems design engineering student Isaac Veldhuis was among 40 official Orientation Week leaders who welcomed new students and their families to Conrad Grebel University College this September on Move-In Day. The eager crowd was greeted with cheers and a song, and students soon got to know each other during a week of games, activities, and an all-college retreat. (Grebel photo by Jennifer Konkle)
Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ont. This September, more than 260 post-secondary school students made their way to Conrad Grebel University College on the University... Read More
October 3, 2018 | Focus On Education | Ross W. Muir
Royal Connections, a new feature launching on the Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) website, showcases alumni-owned or -managed businesses all over the world, and helps students... Read More
October 3, 2018 | Focus On Education |
Manitoba native Annalee Giesbrecht is serving a three-year term with MCC in Haiti. (Photo by Elizabeth Peters)
Annalee Giesbrecht is getting more than she bargained for when she agreed to serve with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she arrived... Read More
October 3, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Experimental rock sextet Royal Canoe will release its new album at the end of January. (Photo by Sam Katz)
Looking for new music? Check out these singles from three exciting Canadian acts: “ RAYZ ” by Royal Canoe Paper Bag Records ( royalcanoe.com ) Royal Canoe’s fourth full-length... Read More
October 3, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Members of Mennonite World Conference’s Global Anabaptist Service Network and Global Mission Fellowship pray together around a large world map during meetings in Kenya. (Photo by Barbara Hege-Galle)
People who are involved in service are typically practical, caring people; in other words, people of action. Of course the motivation for doing service is to follow Jesus and his... Read More
September 19, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Barbara Hege-Galle
Volunteers raise the timbers of the second timber-frame cabin to be built this year at Shekinah Retreat Centre. (Photo courtesy of Priscilla Epp)
Ike and Priscilla Epp aren’t quite sure how many people volunteered to help build the second timber-frame cabin at Shekinah Retreat Centre, but they know there were many. The... Read More
September 19, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donna Schulz
Peace campers practise their listening skills by responding to commands during an ice-breaking session. (YSPP photo by Alouny Souvolavong)
People often say that young people are the future. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is working with partners in Canada, the United States and around the world to invest in... Read More
September 19, 2018 | God at work in the World | Rachel Bergen
The new Edmonton MCC Thrift Store is located at 12343 149th Street, Edmonton. (Photo by Wally Friesen)
On Sept. 1, 2018, the Edmonton Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Thrift Shop held the grand opening for its new location at 12343 149th Street. In a busy area across from a Costco... Read More
September 19, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Oliver Heppner working the garden that he loved. (Photo courtesy of Ruth Heppner)
Oliver Heppner was born on Feb. 11, 1929, to Cornelius and Gertrude Heppner, the fourth of their six children. In a written reflection on his early life, he said, “I search my... Read More
September 19, 2018 | God at work in Us | Loretta Giesbrecht, Valerie Pankratz and Michael Heppner
Alliana Rempel wrote and illustrated her book One when she was just 10 years old. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Alliana Rempel has raised thousands of dollars to support inner-city shelters in Winnipeg, the Children’s Hospital and the Malala fund. Most recently, she published her first book... Read More
September 19, 2018 | Artbeat | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Jessa Braun, right, says that playing sports has shaped her character. (Photo courtesy of Jessa Braun)
When Jessa Braun observed a dearth of media coverage for professional female athletes, she decided to do something about it. Braun is the founder of SheScores.ca , a website that... Read More
September 19, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
American Sign Language
When Canadian students learn an additional language, it’s typically French or Spanish. Not Rachel Braul, though. As a student at Queen Elizabeth High School in Calgary, she... Read More
September 19, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
In April 2018, the steering committee of the emerging Global Anabaptist Peace Network met for its first face-to-face meeting, in Limuru, Kenya. From left to right: Pascal Kulungu, Fulco van Hulst, Andrés Pacheco (Global Anabaptist Peace Network coordinator), Wendy Kroeker, Andrew Suderman (Peace Commission secretary). (MWC photo by Karla Braun)
Coffee breaks at the triennial Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Council, Commissions and networks meetings in Kenya, April 2018, allowed Colombia peacebuilder and human... Read More
September 19, 2018 | Web First | Andrés Pacheco Lozano
Distance education director Tigist Alamirew, standing, with students in class at Meserete Kristos College in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. (Photo courtesy of Tigist Alamirew)
“With the grace of God, I escaped many deaths throughout my journey in Christ,” says Tigist Alamirew. Born to an Orthodox family in Finote Selam, she now serves as distance... Read More
September 19, 2018 | Web First | Karla Braun
The Central Practices Committee, a part of the Voices Together hymnal project, includes, from left to right: Irma Fast Dueck, Isaac Villegas, Heidi Miller, Sarah Kathleen Johnson, Adam Tice and Allan Rudy-Froese. (MennoMedia photo)
Six people who have been meeting virtually for the last two years via videoconference gathered together in person for the first and only time this summer to speak through and... Read More
September 18, 2018 | Web First |
Kanku Ngalamulume and Kapinga Ntumba are orphans living in Tshikapa, where they fled to after their parents were killed in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (MCC photo by Mulanda Juma)
Ten-year-old Kanku Ngalamulume fled from his home in the village of Senge after armed groups beheaded his mother and father and his siblings too. He was among 1.4 million people... Read More
September 17, 2018 | Web First |
Government of British Columbia photo
As the month of August 2018 ended, British Columbia found itself dealing with rampant wildfires for the second consecutive year. In mid-August, there were 566 wildfires burning in... Read More
September 6, 2018 | Web First | Amy Rinner Waddell
Jordan Thoms, left, a church planter from Toronto, is introduced by Colin McCartney, who supports and trains church planters in under-resourced neighbourhoods in Toronto, at this past spring’s Mennonite Church Eastern Canada annual delegate sessions. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
In 2014, five years after Warden Woods Mennonite Church in Toronto closed, a new congregation began to form in the Warden Woods community. Led by Jordan Thoms, the Warden... Read More
September 5, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Dave Rogalsky served as Canadian Mennonite's Eastern Canada correspondent for 12 years. He covered news from Ontario, Quebec and the eastern provinces.
Over the past 12 years, Dave Rogalsky has been a prolific writer for Canadian Mennonite . Since the summer of 2006, when he was hired as the Eastern Canada correspondent,... Read More
September 5, 2018 | God at work in Us | Barb Draper
Six women from Charleswood lead a Bible study for the inmates at the Women’s Correctional Centre in Headingley, Man., on the first Wednesday of every month. (Government of Manitoba photo)
Every month, several women from Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg go to jail. But unlike the women they meet with behind bars, they get to walk out of the barbed wire... Read More
September 5, 2018 | God at work in the World | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Olympic gold medallist Cindy Klassen, right, stands with farmers Nathan and Jeanette Janzen and their sons Evan and Bradley at the Grow Hope Saskatchewan field day. The canola lying in swaths behind them will soon be harvested for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
“I’ve never been this close to agriculture before,” said Ingrid Lamp. “It’s quite exciting.” Lamp and her husband travelled four hours from their home in Swift Current to attend... Read More
September 5, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donna Schulz
Sam Dueckman, left, and Emmanuel Denguessi, who helped organize the Emmanuel Mennonite summer cleanup day, survey the bags of garbage collected by church members. (Photo courtesy of Sam Dueckman)
One plastic cup, one can, one disposable diaper at a time, Mennonite residents of B.C.’s Fraser Valley are trying to make a difference by cleaning up their environment. Crossroads... Read More
September 5, 2018 | God at work in the World | Amy Rinner Waddell
Sandra Luna assists Jimmi Bedoya, 3, at Centro de Capacitación del Niño (Children’s Training Centre) in El Progreso, Soacha, outside Bogotá, Colombia, where Luna teaches Grade 1 and acts as one of the coordinators of the school. (MCC photo by Colin Vandenberg)
I was born in Santander in north-central Colombia. My husband and I married when he was 17 and I was 15, and we decided to come to Bogotá to look for a better life. In about 2005... Read More
September 5, 2018 | God at work in Us | Sandra Luna (as told to Marla Pierson Lester)
This book collects essays by Mennonite theologian Lydia Neufeld Harder.
In their appreciative foreword to Mennonite theologian Lydia Neufeld Harder’s retrospective essay collection, Kimberley Penner and Susanne Guenther Loewen write of the time,... Read More
September 5, 2018 | Artbeat | Maxwell Kennel
A new book by B.C. pastor and author April Yamasaki, published by Herald Press.
The phrase “take care of yourself” is often heard today, but how to find time to do that in today’s world? For many Christians, the idea of self-care sounds contrary to the... Read More
September 5, 2018 | Artbeat | MennoMedia
Photo courtesy of Silver Lake Mennonite Camp
Ruth-Ann Klassen Shantz has a long history with Silver Lake Mennonite Camp in Sauble Beach, Ont., and a story she has kept long hidden. But earlier this year she shared with the... Read More
August 24, 2018 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
Some church members and the refugee family in their new home in March 2018. Pictured from left to right: Lois Braun, Heritier Munezero, Claudine Uwimpuhwe, Siggi Holzhaeuer, Katherine Morgan, Speciose Nyiramugwaneza, Emmanuel Iranshubije, Gordon Bueckert, Eileen Scharfenberg and Dave Martens. (Photo by Cornie Thiessen)
When Sterling Mennonite Fellowship received an invitation from St. Vital Evangelical Mennonite Church (EMC) to partner in sponsoring a refugee family, it felt like an answer to... Read More
August 22, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Leaders of the Matu-Chin Christian Church in Kitchener, Ont., are accepted into emerging church status in Mennonite Church Eastern Canada on April 28th at the annual regional church gathering. Pictured from left to right: Pastor Thing Sai; Pastor Westerne Joseph of the Assemblée de la Grâce in Montréal; Rothang, auditor; Yaling, treasurer; and Maung Aung, chair. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada already had several Chin congregations in its midst, with all of them having roots in the Hakha-Chin community. Like many languages, though, the... Read More
August 22, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Jennifer Symonds
On the weekend of May 11, Jennifer Symonds, a participant at the Westview Centre4Women, shared her story as part of a conference hosted by the Niagara churches of Mennonite Church... Read More
August 22, 2018 | God at work in Us | Jennifer Symonds
Wilbur Sargunaraj gets the audience up and moving at the Spruce River Folk Festival. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
The Spruce River Folk Festival is held annually at Ray Funk’s farm north of Prince Albert. Mennonite Church Saskatchewan and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Saskatchewan help... Read More
August 22, 2018 | God at work in Us | Donna Schulz
Owen McCausland (tenor), left, tells the story of the Dog from Algiers who saves his master’s life on the battlefield to Larissa Koniuk (soprano), Alexandra Beley (mezzo-soprano), and Keith Lam (baritone), in the new Llandovery Castle Opera, whose music was composed by Stephanie Martin. (Photo courtesy of Will Ford, Llandovery Castle Opera)
Stephanie Martin had often led practises with the Pax Christi Chorale at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Toronto. But during one practice in 2015 she was drawn to a plaque on the... Read More
August 22, 2018 | Artbeat | Dave Rogalsky
Working with enVision Community Living clients like Joanne, centre, profoundly changed Daniel Rempel’s life. (Photo courtesy of Jo-Anne Dalton)
When I was first hired as a disability support worker at enVision Community Living in Steinbach, Man., I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know many people with intellectual... Read More
August 22, 2018 | Young Voices | Daniel Rempel
Madalene Arias is part of a Student Christian Movement committee protesting the Safe Third Country Agreement. (Photo courtesy of Madalene Arias)
Did you know that Canada is a signatory to the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States? It is an agreement based on the idea that both countries are equally safe... Read More
August 22, 2018 | Young Voices | Madalene Arias, with Peter Haresnape
César García, Mennonite World Conference general secretary, second from right, is pictured with, from left to right: Abby Hershberger, program assistant; Thien Tran, IVEP Intern; Katie Garrison, program Associate; and MCC UN office director Doug Hostetter. (MCC United Nations Office photo)
Throughout its history, the people of the Vietnam Mennonite Church have never failed to demonstrate their resilience and their commitment to live out the peaceful way of Christ... Read More
August 20, 2018 | Web First | Thien Phuoc Quang Tran
Inmates in Asuncion’s infamous Tacumbú Prison participate in La Libertad Church, a ministry of the Mennoniten Brüder Gemeinde Concordia in Paraguay. (Photo courtesy of Ignacio Chamorro Ramirez)
“My members are rapists, kidnappers, murders and fraudsters—all washed by the blood of Jesus our Lord,” says Pastor Ignacio Chamorro Ramírez. Chamorro is director of an integrated... Read More
August 16, 2018 | Web First | Karla Braun
MEDA distributes Talking Book devices to share information related to agriculture, gender, nutrition, finance, buyers and suppliers, and other matters that affect Ghanaian farmers. (Photo by Christian Kuder)
Teaching technical information to people who are mostly not literate can pose serious challenges. But if use of books isn’t helpful, Talking Books can get the message across. The... Read More
August 16, 2018 | Web First |
In a cooperative effort, Mennonites at the 2018 European Mennonite Conference packed relief kits for Mennonite Central Committee. (Photo by Claude Nardin)
“We can’t keep our story. We must share.” That is the message Danang Kristiawan brought home after attending the European Mennonite Conference (known by its German acronym MERK),... Read More
August 16, 2018 | Web First |
Cheryl and Mike Nimz have been Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers in the United Kingdom for five years. After itinerating in Canada for two-and-a-half months, they have returned to Birmingham, England, to continue their assignment. (Photo by Donita Wiebe-Neufeld)
Mike and Cheryl Nimz: United Kingdom Mike and Cheryl Nimz do not fit typical missionary scenarios, but neither does their mission field conform to stereotypes. As Mennonite Church... Read More
August 13, 2018 | Web First | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Steve Heinrichs and supporters gather for prayer outside the courthouse in Vancouver during his two-day trial on Aug. 7 and 8, 2018. (Photo by Brad Leitch)
Steve Heinrichs was found guilty of criminal and civil contempt of court in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver on Aug. 8, 2018, and was sentenced to seven days in... Read More
August 10, 2018 | Web First | Amy Rinner Waddell
Members and participants from First Mennonite Church, Kitchener, Ont., pose in front of the memorial wall the congregation has dedicated to the remembrance of loved ones who died at a distance. (Photo by Tom Yoder Neufeld)
Death brings to the fore the cost of having left home. For many at First Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Canada is a home away from home. When death strikes, they cannot be... Read More
August 7, 2018 | Web First | Rebecca Yoder Neufeld
The plaque accompanying the painting reads: ‘“Congregation” by Tom Neufeld, pastor of TUMC, 1976-1979. Presented to CMU by members of Thompson [Man.] United Mennonite Church.’
What do you get when you start a Mennonite church in the middle of nowhere? A community that is still going strong more than 50 years later, even after the church itself has... Read More
August 7, 2018 | Web First | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Anna Dyck, front row centre, was ordained on Sept. 6, 1953, at North Star Mennonite Church in Drake, Sask. Seated beside Dyck are her mother, Suzanna Dyck, and J. J. Thiessen. Standing, from left to right: H. S. Bartel; Paul Schroeder, North Star Mennonite pastor at the time; and Hans Dyck. (Photo courtesy of Grace MacDougall)
At a time when a woman’s sphere of influence was limited to hearth and home, Anna Dyck was making a difference. Dyck spent nearly 40 years of her life as a missionary in Japan... Read More
August 7, 2018 | Web First | Donna Schulz
Eight people respond to the question: “If you could give your 18-year-old self some advice, what would you say?”
At the age of 18, most young people are making the transition from high school to whatever comes next. It’s a formative time with many possibilities. So Canadian Mennonite asked... Read More
August 7, 2018 | Web First | Aaron Epp
Etch Your Own Stone is the follow-up to Sparky and the Plugs’ 2016 eponymous debut album. (Photo by Judith Schulz)
How will people remember you when you die? That’s the question at the heart of “Stone Cutter,” one of the key tracks on Etch Your Own Stone , the new album from Saskatoon... Read More
August 7, 2018 | Web First | Aaron Epp
A memorial to the victims of the July 22, 2018, shooting that killed two and injured 13 on Danforth Ave. in Toronto, Ont. (Photo by Lauren Kong)
Oh God of Love, Maker of human neighbours and neighbourhoods, Hear our prayer from the Danforth, for the Danforth. Hear our cry of anguish and disorientation; Our sidewalk cafes... Read More
July 30, 2018 | Web First | Tim Reimer
Women artists produce angels from shards of glass at the Art and Culture Centre in Bethlehem, West Bank. Thousands of angels have been produced and sold worldwide. (Photo by Albin Hillert/WCC)
Originally, they were made of pieces of broken glass from the rubble an Israeli tank left behind when it slammed into the gift shop at the International Centre of Bethlehem (ICB)... Read More
July 18, 2018 | Web First | Claus Grue
Pastor Westerne Joseph (facing the camera) sits with members of the Assemblée de la Grâce congregation at Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s annual church gathering April 27 and 28, 2018. Assemblée de la Grâce was accepted as an emerging congregation during the gathering. (Photos by Dave Rogalsky)
Westerne Joseph has been in Canada for ten years. The political situation in Haiti meant that he, his wife and their children had to flee, landing in Canada as refugees. In 2010... Read More
July 18, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Ibrahim Nseir, pastor of the National Presbyterian Church of Aleppo in Syria, stands at the site where his church building once stood. In 2015 a new building was erected and the church continues to distribute MCC aid, including comforters and kits. (MCC photo by Emily Loewen)
In the old city of Aleppo, Syria, Rev. Ibrahim Nseir stands on the pile of rubble that used to be his church. The building where his congregation once worshipped is now a pile of... Read More
July 18, 2018 | God at work in the World | Emily Loewen
During an Indigenous theological studies symposium, held in Wolfville, N.S., the presenters sang a traditional Christmas hymn in English while drumming. Many of the audience members sang along. (Photo by Kathy Thiessen)
The 20-or-so Mennonites who attended the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS) symposium were humbled by the grace of their hosts who welcomed them... Read More
July 18, 2018 | God at work in the World | Michelle MacDonald and Michaela Pries-Klassen
Board members of the Edmonton Ten Thousand Villages store met on June 27 to decide whether to contribute $100,000 toward a TTV sustainability plan. The board includes (from left) Adrienne Wiebe, Alexandra Ketchum, Robert Proudfoot, Helen Mc Cabe, Kurt Sawatzky, Ghenette Houston, Phyllis Schneider. Not pictured: Kari Morton and Irma Stickland. (Photo by Donita Wiebe-Neufeld)
On June 27, 2018, supporters of the Edmonton Ten Thousand Villages (TTV) store voted overwhelmingly to grant its board the authority to gift $100,000 to the TTV program of... Read More
July 18, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Around 70 people gather to listen to a panel of speakers at the Circle of Life Thunderbird House in Winnipeg. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Canada has violated the rights of its Indigenous peoples ever since the country was born, from forcing thousands of children into residential schools to disrespecting treaties and... Read More
July 18, 2018 | God at work in the World | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
When ten floral hanging baskets were stolen from the Communitas Supportive Care Society office, the organization responded by creating flowers using materials that were recycled or repurposed. Through creativity, the negative experience was turned into a positive celebration. (Photo courtesy of Communitas Care Society)
In the early summer the staff at Communitas Supportive Care Society arrived at work to discover that someone had stolen the floral hanging baskets from the front of their office... Read More
July 18, 2018 | God at work in the World | Communitas Supportive Care Society
Melita Penner (left) and her daughter, Denelda Fast, cook at Shekinah each summer. (Photo by Craig Friesen)
Every summer Melita Penner and her daughter, Denelda Fast, spend a week cooking for summer camp at Shekinah Retreat Centre, north of Waldheim, Sask. They’ve been doing it for 15... Read More
July 18, 2018 | God at work in Us | Donna Schulz
The publication, named so brilliantly for a tough, adaptable plant that ... could grow almost anywhere Mennonites could and was an important part of Mennonite diets in hard times, and was characterized as “hardy but a bit sour”—the “perfect symbol of Mennonite culture” did not survive the winter of 2017-18. (Photo by Will Braun)
On the edges of Canadian Mennonitism lies a disproportionately rich literary tradition. Or perhaps it lies just beyond the edges of our community. In either case, despite the... Read More
July 18, 2018 | Artbeat | Will Braun
Participants in a children’s musical celebrate their God-given creative talents. Kim Friesen Wiens conducted In the Image by Mark Burrows while Wesley Berg accompanied. (Photo by Michael Buhr)
At a time when many churches and their choirs are dwindling, music teacher Kim Friesen Wiens created something amazing in Edmonton with the potential to help reverse both trends... Read More
July 18, 2018 | Artbeat | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Kaitlyn Janzen (centre) leads the chorus in “O Bless The Lord.” The disciples and chorus used their own names for their characters in RJC’s production. (Photo by Rosthern Junior College)
Every year, as part of homecoming and graduation weekend at Rosthern Junior College, the students present a large-scale musical. This year they performed Godspell by John-Michael... Read More
July 18, 2018 | Artbeat | Rosthern Junior College
I caught this fish with my own hands! (Photo by Sara Wyngaarden)
For the past year, Sara Wyngaarden of Elmira, Ont., has been in India, participating in the Serving and Learning Together program (SALT) of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). This... Read More
July 18, 2018 | Young Voices | Sara Wyngaarden
Larry and Marg Dyck participate in the Grow Hope Niagara project of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. They donate use of the land and farm it with the financial help of urban sponsors. The income generated goes to the hunger relief efforts of Mennonite Central Committee Canada. (Canadian Foodgrains Bank photo)
Fifteen acres of wheat and a good cause—that’s what brought nearly 200 people together in Pembina Crossing, Man., in June 2018. Some drove two hours from Winnipeg, others five... Read More
July 17, 2018 | Web First | Shaylyn McMahon
Small group discussions helped emerging Mennonite theologians reflect on how their studies relate to the church and the world. (Conrad Grebel University College photo)
What surprised me the most at the graduate student conference hosted by the Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre (TMTC) on June 14-16 was the prayer gathering that happened each... Read More
July 17, 2018 | Web First | Hyung Jin (Pablo) Kim Sun
SangMin Lee is believed to be the only Korean Mennonite to choose jail over military service. He was released in July 2015, after serving 15 months of an 18-month sentence. In June 2018, the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled against the practice of imprisoning conscientious objectors. (Mennonite World Conference photo)
The Constitutional Court of Korea brought an end to 70 years of imprisoning conscientious objectors when it ruled June 28 that it is unconstitutional for South Korea not to offer... Read More
July 17, 2018 | Web First | Tim Huber
Henry Paetkau, this year’s speaker at the Ralph and Eileen Lebold Endowment for Leadership Training fundraising banquet, and Eileen Lebold share a quiet moment at the final banquet at Conrad Grebel University College on June 5, 2018. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
The Ralph and Eileen Lebold Endowment for Leadership Training met its goal of $1 million a few years ago, when Mennonite Church Eastern Canada used monies from the Schmidt bequest... Read More
June 27, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Mennonite Church South Korea youth participate in a peace walk in April 2018. (Photo courtesy of Bock Ki Kim)
In her entire life, Hyun Hee Kim never imagined that Donald Trump, president of the United States, and Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea, would one day meet and shake hands. Hyun... Read More
June 27, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Cutting the ribbon at the dedication of Mennonite Disaster Service Canada’s new office on June 15 are: (from left) Harold Friesen (MDS Canada board chair), Ross Penner (director of Canadian operations), Kevin King (MDS executive director), Grace Loeppky (MDS Canada board secretary and volunteer) and Gerald Loeppky (MDS volunteer). (Photo by Kelsey Friesen)
On June 15, 2018, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada hosted a dedication for their new office space located on the second floor of 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. at the Canadian... Read More
June 27, 2018 | God at work in the World | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Sisters Jessica and Samantha Friesen enjoy having their faces painted in the children’s entertainment area at the MCC Alberta relief sale. The sisters are from Abbeydale Christian Fellowship in Calgary. The congregation donated half of the pies needed for the sale and the Friesen family delivered them to Didsbury. (Photo by Donita Wiebe-Neufeld)
The Mennonite Central Committee Relief sale is a more than a fundraiser for Alberta Mennonites, it is an anticipated social event. Creating an atmosphere of fellowship and common... Read More
June 27, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Walter Unger
Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C., is remembering its former president, Walter (Wally) Unger, who died May 9 at the age of 81 in hospice care in Abbotsford. Unger was... Read More
June 27, 2018 | God at work in Us | Amy Rinner Waddell
Steve Heinrichs, holding the microphone, speaks during a panel discussion at the launch of Unsettling the Word: Biblical Experiments in Decolonization at Canadian Mennonite University on May 24. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Mennonite Church Canada recently released Unsettling the Word: Biblical Experiments in Decolonization , the latest of several publications that explore reconciliation and... Read More
June 27, 2018 | Artbeat | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Describing the gospel in seven words ‘gives us something to think about and chew on that I hope will bring us deeper into relationship with our creator,’ Moses Falco writes. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
As part of the discussions at the pastoral care team meetings at the church I pastor, we often talk about what the journey of faith is like. How can we walk with people? What does... Read More
June 27, 2018 | Young Voices | Moses Falco
‘My classmates and I came to CMU as vulnerable newcomers, and . . . we will walk into many more situations that need vulnerable people,’ Jason Friesen says. (Photo courtesy of CMU)
Most of us don’t like to be in vulnerable spaces. The uncertainties of those spaces leave us with butterflies fluttering around in our stomachs. Conceding power is uncomfortable... Read More
June 27, 2018 | Young Voices | Jason Friesen
A Jan Luyken engraving of Anabaptist Dirk Willems saving his captor from drowning, published in Martyrs Mirror, 1685.
A peace exhibit committee has commissioned Manitoba sculptor Peter Sawatzky to build a bronze statue of martyred Anabaptist Dirk Willems. Based on an engraving of Willems, by Jan... Read More
June 26, 2018 | Web First | Abe Warkentin
Mushiya Christine, left, Kayaya Lulula Clementine and Veronique Lumba Misenga take part in a support group for refugee seniors in Durban, South Africa. (MCC photo by Matthew Sawatzky)
There are more than 65 million displaced people worldwide—nearly double the population of Canada. The United Nations says this number is unprecedented and the need for... Read More
June 26, 2018 | Web First | Compiled by Rachel Bergen
MCC holds regular tours of the border between Arizona and Mexico to raise awareness of increasing migrant deaths, militarization, environmental degradation and effects on habitat and sister communities across the border. In this 2015 photo, a Borderlands Learning Tour saw three Romanian migrant women and a baby processed as asylum seekers. (MCC photo by Jorge Vielman)
As the U.S. government increases immigration enforcement, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. has been expanding its legal training, resources and educational opportunities for... Read More
June 26, 2018 | Web First | Linda Espenshade
Henry Paetkau addresses the final Ralph and Eileen Lebold Endowment for Leadership Training fundraising dinner on June 5, 2018, five days after his retirement from Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
May 3, 2018, was Henry Paetkau’s last day in the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada office, but he wasn’t quite done yet. On June 5, he delivered the final address of the Ralph and... Read More
June 25, 2018 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
Ted Swartz receives back the keys from Michelle Milne for her car, taken from her in a deal she didn’t understand. The vignette in the play Discovery: A Comic Lament parallels the taking of Indigenous lands in North America, where the original inhabitants do not control the land. The play was seen by four full houses in Waterloo Region, Ont., from May 31 to June 3, 2018. (Ted & Co. photo by Josh Kraybill/Ted & Co)
The Doctrine of Discovery is based on the Roman Catholic papal bull “Inter caetera.” Issued by Pope Alexander VI on May 4, 1493, it gave all the lands along a meridian west of the... Read More
June 21, 2018 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
The private sponsorship group welcomes Christian and Esperance Manwengwe to Calgary last December. (Photo courtesy of Daria Soltysiak)
There are 23 million refugees around the world, with 1.2 million in need of resettlement outside of their home country or region. In 2017, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) helped... Read More
June 20, 2018 | Web First | Rachel Bergen
Anita Lehmann, left, a resident in the Mennonite Nursing Home’s secure unit, talks with administrator Joan Lemauviel about her ministry to her fellow residents. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
For Anita Lehmann, home is the dementia unit at the Mennonite Nursing Home. But unlike most of the unit’s 29 other residents, Lehmann doesn’t suffer from dementia. When it became... Read More
June 13, 2018 | Focus on Seniors | Donna Schulz
Lindenwood Manor residents Hedy Thiessen, left, and Connie Hamm, right, discuss food preparation with Grade four students from Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary and Middle Schools. (Photo by Lois Litz)
We all have our favourite recipes. There is the tried and true. Or there’s the newly created ones that are fun to test and then turn into classics. One tried and true combination... Read More
June 13, 2018 | Focus on Seniors | Lois Litz
At recent meetings in Limuru, Kenya, the Mennonite World Conference General Council delegates raise orange cards to show consensus. (Photo by Len Rempel)
The mission of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is to create space for the global Anabaptist family to meet together. Much of the time, it is fulfilled virtually, on social media... Read More
June 13, 2018 | God at work in the Church |
A broken cup symbolizing a life shattered by professional sexual misconduct surrounds a whole cup, symbolizing survival from traumatic experience. #ChurchToo resource person David Martin, who has dealt with several cases of clergy sexual abuse as executive minister of MC Eastern Canada, said he has been ‘deeply pained but still profoundly hopeful’ in the process. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
Many troubling issues and questions arise when a Christian leader engages in professional sexual misconduct. At the #ChurchToo conference at Columbia Bible College over two days... Read More
June 13, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Amy Rinner Waddell
Visitors examine the historic Bender Bible, which was returned to Canada 90 years after it left Ontario. Conrad Grebel University College held a ‘homecoming’ event on May 12, 2018, which included the story of how the Bible originally arrived in Upper Canada in 1832. (Photo by D. Michael Hostetler)
On May 12, some 125 people gathered at Conrad Grebel University College for an unusual homecoming celebration—for a Bible. This large, centuries-old book is a part of Ontario... Read More
June 13, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Virginia A. Hostetler
Dan and Erin paint the Repair Café trailer outside the Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church. (Photo by Frank McKinney)
Four years ago, my father Albert Kiang passed away. He was the ultimate Mr. Fix It, whether it was cars, computers or electronics. He was always tinkering away. When he died, the... Read More
June 13, 2018 | God at work in the World | Sandy Yuen
Volunteers Sheila Harder, left, Eileen Flath and Hariette Melin sort through donated produce at the Good Neighbours Food Centre. Whatever isn’t good enough to go into a food hamper will be placed in the food bank’s vermicomposting tower. Nothing is wasted. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
“In my walk with the food bank,” says Wilmer Froese, “I feel like I am putting my faith into action, and doing so in a more deliberate way than I ever have before.” He and his... Read More
June 13, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donna Schulz
Urie A. Bender
For his funeral text, Urie Bender chose the passage from II Corinthians 4:7: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels” (KJV). In his meditation at the funeral, Scott Brubaker-... Read More
June 13, 2018 | God at work in Us | Barb Draper
Documenting his fishing experiences piqued Jay Siemens’ interest in photography. (Photo by Jay Siemens)
Jay Siemens was set to begin photography school in Winnipeg when, three days before classes started, his friend called him with a compelling proposition. “He said, ‘You’ve got to... Read More
June 13, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
‘There’s been a lot of experience and wisdom we’ve been able to tap into,’ Katie Steckly says of the podcast. (Photo by Michelle Reiner)
Two young women from Mennonite Church Canada congregations are the creators of a new podcast about entrepreneurship. Katie Steckly from Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church in... Read More
June 13, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
A Grade 3 class at Hagar Association made signs for International Tolerance Day to promote ethnic and religious tolerance in the region. Hagar is a bilingual MCC-supported school educating 330 Arab and Jewish children from age 1 to Grade 6 in Be’er Sheba, Israel. (Photo courtesy of the Hagar Association)
Walk into Hagar Association, a school in Be’er-Sheva, Israel, and it looks like almost any other school. But if you listen closely, you’ll hear children speaking both Hebrew and... Read More
June 13, 2018 | God at work in the World | Rachel Bergen
Cheryl Woelk is an English-language teacher and peace educator from Saskatchewan, now living in Seoul, South Korea. She co-authored a book designed to build peace in the classroom. (Photos courtesy of Cheryl Woelk)
Transformative. That’s the word Cheryl Woelk uses to describe the impact of language teaching and learning on human relationships. She recently co-authored a book on the subject,... Read More
June 12, 2018 | Web First | Donna Schulz
In 2017, a group of North American travellers on a TourMagination tour of India joined the MCC team in Kolkata for morning devotions. Later in the day, the travellers visited several MCC projects. Whenever possible, TourMagination tour groups connect with MCC staff in countries they are touring. (TourMagination photo)
Recognizing shared values and an overlap between TourMagination travellers and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) donors, the for-profit business and non-profit organization... Read More
June 12, 2018 | Web First |
Speakers at the event, “Behold! I do a new thing: Emerging perspectives in ministry” spoke of their yearning for ecumenical interaction. (CMU photo)
“I wonder whether Jesus’ call for Christian unity isn’t an invitation to focus on what unites rather than divides us, in order to see that everyone brings something valuable to... Read More
June 12, 2018 | Web First | Craig Terlson
Roselyn Rodriguez and Arli Rojas wash Silmarys Rodriguez's hair at Community of Peace Mennonite Church on Isla Margarita. In foreground, Jazmin Tormes waits her turn. (Photo by Linda Shelly)
In the midst of constant inflation and economic uncertainty, Venezuelan Mennonites minister creatively in and through their churches, sharing food and supporting their communities... Read More
June 12, 2018 | Web First | Dani Klotz
The new worship and song collection for Mennonite Church U.S.A. and MC Canada will be called Voices Together . “In early February, more than 900 people responded to a title and... Read More
June 4, 2018 | Web First |
Bluffton University archivist Carrie Phillips holds a copy of the 1748 edition of the Martyrs Mirror, printed in Ephrata, Pa. (Bluffton University photo)
At Bluffton (Ohio) University’s Musselman Library, archivist Carrie Phillips stores seven copies of the 1748 edition of the Ephrata Martyrs Mirror in boxes specially designed to... Read More
May 30, 2018 | Web First |
Above: Donations from congregations and individuals to national and area/regional church bodies. (All dollar figures adjusted to 2018 dollars.)
Often our society relies too much on numbers. In gravitating to quantification we tend to short-circuit the truth, which is nuanced and multilayered. But when it comes to our... Read More
May 30, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Will Braun
Karen Ridd facilitates the Village Game during her workshop at this year’s Red River Heritage Fair at the University of Winnipeg. (Photo courtesy of the Red River Heritage Fair)
“In the Second World War there were over 10,000 loyal Canadians who served Canada without weapons. What were they called?” This is the question Conrad Stoesz has been asking... Read More
May 30, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Map (National Energy Board, 2013)
On April 20, 2018, Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations director was arrested on the West Coast for protesting the proposed Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline... Read More
May 30, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
John Klassen, a Rockway alumnus and board member and Kindred’s finance and compliance chief, right, helps a Rockway student mulch flower beds at Mennonite Central Committee Ontario’s building in Kitchener, where Thrift on Kent is located. (Photo by Jennie Wiebe)
As the presenting partner of this year’s Rockway Mennonite Collegiate Envirathon Servathon, Kindred Credit Union had its staff join 300 students and teachers, who fanned out... Read More
May 30, 2018 | God at work in the World | Christine Rier
Mary Derksen of Abbotsford, B.C., has chronicled the story of her Canadian missionary family serving in Japan in her new book, Rise and Shine! 45 Years in the Land of the Rising Sun. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
Retired missionary Mary Derksen didn’t start out to write a book about the 45 years she and her late husband spent as missionaries in Japan. But she has just completed the story... Read More
May 30, 2018 | Artbeat | Amy Rinner Waddell
Terri Lynn and Thomas Friesen are the founders of the Vine and Table intentional community. (Photo courtesy of Terri Lynn Friesen)
When Thomas and Terri Lynn Friesen met, Terri Lynn was a guest at the Burrow, an intentional community Thomas was living in with eight other young adults. This coming September, a... Read More
May 30, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
No stranger to the stage, Kenzi Jane grew up performing music with her family. (Photo by Lynette Giesbrecht)
If good things come to those who wait, exciting times are ahead for Kenzie Jane. The Winnipeg-based singer-songwriter recently released her debut EP, Love Me From Scratch , more... Read More
May 30, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Around a hundred people gathered at a busy intersection in Winnipeg on May 15, 2018, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Around a hundred people gathered at a busy intersection in Winnipeg on May 15, 2018, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic. The... Read More
May 30, 2018 | God at work in the World | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Palmer Becker gives the address at the 2018 commencement ceremony of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. Also pictured is AMBS president Sara Wenger Shenk. (AMBS photo by Jason Bryant)
Palmer Becker of Kitchener, Ont., told Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary graduates that, as followers of Jesus, they have not only been given a mandate to teach, but also to... Read More
May 29, 2018 | Web First | Annette Brill Bergstresser
“We don’t have the luxury of not seeking peace. Peace has to be built,” asserted Bob Rae, former premier of Ontario, when he addressed guests at the gala celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Peace and Conflict Studies program at Conrad Grebel University College. (Photo by Jennifer Konkle)
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), on April 20 Conrad Grebel University College hosted a sold-out gala dinner featuring Bob Rae, a former... Read More
May 29, 2018 | Web First | Jennifer Konkle
Canadian Foodgrains Bank is inviting Canadians to join Christians around the world in a Global Day of Prayer to End Famine on June 10. The call for this day of prayer comes from... Read More
May 29, 2018 | Web First | Amanda Thorsteinsson
Gaza, 2015. (Photo from Pixabay.com)
The following letter was drafted by representatives of the Mennonite Church Canada network of regional working groups on Palestine and Israel, and sent to Prime Minister Justin... Read More
May 16, 2018 | God at work in the World | Mennonite Church Canada
Nick Brandt, front row second from right, with his family in happier times. (Photo courtesy of the Brandt family)
No one saw it coming. Not family, not friends, not anyone at the university he attended. On March 23, 2018, after babysitting his nieces and nephews, 18-year-old Nicholas (Nick)... Read More
May 16, 2018 | Focus on Mental Health | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
RJC students writing final exams in the school’s chapel. The pressure of assignments and exams is among the many stresses that can lead to mental health issues for some students. (Photo by Bev Epp)
Are more students struggling with mental health issues these days, or are they just better able to articulate their struggles than students once were? Jim Epp doesn’t know the... Read More
May 16, 2018 | Focus on Mental Health | Donna Schulz
Adriel Brandt reads his poem “The Crow” at the May 3, 2018, “Art and Poetry for Mental Health” reception in Abbotsford. In the background is the photograph by Dale Klippenstein (sitting behind Brandt) accompanying the work. Communitas Supportive Care Society sponsored the art exhibit, focusing on mental health issues. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
Depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and eating disorders may not sound like subjects for art, but a recent exhibit at the Reach gallery proved that art is a powerful medium for... Read More
May 16, 2018 | Focus on Mental Health | Amy Rinner Waddell
Signs outside the sanctuary of Charleswood Mennonite Church, where the Resilience Road retreat was held. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Society is witnessing mental health struggles increase at an alarming rate, and the push for women’s voices to be heard grows stronger. At the same time, Mennonite Women Manitoba... Read More
May 16, 2018 | Focus on Mental Health | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Ellen Kim and Nick Hamm take part in an Anabaptist Learning Workshop exercise led by coordinator Matthew Bailey-Dyck at the 31st annual MC Eastern Canada church gathering at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ont. The purpose of the exercise was to write and draw together, and then reflect on the experience. (Photo Dave Rogalsky)
The theme of this year’s Mennonite Church Eastern Canada annual church gathering—stated in the headline—had many facets, both inspiring and challenging, for those gathered at... Read More
May 16, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Naim Ateek speaks to an audience at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and his new book on Palestinian liberation theology. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
“We have to begin by crying out for justice. You build peace on justice.” Naim Ateek uttered this plea on April 25 2018, before more than 150 people gathered at Canadian Mennonite... Read More
May 16, 2018 | God at work in the World | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Members of the Assemblée de la Grâce and the Matu-Chin Christian Church are welcomed into emerging church membership by Brian Bauman, mission minister, at the 31st Mennonite Church Eastern Canada annual church gathering. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Two new congregations were welcomed into emerging membership during Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s annual church gathering at Redeemer College on April 27 and 28, 2018. • The... Read More
May 16, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
David MacGregor, a Grade 11 student in Alan Sapp’s drama class, performs his version of ‘The Shoes.’ Multiple performances were offered by different students, each one a different interpretation using only the same pair of boots. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Karen Scott Booth, head of Rockway Mennonite Collegiate’s Grade 10-12 visual arts program, exudes pride in the work of her students. “Mirage: An exhibition of visual art,” held at... Read More
May 16, 2018 | Artbeat | Dave Rogalsky
‘As I encountered contradictions to my teenage understanding of faith, yoga offered a contemplative approach to spirituality,’ Sarah Steiner writes. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
For many years the church provided me with a place where I felt like I belonged. I was 14 years old when I “decided” to get baptized. Coming from a Mennonite/Anabaptist background... Read More
May 16, 2018 | Young Voices | Sarah Steiner
Jacquelyn Janzen is one of two representatives appointed by Mennonite Church Saskatchewan to sit on Mennonite Church Canada’s Joint Council. (Photo courtesy of Jacquelyn Janzen)
When someone suggested to Jacquelyn Janzen that she get involved with the new Joint Council of Mennonite Church Canada, she knew it was something she wanted to do. “Being involved... Read More
May 16, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Three issues of Canadian Mennonite received a Canadian Church Press award in the category General Excellence-Magazine. The magazine also received four other awards for content published in 2017.
Canadian Mennonite editors Virginia A. Hostetler and Ross W. Muir were present at the Canadian Church Press (CCP) convention and awards banquet in Hamilton on May 4, and came away... Read More
May 15, 2018 | Web First | Ross W. Muir
Kenyan children perform a poem, with song and dance at Renewal 2027 at Kisumu, Kenya. The Mennonite World Conference event focused on the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. (Photo by Len Rempel)
As a local band played “You are the most high God,” international guests from the global Anabaptist family swayed and sang at this year’s Renewal 2027, “The Holy Spirit... Read More
May 15, 2018 | Web First |
Palmer Becker
Palmer Becker of Kitchener, Ont., a long-time church leader, pastor, missionary, church planter, author and educator, was named the recipient of the 2018 Anabaptist Mennonite... Read More
May 15, 2018 | Web First |
MCC Canada board member David Chow grew up believing that the current state of Israel is a continuation of the biblical people of Israel, and that building up the state of Israel is a sign that Jesus is returning. Chow visited the West Bank with other members of MCC’s board in September and October of 2016. The learning tour shifted his perspective on the region and what the kingdom of God looks like. (MCC photo)
David Chow recalls sitting in Sunday school as a child and learning about what the nation of Israel meant for Christians in a traditional Christian Missionary Alliance... Read More
May 14, 2018 | Web First | Rachel Bergen
Willard Metzger has served as executive director of Mennonite Church Canada since 2010. He will be completing his service at the end of 2018. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
After careful consideration and prayer during meetings in Toronto on May 5 and 6, the Joint Council of Mennonite Church Canada discerned with executive director Willard Metzger... Read More
May 8, 2018 | Web First |
Mary and Emery Ens, at the pulpit, reflect on life in the old Zoar Mennonite Church building in Langham, Sask. Sheila Wiens Neufeld is seated at the piano and Valerie Wiebe is standing beside the piano. (Photo courtesy of Zoar Mennonite Church)
“We celebrated 108 years of life in that building,” said Ed Bueckert, referring to Zoar Mennonite Church’s sanctuary in Langham, which faces imminent closure. About 110 members,... Read More
May 2, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donna Schulz
Fresno Pacific University professor Tim Geddert, right, gives a presentation on Reading the Bible Together at a seminar for Mennonite Church B.C. leaders and congregants at Level Ground Church in Abbotsford on April 14, 2018. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
Scripture and community were the focus when Mennonite Church B.C. members gathered at Level Ground Mennonite Church in Abbotsford on April 14, 2018, for Reading the Bible Together... Read More
May 2, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Amy Rinner Waddell
Ben Pauls of Zoar Mennonite in Waldheim, Sask., leads an ensemble of 15 singers from a number of MC Saskatchewan congregations during a joint worship service at Muskeg Lake Cree Nation on April 22, 2018. (Photo by Jason Gooding)
Music continues to be the catalyst for growth in the relationship between Mennonite Church Saskatchewan and its Indigenous neighbours. On Earth Day, April 22, 2018, Mennonites and... Read More
May 2, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donna Schulz
The Heppner Mueller family with their waste from 2017. Pictured from left to right: Kaija, Aria, Connie, Rick and their dog Juno. (Photo courtesy of Connie Heppner Mueller)
People hear every day about garbage mountains growing, icebergs melting and species going extinct. With every plastic bag and old cell phone people throw away, they are... Read More
May 2, 2018 | God at work in the World | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Kenyan farmer Mary Mutua uses conservation agriculture principles promoted by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Her fields are healthier and more advanced than neighbouring crops. These methods are a way to increase resilience to climate change. (Canadian Foodgrains Bank photo by Valerie Gwinner)
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank walks a fine line on climate and walks it well. A recent and rare slip demonstrated the tensions it, like the rest of us, must navigate. The Hill... Read More
May 2, 2018 | God at work in the World | Will Braun
Kara Carter, pastor of Wellesley Mennonite Church, left, stands with Christa Gerber, chair of Wellesley and Community Food Cupboard Committee and of the Wellesley Mennonite Church Mission Committee. (Wellesley Mennonite Church photo)
Four years ago, while part of a missional leadership group, Kara Carter, pastor of Wellesley Mennonite Church, received news from the local school parents advisory group that... Read More
May 2, 2018 | God at work in the World | Dave Rogalsky
Only in the last decade has the extent of Canada’s mistreatment of its Indigenous peoples been widely recognized. The most horrific example of this mistreatment was the... Read More
May 2, 2018 | Artbeat | Vic Thiessen
Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe and Erin Froese ‘yarn-bombed’ a tree on CMU’s campus as part of a project exploring ecofeminism. (Photo courtesy of Erin Froese)
Most upper-level university classes end with a final essay, not a photography project, prayerful meditations or a “yarn-bombed” tree. Sheila Klassen-Wiebe, however, took the road... Read More
May 2, 2018 | Young Voices | Rachel Bergen
Representatives from a variety of faiths gathered in Vancouver in March for Celebrating Our Diversity Now, an interfaith dialogue. (Armenian Diocese of Canada photo)
This past March, I participated in an interfaith dialogue for young people in Vancouver, hosted by the Armenian Diocese of Canada. The week-long event, entitled Celebrating Our... Read More
May 2, 2018 | Young Voices | Annika Krause
Pastor Bhagan Chaunde reads Scripture at the Surunga Church inauguration service before the ribbon cutting. (Photo by Henk Stenvers)
In 2000, the Brethren in Christ (BIC) church board of Nepal sent Bhagan Chaunde to Surunga, Jhapa, Nepal, to plant churches. The passionate evangelist shared the gospel and... Read More
May 1, 2018 | Web First |
The ceremonial ribbon cutting at the April 13, 2018, grand opening of the Centre for Resilience at CMU. From left to right: Heather Stephanson, Manitoba’s minister of justice and attorney general; Cheryl Pauls, CMU’s president; Ian Wishart, Manitoba’s education and training minister; Doug Eyonlfson, MP for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley; and James Magnus-Johnston, director of the Centre for Resilience. (Canadian Mennonite University photo)
Faculty, students and staff celebrated the grand opening of the $1.7-million Centre for Resilience (CFR)—a co-working lab that will incubate and nurture social enterprises—on... Read More
May 1, 2018 | Web First |
Allan Rudy-Froese, AMBS Associate Professor of Christian Proclamation, leads an orientation session for incoming students in the Chapel of the Sermon on the Mount in August 2017. (AMBS photo)
In North American Mennonite theological education, a regional focus is emerging, as students prefer to access seminary education closer to home. Uprooting families and finding... Read More
May 1, 2018 | Web First |
Fatumo, left, and Sahro, right, (last names are not used for security reasons) are just a few of the children who received MCC school kits at a distribution in Kismayo, Somalia. Lutheran World Federation, an MCC partner, provided the school kits to displaced and refugee children who are returning home to Somalia. (Photo courtesy of Lutheran World Federation)
Many Somali refugee families returning home after years in refugee camps lack basic items, like blankets and school supplies. In the summer of 2017, Mennonite Central Committee (... Read More
May 1, 2018 | Web First | Rachel Bergen
Steve Heinrichs, Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations coordinator, is pictured while being arrested on criminal and civil charges for contempt of the order and injunction by the B.C. Supreme Court during a protest of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline by religious leaders in Burnaby, B.C., on April 20, 2018. (Photo by Jennifer Osborne)
Three Mennonites were among the faith leaders who blockaded the entrance to Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, B.C. for several hours on April 20, protesting the planned... Read More
April 23, 2018 | Web First | Amy Dueckman and Ross W. Muir
Berzegin Yimam stands in front of the protected hill outside of Lalibela, Ethiopia. She is a member of the local committee responsible for protecting the hillside. Since restoring the hillside, the community has seen many benefits, including more reliable water springs and new plants that can be used to make organic pesticide. (Photo by Stefan Epp-Koop)
Two hills, sitting side by side in a valley outside of Lalibela, Ethiopia, have a story to tell. One hill is brown, its vegetation stripped away by livestock and deforestation... Read More
April 20, 2018 | Web First | Stefan Epp-Koop
Volunteers raise the first of four timber frame bents into position. By the fall of 2019, five others like this one will be in place. (Shekinah Retreat Centre photo)
Shekinah Retreat Centre recently launched an exciting new building project. The first of six planned timber-frame cabins took shape at the Mennonite Church Saskatchewan camp... Read More
April 18, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donna Schulz
Wendy Dueck and Rosanna Kwan engage in full-body exercises. (Photo by Megan Klassen-Wiebe)
A ladder made of masking tape sticks to the floor of the foyer of Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg. It’s not a typical sight in a worship space. Yet every Tuesday and... Read More
April 18, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Participants at the 2017 B.C. Women’s Day gather to chat outside. Changing times and perspectives on women’s ministry have put the future of the annual gathering in doubt. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
Mennonite women in British Columbia have been coming together each spring since 1939 for Women’s Inspirational Day, a time of spiritual encouragement and fellowship. But as the... Read More
April 18, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Amy Rinner Waddell
Top: Allan Rudy-Froese, left, associate professor of Christian proclamation at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., leads Pastors in Exile preachers and leaders—Tamara Shantz and Jessica Ressor-Rempel, as well as Benjamin Weber, Kim Rempel and Caleb Redekop in an exercise to feel their mouths.
Bottom: Allan Rudy-Froese, left, leads the Pastors in Exile preachers Benjamin Weber, Emily Hunsberger, Jennifer Regehr, Sylvia Hook and Katherine Matthies—in an exercise to get into the biblical text physically. (Photos by Dave Rogalsky)
Hands on his stomach, Allan Rudy-Froese walked a group of young preachers through exercises designed to make them feel at home and centred in their bodies by learning to recognize... Read More
April 18, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Brenda Tiessen-Wiens, left, and Margaret Kruger-Harder, right, represent Mennonite Church Alberta on the Joint Council of Mennonite Church Canada.
At Mennonite Church Alberta’s annual delegate sessions in March 2018, Brenda Tiessen-Wiens and Margaret Kruger-Harder were appointed to represent the regional church on MC Canada’... Read More
April 18, 2018 | God at work in the Church |
MCC’s rePurpose Centre opened in March 2018. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Volunteers who work at any of the many Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) thrift stores know the sorrow of unsold goods: clothing that hangs around for more than a month or dishes... Read More
April 18, 2018 | God at work in the World | Dave Rogalsky
Esther Kern (Photo by Murray Lumley)
Esther Kern, a former Canada coordinator of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), received the Muriel Duckworth Award for Peace Activism at the Voice of Women for Peace International... Read More
April 18, 2018 | God at work in Us | Murray Lumley
Around 10 women and female-identifying people meet weekly at Erb Street Mennonite Church in Waterloo, Ont., for Feminist Bible Study, an initiative supported by Pastors in Exile. (Photo by Jessica Reesor Rempel)
Around 10 women and female-identifying people sit in a circle at Erb Street Mennonite Church in Waterloo, every week, drinking tea and discussing biblical texts through a feminist... Read More
April 18, 2018 | Young Voices | Rachel Bergen
Grace Kang has made art since she was a child. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
Grace Kang can’t remember a time when she wasn’t making art. As a child, “I was always drawing, I was always writing stories,” the 22-year-old says. When she learned that art is... Read More
April 18, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Agnès Ntumba, second from right in a blue shirt, and her family share a pot of beans that she made from supplies that were part of a food distribution she received earlier that day. (MCC photo by Mulanda Jimmy Juma)
Agnès Ntumba remembers the day her husband and seven children fled the violence that took over their village in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. “I saw people... Read More
April 16, 2018 | Web First | Rachel Bergen and Linda Espenshade
Jason Martin, Mennonite Church Canada director of International Witness, left, International Witness worker Joji Pantoja, and Norm Dyck, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada mission engagement minister, pose at the MC Eastern Canada office in Kitchener, Ont., where Pantoja spoke on April 4, 2018. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Joji Pantoja and her husband Dann serve in the Philippines as Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers. Following the September 11, 2001, attack in New York City, Dann in... Read More
April 16, 2018 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
Youth program planners for the European Mennonite Conference come from nations including France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain. (Photo by Max Wiedmer)
European Mennonites gather every six years for worship and fellowship. This spring, the European Mennonite Conference will be the most diverse gathering yet. Organizers anticipate... Read More
April 16, 2018 | Web First | Tim Huber and Mennonite World Review
People converse at a dialogue organized by the Anabaptist Network in South Africa in Cape Town. (Photo by Andrew Suderman)
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) member churches around the world act out of the belief that the Spirit of Jesus empowers them to become peacemakers who renounce violence, love... Read More
April 16, 2018 | Web First |
The Humboldt Broncos hockey team lost 10 of its players, its coach and assistant coach in the fatal April 7, 2018, collision. (Humboldt Broncos/Twitter)
The horrific collision that claimed the lives of 15 people, most of whom were players and coaches with the Humboldt Broncos hockey team, had several Mennonite connections. The... Read More
April 10, 2018 | Web First | Donna Schulz
J. Ron Byler, left, and Rick Cober Bauman, centre, play games with children from the orphanage run by the Syrian Orthodox Church in Homs, Syria. (MCC photo by Emily Loewen)
“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (I Cor. 12:26). In February, we were part of a Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) delegation to Syria, including Damascus, Homs... Read More
April 9, 2018 | Web First | J. Ron Byler and Rick Cober Bauman
Waldemar Janzen is the author of Growing Up in Turbulent Times.
At the age of 85, I am probably one of the few survivors of the German occupation of Ukraine/Russia from 1941 to 1943 who still have clear personal memories of that time. When the... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Focus On Books & Resources | Waldemar Janzen
Art on the separation wall on the edge of Bethlehem. The wall is a place of protest and resistance, and a tourist attraction. (Photo by Byron and Melita Rempel-Burkholder)
Christians in the land where Christianity started have asked sisters and brothers around the world for help. In response to these pleas from Palestinian churches—with whom... Read More
April 4, 2018 | God at work in the World | Will Braun
Reece Friesen engages children at Crossroads Community Church’s day camp with storytelling on a ‘medieval adventures’ theme. (Photo by Greg Duerksen)
Spring break comes and students are home from school. What are parents to do to keep them occupied? Crossroads Community Church of Chilliwack, a Mennonite Church B.C. congregation... Read More
April 4, 2018 | God at work in the World | Amy Rinner Waddell
As depicted in Wavelength Entertainment’s series, Bridging Borders, a group of friends from Saskatoon’s Nutana neighbourhood sponsors a family from Sudan. Sponsors and newcomers quickly become friends. (Bridging Borders Facebook page)
A new television documentary series featuring the work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Saskatchewan is currently airing on City-Saskatchewan TV. Bridging Borders is a six-... Read More
April 4, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donna Schulz
Ryan Siemens, left, and Tim Wiebe-Neufeld, executive ministers for Mennonite Church Saskatchewan and Alberta, respectively, exchanged visits to each other’s annual assemblies to support and encourage the work of collaboration between regions in the new MC Canada structure. Siemens is wearing a Saskatchewan Roughrider jersey purchased for him by a spontaneous collection at a Saskatchewan gathering. Wiebe-Neufeld, not wanting to take any sides in a Calgary/Edmonton rivalry, diplomatically borrowed a Lethbridge Hurricanes uniform to represent Alberta in the photo op! (Photo by Donita Wiebe-Neufeld)
At the last minute, Lethbridge Mennonite Church had to scramble to host the 2018 Mennonite Church Alberta delegate assembly. Already working hard to finish entrance and meeting... Read More
April 4, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
Life at the End of Us Versus Them is an unconventional critique of the postmodern world from the perspective of a youngish father who lives off the land. Part theologian, part... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Focus On Books & Resources | Barb Draper
Theology, Spirituality I Corinthians: Believers Church Bible Commentary . Dan Nighswander. Herald Press, 2017, 403 pages. Like other commentary writers in this series, Nighswander... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Focus On Books & Resources | Barb Draper
Some years ago, in the book The Body and the Blood , reporter Charles Sennott of the Boston Globe lamented the Middle East’s vanishing Christian population, many leaving because... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Focus On Books & Resources | Harold Jantz
Paul Dueck and Darryl Neustaedter Barg lead singing at the new worship and song collection fundraiser held at Douglas Mennonite Church in Winnipeg earlier this year. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Music is an integral part of Mennonite worship. Whether it’s in church, at camp, at school or in everyday activities, songs have been faithful companions to Mennonites for... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Artbeat | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Six members of the Resonate team sample past selections from Sing the Story as they choose songs for the new Mennonite collection to be published in 2020. The team met in February at Camp Friedenswald in Michigan. Pictured from left to right: Tom Harder, SaeJin Lee, Cynthia Neufeld Smith, Darryl Neustaedter Barg, Allan Rudy-Froese and project director Bradley Kauffman. (Resonate photo)
The work of the Mennonite Worship and Song Committee is slow and joyful and involves a lot of singing. The 14-person committee, working as the “Resonate Team,” sang and processed... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Web First | MennoMedia
‘I understand God through inspiration,’ says writer Johnny Wideman of Stouffville, Ont. (Photo courtesy of Johnny Wideman)
Most people know Johnny Wideman as a playwright and the artistic director for Theatre of the Beat, the social justice-oriented troupe behind plays like This Will Lead to Dancing... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
James DeGurse attends Holy Cross Roman Catholic Parish in Winnipeg. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
It’s not every day you meet a Mennonite whose faith journey has led him to the Catholic church, but that’s James DeGurse’s story. Baptized as an infant in the Anglican church,... Read More
April 4, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Participants at the Francophone Mennonite Network meet in Ivory Coast to discuss plans for the new Justice and Peace Training Centre: Anabaptist Seminary. The Network is a ministry of Mennonite World Conference. (Photo provided)
A shortage of French-language Anabaptist literature and training motivated 21 participants from eight countries on three continents to gather in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sept. 27-29... Read More
April 3, 2018 | Web First | Lynda Hollinger-Janzen
MCC supports a community school program at a girls’ hostel run by Lee Memorial Mission in Kolkata, India. Pictured are students Priya Biswas, foreground left, and Srilekha Das. (MCC photo by Dave Klassen)
This year, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is celebrating 75 years of relief, development and peace work in India, making it one of the oldest international aid organizations in... Read More
April 3, 2018 | Web First | Rachel Bergen
David Weaver-Zercher visits with Marlene Epp, dean of Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ont., at the 2018 Bechtel Lectures, held on March 1 and 2. The theme this year about how Mennonite stories, old and new, are used in the media and church. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
The two nights of the 2018 Bechtel Lectures at Conrad Grebel University College were connected by David Weaver-Zercher and focussed on Mennonite stories and how they are used in... Read More
April 3, 2018 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
Donna Slobodzian of Springstein Mennonite Church was one of many delegates and attendees at this year’s Mennonite Church Manitoba annual delegate gathering in Winnipeg to rank the seven priorities for the regional church. (Photo by Darryl Neustaedter Barg)
“Is God still in the business of breaking into people’s lives? Is God still messing with us?” asked Brian Bauman during the opening worship service at Mennonite Church Manitoba’s... Read More
March 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Friends or foes? Visiting regional church executive ministers Tim Wiebe-Neufeld (MC Alberta) and David Martin (MC Eastern Canada) are part of a band of robbers attacking an innocent traveller, played by Ben Martens Bartel, during a dramatic reading of Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan. (Photo by Donna Schulz)
Deepening. The word resonated throughout Mennonite Church Saskatchewan’s 2018 annual delegate sessions. While a budget and elections were most definitely on the table, delegates... Read More
March 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donna Schulz
Mural of Oscar Romero, in this case with Rutilio Grande, are common in El Salvador. (Photo by Will Braun)
I find the Catholic process of declaring saints un-Anabaptist and weird—especially the part about verifying miracles–but the Vatican’s latest candidate for sainthood is someone... Read More
March 21, 2018 | God at work in Us | Will Braun
Don E. Saliers, right, discusses his 2018 Rodney and Lorna Sawatzky Visiting Scholar Lecture, ‘Psalms in a difficult time: Rhythms of lament and doxology,’ with Glenn Brubacher, a retired pastor and counsellor, on Feb. 15 at Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
What do we do with Psalm 137? While “Sing us one of your songs of Zion” (verse 3) rings in Christian minds as a sign of deep grief, the accompanying “Happy shall they be who take... Read More
March 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Paper bead and found materials walk across the table, or form birds that will talk. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Talking birds, paper and rose petal beads, walking jewellery, found-art sculptures. With these and other works, Carolyn Good’s recent show at the WalterFedy-Architecture,... Read More
March 21, 2018 | Artbeat | Dave Rogalsky
Oscar Romero was the Archbishop of San Salvador, head of the Catholic Church in El Salvador from 1977 to 1980, when he was assassinated. (commons.wikimedia.org photo)
This online supplement accompanies the viewpoint, “ Evangelical social justice ,” about Archbishop Oscar Romero, in which Will Braun considers Romero’s message for Mennonites... Read More
March 21, 2018 | Web First | Will Braun
‘Death and Life.’ A stump rotting away at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp speaks of a life well lived and a death creating new life. (Photo by Canadian Mennonite)
Annemarie Rogalsky, a member of First Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ont., had a solo show of her landscapes at the Minto Gallery in Harriston during the month of February. Of her... Read More
March 21, 2018 | Artbeat | Canadian Mennonite
Jeremy Hamm and Jess Reimer have been playing music together for more than 15 years. (YouTube photo)
Jess Reimer recalls the first time a friend told her about Jeremy Hamm, the man who would become her musical partner and husband. “I remember being excited there was a guy who... Read More
March 21, 2018 | Artbeat | Aaron Epp
Jessica Reesor Rempel co-founded Pastors in Exile in 2015. (Photo by John Rempel)
Jessica Reesor Rempel enjoys bringing people together and helping them find meaning. She recalls an incident just before Christmas a few years ago, when she was thinking about... Read More
March 21, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Josh Heida first began editing films as a high school student in Kenora, Ont. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
When The Fantasy Makers , a new documentary, premiered at Winnipeg’s Real to Reel Film Festival last month, the credits included the name of a young Canadian Mennonite University... Read More
March 21, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
The boards of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada and U.S. have approved the possibility of exceptions to the “lifestyle expectations” for some MCC personnel, although those... Read More
March 20, 2018 | Web First | By Tim Huber and Mennonite World Review
Doris Bergen of the University of Toronto delivers the keynote address, “Neighbours, killers, enablers, witnesses: The many roles of Mennonites in the Holocaust,” at the Mennonites and the Holocaust conference held on March 16 and 17, 2018, at Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. (Bethel College photo by Vada Snider)
In 2004, Joachim Wieler of Weimar, Germany, opened a small wooden box he inherited after his mother’s death. To his surprise and horror, it contained letters his late father wrote... Read More
March 20, 2018 | Web First | By Paul Schrag and Mennonite World Review
Members of the Anglican Church of Canada-Mennonite Church Canada dialogue at their first meeting at Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ont., on Feb. 2 and 3, 2018. The dialogue was co-chaired by Melissa Miller front row centre, intentional interim pastor of Home Street Mennonite Church in Winnipeg and CM’s Family Ties columnist, and Scott Sharman, back row right, an Anglican Church of Canada staff person. (Photo courtesy of Scott Sharman)
As the Anglican Church of Canada has increasingly found itself on the margins of power in Canadian society, it decided to reach out to a group of fellow Christians that has long... Read More
March 20, 2018 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
Daily opportunities for worship are an integral part of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary’s annual Pastors and Leaders Conference. Pictured, members of the seminary learning community lead participants in worship on Feb. 27, 2018. (AMBS photo by Jason Bryant)
With contentiousness and fracturing in the body of believers, and hostility and injustice all around, these are difficult days for church leaders, who are supposed to provide... Read More
March 20, 2018 | Web First | By Rich Preheim
Betty Pries, resource person at the 2018 MC B.C. annual gathering, notes issues of unity and disunity identified by delegates in a session on addressing discord in the church. (Photo by Amy Dueckman)
Hearing and respecting one another in the face of potential conflict was emphasized when Mennonite Church British Columbia met at Eden Mennonite Church on Feb. 24 for the regional... Read More
March 7, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Amy Rinner Waddell
A group photo and journal from the Mennonite Heritage Archives.
“This is our collective memory,” says Conrad Stoesz, gesturing to a long hallway filled with row upon row of shelves, packed with files and boxes. Stoesz is the archivist at the... Read More
March 7, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Teammates Stiven Castro and Jose David Lopez Herrara face off during soccer practice in Cali, Colombia. Offering soccer camp for youth who want to be professionals provides an opportunity to share Christ and to give purpose to youth living in areas where gangs and violence are prevalent. (MCC photo by Colin Vandenberg)
When Sigifredo Godoy talks about living out his faith, he’s talking sweat and strategy—the commitment, knowledge and skills that shaped him as a professional soccer player. That’s... Read More
March 7, 2018 | God at work in the World | Marla Pierson Lester
Seminar participants and Mennonite Central Committee staff gather in front of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. (Photo by Nadia García)
Right before winter reading break, 30 university students from across Canada gathered in Ottawa to learn about the current conflict in Palestine and Israel at a seminar hosted by... Read More
March 7, 2018 | God at work in the World | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
A Forced to Flee game card presents players the same options refugees face on a daily basis, with the goal of creating empathy and countering the idea of ‘illegal’ border crossings. (Photo by Amanda Thorsteinsson)
People in your country are angry at the government. They gather to protest peacefully, and the government responds by opening fire on the protesters. The occasional bomb goes off... Read More
March 7, 2018 | God at work in the World | Amanda Thorsteinsson
Esther Patkau would likely not have considered herself a remarkable woman, yet she lived a remarkable life. Born on Aug. 23, 1927, near Hanley, Sask., she knew at the tender age... Read More
March 7, 2018 | God at work in Us | Donna Schulz
The documentary "Seven Points on Earth," features Mennonite farmers around the world.
Seven Points on Earth , Paul Plett’s documentary about Mennonite farmers around the world, premiered at Winnipeg’s Real to Reel Film Festival on Feb. 21, 2018. The hour-long film... Read More
March 7, 2018 | Artbeat | Vic Thiessen
An accomplished singer, guitarist and fiddler, Sadie Gustafson-Zook is currently pursuing a master’s degree in jazz voice. (Photo by Olivia Copsey)
Born in Portland, Ore., and raised in Goshen, Ind., singer-songwriter Sadie Gustafson-Zook is currently pursuing a master’s degree in jazz voice at Longy School of Music in... Read More
March 7, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
The new fellowship is named in honour of the late Paul Toews, who was the resident historian of the Mennonite Heritage Cruise that took thousands of Mennonite “pilgrims” on a journey back to Ukraine. (Photo courtesy of University of Winnipeg)
In the 1930s, thousands of Mennonites disappeared in the Soviet Union without a trace. The KGB archives in Ukraine has thousands of files on these missing Mennonites, and a newly... Read More
March 6, 2018 | Web First |
It the city of Kikwit, Congolese survivors of violence talk with MWC Deacon Commission chair Siaka Traoré of Ivory Coast, foreground left, and Daniel Geiser of Switzerland, centre. (Photo by J. Nelson Kraybill)
Loving the generous people of the Democratic Republic of Congo is not difficult, but evil happening in the rural Kasai region of that lush country is hard to comprehend. In... Read More
March 6, 2018 | Web First | J. Nelson Kraybill
Donald B. Kraybill is the author of the award-winning book, The Upside-Down Kingdom.
In Donald B. Kraybill’s The Upside-Down Kingdom , Jesus is slightly irreverent. He critiques the rich, scorches nationalism, redefines Old Testament law, and undercuts the... Read More
March 6, 2018 | Web First |
Young musicians practice during the Ontario Mennonite Music Camp. From left to right are Anna Tyas-Petrik, Hallelujah Tezera, Aidan Morton-Ninomiya, Isabelle Netherton, and Jayden Liu. (Photo courtesy of OMMC)
When the idea of the Ontario Mennonite Music Camp (OMMC) was pitched to me at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, I was immediately excited. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I got... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Web First | Aidan Morton-Ninomiya
Transition plans, storytelling and navigating change were all part of the Jan. 27-28, 2018, weekend when the Mennonite Church Canada Joint Council convened at Peace Mennonite... Read More
February 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Amy Rinner Waddell
Authors Joy Kogawa and Rudy Wiebe speak of their ethnic histories at the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta's Fall 2017 meeting in Lethbridge. (Photo by Dave Toews) What... Read More
February 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Marie Moyer
The numerous staff changes at Mennonite Church Eastern Canada in the last year have been coming for a long time. Top (from left to right): David Martin, Henry Paetkau, Al Rempel,... Read More
February 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Participants at Saskatchewan Mennonite Youth Organization's senior high retreat enjoy hot chocolate around the campfire. (Photo by Katie Reimer-Wiebe)
Saskatchewan Mennonite Youth Organization retreats are an annual highlight, and the senior-high retreat held at Shekinah Retreat Centre has been an opportunity for youth to... Read More
February 21, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Katie Reimer-Wiebe
Brandon Leis makes music at an outdoor camp service with his daughter Madeline. (Photo courtesy of Brandon Leis)
Marie Penner from Toronto United Mennonite Church had a dream of a camp that would develop the musical talents of young Mennonites in Ontario. Penner remembers going to the Inter-... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Focus on camping | Dave Rogalsky
Anna Kuepfer (aka Teka) is pictured in her role as Hidden Acres' environmental services coordinator. (Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp photo)
Donning my biology lab coat and goggles, I push through the bustling crowd of eager campers who are anxiously waiting to sing for their lunchtime mail delivery, and I raise my... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Focus on camping | Anna Kuepfer
When I was 5, my parents dropped me off for a week of camp at Silver Lake, near Sauble Beach, Ont. I was terrified. When they were trying to say their goodbyes, I would not let... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Focus on camping | Ruth Charette
Janet Peters, right, the associate program director for MC Manitoba's Camps with Meaning, is pictured with an adult camper. (Camps with Meaning photo)
A young girl pretends she is an expert equestrian. Slightly older, she learns the difference between a J-stroke and a C-stroke. Later, as a counsellor, she races through pouring... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Focus on camping | Janet Peters
Campers pose with assistant wrangler Janelle Martens, holding the horse, at the Youth Farm Bible Camp. (Photo courtesy of Cheralyne Gibson)
Many summer camps offer horseback riding as part of their overall programming. The Youth Farm Bible Camp is developing its summer horse program into a year-round ministry. The... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Focus on camping | Donna Schulz
Johnny Wideman of Theatre of the Beat shares his peacebuilding wisdom with campers at Conrad Grebel University College's Peace Camp. Peace Camp is a day camp and peace educational program for youth aged 11 to 14 in Waterloo Region. Campers learn that peace is possible as they share stories and learn from people in the community and meet people from various cultural backgrounds, faiths, and orientations. (Peace Camp photo)
Have you ever been in a place, space or community where you have been encouraged to try something new? Have you been challenged to take risks and leap out of your comfort zone?... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Focus on camping | Katie Gingerich
Luke Nickel recently completed a PhD in music composition at Bath Spa University in England. (Photo by Leif Norman)
Since Luke Nickel was young, his parents instilled in him the value of thinking critically. He recalls one conversation—the exact topic escapes him—during which his father said to... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
James DeGurse, centre, a Roman Catholic, finds value in reading the Bible communally. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
Scripture is a massive, ancient, messy archive of God’s relationship with humanity that many claim to interpret correctly. But with such diverse understandings of the Bible, how... Read More
February 21, 2018 | Young Voices | Rachel Bergen
Seth Ratzlaff, left, a student at Conrad Grebel University College, his father Victor, lay minister of Westview Christian Fellowship in St. Catharines, Ont., and Aileen Friesen, the J. Winfield Fretz Visiting Research Scholar in Mennonite Studies, discuss her ‘Muslim-Mennonite Encounters in the Russian Empire’ lecture on Jan. 25, 2018. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Aileen Friesen was the go-to person to help visitors order in Russian cafés at a scholarly gathering in Russia’s Far East, according to Marlene Epp, Conrad Grebel University... Read More
February 19, 2018 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
Kindred Credit Union has reached a major milestone, marking $1 million in support for churches and charitable organizations since its inception in 1999. A total of 146 groups have... Read More
February 15, 2018 | Web First |
The Ten Thousand Villages Heritage store in Calgary is one of nine Canadian stores that have already closed or will be closing in 2018. (TTV photo)
In early February 2018, Ten Thousand Villages (TTV) began the process of permanently closing nine stores in four provinces. They include: • Calgary (Heritage) • Saskatoon (2nd Ave... Read More
February 9, 2018 | Web First |
Emerging adult: it’s a relatively new category to describe the life stage between adolescence and the adult they will become. They are no longer teens but are not yet fully... Read More
February 7, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Henry Neufeld
Matthew Bailey-Dick, left, the Anabaptist Learning Workshop coordinator, gives instructions to panel members Tanya Dyck Steinmann, Roberson Mbayamvula and Jim Loepp Thiessen. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Listening to God in worship, contemplatively in a labyrinth, or in the Bible. Listening to each other across cultures, when your hearing is impaired or when with the elderly... Read More
February 7, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Dave Rogalsky
Steve Heinrichs, director of Indigenous-settler relations for Mennonite Church Canada, presents a workshop at Rosthern (Sask.) Mennonite Church entitled ‘Unsettling discipleship: The cost of colonialism, the joy of jubilee.’ (Photo by Donna Schulz)
What does the ancient Levitical concept of jubilee have to do with reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and their settler neighbours? Plenty, according to Steve Heinrichs... Read More
February 7, 2018 | God at work in the World | Donna Schulz
Art by Ovide Charlette of the Opaskwayak First Nation. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Around 200 people gathered at the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery on Jan. 26 to celebrate the opening of Reconciliation Through the Arts, an exhibition of Indigenous and settler... Read More
February 7, 2018 | Artbeat | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
The golden age of Mennonite women’s organizations in Canada and the United States came in the years between 1940 and 1970, writes Anita Hooley Yoder in Circles of Sisterhood . In... Read More
February 7, 2018 | Artbeat | Barb Draper
Using pre-digital equipment, Otto Klassen works on one of his more than 50 films that document the lives of Mennonites. (Photo courtesy of Ken Reddig) Otto Klassen dedicated many... Read More
February 7, 2018 | God at work in Us | Barb Draper
An ally holds a sign at the Winnipeg Women’s March in January 2018. ‘We need to acknowledge the fact that we are not presently equal,’ Kim Penner says. (Photo by Matthew Sawatzky)
Kim Penner graduated last November with a PhD in theology from the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto. Canadian Mennonite called Penner at her home in Waterloo, Ont.,... Read More
February 7, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
The Generational Gaps DVD features 70 minutes of material Matt Falk developed after the release of his first album, Apple Pie & Scars. (Photo courtesy of Matt Falk)
For most comedians, delivering unfiltered material means cursing a blue streak. For Matt Falk, it means something else entirely. “Stop looking at yourself in the bathroom mirror... Read More
February 7, 2018 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Natalie Gulenchyn, who is in her 80s and volunteers at Mennonite Central Committee’s material resources warehouse in Winnipeg, sewed the medical kit bags that were transported to North Korea. (MCC photo by Rachel Bergen)
It’s been a long trek for eight small bags of medical supplies. They have been packed and re-packed, crossed an ocean, passed through three countries and numerous airport security... Read More
February 6, 2018 | Web First | Julie Bell
Bryan Moyer Suderman, teaching associate for the Church Leadership Center of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, leads a ‘Reading the Bible with Jesus’ workshop for Walnut Hill Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind., at the Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Mich. (Photo by Jace Longenecker)
Bryan Moyer Suderman believes that paying attention to Jesus as interpreter of Scripture can transform how we, too, engage Scripture and each other. The singer-songwriter and... Read More
February 6, 2018 | Web First | Annette Brill Bergstresser
At festivities celebrating 100 years of Mennonite witness in Argentina, a youth drama troupe mimes the temptations and struggles that confront a young adult seeking to follow Jesus. (Photo by J. Nelson Kraybill)
Performing before hundreds of Mennonites and passersby at a park in downtown Buenos Aires, a drama troupe from the Mennonite church in Villa Adelina, Argentina, mimed challenges... Read More
February 6, 2018 | Web First | J. Nelson Kraybill
John Mbae visits the dairy farm of Walter and Peggy Wiebe, who are Bergthaler Mennonites living near Hague, Sask. After seeing the Wiebe’s fully-automated dairy barn, Mbae remarked, ‘The cows were milking themselves with the machines monitoring and controlling the milking.’ (Photo by Rick Block)
For John Mbae, a Canadian Foodgrains Bank conservation agriculture technical specialist based in Kenya, a visit to the Canadian Prairies was informative and inspiring. “I had the... Read More
February 6, 2018 | Web First | Amanda Thorsteinsson
Members of Wildwood Mennonite Church in Saskatoon go for a hike together along the South Saskatchewan River during one of the congregation’s Unplugged weekends. (Photo courtesy of Wildwood Mennonite Church)
In this age of hectic schedules, electronic device dependency and human isolation, how can a church provide meaning, purpose and belonging? Saskatoon’s Wildwood Mennonite Church... Read More
January 24, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Donna Schulz
Karalynn Warkentin, 7, loves colouring, playing with her dogs and being outside. (Photo courtesy of the Warkentin family)
The Warkentins are ringing in 2018 as official Canadians, but the journey to reach permanent-resident status was anything but easy. Jon and Karissa Warkentin and their five... Read More
January 24, 2018 | God at work in the Church | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
Mark Whyte, Conrad Grebel University College’s student council president, left, and University of Waterloo president Feridun Hamdullahpur, centre, stand with Marcus Shantz, who was installed as Grebel’s eighth president on Nov 2, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Conrad Grebel University College)
Marcus Shantz laughs when it’s noted that the previous seven presidents of Conrad Grebel University College have all been pastors or academics, or both. “I guess the board sees... Read More
January 24, 2018 | Focus On Education | Dave Rogalsky
Parents of students at Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary & Middle School can now download a school app to help them connect with their child’s school world.
When most parents send their elementary-and middle-school-aged children off to school, they rely on school websites and notes in their children’s backpack to keep them informed... Read More
January 24, 2018 | Focus On Education |
During a chapel service, Grade 10 students from Rosthern Junior College present what they learned from their trip to Winnipeg. (Photo by Ryan Wood)
In “Outwitted,” poet Edwin Markham writes: “He drew a circle that shut me out— / Heretic, a rebel, a thing to flout. / But love and I had the wit to win: / We drew a circle that... Read More
January 24, 2018 | Focus On Education |
Jessie Castello, a member of Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ont., has just completed her master of peace and conflict studies degree at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ont. (Conrad Grebel University College photo)
In 1977, an academic concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) was formally introduced at the University of Waterloo, launched by Conrad Grebel College, now Conrad Grebel... Read More
January 24, 2018 | Focus On Education | Jennifer Konkle
Chani Wiens, standing, assists Nello Giesbrecht, Elle Klassen and Robyn Jadischke, Grade 12 Advanced Functions students, as they work collaboratively to solve a difficult word problem at UMEI. (UMEI Photo)
Chani Wiens, UMEI’s academic math teacher since 2009, has introduced a new style of teaching to the school: the flipped classroom. “I started to research classroom flipping when I... Read More
January 24, 2018 | Focus On Education | Abby Neufeld Dick
It was with great excitement that Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener, Ont., launched a new business program last fall. Our new courses in business leadership and... Read More
January 24, 2018 | Focus On Education | Sheri Wideman