In 2006, when the Amish of Nickel Mines, Pa., forgave the man who shot their daughters and offered assistance to his widowed family, the world was divided: Were they insane,... Read More
News & Stories
Amy Keating, playing Velda, an Old Order Amish girl, tells the story of the Amish Mines shooting in 2006 through naïve chalk drawings on the floor of the stage in The Amish Project. (Photo by Joel Mieske/courtesy of Green Light Arts)
November 5, 2014 | Artbeat | By Dave Rogalsky
Christmas stocking ‘goodie bags’ greeted registrants for the B.C. women’s retreat at Camp Squeah in October. The theme for the weekend was ‘Unwrap your gifts.’
When Mennonite Women in B.C. members arrived at Camp Squeah for their annual fall retreat last month, they might have thought their calendars had skipped two months ahead. The... Read More
November 5, 2014 | Back Page | Story and Photos by Amy Dueckman
The Drayton Riders cycled in the Ride for Refuge, which raised almost $20,000. Back row (l to r): Pauline Weiland, Ange Dewar, Nicole Lienhart, Ron Weber, Luke Hiller. Front row (l to r): Travis Wiens and Jason Martin. Missing from photo: Joel Hiller. (Photo provided by MC Canada)
On October 4, 56 cyclists and eight teams in six locations across the country took part in Mennonite Church Canada’s Ride for Refuge. Together they raised almost $20,000 in... Read More
October 30, 2014 | Web First | Deborah Froese
The MHC Gallery exhibit, IDENTIDAD/IDENTITY features three artists with roots in South America. From L to R: Gabriela Agüero (Argentina), Lucy Riquelme (Chile), and Fanny Gómez de Correa (Colombia) stand in front of Riquelme’s mixed media painting, Mapuche’s Kultrún. (Credit: Ray Dirks)
On Sept. 19, 2014, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights received national attention for its opening in Winnipeg. On the same day, the Mennonite Heritage Centre Art Gallery quietly... Read More
October 30, 2014 | Web First | Deborah Froese
Afternoon prayer at the St. George Church in the historic Assyrian Christian town of Alqosh in the Nineveh Plain of Iraqi Kurdistan. Locals adhere to the Chaldean Catholic religion. The town was nearly overrun by Islamic fighters earlier this summer, when Peshmerga forces withdrew their forces, abandoning the Christian town. (Credit: Jodi Hilton/RNS)
Basima al-Safar retouches a picture of Jesus on an easel outside her house overlooking the flat Nineveh plains, 30 miles north of Mosul. The murals she paints tell the story of... Read More
October 30, 2014 | Web First | Cathy Otten
The Nigeria Brethren church headquarters property has been overtaken by Boko Haram extremist insurgents. The news was shared in the early hours of October 29, in an e-mail from... Read More
October 29, 2014 | Web First |
Liz Klassen felt the need to correct the rumour going around among the seniors that the play Cracked made fun of folk with dementia. Klassen, executive director of the Nithview... Read More
October 29, 2014 | Web First | Dave Rogalsky
A collection of resources for conversations about sexuality is emerging from work of the faculty of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS). Sara Wenger Shenk, AMBS... Read More
October 28, 2014 | Web First | Mary E. Klassen
The morning begins with many hugs, some handshakes and the hearty, infectious laugh of Kathy Giesbrecht, or “Kathy G.” as many refer to Mennonite Church Manitoba’s energetic... Read More
October 22, 2014 | Young Voices | Kalynn Spain
Did you know that there’s an illustrated Bible that retells the stories in Scripture using Lego? The Brick Testament is a series by a man in California named Brendan Powell Smith... Read More
October 22, 2014 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Keith Graber Miller, a professor of religion and sexuality at Goshen (Ind.) College, speaks to the public on ‘Faithful sexuality’ at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener, Ont., on Oct. 1. (Photo by Dave Rogalsky)
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate decided that not only did it need to focus on sexuality for its students in grades 7 to 12, but it needed to invite the community, including Canadian... Read More
October 22, 2014 | God at work in the Church | Story and Photo by Dave Rogalsky
Springs Church in Winnipeg is one of Canada’s most successful and success-oriented mega churches, where an ex-Hutterite, Phil Kleinsasser—his suspenders, beard and plaid long gone—serves as an assistant pastor.
Phil Kleinsasser urged the faithful to "sow" their money in the offering plate in order to “reap” abundance in all areas of their lives. Kleinsasser, of course, is a Hutterite... Read More
October 22, 2014 | God at work in the Church | By Will Braun
Before 120 political leaders gathered at the request of the United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon for a summit on climate change, and before more than 300,000 people... Read More
October 22, 2014 | God at work in the World | Randolph Haluza-DeLay
S. Roy Kaufman
Even urban Mennonites lay claim to an agrarian heritage. According to many speakers at Rooted and Grounded: A Conference on Land and Christian Discipleship, held last month at... Read More
October 22, 2014 | God at work in the World | Randolph Haluza-DeLay
Melanie Kampen camped out at the Native Women’s Protest site near the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg earlier this month, to protest the government’s lack of response to the 1,182 missing and murdered indigenous women from across Canada. (Photo by Chris Swan)
On a very windy, cold and dark Oct. 3 night, Steve Heinrichs, director of indigenous relations for Mennonite Church Canada, and a few others strung 20 dresses on fishing line on... Read More
October 22, 2014 | God at work in the World | By Evelyn Rempel Petkau
Goshen (Ind.) College president Jim Brenneman, left, presents the Culture for Service Award to alumnus Ray Funk at the college’s fall convocation and homecoming on Oct. 3. (Goshen College photo by Brian Yoder Schlabach)
“Everything I’ve done has been a team sport,” quips Ray Funk as he reflects on his life’s achievements. The community developer and former Member of Parliament was awarded Goshen... Read More
October 22, 2014 | God at work in Us | By Donna Schulz
Theology, Spirituality Good News: The Advent of Salvation in the Gospel of Luke . Darrin W. Snyder Belousek. Liturgical Press, 2014, 140 pages. As the executive director of... Read More
October 22, 2014 | Focus On Books & Resources | Compiled by Barb Draper
William Loewen has written a theological book disguised as a novel. This makes it challenging to classify, but it also opens new possibilities for how it can be used. I would... Read More
October 22, 2014 | Focus On Books & Resources | Review by Barb Draper
After getting a coffee I sat down to read The Winter We Danced. On the table next to me I noticed a book someone left behind. On the cover was a bold notice stating “2.5 million... Read More
October 22, 2014 | Focus On Books & Resources | Reviewed by David Driedger
Village houses face the main street with barns attached behind and fields beyond that. Young people gather for “singings.” A bone setter relieves headaches by carefully... Read More
October 22, 2014 | Focus On Books & Resources | Reviewed by Elma Martens Schemenauer
Called to Be a Soldier, by Darrell Frey.
Amsey Martin, an Old Order Mennonite deacon and long-time parochial school teacher, loves books. While most people in his community are farmers, he says that sitting in his study... Read More
October 22, 2014 | Focus On Books & Resources | By Barb Draper
Next year’s MWC Assembly will feature exuberant singing by people from around the world. (Credit: Merle Good)
In less than a year from now, our sisters and brothers from around the world, and from across North America, will be coming to Harrisburg to worship and fellowship with us. PA... Read More
October 16, 2014 | Web First | Phyllis Pellman Good
Babu Ayindo (standing, center) and Doreen Ruto, both Kenyan graduates of EMU's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, co-facilitated the summertime training of USAID employees in South Sudan’s capital city, Juba, along with CJP staff. (Photo courtesy of Elaine Zook Barge)
Nearly 100 people in South Sudan, all employees of the U.S. government, recently benefited from intensive trauma awareness and resilience trainings facilitated by Eastern... Read More
October 16, 2014 | Web First | Lauren Jefferson
Author and disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada (Photo courtesy of Joni Eareckson Tada)
It has been heartbreaking these last few days to hear the story of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old, beautiful young woman diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor and given only... Read More
October 16, 2014 | Web First | Joni Eareckson Tada
A 50th wedding anniversary traditionally calls for a gift of gold, but Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba is getting something a little different for their 50th... Read More
October 14, 2014 | Young Voices | Rachel Bergen