Big tent, small centre
Here in British Columbia—the West of the West, where West and true East meet in North America—we sometimes tend to look more toward the traditionalist faith of the church in Asia than to the progressive, whiter, older Mennonite lands of eastern Canada. We also continue to be influenced by the neo-reformed fundamentalism of our dear, and…
Massive B.C. flooding affects Menno community
As catastrophic rains pummelled the Lower Mainland of British Columbia in mid-November, causing massive flooding and mudslides that deposited debris over local highways, Mennonites in the community experienced both uncertainty and loss, and they responded with compassion and a willingness to help others. Spillover from the Nooksack River in Washington State flowing north had caused…
Mennonite Disaster Service monitoring flood situation in B.C.
Winnipeg, MB—Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is monitoring the situation in British Columbia, where torrential rains have caused flooding and mudslides that have affected many communities and residents. With the water still yet to recede, and some communities still cut off from access due to damaged or destroyed roads and bridges, “it’s too early to be…
Churches cautiously resume worship together
With most churches remaining closed four months into the pandemic, some in Mennonite Church British Columbia are finding innovative ways to worship together—with limitations. On July 5, members of Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver held an outdoor service in the church parking lot, their first physical gathering since March. “We took advantage of the good…
Making art ‘like breathing’ for B.C. illustrator
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 which she graduated with a double major in fine arts and history in 2017. She is now a freelance artist based in Abbotsford, B.C., where she…
Places to visit while at Gathering 2019
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 Collection, Columbia Bible College This collection of museum-quality artifacts includes 1,200 replicas of significant archeological artifacts and works of art, such as the Rosetta Stone and…
Serving students and learning from mistakes
In addition to faculty and staff, student council members can play a key role in shaping campus life at colleges and universities. By advocating for their peers, planning social events and organizing service projects, these young leaders have a big impact on what goes on between and after classes. Canadian Mennonite spoke with the student…
The kids are all right … aren’t they?
Gil Dueck doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all plan for how churches can better engage with the young adults in their congregations, but he has some ideas. While questions about “how the kids are doing” can quickly become cliché, he says, ultimately, they are healthy. “They are, at rock bottom, expressions of love and concern,” Dueck tells…
