‘Living our values’
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 assistance in dying (MAiD) was on the agenda. During the business session, members drafted the following statement: “The Canadian Mennonite Health Assembly, as a faith-based organization, believes: All…
Eigenheim Mennonite fills MCC Buckets of Thanks
When Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Saskatchewan put out the call for churches and other groups to participate in its Buckets of Thanks challenge, Eigenheim Mennonite Church, near Rosthern, answered the call. Buckets of Thanks is an opportunity for young and old alike to assemble relief kits for MCC. When Eigenheim Mennonite decided to participate, it…
‘Bring us beyond our own stories’
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 per page. That is just for Zaporizhzhia province. The lists for all Ukrainian provinces are available online, though printed in Cyrillic script. Each name a…
Multi-cultural potluck and concert
Table group sharing, a multi-cultural potluck, pictured, and a participatory concert featuring the diverse languages and foods of Edmonton’s Mennonite churches rounded out a celebratory fundraiser for the North Edmonton Ministry at Lendrum Mennonite Church on Nov. 10. The ministry, a Mennonite Church Alberta project, exists to be a witness to the life of Jesus…
Christian-Muslim dialogue expands to Calgary
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 Church hosted an evening presentation by Wes Thiessen, who holds a doctorate in Islamic history. Dale Ibsen of A Common Word Alberta, which sponsors the…
‘It’s not too late’
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, a panellist at the Oct. 10, 2018, Canadian Mennonite University Face2Face discussion on “Treaty One and Mennonite Privilegium,” described treaties as “vessels of family making.” The assistant professor of…
‘The more we get to know each other’
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 presentation, co-hosted by Mennonite Heritage Archives and TourMagination on Sept. 13, encouraged people to see travel as a tool to gain deeper understandings of how the unique historical experiences of…
Building friendships and breaking down walls
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 Justice information meeting held in Rosthern, Sask., on Sept. 15, Olfert told the audience how, in 1988, he sat on the Conference of Mennonites…
‘It’s time for the next generation to step up’
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 Festival. Traditionally known as the Black Creek Pioneer Village MCC Relief Sale, the event began in 1967 and has raised more than $1.3 million. This year, the…
Equipping leaders at home and around the world
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 opportunities for young people to serve. It is committed to nurturing and developing the leadership skills of a new generation, with a focus on Anabaptist values…
