posted 4 Dec 2019, 19:33 by June Miller, MCA Communications
Pray for South Sudanese Mennonite Church in Gambella region, Ethiopia
Riek Tut (left) of Edmonton South Sudanese Mennonite Church is visiting
family, friends and the church in Gambella region in Ethiopia. Pictures
below were taken on Sunday December 1, 2019.
Pastor Reuben Tut of Edmonton South Sudanese Mennonite Church has
requested prayer for his country. Pray for peace in South Sudan. Pray
for the restoration of houses, livestock, and communities that are
displaced by flooding. The flooding has brought more disease. Pray for
the healthcare system.
 
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posted 4 Dec 2019, 19:30 by June Miller, MCA Communications
[
updated 5 Dec 2019, 07:38
]
 A Menno Minute
with Arlyn Friesen Epp
Director CommonWord Bookstore & Resource Centre
Mennonite Church Canada Staff
Written by June Miller
What is the difference between CommonWord & MennoMedia?
In the Mennonite world we have a lot of terms and acronymns we throw
around. Sometimes it is hard for those entrenched in the Menno world to
sort out, much less those who are newer. In a recent email, a church
admin asked "what is the difference between CommonWord &
MennoMedia?" (To be honest, before I took this job as Communications
Coordinator, I didn't know what CommonWord was.) I had an answer, but
thought this would be a good opportunity to hear from Arlin Friesen Epp,
Director of CommonWord and Mennonite Church Canada staff.
CommonWord is a physical store located on the campus of Canadian
Mennonite University (CMU) and serves both CMU and Mennonite Church
Canada. CommonWord is also an online store, library, and resource
centre. Did you know that you can borrow a book from CommonWord for
free? Postage is paid both ways.
 
Back to the question, what is the difference between CommonWord & MennoMedia? Here is how Arlin concisely and clearly explains.
" Put simply:
(1) MennoMedia is Mennonite Church Canada’s publisher and CommonWord is our retailer and resource centre.
(2) MennoMedia produces Anabaptist resources and CommonWord disseminates
many of them to individuals and congregations within Canada.
This is a close partnership between publisher and retailer and is in
place to serve our common constituency after significant structural
transitions.
Put more completely:
(1) MennoMedia publishes periodicals and curriculum (under its name, MennoMedia) and trade books (under its imprint, Herald Press).
(2) MennoMedia offers Canadians its periodicals and curriculum via its new website www.mennomedia.ca or 1-800-245-7894.
(3) CommonWord retails (and provides for loan) all Herald Press titles at www.commonword.ca or 1-877-846-1593.
(4) Pre-orders of special publications, like Voices Together hymnal, are handled by MennoMedia. After its publication next fall, CommonWord will have copies for sale (and loan).
So:
(1) Renewing your Leader subscription? Contact MennoMedia.
(2) Ordering Shine curriculum? Contact MennoMedia.
(3) Pre-ordering Voices Together? Contact MennoMedia.
(4) Buying a book to read or study from Herald Press? Contact CommonWord.
(5) Borrowing a Herald Press book to preview? Contact CommonWord.
Of course, you are always free to contact either partner. We are both
prepared to answer your questions or direct you to the right source of
information. We are here to link you to Anabaptist resources that will
help nurture faith." |
posted 27 Nov 2019, 21:40 by June Miller, MCA Communications
 A Menno Minute
by Werner DeJong, pastor Holyrood Mennonite Church
Technology and Discipleship
After preaching a sermon on technology and discipleship in early September,I invited the young adult and adult members of the congregation to attend a new Sunday School class on the same theme.
The members of the class have been considering one central question: How should followers of Jesus relate to the technology that is both rapidly developing and ever-present in our world today? Based on strong attendance, the theme is resonating with people--the class has averaged between 15-20 attendees a week.
Discussions have ranged from the development of the wheel to the rise of social media, from the use of technology in the worship service to the place of medical intervention in end-of-life issues. Many questions have been raised: How does technology impact our community life? How does it influence our identity? How might technology diminish or enhance our discipleship? Consensus seems to be developing that we should not fear technology, while at the same time being careful to discern the implications of how and when we use it.
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posted 19 Nov 2019, 11:04 by June Miller, MCA Communications
Doing Church
Trinity Mennonite "Together" by Laura Wiebe Trinity Mennonite Church is an active church. We’re not a big church, but we have much to be thankful for and have members engaged in a variety of activities. I am constantly encouraged by the faithfulness of our people. Presently, with the leadership of our pastor, Will Loewen, we have been exploring different avenues of prayer. When asked if he thought this was because of our own interest or because of the encouragement we received through the MCA 2020 visioning process, he replied “yes”. That is, yes to both: MCA sparked a joint effort in us to go deeper into this spiritual discipline, but it was also our interest as MCA participants that moved MCA to see that we desired to engage more in prayer. However it has come about, it has stretched us and added a new dimension to the faith journey of those participating.  And it draws us together. In fact, our focus for this year is “TOGETHER’. We want this word to influence all we do this year. Pastor Will has been incorporating this into his fall sermon series “Keepers” where God asks Cain, and us, “are we are brother’s keeper?” Our theme for our retreat weekend was “together” with those present definitely feeling the togetherness. It can be difficult to make the effort to get away for the weekend, but we are always richly rewarded by doing so. We’ve also been asking ourselves some questions about our direction and purpose (as MCA 2020 asked us to) and feel that we can discern these answers better together. We face many of the same challenges as other smaller churches do, yet we see many in our congregation continue to live out their faith energetically, and not always just internally. We have people who volunteer tirelessly in organizations like food banks and community associations. We pack MCC relief kits and help at the thrift store. We support Mennonite Disaster Service, with people helping in Grand Forks, BC and Puerto Rico, etc. On other fronts, we meet challenges together: families are organizing youth events, worship leaders creatively accommodate busy schedules, Sunday morning education looks a little differently than it did 10 years ago, potlucks and coffee times continue to feed our souls, and council and committee members continue to be deeply dedicated to the work of the church! In all this, we ask your prayers for us: for the Holy Spirit to move in and among and through us as we are God’s church in this world and in this time. A number of us look forward to the conclusion of MCA’s 2020 coming up at the beginning of November. We hope to see you there and reconnect! Laura Wiebe, on behalf of TMC |
posted 19 Nov 2019, 10:56 by June Miller, MCA Communications
A Menno Minute
by Tany Warkentin, MCA Treasurer and Pastoral Leader for Springridge Mennonite Church in Pincher Creek.
Deeper Talk
How many times have you asked someone about their relationship with God, in the past week? In the past month?
Since our latest MCA Vision 20/20 meetings, this question has been on my mind. Our Alberta churches are invited to step into a year of personal renewal, deepening our faith through prayer and other spiritual practices. At those recent meetings, my discussion group talked about our need to talk more openly about our faith and prayer life. In my life, I am thankful for certain routines such as daily family devotions that draw my children and I into these types of conversations. Talking about faith with others inspires and encourages me in my own relationship with God, and is also important in nurturing faith in our young people. It opens up opportunities to ask questions and allows God to speak to us through the wisdom and insight of those around us. So then why doesn’t faith come up more often in conversations at family gatherings, in chatting with friends or around the potluck table at church?
Talking about faith is not easy for many of us. It means jumping into conversations beyond the safe topics of sports, weather, or the latest story on CBC radio. It takes a lot of courage to step outside our comfort zones to ask someone about their prayer life, or how they have felt God’s spirit in the past week. It leaves us feeling vulnerable when we share our own doubts and struggles in our faith journey.
As I commit to deepening my personal faith practices in this coming year, I commit to being braver in my conversations. Let’s engage in deeper talk around our tables and see how this can, in turn, deepen our faith.
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posted 7 Nov 2019, 11:03 by June Miller, MCA Communications
Doing ChurchSpringridge Mennonite host joint service with Lethbridge Mennonite
by Tany Warkentin, Pastoral Leader, Springridge Mennonite Church On October 20, Springridge MC hosted a joint worship service with Lethbridge MC. The worship included a lot of participation from both churches - from candle-lighting to readings, music, and teachings. The focus was on how, within community, we need to "carry" each other to Jesus as the  four friends did with the paralytic man (Mark 2:1-12). It was a powerful time of celebrating community within our broader Mennonite church, building relationship, inter-generational worship and of course, eating together. Plans are being made for a similar joint service in spring, hosted by the Lethbridge Mennonite Church.
Top photo: Beth Moyer, Jason Marten, Claire Marten
Bottom photo: Finley Anjo (right) Irvin Martens, Adele Short, Marg Braun, Anne Martens (left)
Photos by Asher Warkentin |
posted 7 Nov 2019, 11:00 by June Miller, MCA Communications
A Menno Minute
by Brenda Tiessen-Wiens, MCA Moderator
People like you
One of the common phrases I read in thank-you cards and letters is “people like you.”
“It's because of people like you that we are able to meet our needs.”
“People like you really do exist!”
“The world would be a better place if there were more people like you.”
“The support of people like you makes all the difference!”
Although cliché, I'm going to heavily borrow that phrase because I've been bumping into “people like you” a lot these last few weeks at Healthy Boundaries, at Vision 20/20 sessions, and in meetings with church leaders. And the more I bump into you, the more the clichés start to take on deeper meaning.
I'm learning that people like you are compassionate – you care about providing bursaries to future church leaders, even if there are no guarantees that they'll serve in MCA. You're compassionate about kids who encounter God at Camp, even though you may never meet these kids. You see Christ in one another and extend grace along spectrums – whether the ways that we understand our boundaries, or spirituality, or leadership roles.
People like you are connected – you're involved in your congregations and in your communities. You want to make the world a better place and you seek like-minded people in our common callings. We love to see your faces in our committee meetings and gatherings!
People like you are trusting – we don't take this for granted. You give to MCA because you trust us to be efficient and effective in how your donations are used. You trust us to explore options and to seek God's guidance in our decisions and discernment. Trust is holy ground.
People like you believe in the Church that exists through time and space – you believe that we have a purpose, that our beliefs are worth sharing, and that people in this world are longing for meaning that only Christ can give. You believe that the world hungers to hear God's message of peace. You believe that God's reconciling work in the world happens through the local and the global Church.
Thank you for being who you are and for being Church together! The gifts that you entrust to MCA help us to equip congregations and are shared far beyond our local fellowships. I invite you to pray for each other, for congregational, MCA and MC Canada leadership, and for God's Spirit to be poured out in our world.
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posted 1 Nov 2019, 21:25 by June Miller, MCA Communications
Doing Church
Foothills Mennonite Hosts Senior's Exercise Group
with Erwin Strempler, Visitation Pastor at Foothills Mennonite
 In
the fall of 2015 members of the neighbourhood community association
asked if they could use our lower auditorium for a group of seniors for
an exercise program. Kate Janzen was the Outreach Trustee at the time
helped facilitate the request. Two University of Calgary students
volunteered to be in the instructors. Rudy Wiens and I (left), Foothills members, volunteered to set up the chairs, make coffee and clean up for the weekly morning session.
In the meantime, this early group effort has become an important time
for a church to connect in a great way with our wonderful community.
Various instructors have made the hour of exercise a healthy
preoccupation for seniors in our neighbourhood community. 
Several people have reported that the exercises have helped in a number
of ways. In my case, when we started I usually had to sit down for part
of the exercises when we did not use the chairs to hold on. With my age
and mild diabetes, I had a balance problem when we started. Now after
getting four years older, I can do those exercises when we do not use
chairs, and the question of balance is nearly gone, at least
significantly reduced.
 Looking
over the many name tags we have used since 2015, there must have been
over 80 people from the community who have joined us at one time or
another. The average weekly attendance is 20-30.
I think the relationship to people in the community is very
important. They find out that we are a Christian congregation and just
normal people. During the coffee time, we sit around the tables, and
frequently the conversation takes on personal comments, faith concerns,
church-related questions. We inform them of our special programs, and
invite them. More and more of the community people join us at our
Christmas  Choir
Program. Last week our jr. youth raked leaves for seniors in our
neighbourhood. Routinely they contribute items for our MCC bins. This is
a very meaningful relationship between the church and our neighbourhood
community. |
posted 23 Oct 2019, 20:06 by June Miller, MCA Communications
[
updated 23 Oct 2019, 20:13
]
posted 23 Oct 2019, 19:48 by June Miller, MCA Communications
A Menno Minute
with Jon Olfert, Director of MCA's Camp Valaqua
 The clanging sound of a bell being struck and the echo of voices cheering in support drift to me through the forest. Someone has just mastered a face of the climbing wall and I smile to myself, music to my ears. Slightly further away I can hear the shrieks of bodies hitting cold water as swimmers enter the river. It’s activity time at camp and I am walking around checking in.
Activity time is when the ‘features’ of camp are put on display. When parents contact us in the off season to ask questions, it is often about what activities we offer and so when camps advertise, we advertise features. Climbing walls, canoeing, archery, sky swing… features. These may be flashy and fun, but ultimately they serve the purpose of the mission and not the other way around. Valaqua’s primary mission is to create a place where people grow and we’ve found this takes two things: safety and challenge.
Safety means not only physical safety, but emotional support so that kids feel safe to try something that they might not succeed at right away. Whether that is the next hardest route on the climbing wall, singing at campfire, or answering a hard question during a devo, it is critical that kids feel safe enough to try. Once we accomplish that, we need to have a challenge!
Challenges at camp take all sorts of shapes. The obvious challenges are physical, but there are emotional, spiritual, and relational challenges too. Challenges create opportunities to grow in some new way and we strive to present campers with challenges that are somehow different from the campers day to day.
And so I smile when I hear the climbing wall bell ring; not only because someone has used the power of their arms and legs to overcome and obstacle, but also because it means they felt safe enough to try. The bell sounds to me like someone growing a little.
Photo courtesy of Camp Valaqua.
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