September 29th

Meet Steven -- our Church Engagement Minister

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

To those I have had the pleasure of meeting, thank-you for helping me to feel so welcomed in my new role as Church Engagement Minister. To those of you I haven’t, I look forward connecting soon.

I’m Steven Giugovaz (pronounced Jew-Go-Vuz).  I’m originally from Toronto, Ontario. My wife’s name is Emily, and our kids are Lahna (12), Walter (9) and Luka (2). We also have a friend who lives with us whom we consider an adopted member of our family: Glenice (though to us, she is known as “GiGi”).

As my name clearly gives away, I am not a born and bred Mennonite, but that is too long a story to get into here. However, I wanted to acknowledge the elephant in the room that often accompanies me as I introduce myself in Mennonite Churches. His name is Jerry (yes, I named the elephant). As I meet people, I look forward to sharing with you all about my faith journey, and, hopefully, as I do, Jerry, can quietly fade into the background. 

As you get to know me, you will see that I am a laid-back person who loves to laugh, and who has a great passion for Church unity. This passion is one that I have had since I was a child and is rooted in Jesus’ prayer “that all of (us) may be one…that the world may believe that (God) sent (Him)”  (Jn. 17:20-21 NIV).

Though my life has had many ups and downs, there has always been one consistency: my desire to be used by God to help the Church foster a deeper sense of unity. I feel beyond blessed to be in a role that allows me to do just that.

Scripture tell us, that while there are many of us, we are one body, united through one Spirit, and that each of us has been given certain gifts that we are called to use for the the good of the whole (1 Cor 12:12-27). That means, each of us are indispensable parts of the Church! Whatever your God-given giftings and/or passions are, there is a place for you in the body that only you can fill. It is my goal to work to connect those pieces. To bring people and congregations together and to connect them to the various ministries within MCA and MC Canada, so that we can all experience a sense of purpose, wholeness and connectedness that only comes from finding one’s place within the Body of Christ.

Ultimately, it is my hope that God would use me in this position to help us all experience a deeper sense of connectedness and oneness with each other. 

For me, this is a job that is all about building relationships, and I cannot wait begin this journey with all of you. When you see me visiting your church, please, do not hesitate to say hi, or, if you prefer, you can email me at engage@mcab.ca.