The Yeast. The Bread.

May we see Christ in everyone we feed and in all those who join us at the table.

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They who Wait upon the Lord

Biblical prophet Isaiah promises that they who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; God is just, and longs to be gracious and show compassion to His creation - Blessed are those who wait for Him! King David waited for God, who with unfailing love redeemed him from sin, set his feet upon a rock, and put a new song of praise in his mouth.

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Sometimes a Selfie is a Must

...my camera clicked automatically to my voice-activated call to “Smile”.

“Did I get a good picture? Let’s see.” 

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Who are My People?

Who are my people? Who are your people?  Perhaps a healthy starting point for respectful relationships!

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Pain and Potential

“All that kills abundant living, let it from the earth be banned: pride of status, race or schooling, dogmas that obscure Your plan. In our common quest for justice may we hallow life’s brief span.”  from the hymn, For the Healing of the Nations

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The Challenges of Congregational Leadership

This has obviously been a year of challenge for our congregation. At the same time, we have experimented often and discovered much. 

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A prayer for the New Year

God who makes all things new,

help us to embrace the new.

Open our eyes to a future that will look different than the past.

May we grow through and be changed by these strange times.

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Restoration

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and release to the prisoners;
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. --Isaiah 61: 1-2a

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Celebrations

I believe that while they may look different, our Advent and Christmas celebrations will be filled with meaning and we prepare to welcome the Christ child, who comes bearing hope, peace, joy, and love.

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More Questions than Answers

Advent is all about waiting for the revelation of God’s mystery. It’s hard to wait for the Messiah; for Jesus to be born. As children it was difficult to wait until Christmas to find out what gifts we might get under the tree. But now life is difficult as we wait for other things.

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A Food Truck Story

A couple of years ago, our Church Council did some brainstorming around how to begin reaching out to our neighbours.

(And so the story begins.)

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An Urgent Reality

Armed with the story of our God, we can make it through this bleak Advent time and have full faith that, as our premier said, “the end of this terrible time is in sight.”

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Caring Connections

The church, though structured, is made up of relationships, ours with God and with each other. To keep the church healthy and thriving, our attention to interpersonal relationships is vital. Without good connections to each other, we do not have church.

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The Gift of Covid -- Do not fear...

Although Covid is a nasty bug and has devastated us in so many ways – it has also brought us gifts that we would otherwise not have.

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“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” He stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother.”

- Matthew 12: 48-50 CEB

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Introducing Our Stories

What are our stories as congregations and as individuals within congregations?

Who tells our stories? How are they told? How do our stories inspire and shape us?  What is the purpose of stories? How can we learn from each other’s stories?

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God's License

The story of Bavak, his driver's license and "just a bit more freedom in this new country which he claims is a wonderful place, given the troubled South Sudan where he has come from."

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Camp Valaqua: A Place to Belong

The jubilant return of children and youth to Valaqua is something worth celebrating and, when that time comes again, we will! 

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An October 31st Invitation to Dialogue with Muslims

Commonalities and connections are often experienced  at informal and formal Interfaith Dialogues. 

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The Leatherman Church

We are a “multi” church that, like a Leatherman, has more individual facets and creative uses than you might ever discover.

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If there is one thing I love about summer vacation it is the way it opens up space.

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Reflections from our Canadian Mennonite Rep

Words, stories, and ideas. 

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The Practice of Writing

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to write—certainly long before I would have considered it anything like a “spiritual discipline.”

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Seeing God at Work in MCA, in our Congregations, in Ourselves

A reflection -- albeit within a conversation.

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Holy Ground

Take, take off your shoes.  You’re standing on my holy ground.

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This is Me

By Ruth Bergen Braun

A new MCA Communications Coordinator!

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Building bridges in Burkina Faso

A Menno Minute

by Donna Entz

God brought Siaka Traore of Burkina Faso into our lives in 1979.  In spite of opposition from every direction possible, he has always been consistent in responding as Jesus would. 

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Let's get JAZZED!

A Menno Minute

by Brenda Tiessen-Wiens

Giving to “where needed,” on the other hand, is not as exciting. So to give it a boost, let’s jazz it up!

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One year in

A Menno Minute

by Craig Neufeld

One of the biggest changes for a Pastor in moving to a new congregation, and a new province, is re-establishing a support network. 

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Assembly 2020 Reflection

A Menno Minute

by Brenda Tiessen-Wiens

I clicked on the Zoom “join with video” button and was met by the familiar faces of Executive and staff members. Within seconds the doorbell was dinging and new faces were popping up on everyone’s computer screens.

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My Time on Human Resources at MCA

A Menno Minute

by Michael Ediger

I have just completed two terms on the Personnel Committee at Mennonite Church Alberta, and Goodness, how quickly the time has gone by!

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When to speak, what to say: a Lenten reflection

A Menno Minute

by Doug Klassen, Executive Minister Mennonite Church Canada

Last weekend’s news regarding L'Arche founder Jean Vanier’s sexual abuse of at least six women had me feeling deeply grieved and angry.

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What do you want?

A Menno Minute

by Donna Dinsmore, Intentional Transitional Pastor at Foothills MC

“What do you want?” The tone says it all.

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If you're not cheating, you're not trying

A Menno Minute

by Will Loewen, Pastor Trinity Mennonite Church

In 1919, eight baseball players were banned from the major leagues for life because they took bribe money to lose a baseball game on purpose.

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People LIke You

A Menno Minute

by Brenda Tiessen-Wiens, Moderator for MCA

One of the common phrases I read in thank-you cards and letters is “people like you.”

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Safety and Challenge

A Menno Minute

by Jon Olfert, Director, 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.

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Christian-Muslim Dialogue

A Menno Minute

by Donna Entz, Director of North Edmonton Ministry

It is so easy to make assumptions about others. The Muslim-Christian Dialogue forces each of us to realize that we are constantly making assumptions about those not quite like us.

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