Tears and Tears: Gathering 2022

Tears and tears. As a church, according to one of our speakers, we are an emergent people. We are becoming. We are not a static entity but a wild, free, evolving, organic body. 

I Cannot Wait!

As we all know, when a child is excited about something, there is very little you can do to still their mind (or body). I often forget what it is like to be filled with such eager, childlike anticipation for something, but this year I have been reminded of what that feels like because, I too, have been experiencing those feelings in the lead-up to Gathering 2022.

God has kept me alive for a Purpose

"Pray for me – If God wants to use me here, or if God wants to take me home.”

What is a Story?

What could be a story from our congregation that would be of interest to others?

Gathering 2022 Report Book now available

Now available through CommonWord.

Song commissioned for Gathering 2022 blends virtual voices from across Mennonite Church Canada

"Greater Than These" was commissioned by Doug Klassen for Gathering 2022, We Declare: what we have seen and heard in Edmonton, from July 29 to Aug. 1.

Random Closing Thoughts and Queries on Intercultural/Interfaith Relationships

How do you seek to see and experience God’s image reflected in your neighbour, at home, at school, in grocery stores, in community gatherings?

The ART of Hope

Poverty is the name we give to this condition. When we think about poverty, we usually think about a lack of money and the things it can buy. But is the goal of reducing poverty simply to make people better consumers? Or is it to envision a different world where all people can flourish? Perhaps such a world is what Jesus envisioned when He spoke of the “kingdom of God”. Seeking that kingdom, He said, is the key to God’s provision.

Mennonite Church Canada leadership approves updated Operating Agreement

Mennonite Church Canada’s Joint Council approved updates to the Mennonite Church Canada Operating Agreement at its latest meeting on June 8, 2022.

Mennonite Church Canada announces Young Leaders Experience at Gathering 2022

Ten young adults from across the nationwide church will take part in the Young Leaders Experience (YLE) at We Declare: what we have seen and heard, Gathering 2022 in Edmonton, from July 28 to Aug. 1.

A Journey of Hope

If we are making adjustments towards living as if in the peaceable kingdom, there is hope of moving in the right direction, even if the steps are small along the way.

MC Canada invites congregations to register for virtual We Declare for discounted rate

Mennonite Church Canada is offering all of its member congregations a discounted registration fee of $150 to view Gathering 2022 sessions on August long weekend. Individual registration fees have also been reduced to $75.

Reflecting God's Image

“Im“Imagine a room covered with hundreds of thousands of mirrors on the walls and the ceiling. Everywhere is covered by mirrors. Mirrors in different shapes, mirrors in different sizes, mirrors in different colours. agine a room covered with hundreds of thousands of mirrors on the walls and the ceiling. Everywhere is covered by mirrors. Mirrors in different shapes, mirrors in different sizes, mirrors in different colours."

A Design for Living

My work and commitment is to engage and to adapt, and yet never waver in its principles.  What a beautiful Design for Living!

Wedler Graduates from Seminary: Congratulations!

ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — Adela Friesen Wedler of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, graduated from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), Elkhart, Indiana, on April 30, 2022, with a Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies. She plans to continue volunteering in her congregation and in area churches, seeking to apply her seminary learnings there.

Wedler previously earned a Bachelor of Education with a major in Music from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and a Licentiate in Music in Piano Performance from the Western Board of Music, also at the University of Alberta. Her home congregation is First Mennonite Church of Edmonton, a congregation of Mennonite Church Alberta of Mennonite Church Canada. She is married to Mel Wedler; they have two married adult children and five grandsons.

“How we move with our bodies for or against others—all of that matters deeply”

John Boopalan, assistant professor of biblical and theological studies at Canadian Mennonite University, will be the first guest speaker at We Declare: what we have seen and heard, Gathering 2022, in Edmonton this summer.

MC Canada caught up with him to find out what’s on his mind these days when it comes to the “good news,” and how his research ties in to the big questions that inevitably come from discerning just what the “good news” really is.

A Day for Spiritual Leaders - July 29, 2022

Mennonite Church Canada welcomes spiritual leaders across its nationwide community of faith to a special one-day event at Edmonton First Mennonite Church on July 29, 2022.

Connecting Communities: RJC students visit Calgary Chin Christian Church

From May 2-6 RJC students set out on their Alternative Learning & Service Opportunities (ALSO) week. This time of experiential learning is intended for students to practice the lessons of service, community, and peacebuilding that are taught in the classroom out into the world. This year three groups traveled to Oliver, B.C., Saskatoon, SK, and Calgary, AB.

Mennonite Church Canada donates $50,000 to MWC Assembly Fund

Mennonite Church Canada is donating $50,000 to help Mennonite World Conference meet its expenses for MWC Assembly in Indonesia this summer, and is calling on its member congregations to help match the donation.

In the ‘wilderness’: the church’s identity crisis and the need to ‘go local’

It’s going to be a busy summer for Kara Carter.

Early bird registration deadline extended for Gathering 2022

The early bird registration deadline for Gathering 2022 has been extended to Friday, May 20.

Why Volunteer for MCA?  Why Not?

If you receive a call from one of our Nominating Committee members asking you to consider an MCA volunteer role, ask yourself “why not?”

MC Canada sets up carbon levy for travel to Gathering 2022

Gathering 2022 registrants can offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their travel to Edmonton by donating to a new fund established by Mennonite Church Canada.

MC Canada invites nationwide church to Gathering 2022

Executive Minister Doug Klassen invites members from across our nationwide community of faith to Gathering 2022, in Edmonton and online. For event info, visit mennonitechurch.ca/gathering2022.

“Why students are our favourite part of serving at MKC”

The best part of our MC Canada Witness assignment at Meserete Kristos Seminary (MKS) in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, is the students.

Gathering 2022 virtual registration now open

Registration for Mennonite Church Canada’s virtual Gathering 2022 experience is now open.

Spring Work Day

One of my favourite truisms is “Many hands make light work.” 

Respond, Rebuild, Restore: Foothills does MDS

“My dad thought this was a brilliant idea. I thought this was the worst idea my dad had ever had. I thought this would be the worst week of my life.” And then, “This easily became one of the best weeks of my life. I have to admit, my dad’s not-so-great idea turned out to be a great one.”  Such was Liesel Retzlaff’s summary of a week of volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) in Princeton, B.C.

Mennonite Church Canada transitions Indigenous-Settler Relations program

Mennonite Church Canada is transitioning its Indigenous-Settler Relations (ISR) program to the five regional churches that make up its nationwide community of faith.

Buffalo Shout

Truth and Reconciliation -- in action.

Mennonite Church Canada, MC USA and Herald Press begin another Common Read

The Common Read continues April–June 2022 with Not Quite Fine: Mental Health, Faith, and Showing Up for One Another by Carlene Hill Byron.

Introduction. Check.

With just over a month under my belt as the new Alberta correspondent for the Canadian Mennonite, I would like to introduce myself.

In-person Gathering 2022 registration now open

Registration is now open for Mennonite Church Canada’s Gathering 2022, We Declare: what we have seen and heard, hosted by Mennonite Church Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, from July 29 to Aug. 1.

Reflections from the New Guy

What does it look like for people to be enfolded well into the life of our communities? What does it look like to belong?

Mennonite Church Alberta welcomes you to We Declare

“Energy is building in Edmonton as we prepare to host We Declare,” says Brenda Tiessen-Wiens, moderator of MCA.

“Energy is building in Edmonton”

MCA’s Gathering 2022 planning team are members of First Mennonite Church Edmonton, which is MCA’s largest congregation.

Addressing conflict and promoting healing in congregations

A new resource is available for churches struggling with congregational abuse.

Youth Gathering 2022 registration goes live

Registration for Mennonite Church Canada’s Youth Gathering 2022 is now open at mennonitechurch.ca/amplify.

A pastoral letter regarding Ukraine

Beloved sisters and brothers in Ukraine:

Today, war has come to your homeland.  

We grieve the danger, death and destruction that this plague brings.

Doug Klassen will serve second term as executive minister of Mennonite Church Canada

Doug Klassen’s term as executive minister of Mennonite Church Canada has been renewed for a second three-year term beginning June 1, 2022.

Prayer for the War in Ukraine

God of hope,
we pray to you when hope is scare
as our world convulses with the horror of war.

110 Percent – a Remarkable Birthday

And then, suddenly, silently, a light enters the room.
It’s all around me;
                      Not a harsh light.
It is soft and peaceful and comforting.
         It’s as if God’s arms are all around me.
 
No longer can I holler at you, Lord.
      My raging is gone,
             My heart is calmed.
                    I feel completely at peace.
Without question, I know that God is here with me.

We Declare study guide now available for congregations

Mennonite Church Canada has published a study guide on the theme for Gathering 2022, happening in Edmonton, Alberta, July 31 to Aug. 1.

GROUNDHOG DAY OR CANDLEMAS?

Candlemas suggests ultimate hope, brought by a light that cannot be quenched, strengthening our courage in the face of whatever adversity we may encounter ahead of us. The light of Christ’s presence will go with us in all the challenges and joys of life in this world.

Leaders of Mennonite Church Canada issue call to join in climate-emergency response

Leaders of Mennonite Church Canada are calling on the members, congregations and regional churches of Mennonite Church Canada to respond to the climate emergency.

Elders Among Us

"Those who Know"... some musings on Elders.

Statement on "Freedom Rallies" from Mennonite Church Canada's executive ministers

We unequivocally denounce the symbols, words and actions of white nationalism being expressed in Ottawa and across the country at “Freedom Rallies.”

Mennonite women in Congo spread the gospel through literacy

Mennonite women in Congo have received training to be literacy trainers to help people read the Bible. They have worked tirelessly with the resources they have and invite the assistance of their North American brothers and sisters.

A Little Rectangle of Light

My phone is a little rectangle of light, promising to carry my messages and presence to others, promising to carry their presence to me whenever I wish. The concept is narcissistic magic.

Mennonite Church Canada and MC USA partner on prevention and accountability project

Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) are collaborating to create a centralized, comprehensive guidebook for regional churches, conferences and congregations that addresses prevention of abuse by lay and credentialed leaders, as well as leadership accountability.

A Culture of Appreciation

We build a culture of appreciation by noticing what happens around us. Work done by worship committees, worship leaders, song leaders, children’s story tellers, decorating committees, health and safety committees, deacons. Work done by our paid leadership and by our lay leadership. A kind word that says “I see you” goes far in giving people the energy to continue. 

Call to prayer for Burkina Faso

The Evangelical Mennonite Church of Burkina Faso (Mennonite Church Canada’s sibling church through Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission) is calling Mennonite Church Canada to pray for security and peace in their country.

Herald Press, MC USA, and MC Canada begin second year of Common Read

The Common Read continues January 2022 through March 2022 with Been in the Struggle: Pursuing an Antiracist Spirituality by Regina Shands Stoltzfus and Tobin Miller Shearer. Common Read participants can join the authors on a live Zoom event in February. Books are available from CommonWord, MennoMedia, and other retailers.

To Love Our Neighbours

We can’t ever fully enter the experience of another person, but we can get part of the way. All it takes is a bit of empathy, a bit of curiosity, a bit of openness. And a bit of confidence that we, too, have something worth sharing from where we stand.

“Creator’s Call in a Climate Emergency” is a new, online community learning series hosted by Mennonite Church Canada, from Jan. 20 through March 17, 2022.

Hope:  What a beautiful thing to observe!

... I think of the variety of ways that people are immersing themselves in and reflecting one of the core aspects of God’s nature: hope. What a beautiful thing to observe!

Songs of Joy and Resistance

In our narrations and celebrations of Christmas we often gloss over or ignore the looming reality of despair.  Christmas cheer tries to just ignore despair; joy actively fights back against it.

Korean Anabaptist Center celebrates 20 years of resourcing, networking and service

On Dec. 11, 2021, the Korean Anabaptist Center in Chuncheon, South Korea, celebrated its 20^th anniversary.

imagining god's embrace

...for if it is our wish to experience the fullness of god’s embrace, we might practice turning from the things that hold us in their embrace … and learn to embrace god … fully.

a little more peace

An interview with Darrel Heidebrecht, author of a little more peace in the world: Reflections on my Experience with Restorative Justice

Mission nurse, educator, mentor and church leader continued ministry in ‘retirement’

Frieda Schellenberg Erb, 81, who touched many lives through her lifetime of ministry in Bolivia and Argentina, died November 14, 2021, in Choele Choel, Argentina.

Be It Resolved

As the Be It Resolved Challenge continues throughout the winter we and others continue to ask:

Are we ready to hear what Indigenous peoples require of us? Are we, as individuals and as the Mennonite Church, fully ready to hear the Truth and take action (not just pass formal resolutions) on Reconciliation?

"May our hearts reflect the hope and generosity of the shepherds, the magi, and most of all our God, who came to us this season in Jesus Christ"

Greetings to you in the Name of the one whose birth we will soon celebrate.  Tis the season of Advent – a season of waiting…waiting in hope and expectation.

Former Witness worker offers leadership coaching in Angola and Congo

Travelling from Canada to meet with Congolese and Angolan church leaders in Africa, Rudy Dirks is struck not by the cultural, social and economic differences between himself and those he meets, but their similarities.

The Greatest Laugh

Camp Valaqua, sacred space to many in Mennonite Church Alberta, gives birth to stories, stories which pass down through generations. 

“Both despair and hope have come to life for me in deeper ways”

I spoke with Kari Miller about her experience at COP26, what she witnessed and what role she believes the church plays in the climate crisis.

Bill C-15 ‘a tangible win’ for Indigenous rights

It’s been nearly five months since Indigenous leaders, activists and members of faith communities across Mennonite Church Canada celebrated the passing of Bill C-15

And this is your family…

Have you ever been introduced to a distant relative for the first time – maybe you didn’t even know they existed – and yet you immediately felt a connection with them?  After all, they are family!  Well, as part of a global Anabaptist family, we have family members all around the world, most of whom we have never met.  Yet we have deep bonds that connect us, deeper than our last name, cultural foods or language. 

Mennonite Church Canada announces speakers and registration fees for Amplify! 2022

Mennonite Church Canada is pleased to announce keynote speakers for Amplify!, the nationwide Youth Gathering happening next summer in Alberta at Camp Valaqua from July 31 to August 4, 2022.

God is closer to us than water is to a fish

...for the entire time, it felt like I was totally immersed in water. All was calmness – around me, in me, and through me.  

COP26 a chance to cultivate our garden

Truth be told, I am nervous to be attending COP26. Many reports on social media are declaring this climate summit to be of absolute importance, that the state of the global climate crisis rests upon the shoulders of those who will be negotiating.

ISR signs on to ecumenical letter of solidarity for Wet'suwet'en land protectors

Indigenous-Settler Relations is a signatory on an ecumenical letter of solidarity urging the federal government to halt the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

“We are in a climate emergency” – a statement from Mennonite Church Canada leaders

Climate scientists have been sounding the call for decades, and the urgency of this call is being emphasized again at the COP26 Climate Summit happening in Glasgow, Scotland.

Letting Go and Holding On

Letting go of the familiar can be hard. Taking time to process and to incorporate people's concerns can help.

Creation Care resource a timely tool for congregations

Senior environmental studies students from The King’s University in Edmonton have compiled a creation care resource for Mennonite Church Canada congregations.

Embodying Christ as Community

The image of being a body together also affirms a sense of unity and togetherness that is found through our calling in Christ. It highlights the sense of cooperation, of working together as a team, of valuing the different pieces that together make up the whole.

"An all-encompassing vision that includes justice, peace and anti-oppression"

Jack Suderman talks about his new book The Baby and the Bathwater and the importance of holding on to God’s vision for the church.

International Witness Support Networks: A Pastoral Reflection

International Witness Sunday reminds us that ours is a global church and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the work God is doing around the world.

Monologues from the margins and imaginative meditations: an interview with Laura Funk

In her new book, People and Places of Sacred Interior Spaces, spiritual director Laura Funk provides opportunities for imaginative walks of faith through guided meditations, and monologues inspired by the Jewish tradition of Midrash.

Kindness and Gentleness

We are God’s Church after all, so where or how do we manifest the fruits of Kindness and Gentleness in this moment in time?  Isn’t that the million dollar question?

Meet Steven -- our Church Engagement Minister

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.

A message from Mennonite Church Canada’s executive ministers on religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccines

A message from Mennonite Church Canada’s executive ministers on religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccines

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation an opportunity for church to confess and strive towards justice

While residential schools were funded by the federal government, churches were contracted to run them. The legacy of harm done in the name of Christ is something that Christian churches continue to grapple with; the Mennonite Church is no exception.

My journey with the Israel-Palestine Issue

I think I assumed that he was a convert from Islam. I assumed that all Palestinians were Muslims. That was how the media presented Palestinians. It wasn’t until I went on a learning tour with MCC in 2016 that I finally realized that Palestinian Christians are the heirs of the early church.

CommonWord presents Tongue-Tied for Fall 2021 Common Read title

The Common Read title for Fall 2021 is Tongue-Tied: Learning the Lost Art of Talking About Faith by Sara Wenger Shenk.

Busy Bees

In this exhausting cultural moment, it has seemed to me that we desperately need to hear from and to hear about a God who forgives our sin and stupidity, who loves us in spite of our weary cluelessness, who speaks kindness to all of our sadness and resignation, who offers grace in the midst of all our uncertainty and inadequacy.

International Witness Sunday 2021 focusses on vision, hope, healing

Mennonite Church Canada invites congregations across its nationwide community of faith to celebrate International Witness Sunday on October 24, 2021.

Quiet

The sound of your kids enjoying this place has been music to my camp-starved ears, but today I am relishing the quiet.

Witness workers in China return to Canada to finish their term of service

After 30 years of serving in Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland of China, Witness workers Tobia and George Veith are returning to Canada.

Youth Gathering 2022 at Camp Valaqua about listening for the love of God

Amplify! Giving voice to what we’ve seen and heard at Camp Valaqua will be an opportunity for youth ages 12-18 to gather in worship, spend time in nature, recharge their spirits and meet like-minded youth from across the country.

Bridges in an Age of Division

I pray that we may continue to build bridges in response to God’s vision for the world and experience the deep blessings that come!

Step by Step: Werner and Joanne go to Ethiopia

Follow along with Werner and Joanne De Jong as they transition from pastoral work in Edmonton,  Alberta to Meserete Kristos Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mennonite Church Canada announces theme for Gathering 2022 in Edmonton

Co-hosted with Mennonite Church Alberta, We Declare: What We Have Seen and Heard will be an opportunity for members of the nationwide church to re-examine what it means to tell the Good News and to share and hear stories of bearing witness to the Gospel of peace.

Press Release: Church Engagement Minister

Mennonite Church Alberta is pleased to announce the hiring of Steven Giugovaz as Church Engagement Minister.

Joani Neufeldt to coordinate Youth Gathering 2022

Mennonite Church Canada is pleased to welcome Joani Neufeldt as Event Coordinator for Youth Gathering 2022 in Alberta.

An “A-peeling” Camp Valaqua Volunteer

“I’m a-peeling cucumbers, carrots, and potatoes.” 

Apologies and Forgiveness?

Since the discovery of the bodies of 215 children at the former Kamloops residential school we have heard the repeated call for an apology from the Roman Catholic Church.

Witness in Wet’suwet’en

Josiah Neufeld and Allegra Friesen Epp were part of a five-person team that spent most of this past June at Unist’ot’en Camp in Wet’suwet’en territory in northern B.C., a place that has become a site of resistance by Indigenous peoples against energy extraction projects for decades, as well as a place of healing and cultural resurgence.

In the following interview, they share what they did at the camp, the conversations they had with Elders, what they learned and what they believe the church’s role is in supporting Indigenous communities on the frontlines.

Our Villages: Varied and Valuable

Reach out to that person you think is doing so well and check in on them, they might not be doing as well as you think they are. We are people who crave connection – make your connections count.

Expanded Belonging

I raised my fist in the air in jubilation and briefly celebrated … before a moment of self reflection took over. I was happy for Andre De Grasse, but I started reflecting on why on earth I felt so connected to him; why it almost felt like when he won, I also won. It is this strange connection I unconsciously sense with all these athletes that wear a uniform with “Canada” written across it, and a kind of disconnection with anyone from another country.

Mennonite Church Canada welcomes new Witness workers in Ethiopia

Mennonite Church Canada International Witness is pleased to announce Werner and Joanne De Jong, from Edmonton, Alberta, as new Witness workers in Ethiopia, working as relief faculty for Meserete Kristos College.

A Million Resources or, the Right One?

We often say that Google can provide a million resources, but CommonWord can provide the right one.  

Grassroots podcast launches for Mennonite Church Canada nationwide family of faith and beyond

If you ask Ryan Dueck and Carrie Lehn, co-hosts of the new podcast The MennoCast, how the idea for the project came about, they will both point a (virtual) finger and say, “It was Moses’ idea.”

Mission worker/administrator planted seeds of good news on four continents

Three months after a cancer diagnosis, Erwin H. Rempel, 76, died June 25, at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Erwin and Angela, his wife of 55 years, served with Mennonite Mission Network and a predecessor agency, Commission on Overseas Mission (COM), on four continents from 1975-2009.

Accept the Invitation. Show up.

My Mennonite identity – shaped by my faith in God as revealed through Jesus – can create an opening for authentic relationship-building with people whose identity and privilege might differ from my own.

Building Community at Camp Valaqua

“We will pray for you in your ministry of mentoring and caring for all who come to camp this summer.”

Moral Foundations, Identity and Gifts

A question: “Can we maintain our identity and welcome the gifts of others?” 

A reflection following King's College, Edmonton's Interdisciplinary Studies conference. 

An Encounter, Embrace, and Embodiment of Christ in Community

As the MCA faith family we are halfway through Year 2 of our 3 Year Action Plan, “Encountering, Embracing, Embodying Christ…in Community”. The past 16 months of health restrictions have forced us to look for different ways to connect with each other and be the community God calls us to be. I am grateful for the many ways God brings people together even during a pandemic, whether within our faith family or beyond.
 

“We cannot stand by silently in the face of injustice”

In a recent Zoom conversation with Mennonite Church Canada International Witness, leaders of Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia (IMCOL) described how their church is responding to ongoing protests in Colombia and promoting a message of peace to the government.

Response to unmarked graves near Marieval Indian Residential School

We join our siblings in Mennonite Church Saskatchewan as they lament 751 unmarked graves recently found on Cowessess First Nation, near what was once Marieval Indian Residential School:

Ron Janzen: An integral part of the Camp Valaqua community

Ron Janzen, of Springridge Mennonite, Pincher Creek, has been fundraising for the Camp Valaqua Hike-a-thon for over 20 years, often bringing in the most donations. And yet, fundraising is only one part of his contribution to life at Camp Valaqua.