News releases - 2012 - Mennonite Church Canada

January 24, 2012

Sustainable urban agriculture flourishing in Cuba
Krystofer Penner’s studies in international development piqued his interest in food supply issues and drew his attention to Cuba and its established system of sustainable urban agriculture. That sparked a conversation with Mennonite Church Canada to explore internship possibilities with some of its church partners in Cuba.

Optimism after Korea Anabaptist Center divides
Separation does not always mean subtraction. In fact, for Mennonite Church Canada’s partner in South Korea, the Korea Anabaptist Center, separating from Connexus, the English-language institute that it created in 2004, is becoming a multiplication factor for both.

“Naked Anabaptist” author on tour
Stuart Murray, British author of the popular book The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith, will speak in Canada and the U.S. this spring.

Vocational choices rooted in church community
For years, Gerald Mast, a professor at Bluffton University, has been teaching that a Christian’s life decisions should be made in consultation with other members in the church.

Radio program tackles teen drinking and drugs
Shaping Families, the 15-minute weekly radio program of MennoMedia, will tackle the effects of alcohol and drugs on the adolescent brain in February.

Formation Consultant on service leave in Zambia
In early January, Mennonite Church Canada Formation Consultant Elsie Rempel took up temporary residence in the guest house of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) regional offices in Choma, Zambia. Rempel is in Zambia’s Southern Province for a three month service leave to mentor schoolteachers in the region’s BIC Schools through a program supervised by Mennonite Central Committee Zambia directors, Eric and Kathy Fast.

January 9

Nazareth service experience awesome!
Kayla Thiessen bubbles with enthusiasm when she talks about her short term service experience via Mennonite Church Canada in Nazareth. The University of Manitoba graphic design student experienced life far away from her prairie home, learning about life in biblical times and sharing her faith with children and youth in the area.

Bring me a fiancé
As we said farewell to Korea Anabaptist Center (KAC) staff before leaving for brief vacation in Canada last June, I asked Hee Joung what we could bring her from Canada when we returned in August. “Bring me a fiancé,” she responded. “He doesn’t have to be rich or handsome as long as he is a Christian and is kind and generous!”

Nearly 100 churches report on their singing
Nearly 100 congregations in Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church USA are reporting on the songs they sing. They are helping to determine what the next collection of music for the church will look like. But the planners of the next hymnal or song collection are looking for more churches to participate in the current song survey.

MennoMedia’s radio program starts third year
Shaping Families, the 15-minute weekly radio program of MennoMedia, begins its third year of broadcasting in January with 4 programs.

December 22, 2011

Youth Assembly to transition to new biennial schedule by 2016
After considering a number of options, the Christian Formation Council, at its October 2011 meeting, approved a cycle of Canadian youth gatherings which will see a stand-alone event held in Manitoba in 2013.

Bangkok flood victims welcome aid: Living Water Church distributes aid funded by Mennonite Church Canada
Bangkok and the surrounding region continue to experience the worst flooding in Thailand's history. The flood crisis, which began in July, has left many districts in the central provinces and neighbourhoods to the east and west of Bangkok still under water in December.

December 20

Aid request: Typhoon Sendong ravages Philippine Island
Mennonite Church Canada workers safe: The death toll from Typhoon Sendong on Dec. 18 could surpass 1,000, say reports coming from the affected Philippine island of Mindanao. As of Dec. 20, 927 are already reported dead, with over 800 still missing.

December 16

Meet Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers
Keeping supporters informed about workers engaged in international ministry has prompted Mennonite Church Canada to find a more efficient way of relaying up-to-date information.

Canadian pastor to chair MennoMedia board
Melissa Miller, pastor of Springstein Mennonite Church southwest of Winnipeg, Man., will chair the eight-member bi-national board of MennoMedia, starting in January.

Customer requests put VBS 2012 on fast track
Customers eager to preview and select Mennonite vacation Bible school materials won’t have to wait quite as long this year.

“Waging Peace” premieres in Harrisonburg
Filmmaker Burton Buller greets guests at a reception preceding the premiere of Waging Peace: Muslim and Christian Alternatives at Court Square Theater in Harrisonburg, Va., on Nov. 15.

December 5

Church leader speaks to federal government leaders on climate
Whether the scientists are right or wrong about climate change is no longer the issue, Willard Metzger told about a dozen Senators and Members of Parliament in Ottawa at a breakfast meeting on Oct. 25.

Assembly 2012 date announced
The 2012 Mennonite Church Canada Assembly will take place July 12-15 at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel. The assembly will be shaped as a study conference, with business sessions taking place only on the evening of Thursday, July 12. The Faith and Life Committee is planning a scripture study and discernment theme. A Sunday morning worship service will be open to all

Being a Faithful Church: call to use new Feedback Tool
The General Board of Mennonite Church Canada is seeking input as part of the next step in the Being a Faithful Church process. “Our next step is to understand how we currently use Scripture when we discern as a Mennonite community,” explained Andrew Reesor-McDowell, Moderator. “This will create an important platform in building a shared framework for future discernment.”

Leadership staff titles change: Mennonite Church Canada
In its Nov. 10-12 meetings, Mennonite Church Canada’s General Board approved a recommendation to change the job titles of top level leadership staff in the national church office in Winnipeg.

Christmas celebrations assume world flavour for Mennonite Church Canada workers
Andrew Suderman of St. Jacobs, Ontario remembers the first Christmas he spent in South Africa. "[It] felt rather strange, as we were celebrating Christmas in very warm temperatures," says Suderman, who along with his wife, Karen, is a Mennonite Church Canada Witness worker based in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of the South African province KwaZulu-Natal.

Manitoba rally joins national opposition: Crime omnibus bill
The federal government’s Bill C-10 – part of a wider crime omnibus bill – had already met opposition in Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia, by the time Manitobans rallied in opposition.

Protecting children is critical
As disturbing as sexual misconduct headlines are in newspapers, on radio and television, and online, the tragic scandals provide a good opportunity to address this critical issue in Christian homes and churches. Mennonite churches have several resources to help in that regard.

Herald Press reissues three books
Herald Press, the book imprint of MennoMedia, has re-issued three popular books, adding some updates and designing new covers. “We constantly evaluate our books with readers’ preferences in mind,” said Amy Gingerich, director of print media at MennoMedia. “It just so happened that all three of these important Herald Press titles received new covers and some new content at about the same time.”

“Shaping Families” airing specials in December
Two Christmas specials and a two-year anniversary program for Shaping Families are highlights of December’s line-up for the 15-minute weekly radio program from MennoMedia. The programs will air on 18 U.S. radio stations and appear online at www.ShapingFamilies.com.

News releases: 2012