Mennonite Church Canada Witness
International Ministry Opportunity

Mennonite Church Canada Priorities

To engage the world with the reconciling gospel of Jesus Christ, with God’s help we will:

• Form a people of God;
• Become a global church;
• Grow leaders for the church.

Mennonite Church Canada Mandate

To lead, mobilize and resource the church to participate in holistic witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in a broken world.

Assignment objective

By providing practical and pastoral support to the SERVE program, and through relationship building with Arab Christians, this assignment seeks to encourage the body of Christ in Nazareth and to equip people for future ministry.

Assignment description

The SERVE Nazareth program assistant couple will be responsible to SERVE Nazareth Administrators, to provide practical and pastoral support to all international participants in the SERVE Nazareth program.

They would live on the Nazareth Hospital campus, providing oversight and care for all SERVE Nazareth interns and associates after office hours and over weekends. Day time hours would be considered as free time for the couple, except in the case of a group being on the campus. It is anticipated that the couple would need to be on site for the duration of each intern program, as emergency cover outside office hours. Vacations should be scheduled (in general) between these programs.

SERVE Nazareth program assistant(s) will have particular responsibility regarding the Group SERVE program, being the main point of contact with any group once they arrive on site.

Primary duties

• Pastoral and emergency care of SERVE Nazareth interns and associates. This would include the preparation & hosting of a community meal once every week, as well as birthdays celebrations and special events. These events would be funded by the program.
• Care of groups coming through the Group SERVE program, once they arrive in Nazareth.
• Oversight and assistance on housing, including monitoring cleanliness and improvements.
• Assist with the Sunday evening services.
• Build relationships with local Arab Christian churches as possible through personal and program connections.

Qualifications: Necessary skills, experience and education

• Commitment to following Jesus Christ
• Passion for the church and its mission in an ecumenical context
• Eagerness to work with young adults.
• Flexibility and openness to a wide range of persons, churches and life experiences
• A couple (married for more than one year)
• Willingness and ability to lead spiritual activities.
• A pastor on sabbatical or lay leadership couple could be ideal for this assignment.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Pastoral & spiritual leadership experience.
• Previous cross cultural experience is preferred and highly valued.

Lifestyle Expectations:

All Mennonite Church Canada Witness Workers are expected to:

• Be members of Mennonite Church Canada or another Anabaptist church
• Uphold the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective in word and action.
• Live according to the Lifestyle Expectations as outlined in the Mennonite Church Canada International Ministries Policy Manual (Accountability, Spiritual Disciplines, Living in Community, Relating to Church and Culture, Personal Witness, Openness to Admonition and Reconciliation, Commitment to Assignment, Care for health and wellness).

Financial Arrangements

Mennonite Church Canada will assist the volunteer couple with inviting support for this assignment from their home congregation. Funds are dependent on donations received. Expenses would include the following:

• International travel; $1250+ per person
• Monthly costs: a minimum of $400 per person spending money.
• Medical insurance

Location factors:

Accommodations, climate, health facilities, church and transportation available, etc.

• Small flat for the couple will be made available
• Meals at the hospital kitchen are available each day
• Health facilities are available at our hospital. However each person should ensure they have full medical insurance cover.
• Transportation to and from the airport is provided as you arrive and on departure.
• The SERVE Nazareth program provides opportunities to build connections with a variety of Arab Christian churches in the Nazareth region. English services are also held at the hospital chapel each Sunday evening.

Interested in Applying?

You can get started right away by filling out our General Expression of Interest form or you can contact:
Kirsten Schroeder
Director of Human Resources
email:
Phone: (204) 888-6781
Toll-free: 1 866-888-6785 ext. 110