April 13th, 2026

Emission Reduction Grant: Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church

Paying attention to creation care

The poet Mary Oliver offers advice to readers of her poem Sometimes. She writes “Instructions for living a life: / Pay attention / Be astonished / Tell about it / ”

Oliver’s words might well describe the creation care journey of Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church (TCMC) — and other aspects of its ministry.

 Outdoors, the congregation has expanded its community garden, which began with just one raised vegetable bed. Now there are five. They invited the daycare that operates in the building’s basement to join the garden initiative, which they did. The harvest is shared among the growers, with excess produce donated to the local community pantry. Along one wall of the church is a pollinator garden, partially funded by the David Suzuki Foundation. The garden was inspired by the 2012 film Flight of the Butterflies. A neighbourhood resident with connections to the award winning film agreed to arrange and host a free showing at the church, followed by a Q & A session.

 Communicating their greening initiatives is an intentional act of the congregation’s creation care awareness strategy. A Toronto city councillor and member of parliament living in the neighbourhood were invited — and attended — a ribbon cutting to celebrate the pollinator garden. “What better way?” to communicate to the community than to invite their elected representatives to the opening, said Brian Quan, lead pastor since 2009. Planners didn’t know if the officials would come, but when they did arrive “We had to get a longer ribbon,” he said with a chuckle.

 The congregation also distributes multi-lingual cards with “Green Living Tips” encouraging congregants to reduce waste with practical suggestions like using re-useable water bottles, coffee mugs, and shopping bags, and extending the life of unused clothing by donating items. They’re also connecting with Indigenous groups for learning events.

 The 120 member three-in-one congregation is made up of a founding group (1979) of Cantonese speakers and their next generation, and Mandarin and English speaking groups. The three language groups have separate and combined events and activities throughout the year. The Woodbine neighbourhood is home to TCMC’s 1930s era church building, which until 2000 was home to a Presbyterian congregation. An annex was added circa 1960, and houses a 3,500 square foot multi-purpose room.

 The congregation will use a Mennonite Church Canada Emissions Reduction Grant (ERG) to help fund the installation of energy efficient LED lighting to replace fluorescent lights in the annex that are almost 70 years old. Cost savings from the new lights will be set aside to help fund a larger, more expensive future goal of installing solar panels on the large south facing roof.

 TCMC has already installed LED lighting in its main sanctuary, and gradually replaced windows with better insulated units. Smart thermostats lower energy consumption during times when the building is not in use.

 The upgrades are important to the many users who run programs in the building during the week, like the 50-spot, 5 days/week daycare and two large community seniors groups that meet in the building twice a week for tai-chi and crafting activities. Two additional worshipping groups use the sanctuary on Sundays.

 The 35-member English speaking group (plus about 12 children) comprise second generation Canadians, mostly from the founding Cantonese members, said Quan. He provides general oversight to all three groups, but concentrates his pastoral work on the English speakers. “Because of our understanding of faith and connection to the environment theologically, there is the greatest knowledge with our English speaking group because we’re raised, born, here,”said Quan. He credits members like Sandy Yuen, who has studied environmental sciences. “She’s one of our cheerleaders in that area.”

Quan incorporates creation care prayers into worship services to help bring attention to the stewardship aspect of their faith practice. It “…trickles down to those who are new to the faith,” he said.

While the church is proactive about communicating its creation care efforts to its local neighbourhood, it also takes seriously the messaging it receives from outside its closest networks.

“We just listen. If there’s an idea or a curiosity that comes in, we begin to seed it a little bit, and see if something happens,” said Quan. He emphasized that statements and resolutions encouraging green actions coming out of national and regional delegate assemblies and gatherings over the years have been influential to the greening steps his congregation has taken.

 All of TCMC’s efforts put together are well summed up by Oliver’s “Instructions for living a life.”