Mennonite Church Canada updates and prayer requests

Published on June 9, 2021

 

Nationwide worship services coming this summer 

Mennonite Church Canada is once again coordinating worship services this summer. We will join Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver on June 20. The services will be available at mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices and on our YouTube channel.  

Mennonite Church Canada joins MCBC in lament of children's remains discovered at residential school 

As regional and nationwide church communities we grieve together with all the families and all those who have been impacted by the news of these deaths. We pray for all those who have memories and scars from their time in residential schools and for those who have been retraumatized by this discovery. Full response here: 

https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11819-mennonite-church-canada-joins-mcbc-in-lament-of-childrens-remains-discovered-at-residential-school 

Mennonite Church Canada AGM – Saturday, June 19, 2021, 1-2:30 p.m. EDT 

Join our nationwide community of faith for Mennonite Church Canada's AGM. Along with our business agenda, we will hear updates from our program directors, enjoy worship and reflect together as joint council members share what God has showed them over the past year. All are welcome. Register here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/event/11737-2021-06-19-mennonite-church-canada-agm-2021. 

“What we have seen, what we have heard” six-week study guide for Gathering 2022 

 Across the nationwide church, congregations are being invited to witness to what God has been doing among us. What have you seen? What have you heard God doing in your life and the life of your community? This six-weeks study series invite congregations to understand how they are living witnesses to the gospel. Consider using this study guide this fall for adult education, care groups or even as a worship series. Available through CommonWord this August 2021. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, October 24, 2021, is International Witness Sunday 

Learn more at www.mennonitechurch.ca/IW-Sunday 

Situation in Colombia still dire 

The Colombian Mennonite Church asks us to continue to stand with them in prayer. Churches supporting protesters have received death threats from paramilitary groups. Yalile Caballero, IMCOL president, says that youth feel hopeless because the protests and strikes do not bring change. Along with violence against protesters and illegal detentions, COVID-19 continues to spread, with more than 500 new cases daily and ICU beds at capacity. 

New faith siblings in Burkina Faso 


Please pray for the 28 newly-baptized believers in the Mennonite churches in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, that their faith and witness continue to grow in life-giving ways. In the words of Siaka Traoré, founding church-planter and pastor of the churches in Bobo, "Thanks be to God who makes the church grow."  

Witness workers move to expand peace education 

Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers, Sook Kyoung Park and Bock Ki Kim have moved to a new community in Chuncheon, South Korea, this month to expand their children’s ministry in peace education.  Pray that their community will benefit from Sook Kyoung’s peace presence as she interacts with children and their families.   

 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

 

Mennonite Church Canada and ecumenical groups across Canada mobilize around Bill C-15 


Bill C-15, an Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is in its second reading by the Senate. Time is running out for it to reach royal assent and ensure that Canada takes a hard look at its laws to make sure they are in line with UN Declaration. Read our story on how why faith groups are mobilizing around the Bill:  

https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11739-mennonite-church-canada-and-ecumenical-groups-across-canada-mobilize-around-bill-c-15 

For information on action you can take, visit www.faithinthedeclaration.ca. 

 

Mennonite Church Canada and Christian Peacemaker Teams form accompaniment team in Unist’ot’en Camp in Wet’suwet’en territory 


Mennonite Church Canada, together with Christian Peacemaker Teams, has responded to an invitation to accompany Unist’ot’en Camp in Wet’suwet’en Territory. A five-person team comprised of CPTers and members of Mennonite Church Canada arrived at the camp in northern B.C. on May 26. Read their statement here:  

https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11783-mennonite-church-canada-and-christian-peacemaker-teams-form-accompaniment-team-in-unistoten-camp-in-wetsuweten-territory 

 

ISR launches Be it Resolved Challenge 


The Be it Resolved Challenge is a nationwide initiative encouraging Mennonite Church Canada members and congregations to create and commit to new resolutions for Indigenous justice. Learn more here:  

https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11800-indigenous-settler-relations-launches-be-it-resolved-challenge 

 

Faith Action Tool Kit: 1492 Land Back Lane 

Joint-intern for Indigenous-Settler Relations and Christian Peacemaker Teams Allegra Friesen Epp has put together a faith action toolkit to help churches engage with 1492 Land Back Lane, a site within the Haldimand Tract in southwestern Ontario where Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) Land Defenders are mobilizing to stop a new subdivision from being built on their lands. Free downloads of the kit available here.  

https://cptaction.org/faith-action-toolkit-1492-land-back-lane/?blm_aid=62157 

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Summer Reading List 


Our 13th annual list of titles for the lawn chair, hammock or beach blanket – to buy, borrow or special order - www.commonword.ca/go/2447 

 

Worship Resources for Ordinary Time 

  

Spring/Summer CommonRead Title 


  • Our recommended title for Mennonite Church Canada congregations.
  • Read individually or as a group.  Great title for a parenting group!  
  • Buy or Borrow book – commonword.ca/go/2347.  Bulk discount available when buying 5 or more copies.

  

Events 

Past updates

"The promise is for you!" - Pentecost greetings from Mennonite church Canada

 

Germinating Conversations:  a grassroots model for navigating difficult conversations 

 

Read our latest interview with Marta Bunnett Wiebe, editor of Germinating Conversations, a project that opened up space for listening, discernment and dialogue on faith, food and farming. 

https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11682-an-interview-with-marta-bunnett-wiebe-on-germinating-conversations 

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

Veiths devote time to relationships before leaving China 

Witness workers George and Tobia Veith are visiting places in China they have ministered, strengthening connections as they finish their time in China in the next few months. Pray that these relationships are strengthened and that Chinese colleagues have a sense of peace and clear vision for the future.   

COVID complicates ministry in Thailand 

COVID-19 restrictions on travel in Thailand are keeping infection rates down but also making ministry more difficult for Witness workers Tom and Christine Poovong, and Myrrl and Ruthie Byler, who work jointly for Mennonite Church Canada and MC USA in Asia. Pray that relationships can be formed and maintained in creative ways.   

Witness Support Networks meet this summer 

Witness Support Networks joining congregations across Canada meet virtually in June. Pray that God will give a sense of excitement and commitment to these joint ministries that we share. Pray that more congregations will join in this life-giving connection to international churches.  For more info on the Networks, visit: mennonitechurch.ca/witness-support-networks 

 

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

 

Support Bill C-15 – time is running out...again! 

Last year, Bill C-262 died in the senate in June on National Indigenous Peoples Day. Now Bill C-15, “An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” is in its second reading in the House and pre-study in the Senate. There is now only a month to see it get royal assent and, once enacted, ensure Canadian laws are consistent with the Declaration. This is an important step toward reconciliation. Faith in the Declaration, an ecumenical coalition, has a list of actions individuals and congregations can take to show support. Visit https://www.faithinthedeclaration.ca/take-action-1.  

 
 
 

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Special orders 


We gladly special order your retail request when we don’t have the title in stock. Our prices are competitive and you support your own bookstore/resource centre. 

  

Intercultural church 


Resources that foster just diversity, different cultural articulations of faith and an alternative to the politics of assimilation and segregation - www.commonword.ca/go/2214 

  

Partnership with Together in Worship 


Summer is a concentrated time for resource curation!  Watch www.togetherinworship.net and www.commonword.ca for additional free worship resources in the coming months. 

  

Events 

Published on April 28, 2021

 

Witness workers embrace Indigenous names and identities

Dann and Joji Pantoja, Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers in the Philippines, wish to be acknowledged as Lakan Sumulong and Lakambini Mapayapa, names given to them by their Tagalog elders. Read more: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11497-witness-workers-embrace-indigenous-names-and-identities. 

Peace Africa network nurtures peace between Christians and Muslims

“Peace Africa explores how the global Mennonite community can support peace-building initiatives between Christians and Muslims in African countries,” says Tany Warkentin, Mennonite Church Canada’s liaison to ministry in Africa. Read about how a hearse project provided an opportunity to build bridges and show that Christians are people of compassion and peace.  

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

 

Maliwan welcomes new believers 

The Maliwan Church in Khon Kaen, Thailand, welcomed four baptisms on Easter Sunday. Thank God for this growing group of Jesus followers who share life together in worship, income-generation work, discipleship training and community service. Pray for Witness workers Tom and Christine Poovong as they provide leadership and mentoring to this group.   

Donors raise funds for dehydrator for Coffee for Peace 

Praise God for the generosity of Canadian donors which enables Coffee for Peace in Mindanao, Philippines, to purchase a dehydrator to dry surplus vegetables grown by their coffee producers, and to make cascara tea out of coffee pulp waste. Witness worker Lakambini Mapayapa (Joji Pantoja) gives leadership to this social enterprise that supports the work of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc., in several areas of the Philippines.   

Rising virus cases in Ethiopia 

Rising COVID-19 cases in the midst of complicated ethnic division in Ethiopia are affecting the ministry of Meserete Kristos Church. We pray for God’s peace to reign and unity within the church to be strengthened. 

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS



Tuesday, May 4, 2021 

5 – 6:30 p.m. CST 

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/TRCBillC15 

The three former commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada will discuss Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Please join us for this critical conversation with Honourable Murray Sinclair, Dr. Marie Wilson, and Chief Wilton Littlechild. Together, we'll explore whether C-15 is in keeping with the spirit and intent of the TRC, and how it might serve as a tangible step in the reconciliation journey! 

 
 
 

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Events: 

 

 

Featured resources: 

  • CMU, MCC Manitoba, A Rocha, Canadian Foodgrains Bank have published Germinating Conversations after many years of dialogue on food, faith, farming and the land. Study guide included. Buy or borrow - www.commonword.ca/go/2248. 

  • From MC USA, a guide for congregations who are desiring to begin or continue their reflection on what it means to engage the forces of state, their commitments to non-violence and how to act to end policing and police brutality. More information - www.commonword.ca/go/2397. 

  • Imagine a church where it feels safe to talk about money. You could bring your debts, job losses and joys, like inheritances and new jobs. Peace Blossom Church is such a place. While fictional, it is based on churches and donors the Lori Guenther Reesor has met - and stories that are flat-out miraculous. Buy/borrow – www.commonword.ca/go/2327. 

 

Calendar: 

Published on April 14, 2021

 

 

CommonWord to host virtual book launch with author Lori Guenther Reesor 


April 22, 6:30 p.m., CDT. 

In our latest interview, member of Hamilton Mennonite Church Lori Guenther Reesor introduces us to her new book on generous giving, why churches struggle to talk about money and why stewardship is not about a budget. Read here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11425-lets-talk-about-our-generosity-an-interview-with-lori-guenther-reesor 

 

Susan Reynar joins Mennonite Church Canada staff 


Susan will be our new executive assistant, beginning May 1. To learn more about Susan and why she applied for the job, read our release: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/news/11423-susan-reynar-joins-mennonite-church-canada-staff 


 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS 

Palestine-Israel Network urges advocacy against destruction of Palestinian homes


Church leaders in the Holy Land urge the global church to advocate against the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem to expand Israeli settlements--moves that contravene international law and human rights. Go to the links at the Mennonite Church Canada Palestine-Israel Network (PIN) web page for information on a letter-writing campaign asking Ottawa to speak out against this injustice. 

China Witness workers to return to Canada 

After 30 years of service in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China, George and Tobia Veith will return to Canada this summer. Pray for them as they adjust to this shift in their lives and ministry. Pray for their family in Canada and colleagues in China and for the changes this will cause in their lives.   

Prayer for young adults during pandemic 

The fall-out of the pandemic has been particularly difficult for young people just graduating and starting their work lives. Three of our Witness worker families have young adults living in Canada, while their parents serve internationally.  Pray their children find the emotional and financial help that they need.   

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS


We need your help to support Indigenous Rights!  

The Faith in the Declaration Coalition invites everyone to send a letter to Hon. Pablo Rodriguez – the Government Leader in the House of Commons – calling on him to expedite the passage of Bill C-15 (An Act to Respect UNDRIP), so that it reaches Royal Assent. This is a vital response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  

 

 

NAIITS virtual symposium, June 3-5 - A Mennonite Church Canada ‘virtual delegation’ 

Mennonite Church Canada is sponsoring 20 friends from across our nationwide community, and the Unsettling the Word (New Leaf Network) Book Club, to attend this year’s virtual NAIITS symposium — Treaty and Covenant: Creating Space for Hope, June 3 – 5, 2021. It will be a rich time of learning and relationship building. For more information and to register, visit https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/naiits-2021. 

 

News from our partners 

Support human rights defenders in Mexico– message from Christian Peacemaker Teams 

Two members of a CPT partner organization in Mexico were kidnapped on April 13, while traveling to go to a workshop on human rights. The link to the call to action is: https://frayba.org.mx/arbitrary-detention-of-human-rights-defenders-of-frayba/. Please sign to support them.   

 
 
 

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Voices Together supplementary resources 


 

MCC Sask to host virtual launch for Healing Haunted Histories 


  

Bring a great library to your home 


Did you know borrowed items ship free with a membership to CommonWord?

Set one up today: https://www.commonword.ca/Content/Become-a-Member

 

Calendar 

Published on March 31, 2021

 

 

Raise hard truths and turn towards healing: an interview with Elaine Enns and Ched Myers on new book 

 

In their new book Healing Haunted Histories: A Settler Discipleship of Decolonization (Cascade Books, 2021), authors and life partners Elaine Enns and Ched Myers confront hard truths about settler complicity in historic and ongoing injustices perpetrated against Indigenous peoples. They also offer a way toward healing. 

 

Mennonite Church Canada issues call to prayer 

In the midst of the worst-yet coronavirus outbreak in Palestine, Bethlehem Bible College (BBC) invites us to pray with them for students, staff, faculty, families and all Palestinians. 

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

 

Continued prayer for Myanmar 

With news of increasing violence in Myanmar, we invite you to continue to pray for the people of Myanmar. Pray also for our nationwide siblings in our community of faith, many of whom are still unable to reach their family members in Myanmar. We invite you to reach out with encouragement to:  

Anabaptist resources in Mandarin growing 

The number of Anabaptist resources available online in Mandarin is growing. We are thankful for a small group of Chinese writers that are beginning to add to these.  pray for these writers, their writing will have an impact far beyond their congregations.

 

Witness worker teaches restorative justice to school board committees 

Witness worker Bock Ki Kim, together with others in the Chuncheon Community Peace Center, has been invited to visit all 17 school boards in the area to talk about restorative justice/education with committees involved with student violence and conflict. Pray for Bock Ki as he does this training every Thursday and Friday until the end of May.

 

Income-generation in Thailand 

Income-generation training and discipleship training go hand in hand in the church communities of northeastern Thailand, served by Witness workers, Tom and Christine Poovong. Pray that the trained leaders will find ways to support their families and become strong anchors in their communities. 

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

 

Indigenous climate action webinar 


We are in a climate crisis and Indigenous peoples are on the frontlines defending Mother Earth. How can we support and join in their struggle? Join a panel of amazing land and water protectors for a rich and challenging webinar conversation on April 7 at 6 p.m. CDT — register here. This event is co-sponsored by Indigenous-Settler Relations, Mennonite Central Committee MB, KAIROS and the office of MP Leah Gazan.   

 

Lectionary resources on Indigenous solidarity available for April 25, 2021 

Mennonite Church Canada and Christian Peacemaker Teams Turtle Island Solidarity Network have partnered to create lectionary resources on Indigenous solidarity for Sunday, April 25. We invite congregations to take part in this Sunday of prayer and action as we strive to stand in solidarity with Indigenous Water Defenders in Minnesota. To participate, please email outreach@cpt.org. 

 

NAIITS virtual symposium, June 3-5 - A Mennonite Church Canada ‘virtual delegation’ 

Mennonite Church Canada is sponsoring 20 friends from across our nationwide community to attend this year’s virtual NAIITS symposium — Treaty and Covenant: Creating Space for Hope, June 3 – 5, 2021. It will be a rich time of learning and relationship building. For more information and to register, visit https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/naiits-2021. 

 
 
 

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RECALL NOTICE: Voices Together Accompaniment Edition (effective until May 1, 2021) 

Due to a manufacturing defect, the Voices Together Accompaniment Edition is being recalled. The end sheets used in binding were not reinforced and therefore the book’s interior is pulling through at the punches. MennoMedia has been in close communication with the printer, and the printer with the bindery, on how to correct this problem. 

  • Replace your current copy – please fill out this form by May 1, 2021 
  • If you wish to keep your copy, you do not need to do anything. 
  • Buy a new copy – www.commonword.ca/go/2318 (Expected to be available to ship by mid-April) 
  • If you have questions about the recall, please contact MennoMedia, 1-800-245-7894 

 

Virtual Book Launch with Lori Guenther Reesor

 

Online book club with ISR director Steve Heinrichs

 

  • Our next recommended title for Mennonite Church Canada congregations. 
  • Read individually or as a group.  Great title for a parenting group!   
  • Buy or Borrow book – www.commonword.ca/go/2347.  Bulk discount available when buying 5 or more copies. 
  • Free study guide available. 
  • Join a conversation with the author, Natalie Frisk, on April 9, noon CDT.  Register - https://www.mennomedia.org/register-now/ 

 

Calendar and resources

Published on March 17, 2021

 

Mennonite Church Canada is hiring!

Mennonite Church Canada is accepting applications for the position of executive assistant. The position is full-time and located in Winnipeg, Man., but applicants from across Canada (who are permanent residents or Canadian citizens) are welcome to apply. For the full job posting visit: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/get-involved#exec-assistant.

 

Meet Mennonite Church Canada’s Sustainability Leadership Group 

 

View press release 

The SLG, which began meeting in February 2020, focusses on the environmental and social impacts of Mennonite Church Canada activities. It identifies ways the regional churches and nationwide community can improve in these areas while remaining economically sustainable. Visit our Sustainability webpage: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/sustainability. 

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

 

Continued prayer for Myanmar 

With news of increasing violence in Myanmar, we invite you to continue to pray for the people of Myanmar. Pray also for our nationwide siblings in our community of faith, many of whom are still unable to reach their family members in Myanmar. We invite you to reach out with encouragement to:  

 

Colombia Mennonite Church asks for prayer amid violence 

Mennonite Church of Colombia (IMCOL) asks us to pray for them as they support congregations in areas of violence. “Violence is widespread and affects us all. There is not a day that goes by that we do not hear of deaths, fighting and coca crops and fear for the welfare of children, young people and the whole church. But as a Church we cannot fall into despair. These events pain us but we must strengthen our hope in God.” Praise God for the witness of peace they bring to the region and the strong message of hope in darkness. 

 

Pray for the future of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. 

PeaceBuilders Community, Inc., in Mindanao, Philippines, invites you to pray with them as they plan with Witness workers, Dann and Joji Pantoja, a sustainable future of training for peace and reconciliation and economic development with marginalized communities.  Pray for wisdom as they seek God’s vision for peace and harmony with the people and the land.  

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

 

ISR online book club runs this April

Join Steve Heinrichs (director of Indigenous-Settler Relations) for an online book club this April on Beloved Amazonia. Beginning April 8, we’ll gather by Zoom each Thursday at 1:30 p.m. (CST) for five weeks of circle conversation. Together, we will dream new paths for the Church in these lands now called Canada. Together, we will consider what roles we can play to help make this gospel dream a reality. To register, visit https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/beloved-amazonia. 

 

NAIITS virtual symposium, June 3-5 - A Mennonite Church Canada ‘virtual delegation’ 

Mennonite Church Canada is sponsoring 20 friends from across our nationwide community to attend this year’s virtual NAIITS symposium — Treaty and Covenant: Creating Space for Hope, June 3 – 5, 2021. It will be a rich time of learning and relationship building. For more information and to register, visit https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/naiits-2021. 

 
 
 

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New Guide - Season & Event Calendars 

A comprehensive set of links to church season resources, lectionary materials, thematic items for holidays and calendar events - www.commonword.ca/go/calendars 


Healing Haunted Histories by Elaine Enns and Ched Myers 

A family memoir, racial analysis and decolonization workbook from members of Nutana Park Mennonite Church. Shipping generously subsidized by Mennonite Church Canada Indigenous-Settler Relations office – www.commonword.ca/go/2243. 

 

The Confession by Richard Toews 

The Confession – Richard Toews examines questions of theodicy, culpability and loss of story in this novel of Mennonites in Ukraine during the years encompassing the Russian Revolution and Hitler’s invasion of Stalin’s USSR - www.commonword.ca/go/2325. 

 

Calendar and resources: 

Congregations launch new websites through Mennonite Church Canada congregational website hub 


Fifteen congregations have launched new websites through the Mennonite Church Canada congregational website hub. Read about the benefits of the platform during a pandemic and how congregations make use of other tools like online giving and registrations here.

  


INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

Bylers to begin Anabaptist training in Asia 

Pray for Ruthie and Myrrl Byler sent jointly by International Witness and Mennonite Mission Network to support Anabaptist training in Asia. Pray their visas for Thailand will be available soon so they can start working with various partners in the region.   

Partnership sees new literacy teachers trained in Congo 

Praise God for four recently completed teacher training events for the Congo Literacy Project, held in Mutena, Kamiji, Kamayala and Bita in December and January. Pray that 80 newly trained teachers would have the courage and determination to begin literacy classes in their respective congregations. The literacy project is supported by International Witness and Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission. 

Connection with Colombia churches amid violence 

Pray for groups meeting in both Colombia and Canada to work on ideas for bringing our churches into closer relationship. May we support each other in the issues that face us. Pray that the violence threatening rural Colombian congregations decreases.   

 

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

Canada, The Churches, & Bill C-15: A Webinar Discussion

The church has been called by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to adopt and comply with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But what should we make of the government’s newly proposed Bill C-15 legislation? We’ve got a fantastic webinar event coming up on February 18th to help us understand these matters. Join a brilliant set of panelists— land defender Ellen Gabriel, professor Sheryl Lightfoot, Chief Wilton Littlechild and Archbishop Mark MacDonald— and invite your friends to take part in the discussion. Everyone is welcome! To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/canada-the-churches-bill-c-15-le-canada-les-eglises-et-le-projet-de-tickets-140299007107 

 

Prayer for new Mennonite Church Canada-CPT Internship 

 

Please pray for Allegra Friesen Epp (Home Street Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Man.) as she begins a joint internship with Mennonite Church Canada and Christian Peacemaker Teams' Turtle Island Solidarity Network. Allegra will work out of Winnipeg (Treaty 1 & the Homeland of the Metis Nation) for a six-month term, relating to churches, CPT partners and Indigenous solidarity groups. Pray for strength, wisdom and joy as she navigates this work and builds new relationships. 

Read an interview with Allegra and CPT Canada coordinator Rachelle Friesen.

 
 
 

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Season & Event Calendars 


A comprehensive set of links to church season resources, lectionary materials, thematic items for holidays and calendar events - www.commonword.ca/go/calendars 

 

 Lent

      

 

From Friends of CommonWord 

   

  • A family memoir, racial analysis and decolonization workbook by Elaine Enns and Ched Myers. Due to be released in a few weeks. Shipping generously subsidized by Mennonite Church Canada Indigenous-Settler Relations office – www.commonword.ca/go/2243.

 

Voices Together licensing guide

Here’s a comprehensive spreadsheet, compiled by the Anabaptist Worship Network, noting whether a Voices Together song is licensed by OneLicense, CCLI, or is Public Domain – www.commonword.ca/go/2266  


A narrative look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, by Lorne Brandt from Mennonite Church British Columbia – www.commonword.ca/go/2254. 

 

Calendar 

Published on January 20, 2021

 

CommonWord, Herald Press and MC USA partner for Common Read winter title 

 

The book chosen for Common Read's winter title is I Am Not Your Enemy: Stories to Transform a Divided World by Michael T. McRay. Read more about the author and book here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/10893-commonword-herald-press-and-mc-usa-partner-for-common-read-winter-title.  


INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

Anabaptist Global Fellowship Sunday – January 24, 2021 

Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, is Anabaptist Global Fellowship Sunday! MWC calls us to prayer on this day. Praise God that Anabaptists around the world are united in faith in God’s kingdom across language and cultural differences. Give thanks for the growing networks in the MWC family: mission, service, health, peace and education.  

Myanmar congregation builds church 

Pray for the Mission Anabaptist Church in Chin State, Myanmar, as they build a place where they can worship with and train members of their community. Pray that God will bless this place and use it to be a blessing to their region and country.   

Daycare program offered by Bolivia Mennonite Church forced to close 

Iglesia Evangélica Menonita de Bolivia (IEMB) community daycare program for vulnerable and marginalized children in Santa Cruz has been forced to close due to COVID-19 numbers in the area. Pray for the families affected by this closure. Pray they can find ways to work while taking care of their children. Pray for the staff of the daycare program who have been without work for many months due to the closure. 

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

 

Join a February bookclub on Unsettling the Word

In partnership with the New Leaf Network, Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations is co-hosting a four-week book club on Unsettling the Word: Biblical Experiments in Decolonization. Join editor Steve Heinrichs, along with Indigenous authors and activists Cheryl Bear and Sylvia McAdam, for life-giving conversations on justice, faith, reparations, and healing. Borrow or order the book through CommonWord. For more info, and to register, click here. 

News from our partners

35 years and going strong: A webinar with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) 

 For more than three decades, Mennonite Church Canada partner CPT has been transforming violence and undoing oppressions around the world. Join us for a webinar this Jan. 28, noon CT, to learn about the current work in Colombia, Greece, Iraqi Kurdistan, Palestine and here on Turtle Island. Be inspired and discover ways that you can support. To register, visit https://cptaction.org/looking-back-acting-now-planning-ahead/. 

 
 
 

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  • Including resources for Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday – www.commonword.ca/go/2213 
  • [image] Lenten Guided Prayer from Mennonite Spiritual Directors of Eastern Canada – www.commonword.ca/go/2221 

 

CommonRead 


Our winter 2021 CommonRead title – www.commonword.ca/go/2215.  Additional savings for group studies:  20% off when purchasing 5 or more copies! 

  

 Featured resources: 

What happens to Mennonite Church Canada plastic communion cups once they are blessed and then used?  In 2016 Lois Siemens was asked to "take care of them." So she did! She began to photograph them in Mennonite worship spaces across Canada to remind us that we are all beloved children of God - www.commonword.ca/go/2236.

 

A personal memoir by Jack Suderman, former General Secretary of Mennonite Church Canada - www.commonword.ca/go/2238.

 

A novel set in Lusaka Zambia in 1974 by First Mennonite Church, Edmonton writer – www.commonword.ca/go/2239  

 

A new companion study guide by Dan Epp-Tiessen for Peaceful at Heart, Anabaptist Reflections on Healthy Masculinity – free to download at www.commonword.ca/go/2224.   

 

MC USA devotional guides for family  


An At-Home devotional guide for families from Mennonite Church USA – www.commonword.ca/go/2240. 

 

Calendar 

Published on January 6, 2021

 

Mennonite Church Canada annual report available online 

Mennonite Church Canada’s annual report, “Looking Back on 2020,” is available through CommonWord. A one-page summary and full report are both available for congregational AGMs. 

Voices Together hymnal launch on Jan. 9, 2021 

Voices Together is holding a second hymnal launch this Saturday afternoon, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. EDT, as a free three-hour webinar. Visit http://voicestogetherhymnal.org/2020/12/30/launch-event-ii/ to register for the Zoom link. 

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS 

International Witness invites congregations to join Witness Support Networks 

Thirty-five churches already part of five networks 


Is your congregation interested in mutual faith learning with brothers and sisters around the globe? Join a Witness Support Network and connect with other congregations who support International Witness ministries. Five networks currently support ministry in China, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Burkina Faso. Learn more at www.mennonitechurch.ca/witness-support-networks. 

Vietnam believers celebrate 

Praise God for the Christmas celebrations and services held by the Evangelical Mennonite Church in Vietnam. Over 2,000 people attended multiple gatherings during Christmas week in six different counties. Pray for the leadership of these congregations and for the new believers that are worshipping with them.   

Peace in South Korea 

This month pray for Song Kang-ho, founder of Frontiers (a Christian-based peace organization), who is appealing a two-year sentence for trespassing onto a military base during a peaceful protest. Pray for Witness workers Bock Ki Kim and Sook Kyoung Park as they support and provide study resources for the Christian peace community in South Korea. 

Outbreaks in China put student holidays at risk 

Pray that the students of Tobia Veith, in Harbin, China, are able to end the semester well before returning to their homes for the Chinese New Year holiday. Students under end-of-term exam pressure are worried about being caught in Harbin for the holiday due to COVID-19 outbreaks and a potential lockdown. Pray for Tobia as she provides support and a calm presence in their lives.   

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

Join a February bookclub on Unsettling the Word

How might we read the Bible so that it can be an instrument of reconciliation and decolonization? In partnership with the New Leaf Network, Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations is co-hosting a four-week book club on Unsettling the Word: Biblical Experiments in Decolonization. Join editor Steve Heinrichs, along with Indigenous authors and activists Cheryl Bear and Sylvia McAdam, for life-giving conversations on justice, faith, reparations, and healing. Borrow or order the book through CommonWord. For more info, and to register, click here. 

 

 
 
 

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Epiphany 


Resources for the season between Christmas and Lent – www.commonword.ca/go/2212 

CommonRead conversation with author Michael McRay 


Join us for a conversation with CommonRead author Michael McRay, Thursday, January 14 at noon, Eastern.  Register here - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPZBTRx9nS6-7lWcndIlpLtD__hKmWFuWh1gVOGZ_SimmaEg/viewform. Our winter 2021 CommonRead title – www.commonword.ca/go/2215. 20% off when purchasing five or more copies! 

 New Peaceful at Heart study guide 


A new companion study guide for Peaceful at Heart, Anabaptist Reflections on Healthy Masculinity – free to download at www.commonword.ca/go/2224. Watch for additional resources, including free audio book and video interviews, in the coming months. 

Calendar 

Published on December 12, 2020

 

Together in Worship launches in collaboration with CommonWord 


Together in Worship, at www.togetherinworship.net, is an online, curated collection of free and downloadable Anabaptist worship resources. It’s also a place where contributors can submit their own resources to be shared by the wider Anabaptist and ecumenical community. Read full story here. 

 

‘For God all things are possible’: Mennonite Church Colombia continues its witness despite great risk 


In late October, Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia issued a public statement declaring that there have been 60 massacres (killings of five people or more) so far in Colombia in 2020. Victims include young people and small farmers, as well as 200 civic leaders. The violence stems from a decades-long, multi-layered conflict between guerilla, paramilitary and drug cartel groups who fight for control of the country’s land for their own interests. Read full story here. 

 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

Advent meet-and-greet with Bethlehem Bible College 

Join a live online gathering to hear from representatives of the West Bank’s Bethlehem Bible College (BBC). Tuesday morning, Dec. 15, 11 a.m. EDT. The one-hour gathering  is with BBC president Jack Sara and community outreach director Shireen Awaad Hilal. A Q&R will follow with hosts Jeanette Hanson, director of International Witness, and Doug Klassen, executive minister of Mennonite Church Canada. The event is sponsored by the Mennonite Church Canada Palestine-Israel Network in collaboration with International Witness. Registration is free: write to mcmfriendsofpalestine@gmail.com for the Zoom link. 

 

AIMM appoints new executive coordinators: John Fumana and Bruce Yoder 

John Fumana of Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bruce Yoder of Listowel Mennonite Church in Ont. will work as a team to give leadership to this Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission. Former executive coorindator Rod Hollinger-Janzen says, "The complementary skill sets of Bruce Yoder and John Fumana, together with their shared passion for Christian mission... position AIMM well for an exciting future." Read the press release here.  

 

Restorative circles in Chuncheon well received by schools and teachers 

Praise God for response to recent restorative circle processes led by Witness worker Bock Ki Kim in South Korea. Schools have been asking trainers from the Chuncheon Community Peace Center for training in communication and conflict transformation. One teacher responded, “I realize that I haven’t been really listening to my students. Today they expressed themselves so well.” Pray that God will use this training to bring peace to schools and homes in Chuncheon.

 
 
 

INDIGENOUS-SETTLER RELATIONS

Federal government tables Declaration legislation 

On Dec. 3, the Government of Canada tabled Bill C-15, An Act Respecting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. “It is a good day!” said Chief Wilton Littlechild, former commissioner of the TRC. If Bill C-15 reaches Royal Assent, it will affirm the Declaration’s application in Canadian law and provide a framework to align law and policy with the standards and rights affirmed in the declaration. To read the full text of the legislation, see Bill C-15. To read the Declaration Coalition’s statement of support, and resources for further learning, see www.declarationcoalition.com.

 

 
 
 

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 Christmas Gift Ideas 

 

  • Stocking stuffers: From chocolate to activity books, recommended reads to Sunday School ideas, there’s a gift for almost everyone. If you require shipping, please place your order before Dec 1. Curbside pick-up available to local residents.  https://www.commonword.ca/Browse/9352 
  • Gift cards: A flexible gift for your avid reader, student and loved one. Gift cards can be redeemed in-store or remotely by phone and used toward any purchase – merchandise, food, book or textbook.  https://www.commonword.ca/Browse/9372 

 

Christmas resources 

Resources for Christmas Eve, Day and Season - www.commonword.ca/go/2191 

 

Together in Worship has launched

Visit www.togetherinworship.net for hundreds of free, digital, Anabaptist worship materials. A collaboration of CommonWord, in coversation with Anabaptist Worship Network and Voices Together, Together in Worship curates words, music, other artistic expressions and teaching resources to support Christian worship. It’s also a platform for individuals and communities to create and contribute resources. Bookmark it for the next time you’re planning worship! 

 

Voices Together  

  

Congregations who pre-ordered the Voices Together hymnal and related products from MennoMedia will receive them soon! Individual copies of the pew edition of the hymnal, the Worship Leader’s edition, accompaniment edition, and audio recordings are available to order from CommonWord. T-shirts, masks and tote bags are also available to pre-order.  (We do not expect these to arrive in time for Christmas). www.commonword.ca/go/2199. 

  

Worship calendar 

Christmas Season – www.commonword.ca/go/2191 

Christmas Eve – www.commonword.ca/go/2192 

Christmas Day – www.commonword.ca/go/2193 

Epiphany Season – www.commonword.ca/go/2212 

Lent Season – www.commonword.ca/go/2213 

 

Free book

The Government of Canada has introduced legislation (Bill C-15) to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  To educate and raise support Mennonite Church Canada is offering this study for free - https://www.commonword.ca/ResourceView/82/18343 

 

CommonWord remains open during increased COVID-19 restrictions

Staff remain available for congregational resourcing questions and are here to help connect you with Anabaptist and related materials, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m, CDT. Browse our website (www.commonword.ca) to find thousands of free digital resources or to place your online retail or loan order, or contact us (204-594-0527; info@commonword.ca) for assistance. If you’re in Winnipeg area, we are glad to arrange for curbside pickup. We don’t want you to go without your fair-trade coffee, other local specialty foods or a good book to read!