Published on September 1, 2021

Nationwide worship service for Sunday, Sept 5

This week our Mennonite Church Canada worship service is led by Altona Bergthaler Mennonite Church. Using Romans 8:18-28, the service explores the groaning of creation during the pandemic and shares the hope we have in the resurrection of Jesus, the first fruits. Available at www.mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices and on our YouTube Channel. 

Gathering 2022 in Edmonton 

We Declare: What We Have Seen and Heard is the theme for Gathering 2022 in Edmonton, July 29 to August 1. The webpage for the event is now live: www.mennonitechurch.ca/gathering2022. Learn about our speakers and what you can expect for our next nationwide gathering in Treaty 6!  Read our press release here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/12098-mennonite-church-canada-announces-theme-for-gathering-2022-in-edmonton 

Amplify! giving voice to what we’ve seen and heard – introducing our theme for Mennonite Church Canada nationwide youth (gr. 6-12) gathering, July 31- August 4, 2022, at Camp Valaqua, AB. Isaiah 40:3-5 will guide us as we spend time in the tall trees, meeting God in nature and creation: A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord”. Together, youth from across Canada will find their voices and raise them in raucous joy during worship, games and prayer. 

Follow us online at https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/amplify for the latest updates and news or contact the Amplify! event planner: Joani Neufeldt youth@mennonitechurch.ca 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS 

Whose Land, Whose Promise?  Palestine, Justice, and the Bible 

Mennonite Church Canada Palestine-Israel Network and three partner advocacy groups are hosting a two-part online series Saturday, Sept. 19 and Oct. 2, at 12 p.m. EDT /9 a.m. PST. Resource persons include Palesinian  pastor-theologian Alex Awad, political science professor Ron Dart, and professor Dan Epp-Tiessen of Canadian Mennonite University. Register: https://bit.ly/3BbaFOc. 

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

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

Peace centre in Chuncheon has more reconciliation facilitators 

Celebrate with Bock Ki Kim, Witness worker in South Korea, who recently helped the Chuncheon Peace Center train nine facilitators, from May 26-July 28. This significantly increases the number of facilitators ready to respond to requests for reconciliation work.   

MKC postpones assembly due to security reasons 

Meserete Kristos Church president Desalegn Abebe asks for prayer for peace in Ethiopia. Due to security problems in the northern and western parts of the country, the MKC General Assembly planned for late August is now postponed. Pray for church leaders that continue to visit and encourage the church in various regions of the country.   

Annual AIMM meetings planned for October 

Please pray for the annual meetings of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission planned for October in Burkina Faso and Congo. Pray that COVID-19 restrictions and visa requirements will allow leaders to gather, to encourage each other and learn together. 

News from our partners 

Mennonite World Conference is calling on its members around the world to love their neighbour by donating to UNICEF’s campaign to share coronavirus vaccinations around the world. The Government of Canada will match, dollar for dollar, every donation made by individual Canadians to UNICEF Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination fundraising campaign, up to a maximum of $10 million, until September 6, 2021. 

Read more here: https://mwc-cmm.org/love-neighbours-give-vaccines 

Published on August 18, 2021

Witness in Wet’suwet’en: What Mennonite Church Canada members saw and heard at Unist’ot’en Camp in northern B.C. 

In our latest interview, Allegra Friesen Epp and Josiah Neufeld share about their experience in Wet’suwet’en territory in northern B.C. this past June, near the planned site of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and what they believe the church’s role is in supporting Indigenous communities on the frontlines. 

https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/12053-witness-in-wetsuweten 

Nationwide worship service for Sunday August 22, 2021 

Rosthern Mennonite Church shares a service with our nationwide family of faith for this Sunday. Available at mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices. 

Resources on creation care from the Sustainability Leadership Group  

• Season of Creation - The Green Churches Network has prepared a set of resources to help Canadian churches engage with creation care during the upcoming Season of Creation (Sept 1 to Oct 4) “to help inspire educational, action-centered and spirituality-themed activities in your faith community” (https://greenchurches.ca/season-of-creation/). Additional resources are available from the international Ecumenical Steering Committee of the Seasons of Creation (https://seasonofcreation.org/) and the World Council of Churches (https://www.oikoumene.org/node/6282). 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS 

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

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

Turmoil and rising cases in Bethlehem affect Bible college 

Bethlehem Bible College asks us to pray for their new academic year as they prepare for classes and enroll students this summer.  Located near the checkpoint and two refugee camps, they are often subjected to tear gas, shootings and turmoil in the street. They are also dealing with rising COVID-19 cases, a slow vaccine roll out and less than 15 per cent of the population vaccinated.   

Progress made in Siamou translation 

Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission asks us to join them in praising God for progress made by the Siamou Bible translation team. Despite several months lost to public health restrictions, work resumed on the books of Mark, Acts, Galatians, 2 Corinthians and Colossians. Pray that progress will be steady so that the Siamou people will soon have the Bible in their own language.  

Bylers to lead EMU program in Thailand this fall 

Pray for Myrrl and Ruthie Byler, jointly appointed by Mennonite Church Canada Witness and Mennonite Mission Network to relate to ministry partners in Southeast and Northeast Asia.  Although experiencing travel restrictions in Thailand, they are connecting with various partners.  Pray for the cross-cultural program they will lead through Eastern Mennonite University in Thailand this fall.   

News from our partners 

Mennonite World Conference is calling on its members around the world to love their neighbour by donating to UNICEF’s campaign to share coronavirus vaccinations around the world. The Government of Canada will match, dollar for dollar, every donation made by individual Canadians to UNICEF Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination fundraising campaign, up to a maximum of $10 million, until September 6, 2021. 

Read more here: https://mwc-cmm.org/love-neighbours-give-vaccines 

Published on August 4, 2021

Nationwide worship service for Sunday, August 8, 2021 

Trinity Mennonite Church in De Winton, Alberta, shares a service this week with our nationwide family of faith. Pastor William Loewen takes us to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for a sermon on hearing God's voice. Available at mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices and on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF6YmqipHx0 

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. 

Full story here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11996-mennonite-church-canada-welcomes-new-witness-workers-in-ethiopia 

Resources on creation care from the Sustainability Leadership Group 

• Season of Creation - The Green Churches Network has prepared a set of resources to help Canadian churches engage with creation care during the upcoming Season of Creation (Sept 1 to Oct 4) “to help inspire educational, action-centered and spirituality-themed activities in your faith community” (https://greenchurches.ca/season-of-creation/). Additional resources are available from the international Ecumenical Steering Committee of the Seasons of Creation (https://seasonofcreation.org/) and the World Council of Churches (https://www.oikoumene.org/node/6282). 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS 

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

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

Veiths prepare to come back to Canada 

Witness workers George and Tobia Veith have made their way around COVID-19 lockdowns in various parts of China and are now in Macau spending time with the Macau Mennonite Church. They are working on getting back to Canada. Pray for safety, good health and travelling mercies as they navigate daily changing regulations and flight availability.   

De Jongs prepare for service in Ethiopia 

As Werner and Joanne De Jong prepare for service with Mennonite Church Canada Witness in Ethiopia with Meserete Kristos Seminary, they must juggle moving, ending jobs, visa paperwork and travel plans. Pray that God’s peace and joy will guide them. Pray for the seminary as it prepares for the new school year in September.   

Published on July 21, 2021

Preston Mennonite Church shares nationwide worship service for July 25, 2021 

Preston Mennonite Church is a small congregation in Cambridge, Ontario. This summer we are preaching through the book of Acts, encouraging our congregation to read along two chapters at a time. This Sunday, we are reading chapters 17 and 18. We will look more closely at the work of the Holy Spirit in the story of Apollos found in Acts 18:24-28. Available at mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices 

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

The MennoCast creates space for connection for Mennonite Church Canada’s nationwide community of faith. The pilot season features interviews with guests on the relevance of Scripture today, racism in the church, worship and Voices Together, and how each of us theologize in ordinary moments. Read our interview with the co-hosts here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11941-grassroots-podcast-launches-for-mennonite-church-canada-nationwide-family-of-faith-and-beyond 

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

Erwin Rempel, who served with Mennonite Mission Network and a predecessor agency, Commission on Overseas Mission (COM), from 1975-2009, died June 25. Read our tribute here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11943-mission-worker-and-administrator-planted-seeds-of-good-news-on-four-continents 

Shine Webinar 

Date: Tuesday, July 27 

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 pm CT / 5:00 pm MT / 4:00 p.m. PT 

Title: Love Jesus, Grow in Faith, Change the World 

Register: https://shinecurriculum.com/resources/webinar-registration/ 

The creators of Shine: Living in God’s Light want children and youth to love Jesus, grow in faith, and change the world. The world and our church are not as they were in 2019—and neither is Shine. Shine staff will share new products and ideas to help you re-envision faith formation for a new day. Join us to learn more about what’s new in Shine for Fall 2021! 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS 

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

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

Myanmar church suffering due to COVID and civil unrest 

Pray for the country and the people of Myanmar. Amos Chin, leader of the Bible Missionary Church (a Mennonite World Conference denomination) says, "The death toll has risen to the highest level in Burma's Kalemyo, which is suffering from the third wave of COVID-19. There is a shortage of oxygen for our patients. We have to supply our patients with oxygen and treat ourselves because there is no government treatment. Sixty-three Christian pastors, including two of our pastors, have died in Kalemyo. People are suffering and dying because of the civil war and COVID-19." 

China Mennonite Network meets for first time 

The first gathering of the China Mennonite Network takes place July 23-25, 2021. Pray for encouragement in this small group as they learn from each other and listen and discern God’s leading.  

AIMM offers community development training 

Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission asks us to join them in thanking God for the recent training in assets-based community development (ABCD) that AIMM offered to the Christ Salvation Mennonite Church in Sierra Leone. Twenty-six church leaders learned strategies for building sustainability and making good use of local resources.

Published on July 7, 2021

Nationwide service shared by Eden Mennonite Church for July 11, 2021 

Eden Mennonite Church welcomes our nationwide community this Sunday. Mary Barg, an Eden congregant and gifted theological thinker and teacher, will offer a message focused into Psalm 121. We hope you can join us virtually for this service (and if you happen to be in Chilliwack, B.C., we would love for you to join us in-person). Available at mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices. 

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

How Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia is responding to ongoing violence 

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. Read the story here: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11899-we-cannot-stand-by-silently-in-the-face-of-injustice 

“What we have seen...what we have heard” 

Six-session study guide for Gathering 2022 coming this fall 

To motivate discussion around our theme of “bearing witness” for Gathering 2022 in Edmonton, Mennonite Church Canada will soon publish a six-session study guide for congregations this fall. The series invites our family of faith to understand how we are living witnesses to the gospel and is perfect for use in adult education, care groups or even as a worship series. Available through CommonWord in August 2021. 

Save the Dates: Youth Gathering 2022 in Alberta 

Plans are underway for youth participation for Gathering 2022 in Edmonton. Stay tuned for more info this summer. 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS 

Learning Together: an online conversation 

July 10, 11 a.m. CDT 

Join us for an online conversation with leaders of the Colombian Mennonite Church. We will learn about current events in our countries and share how our churches are responding. To register, visit https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/event/11867-2021-07-10-learning-together-an-online-conversation. Here is a list of the speakers:  

• Martin Nates (director of Justapaz), Patricia Rosero, Andres Suarez 
• Dorothy Fontaine, Mission ministry, Mennonite Church Manitoba 
• Lyndsay Mollins Koene, Indigenous Neighbours Program, Mennonite Central Committee 
• Will Braun, Canadian Mennonite senior writer

Military seizes Indigenous land in Philippines 

While Lakan and Lakambini Sumulong (Dann and Joji Pantoja), Witness workers in the Philippines, help to coordinate a Peace Memorial for the Bagobo Tagabawa Tribe to celebrate peace made in this formerly violent area, 200 hectares of the tribe's farmland was seized by the military without proper ritual and respect. Please pray for peace and wisdom during this conflict. 

Witness worker continues restorative-justice training 

Witness worker Bock Ki Kim, together with colleagues at the Chuncheon Community Peace Centre, have been asked to instruct trainers in restorative justice practices in Chuncheon schools and police services. The end of June marked the 17th training course for school divisions in the Chuncheon area dealing with school violence and conflict transformation. We thank God for Bock Ki’s presence and work in this community. 

AIMM opens office in Kinshasa 

Thank God that the AIMM (Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission) Kinshasa office in DRC is now open and allows AIMM to be closer to African partners. Pray for God’s presence and wisdom as AIMM serves God’s people through the church.   

Nationwide service for Sunday, June 27 – St. Jacobs Mennonite Church 

This Sunday join St. Jacobs Mennonite Church, St. Jacobs, ON, worship leader Zac Klassen and pastor Mark Diller Harder as they begin their summer worship theme “Come to the Water.” Mark will preach on the theme “A River Runs Through It,” naming how themes of water run through both the Scriptures and our lives. What do we learn when we pay closer attention to water? Available at mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices and on the MC Canada YouTube channel.

Reflections from NAIITS symposium 2021 

This year Mennonite Church Canada sponsored 20 people from across our nationwide community of faith to attend this year’s NAIITS - An Indigenous Learning Community’s virtual symposium — Treaty and Covenant: Creating Space for Hope, June 3 – 5, 2021, for a rich time of learning and relationship building. José-Luis Moraga and Justin Sun reflect on what they learned: https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/article/11861-reflections-from-naiits-symposium-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 August 2021. 

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

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

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

Support the dehydrator project in Philippines 

Learn how a request for funds for a simple food dehydrator from Witness workers Lakan and Lakambini Sumulong (Dann and Joji Pantoja) motivated generous giving from Mennonite congregations in MCEC and across our nationwide family of faith. https://mcec.ca/article/13354-the-pennies-were-already-there 

COVID restrictions reduce connection for Witness workers 

Travel restrictions within Thailand due to COVID-19 have limited the amount of time that Witness workers Tom and Christine Poovong spend with the network of 40 congregations that are part of the Friends of Grace Church Association. Pray that the Poovongs will continue to find creative ways to connect and that the local leaders of these congregations will grow in confidence and wisdom. 

Learning together – online conversation with Colombia Mennonite Church 

July 10, 2021, 11 a.m. CDT 

Pray for the planning and the speakers in the online conversation between the Colombian Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church Canada. We will learn about current events in our countries and how our churches are responding. To register, visit https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/event/11867-2021-07-10-learning-together-an-online-conversation 

Calls for unity amid election in Ethiopia 

Pray that the recent elections in Ethiopia will help bring unity not division to ongoing ethnic tensions. Pray that Meserete Kristos Church will be strengthened as a living example of Jesus’s prayer for his disciples.   

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.   

"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 

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. 

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.   

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:  

• Calgary Chin Church, Alta. https://calgarychin.mcab.ca/  
• Chin Christian Church, Kitchener, Ont. https://www.facebook.com/kitchenerchinchristianchurch/ 
• Grace Christian Church, Ottawa, Ont.) https://www.facebook.com/GraceChristianChurchOttawa 
• Kitchener Emmanuel Church, Ont. https://www.facebook.com/groups/122767158395246 
• Living Hope Christian Fellowship, Surrey, B.C. https://www.lhcf.ca/ 

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. 

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:  

• Calgary Chin Church, Alta. https://calgarychin.mcab.ca/  
• Chin Christian Church, Kitchener, Ont. https://www.facebook.com/kitchenerchinchristianchurch/ 
• Grace Christian Church, Ottawa, Ont.) https://www.facebook.com/GraceChristianChurchOttawa 
• Kitchener Emmanuel Church, Ont. https://www.facebook.com/groups/122767158395246 
• Living Hope Christian Fellowship, Surrey, B.C. https://www.lhcf.ca/ 

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.  

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.   

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. 

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.   

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.