Worship services for our nationwide community of faith
These videos are a resource for congregations to use, if they would like, as part of their alternative worship practices, during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some congregations have the capacity to record their own services, others do not and so we want to share these services here to help build up our nationwide community of faith. Most videos are uploaded to the Mennonite Church Canada YouTube Channel but can also be viewed on this page; others are livestreamed from congregational websites.
If you have questions, please contact your regional church communicator or Katie Doke Sawatzky, Mennonite Church Canada communications officer, at kdsawatzky@mennonitechurch.ca.
We continue to pray for your congregation’s health and spirits.
Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 2020
Theme: “Will the Fire Change You? Text: Acts 2:1-4
Springstein Mennonite Church from Springstein, Man., invites you to join in worship as we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Our theme is taken from this spring’s Leader magazine resources written by Joani Neufeldt of Lethbridge, Alta. This service includes communion so please be prepared with bread/cracker and wine/juice.
Available to view here and on the Mennonite Church Canada YouTube channel.
May 24, 2020
Message: Ascension Absence
Text: Acts 1:6-11, John 16:5-28, 33
Chinatown Peace Church in Vancouver, B.C., will share an Ascension Sunday worship service with our nationwide community of faith, this Sunday, May 24. Tim Kuepfer, pastor of the English congregation, will preach on "Ascension Absence," asking how might Jesus' ascension inform our own acts of love toward others despite our physical absence from each other? You are also invited to join in communion toward the end of the service. Please be prepared with crackers/bread and juice/wine.
May 17, 2020
Message:"An Accompanied Life"
Text: John 14:15-21
Holyrood Mennonite Church from Edmonton, Alta., invites you to join in worship as we consider Jesus' parting words to his disciples, words intended to comfort and strengthen them for the very uncertain days which lay ahead. View this service at www.mennonitechurch.ca/worshipservices and the Mennonite Church Canada YouTube Channel.
May 10, 2020
***In this service, participants standing close to each other are from the same households.***
Mount Royal Mennonite Church from Saskatoon, Sask., welcomes you to join their worship service this coming Sunday, May 10. Working through a series called "Everyday-Jesus Spirituality," this coming Sunday focusses on the spiritual practice of blessing in Genesis 18:1-15 and Matthew 5:3-11. Val Regier will lead us in worship along with a music team led by Darrell Bueckert. Claire Ewert Fisher will encourage us to consider our role in blessing. The video will be available here and on the Mennonite Church Canada YouTube Channel.
May 3, 2020
Join Niagara area pastors as we reflect on Acts 2:42-47 – “All Things in Common in Uncommon Times.” Louise Wideman (Vineland United Mennonite Church), Alissa Bender (Hamilton Mennonite Church) and Renate Klassen (Niagara United Mennonite Church) will guide us as we gather as a nationwide community of faith.
Live-streamed at https://www.hmc.on.ca/mc-canada at 9:45 a.m. (EDT).
April 26, 2020
Bethel Mennonite Church from Winnipeg, Man., shares their service with us this week. After Jesus' followers have had their lives and faith turned upside down by the events of his death, the risen Christ reorients them, helping them to reinterpret their lives and faith in light of his death and resurrection. So we too look to Jesus for reorientation in this time of life-altering crisis.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
"The Marvelous Grace of Insecurity"
Text: Luke 24: 13-32
This week’s national Sunday service will be shared from Mennonite Church British Columbia’s Crossroads Community Church. Pastor Len Hjalmarson will be teaching from the road to Emmaus.
Transcript of sermon: Getting to Hopelessness
Worship lyrics provided in the video. All music used with permission.
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020 - "Raised with Christ"
from Lethbridge Mennonite Church
Texts: Mark 16:1-8; Colossians 3:1-4
Mark’s account of the resurrection leaves us hanging more than the other three gospels. We are forced to sit at the empty tomb with the women who, at least initially, are not overjoyed but trembling, bewildered, and afraid. The good news of Christ’s victory over death was not obvious to the first witnesses, at least not right away. In this time of pandemic, perhaps we, too, find fear and confusion to be the dominant feelings of the day. Christ’s victory comes to us in our moment, and in every moment, inviting us into the reality of resurrection. Since we have been raised with Christ, we set our hearts and minds on the things above, living as resurrection people.
Order of service:
*This worship service was recorded in stages over two days to avoid having all participants in the church building at the same time, as well as to ensure that all surfaces (specifically, the piano) were cleaned for those contributing to the service.
**Lyrics and music credits are included in the order of service. All songs are used with permission.
Good Friday, April 10, 2020
Link to low-resolution version for download
Mennonite Church Alberta, together with Calgary-area Mennonite churches (Calgary Chin Christian Church, Calgary First Mennonite, Foothills Mennonite, and Trinity Mennonite Churches), shares a service with us this Good Friday. With a message entitled, "The Towel, the Cup and the Cross," this services focusses on John 13, 15 and 18. It explores how Jesus, when speaking of his own death, often paired it with the suffering of those following him. Together, we will contemplate the challenge of Jesus’s words in our own daily lives.
Lyrics are displayed in video for all hymns and songs. They are also included in the order of service. Hymns can be accessed through the Hymnal Worship Book.
Order of service:
Music credits and permissions are listed in the order of service.
Mennonite Church Canada Palm Sunday service for April 5, 2020
Link to low-resolution version for download
Eigenheim Mennonite Church, together with Mennonite Church Saskatchewan, collaborated this week to bring a service to our nationwide community of faith for Palm Sunday on April 5. Ryan Siemens, Executive Minister for MC Sask, focusses on Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11) and helps prepare us to walk with Christ to the cross.
Order of Service (includes lyrics to worship songs and hymns):
Music and text by Steve Bell, used by permission. Music and text by Johann P. Neumann; translation by John D. Rempel, used by permission.
March 29, 2020
Sunday, March 29 @ 9:40 a.m. EDT
Focus: Lazarus, John 11
Steinmann Mennonite Church and Mannheim Mennonite Church from Mennonite Church Eastern Canada in Ontario collaborated to bring a worship service to our nationwide community of faith and connect us across Mennonite Church Canada. Pastors Myrna Miller Dyck and Gord Alton focussed our attention on the story of Lazarus, from John 11. This video was live at https://smchurch.ca/live-stream/.
March 22, 2020
Lyrics for Worship music below:
Link to low-resolution version for download
Music credits and thank you to: Phil Campbell-Enns and Bryan Moyer Suderman
Voices Together worship songs