TheChurches 8-12

Seminar on
managing change

At a March meeting of moderators, secretaries and conference ministers, managing change was a common topic of conversation.

“Whether it was organizational, structural, program changes or a reworking of mission and vision statements, change seems to be something most of the conferences are dealing with,” said Edgar Rempel, executive director of Mennonite Church Manitoba.

The group decided to hold a seminar on managing organizational change just prior to Mennonite Church Canada assembly in July. Planners Rempel and Ken Bechtel invite conference and church leaders—board members, administrators and pastors—to the event on July 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Morden Mennonite Church.

The seminar will be led by David Leis, vice-president of advancement at Canadian Mennonite University. Leis brings a wealth of training and experience to the topic.

“The topic of this seminar affects all leaders in our church organizations and congregations,” said Rempel, who was a board member and staff person during recent MC Manitoba changes. “It is a timely opportunity to address the many issues related to organizational change….”

Registration forms are at www.mennochurch.mb.ca/events/040706_managing_change.

Assembly festival to
welcome host town

Planners hope that an experiment at this year’s Mennonite Church Canada assembly July 7-11 in Winkler, Manitoba, will help people in the host community get acquainted with the church.

The Friday Festival in the Park (July 9, 3:30 p.m. on) will invite area residents to join a celebration of faith. There will be concerts, games and activity stations representing national and international ministries in seven countries. The intergenerational festival will be held in Winkler Park.

Pam Peters-Pries, MC Canada staff representative on the assembly program committee, said that the idea was considered last fall.

“Conversation around the initial idea always included some sort of witness or outreach to the community we will visit for nearly a week,” said Peters-Pries. “We asked ourselves, ‘How can we engage the delegates and the host community together in a celebration of faith?’”

Six music groups are confirmed. A Korean group will present a mime, and there will be an international fashion show. Face painting, refreshments and a barbecue supper are also planned. An evening worship service will be followed by a wrap-up concert.

“We have a contingency plan to move indoors, but it would be much nicer to enjoy the festival outside,” said Peters-Pries. “We think the festival is a great opportunity to help assembly goers and others to experience the theme of ‘Enough for all.’”

Prayer request

Peter Rempel, director for European ministries with MC Canada Witness, was in Zaporozhya, Ukraine, May 23-26. He and Witness workers Cliff and Natasha Dueck attended meetings of the Evangelic Mennonite Churches of Ukraine. One item discussed was the formation of a Conference of Mennonites in Ukraine. Pray for the church there.

A new history of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, entitled Becoming a National Church, will be launched at the Mennonite Church Canada assembly on July 8. The book, commissioned by the Mennonite Heritage Centre, is written by Adolf Ens, former professor of history and theology at Canadian Mennonite Bible College. It is published by Canadian Mennonite University Press.

The 250-page book encompasses the years 1902-1999. Many of the issues that Mennonite Church Canada faces today are related to issues that CMC and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada predecessors have faced along the way, notes Ens. “One can learn from the approaches that worked and the approaches that didn’t work.” A full list of CMU Press publications is available at www.cmu.ca/publications.

On May 11, two professors at Canadian Mennonite University presented their new books to the CMU community. Karl Koop, who teaches history and theology, recently released Anabaptist-Mennonite Confessions of Faith: The development of a tradition, published by Pandora Press. Jerry Buckland, who teaches international development studies at Menno Simons College (also part of CMU), wrote Ploughing up the Farm: Neoliberalism, modern technology and the state of the world’s farmers. Published by Fernwood Books, it presents possible solutions for sustainable agriculture.—From CMU releases

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada

Youth enjoy
north exchange

Twelve young people from southern Ontario participated in the Extreme North Exchange to Weenusk First Nation, April 29 to May 4. They were hosted warmly by the Cree village of 200 on the shore of Hudson Bay where it was much colder than at home.

They sampled caribou stew, learned about hunting geese, and saw abandoned army bases, part of the Cold War Dew Line of the 1960s. The exchange was sponsored by Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, Mennonite Central Committee Ontario, Weenusk First Nation and YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada. In June, youth from Weenusk First Nation are visiting the Mennonite community in southern Ontario.

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Golf tournament
for Camp Koinonia

On June 26, supporters of Camp Koinonia will golf to raise money for camp maintenance and development. The tournament is at Winkler Golf Course, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Dinner and prizes will follow.

Camp Koinonia, one of three Mennonite Church Manitoba “Camps with Meaning,” was founded in 1966. It is located in Turtle Mountain Provincial Park near Boissevain. Participants and sponsors should call Karl Enns at (204) 325-9563/8307, Ron Hildebrand at (204) 873-2313 or the MC Manitoba office at (204) 896-1616.

New slant on
Missionfest

This year, the Ministries Commission of Mennonite Church Saskatchewan is trying a new approach to its Missionfest. Instead of a fall event in several venues throughout Saskatoon, the commission is changing the style of event and time of year.

“We’re having a travelling Missionfest,” said Claire Ewert-Fisher, commission chair. The idea being explored is having at least two bus tours between various Mennonite churches. Each tour will include one urban church and two or three rural ones.

At each stop, participants will hear how the host church is practising missions. For example, what missionaries are being supported and in what country are they working? Perhaps the host church will serve food found in those countries.

Another idea being pursued, said Ewert-Fisher, is to look at what each church is doing in its community. How are people being Christ to those around them?

“We’re going with the theme of “Across the street and around the world,” said Ewert-Fisher.
Since November is an unusually busy month, the commission hopes to focus on missions during a less busy time of year.

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Fundraising continues on MCC building

Fundraising for a new Mennonite Central Committee building here is continuing while construction is in progress. As of June 1, the walls are all up and building is progressing somewhat ahead of schedule. The building, at 2946 32nd St. NE, is scheduled to be completed by September 22.

Sale of the existing Skyline Crescent facility was confirmed on May 14. Since February, $261,000 in pledges and donations have been received toward the building. Another $664,000 is needed.

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Kelowna church
leaves conference

Mennonite Church British Columbia said goodbye to Kelowna Gospel Fellowship at a special delegates’ meeting at Bethel Mennonite Church in Aldergrove on March 13. Kelowna’s decision to leave was formalized at a meeting at the church on April 25.

In the conference newsletter, the church ministries committee described the decision as based on “the reality, not of theological or doctrinal but of procedural differences, as was the case between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15.”

Representatives from both the church and Mennonite Church B.C. were present at both gatherings, to pray for and encourage one another. The parting happened in an atmosphere of blessing.

Kelowna Gospel Fellowship will seek affiliation with another church conference.

Unless otherwise credited, the articles in TheChurches pages were written by: Leona Dueck Penner (Mennonite Church Canada), Barb Draper for Maurice Martin (Eastern Canada), Evelyn Rempel Petkau (Manitoba), Karin Fehderau (Saskatchewan), Donita Wiebe-Neufeld (Alberta), Angelika Dawson (B.C.). See page 2 for contact information.

Every once in a while I like to indulge in a peanut butter and onion sandwich. Freshly baked bread, a few slices of mild Spanish onion and a dollop of peanut butter—what a combination!

The playful act of combining familiar things to create something new need not be only for the culinary daring. Congregations are discovering previously- unimagined possibilities for ministry as they combine gifts and strengths in new ways.

Combining existing strengths to discover new ministry possibilities is called asset building. Rather than dwelling on that which we don’t have, asset building is grounded on the premise that we can combine the passions, skills and things that God has given us to join in God’s work.

Asset building first invites people to identify what they like to do and what they’re good at. Individuals might not only identify the “gifts” for filling the slate of congregational leaders, but may include assets such as gardening, driving, knotting comforters, woodworking, reading, home decorating, camping, community advocacy or creative writing.

On their own, these assets have the potential to support congregational ministry. When combined, however, they can create an entirely new set of assets that can be used by God in ways beyond our wildest imagining.

One congregation has discovered links among the following assets: folks who have a passion for teaching music, seniors who desire intergenerational relationships, and a public school staff interested in providing a safe space for “latchkey” students after school.

This congregation is exploring the possibility of partnering with the school to host an after-school program that would connect seniors with students, and provide musical instruction. What potential might a program such as this have to build “across the street” relationships, becoming a vehicle for sharing the love of Christ?

In Mark’s account of feeding the five thousand, Jesus commands the disciples to “go and see” what food is available for the crowd. We too must “go and see” what is available to us, naming and claiming the assets that God has given to our congregations. Moreover, we are invited to discover the miracle of combined assets, in ever-new ways we might join God in God’s work.

Peanut butter and onion is a wonderful combination. I wonder what peanut butter and shredded carrot would taste like?

Jeff Steckley, Giving Project Consultant Coordinator with Mennonite Church Eastern Canada.