Mennonite Church Canada

Prayer requests
during Lent

• The Mennonite Church in Vietnam has issued an urgent appeal for prayer and fasting for imprisoned Vietnamese church workers Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, Pham Ngoc Thach and Ms Le Thi Hong Lien. Their February 2 re-trial has been postponed. Pray for protection and justice.

• Rad and Pat Houmphan, Thailand, presently on home/study leave in Langley, B.C., request prayers for the families of the tsunami victims. Pat visited local staff and church families in Thailand in January, to offer support and encouragement. Pray also for Pat as he studies at Fuller Seminary during February, and as they continue itinerating in churches through all of spring.

• Pray for the church in South Africa as it seeks to respond to the overwhelming needs resulting from the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which include the loss of church members, family incomes, and the many children without parents.

• Pray for the Zaporozhye Mennonite Church in Ukraine that is seeking new pastoral and council leadership; also for Arnie Neufeld from Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church, who is providing encouragement and counsel during a one-month Witness assignment.

• Nancy Frey and Bruce Yoder, who teach at the Benin Bible Institute, invite prayers for God’s strength and protection, for themselves and their colleagues; for the church leaders’ seminar in Ghana during February, which Bruce will be leading; for wisdom as they discern partnership with a fledgling community development project; and for Janessa Otto, a midwifery student from Ontario, who is beginning a one-year assignment as a Witness intern at the Bethesda Health Centre in Benin.

• Pray for Anne Garber Kompaoré in Burkina Faso, who began a new assignment as translator consultant for the Bible Society. Pray that she might have wisdom, peace of mind and an ability to prioritize the many urgent details for this work. Remember, too, her co-workers Zanga, and Phil and Carol Bergen.

• Pray for Mennonite Church Canada boards, councils, committee members and staff as they meet to discern God’s leading at the Leadership Assembly, March 3-5, at Springfield Heights Mennonite Church in Winnipeg.

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada

Micah Fund
discontinued

On January 19, the MC Eastern Canada executive board approved a motion by the Peace, Justice and Social Concerns Commission and the Mission and Service Commission recommending the closure of the Micah Fund on January 31, 2005, and the distribution of funds held at that time according to the current disbursement policy. The motion also commits MCEC to build economic justice through other concrete conference ministries and projects.

The Micah Fund began in 1996 as a response to cuts to social service agencies and welfare by the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris that were designed to decrease personal and corporate income tax. The fund was set up as a way for people to redirect their income tax savings—to “do something concrete” about the perceived injustices of that system. The fund’s title was derived from Micah’s encouragement to “do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8).

The essential purpose guiding the use of the fund was “the redistribution of resources from those who have more to those who have less.” This was seen as a way to “live Jubilee,” to let people of faith with greater financial resources give away at least some, if not all, of the ongoing and growing tax savings by which it seemed the rich got richer as the poor got poorer.

Initially, four MCEC-supported ministries received the funds. Later, the guidelines of the fund were changed so that ministries involved in helping marginalized people, supported by the Mission and Service Commission, could apply for funds. Funds were used by the ministries in a variety of ways:

• A need was identified by senior residents of 15 Tobermory in Toronto, Ont., that they had little access to other programs outside the building. Thus, Jane-Finch Ministries developed a seniors program within the building.

• Maison de l’amitie, Montreal, Que., used the additional funds in their refugee program to buy towels to place in the kits that new refugees are given when they are in a welcome house.

• Welcome Inn in Hamilton, Ont., used $2,000 as a revolving loan for emergency use by low income people (for example, when they were not working due to illness).

• Limberlost in London, Ont., used funds to purchase dictionaries for immigrant families, so that parents could help their children learn English and help them with their schoolwork.
For the first four years of the program, there was a strong response from constituents. In one of those early years, $20,000 was raised by people who diverted their tax savings to the Micah Fund. For several years, the fund generated an average of $4,000.

Mission secretary Bev Raimbault says, “It seems like when ‘the Harris cuts’ were in the news, there was more response. Now, there is less. Has it not been advertised enough?”

Recently, the annual receipts have dwindled to between $400 and $800—therefore the decision to terminate the fund.

Raimbault adds, “You don’t need to go overseas to find economic conditions that are poor. We are still in conversation about how to raise awareness of what is going on in our own country right now. We are working on developing church partnerships which may hopefully also address the concern of social injustice in our society in more direct ways—through prayer, volunteerism and financial aid.”

The Peace, Justice and Social Concerns Commission and the Mission and Service Commission have met to discuss the second part of the motion. Many ideas were brought forward on how to accomplish the goals of building economic justice through various ministries and projects within MCEC. They will work further on this question.

Summer youth
ministry opportunity

Young adults in Grade 12 or older who enjoy nurturing the spirituality of children are required to lead Vacation Bible School in MCEC congregations in July and August. Training and remuneration are provided. Applications can be downloaded at www.mcec.on.ca/christianed/. The deadline to apply is March 8.

For more information, contact Sandi Hannigan at 1-800-206-9356, ext. 114 or e-mail: sandi@mcec.on.ca.

Mennonite Church Manitoba

New video series
in the works

In attempting to serve the three main ministry areas of Mennonite Church Manitoba—Evangelism and Service, Education, and Leadership, Church Community Building Ministries (Media Ministries) is producing a new video series. Darryl Neustaedter Barg, associate director of Media Ministries, is overseeing the production of a new video series, one of many projects that comes with his portfolio.

So What!, the first video in a new series, is nearly complete. Aaron Epp, a young adult from Douglas Mennonite Church, hosts the four-minute video that interviews mature youth and young adults, ultimately asking them, “So what?” “So you believe in Jesus—what difference does that really make in your life?”

“The hope is that this little series will empower our young people to tell the truth about their faith, encouraging others to explore following Jesus,” said Neustaedter Barg.

The videos will be available on the Mennonite Church Manitoba website: www.mennochurch.mb.ca.
Neustaedter Barg also reports that with the end of the recording engineer position, the recording studio has undergone a structural transition. “We are currently working with three audio engineers on a contract basis,” he explained. “The Frohe Botschaft radio program and the Canadian Mennonite University program are produced weekly,” out of the studio, he added.

The studio is available to clients at an hourly rate. An established portion of the rate goes for the facility and the balance goes to the engineer. Neustaedter Barg hopes to raise awareness of this wonderful resource over the next year.

Mennonite Church Saskatchewan

Important decisions
looming for delegates

Under the banner of Celebrating Who We Are, delegates attending the MC Saskatchewan provincial sessions this year in Rosthern will be making important decisions that may affect the future of Mennonites in Saskatchewan. Each church is allowed to send one delegate for every 25 members and each one is also being strongly encouraged to send youth delegates as well. No parallel sessions will be planned for teen delegates, although an inter-generational coffee house will be held on Friday night after the main session.

Executive members may need more time to discuss several issues being brought to the delegates. According the moderator’s report, the most important issues involve the re-covenanting service, the vision statement and the issue of credentialling pastors.

Both the vision statement and the re-covenanting will be the focus of delegates during Friday afternoon roundtable discussions, while the credentialling topic will be presented Saturday morning. The 38 churches that make up the Saskatchewan conference are expected to sign an agreement that will unify the province under one set of jointly articulated ideals. The document was prepared by the Envisioning Team during a two-year project which involved taking time to hear from leadership and people at the grassroots level.

The actual re-covenanting service will take place Saturday afternoon.

More detailed reports will be provided in upcoming issues.

Mennonite Church Alberta

Pastors council shares
joys and concerns

The Alberta pastors council met at Camp Valaqua from January 25-27 for a time of retreat, fellowship, and sharing of congregational and conference joys and concerns. The meetings are meant to foster supportive relationships between leaders, provide support, encouragement and resources, and to act as a guide for the Mennonite Church Alberta executive as it seeks to deal faithfully with conference agenda.

The 16 participants enjoyed unseasonably warm temperatures, which allowed for rejuvenating walks and the enjoyment of Camp Valaqua’s new meditation trail between sessions. A highlight of each pastors council is a time of resource sharing, in which participants briefly outline what they are currently reading; this session the list included books about prayer and spiritual disciplines, practical and biblical theology, looking to the future of the church, faith story biographies, books on politics, and a variety of novels.

The majority of meeting time was spent in personal sharing and discussion of issues various leaders are dealing with in their areas of responsibility. A sampling of issues included marriage, divorce, and family struggles; leadership issues; communication, mental illness in the congregation, helping people deal with grief, leadership reviews; camp ministry in Alberta; youth and young adult ministries; spiritual direction; time management; dealing with physical and mental health issues in congregations; sermon preparation; mission and outreach; baptism; inviting new people to church; and leadership transitions.

Jim Shantz, Mennonite Church Alberta conference minister, shared briefly about his recent experience in Dallas, Texas, at the regional conference ministers meetings. “Spiritual oversight” was a major topic of discussion—central questions on this topic included: “Who does our Mennonite theology?” and, “How do we mind the faith?”

The pastors council retreat concluded with a small group prayer time in which Alberta leaders prayed for each other and their congregations.

Mennonite Church British Columbia

Inspirational Day
date changed

B.C. Mennonite Women in Mission have moved the date of their Inspirational Day. Usually held at the end of April, the event has been moved to May 1, to accommodate those women who want to participate in Camp Squeah’s Paddleathon (to be held April 23 to 24.) The Inspirational Day will be at Eben Ezer Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, and includes special speakers and music groups, as well as a short service to commemorate those women who have passed away within the last year. For more information, contact Veronica Thiessen at 1-604-823-6101.

Mission Possible is the first retreat for middle school youth to be held at Camp Squeah this spring. This event will be a weekend of exploring how God has made us each unique and has a purpose for each of our lives. Mission Possible runs April 29 to May 1, and registration forms are available from all youth pastors or by contacting the MCBC conference office at 1-604-850-6658.



Unless otherwise credited, the articles in TheChurches pages were written by: Leona Dueck Penner (Mennonite Church Canada), 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.

Sunday school, clubs, youth groups, Vacation Bible School, Bible study groups, and summer camps: These are just a few of the programs that rely on Christian curriculum to function. Many congregations, especially in rural and small urban areas, find that although the need for these types of leadership is still there, they may no longer have the human resources available to make them all happen. At times this seems scary and the challenges overwhelming. Change is never easy, but change can bring revitalization.

Multi-level or multi-age groupings are solutions that many smaller churches have been using for some time. Smaller enrolments in Sunday school and other programs have meant that increasingly our groups have a wider range of ages in them. At first glance this may seem daunting to a teacher, but it also has its benefits.

Those of us who have taught know that we learn more as we teach others. What more wonderful way is there for older students to become more confident and secure in their faith than to help to teach/model it for a younger student? Multi-age grouping reminds us that we are learners and that the relationships nurtured in learning situations are an important part of our faith journey.

Research into multiple intelligences indicates that we all learn and worship in a variety of ways. (Multiple intelligences refer to the eight ways in which people respond to, or learn, new information. For example, some people are naturally able to link music to new concepts, others need time to spend in personal reflection, and some need to discuss information in order to process it.) Biblically, this makes great sense—Christ used different methods of teaching depending on the situation.

It is amazing to experience Bible stories in new and creative ways, and to be constantly amazed by the awesomeness of God’s creation. Exploring different methods of teaching allows those who have different talents to share their uniqueness with others. The strengths evident in one individual are often complemented by those of others. As we encourage those around us to experience God in new ways, we all grow in our faith.

It is important for us to remember that Christian education does not just happen in the classroom or youth group, but in all aspects of life. Our journey of faith is a lifelong one and it truly does take an entire village to raise a child.

Carolyn Vis, chair of the Christian Education Commission, MC Saskatchewan