Canadian Mennonite
Volume 10, No. 03
February 6, 2006
‘God with us’ the theme of Emmanuel’s anniversary
Abbotsford, B.C.
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During their 25th anniversary weekend, Jan. 14 to 15, members of Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Abbotsford, celebrated the presence of “God with us” through their history and looked to his continuing presence in the future.
Saturday night was a time for looking back to past years. The church was founded in 1980 when 34 people from the dual-language Eben-Ezer Mennonite Church committed themselves to starting an all-English daughter church in Abbotsford.
Today, some of those younger couples who started the church are retired and grandparents. The congregation has grown to 234 members and includes families of a number of ethnic backgrounds.
The evening began with a fair-type atmosphere in the church gym, modelled after an MCC Relief Sale, with several types of food available at various booths. Participants could roam around the gym looking at a slide show and photo albums, a display of newspaper clippings featuring Emmanuel members over the years, or a table honouring deceased members. Younger children found entertainment through stories at a storytelling tent, while older children were busy creating placemats for Sunday’s dinner.
The evening’s entertainment began with a humorous skit about the church’s origins presented by several youths and young adults. Interspersed between favourite music from each of the three decades, several members shared their memories of the past.
Sunday’s worship service looked to the future, focusing on the “new” and showcasing the gifts of current members. Commissioned and performed for the occasion were an original song by middle school pastor Tim Froese and poems by Gareth Brandt and Barbara Nickel. Quilted banners at the front of the church by Val Redekop, original artwork for the bulletin cover by Brenda Lobe, and an oil painting by Linda Klippenstein added to the visual display. Pastor April Yamasaki composed a litany for the worship service.
Three former pastors—Gene Klassen, Ron Toews and David Ortis—who previously served the church were present either Saturday or Sunday. Former youth pastor Carl Adrian also returned and performed several numbers on violin.
The celebration concluded with a noontime fellowship meal in the church gymnasium.