Canadian Mennonite
Volume 11, No. 06
March 19, 2007


TheChurches

Jump to:
Mennonite Church Canada
Mennonite Church British Columbia
Mennonite Church Alberta
Mennonite Church Saskatchewan
Mennonite Church Manitoba
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
From our leaders

Mennonite Church Canada

Prayer requests, praise items

Please remember to give thanks and pray for:

• An energizing three days of Mennonite Church Canada Leadership Assembly that took place March 1 to 3. General secretary Robert J. Suderman notes that we can thank God for “the elected and appointed leaders from across Mennonite Church Canada who carefully examined all aspects of MC Canada’s program and ministry in a spirit of covenant, cooperation and mutual support. This assembly was again a model about being the church, the Body of Christ; facing tough questions of faithfulness; and fine-tuning details of being the church together.”

• The Bluffton University community and the friends and family of those who were victims of the tragic bus accident that occurred on March 2. The Bluffton baseball team bus was involved in an accident as it was on its way to a tournament in Florida. Please continue to uphold in prayer those who have suffered loss.

• Church leaders from across Canada who will meet at Grace Mennonite Church, Regina, from March 30 to April 1, to learn and experience how worship is transforming God’s People Now. These leaders will explore how worship can be a transformational part of congregational life as it reflects new visions of faithfulness that emerge from God’s Spirit at work in congregations. Pray that those involved will respond faithfully to God’s will for the church and be empowered by the Holy Spirit during this weekend together.

–Hinke Loewen-Rudgers

Mennonite Church British Columbia

Program director named for Squeah

Camp Squeah has announced the appointment of Tim Larson of Hope as the new camp program director. He began his duties on March 5.

Larson comes to Camp Squeah already well immersed in the Christian camping community, having served as full-time director of Camp Kawkawa in Hope and in various roles at Pioneer Pacific Camp, Camp Homewood and Camp Imadene.

Larson’s personal journey with Christ at camp began at age nine. He and his wife Kari, who say they have a “strong passion for sharing God’s great news through the avenue of camping ministry,” anticipate the opportunity for serving at Squeah.

“Camping ministry is the single most whole encompassing way of sharing God’s story with others that I have experienced,” says Larson. “In terms of providing an environment where people can experience Christ, nowhere else in North America has one avenue been so dedicated to allowing Christ to save the lost.”

Mennonite Church Alberta

Donors give Camp Valaqua $55,000

Two fundraising banquets for Camp Valaqua building and recreation projects have netted approximately $55,000, thanks in part to one $50,000 cheque from an unnamed donor. The Edmonton event, held at First Mennonite Church on Jan. 27, netted about $2,600; the Calgary event, held at Trinity Mennonite Church, would have netted approximately $2,400 if not for the single large donation.

“I couldn’t believe it when I opened that cheque” said Valaqua director Jon Olfert.

The donation gives a boost to the long dreamed of second residence on the camp property.

Mennonite Church Saskatchewan

Congregations send volunteers south

While some Saskatchewan Mennonites enjoy a regular habit of driving south each winter to get some warmth and sunshine, and a break from cold winter conditions, two churches here decided to go south for a different reason.

Wildwood Mennonite sent a group of volunteers with Mennonite Disaster Service to help with continuing clean-up in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The group of 11, along with pastor Pauline Steinmann, left Feb. 11 and returned two weeks later.

Some Eigenheim Mennonite Church members also went to warmer climes, but with a different goal in mind. As part of the church’s three-year mission partnership program, five members of the congregation spent 11 days in Colombia visiting a church that they are supporting. The Ibague Mennonite Church works with refugees.

More detailed reports of both trips will be appearing in upcoming issues.

Mennonite Church Manitoba

Annual delegate session happenings

At the recent annual delegate sessions held at Bethel Mennonite Church, Hans Werner, a member of Bethel, was elected as moderator. He is a professor of history at the University of Winnipeg. He replaces Bernie Tiessen, who served as moderator for the past four years.

Two positions remain vacant on the board of directors as well as positions on the Camping Ministries and Leadership Ministries reference groups.

The three ministry areas of MC Manitoba gave reports on Feb. 23.

Harold Peters-Fransen of Leadership Ministries reported that his challenge is the recruitment of future pastors. “Please pray and help the church discern who this next generation of leaders are,” he requested.

Camping Ministries director Bob Wiebe reported that one of the challenges he sees in Christian parents is their tendency not to view camp work as a “real job” for their youths and young adults. Among the new initiatives is a new leadership program replacing counsellors-in-training.

Norm Voth, director of Evangelism and Service Ministries, reported that 10 language groups are found in MC Manitoba’s 49 churches. He noted that there are geographical areas where there is need for new congregations or perhaps a network of house churches, and talked of the possibility of a church for First Nations people in Winnipeg for those who come to the city for employment, education or medical treatment.

The offering went toward the Jake and Dorothy Pauls Pastoral Leadership Training Fund. The fund grew out of a vision of Pauls’ that the training of pastors was a high priority in the Mennonite Church. The purpose of the fund is to support leadership training for those called to pastoral ministry and in a program of studies with an Anabaptist/Mennonite focus. The support will be in the form of bursaries of up to $2,500 per year.

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada

Three-minute prayers for church

MC Eastern Canada is excited to see how God will move and speak as its Circle of Prayer ministry grows. As a community of congregations, each of which is made up of individuals, the area church has given substance to executive minister David Martin’s challenge of a “three-minute prayer.”

A new initiative this year, people can make the following commitment to the Circle of Prayer: “I will prayerfully support our community of congregations in ‘Extending the peace of Jesus Christ’ by committing myself to three minutes of prayer three times a week for the ministry of MC Eastern Canada. In addition to Sunday morning prayer, I will commit to a minimum of another two days of prayer, such as Wednesdays and Fridays.

“During these three minutes of prayer, I will pray for my congregation and its leaders, our community of congregations in MC Eastern Canada, and for our staff and ministry councils. I am also open to receiving special prayer requests to add to these prayer times.

“Trusting in God’s support, I offer this commitment.”

The MC Eastern Canada office will forward monthly prayer requests by e-mail or hard copy. This is a two-way street, as staff look forward to hearing what God may speak to those who commit to the Circle of Prayer. Also welcome is communication from congregations that have prayer concerns they would like to share with this group of individuals. These can be e-mailed to Martin at david@mcec.ca or Lisa Williams at lisa@mcec.ca.

At present, people can sign up for the Circle of Prayer when an MC Eastern Canada staff person comes to their congregation, but individuals or groups can also subscribe on the web as well by visiting mcec.ca.

From Our Leaders

—Adolphe Komuesa

Congo update

I would like to share with you some of the situation of our community. I’m inviting you to read attentively.

Our projects are succeeding according to the outline in our three-year plan. Transportation is a major issue in Congo, where drivable roads are rare. To respond to our need to maintain contact with the far-flung rural churches which constitute the heartland of the Congolese Mennonite community, we have purchased three motorbikes and two used but quite functional four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Our team has also repaired and re-equipped houses and offices at our headquarters with funds received from our Mennonite sisters and brothers from the U.S. and Canada.

Our agricultural development organization has increased our cattle herd from 12 to 32. We raise many rabbits and some hogs, despite some management problems that we have experienced in the past.

We are assisting our retired pastors with gifts to each of 2,500 Congolese francs (around $6) per month. These pastors are unable to work any more, and our national committee is helping them.

We have also reopened our bookstore, located at our headquarters.

At our first general assembly held in the Dibumba area of Tshikapa, we declared that 2006 would be a Great Year of Evangelism for our entire church community. We said it, and we did it. We took the Jesus film for the first time to Kanzala, Nyanga, Malanga, Banga and Mashashana. The film attracted entire villages to the showings. An interesting event happened at Mashashana, where the entire village transferred its church loyalty to us following the film. Now they are worshipping with us in the Congo Mennonite Church. This film, which we have in three Congolese languages, helps us to share the information about the life of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, in such a way as to move people to commitment.

The activities in our community continue in a good way despite leadership and financial challenges. Please pray for us. We have faith in Jesus Christ that these difficulties will diminish, above all because of the new and better political atmosphere in our country. We encourage you to multiply your visits to Congo because your counsel and observations are very useful for us.

Adolphe Komuesa is president of the Mennonite Church of Congo. The above message was excerpted from a longer pastoral letter highlighting church efforts since the 2004 General Assembly held in Kikwit, Congo.

Unless otherwise credited, the articles in TheChurches pages were written by Canadian Mennonite’s regional correspondents.


Back to Canadian Mennonite home page