Volume 20, Number 6
Living with paradoxes
In a blog post a year ago, The Mennonite’s Tim Nafziger references John Paul Lederach’s book The Moral Imagination, in which the author describes what he calls “p
Encountering the vulnerable Jesus
Lent is a 40-day season on the church calendar that brings the story of Jesus into the nitty-gritty of community life. It brings the story into everyone’s own particular time and place.
Readers write: March 14, 2016 issue
Church leaders thanked for naming Vernon Leis
I want to publicly say thank you to Mennonite church leaders for speaking up against sexual misconduct in the case against Vernon Leis, even if it is decades after the fact.
The church as ‘choir’
Recently I discovered Apple Music. This is an amazing deal in which I give the good folks at Apple a few dollars every month and they give me access to more than 30 million songs. Well, I went on a bit of a listening binge. I would think of a song and then look it up and play it.
To whom do we listen?
The real driver of our lives—and even our churches—is whose voice we hear and obey. We make decisions to listen to and give authority somewhere. We quote, footnote and reference. We point to a source, and usually one that agrees with us.
Ripples and waves
On Feb. 27, 2016, I attended a talk given by Seth Klein, director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives B.C., about The Leap Manifesto, an initiative out of the This Changes Everything movement begun by Naomi Klein and her book of the same name.
Native awareness
Freeman Simard is pictured in traditional indigenous regalia in the front of a church in Manigotogan, Man., which is about 200 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. A small portable record player is helping Freeman as he participates in an event called ‘Native awareness’ around the Christmas season in 1979.
Volunteering: Is it still part of our DNA?
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (I Peter 4:10 NIV).
Many times over the years I have been asked to volunteer here or there, but at the same time I have also been asked, “Why do you do this to yourself?”
Worship warms the human soul
Christine Longhurst believes that the style of worship and its elements—songs, music, liturgy, readings, sermons, sharing and prayer—is of least importance for congregations, pastors and worship planners.
God-Faith-People
This summer, our church family will celebrate being a covenant people at Mennonite Church Canada’s Assembly 2016, God-Faith-People in downtown Saskatoon from July 6 to 10.
Keeping up with #thecovenantcrew
UPDATE: Youth Assembly 2016 has been cancelled, due to a shortfall in the number of registrations. See here for more information.
MC B.C. considers call to missional engagement
Reconciliation and relationships were the theme when Mennonite Church B.C. representatives met for their annual sessions late last month.
A Liberal dose of generosity
Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott with her husband Pep and their four children. (Photo courtesy of Jane Philpott)
Jane Philpott was elected to parliament and appointed Health Minister last fall. Prior to that, she worked as a family physician in Canada and also in Niger from 1989-98. Philpott and her husband Pep have four children and attend Community Mennonite Church in Stouffville, Ont. The minister spoke by phone with Canadian Mennonite’s Will Braun on Feb. 29, 2016.
Lessons from the cloud forest
Not many Canadian architects can say they’ve built a school in the Guatemalan cloud forest, but Charles Olfert can. A member of Wildwood Mennonite Church and a partner at AODBT Architecture and Interior Design, Olfert speaks enthusiastically about the project.
One camera, five continents, seven farming communities
Paul Plett, right, is filming a documentary about a research project led by Royden Loewen, left, that explores how Mennonites around the globe relate to their physical environment. (Photo by J. Neufeld)
A filmmaker is teaming up with a historian to document how Mennonite farmers relate to the land in seven different communities around the globe.
Helping students see beyond stereotypes
When Naomi Chan moved from Hong Kong to Rosthern, Sask., for school, the only thing she knew about the town is that it’s small.
Chan, an international student at Rosthern Junior College (RJC), went from living in one of the world’s most densely populated metropolises, to living 40 minutes north of Saskatoon in a town of just 1,600 and attending a school with a student body of 75.
Savvy students scrutinize ‘digital citizenship’
Micah Neufeld, left, pictured with Aidan Morton Ninomiya, says Rockway’s digital citizenship event reinforced the importance of communicating with care online. (Photo by Charles Kruger)
Ruth Charette knows it’s important to be careful when using social media. (Photo by Charles Kruger)
Rockway students are very savvy when it comes to digital connection, says Helmi Wiebe, the school’s librarian. (Photo by Charles Kruger)
Students Emily Woodall, left, and Emily Loberto answer questions about bullying. (Photo by Charles Kruger)
For Ruth Charette, spending time online is a good way to both get her homework done and have fun playing games and watching funny videos. Using social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat, meanwhile, allows her to connect with her friends through pictures and videos, so they can keep each other updated on what they’re doing.
