Focus on Money

Kindred Credit Union offers financial literacy workshops

An image from Kindred Credit Union’s Community Inspiration Framework illustrates one of the 10 themes—financial empowerment—that guides how Kindred makes its purpose statement tangible. (Image by Maya Morton Ninomiya)

Recent research shows a “high percentage of people . . . find personal financing incredibly intimidating,” says Frank Chisholm, director of brand and marketing for Kindred Credit Union. Some people feel guilty for starting financial planning too late in life. Others experience barriers when it comes to accessing financial products and services.

‘Numbers people’ are worth their weight in gold

Tallying up deposits and withdrawals, monitoring budgets and submitting forms, the ‘numbers people’—treasurers and bookkeepers—toil in basement corners and home offices, month in and month out. (Photo by Susan Klassen)

At North Leamington United Mennonite Church, the day-to-day ‘numbers’ work is handled by Susan Klassen, the church administrator. (Photo by Debbie Srigley)

Every church has a plethora of creative ministries, but a couple roles will show up everywhere.

‘Are ethical funds really ethical?’

Natasha Wiebe

“I don’t want to support banks,” says Natasha Wiebe, statistician at the University of Alberta and a member of Edmonton First Mennonite Church. “For me, banks are primarily about greed and are heavily invested in mining and fossil fuels.”

2020 surpluses help regional churches face 2021

(Flickr photo by Mike Cohen)

Financial giving from Mennonite Church Canada congregations and individuals was stable in 2020 despite pandemic economic uncertainty. By year-end, the regional church bodies and MC Canada had strongly positive financial results, based on better-than-expected revenue and lower-than-expected costs.

Steady giving sustains churches through COVID-19

What do church finances look like when congregations close their doors and stop passing offering baskets through the aisles on Sunday mornings? It turns out that in many Mennonite congregations across Manitoba, they look just fine. (ruxipen.com photo @ unsplash.com)

Among the multitude of concerns COVID-19 has caused, the novel coronavirus’s effect on congregational giving has been one of them. What do church finances look like when congregations close their doors and stop passing offering baskets through the aisles on Sunday mornings? It turns out that in many Mennonite congregations across Manitoba, they look just fine.

MDS Canada issues second call for Spirit of MDS Fund applications

The Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada Spirit of MDS Fund is issuing a second call for applications from churches in Canada.

Mixing friendship with fundraising

Nancy Mann, right, who helped to establish Women Empowering Women (WeW) in Waterloo Region, speaks to the group at one of its quarterly meetings. (MEDA photo)

The Waterloo Region chapter of Women Empowering Women (WEW) meets quarterly to nurture connections and friendships, to be inspired and to raise funds that support women in developing economies. As an auxiliary group of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), it supports MEDA’s international work of “helping women move into more valued and equitable roles in their economies.”

Why your church needs to talk about money

"Listening to generous people share how they learned to give is a joy I recommend to everyone. Generosity can be contagious." (Photo by KMR Photography/Flickr.com)

The local church is an excellent place to discuss saving money: Which type of tractor is cheapest to repair or whether a Costco membership is worth it. Mennonites brag about finding a good deal.