Celebration Snapshots

Transcription

1 Caroline Chartrand (right), director of this initiative, calls herself a Landless Metis Seedsaver whose life s work is to collect the seeds used by her people in the 18th century. Mennonite Heritage Centre and Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) are partners with this initiative. Kenton Lobe (left) is Instructor of International Development Studies, CMU. Jubilee Fund Aids Reconciliation The Truth and Reconciliation Commission s final report of June 2, 2015 invited churches to provide funding for Indigenous communities to find healing, reconciliation and revitalization from within their own settings. Established in 1992, the Jubilee Fund, a project of Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Central Committee, attempts to do just that. It offers grants to assist grass roots or non-profit Indigenous groups in Canada address land justice issues. To date the Jubilee Fund has aided a variety of projects ranging from gathering genealogical research data connected to land claims, to supporting traditional gardening projects. The biblical Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) was a celebration that God commanded the Israelites to fulfill every 50 years. It was a time for sold land to revert to its previous owners and for the enslaved to be freed. As a result, no one would be placed in a permanent state of poverty, enslavement, landlessness or disconnection from their family. To learn more about the Jubilee Fund, see donate.mennonitechurch.ca/project/jubilee.

2 David Brubacher (L), a consultant at ARC Ministries, facilitated online meetings with participants (from top centre, clockwise): Joe Heikman (Wildwood MC, Saskatoon) Ryan Dueck (Lethbridge MC), Lydia Cruttwell (First United Mennonite Church, Vancouver), and Joshua Wallace (Warman MC). TiM s First Class Graduates The first group of beginning pastors has graduated from Mennonite Church Canada s new 2-year online coaching program. In 2013, TiM or Transitioning into Ministry was launched to help first time pastors make connections that will sustain them throughout their careers. The first two years of a pastor s experience determine whether or not he/she will stay in ministry, says Karen Martens Zimmerly, Director of Leadership Ministry. Participant Lydia Cruttwell says TiM participants had the opportunity to meet face-to-face at Assembly 2014 in Winnipeg, Man. but they were too busy talking to take a photo!

3 Zoéwendé Ouedraogo, a member of Ouagadougou Mennonite Church in Burkina Faso, and Charles Compaore were married in late May They are the second couple to marry in the past year, and another couple is planning to wed in August Marriage Preparations Reflect Walk with Jesus Weddings in the Ouagadougou Mennonite Church in Burkina Faso are inspired by a long-term commitment to walking with Jesus. In late May, Zoéwendé Ouedraogo and Charles Compaore were married after one year and three separate ceremonies. The first is a traditional ceremony where the groom s family formally requests permission from the bride s family for the marriage to take place. A civil ceremony follows to fulfill legal requirements, and finally a church ceremony is held to bless the marriage. It is only after the church ceremony that the couple begins to live together as husband and wife. In 2014 former hostel residents Ebenezer Ouedraogo and Lassina Traoré were married. Another couple has completed the traditional ceremony and plans to complete the civil and church ceremonies in August Nancy Frey and Bruce Yoder, Mennonite Church Canada workers in Ouagadougou say they are getting used to the marriage process as the congregation consists primarily of young adult university students.

4 Celebration Snapshots Darrell Jantzi (center, Floradale Mennonite Church,) is pleased to partner with Mennonite Church Canada. Jantzi along with Tim Froese, Executive Minister, Witness (left) and Dan Dyck, Director, Church Engagement-Communications (right) will work to build awareness and raise funds for the college s ministry in Ethiopia. Growing Ministry in Ethiopia Together! The fastest growing Mennonite Church in the world can t keep up with its need for leadership training and Bibles. The Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia, a member of Mennonite World Conference, baptized over 19,000 new members in 2014 according to leaders. In 1994, the church founded the Meserete Kristos Church College to help meet the need for trained leaders, graduating nearly 1,000 students for ministry since then. Each year the College must turn away eager applicants for lack of funding. Meserete Kristos Church and College, MKC College Link Canada, and Mennonite Church Canada joined together in support of leadership development in Ethiopia. The church and its college have embraced curricula with such Anabaptist values as non-violent peace building, conflict management, and reconciliation.

5 Although he passed away in 2006, Issac Andres and his wife Mary continue to share their generosity with a legacy gift to Mennonite Church Canada to help grow leaders for the church. Celebrating a Generous Legacy Isaac Andres and his wife Mary continue to share their generosity even though Issac passed away in As a young man, Isaac could afford to attend Bible school for only 1 year. To help others in similar circumstances, the couple established the Andres Bible School Bursary Foundation, Inc. which had a designated life span of 25 years. In 2013, the fund was dissolved as planned, with 70% of the original funding designated to Mennonite Church Canada. We re grateful for the Andres long term vision and generous donation, said Tim Froese, Executive Minister, Witness. Making disciples means investing in people and their faith development. Growing future leaders of the church is one of Mennonite Church Canada s top priorities.

6 This year, a sustainable fish farm on the Colombian Mennonite Church property provided fish to feed the participants during the church s General Assembly. When churches and members gain a sense of belonging and ownership in their church, their chances of thriving and growing increase. Sustainable Fish Farm Feeds Church in Colombia Then he said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. - Ezekiel 37: 4-6 Mennonite Church Canada is breathing new life into the bones of ministry by helping partner churches overseas become more self-reliant and decreasing their dependence on North American funding. With a focus on capacity building ministry we are connecting partner churches with members and stakeholders to strengthen a sense of belonging and ownership in their church. Entrepreneurship seminars and in some cases micro-financing for small enterprises is helping to grow sustainable businesses for church members.

7 In 1902, this group of men met in Tiefengrund, Sask. and founded the Conference of Mennonites in Canada the predecessor to Mennonite Church Canada. Celebrating our History In 1902, this group of men met in Tiefengrund, Sask. and founded the Conference of Mennonites in Canada the predecessor to Mennonite Church Canada. The stories of Mennonite church and family history as told by photos is now available to anyone via the new MAID 12,000 image database at archives.mhsc.ca. Projected to hold 90,000 images, the collection tells stories of war and peace, immigration and hard scrabble farm life in Canada, births and deaths, church potlucks and conference gatherings, weddings and funerals. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this database is a library of novels worthy of celebration.

8 Pastor, author and family man Jaimie Arpin-Ricci launched his new book, Vulnerable Faith: Missional Living in the Radical Way of St. Patrick, on May 7, 2015 at CommonWord. (Photo by Deborah Froese) Vulnerable Faith: Living in Community Pastor, author and family man Jamie Arpin-Ricci has a heart for community and everything it entails, including vulnerability. He explored that topic in his latest book, Vulnerable Faith: Missional Living in the Radical Way of St. Patrick. Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable means sharing the things in our lives that we cling to in fear of embarrassment or shame - essentially in fear of death. These things are really at the heart of every sinful impulse that we have and they prevent us from being completely open and honest with ourselves, with others and with God. Being open is an important element of true community something Jamie strives for as the pastor of Little Flowers Community, a small Mennonite congregation in Winnipeg s west end neighbourhood. Accountability is important to Jamie, so when the church formed it sought a relationship with the wider church through Mennonite Church Manitoba/Mennonite Church Canada. Vulnerable Faith was launched on May 7, 2015 at CommonWord, the bookstore and resource centre of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University.

9 From left to right: Benz Khemma, Tom and Christine Poovong with their young children, and Amp and Naaming Anantasak with their young son. (Photo by Gordon Janzen) Menno Nursery in Thailand Tom and Christine Poovong (Trinity Mennonite Church, Calgary) have been called to work with vulnerable and marginalized people in Khon Kaen, a city located in the poor region of Northeast Thailand. With the help of volunteers, the Poovongs recently launched Menno Nursery, a daycare program reaching out to families in the neighborhood of Maliwan Mennonite Church. Tom is building relationships with local entrepreneurs, including some who attend Maliwan, to encourage potential income generation projects such as a fish farm and a new coffee shop. These kinds of projects support a long range vision for establishing a self-sustaining local faith community and extending Christian service to others. A local property owner has already provided the Poovongs with a building for local outreach and worship gatherings. Mennonite Church Canada is partnering with Ride for Refuge to raise $45,000 in support of one full year of ministry in Thailand. For details about how you can help or participate visit donate.mennonitechurch.ca/poovong.