A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders. Inside this issue of Equipping:

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1 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Download the current issue of Equipping at Download back issues of Equipping at October 2011, Equipping #120 Greetings! The contents of this month s Equipping are detailed for you below. In addition, I d like to mention that the Church Matters podcast will feature teaching and preaching from this summer s Mennonite Church Canada Assembly in Waterloo this past July. You can find these at And, as always, we love to hear from our congregations! If there is something you re looking for but can t find, or need to talk to anyone about the resources in this Equipping, please don t hesitate to pick up the phone and call us at Leanne Plett Equipping Coordinator Leanne Plett, Equipping Coordinator Inside this issue of Equipping: Mennonite Church Canada Letting Go of God s Hand- Willard Metzger (for pastors, leaders, bulletin boards, newsletters) Prayer, Notes & News October 2011 (for bulletin announcements, newsletters, worship planners, leaders) Christian Witness Celebration Story: Peacebuilder finds inner peace (for bulletin boards, leaders, worship planners, church newsletters) Christian Formation Resource Update No. 9 (for worship planners, teachers, pastors, education committees, librarians, bulletin boards) The Heart of Mennonite Worship reminder note - Dave Bergen (for music/worship leaders, educators, pastors) Special Sunday Worship Resources (for worship planners, teachers, pastors, education committees) o World Communion Sunday o Mennonite Heritage Sunday Parish Paper Cover letter (for leaders, educators, pastors) o September Parish Paper - Why Do People Connect with Christ and a Congregation? o October Parish Paper - Why Do Smart Churches Make Dumb Decisions? Online Children s Stories (based on lectionary readings) (available online only) (for worship planners, teachers, pastors, education committees, librarians - see links at top of page) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

2 Church Engagement Church Engagement Ministries: Update - Vic Thiessen (for bulletin boards, leaders, worship planners, church newsletters, committee chairs) Extending our faith Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) announcements (for pastors, leaders, educators, Sunday school teachers) Connections Newsletter - Mennonite Women Canada (for pastors, leaders, educators, Sunday school teachers) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

3 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Letting Go of God s Hand October 2011, Equipping #120 Willard Metzger General Secretary Mennonite Church Canada This article first appeared on Willard Metzger s blog at Trusting God is never an easy assignment. Because the context of life is always changing, the exercise of trust is a constant learning experience. It reminds me of the image of a parent holding onto a child s hand. As children we can be afraid to let go. But with encouragement and prodding we learn to let go and begin to walk on our own. This summer I had a wonderful conversation with Christian educators in Quebec. We talked about the challenge of expressing a Christian witness within a post Christendom, highly secularized society. There is little tolerance for any religious system claiming exclusive truth. This has been especially difficult for evangelical expression of Christianity. Although Quebec society is suspicious of organized religious activity it nonetheless encompasses a secularized spirituality. There is still an individualized desire to be linked to a higher purpose. The challenge for the church in such a context is to become aligned to that yearning without offending the ideal of tolerance. In the period of Christendom, the church could assert faith in Jesus Christ as the singular path to God, receiving little resistance or challenge from other faith systems. Canada today, however, is context to many other faith perspective and activity. With the rejection of Christian societal control or influence, Quebec is also ahead of the national curve in secularization. This prompted an engaging conversation with the Christian educators in Quebec. We determined that perhaps a better way for the church to position Christianity in a highly secularized post Christendom society is as a viable option rather than the only way. This is a little frightening for a faith system that has been positioning itself for generations as the singular path to God. We began to remind ourselves that it is the Spirit of God that communicates to human hearts and draws individuals to faith. Although we are often the vessels used by God, the invitation is ultimately an exercise of God. Yet we often dictate how God must express that invitation and to whom that invitation should be expressed. I wonder if it is time for the church to let go of God s hand. But this time the image is from the perspective of the parent rather than the child. Sometimes it is the parent who is reluctant to allow the child to run and experience new things. It is the parent who must learn to trust the child. Maybe the best thing the church can do in a secularized post Christendom society is to let go of God s hand and let God run free. This is not to suggest that the church abandon all conviction and dogma. But it is to embrace a renewed level of trust in the irresistible passion of God to redeem and restore. Christianity can compete. It is a viable option for all those looking for higher purpose and meaning. Through Christ people come face to face with the overwhelming invitation to experience healing and hope. If we can trust God enough to release our grip of fearful constraint and let God run, we just might find out again how irresistible our faith really is. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

4 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders Prayers Notes News 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Please insert these prayer requests and notes into your bulletin. Remember, you can also find these at for easy cut and paste insertion. Sunday dates Prayers: Please pray for and with the Church Ministry Notes: This is how your financial support of Mennonite Church Canada is ministering...from across the street to around the world News/Announcements: Stay in tune with the wider church October, Equipping #120 October 2 World Communion Sunday On this World Communion Sunday, we proclaim our God-given unity in Christ across all Mennonite Church Canada congregations and all denominations. As we stand in awe of God, Creator of all, pray for unity that inspires delight, obedience and a willingness to be in loving relationship with all of humankind. Mennonite Church Canada workers abroad have sparked many creative ministries that meet the needs of their respective communities from the Coffee for Peace initiatives of Joji Pantoja in the Philippines, to the South Africa Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA) Peace Library that is growing with the support of Andrew and Karen Suderman in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. They couldn t do it without your support! Thank you! Jeff Warkentin, 32, died in Calgary, Alberta, on Sat. Sept. 24 of meningitis. Jeff and his wife Tany served with passion and commitment as Mennonite Church Canada workers in Burkina Faso for six years. They returned to Canada in June with their three young children, Danika (9), Asher (7) and Kenai (3). Pray for the Warkentins, their extended family, friends and global church community as they grieve and cope with difficult transitions. October 9 In partnership with Mennonite Church Canada s Native Ministry and Mennonite Central Committee BC, Brander McDonald of the Cree First Nation is serving as Mennonite Church British Columbia s Indigenous Relations Coordinator. Pray that through his gifts of teaching, music and humour, he will encourage deeper, more meaningful connections between congregations of Vancouver and the Fraser Valley with First Nations people, breaking down walls of misunderstanding and fear. Thank you to all the delegates at this summer s Mennonite Church Canada Assembly 2011 and their discerning work on the Being a Faithful Church 3 process. We are grateful for your commitment to the joyful task of being faithful together as congregations of Mennonite Church Canada. Couldn t make it to Mennonite Church Canada s Assembly 2011? Catch up online with all the Assembly happenings in multi-media formats via one link: Teaching highlights are also being made available via the Church Matters podcast available on itunes. Bulletin Announcement for MCBC Churches Mennonite Church Canada is seeking nominations for leadership positions on its Christian Formation Council. If you are or someone you know is passionate about Christian Formation and want an opportunity to help shape the future of faith formation in all generations across our national church, please contact Janet Bergen at: bergenj@shaw.ca Bulletin Announcement for MCA churches Mennonite Church Canada is seeking nominations for leadership positions on its Christian Formation Council. If you or someone you know is passionate about Christian Formation and want an opportunity to help shape the future of faith formation in all generations across our national church, please contact Lorne Buhr at: llbuhr@shaw.ca For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

5 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders Prayers Notes News 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Please insert these prayer requests and notes into your bulletin. Remember, you can also find these at for easy cut and paste insertion. Sunday dates Prayers: Please pray for and with the Church Ministry Notes: This is how your financial support of Mennonite Church Canada is ministering...from across the street to around the world News/Announcements: Stay in tune with the wider church October, Equipping #120 October 16 October 23 Please join Mennonite Church Canada worker Bob Dick in prayer for Christian students in China as they struggle with discrimination from their peers, employers and government. Pray that they will remain curious and open to Christianity despite such challenges. Mennonite Church Canada workers Erwin and Marian Wiens invite us to remember our Korean partners in Christian peacemaking, discipleship, and community; the Korea Anabaptist Center (KAC) and Connexus Language Institute in Seoul. Declining enrolment is forcing them to move to another location. Connexus will shift program focus from adults to children. Thank you for your support of the Mennonite Church in Macau, where an invigorating and engaging ministry of Praise Dance in Macau is building relationships and establishing a supportive community. It s a picture of unity and joy in working together, says Tobia Veith, a Mennonite Church Canada worker who helped found the Mennonite Church in Macau. This year the Mennonite Church in India (MCI) Dhamtari Conference, one of several Mennonite church bodies in India, will celebrate 100 years of life and ministry Oct in Dhamtari. Thank you for helping us to encourage these brothers and sisters through a variety of ministries over the past century! Bulletin Announcement for MCBC Churches Mennonite Church Canada is seeking nominations for leadership positions on its Christian Formation Council. If you are or someone you know is passionate about Christian Formation and want an opportunity to help shape the future of faith formation in all generations across our national church, please contact Janet Bergen at: bergenj@shaw.ca Bulletin Announcement for MCA churches Mennonite Church Canada is seeking nominations for leadership positions on its Christian Formation Council. If you or someone you know is passionate about Christian Formation and want an opportunity to help shape the future of faith formation in all generations across our national church, please contact Lorne Buhr at: llbuhr@shaw.ca October 30 Mennonite Heritage Sunday On this Mennonite Heritage Sunday, pray that the rich spiritual heritage with which God has blessed us as individuals, as congregations and as the wider Anabaptist/ Mennonite Communion, will continue to encourage and inform us as we step into the future. Thank you for enabling Mennonite Heritage Centre staff, Alf Redekopp, Connie Wiebe and Conrad Stoesz, to archive the history of the Mennonite church and its people. Your financial support helps preserve and share church stories, the study of God s involvement with us! For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

6 Celebration Story 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: October 2011, Equipping #120 Peacebuilder finds inner peace The ministries of Mennonite Church Canada sometimes reach across borders in unexpected ways. Just ask Erwin and Marian Wiens, Mennonite Church Canada workers in Chun Cheon, South Korea. The Wienses work with Mennonite Church Canada s partner, the Korea Anabaptist Center (KAC), to provide training for church leaders and strengthen the connection between KAC and churches in the Anabaptist network. Recently, Erwin taught at the first annual Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute (NARPI) summer training session, designed to equip participants with peace building skills to use in their home communities. Fifty participants, including instructors, represented eight Asian countries, Canada and the U.S.A. One of the participants was Emily Wang, from Taiwan. While Emily came to learn what she could about peace building to take back to her home country, she was also searching for inner peace. I work with many peace groups but nobody seems to have time to tell me how I can become a Christian she told the Wienses in early August. Fortunately, the Wienses had a response for Emily. They shared with her how she could choose to become a Jesus follower and gave her a Chinese Bible. A few days later, they received an message from Emily. Thanks for once again for encouraging me to claim that I am the follower of Jesus. Actually, I want to be confident to claim this too, and I want to try my best to love people, even my enemy. When I think this way, I feel a desire to be a follower of Jesus, so yes I will claim that I am the follower of Jesus. Praise God for opportunities to share Christ s gospel of peace the most powerful story of love and redemption, and an inspiring foundation for non-violent conflict resolution at home and across borders. We invite you to share this story with your congregation in celebration of the ministries we engage in together as Mennonite Church Canada. It should take no more than 2 minutes to read aloud. You might also wish to include it in your church newsletter. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

7 October 2011, No. 9 Mennonite Church Canada Resource Update Resource Update BORROW... PURCHASE... DOWNLOAD... LINK 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4; (toll free); resources@mennonitechurch.ca; WORSHIP RESOURCES Oct 2 World Communion Sunday Some of our favorite blogs Oct 30 Mennonite Heritage Sunday What are yours? Nov 6 Peace Sunday Nov 13 Mission Sunday Nov 27 First Advent ww. Resource Update Online A list of individual links to each resource in this update is availble at UPCOMING EVENTS CYNKC Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity A conference about the spiritual formation of children and youth, featuring John Westerhoff, Ivy Beckwith, Shane Claiborne, Dave Csinos, Joyce Ann Mercer, Brian McLaren, and others. May 7-10, 2012 in Washington DC. For more information about carpooling, contact Elsie Rempel, erempel@mennonitechurch.ca. For more information about the conference, see MAKE THE MOST OF THIS UPDATE: See our complete list online Got a favourite blog? a link to resources@mennonitechurch.ca Circulate widely to librarian, pastor, worship planners, education coordinator, and church secretary! Invite friends/committee members to subscribe: Submit your own original worship service or congregational event for inclusion here and on the web Children s Corner For library, home or Sunday morning storyteller Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller, Square Fish, Mr. Rabbit s new neighbors are OTTERS! But he doesn t know anything about otters. Will they get along? Will they be friends? In her smart, playful style, Laurie Keller highlights how to be a good friend and neighbour simply follow the Golden Rule. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

8 View these resources online: rjt From our Schools it 's epic remembering God's future Assembly 2011 Resources Reporting on Assembly? Planning worship on Revelation? Interested to read more about what happened in Waterloo? All the worship resources including litanies, prayers, Nelson Kraybill s sermons, more All the Bible studies led by Loren Johns All 6 editions of the daily Epic News Jeremy Bergen s presentation at the Ministers Conference 2 minute video What Makes a Good Pastor? featuring Assembly participants All the reports, discernment discussions, and more Non-English Titles VIA, Explorando el Camino de Cristo Este material es una traducción de un curso creado en inglés para ayudar a quienes están llegando al conocimiento del Señor. Trae ocho lecciones con sus textos, comentarios y actividades interactivos. For additional Spanish resources, see AMBS Webinars including helps with Advent worship planning, with Marlene Kropf and Rosanna McFadden. Tuesday, October 18, 2011 from 7:30-8:45. Check programs-institutes/clc/webinars for this and other webinars. AMBS on itunes. Listen to special presentations, chapels and forums from your computer or mobile device. From our Partners From our Press From our Churches 아나뱁티스트크리스천 (What is an Anabaptist Christian) by Palmer Becker; translated into Korean by Bock-Ki Kim, Korea Anabaptist Press, 이땅의많은사람들이교회가조직이나기관혹은정치적으로타협하는데대한환상에서깨어나야한다고말하고있습니다. 그러므로초대교회의신앙으로돌아가고자했던재세례신앙운동과자유교회전통에대한관심도점차증가하고있습니다. 저자인파머베커는메노나이트교회목사요, 교육가로서아나뱁티스트관점에서바라본성경의핵심을다음세가지로간단히요약하였습니다. 이책에서저자는일반적으로알려진성경과는맞지않는기존의기독교적관점과아나뱁티스트의관점의차이를대조하면서예수그리스도에대한새로운시각을제공하고이땅의교회가예수그리스도의몸을세우는데보다충실하여세상속에서하나님의화해사역에열정적으로동참할것을독자들에게호소하고있습니다. Teatime in Mogadishu: My Journey as a Peace Ambassador in the World of Islam by Ahmed Ali Haile, Herald Press, In 1991, Ahmed Ali Haile returned to the chaos of his native Somalia with a clear mission: to bring warring clans together to find new paths of peace--often over a cup of tea. A grenade thrown by a detractor cost Haile his leg and almost his life, but his stature as a peacemaker remained. Whether in Somalia s capital, Mogadishu, or among Somalis in Kenya, Europe, and the United States, Haile has been a tireless ambassador for the peace of Christ. Into this moving memoir of conversion and calling, Haile weaves poignant reflections on the meaning of his journey in the world of Islam. Original materials from our constituency Funeral Sermon: Memorial Service of Menno H. Epp by John H. Neufeld, First Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, MB. This sermon was preached at the August 6, 2011 memorial service for Menno H. Epp. Menno died at age 79 having lived a rich, exemplary life as a pastor, teacher, counselor, mentor, church leader... in Mennonite Church Canada. In addition to marking Menno s faith and life, this sermon also serves as an exemplary model of a funeral message. Share your church s original material at resources@mennonitechurch.ca 2 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

9 View these resources online: New Resources We average 3 new resources daily. A Will to Lead and the Grace to Follow: Letters on Leadership from a Peculiar Prophet by William H. Willimon, Abingdon Press, Looking for advice on how to be a pastor? Here s a collection of bishop Willimon s humourous and insightful weekly messages to the churches under his care. Our Friendly Local Terrorist by Mary Jo Leddy, Between the Lines, Leddy s journey with Suleyman Goven, a Kurdish refugee in Canada, whose fourteen-year struggle with Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) surveillance, betrayal, and subsequent judicial hearings, is documented here. Congregational Leaders Handbook Mennonite Church Saskatchewan, Includes resources that address the roles and tasks of congregational chairs, treasurers, recording secretaries, church administrators and the Pastor Congregation Relations Committee. S more Time with God by Nancy Ferguson, Judson Press, Devotional/activity book designed for families and groups with young children. Ecclesial Repentance: The Churches Confront their Sinful Pasts by Jeremy Bergen, T&T Clark, Bergen addresses questions like: Should the church - can the church - repent? How can the living be held responsible for the faults of past generations? If the church is constantly apologizing for everything imaginable, does it not risk trivializing itself? Gifts in Open Hands: More Worship Resources For The Global Community by Maren Tirabassi and Kathy Wonson Eddy, Pilgrim Press, Contains a wealth of multicultural liturgies, prayers, affirmations, blessings, and poetry by people from the global community. Tell Me the Stories of Jesus: A Companion to the Remembered Gospel by Janet Lees, Wild Goose Publications, Alongside the written Bible, ordinary people often use oral or remembered versions. Based on work done with many groups, this companion to the remembered gospel aims to encourage and support those who want to work with this process with ordinary people in any place. The Spirit s Tether: Eight Lives in Ministry by Malcolm L. Warford, Alban Institute, Tells the stories of eight men and women from their seminary days through their work today as pastors in local congregations over thirty years later. Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell and the New Jerusalem by Bradley Jersak, Wipf and Stock, Endeavours to reconsider what the Bible and the Church have actually said about hell and hope. Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to Holy Land Theology by Gary M. Burge, Baker Publishing Group, Examines present-day tensions surrounding territorial religion in the modern Middle East, helping us develop a biblical theology of the land in discussions of the Israeli- Palestinian struggle. Labyrinth: Landscape of the Soul by Di Williams, Wild Goose Publications, This full-colour book provides a history of the labyrinth, hints for walking one, in addition to personal reflections and ideas on how to create your own. The War of the Lamb: The Ethics of Nonviolence and Peacemaking by John Howard Yoder, Baker Publishing Group, Before his death, Yoder planned the essays and structure of this book, which he intended to be his last work. Now leading interpreters of Yoder bring that work to fruition. Covering pacifism, just war theory, and just peacemaking theory, this book crystallizes Yoder s ethical arguments. Unsettling The Settler Within: Indian Residential Schools, Truth Telling, and Reconciliation in Canada by Paulette Regan, University of BC, A former residential-schools-claims manager, argues that in order to truly participate in the transformative possibilities of reconciliation, non-aboriginal Canadians must undergo their own process of decolonization. A powerful and compassionate call to action. Resource Update highlights faith and church ministry resources that Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre makes available by loan, sale or electronic download. This newsletter For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 3 is distributed 10 times a year by Mennonite Church Canada in its congregational Equipping package. For a free electronic subscription, check

10 View these resources online: New Resources We average 3 new resources daily. Words and Wonderings: Conversations with Present-day Prophets by Joy Mead, Wild Goose Publications, A devotional read that celebrates gratitude, kindness, truth and beauty through the gifts of poets, artists, musicians, gardeners, bakers and many more, who discover their creativity in communion with others. Of Gods and Men DVD, Metropol, 2010 (French with English sub-titles). When a crew of foreign workers is massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group, fear sweeps through North Africa. Eight French Christian monks, who have lived in harmony with their Muslim brothers, choose to stay come what may. Freedom Riders: Could You Get on the Bus? DVD, Public Broadcasting Service, In 1961, an integrated band of American college students decided, en masse, to board a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South - and managed to challenge the civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation. Restorative Justice: Rooted in Respect DVD, Mennonite Central Committee, Explore how restorative justice works to build community, restore relationships and speak to harm and conflict. Contest co-sponsored by CMU Bookstore and Mennonite Church Canada. This month s prize The Curious Garden by Peter Brown. your response to: resources@mennonitechurch.ca, with October 2011 Contest in subject line. Congratulations to Lydia Harder, Toronto, ON who won the summer contest and a copy of the book I Shall Not Hate. To be eligible: Contestant must be an online subscriber, and a Canadian resident. Entries are due within 48 hours of receiving electronic notice of this update. This month s question For this month s contest, please identify as many names as you can from the list of initials below. The winner will be the person who can correctly name the most people. We ve provided some additional hints. Thank you for submitting such a diverse sampling of peacemakers (below) courageous women and men from our scriptural tradition, family histories, personal connections and world-wide movements. We re blessed by such a vast cloud of witnesses! CKN A former leading minister at Niagara UM Church ( , ) and long-time lay minister CM Co-author of DB German Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr DP Co-director of Christian Peacemaker Teams DP Early Anabaptist martyr DT 1984 South African Nobel Peace Prize recipient DW Co-founder of the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program in 1974 EC Archbishop of Galilee. Author of EC A senior leader in BC. Here is his story here - southhillcommunity.ca/insidestories EE She discusses her 9 principles of restoration here - GS Founding director of Christian Peacemaker Teams GS A member of Bereaved Families Forum in Bethlehem. Featured in this film - HH On faculty at CMU (CMBC) since Extensive work in the Middle East HN Priest, author, professor and pastor. View his life story here - www. mennonitechurch.ca/tiny/1621 HP Former English teacher at MC Canada s partner school in South Korea, Connexus. IA The Gaza Doctor and author of JC No hint necessary here JC Involved in his high school s Peace Learners project. Blog entitled My Life in the Shack. JHY His 1972 magnum opus can be found here - JL Kidnapped and held hostage for 118 days while in Iraq with Christian Peacemaker Teams JM An acclaimed community organizer in the US. Author of Building Communities from the Inside Out JS Co-director of Canadian School of Peacemaking at CMU LCN Executive director of Mediation Services LD Director of the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies at Fresno Pacific University LS A CPTer whose stories can be found here - MG Political and ideological leader of India during its independence movement ML Active pacifist and past member of International Fellowship of Reconciliation MLK Nobel Peace prize recipient in 1964 MS One of the first Anabaptist leaders in the Netherlands MT Founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta NM 1993 Nobel Peace prize recipient OR Unofficial patron saint of the Americas PS A CPTer whose stories can be found here - PT A leader in the text-based exploration of women and gender in scripture RLS Founder of the Taize Community in France. Also known as Brother Roger. SM Author of Naked Anabaptist TNH Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist TS Featured in the film found here For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 Learn more about these and other peacemakers from our wide selection of peace materials found here -

11 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Dear Music Lovers October 2011, Equipping #120 A bi-national, Mennonite leadership team is joyfully planning for and anticipates adding to our rich Mennonite music tradition! In the July/August 2011 edition of Equipping you received a study guide entitled The Heart of Mennonite Worship, ( with an invitation and instructions to complete a weekly song survey. This survey will help Mennonite Church Canada and MennoMedia (formerly Mennonite Publishing Network) shape a future song collection for use in worship. Dave Bergen Executive Secretary, Christian Formation You can help shape the future of our rich music tradition by: Reading about the survey it at the back of The Heart of Mennonite Worship study guide at Complete the survey (or download the form) at Your feedback is invaluable to the developers as together we shape the next phase of our music history. Thanks so much for you re your help in guiding this process! For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

12 Worship Resources 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: World Communion Sunday, October 2, 2011 HWB - Hymnal Worship Book, SJ - Sing the Journey, SS - Sing the Story* Introduction: World Communion Sunday provides an opportunity for congregations to look beyond local and denominational boundaries and focus on our hope for unity in Christ with all other Christians. This is a BIG morning. World Communion Sunday calls us to claim and proclaim our God-given unity in Christ, who is the host at ALL our communion tables. It is a day to celebrate the greatness of our God, the largeness of the body of Christ, and the enormous gift that God gave us when he sent Jesus to earth. As we stand in awe of the great mystery that the God of all creation wants to be in relationship with humankind, we respond with delight and obedience. Visual Ideas: To symbolize the diversity and celebrate unity in Christ and the vastness of God, display globes or maps of the world, along with flags and souvenirs from as many countries of the world as you can. Drape or hang long strips of fabric, in many different colours at the front or around the sanctuary. Scripture texts: Exodus 20: 1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Psalm 19, Philippians 3: 4b-14, Matthew 21: CALL TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE Psalm 19 reminds us that we have come to worship an amazing, awesome, and mysterious God. The impact of reading this Psalm could be increased by displaying pictures of the sky while it is being read and as you sing. The opening songs and the prayers have been chosen to highlight the awesomeness of our creator God, so begin this worship service by lingering in awe and wonder of the Majestic One. Call to worship: (Psalm 19: 1-10, 14) Read this psalm as an antiphonal reader s theatre, changing parts whenever a sentence ends or there is a natural breath pause. It could be read by one child and one adult reader. Both should be well prepared and aware that they are giving voice to God s Word. It is powerful to hear these enormous declarations from an intergenerational pair. Prayer of Invocation: Almighty, Eternal, Everlasting God we are gathered here today from many different places. We now join our hearts and minds with millions of others around the world who have also gathered to worship you. Together we marvel at the beauty of creation, the colours, the smells, the sounds, and the sights that keep unfolding all around us. We marvel at the great mystery that the Almighty of all creation touches the hearts and lives of humanity. We welcome your touch on our lives this day. We stand in awe of you, our God, and give up our need to figure it all out. This day, may our worship be simple and pure, honest and free. We worship you, our God, because we can, and because we must, for you are great. We need you and we love you. In the name of Jesus, your Son, we pray. Amen. Songs of Praise and Adoration: In keeping with the focus of this service, choose instruments and songs that make a large sound. Invite musicians from all age groups, as many cultural back grounds as you can, and from both genders to participate. Visual diversity says more than words can muster. HWB 50 Praise the Lord, sing hallelujah HWB 62 Who is so great a God HWB 70 Immortal, invisible, God only wise HWB 76 Je louerai l Eternel (Praise, I will praise you, Lord) HWB 78 Ehane he ama (Father God, you are holy) HWB 112 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic The Mennonite Hymnal 535 How Great Thou Art SS 34 You are holy *While the songs recommended in this resource are from Mennonite song books, we recognize there are many suitable songs available elsewhere. Feel free to supplement these suggestions with thematically suitable songs that are dear to you. * Song book abbreviations match those used for corresponding worship resources in Leader Magazine For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 1

13 CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE Confession Use a written prayer of confession, such as SJ 132, and a wellknown song of grace from the list below, to celebrate God s assurance of pardon. HWB151 Marvelous Grace of our loving Lord HWB 338 I know not why God s wondrous HWB 344 I will sing of my Redeemer HWB 345 God sent his Son HEARING GOD S WORD Children s Story: Tell stories and look at pictures of diverse people and places from other parts of the globe. Here are three options: Tell a story from Mennonite Church Canada Witness, such as Under the Baobob Tree You can find more celebration stories at Ask someone from a neighbouring congregation (different denomination from your own) to come and tell you a story about a mission project they are involved in somewhere in the world. Tell a story of what God is doing in the church with whom you partner. Conclude this part of the service by talking together about things that are going on in your own church. Offer a prayer for the churches and people you have talked about. Sermon prompts: All kinds of sermons beg to be preached from the richness of today s texts. Here are a few suggestions that can help you ponder what God is saying to you, your congregation, and our world on World Communion Sunday, It can be challenging to preach a sermon on days when there is so much to say. May you hear God s voice as you engage the discipline of narrowing your focus, choosing your theme, writing, and preaching. 1. God started it. When we get into a fight with others, especially when we are young, one of the first things that often happens is that someone will point their finger at the other and say she started it. It s often hard to know who really did start the situation that evolved into a fight! In Exodus 20, fingers are clearly pointed at God, because in the relationship between God and God s people, God started it, but it was a covenant, rather than a fight. Covenant is a major biblical theme found in Exodus 20, a theme that finds its New Testament continuation in Matthew 26: 17-30, Mark 14: 12-25, Luke 22: Your sermon could centre on the power and might of a God who initiated a covenant with the nation of Israel and extended it through Jesus with all of humanity. Waldemar Janzen, author and Professor Emeritus at Canadian Mennonite University, writes, It is a chief mark of the covenant between God and Israel concluded at Sinai that the partners are unequal. 1 He points out that the Mount Sinai events emphasize the gracious commitment of God toward an undeserving people. This gracious faithfulness of God could be the point of this sermon, while also acknowledging the sinfulness of humanity. Include stories from around the world that emphasize God s faithfulness in big and small ways to help convey this theme. 2. What are we waiting for? As this is being written, many Manitobans are up to their armpits in flood water. The news of the flash forest fire at Slave Lake, Alberta, which burned down a third of the town, occupies the daily news. From farther afield, wars and rumours of wars keep popping up much like the spring wild fires in Canada s North. As I consider the Matthew text, I am reminded of the story of the man caught on the roof of his house as the flood waters rose around him. He prayed that God would rescue him. First a neighbour came by and encouraged him to climb down a rope ladder into a life raft, then a rescue boat came by and asked him to get in, and finally a search and rescue helicopter hovered overhead. The man refused to get in. When asked why he refused this help, he said, I know God is coming. God will rescue me; so I ll just wait for God. Matthew 21 reminds us that God came and continues to come into the world, even though the world rarely recognizes or receives God. Like the prophets of old, this scripture invites the preacher to call the congregation to watchfulness and obedient response. 3. Give it up already! My husband and I recently moved to a new city, and so we have been having all kinds of opportunities to meet new people. I ve noticed that almost the first question we ask of each other is what do you do? It s clear that credentials influence our opinion of the people we meet. In Philippians 3, Paul lists his credentials and then surrenders them, all for the sake of being like Christ. To become like (Jesus) in his death, involves 1 Waldemar Janzen, Exodus, Believers Church Bible Commentary, (C) 2000, Herald Press, Waterloo, ON, 249. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 2

14 surrender. As we partake in the Lord s Supper along with millions of others around the globe, we commit ourselves to give it up already all for the sake of Jesus Christ, who lived, and died and rose again. COMMUNION SERVICE Bread Ideas: If your congregation is willing to step away from its set routines for the preparation and distribution of bread and wine or juice, have children, adults, and youth bring baskets brimming full of all kinds of bread from every possible entrance to the front at this time. (The drink could already be on the table). This would symbolizing God s greatness, God s extravagant generosity, and that God s people come together from the east, west, south and north on this day around the Table of our Lord. Note: If you choose to involve children in the communion service, take care to include them in some way during the sharing of the communion elements. In some congregations, children are given a blessing while the adults are eating and drinking, some congregations offer a symbolic grape (immature wine) and cracker (unleavened bread), and some allow the children to participate fully. In any case, be sure to give the children and youth the message that they are a valued and integral part of the worldwide family of God. Remember to provide bread or crackers that are gluten and yeast free. Communion Prayer: SS 187, or this prayer from the bulletin series: We give thanks for the gift of World Communion Sunday. Whatever the diversity is coming to the table, today we partake in a world-wide wave of kneelers, prayers, drinkers, and eaters who love, remember, and try to follow Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for the people you invite to this table, brothers and sisters in Christ. We come to this table, knowing that God created us and loves us all. We come to this table, knowing that Jesus died for us all. We come to this table, knowing that God s Spirit sustains us all. We come to this table, to experience the mystery of our faith, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. As we come to the table, grace us with your Holy Spirit so that we can understand the wideness of your love. We are one people, one body, your Church in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Words of Institution: Consider combining the Words of Institution found in 1 Cor. 11: 23-26, with the major theme from the sermon you preached. If you chose to use the Genesis theme of covenant and God s initiative, emphasize God as host as you invite people to the table, and we, as undeserving as we are, are welcomed. If you chose to centre you sermon on the Matthew text, emphasize that although the movement of God in our world is often surprising and at times difficult to discern, we need not fear, God will nourish and sustain us along the way. Finally, if you chose the Philippians text to speak on, the theme of surrender to the One who knows the Way, who leads us to new life and in new directions can be tied into the traditional Words of Institution. Communion Songs: SJ 86 Taste and see SJ 88 Haleluya! Pelo tsa rona (Hallelujah! We sing your praises!) SS 77 Here is the bread HWB 145 There s a wideness in God s mercy HWB 471 Eat this bread HWB 472 I am the Bread of life SENDING Blessing: SS 188, or Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [we] press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13b-14) May we go in peace, filled with the light of your Spirit, ready to join God s redeeming activity in our world. Amen. Sending Song HWB 118 Praise God from whom This worship resource, edited by Elsie Rempel, was written for Mennonite Church Canada by Karen Schellenberg, former pastor of Portage Mennonite Church, Portage la Prairie, MB, currently pursuing further pastoral studies. Direct your comments about Special Sunday Worship Resources to Elsie Rempel at erempel@mennonitechurch.ca. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 3

15 Worship Resources 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: Heritage Sunday, October 30, 2011 HWB - Hymnal Worship Book, STJ - Sing the Journey, STS - Sing the Story Introduction: These worship resources have been designed to assist Mennonite congregations in planning worship for Heritage Sunday. The focus of this denominationally recognized Sunday is on the spiritual heritage of the church. We consider how God has been present in our heritage personally, congregationally, regionally, denominationally, or in the wider Anabaptist/Mennonite Communion. When we take time to recite the actions of God in our lives and in the life of our church it moves us to praise God with thankfulness and gratitude. Such reflection also reacquaints us with the shadow sides of our heritage. When we take time to reflect and confess to God what hasn t or isn t going right, we bring our laments to the right place, the presence of God. In that presence we are led to discover new ways of making things right. Such heritage-focused praise and lament affirms the faithfulness of God and deepens our faith roots. But Heritage Sunday is not only for looking back. The true gift of looking back involves sifting the past and selecting the best to carry forward as heritage. The song, In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree (Hymnal Worship Book 614) celebrates the heritage we have received, but also hints at the heritage we pass on to succeeding generations. This year s Heritage Sunday invitation is as follows: celebrate what you have received and plan what younger generations will receive from you. Resources referred to are: HWB - Hymnal Worship Book STJ - Sing the Journey STS - Sing the Story Theme: Heritage Received and Heritage Given Scripture texts: Psalm 43:1-5, Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 Call to worship and invocation With the saints above and below we gather, Holy God, hoping your truth and light will bring us to your holy hill, praying that our worship will be a sweet smelling sacrifice to you, the God who was, is, and is to come. Gathering songs HWB 614 In the bulb there is a flower HWB 327 Great is thy faithfulness Faithful One (Brian Derksen) O for a World (Miriam Therese Winter, Carl G. Glaser) Prayer (Adapted from Sing The Story 199) Feel free to insert your own items of praise, petitions, and intercession into each section Leader: For all the saints who went before us who have spoken to our hearts and touched us with your fire and the saints who live beside us, whose weaknesses and strengths are woven with our own, ALL: we praise you, O God. Leader: For all the saints who live beyond us who challenge us to change the world with them and for vindication and freedom you will one day grant those saints who suffer now, ALL: we praise you, O God. Leader: For the saints on early stages of their spiritual journeys we ask for open hearts and minds that know they are a precious part of the family of God. Praying and trusting they will choose to become baptized members of your church one day ALL: we praise you, O God. Children s story notes Bring a personal memory patchwork quilt to church and hang it where the children can see it. Explain that reflecting on the stories of the quilt can help us worship God who was present in the stories the quilt helps us remember and who is with us as our life stories develop. Tell the story of the quilt. When and by whom was the quilt made? When was it received and how was it used? Did the pieces come from clothing worn by various family members? What memories do those pieces evoke? Close the story time with a prayer of thanks for these stories, for God who was present in their stories, and is still present in the stories of our lives and in our church. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 1

16 Option: Select a book from the Quilt Bibliography in your church or public library, or borrow these from the Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre at Patricia Polacco s, The Keeping Quilt ( 1988, Simon and Shuster) is a classic that is full of family stories. Shota and the Star Quilt, (Christine Fowler et al. 1998, Zero to Ten), adds a level of justice advocacy to the heritage focus. The Quiltmaker s Gift, by Jeff Brumbeau ( 2000, Orchard Books, New York) could also be used to illustrate the importance of choosing a good legacy. Scripture readings Hear these words that reflect our deep and rich spiritual heritage: Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12, Psalm 43:1-5 Sermon notes The heritage of several streams within the Anabaptist/ Mennonite communion includes stories of lives filled with danger danger that evokes cries for vindication and freedom (Ps 43:1). Those cries, like the Psalmist s, are heard by God (v.2). Our heritage is also full of stories of people gathering together for conferences, music festivals, weddings, funerals and to build various ministries. Common belief in God and a desire to work together gathered people for these varied functions functions where God was to be found (v.3). Those gatherings may have included heated discussions and conflicts that needed resolution but also created a context for praise (v.4). Gathering together as God s people for work and worship serves as a catalyst to reaffirm faith and move ahead (v.5). Make this sermon as personal as possible by drawing on stories from within your congregation. For instance, tell a story of someone in your congregation who lived through some experience of political or personal terror. Name ways in which the heritage of faith was kept alive. The cries of those Christians, like the Psalmist s cries, were directed to God (v.2). If you cannot find such a story within your congregation, you may want to use this story from my family. During the 1930s my mother s family lived in Belarus. Formal church life was not permitted at this time but families kept the heritage of faith alive by teaching their children. Groups of Christians gathered secretly in homes or in the forest to read the Bible, pray and sing. Times and places were varied in order to maintain secrecy. During this time, one of my mother s brothers and two sisters were secretly baptized by their uncle in the forest. Shortly thereafter, my mother s brother, uncle and other relatives were arrested. Trial transcripts reveal the crime with which they were charged as participation in a group that was plotting to overthrow the Soviet government. Her brother was charged with being the leader of such a group and we believe that he was executed for this charge, while others were sent to labour camps. Who knew that a Bible study group could be so dangerous to the powerful Soviet system? As a result of this heritage my childhood included hearing adult prayers for the needs of relatives in the Soviet Union. People in North America joined with the family of faith in the Soviet Union in crying for vindication and freedom. Those prayers took on greater reality when the occasional letter arrived, especially when it contained photographs of these relatives or when my parents joined with my Canadian aunts and uncles in putting together parcels to send to these relatives. More recently, when there was political turmoil in Kenya, Kenyan Canadians who are part of my congregation held a prayer meeting specifically to pray for Kenya. Their stories included similar themes of suffering individuals crying out to God for vindication. At a recent Mennonite Historical Society of BC event, Dr. John Toews spoke of the conflicts that have existed between Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren and referred to it as our 100 Years War. The suffering we experience does not always come from a source outside of the church. Brothers or sisters in Christ can sometimes be seen as the enemy. Sometimes we cry out to God, even as we suffer from our own unredeemed attitudes. Can the movement within Psalm 43 help us move beyond conflicts and issues toward greater spiritual collaboration and unity? How do these stories resemble those within your congregation? What stories of yours personalize this crying out to God? The various streams of our Mennonite/Anabaptist heritage are full of stories of people gathering together - for conferences, music festivals, weddings, funerals and to build various institutions. The October, 2010 issue of Roots and Branches (A publication of the Mennonite Historical Society of B.C.) includes a story by Richard Thiessen of the Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia coming together in various ways in its turbulent and inspiring history. During a period of severe persecution the structure of the church changed while it grew dramatically. When freedom was restored the structure needed to change to adapt to that reality. Five years ago, MCBC held a worship celebration to which entire congregations, not just conference delegates or leaders, were invited to reaffirm each congregation s participation in our area church. It is our common worship For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 2

17 of God and our desire to collaborate that gathers us or brings us to God s holy hill (v.3). What stories of festivals, committee meetings and institution building are part of your heritage? Were they from Russia before the Revolution, from rural Canada, or elsewhere? Joy and praise are not absent in these stories, even if they are set in the midst of suffering. During times of suffering we often become more receptive to the presence of God in our midst and this can lead to deep joy. The songs I remember my mother and her siblings singing resounded with thankfulness, praise and even joy. In spring of 2010 a Mennonite History conference was held in Omsk, Siberia. While it was a serious study conference with the presentation of academic papers, delegates reported that there were also musical performances filled with joy and praise. As Richard Thiessen retells the Meserete Kristos story, he notes their spirited worship style. Reports from the Mennonite World Conference in Zimbabwe (2003) also testify to the deep joy of the conference hosts, even though their suffering was acute and made it a real challenge to host and feed such a large gathering. Gathering together, remembering our heritage, sifting it and choosing the heritage God wants us to pass on to the next generation serves as a catalyst to reaffirm faith and move ahead (v.5). Heritage is not a static thing, it is continually growing. How will you celebrate what you have received? What heritage will you give the church s children? Benediction May the seed of Christ s word, Planted and watered by the Holy Spirit, find root and grow in your hearts. May the seed of the church Planted and watered by God in this congregation find root and grow in this neighborhood. Amen. (adapted from STS 158) This worship resource was prepared for Mennonite Church Canada by Linda Matties, Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Abbotsford, BC, and edited by Elsie Rempel. Linda is a freelance writer of Sunday School curriculum, articles, book reviews and had a sermon published in a collection called All are Witnesses. Direct your comments about Special Sunday Worship Resources to Elsie Rempel at erempel@mennonitechurch.ca For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 3

18 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Parish Paper Cover Letter October 2011, Equipping #120 Mennonite Church Canada s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES: 1. Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: , Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our Web site. 2. Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its Web site, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs. Congregations within Mennonite Church Canada s jurisdiction to which we distribute The Parish Paper do NOT have permission (a) to delete the copyright ownership notice, (b) to re-write, paraphrase, delete, or change the wording of sentences and paragraphs, or (c) to give ANY THIRD PARTY other than our staff and constituents permission to photocopy or reprint (in any quantity, no matter how small, whether for free distribution or for sale). For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

19 T H E P A R I S H P A P E R I D E A S A N D I N S I G H T S F O R A C T I V E C O N G R E G A T I O N S Coeditors: Herb Miller, Lyle E. Schaller, Cynthia Woolever - September Volume 19, Number 9 Copyright 2011 by Herb Miller Why Do People Connect with Christ and a Congregation? Question: While acknowledging that each individual s journey is unique, is there a most prevalent way that the unchurched begin their search for the faith missing in their lives? Attend a worship service? Sign up for an educational class? Attend a special presentation? Answer: Several studies agree that approximately 75 percent of unchurched adults begin their search when someone invites them to a worship service. And about 15 percent begin their search by attending worship in a church they selected from the Yellow Pages. And 10 percent begin their search by worshipping at a church building they had noticed while driving past on a weekday. But why do individuals begin their search at that particular time? Most such individuals begin their search because they feel an inner need. This is usually during a period when their life is more stressful than usual, often during times of negative life change and sometimes during times of positive life change. But a few individuals report that it was just time to find a church. Two factors strongly influence whether adults begin moving toward church involvement: Religious beliefs formed in pre-college years 85 percent of people who become a Christian in their entire lifetime had a church experience prior to the age of eighteen. (This makes every congregation s ministry with children and youth among its most important endeavors.) Adult decisions based on current needs and social relationships. Inspiration and spiritual guidance: this means that adults want worship to be uplifting, empowering, and encouraging, especially the music, which sets the emotional tone for all the other elements. Beneath that research data lurks two larger questions for congregations: Since inviting is the most important reason why unchurched adults visit a church s worship service the first time, (a) what causes a church s people to do a high volume of inviting and (b) what causes a church s first-time worship visitors to return a second time, a third time, and eventually make a spiritual connection with Christ and that congregation? A magnetic menu increases receptivity. Far fewer adults join a church because of its denominational affiliation these days. In most churches, fewer than 50 percent of new attendees grew up in that denomination. The majority of today s adults who respond to invitations base their decision to attend worship the first time and subsequent times on whether the church exhibits seven magnetic factors. What needs do churches meet for adults? Research indicates that four needs are especially important.¹ Religious education for children: this includes moral and character education alongside learning about the Bible and church teachings (what Sunday school and youth programs offer cannot be purchased elsewhere, except in weekday, church-sponsored schools). Personal support and reassurance: especially in settings where adults can speak openly and honestly without fear of rejection (small groups of various kinds can provide this). Social contacts and a sense of community: this need is strongest in urban settings where family and friendship ties are weak, especially for newcomers.

20 1. The style and tempo of the worship hymns fit newcomers ages and preferences. Whether the congregation offers blended worship that contains more than one type of hymn in every service or offers multiple worship services that feature a different style of hymns and praise songs at different times the positive, uplifting atmosphere created by my kind of music helps people connect with Christ and this congregation. In other words, whatever worship style the congregation offers, churches with a magnetic menu provide hymn-singing characterized by (a) a non-funeral tempo, (b) familiar and/or easy-to-sing hymns, and (c) hymn types that spiritually nurture worshippers born during all four of these eras: pre-1946, , , and 1991-present. Otherwise, the congregation is antimagnetic for many adult visitors, dampening their receptivity.² 2. The sermons inspire newcomer-adults with biblical insights about how to live a meaningful life. Pastors in magnetic churches are enthusiastic about the messages they deliver. They communicate equally well with people whose birth dates fall after 1975 and the 15 percent of Americans with birth dates before Three words seem important in the overall preaching and teaching milieu of churches of every denomination, size, and theological persuasion that attract large numbers of adults from every age group: Christ high Christology; Bible high emphasis on biblical authority; and Love high emphasis on compassion and caring. 3. The pastors and staff exhibit strong spiritual traits and possess personalities to which prospective adult attendees can relate. The following three traits are especially important. Spiritual enthusiasm: Effective pastors give you the impression that they want to lead you, not just someplace, but to a closer relationship with God. Also, their internal drives come from the fact that their own lives have been transformed and currently are in process of change. Therefore, they have something to share. Joyful attitude: Oswald Chambers wrote, Joy is the nature of God in my blood. People are not attracted to a religious institution whose spiritual leader needs a transfusion. Spiritual vision for this congregation: Effective pastors are not held prisoner by the perspective and traditions of their congregations. They are sensitive to where people are but not content to leave them there. In summery, effective pastors balance what social scientists have called Structure Behavior (organizationalleadership skills) and Consideration Behavior (personal-relationship skills). 4. The excellent children and youth ministries meet an important need felt by young-adult parents. The nursery in magnetic churches is equipped for young parents (recognizing that parents select the church that their infant attends). Magnetic churches have an extroverted Sunday school that goes beyond providing good content for the children of present attendees; these churches actively encourage other children to attend. Magnetic churches frequently list activities for children and youth in worship bulletins. 5. A wide variety of programs make newcomers feel there is something here for every member of the family. Examples: Magnetic churches often have youth and children s choirs. Large magnetic congregations may have brass ensembles, orchestras, and other musical groups. Midsize and large magnetic congregations have several strong adult Sunday school classes and adult groups. Most magnetic churches of every size have a strong young-adult fellowship nucleus comprised of people twenty-five to forty-four years of age. 6. The congregation is friendly and newcomers feel welcomed and wanted. Two out of three people feel somewhat anxious when entering an unfamiliar church building. A well-trained greeter team is the first step in addressing this first-impression opportunity. 7. The church is a reasonable driving-distance from most of the newcomers residences. Approximately 85 percent of American worshippers attend a congregation whose drive-time is fifteen minutes from their home, with a handful of people driving twenty minutes, thirty minutes, or even more. Magnetic congregations attract people from a much larger geographic radius than they did a few decades ago. What if some of these seven factors are missing? In that case, numerous worship invitations and gracious efforts to encourage visitors to return get sparse results. The Bottom Line: When served this seven-dish magnetic menu, more church members enthusiastically invite people to visit worship which increases the number of first-time worship visitors. And far larger numbers of those invitees return a second time, and eventually become regular attendees completing that crucial first step as they search for the faith missing in their lives. ¹Reported by Hoge, Johnson, and Luidens in Vanishing Boundaries [Louisville: Westminster/John Knox]) ²See information in Church Effectiveness Nuggets: Volume 32, Are We Singing the Right Hymns? Download free of Copyright 2011 by Herb Miller

21 T H E P A R I S H P A P E R I D E A S A N D I N S I G H T S F O R A C T I V E C O N G R E G A T I O N S Coeditors: Herb Miller, Lyle E. Schaller, Cynthia Woolever - October Volume 19, Number 1 Copyright 2011 by Herb Miller Why Do Smart Churches Make Dumb Decisions? By inventing the phonograph, young Thomas Edison launched a major change in how and when we listen to music. And his light bulb changed our world by lighting the nights. But Edison s high IQ didn t prevent him from making a bad decision. After building his fame with light bulbs that used direct current, Edison couldn t imagine a world in which alternating current ruled. So he opposed the new and far superior AC technology which (a) can be inexpensively fed through wires over vast distances and (b) can power both tiny light bulbs and giant machines. By rejecting alternating current, Edison paved the way for his star employee, Nikola Tesla, to spread the use of electric power across the world. Decades after AC proved itself the world s best commercial current, Edison kept arguing that his DC idea was better! That Edison story captures the major insight in Zachary Shore s book, Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions (New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2008). Edison fell into a cognitive trap a rigid mind-set that can block smart people from seeing the importance of new facts and thus, blocks the addressing of new circumstances. For that same reason, highly intelligent church members sometimes make unwise decisions that undermine their church s future. By learning how to recognize those thought traps, we reduce their destructive power over us and our church. no sound comes; they want to run, but they can t move. The result: Several years of slow death, until the church becomes terminally ill and no type of action can save it from closing. 2. In the cognitive trap of static cling, people refuse to recognize that a fundamental change is under way. In a center-city congregation, the ethnic composition of people living in a seven-block radius of its front door changed. In a suburban congregation established fifty-five years ago, the driving distance from homes of new community residents is no longer ten minutes; now, it is twenty-five minutes too inconvenient a distance for most young parents to drive their youngsters to youth activities. A rural county has lost 50 percent of its population since Thirty years ago, most of a church s worshipers were farmers; now most of them are commuters. When demographics change, the cognitive trap of static cling often blocks churches from fine-tuning their ministries in ways that connect with the spiritual needs of a new population base. 1. In the cognitive trap of info-avoidance, people actively disregard information that they prefer not to hear. In one congregation, an obsession with positivethinking caused the governing board to automatically discard new ideas that could have fixed major problems. Influential church members repeatedly said to one another, Our church is wonderful and we don t need to change anything. Thus, the governing board (a) obsessively avoided hearing unpleasant information about declining worship attendance, (b) labeled people who delivered that information as negative thinkers, and (c) tranquilized itself with the false hope that things will get better if we stay positive. Last year, that congregation closed its doors. With many church members, fear is a cognitive killer. Their fear of failure paralyzes constructive thought and action. As in a bad dream, they want to scream but

22 3. In the cognitive trap of fearing to appear weak, churches continue to use methods that attracted numerous attendees four decades ago. Some such churches are striving to avoid the appearance of entertaining people or catering to modernity in order to attract members. Other such churches locked into old habits refuse to fine-tune their worship, buy a keyboard, sing praise songs, or install projection screens. In some such churches the pastor drives with one foot on the brakes. In other such churches the rigid mind-set of two or three long-term members quoting Give me that old-time religion; it s good enough for me blocks their congregation from decisions that attract and retain significant numbers of age-eighteen to forty-four young adults. In still other such churches pastor and people form a conspiracy to stand by our faith and many of their decisions bar the church doors against most younger and new people. Such churches tend to excuse their future-blocking behavior by blaming the people who don t attend their worship service or participate in their 1950s-style ministries. People are just not as committed as they used to be! they exclaim with sadness that feels a bit like thinly veiled arrogance. By portraying themselves as loyal to God in ways that less spiritual people cannot achieve, such churches give themselves an anesthetic that keeps them from feeling their inflexible mind-set. 4. The cognitive trap of cause-fusion takes a variety of forms. A few such churches blame their declining worship attendance on so many people staying home to watch worship on TV not realizing that research proved their theory false two decades ago. In other such churches, a mono-causal myopia blames declining worship attendance on one single cause failing to see that in most cases declining worship attendance results from a combination of five to seven causes. 5. In the cognitive trap of one-dimension obsession, people believe that only one thing is important. Some of them say, What we need is great preaching! Others say, If we just had a better building! Actor Nicholas Cage played Ben Gates, central figure in the movie National Treasure. Cage asks his partner, What is one step this side of crazy? His partner replies, Obsessed? Cage says, No, passionate! People who are crazy, or obsessed, or passionate about effectiveness in only one of their church s ministries seldom build long-lasting congregations. 6. In the cognitive trap of mirror imaging, people think other people think like they think. In a congregation whose members median age is sixty-five, most of the worshipers assume that today s young-adult parents want the same type of worship and Christian education methods for their children that they wanted as young -adult parents. When that mirror-imaging theory proves untrue, many of the older worshipers don t get it and in some cases blame today s young adults for faulty thinking and low spiritual commitment. 7. In the cognitive trap that believes expertise equals sound decisions, people value education over effectiveness. In one such church, a highly educated, classically trained, music director (a) has never worked with youth and (b) defines excellence in church choirs as performance quality with no emphasis whatsoever on developing a spirit of warm fellowship among choir members. The belief that knowledge is more important than achievement leads many churches to weak results in various ministries. Expertise in a field does not always equal (a) the ability to work with people so that they feel like a world-class team and (b) sound judgment regarding strategy and policies that meet the spiritual needs of worshipers. Expertise doesn t always generate wisdom; sometimes it generates rigidity. 8. In the cognitive trap of cure-allism, people dogmatically believe that a successful method works the same way in every church. When worshipers say, If we do what Rick Warren s Saddleback Community Church in California does, maybe we can become a great church, too! they are often participating in the cure-allism delusion. Churches do not automatically become effective by imitating great churches elsewhere. Effective churches become open-minded enough to (a) learn the spiritual needs of parents, youth, and children in their surrounding community and (b) learn how to provide worship, programs, and caring that meets those needs. Practical Application: During the first few minutes of a regularly scheduled governing board meeting, distribute a copy of this Parish Paper issue to each person. Read it aloud as the group follows along. Ask each person to place a number in the margin beside each of the eight cognitive traps (using a scale of one to five, with five signifying the most nearly accurate description of our congregation s thinking pattern). Collect the sheets. Ask someone to tabulate the answers and be ready to report the totals during a fifteen-minute discussion at the end of the meeting. Ask your governing board members to help one another stay aware of the various invisible, self-destructive cognitive traps that block their congregation s future effectiveness. Copyright 2011 by Herb Miller

23 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca September 2011, Equipping #120 Church Engagement Ministries: Update Vic Thiessen Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Secretary, Church Engagement Church Engagement: To be, or not to be? Recently I received an asking me to confirm that Mennonite Church Canada s Church Engagement program no longer existed. Imagine my surprise at hearing this news about a ministry area that is just over one year old! Fortunately, it was all a misunderstanding. However, the experience reminds me that Church Engagement is a relatively new activity area for Mennonite Church Canada, and might benefit from an update. Church Engagement now includes the program areas of Communications, and the former Congregational Partnerships and Resource Development (the latter two are now combined under the heading Partnership Development). Until now, Church Engagement has never been fully staffed. During the reduction process of 2011, these positions were deemed to be very important to our future, and thus were untouched. In addition, the Church Engagement Council has not had a chair. While Norm Dyck did a superb job as its first executive secretary of Church Engagement, and while Congregational Partnerships and Communications have been going strong for many years, there is a sense that Church Engagement is just now getting off the ground, with three staff joining the Church Engagement team this summer (including me; until July I was the Chief Operating Officer. I have been transferring these responsibilities to Randy Wiebe, whom many of you will know as our Chief Financial Officer). Please welcome. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the two new staff in Church Engagement. Daniel Horne from Glenlea Mennonite Church is our new Director of Partnership Development. Daniel most recently worked as Director of Admissions and Recruitment at Providence Theological Seminary. Prior to that he worked as Associate Pastor at the Niverville Mennonite Church and as Admissions Counsellor at CMU. Daniel will oversee Partnership Development across Canada but his contacts will focus on Western Canada. He will be working out of his home in Niverville, Manitoba. Brent Charette from Rockway Mennonite Church in Kitchener also falls under the umbrella of Partnership Development, but is a joint appointment together with Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, where he will be known as a Church Engagement Minister. Brent most recently worked as Director of Development for THEMUSEUM in Kitchener, Ontario. Prior to that, he worked as Executive Director of Hospice Wellington, also in Ontario. Brent will be working out of the MCEC office in Kitchener and his work will focus on Eastern Canada. I am thrilled about the experience, commitment and enthusiasm Daniel and Brent bring to their new roles and I am looking forward to working with them. I trust that you will give them a warm welcome when they visit your congregations in the months and years ahead. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

24 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca In addition, I am happy to report that the Church Engagement Council now has a chair: Vince Friesen from First Mennonite Church in Edmonton. The Council will meet in Winnipeg from the 27th to the 29th of October. I invite your prayers for the important discussions and decisions taking place there. Please say thank you With Daniel and Brent coming on board, Gerd Bartel, who has been working at Resource Development in Western Canada since 2002 but has over 30 years of service in a variety of capacities with Mennonite Church Canada and its predecessors, will be retiring at the end of this year. We are very grateful to Gerd for his most recent nine years of excellent service to Mennonite Church Canada. Assemblies and stuff The hiring of Daniel and Brent also allows me to bring along some of my former tasks to my new role, including data collection and oversight of Assembly. I want to thank all of you who attended Assembly 2011 in Waterloo for helping to make it such a positive experience in spite of a few logistical challenges. I am also pleased to announce that Assembly 2012 will be held at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel in Vancouver from the 12th to the 15th of July. I hope to see many of you there! Next year s assembly will feature only a half day of business as we will be focusing on study, which will be led by Mennonite Church Canada s Faith and Life Committee. Thanks to all of you We are greatly encouraged by the record response to our spring appeal. To stabilize Mennonite Church Canada s financial future, Church Engagement will be prioritizing the development of an appropriate Partnership Development Strategy. With your continued support and God s help, I am confident that Mennonite Church Canada is poised to play a vital role in the future of Christianity in Canada and around the world. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11

25 Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary 3003 Benham Avenue Elkhart, Indiana Telephone AMBS Announcements October 2011 Webinar focuses on Bible teaching in the congregation Robert (Jack) Suderman will lead a November 8 webinar, focusing on selected ways in which the Bible can become a source of inspiration for the daily lives of Christians. Register online for the webinar on Tuesday, November 8, 1:45-3:00 p.m. EST. gives info and a list of all upcoming webinars. Advent webinar A webinar from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Advent Planner: Awesome deeds we do not expect, is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 18, 7:30-8:45 p.m. EDT. Marlene Kropf and Rosanna McFadden will introduce the Advent theme and explore worship resources published in Leader magazine. gives info about the webinar. On-campus workshops Opportunities for continuing education through daylong workshops at AMBS in the upcoming school year include: Difficult Issues Congregational Discernment Faithful Living, Oct. 13 Pastors and Business Leaders: Partners in leadership and ministry?, Nov. 3 Lent Planner, Jan. 14 Healing the Spiritual Wounds of War, Feb gives info about all upcoming workshops Pastors Week, January Understanding Revelation for today will be the theme of Pastors Week, January Loren L. Johns, Ph.D., will explore how the message of Revelation might shape preaching, teaching and daily life nearly two millennia later. The week includes worship, workshops and time for fellowship with other pastors and AMBS professors. Information about all the events of the week, including Leadership Clinics on Monday, January 23, is available on the AMBS website: Leadership Clinics, January 23 Day-long workshops before the start of Pastors Week focus on: Turning disgust, demoralization and depression into empowerment for ministry, with Gregory Hinkle, executive director of Samaritan Center, Elkhart Immigration and the congregation, with Iris De León-Hartshorn, Saulo Padilla and Andre Gingerich Stoner God s story, worship and the arts, with Rebecca Slough Gathering for new pastors, with Linford King and Karen Martens Zimmerly Equipping Canada Mission lectureship, Interterm and more

26 Open House, November 12 Invite someone you know with gifts for ministry to come to the AMBS Open House on Saturday, November 12. This event gives people a taste of seminary life and information about financial aid, housing and resources. You can send someone an electronic invitation by going to this link: Completion of the Global Mennonite History Project to be celebrated A celebration of the completion of the Global Mennonite History project will be part of the Shenk Mission Lectureship at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, October Writers of the five volumes will be featured, along with Jonathan Bonk, a Mennonite well-known as editor of International Bulletin of Missionary Research, New Haven, Conn. More information is available: Interterm courses at AMBS January interterm at AMBS features four courses. These intensives are an opportunity for a pastor to participate in ongoing education (AMBS graduates pay a reduced audit fee), or for someone to test seminary study for the first time. See the list of offerings: Ethiopia Interterm course AMBS students and students of Meserete Kristos College in Ethiopia will study together on the campus in Ethiopia during January. Through intensive exposure to the life, work and context of the Meserete Kristos Church (MKC), students will develop awareness of the vibrant church life in the global south, form friendships with Christians in different contexts, and gain understanding of differences that contexts make in Christian life and witness. To participate, register by September 20. See more details: Summer 2012 study tours Celtic Spirituality Pilgrimage Marlene and Stanley Kropf will lead the biennial Celtic Spirituality Pilgrimage next summer, July 15 to July 2. It begins with several days of retreat on the Island of Iona in western Scotland and will continue to historic Celtic sites in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland. Three hours of credit are available, but the trip may be taken without credit. Registration deadline is November 20, 2011, with Rosemary Reschly, rreschly@ambs.edu. Steps of Paul Cruisetour Loren L. Johns will lead a tour, June 8 22, that follows the heritage, history, and life of Apostle Paul. Highlights include Rome, Istanbul, Ephesus and Athens. Organized by Menno Travel. Equipping Canada

27 Mennonite Women Canada Volume 1, Issue 2 September Executive Members Connections From the President s Desk by Liz Koop l to r: Myrna Sawatzky (Saskatoon SK), Waltrude Gortzen (Abbotsford BC), Lois Mierau (Langham SK), Liz Koop (St. Catharines ON), Patty Ollies (Milverton ON), Ev Buhr (Edmonton AB) As I sit in front of my computer and ponder what to write here I am quite overwhelmed by my new role as President of Mennonite Women Canada. I feel it is a huge responsibility as well as an honour to have been elected as the head of a national organization in the church. Over the years, my involvement in my local church has been rewarding and enriching. My experiences of serving on the local executive, sitting on a committee at the provincial level, being a part of the Task Force and feeling the support of family and friends have brought me to where I am now.president. It feels daunting at times to be at the helm, but I know I am in a place where I will be able to use my gifts and abilities and where I feel God wants me to be. My prayer is that together with a dedicated executive, the support of women across Canada and the support and affirmation of the Witness Council of Mennonite Church Canada I, together with my executive, will find the strength and wisdom to lead Mennonite Women Canada during the next few years. There has been and continues to be much talk about change, both in local congregations and in the broader church. Mennonite Women Canada has experienced changes over the years as well. We are fully aware of the role of demographics and how the value placed on traditional women s groups is changing. How we as an organization adapt and adjust to changes in society will undoubtedly play a role in our future. Connecting with women across Canada will be a priority for us. This includes strengthening the connections that already exist among us, making new connections with women in our local churches and area/provincial churches and restoring connections that may be weak or broken. As we work together I pray that together we may become a stronger organization. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions please feel free to contact me at koopfarms@becon.org or You can also visit our blog at and leave a comment there. MW Canada Annual Meeting by Barb Draper Bev Suderman-Gladwell spoke at the Mennonite Women Canada 59 th Annual Meeting and Luncheon in Waterloo on July 8, The theme was Celebrating Connections. She used a group of volunteers to show how women are often brought together as we share our sorrows and laughter. We pray together and sometimes look after each other s children or cook meals for each other in difficult times. We value the deep friendships that form. But sometimes new people come to our churches and they see a group of women who are close to each other, who have fun together and who are too busy to reach out to those outside the group. Bev read from Isaiah who encouraged the people of God to extend the tent and she encouraged all women in the church to look outward and to make room for others to be part of the group. We need to take the risk of welcoming and befriending new people. You never know when you will need another set of supporting arms, said Bev. In the business part of the meeting, the executive reported that MW Canada continues to provide assistance to women from MC Can- ada congregations who are studying theology at the Masters degree level through their Spiritual Growth Assistance Fund. They also support Radical Journey, an MC Canada venture for young adults and several ministries of MC Canada Witness, including the Samuelito Day Care Centre in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Mennonite Girls Can Cook, a recently released cookbook was available for sale after the meeting. Seven women from B.C., two from Manitoba and one from Seattle put the book together using recipes from their popular blog. Royalties from their sales go to the Good Shepherd Shelter in the Ukraine. Royalties from sales at the luncheon were donated to the Samuelito Day Care Center in Bolivia. At the close of the meeting, Erna Neufeldt passed on a candlestick and candle to Liz Koop, incoming president, citing several scriptures that refer to Christ as the light. She encouraged Liz to think of the candle symbolizing the nurturing community of Mennonite Women Canada.

28 Connections Volume 1, Issue 2, Sept 2011 O P P O R T U N I T I E S F O R G I V I N G P a g e 2 Pennies and Prayer Inheritance Fund A donation in memory of Marge Sawatzky, Vineland, Ontario (b. April 1922, d. December 11, 2010) was recently made to the Pennies & Prayer Inheritance Fund (PPIF). Lovingly remembered by the women of Vineland UM Church, Marge was a willing worker, a strong supporter of missions and a wonderful hostess. As a pastor s wife (Peter G. Sawatzky) she helped shepherd faith communities in Saskatoon, Goshen, Zaire, Steinbach, Botswana and Kitchener/Waterloo. She was always involved in woman's church work and also started the cradle roll in many of the churches they were a part of. Retirement to Vineland brought them closer to family. The many relationships they had with people around the world and at home were very precious to Marge. She was a wonderful wife, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend and role model to many. She will be deeply missed. The PPIF was established in 2006 to encourage and support women in sharing their gifts while engaging with the world, and presenting the reconciling gospel of Jesus Christ. The two fold purpose for this Fund is to be a home for gifts made in honour or memory of loved ones and for supporting women involved in Mennonite Church Canada s ministries. ~ Liz Koop, Vineland United Mennonite Church, Vineland, ON Online donations to this Fund can be made at Ministries of Mennonite Women Canada Your gifts help support: * Women working in MC Canada s Witness ministries * Women studying for advanced theology degrees * Participants in Radical Journey * Publication of an annual Bible Study Guide (see below) You may donate online by going to our Opportunities for Giving page at givepp.php or by mailing a cheque payable to Mennonite Church Canada (designated for Mennonite Women Canada) to Lois Mierau, Box 116, Langham, SK S0K 2L0. Wonderfully Made: Women, Faith and Self-Care by Terri J. Plank Brenneman is this year s Bible Study Guide published by Faith & Life Resources. Its 13 chapters are designed to be used as a traditional Bible Study, as meditations for a group, or for individual reflection. In Chapter 7, Share Burdens, Terri Brenneman writes, Holding hope for someone who feels no hope is a sacred trust. Because I had been held in prayer and hope through my own valley, I could offer to hold hope with confidence that sharing the burden of another would restore vision and functioning. Faith would be renewed. Each women s group should have received a copy of the study guide. Extra copies can be ordered from Kathy Shantz for $10.00 each at or KathyS@MennoMedia.org. U P C O M I N G E V E N T S Sask. Women in Mission: Women s Retreat October 14 & 15 at Shekinah Retreat Centre, Theme: Spiritual Growth and Learning Speaker: Rose Graber, Grace Mennonite Church, Regina MCBC Women s Ministry: Women s Retreat Weekend October at Camp Squeah Theme: The Business of Everyday Life Speaker: Ann-Michele Ewert, MEDA Guest Appearance by Doris Daley, Award-winning Cowboy Poet Alberta Women in Mission: contact Ev Buhr at or pebuhr@telus.net or office@edmonton1st.mennonitechurch.ab.ca Women of MCEC: Supper and Celebrating Women evening 6:30 pm Thursday, October 20 at Breslau Mennonite Church. Speaker: Wanda Wagler-Martin To order tickets ($25) contact Karen Gingerich at or pkgingerich@netflash.net. Mennonite Women Canada s 60th Anniversary Celebration during MC Canada Assembly, July 2012 in BC. All women are invited and encouraged to attend. Details will be available in our April 2012 issue of Connections.

29 Connections Volume 1, Issue 2, Sept 2011 Kathy Thiessen says that Christian Peacemaker Teams collided with her life in 2005 when she and her husband Vic were living in London, England at the time that four CPTers were kidnapped in Iraq. Working with the London Mennonite Center, Kathy fielded many questions from the media about CPT. In 2006, after the CPTers were released, she had the opportunity to hear Norman Kember speak at the Greenbelt Arts Festival. As this elderly man spoke about his desire to do something more for peace than just march and sign petitions, Kathy began to wonder if she could ever do something like that. She thought she would be too scared, but a few months later she went on a 10-day delegation to Palestine and realized that she hadn t seen a suicide bomber, only ordinary people who wanted to raise their crops and live their lives. Kathy recognized that she lived in relative freedom and felt the need to walk alongside others who were not so privileged. When Kathy and Vic s time in London came to an end, they returned to Winnipeg. Vic began working with Mennonite Church Canada, but Kathy couldn t find a new niche for herself. She missed the community household they had lived with in London and suburban Winnipeg just wasn t the same. After spending time journaling, reading and praying, she travelled to the CPT offices in Chicago by Greyhound bus, spending time talking to people and doing some painting. At the end of that G E T T I N G T O K N O W Y O U...through interviews* and conversations with women across Canada CPTer called to walk alongside the oppressed by Barb Draper time, she signed up for 30 days of intensive training to become a CPT reservist. Still unable to find a job, Kathy discussed with Vic the possibility of becoming a CPT half-timer. In March, 2011 she began three months serving in Kurdish northern Iraq and plans to return for another three months in the fall. At the beginning of her assignment, CPT was supporting the Kurdish people who were demonstrating in the public square every day, asking their government for an end to violence and corruption. After 62 days of non-violent protest, the government squashed the demonstrations and so the role of CPT became one of helping the Kurdish leaders decide how to make their voices heard in a way that no one would be killed. Kathy has discovered that Kurdish northern Iraq is fairly stable and it s not a scary place. She is thankful for the CPT alumni who understand what she is trying to do and especially for a husband who is willing to have her go. She says, My faith and what I read Jesus saying is that I need to be walking with people who are oppressed and working for peace. Even though I know I m not going to bring about peace, I can help individual people on their journey toward peace. I am not going to change the Kurdish government, but I can help those who work with this daily know that they are not alone. While in Iraq, Kathy will be posting on her blog at P a g e 3 A ministry of encouragement by Naomi Unger When Hinke Loewen Rudgers was a student at Eastern Mennonite University, Virginia, in 1998, she went to the Middle East through its semester abroad program. That experience led to her passion for the region and a desire to return someday. Ten years later, Mennonite Church Canada was considering a new placement in the Middle East. In 2008, after a period of personal reflection and prayer, Hinke became a Witness Worker there. The focus of her work for the last three years in Nazareth has been building up the Arab church and encouraging Christians within their congregational contexts. Hinke says, It is a challenge to encourage a person of another culture but the challenge is one that we are all called to, whether in the Middle East or here in our own church body. weekly fellowship times for North American volunteers at the hospital. She studied Arabic and focused on developing relationships with women in the Arab Christian community. Challenges for Hinke were being a newcomer and being single in a culture that relates mainly in terms of families. Therefore, entering into relationships was a necessary part of staying relevant in the community. The daily realities of living in the Middle East and in the city of Nazareth were also challenges. But Hinke considers that, overall, her experiences have been largely positive. For her, highlights definitely include all of the relationships that she developed. Her involvement in the local church and its activities, such as youth group, kept her busy and in constant contact with friends. I will never forget the moments I spent praying with others and building the global church just through listening and sharing. Her community activities included Friday night prayer vigils with Arab young people, attending Saturday evening services in a village church and participating in Sunday evening services at Nazareth Hospital. She volunteered at Nazareth Village and at SERVE Nazareth, a ministry of Nazareth Hospital, leading Bible Studies there and holding Hinke is presently itinerating in Canada, sharing about the life of the Arab Christian church. People have responded well to the perspectives she brings. She can be contacted through Mennonite Church Canada at She hopes to return to Nazareth in the early summer of For full interviews please go to or

30 Connections Volume 1, Issue 2, Sept 2011 Mennonite Women Canada encourages women to: ~ nurture their life in Christ ~ acknowledge and share their gifts ~ hear and support each other ~ serve and minister across the street and around the world The Communications Committee Our mandate is to assist MW Canada with communicating information to you via the newsletter, the blog and the website. Our hope is to provide a place where we, as Mennonite women from across Canada, can talk about what we believe, how we are living what we believe and what values we aspire to. We want this to be a place where we nurture and encourage each other through the telling of stories and sharing of information. We welcome submissions and encourage you to send your stories and comments to us. Members of the committee are (from the top, left to right) ~ Waltrude Gortzen - Waltrude@shaw.ca ~ Naomi Unger - dnunger@sasktel.net ~ Barbara Draper - rbdraper@golden.net ~ Liz Koop - koopfarms@becon.org C H U R C H C H U C K L E S What are the Youth drinking? by Naomi Unger When I was a youth leader, I had the habit of putting unfinished lemonade or iced tea in the fridge after the evening snack was done. With youth group meeting every week, I didn t think the drink would get stale if it was tightly covered, plus I wanted to be a good role model in not being wasteful. One Tuesday evening the youth thought the fruit punch tasted really odd. I drank some, too, and noticed an odd, soapy taste. Well, the Sunday before, there had been a pot-luck at church. During the cleanup, the kitchen sinks were full, so someone poured some of the pre-washing water into a juice jug that still had juice in it. This was to be taken to the bathroom to be poured out and then the jug was to be washed. But another women in the cleanup crew, who was unaware of that plan, simply covered the jug and put it into the fridge instead. Now that s all ready, she said, for youth group. That Tuesday, we mixed more juice to fill up the jug in the fridge and served it. But what the youth really drank that evening was dish-detergent-flavoured fruit punch. Because I had been in the kitchen that Sunday, I eventually figured out what happened, but I didn t tell the kids (or the adults) until much, much later. VISIT OUR BLOG: VISIT OUR WEBSITE: Contacts Mennonite Church Canada 600 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4 President: Liz Koop Phone: koopfarms@becon.org DID YOU KNOW.? P a g e 4 Secretary-Treasurer: Lois Mierau Phone: glmierau@yourlink.ca In our April issue we asked Who was the first woman pastor ordained in MC Canada and how many are currently serving in our churches? Esther Patkau, author of Canadian Women in Mission sent us an excerpt from her book titled Ordination of women to the ministry (pp ). It appears that Susan Gerbrandt (along with her husband Henry) was the first woman to be ordained on August 27, As to how many are currently serving: Of the 371 pastors listed in the Mennonite Church Canada Directory , are 95 women listed as serving as pastors, associate pastors, youth pastors, music pastors, etc. ON ~ 44, MB ~ 20, SK ~ 14, AB ~ 3, BC ~ 12, QC ~ 1. For more details please check our blog. The ABC Thrift Shop Adventure A great activity for children, youth groups and even adults to learn about thrift shopping. Set a budget ($1 to $5) or a theme with a specified amount and follow the ABC s of Thrift Shopping. Ask a Volunteer to tell them where the money goes and why they are a volunteer. Be Respectful by putting things back on the shelves. Consider Carefully how to spend your money. Will you buy one item with the whole amount or many items for less? A great way to educate the younger generation! Read more about thrift shopping at Anglika Dawson s blog at thriftshopperforpeace.wordpress.com