MC Canada updates
STUDY CONFERENCE
Table Talk: Does the church still have legs?
A Mennonite Church Canada Study Conference
Thursday, October 22 – Saturday, October 24, 2020
Steinmann Mennonite Church, Baden, Ont.
Does your congregation seek renewal? Does it feel as though you are “going through the motions”? Is the church still the answer to corporate discipleship? Why continue to invest in the church when religious structures are buckling under the weight of our time? Why the church when so many people are content to live life without stepping into a sanctuary or being part of a small group?
Join our nationwide community of faith as we gather around the table in Ontario this fall for Mennonite Church Canada’s inaugural study conference. Together we will lament, listen and learn, moving forward with hope, as we ask these important “Why?” questions. Sara Wenger Shenk, former president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, will help us to reflect on the scripture text from 1 Peter 2. Mark your calendars; more details will follow.
International Witness
Coronavirus affects daily life of Witness workers in South Korea
In the last week the rise of coronavirus in South Korea has changed affected millions of lives. Bock Ki Kim and Sook Kyoung Park, Witness workers in Chuncheon, write:
“In the last four to five days there was a public announcement that most public systems will be closed for one or two weeks. These include kindergarten, public libraries, public schools, universities and religious institutions. We have cancelled or postponed all our meetings, including Mennonite Seoul (our church group).”
Bock Ki Kim writes, “The coronavirus is overwhelming many people and many of us stay at home these days. I am no exception. The situation outside the house is difficult; the number of infected people is rapidly rising. But I don't want to spend time in vain, so I am finishing the final proofread of two forthcoming books that I am translating into Korean: one is new, John Roth’s Stories, one is old, Waldemar Janzen’s Work and Rest.”
Prayer: Please pray for public health authorities in South Korea as they deal with the spread of the virus. Pray that Bock Ki and Sook Kyoung will be a presence of peace to their community.
News from our partners
Praise God that Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission’s International Central Council has decided to integrate the Angola Mennonite Churches into AIMM. Pray for the delegation that is preparing to visit Angola to deliver this news and for the Angolan church leaders who will receive it.
Indigenous-Settler Relations
ISR organizing bus journey to NAIITS 2020
Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations (ISR) is organizing a bus journey to take 50 Indigenous and settler persons to this year’s NAIITS gathering in Sioux Falls, South Dakota—June 4-6, 2020. Would you like to join us? NAIITS is a Christian Indigenous Learning Community that hosts theological gatherings intended for pastors and activists, young and old. ISR wants to bring a diverse group of friends from across our nationwide church to attend this event that will explore “Conversations on Health and Wholeness.” The bus ride from Winnipeg is free, registration is covered, and we’re looking to crash at a local church (dorm rooms are an option, but at your own expense). If interested, please e-mail Steve Heinrichs for more details (sheinrichs@mennonitechurch.ca). It’s going to be a lot of fun!
CommonWord
Worship Calendar:
Mar 8 World Women’s Day - www.commonword.ca/go/1692
Mar 21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination-
- www.commonword.ca/go/1693
Mar 22 World Water Day - www.commonword.ca/go/1694
Apr 5 Palm Sunday - www.commonword.ca/go/1463
Apr 7 World Health Day - www.commonword.ca/go/1324
Apr 9 Maundy Thursday - www.commonword.ca/go/1462
Apr 10 Good Friday - www.commonword.ca/go/1461
Apr 12 Easter - www.commonword.ca/go/1460
Apr 22 Earth Day - www.commonword.ca/go/1733
May 15 International Day of Families - www.commonword.ca/go/1751
May 21 Ascension Day - www.commonword.ca/go/1752
May 31 Pentecost - www.commonword.ca/go/1759
Lent:
Lent is a time of reflection, fasting and prayer as we prepare for Easter. Whether you’re looking for a family or adult study, a DVD series, or a book of prayers, CommonWord has lots of resources to choose from.
Share Your Works:
Are you writing an original Lenten resource? CommonWord would love to share it further by posting it on our site. Check out more information about our “Community-Developed” materials.
Featured Resources:
At-Home Materials: Show Us
“During Lent God’s children reflect on the life and death of Christ. This year we are invited to ask God to show us how to find our hidden God as well as our own safe hiding place; how to remember God’s faithful, loving presence; how to reconnect with the Rock of our salvation; how to really see. As we do so, our Lenten journey will help us remember God’s power over death and help us learn how to balance joy and sorrow from Jesus on the hard but worthwhile path to resurrection.”
This resource for the home is adapted from congregational worship resources for Lent, printed in Leader magazine, which is published by MennoMedia.
