Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) and Together in Worship (TiW) Awarded $25,000 USD Grant to Strengthen Worship Resourcing for Diaspora Congregations
Team explores ways to broaden worship resources to reflect growing cultural diversity
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) and Together in Worship (TiW) Awarded $25,000 USD Grant to Strengthen Worship Resourcing for Diaspora Congregations
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) and Together in Worship (TiW) have been awarded a $25,000 USD Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. This significant investment will support new initiatives to better resource Anabaptist congregations, especially those who worship in languages other than English, ensuring that Anabaptist worship materials reflect the growing cultural diversity within our church body.
“As diaspora congregations learn about Anabaptist faith, I hope these resources will be a bridge—showing that even when worship styles or approaches differ, they can still find meaningful connection here,” says Yoel Masyawong, MCEC Regional Minister and representative on this project. “My hope is that these resources will be adapted and integrated in ways that support their unique needs.”
“We are excited to partner with Together in Worship in ways that bring fresh energy to congregational worship." - Anthony Siegrist
Launched in 2020, Together in Worship (TiW) is an online collection of free Anabaptist worship resources. It is a growing library of songs, prayers, litanies and teaching tools shaped by the gifts and voices of many people from across our Mennonite tradition. TiW exists to support congregations in planning and leading worship that is grounded, creative and rooted in a global Anabaptist story.
Through this partnership, MCEC and TiW aim to:
- Identify, curate and make available resources that affirm a greater diversity of worship expressions within MCEC
- Collaborate directly with diaspora worship leaders and pastors
- Strengthen intercultural understandings within the wider MCEC community
- Highlight the diverse expressions of worship within our Mennonite tradition
“We are excited to partner with Together in Worship in ways that bring fresh energy to congregational worship,” says Anthony Siegrist, MCEC Executive Minister. “These resources have the potential to strengthen and inspire our communities across many cultures and languages, and we look forward to seeing that impact unfold.”
“As diaspora congregations learn about Anabaptist faith, I hope these resources will be a bridge." - Yoel Masyawong
The team gathered recently at Canadian Mennonite University, where members worshipped together, shared stories of ministry across cultures and languages and began mapping the needs, hopes and challenges that shape worship in diaspora communities. They also engaged in honest conversations about current gaps in the resource collection—including the reality that contributor statistics still reflect a largely Euro-Centric group—and explored ways to broaden representation across all areas.
This project is made possible through a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. With this support, MCEC continues its commitment to strengthening worship in all congregations across our diverse community.