Welcome! Here you will find all the news and events that your congregation will need for the week - MCEC in Prayer, Event Highlights, Mennonite Church Canada Updates, Announcements. Check out the hot buttons to ministry opportunities and pastoral transitions. Administrative Assistants: make sure to see the Bulletin Cut and Paste below. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates. New items will begin to appear on Monday and the newsletter will come to your inbox on Wednesday.
Each week we pray for a faith community within the MCEC community of congregations. This week we pray for Valleyview Mennonite Church, London, ON. Marv Friesen provides pastoral leadership for the congregation. Pray for this family of faith as they worship God and to strive to live out and into the Gospel of Jesus Christ together.
Amos Chin of the Bible Missionary Church asks you to pray for the people of Myanmar who face extreme challenges in teaching peace amid food shortages and violent injustice.
Pray for the participants of the ongoing Learning Tour in Thailand as they unpack what they are seeing and learning. Pray for tour hosts Tom and Christine Poovong who are integral to Friends of Grace Church Association, a network of nearly 100 worshiping communities.
Pray for students Ochan (Peter) Lual and Khan (Isaac) Gatkuoth from south Sudan as they begin their second semester studies at Meserete Kristos Seminary in Ethiopia. Pray also for Witness workers Werner and Joanne DeJong who are offering them specialized supports.
The Manitoba Mennonite Coalition for Indigenous Solidarity (MCIS) invites prayers for the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in mourning the loss of their loved ones and for collective solidarity in their calls for all levels of government to commit to healing and ending the ongoing national crisis.
Continue to pray for peace and wisdom in Ukraine, Russia and in places throughout our world where the people cry out for peace. Lord, hear our prayers.
This conversation will explore ways that church grounds (and/or church members’ yards) can become sanctuaries for bees and other pollinators. As we begin to understand more about the importance of biodiversity, habitat loss, and our place in a ‘community of creation,’ planting gardens that support a variety of life is an act of reconciliation with creation.
Hosted by Wendy Janzen, MCEC Eco-Minister
February 7, 2023.
6:30-8:00 PM
Online $25
Join a conversation between President Desalegn Abebe, Meserete Kristos Church and Doug Klassen, Executive Minister, Mennonite Church Canada.
This will be an opportunity to hear updates from Ethiopia on ministry collaboration and the current political climate. You will have an opportunity to share questions via the chat in this Zoom call.
February 15, 2023, 12 p.m. EST
(8pm Ethiopia/11am CST/10am Mountain/9am PST)
Join the MCEC Truth and Reconciliation Working Group in this 4-part book study, Walking Togther: Intercultural Stories of Love and Acceptance. We will begin our study with Edith and Neill von Gunten, the authors, on Wednesday, February 15.
Walking Together invites the church to grapple with questions of racism and Christian supremacy in order to see that all peoples and cultures bear Creator’s beauty and gifts, and that our reconciliation—even our salvation—depends upon embracing that truth.
For Congregational Meetings
Annual Meeting season is about to begin for congregations and regional churches. Anyone looking for annual updates from MC Canada can download a one-page and four-page version.
Prayer Requests
Amos Chin of the Bible Missionary Church asks you to pray for the people of Myanmar who face extreme challenges in teaching peace amid food shortages and violent injustice.
Pray for the participants of the ongoing Learning Tour in Thailand as they unpack what they are seeing and learning. Pray for tour hosts Tom and Christine Poovong who are integral to Friends of Grace Church Association, a network of nearly 100 worshiping communities.
Pray for students Ochan (Peter) Lual and Khan (Isaac) Gatkuoth from south Sudan as they begin their second semester studies at Meserete Kristos Seminary in Ethiopia. Pray also for Witness workers Werner and Joanne DeJong who are offering them specialized supports.
Evangelical Mennonite Church Vietnam
The Evangelical Mennonite Church Vietnam is experiencing tremendous growth, creating an urgent need for Anabaptist training. Mennonite Church Canada Witness would like to raise $6000 in 6 weeks to help subsidize 90 new Vietnamese pastors’ travel to attend an Anabaptist Training Conference in Ho Chi Minh City (Feb 8-10). Give at www.mennonitechurch.ca/vietnam Also, pray for Garry Janzen, Kevin Barkowsky, Nhien Pham as they prepare to teach at the conference and Jeanette Hanson as she prepares to make connections to the wider Mennonite Church. Pray that the Holy Spirit would move, and churches in Vietnam and Cambodia would be encouraged and strengthened in Christ.
Lenten Guided Prayer Experience
Join a guided prayer experience for Lent with help from these weekly prayer sheets (for individual or group experience). A resource from the Mennonite Spiritual Directors of Eastern Canada. More information.
Lent Resources
Check out this comprehensive list of resources for the Lenten season – from Ash Wednesday through Holy Week, including Together in Worship items.
CommonRead Author Conversation
Register for the online author conversation on Feb 23. Buy or borrow the book and download a free study guide.
February is Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month by remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora.
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Jubilee Fund Applications Due
Annual grant applications to the Jubilee Fund are welcome until Feb. 15, 2023. The Fund aims to benefit Indigenous initiatives in Canada that work to address injustices related to land, such as, but not limited to: reconnecting people to their traditional territory, protection and reclamation of sacred sites, sustainable land use, or environmental justice. Details at https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/jubilee-fund
Book Study: Begins Feb. 15
You’re invited to join a Zoom-based book study of "Walking Together" as part of the reconciliation journey. Authors Neill and Edith von Gunten bring a wealth of wisdom to the work of reconciliation, having connected and collaborated with Indigenous communities in Manitoba and beyond for almost fifty years. Open to participation across Canada. Hosted by MCEC. Begins on Feb. 15. Details and registration via link at https://mcec.ca/event/21748-2023-02-15-walking-together-book-study-feb-15
Prayer Request
The Manitoba Mennonite Coalition for Indigenous Solidarity (MCIS) invites prayers for the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in mourning the loss of their loved ones and for collective solidarity in their calls for all levels of government to commit to healing and ending the ongoing national crisis.
Administrators: Thank you for sharing the MCEC story with your congregations. Please continue offering valuable feedback on how we can tailor announcements to empower you in your ministry.
Prayers:
Each week we pray for a faith community within the MCEC community of congregations. This week we pray for Valleyview Mennonite Church, London, ON. Marv Friesen provides pastoral leadership for the congregation. Pray for this family of faith as they worship God and to strive to live out and into the Gospel of Jesus Christ together.
Amos Chin of the Bible Missionary Church asks you to pray for the people of Myanmar who face extreme challenges in teaching peace amid food shortages and violent injustice.
Pray for the participants of the ongoing Learning Tour in Thailand as they unpack what they are seeing and learning. Pray for tour hosts Tom and Christine Poovong who are integral to Friends of Grace Church Association, a network of nearly 100 worshiping communities.
Pray for students Ochan (Peter) Lual and Khan (Isaac) Gatkuoth from south Sudan as they begin their second semester studies at Meserete Kristos Seminary in Ethiopia. Pray also for Witness workers Werner and Joanne DeJong who are offering them specialized supports.
The Manitoba Mennonite Coalition for Indigenous Solidarity (MCIS) invites prayers for the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in mourning the loss of their loved ones and for collective solidarity in their calls for all levels of government to commit to healing and ending the ongoing national crisis.
Pray for Garry Janzen, Kevin Barkowsky, Nhien Pham as they prepare to teach at a conference in Vietnam and Jeanette Hanson as she prepares to make connections to the wider Mennonite Church. Pray that the Holy Spirit would move, and churches in Vietnam and Cambodia would be encouraged and strengthened in Christ.
Continue to pray for peace and wisdom in Ukraine, Russia and in places throughout our world where the people cry out for peace. Lord, hear our prayers.
Announcements:
MCEC Workshop: Connected to God's Creation - Register for this online workshop and explore ways that church grounds (and/or church members’ yards) can become sanctuaries for bees and other pollinators. As we begin to understand more about the importance of biodiversity, habitat loss, and our place in a ‘community of creation,’ planting gardens that support a variety of life is an act of reconciliation with creation. Hosted by Wendy Janzen, MCEC Eco-Minister, on February 7, 2023 from 6:30-8:00 PM. More information and to register.
Church-to-Church Conversation: Meserete Kristos Church/MC Canada - Register for this online conversation between President Desalegn Abebe of Meserete Kristos Church and Doug Klassen Executive Minister of Mennonite Church Canada. This will be an opportunity to hear updates from Ethiopia on ministry collaboration and the current political climate. You will have an opportunity to share questions via the chat in this Zoom call. This is a Canada-wide invitation, hosted by MCEC and MC Canada on February 15, 2023, 12 p.m. EST. More information and to register for the Zoom link.
Walking Together: Intercultural Stories of Love and Acceptance Book Study - Join the MCEC Truth and Reconciliation Working Group in this online 4-part book study, Walking Togther: Intercultural Stories of Love and Acceptance. We will begin our study with Edith and Neill von Gunten, the authors, on Wednesday, February 15. Walking Together invites the church to grapple with questions of racism and Christian supremacy in order to see that all peoples and cultures bear Creator’s beauty and gifts, and that our reconciliation—even our salvation—depends upon embracing that truth. More information and to register.
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