Connecting with the Word through words
Writers with connections to the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC), and Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference (EMMC) and Steinbach Bible College (SBC) students gathered—both in person at Steinbach Bible College (SBC) SBC and online—on November 2, 2024, to learn how to better practice their craft.
MennoMedia and Mennonite World Conference to launch Global Bible Read-a-Thon for 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement
HARRISONBURG, VA—In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, MennoMedia is partnering with Mennonite World Conference to host a unique Global Anabaptist Bible Read-a-Thon, featuring 500 (or more) voices reading the entire Bible in multiple languages.
Youth are challenged and entertained at SBC’s Expedition Now
It was a cool, brisk morning on October 19, 2024, when over 100 youth descended on the Steinbach Bible College campus to test their skills against fellow youth groups, while learning how to “Go All In” for Jesus.
Bizuayehu Abera of Ethiopia follows in the footsteps of Joseph in the Bible
I have been the Tigray relief project coordinator for Meserete Kristos Church Development Commission (MKCDC) for the past four years. Because of this work, people gave me a new name.
Associate pastor Trevor Fleming is commissioned
Steinbach Evangelical Fellowship Church gathered for the commissioning of our new associate pastor, Trevor Fleming, on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
Growth and change in Morweena
Over the last couple of years our church has grown in some unexpected ways. The influx of Ukrainian refugees to Canada in 2022 led many families to the Arborg area.
Welcome pastor Ryan and Uma
Greetings from Pelly Fellowship Chapel. It was my pleasure to interview Pastor Ryan Rear and his lovely wife Uma on October 10, 2024—one year to the day from when they arrived. We were so excited to have a pastor again.
Fifty years of change is good!…or not?
Half a century ago, a young family travelled west to Calgary to begin a church plant. Shortly thereafter, another family followed. Trusting in God’s faithfulness, they embraced the change.
Testimonies of healing and transformation
“I came here thinking I knew a lot about God. Turns out I knew so little, and was so full of pride and unforgiveness. I came with so little faith, and had such a small picture of who God is... This three months [of discipleship school] has made me realize how little I know, how little I am, but also how BIG God is and how good his plans are!” - student testimony
How will they know if they have not been told?
In 1991, the Salem Express, a ferry boat, slammed into a coral reef and sank in the Suez Canal. Around 470 passengers and crew died. Harvey Thiessen recounts that night.
Editorial: ‘Lord, help my unbelief!’
My skepticism was triggered immediately; it felt like an uncontrollable reflex. That was my reaction when reading this testimony from Jeremy and Adrienne Penner’s October newsletter: “My health was slowly deteriorating, and so I went to the hospital. The doctor found a large tumor in my abdomen and told me they would need to operate.… I didn't know a lot about Jesus yet, but I began to pray that he would heal my illness.… When I went back to the doctor for my scheduled operation, there was absolutely no sign of the tumor!”
We need grandparents in children’s ministry
When I served in the children’s ministry in my home church as a young adult, one of our faithful volunteers was Grandpa Ed. Grandpa Ed showed up nearly every week and was what we called a “listener”—he wasn’t in a classroom or teaching a Bible lesson, but as kids worked through their memory verses in their classroom, he was available in another area to work one-on-one with kids to memorize or recite their verse. And they loved him.
Pastors pastor women
I state the obvious: As a male pastor, I should be a pastor to women. It should not be said of my ministry that the men got good teaching, mentoring, and compassionate attention, but not so much the women. Female pastors may have these challenges too, but here I am focusing on men.
Tenacious faith in grief and sorrow
The bathroom floor seemed an appropriate place for a meltdown. My sympathetic friend waited for me to gather my thoughts. Though separated by a province, we were connected by phone and heart.
Celebrating a lifetime of ministry
Tim and Laurel Schroder’s first trip to Pukapuki, Papua New Guinea (PNG), included an eight-hour boat trip up the river during which they nearly collided with another dugout, wrecking their propeller and almost swamping their boat with all their belongings.
Poem: Where is the peace on earth?
sleepless she slumps in tears
on the couch peers
through the blinds
a street lamp her only light
where is the light for her soul?
where is forgiveness?
A morning on the train tracks
It’s Saturday morning: What should we do? For a family like mine, with young children, there are many options on a weekend. But one Saturday, we decided to try something different after a train whistle reminded us of what God calls us to do.
Memories of a ‘CHRISTSAM’ past
Always first were the grade ones and twos who did the Christmas acrostic. Margaret was first and she boldly held out the C. “C is for the Christ child, born that morn so long ago,” she said crisply. The concert was off to a fine start. Harold was next, and during practice, he had had some difficulties with his line which was simply, “H is for King Herod who slew the Hebrew boys.” Harold looked confident.
Co-pastoring in EMC: does it work?
“Sometimes when there’s something new, everyone looks at it to see if it can work, [but] all sorts of churches … have done well [or] have failed with single pastor hires or multi-team hires.… Things go wrong all the time.… If [co-pastoring] fails, it doesn’t mean it always is going to fail, and if it works, it doesn’t mean it’s always going to work.”
Two kings, two kingdoms
The Pax Romana was a phrase coined by perhaps the most successful authority figure in world history. Directly translated it means the “Roman peace,” and it was a phrase dreamt up and made common by Caesar Augustus, the first and by most considered the greatest Augustan emperor of the renowned Roman Empire.