A youth’s journey of faith and baptism
One of the youth in Mennville EMC’s joint youth ministry with Riverton Gospel Chapel recently asked to be baptized in our church. Upon her confession of faith, we baptized and welcomed Susan Marks into membership on May 19, 2024.
Convert, how is that working for you?
Have you discovered an exciting new theology or even joined a new church and then become an evangelist sharing your news with friends near and on Facebook?
Reading through the Bible in under 100 days!
You may think this is a bit of an exaggeration—but let me assure you, reading through the Bible in under 100 days was seriously fun! Trust me, I was just as surprised as you might be. Let me take you through my adventure.
Leaders gather to learn how to pass on the faith
Steinbach Bible College was pleased to host Dr. Joel Thiessen on March 15–16, 2024, at the annual SBC Leadership Conference. The topic was “Passing the baton: How faith gets passed to the next generation … or not.”
Taking the slow road
The snow had slowly melted, the sun shone, and the yesteryear’s leaves were brown and crispy, ready to be dislodged from the soon-to-be green lawn. We incentivized the children and sent them off as small conquerors of leafy kingdoms. The first day went well.
Building bridges of grace
It is a privilege to speak at this EMC conference. I am not a Mennonite, but most of my best friends are, and my ancestors were Scottish, so I am cheap. I once said to my wife, “You are only getting one cup of tea from a teabag; you can do better.” So, I am an honorary Mennonite. Better yet, I am with brothers and sisters who love and serve Jesus.
Editorial: From innovation to discipleship: EMC churches are flourishing!
Written reports from four of EMC’s nine regions were easily available online but, since they didn’t figure in the meeting’s agenda, I had not taken time to read them.
Canadian research examines how parents share faith with their children
How is Christian faith shared from one generation to the next? What help does the local church provide? Parenting Faith, the 245-page report released on April 11, 2023, presents the findings of this uniquely Canadian research that identifies what helps and hinders the transmission of faith from this generation of parents to their children.
Piano lessons
Recently, I decided that my two children were ready to learn piano. I sat at the piano with my children beside me. Oh, the painful slowness! I imagine this is how I seem as I struggle with my unbelief.
Mind the little things
In life, there are plenty of times when we miss the mark in small ways. Left unchecked, those little things can change our trajectory by a major distance over the long haul.
Robinson Crusoe Christians
How many supports do you need to keep you following Jesus? What if God would rather show off, in your life, how he can bring a saint home with almost no provisions?
Disciples are never losers
God does not finally expect you to make any sacrifice for him. There is no cost to following Jesus, at the end of the day.
He’s a tough act to follow
Jesus has always been a tough person to follow. The church has never mastered the art of imitating the whole Jesus. Its easy to say “Jesus” and then change the subject to something more manageable. Why does Jesus make himself so hard to follow?
Lent and Becoming Like Jesus
Will I ever be like Jesus in this life? Will I ever really have Christ’s insight and wisdom? Could I ever be that free of the love of money or the need for human approval? Could I ever gladly die for someone who hated me and wanted to kill me? Could I be that surrendered to the Father’s will? That’s a big question, isn’t it?