Strength and service: Venus Cote’s ministry journey
THE ST. MARY’S First Nation, where Venus Cote lives and does ministry, is inside the city limits of Fredericton, New Brunswick. It is home to the Maliseet people, or “people of the beautiful river.” Although the proximity of the reserve to the city makes it seem like it would be culturally similar to Winnipeg, where her aunt Elvira Cote works, Venus says it is very different and therefore ministry looks different as well.
Marketplace Ministry
Genesis 2:15 records work as it was meant to be—getting into the soil, dirt under the fingernails, and tending to the animals, all with satisfaction and joy. God, as part of his good and perfect plan for his creation, tasked Adam to “cultivate and tend” the Garden of Eden. Eve was given as a companion and partner in this calling. How glorious! But then comes Genesis 3—the fall—with its resultant “weeds and thistles” and “hard labour.” Work perfectly designed had become work pretty disfigured. Now it seems that creation itself militates against us in our calling to “tend.” And yet, the calling and blessing of work has not changed.
The fruit of vocation
Are you fulfilled? We’ve likely all asked ourselves some version of this question about our lives and vocation. Is my life meaningful? Am I doing the right things with my life?
Lorne Meisner addresses longevity in ministry
An occupational hazard of ministry is not finishing well, and this was the topic guest speaker Lorne Meisner was asked to address at the Ministerial meeting held on June 2, 2023.
Aviation ministry in the body of Christ
We walked down the metal steps of the small jet in Tabatinga, Brazil, and were hit by heat and the smell of the rainforest. There was beauty in nature, but the buildings and streets were well-worn and plain.
Whether going or coming, God is at work
Looking back on 2022, there are many things we could catch up on. We could talk about the parent-child dedication service for six young families in May. Or we might highlight the two baptism services in summer where a total of 15 were baptized.
Minimalist art shows what God has done
Welcome to the Minimalistic Art Edition of the Messenger missionary feature. This is the edition where I made a quick minimalist piece of art for everything God did in the last three months on our field in Northern Ireland. And by everything, I mean four things.
2023 Spirit of MDS Fund accepting grant applications
The grants can be used for food banks or other ministries assisting low-income people or seniors, and for construction or renovation projects to repair a home or make it more livable.
VOICE, values and ventriloquism
Laura Bonney, a missionary ventriloquist with SEND International, shared her experiences teaching values in schools in the Philippines and Uganda. Her method: ventriloquism.
Council approves Spain as mission field, discusses make-up of EMC Ministerial
Delegates gathered on June 11, 2022, both in the Steinbach Bible College chapel and online, in EMC’s first hybrid Conference Council meeting.
Not-So-Late Show provides entertainment and challenge
It was with curiosity and perhaps some hesitation that we gathered for the EMC Festival Not-So-Late Show on June 10, 2022. What would acknowledging the past and looking to the future in a “classic late show format” be like?
Giving Tuesday: Canadian Church Planting
Thank you for supporting church planting in Canada! EMC’s Giving Tuesday initiative allowed us to replenish our Seed and Growth Funds by nearly $10,000. We trust you enjoyed hearing from several church planters in the videos shared on EMC social media platforms.