MCEC Weekly - Thank You Katie Goerzen-Sheard!; Palestine Israel; September events preview; Moving Faith from the Microwave to the Crockpot

View this email in your browser

MCEC Weekly Bulletin

Your place for information from MCEC and Mennonite Church Canada

Thank you Katie Goerzen-Sheard!

MCEC gratefully thanks Katie Goerzen-Sheard for her ministry as Coordinator of Youth Events since July 2020. During these last two years, Katie has coordinated youth events and supportive network meetings with youth workers, pastors and those who care for youth across MCEC. Her expertise, senstivity and enthusiasm for the Church has left a lasting impact on the lives of many within MCEC. We will miss her creativity and leadership; we pray God's blessings and direction for her as she moves forward into new opportunities. Thanks Katie!

Pray for the People of Palestine and Israel
Please keep the people of Palestine and Israel in prayer in the wake of a sudden escalation of violence in Gaza and the West Bank, rooted largely in decades of Israel occupation and violation of human rights and international law. For your information and action, please read the letter from the Mennonite Church Canada Palestine-Israel Network to Ottawa, calling our government to consistency of word and action in promoting a just peace in the region. (MC Canada PIN)

Moving Faith From a Microwave to a Crockpot
A baptism journey at Hillcrest Mennonite Church
The Zoom screens come to life and connect across six computers, bringing the friends into each other’s living rooms and dorm rooms. ‘What is God doing in your life? What are you going to do about it?’ These questions have changed the lives of these friends.

Several young people at Hillcrest Mennonite Church were interested in baptism in the fall of 2019. Hillcrest planned to begin faith exploration classes after the Christmas season as a way of preparing for baptism. “And then we started hearing about this global pandemic,” says Kevin Peters Unrau, co-pastor at Hillcrest Mennonite Church. “Everything was shutting down.”

August 14, 2022
Mount Royal Mennonite Church (MC Saskatchewan)

In the land of plenty
Matthew 14.6-21
Does God care if people’s stomachs are full? Does God car if all God’s children are nourished for the here and now? Yes. God does care. This morning we begin a worship series on FOOD AND FAITH, and we begin with the one miracle story told in all four gospels – the feeding of the five thousand plus!

Mount Royal Mennonite Church invites our nationwide community to join for worship on August 14!. Services and schedule available on MC Canada website.

September MCEC Learning Commons Events

MCEC Pastoral Conversations: Connected to God's Creation

Sep 13th, 2022, 2-3:30pm online
Cost $15

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 with guest Carrie Dohe from Bees for Peace.

Registration Opens Next Week!

Shalom For All Creation - An Ecotheology Learning Retreat

Sep 21st, 2022, 1-4pm Online
Cost: $40

Join Wendy Janzen, MCEC Eco-Minister, for a half-day ecotheology learning retreat. This will be an online session interspersed with two blocks of outdoors reflection time in your location. Teaching blocks will introduce tools for reading the Bible with an ecological lens and reading the ‘Book of Creation’ as a revelation of God, with opportunity to put these into practice

Registration Opens Next Week!

Ministering in a Liminal Space

Oct 18th, 2022, 7-9pm In-person
50 Kent Avenue, Community Room
Cost: $35

In this workshop, the participants will review tools developed with MCEC for congregational processes like “The Congregational Lifecycle,” “Informed Conversations,” and “Appreciative Inquiry.” We will ask practical questions around how, when and by whom these processes can best be used for congregational processes. In addition, the group will work at questions of planning and conducting a vision exercise with a congregation looking carefully at what discernment means for faith communities in this work.

Registration Opens Next Week!

Seeking Transformation: A Retreat for Christian Settlers
Date: Friday September 30 – Sunday, October 2, 2022.
Time: Friday 3:00 pm – Sunday 1:00 pm.
Facilitators – Derek Suderman and Tanya Dyck Steinmann

Wondering how to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation? Join us to explore the biblical and theological perspectives that undergirded the churches’ participation in colonization and Indian Residential Schools. Derek Suderman, biblical scholar and teacher at Grebel University College will propose alternative biblical/theological perspectives, envisioning an alternative path moving forward in relationship to Indigenous peoples, cultures, and spiritualities.

We are looking for a wide array of interested people in leadership in churches, conferences and social agencies such as ministers, students, mentors, social workers, justice advocates, church council members and Sunday School teachers.

Register or More Information

WEEKLY NEWS HOTLINKS
More great information and regular updates.
Don't forget to scroll the web-page so you get all the news!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MCEC in Prayer

MCEC Cluster Congregations
People of Palestine and Israel

Bulletin Announcement Cut and Paste

Shalom for All Creation - An MCEC Ecotheology Learning Retreat
Ministering in a Liminal Space.

Mennonite Church Canada Update

Nationwide Summer Services

Pastoral Transitions

Partner Events and Information

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Canadian Mennonite University
- It's not too late!
- CMU's Graduate School of Theology and Ministry
- Xplore: At the Intersection of Faith and Life
Conrad Grebel University College
- International Conference on Ageing and Spirituality - JUNE 2023
- call for abstracts for workshops, papers and posters
MCEC Community of Faith
- Overdose Awareness Day @ Waterloo North Mennonite Church - August 30, 7 p.m.
UMEI Christian Highschool