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MCEC Weekly Bulletin

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MCEC Annual Church Gathering
Transformed. Inspired. Called.

April 28 & 29, 2023
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener, ON
Hebrews 12:1-3


Registration is open!!
Join new and now friends as we grow, learn and serve together as a community of faith. Fanosie Legesse, MCEC Intercultural Mission Minister, will encourage and challenge us on Friday night at an Intercultural Worship Service. Saturday is a day filled with celebration, learning, much discussion and worship. All are welcome! How do we choose to live a life of constant transformation, unceasing inspiration and filled with courage to stay strong in our calling? When we worship and pray togther, we become grounded in God's love and conected to the Spirit's movement. Come and gather as God's people across MCEC.
Free Intercultural Worship Service - Friday, April 28, 2003, 7:00 p.m.
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener, ON
All are welcome to attend Friday evening worship service. Be challenged and encouraged by Fansoie Legesse. Welcome new congregations joining MCEC. Celebrate with congregations who are transitioning to full membership. Welcome their ministering pastors and celebrate communion among new and now friends.

Come and worship together. There is no fee; there will be an offering to support our strategic prioritiy, Developing Leaders. Learn how MCEC is strengthening leadership and forming faith, equipping individuals to pursue their vocations of church planting, pastoral ministry and lay leadership.
From where does our Transformation, Inspiration and Calling come?
Fanosie Legesse
Hebrews 12:1-4 is a text where the author intensifies the exhortations woven in the previous chapters. The author uses running an agonizing race as a metaphor to describe the believer’s current situation. However, the emphasis of the text is on the active effort to never give up the race despite the agony. In other words, this is a call to carry one’s cross and walk to calvary where all that is against God’s eternal will is crucified.

As believers in all the local churches of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, why should we persist on transforming our holistic being to fit the course instead of changing the course itself to fit our situations? Why are we intentional on being inspired to be strong and courageous to continue the journey despite the struggle to have consistency in our spiritual disciplines? Why do we believe that our covenant relationship with God and with each other is our calling in life not just temporary pledge?  Hebrews 12:1-4 gives us at least two answers. 

Responses to the Message:

Arnold Neufeldt-Fast. Arnold attends Community Mennonite Church (Stouffville) and is Vice-President and Dean of Seminary at Tyndale University. He is an MCEC ordinated minister.

Rebecca Riek. Rebecca attends First Mennonite Church in Kitchener where she is an integral part of the Intercultural Committee. She is pursuing a Mastger of Divinity with a major in Christian Faith Formation at AMBS. She has served on the MCEC Mission Council.
Annual Church Gathering - Saturday, April 29, 2003
Registration Begins at 8:00 a.m.
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener, ON
  • Bock Ki and Sook Kyoung smiling outsideWelcome Bock Ki Kim and Sook Kyoung Park, MC Canada International Witness workers, upon their return from South Korea.
     
  • Celebrate MCEC Ministry
    • MCEC's Slate of Volunteers
    • MCEC Financial Story
    • Bequest Fund Update and New Directions
    • Moving into our Strategic Priorities
       
  • Break Out Rooms: What do you want to talk about? - We've gathered questions from across MCEC. Choose your area of interest and let's talk with each other! Topics may include:
    • Anabaptist heritage
    • Church property redevelopment and stewardship
    • Congregations supporting each other on jouney of relationship with Indigenous neighbours
    • Declining attendance challenge
    • Environmenal impact of a peace church
    • Hospitality
    • Living out our core beliefs
       
  • Offering - There will be an offering to support our strategic prioritiy, Intergenerational Discipleship. Learn how MCEC will collaborate with congregations and ministry partners in support of intergenerational discipleship and faith formation, and engage youth and young adults in leadership development opportunties.
     
  • Where do we go from here as a transformed, inspired and called peoplehood? Afternoon panel and table discussion.

    Charles TabenaCharles Tabena. Charles is lead pastor in charge of evangelism at Centre Béthésda Mennonite de Québec, an MCEC provisional congregation since 2022. He moved to Canada in early 2009 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing war and insecurity. He is married and a father of three children.

    Sara Garnet in librarySara Garnet. Sara is the Connections and Education Coordinator at Faith Mennonite Church in Leamington. She connects with neighbours of Faith Mennonite to implement new education opportunites in the community, with a focus on children and youth.

MCEC Pre-Annual Church Gathering Financial Zoom Conversation
Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 7:00 p.m.


Last year, our financial manager brought forward a spending plan that was described as largely status quo. It was indicated at that time that the 2023-2024 spending plan would be different, reflecting both the fiscal climate and new initiatives that would honor and advance the strategic priorities that you, the delegates, endorsed last year.  

This year we are bringing forth a different, bold and courageous Spending Plan! In order to ensure you have the opportunity to affirm and/or ask questions of clarification surrounding the Spending Plan, we welcome anyone to attend an additional meeting to discuss MCEC Financials on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 7 p.m. via zoom. This will be a more indepth conversation which will augment the discussion at Annual Church Gathering. The conversation is open to anyone, not only delegates. Members from MCEC's Finance Committee and Board and MCEC staff will present the Spending Plan with you, which will be followed by the opportunity for you to ask questions.   

We thank you, our congregations and individual donors, for your ongoing support and generosity as we continue to live into our purpose, vision and values.

Registration available through Annual Church Gathering

Church Planter's Workshop Spring 2023
The Gospel According to Jesus
with Derek Suderman

April 28, 2023
1:00 - 4:30 p.m.
First Hmong Mennonite Church
93 Doon Rd, Kitchener, ON

In this workshop we will look at how the Gospels (especially Matthew and Luke) describe the Gospel, as well as what Jesus rejects as a temptation. In particular, we will explore how Jesus both draws upon and reinterprets previous Scripture (Old Testament). As Mennonite Christians, what does this teach us about what it means to follow after Jesus as his disciples?

A workshop for MCEC church planters and leaders.

Holy Week and Easter Blessing for Congregations
from Staff of MC Canada 

Resurrection Greetings from the staff of Mennonite Church Canada to the sibling congregations of Mennonite Church Canada! Over the next week in worship, our congregations will journey through palms and parades, to the cross, and gaze amazed upon the empty tomb. May our congregations experience the renewal of resurrection life, heeding Christ’s call and example to radical and sacrificial love made manifest in all our relations. Praying with you all in this season.

MCEC Events & Workshops
Living the Gospel as a Diverse Group of Believers
A workshop on cultural integration
April 18, 2023
6:30 - 8 p.m.
Online, $25

As a denomination and as individuals, we want to become learners of our cultural and disciplinary identities to lead respectful, inclusive and culturally appropriate dialogues. Fanoise Legesse, MCEC Intercultural Mission Minister, will lead us as we explore questions around overcoming barriers, integration of ethnic traditions in new cultural context and the gifts we all bring as a diverse body of Christ.
WEEKLY NEWS HOTLINKS
More great information and regular updates.
Don't forget to scroll the web-page so you get all the news!!
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  • West Hills Fellowship
  • Erma Bauman and family on death of Gordon Bauman
  • Mennonites in Burkina Faso
  • Mennonite Community of the Congo
  • Places throughout the world where people cry for peace
Bulletin Announcement Cut and Paste
  • Living the Gospel as a Diverse Group of Believers Workshop
  • MCEC Pre-Annual Church Gathering Financial Zoom Conversation
  • MCEC Church Planter's Workshop
  • MCEC Annual Church Gathering
Mennonite Church Canada Update
  • International Witness
    - Prayer Requests
     
  • CommonWord
    - Be It Resolved: Now Free!
    - Anabaptism at 500
    - The Peace Table
    - Custodians documentary
    - Honest Conversations for Men of Faith
    - Holy Week Resources
    - Full Lent Resource Collection
    - Easter Resources
Pastoral Transitions

Partner Events and Information
  • Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
    - New Vision issue on Uncertainty available for free online
    - Anabaptist Short Course Bundle
    - Seeking a Digital Marketing Manager-
  • Canadian Council of Churches
    - Our Whole Society Conference @ Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo - May 7-9, 2023
  • Conrad Grebel University College
    - Employment Opportunity: Chaplain
    - 10th International Conference on Ageing and Spirituality
    - University of Waterloo Music: End of Term Concert Series
    - The Place of Memory: Reflections on the Russlaender Centenary - July 2023
  • MennoMedia
    - Anabaptist Community Bible - Invitation to participate
  • Mennonite Disaster Service
    - Volunteers needed in Cape Breton, NS
  • Ontario Mennonite Music Camp
    - Employment Opportunity: Instructor Positions Available
  • Rockway Mennonite Collegiate
    - Frozen Jr. Tickets
    - Discover Rockway for Grade 7&8
  • Silver Lake Mennonite Camp
    - Indigenous Learning Retreat for people connected with the Church - April 26-27, 2023
  • Willowgrove/FRASER LAKE CAMP
    Job Opportunity: Head Cook and Kitchen Volunteer
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