Sister Care: Equipping Women for Caring Ministry, Mennonite Women USA, 2011.

How can congregations provide better care for women's needs?

Mennonite Women USA has prepared this 4-session manual to address issues of identity, self-care, compassionate listening, loss and grief - for women/caregivers in the church. Four units, with reflection and action options, and an extensive appendix, offer women's groups an important manual for discussion and discovery. Based on the "Sister Care" seminar, this manual can also be used separately to move your group closer to God and to each other as you extend "care" to the women in your church and community.

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We'll profile a new title at this blog every month

Assitance Recipient - Alicia Good

Dear Mennonite Women Canada,

In thanks for your support of my education, I would like to share with you a brief update on my progress this past semester.

This fall my courses were God and Abuse, which was taught by Mennonite pastor Carol Penner and offered through Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre, Greek, Basics of Preaching, and Theological Integration. I am also halfway through a 10 hour a week pastoral internship at Toronto United Mennonite Church. I did well in my courses this semester, although it was a busy time. I have not yet received my final marks but I am fairly confident that I have maintained my A- average.

I particularly enjoyed having opportunities to preach and to lead worship twice in my congregation this semester. My sermons seemed to be well received by my congregation. I also participated in Worship Committee, Missions and Service Committee, MCEC gatherings, and the Christmas Eve Service planning committee. Pastor Marilyn Zehr’s mentorship has been exceptionally valuable in helping me to grow more confident in my sense of call to ministry. I have also appreciated her guidance in learning about how to juggle many different responsibilities as a parent, a student, and an intern. I am looking forward to a 40 hour a week internship this summer in another Mennonite congregation, in which I hope to learn more about pastoral care, preaching, and other aspects of ministry in a congregation.

My daughter has been adjusting very well to Junior Kindergarten. She has learned to count by 2s to 100 and how to sound out small words, the first steps to reading. She loves school and has made many friends at her afternoon playschool as well. My husband has been quite involved volunteering as the assistant treasurer at her playschool. My family also celebrated the return of my parents this fall; they moved from Alberta to Guelph in November. I am thankful that my daughter will have more opportunities to spend time with her grandparents.

This semester I will continue with Greek, as well as taking courses in Postmodernity, and a theology course called Image of God. I am particularly excited about taking a course called Bread, Wine and Water with respected professor Dr. Joseph Mangina which explores different denominational perspectives on Sacramental theology, including readings from John Howard Yoder. I am considering writing my thesis next year on Anabaptist understandings of the Lord’s Supper and how the Supper forms a particular kind of community.

Thank you again for your support of my studies. I have been blessed by this affirmation of the Church as I prepare for ministry.

Shalom, Alicia Good

For SPGA Fund application form contact Liz Koop - Mennonite Women Canada president at koopfarms@becon.org

Prayer for a New Year

God, a new year brings a sense of freshness, of possibilities for the future and of discoveries yet to be made.  As we look forward to stepping into the days ahead, we trust that you will guide us into the good purposes you have planned for our lives.  We ask you for an extra measure of courage, strength, optimism and faith to meet every challenge along the way.  Thank-you for your guidance and lead us into each new day with open hearts and minds.  Amen

Adapted from My Personal Daily Prayer Book, Publications International 2003

Are you still looking for that perfect Christmas Gift?
Check out these books at MennoMedia!
For Young Children:  Quills

Porcupine loves her life. She's surrounded by friends who listen to her clever stories, and she has a body full of shiny quills that she brushes each night. But one day Porcupine's quills begin to fall out.  Porcupine's happiness quickly turns to confusion and fear. She believes no one can love a porcupine without quills. Then her friend Giraffe stops by with a special gift and a message of acceptance.

Many circumstances leave us feeling alone, embarrassed, and unlovable. Thankfully, God gives us friends and family who love us unconditionally, whether we are bald, hairy, or somewhere in between.  For children ages 4 to 8.

For Young Children:  Sensing Peace

What does peace smell like? What does it taste like? Feel, sound or look like? Through Sensing Peace, children ages 4 to 7 are encouraged to see what peace looks, sounds, feels, tastes and smells like in their everyday moments—things like laughing, cooking, gardening, singing or sharing ice cream.  Through this encouraging and delightful story, children will realize that peace isn’t something big out there that only adults can know about—they already experience and create peace in meaningful ways each day.

For Older Children:  Plant a Seed of Peace

Forty-three delightfully illustrated stories of peacemakers from today and the past will capture the imagination of children of all ages. They tell of people whose lives point to something beyond themselves--a transforming faith in God. Readers learn how to put their faith into action so they too can grow a better world.

For Older Children:  Simply in Season Children's Cookbook

Simply in Season Children's Cookbook will help children make the connection between what they eat, where it comes from, and when it is in season. This colorful and chock-full-of-photos cookbook makes it easy and fun for children to think and cook in season and to center food around the table and give thanks for it.

For Adults:  Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Like the blog, Mennonite Girls Can Cook—the book—is about more than just recipes. It's about hospitality, versus entertaining; about blessing, versus impressing. It's about taking God's Bounty and co-creating the goodness from God's creation into something that can bless family and friends, and help sustain health and energy.

Click here to read an interview with blog founder Lovella Schellenberg about the origin and goals of Mennonite Girls Can Cook.

For Adults:  The Naked Anabaptist

Anabaptist Christians have been around for almost 500 years. But what does Anabaptism look like when not clothed in Mennonite or Amish traditions? Writing from Great Britain, Stuart Murray peels back the layers to reveal the core components of Anabaptism—and what they mean for faith in his context and ours. It’s a way of following Jesus that challenges, disturbs, and inspires us, summoning us to wholehearted discipleship and worship. Read this book, and catch a vision for living a life of radical faith!

Women of MCEC “Celebrating Women” 

On October 20^th, 175 Women of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada met  at Breslau Mennonite Church  for the first Fall Dinner Meeting of ”Celebrating Women”.  Warm conversation and good food prepared by Dorothy Horton and the volunteers from Breslau Mennonite Church preceded the evening program.  Music was provided by Lifted Voices: Carolyn Burkhardt, Jennifer Jacobi, Nancy Mann, Wendy Priebe, Susan Pries, and Peggy Roth.  Chair of the Personnel Committee, Kathryn Good,  introduced Lisa Blackburn, the new WMCEC treasurer.  Liz Koop, President of Mennonite Women Canada, brought greetings and presented the different ways we could connect with each other and hear about what is happening at the national level.  She also thanked the women for their past support of various projects.

     

A highlight of the evening was the recognition of three women from different eras who were recognized for their contributions in the church, conference, community and beyond, often in ground breaking experiences.  Florence Steinman, president of WMSC 1986-1993,  Kara Carter, WMSC scholarship recipient, on her journey to seminary and pastoring and Hannah Redekop whose initial mission trip to Guatemala at the ripe old age of 14 ignited a passion for active participation in missions.   Their words of challenge and encouragement which included “Do what you are called to do and accept it when it comes your way”, “When God calls you he will equip you”, “Go for it” and “Encourage each other” resonated in our hearts.  Linda Brnjas, who was ordained to the ministry on October 23, lead in a prayer of blessing.  

The guest speaker for the evening, Wanda Wagler-Martin, continued on the theme “Celebrating Friendships of Women” and left us with the challenge to invest in ourselves, treasuring our relationships and opening ourselves up to continuous learning and accepting the challenges we are faced with.

Women honoured for their contribution to women’s ministry and mission in church, community and beyond (left to right):  recipient Hannah Redekop with presenter Kristen Ollies, recipient Kara Carter with presenter Doris Gascho and recipient Florence Steinman with presenter Dorothy Shantz.


Submitted by Phyllis Ramer

The Business of Everyday Life

Retreat Planning Committee with our Retreat Speaker and Entertainer.

This year's MCBC Women’s Retreat was a wonderful event, filled with laughter, fabulous food, (including a chocolate fountain on Friday night) visiting with old and new friends and learning about being a “Woman of Honour”. As in all previous years, we have our retreat at Camp Squeah/Squeah Retreat Center.

Upon arrival for the retreat weekend, each woman receives a goody bag with some appropriate theme based goodies. This was started 3 years ago and the women love these special treats.

Western style decor!

An all female Worship Team from Living Hope Christian Fellowship
led us in some wonderful singing before each session. Photo by Kelly Ens

Above: Ann-Michele Ewert

Our weekend speaker, Ann-Michele Ewert, came to us via M.E.D.A. (Mennonite Economic Development Association) . She spoke about the Proverbs 31 woman and drew parallels between the women in the Bible and today’s women. How, even in Bible times, women had businesses that helped support their families and sometimes, sustained whole villages; the same way many women still do today. She herself is involved in a business called Jolica. Their motto -- "Changing Lives Through Conscious Commerce and Giving Back" was an excellent fit for this year's retreat.

We invited women with home-based businesses to come and join us for the weekend and gave them the opportunity to show us what they do, tell us why they do it and what or who inspired them to start a home business. Eleven women responded to our invitation and participated by showing us their products and hopefully also inspired the other weekend participants to maybe start a business of their own.

Retreat Planning Committee with our Saturday morning surprise guests - 5 of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog and cookbook authors.

Saturday morning 5 of the “Mennonite Girls Can Cook” blog and cookbook authors came for a book signing. The 60 books that “House of James” had provided for this purpose were scooped up in a flash! Fortunately, we had anticipated this and had prepared stickers to be signed that could then be pasted into a book purchased after the retreat.

Saturday afternoon there was time to enjoy nature at it's best and the more adventurous group went for a hike!

Having reached their goal --- a picture to remember the hike!
Both hiking photos by Kelly Ens

Eleanore Isaak

While others preferred an easier activity! A cupcake decorating workshop with Eleanore Balzer Isaak, owner of “Elly’s Studio of Cake Design”, in Chilliwack, came and taught the class on how to assemble a puppy dog cupcake.

Some yummy puppy dog cupcakes!

Saturday night was Cowboy night, in honour of our Special Guest, and a group photo was taken to remember the occasion.

2011 Group Photo by Kelly Ens

Doris Daley - photo by Kelly Ens

Doris Daley, cowboy poet from Calgary, AB was our evening entertainer and women had so much fun listening to her as she told us stories and recited her poetry. You wonder how she would connect to our weekend theme? Well, writing and reciting poetry is her "home-based" business!

This was followed by a live auction with the proceeds going to M.E.D.A. who will assist us with providing loans to women in Third World countries and help them to start a business which will allow them to feed their families and to send their children to school.

When all was said and done, we had raised $922.00 for this purpose! We are so thankful for everyone’s enthusiastic participation.

Statistically, we improved our attendance by 7 women this year with Saturday having the best attendance. We also caught the attention of a number of younger women and hope to build on that for next year. In total we had 101 registered participants this year.

We are already looking forward to next year, Oct. 12 – 14 when our speaker will be Jackie Ayer – Family Counsellor (and the pastor’s wife) from Crossroads Community Church in Chilliwack. Our theme for next year will be geared towards “Self-Image” and we hope that many of you will plan to attend. Please put the retreat on you long-term schedule and we will see you at Squeah next fall!

Until next year! Photo by Kelly Ens

2011 Saskatchewan Women in Mission Fall Retreat

by Ruby Harder

“Spiritual Growth and Learning” was the theme of the Annual Women’s Retreat sponsored by the Saskatchewan Women in Mission on October 14 - 15. Seventy women attended. It was an inspirational time held in the beautiful Shekinah Retreat Centre.

Friday’s session began with a delicious banquet followed by entertainment by the Chris and Louise Friesen family singing and playing their instruments.

Rose Graber, pastor at Grace Mennonite Church in Regina, was the guest speaker. Her meditations were based on the book, “The Cup of our Life” by Joyce Rupp.   Each woman brought a cup to the retreat to be a symbol of her life.

In her first meditation, Graber reflected on the empty cup. God dwells in us and pours transforming love into our lives. Her second meditation was on the broken cup. We experience pain but without pain we do not grow. We also experience joy and hope through prayer and God’s word.

Optional activities included a book discussion on “Home” by Marilynne Robinson late Friday evening and stretching exercises before breakfast on Saturday morning.  There were opportunities for the women to walk in the beautiful autumn setting, visit, relax, have a mini-pedicure, purchase Ten Thousand Villages items, or view the exhibits of pieced blankets and homemade belts.

The closing session on Saturday was led by the members of the executive and programme committee. They focused on the cup of compassion and the cup of blessing.  Meditation on the cup of memory became a meaningful communion service to end the afternoon.