New International Ministries Project

We are pleased to introduce you to Tom and Christine Poovong, pictured here with their children, Phimchanok and Joseph.  Formerly of Trinity Mennonite Church in Calgary they are embarking on a term of ministry in Thailand with Mennonite Church Canada.  The ongoing ministry among the Isaan people in northeast Thailand seeks to invite people into Anabaptist faith communities and build bridges with other Mennonite / Anabaptist groups in Thailand.  Tom and Christine will provide pastoral care, Biblical teaching, preaching, income generation and entrepreneurial development with the goal of equipping new believers to take on leadership of the church.  The idea is for a new, Anabaptist congregation to form. A related ministry (perhaps in the same building) would be to start a bi-lingual (English/Thai-Isaan) preschool as both a business and a way to make relationships naturally. Tom & Christine have seen this model work in other locations as a way to also build sustainability over time.

Tom and Christine will be sending regular Prayer Letters which we will post on our web page to keep our readers informed.  They also have a Facebook page which you might want to visit.  

Please remember them in your prayers!

Mennonite Women Canada - Opportunities for Giving 2014-15

 Early in March each year our executive meets for three days during Mennonite Church Canada's Spring Leadership Assembly in Winnipeg.  After a short devotional each morning we spend a few minutes getting re-acquainted with each other and then it is down to business.  Each of our 5 area church reps shares a report on their past year's activities, including joys as well as challenges.  We discuss our various projects and look at our financial report from the past year.  The budget proposal for the upcoming year is discussed and prepared.   Since Assembly 2012 in Vancouver, MC Canada has gone to holding biennial assemblies.  We have been advised by MC Canada staff that the executive has the legal power to approve the budget in years when there is no Assembly. Financial statements and budget will continue to be generated and distributed on an annual basis. (Report Book 2012, page 20) Our fiscal year runs from February 1 to January 31, so the Opportunities for Giving for 2014-15 was prepared in March 2013 and distributed to churches and women's groups in April.



We have just posted this year's Opportunities for Giving on our web page which is part of MC Canada's web page.  Our full financial report can be found in our 2012 Annual Report Book which was sent to your church/women's group or distributed at your Spring Enrichment/Inspirational Day.  If you would like a copy, please leave a comment requesting it and I will send you an electronic copy.

Our projects have basically remained the same for the past few years but there are always some slight changes. The recipients of our Spiritual Growth Assistance Fund change from year to year.  Our Pennies and Prayer Legacy Fund recipients could potentially change every three years.  
Our International Ministry Project also changes from time to time.  So please check this blog for updates on these projects and/or links to the recipients.

     

Women walking together in faith - January 2014 - "One step at a time"

Have you read MW Canada's latest article which was published in the January 20 issue of the Canadian Mennonite?  Contributors to the article called One step at a time:  Women reconnect, walk into the future were Elsie Wiebe and Liz Koop.  Many thanks to Leona Dueck Penner for her editing skills!

Elsie Wiebe of Morden, Manitoba, has volunteered to serve as liaison for Manitoba women on the MW Canada executive with the hope of helping them reconnect provincially and nationally. Click here to read about the steps she is taking so that "together we will discover new ways of strengthening and supporting the lives of women...." 

Women walking together in faith - November 2013 - "Praising God through dance"

Today I thought I would post a link to MW Canada's latest contribution to our 'Women Walking Together in Faith' page in the Canadian Mennonite which appeared in the January 20 issue and realized that I hadn't posted the link to the article by Kate Janzen of Calgary who wrote "Praising God through dance" which was published on November 11.

Kate starts her article with a question:  What is a Mennonite dilemma? Answer:  Free dance lessons!

Here is an exerpt from the interview:
Kate:  Do you think dancing could be part of worshipping God?
Quinlan:  When I dance, it feels like a prayer and I can communicate feelings that are too deep for words.  God made me in his image and he says my body is his temple, so dance is praise to the Creator.

Click here to read the whole article.

International Connections

 

Christina, Darnell, Cody and Makai

After I posted the previous entry, I began to think that I should remind you about some of MW Canada's connections with women and organizations beyond our borders.  The fourth point in our Mission Statement is ~ serve and minister across the street and around the world.  For over 62 years our women's organization has connected with and supported women in mission and ministry both at home and abroad.

Currently money from our Pennies and Prayer Legacy Fund goes to programs in Botswana (Taryn and Nathan Dirks) and the Philippines (Christina and Darnell Barkman).  We post updates from these two couples when we get them.  Check back in older posts to read these updates.  You can also follow their blogs by clicking on their names above.

Nathan and Taryn

MW Canada also works together with MW USA to publish a Bible Study Guide (BSG) for women each year. The 2013 BSG is called "Courageous Women of the Bible" and has been very popular. The 2014 BSG is in the final editing stages and will be available in late June or early July.  We'll publish a post to let you know when they are ready.  Each church will receive a complementary copy and more can always be ordered from MennoMedia and the Resource Centre.

MW USA has a ministry called Sister Care.  "Sister Care seminars provide women with tools for ongoing personal healing, recognizing and celebrating God's grace in their lives, and responding more confidently and effectively to the needs of others in their families, congregations, and communities."  The Women of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (WMCEC) have invited them to present a seminar in Ontario this fall.  The location, date and time will be announced in the coming months.  Ruth Guengerich, co-director of MW USA has been invited to present a workshop at our Mennonite Church Canada Assembly this July at CMU in Winnipeg.  Please sign up for the Sister Care workshop and for our annual meeting when you register.  Reminders will be posted here.