Women Walking Together in Faith - April 2018 - Tending and befriending

After a busy summer and fall, I am trying to catch up with posting several articles that appeared in the Canadian Mennonite.  My apologies for not having kept up-to-date!     ~ Liz Koop

Below are excerpts from Elsie Rempel's article which appeared in the Canadian Mennonite issue dated April 9, 2018.  The complete article can be found at 

https://www.canadianmennonite.org/stories/tending-and-befriending.

Elsie is Mennonite Women Manitoba's Interim Chair and the MW Canada Secretary.

From time immemorial—as the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi illustrates—developing friendships and tending relationships have often been a woman’s “go-to, our have-to, our live for,” especially during times of stress. In the current season of stressful change within Mennonite Church Canada, tending relationships may be especially important to the health of the church. Drawing on women’s gifts for making connections can help us thrive rather than divide or shrivel.

. . . . . . 

As our regional churches take on increased responsibility and ownership of church life, we have new opportunities to use, recognize, celebrate and reap the benefits of this newly named gift.

Mennonite Women Canada and its regional groups want this “tending and befriending” to happen, and we do this by having day-or weekend-long inspirational retreats. For example, MW Manitoba’s annual spring retreat takes place on April 28, 2018, at Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, with guest speaker Moira Somers addressing the theme of “Resilience.”    Tend and befriend!

Members of the Mennonite Women Manitoba working group, from left to right: 
Laura Funk, Elsie Rempel, Larissa Pahl, Elsie Wiebe, and Kathy Giesbrecht. 
(Photo courtesy of Elsie Rempel)

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