Mennonite Women Canada look to the future

Winnipeg, Man. — As part of Mennonite Church Canada Witness Council the leadership of Mennonite Women Canada met during Mennonite Church Canada’s Spring Leadership Assembly March 7-10 at First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, Man. to discuss their plans for the future. President Liz Koop (far left) said that their members are getting older and it’s harder to draw commitments from younger women, who are busy with jobs and family.  “It means shifting who we are and looking at how we connect with women.” Mennonite Women Canada will celebrate their 60^th Anniversary, themed “Scattering Seeds for a New Season” at Mennonite Church Canada Assembly 2012 this summer. Assembly takes place in Vancouver BC, July 12-15.  From left to right: Liz Koop, President; Eva Buhr, Alberta Women in Mission President; Lois Mierau, Secretary-Treasurer; Naomi Unger, sitting in for Saskatchewan Women in Mission President Myrna Sawatzky; Pattie Ollies, Women of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Co-ordinator; and Waltrude Gortzen, BC Women’s Ministry rep. Photo by Deborah Froese.

This photo and caption was recently published in the Canadian Mennonite.

Stolen Sisters: A One-Hour Television Documentary
In 2004, Amnesty International charged that Canada is 'putting Indigenous women in danger of kidnapping and violent deaths through racism and indifference.'

It is estimated that over 500 aboriginal women have been murdered or gone missing in violent circumstances in Canada in the past 20 years. An Aboriginal woman in Canada is five times more likely to die of violent circumstances than a woman of any other race. These women come from all over the country, and from all walks of life and economic backgrounds.

Stolen Sisters takes viewers inside this contentious issue, from the rolling farmland of Saskatchewan to the haunting depths of the dark alleys in Vancouver's dangerous Hastings district. You will hear the stories of the missing and witness one family's desperate search for their loved one. Stolen Sisters is a window to a world that most people only read about in their morning paper.

Borrow free

from Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre here.

Questions or suggestions?

Please contact the Resource Centre
or check our loan policy.

Loaned books are sent anywhere in Canada - free of charge - both ways!

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



Stolen Sisters is one of over 425 DVDs we have for loan -
many appropriate for home-viewing or small group study.

Also see Steve Heinrich's Top 12 resources
for churches engaged in the Truth and Reconciliation Process

Upcoming Events

Women of MCEC Spring Enrichment Day – April 21 from 10:15 am to 3:30 pm at Zurich Mennonite Church, Zurich, ON

Theme:  God’s Extravagant Grace

Guest Speaker:  Janine Schultz

Click to see POSTER for more details.

SK Women in Mission Enrichment Day – April 28 from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm at Rosthern Mennonite Church, Rosthern, SK

Theme:  Rooted in Christ…Celebrating our Years 

Featuring:  Stories and Slides of the past 70 years

Click to see POSTER for more details.

 Alberta Women in Mission Retreat – May 26-27 from noon to noon at Sunnyside Christian Retreat Centre, Sylvan Lake, AB. 

Theme:  Balancing our Lives 

Guest Speaker:  Lee Klassen

MCBC Women’s Ministry Inspirational Day – May 5 from 10:30 am to 3:30 am at Bethel Mennonite Church, Langley BC

Theme:  Joyful Proclamations  

Speaker:  Eden Jersak

Click to see POSTER for more details.

MW Canada's 60th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting – July 14, 12 noon to 3:00 pm at MC Canada Assembly, Vancouver, BC

Theme:  Scattering Seeds for a NEW Season  

Guests:  Authors of "Mennonite Girls Can Cook"

Click to see POSTER for more details.

Wonderfully Made

Last month I wrote about our 2011 Bible Study Guide, 'Wonderfully Made'  and how a group of women from St. Catharines, ON has been using it.  It was so popular that the publisher, MennoMedia, has done a second printing and it is now available for you to purchase. The 2012 Bible Study Guide is called 'Let Justice Roll Down' by Canadian author, Rebecca Seiling, and will be available later this summer.  For more information or to purchase please contact Kathy Shantz at 1-800-631-6535 or KathyS@MennoMedia.org.   Online orders at www.mennomedia.org.

Spring Leadership Assembly Update

For three days the Councils and General Board of Mennonite Church Canada met in various rooms of First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg.  As part of Witness Council, we met with them briefly to report, discuss some of our ongoing projects and receive counsel.

This was my first time chairing our MW Canada executive planning meeting and I am pleased to say that, after my initial nervousness dissipated, the meetings ran smoothly.  We had a very full agenda which included:  daily devotionals; acceptance of minutes and financial statement; reviewing and selecting new recipients for our ongoing projects (see Opportunities for Giving in sidebar); meeting with local women, reporting from our Communications Committee; updating our constitution; and planning for our 60th Anniversary Celebration to be held on July 14 during Assembly in Vancouver.

The theme is "Scattering Seeds for a New Season".  Posters are being sent out to churches across Canada and tickets will be available soon.  So please plan to attend and connect with other Mennonite women from across Canada!

Spring Leadership Assembly

From Thursday, March 8 to Saturday, March 10 the executive of MW Canada will be meeting at First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg along with the executives and boards of Mennonite Church Canada.  This opportunity is our first of two this year that we meet face to face to evaluate, discuss and plan for the coming year.  Our second meeting takes place during the MC Canada Annual Assembly which is being held in Vancouver, BC July 12 - 15. On Saturday, July 14 we will be hosting our 60th Annual Meeting and Luncheon which is open to all women. A special anniversary celebration is being planned and we will post details as soon as they are available.  For now please save the date and plan to attend.

Spiritual Growth Assistance Fund

Two of our recent postings have been letters that we received in December from recipients of our Spiritual Growth Assistance Fund (SGAF).  Thanks, Alicia and Lydia for your letters.  May God bless you as you discern his will for your life while you pursue your studies. 

Today I want to share some historical information about this fund which I found in Esther Patkau’s book Canadian Women in Mission 1895-1952-2002.  In 1983 a new fund, called Travel Assistance Fund, was started “to assist women from smaller outlying congregations to attend spiritual development events”.   In 1984 the fund was renamed Spiritual Growth Travel Assistance Fund.  In 1993 it was renamed again to Spiritual Growth Assistance Fund “for women preparing for the ministry”. 

The SGAF assists women with the costs of academic and/or applied study at the Master’s level in church related ministries (such as seminary, theology, peace and conflict resolution).  Members of a congregation belonging to Mennonite Church Canada are eligible to apply.  Funding may be granted for part of the tuition costs (payable to the institution) at the discretion of the executive of MW Canada.  First time applicants are given priority, but applications for continuing support are also considered.  The deadline for applications is June 30.

Since 2002 we have been able to assist sixteen women. They are: Melanie Neufeld, Melanie Steinman, Lois Siemens, Twila Epp, Rachel Epp, Leah Bueckert, Marla Langelotz, Melissa Miller, Alissa Bender, Rachel Siemens, Reece Retzlaff, Kara Carter, Virginia Gerbrandt, Sara Erb, Alicia Good and Lydia Cruttwell.

As MW Canada prepares for its 60^th Anniversary celebrations in July it would be wonderful if we could reconnect with these women and hear where they are in life’s journey.  If you know any of these women, please spread the word and encourage these women to contact us by emailing or by leaving a comment here.

Application forms are available at our web site at Mennonite Church Canada under the heading Spiritual Growth Assistance Fund or by contacting Liz Koop.