Women Walking Together in Faith - January 2016 - "Imagining open spaces in the midst of transitions"

Naomi Unger reads to her grandson

Every second month we send in article for the Canadian Mennonite's "Women Walking Together in Faith" feature. In the January 18, 2016 issue Naomi Unger from Rabbit Lake, SK writes "I also wonder what the future story will be for church women’s organizations, such as Saskatchewan Women in Mission (SWM), as we make the transition to living in an “open space”..."  

You can read the article HERE.  

SWM Retreat at Shekinah Retreat Centre

Donna Schulz, Saskatchewan Correspondent of the CANADIAN MENNONITE, has written a report about the SWM Retreat held at Shekinah on October 16 and 17. It appeared in the November 9, 2015 issue and you can read the full article with more photos HERE.   

SWM Retreat at Shekinah Retreat Centre

Last weekend I attended the Saskatchewan Women in Mission Retreat held at Timberlodge, Shekinah Retreat Center  The theme of the retreat was "Igniting our Creativity:  Looking Back, Moving Forward". A full report will be available soon, but today I just want to post some of the photos I took.

Timberlodge, Shekinah Retreat Centre, Waldheim

Main gathering area for meals, inspirational sessions
and displays

Womens' groups had been asked to bring along an item that was 

representative of their local group. These were shared during the evening session and included several quilts, wall hangings, posters and even a song 

performed by one of the  groups. 

This quilt commemorates the groups that were
part of SWM from 1948 to 1985.

Esther Patkau, author of the book,
Canadian Women in Mission 1895-1952-2002,
shared some stories of her long involvement with women's
groups in her local church and the SWM.  

This group had written words to a familiar hymn and has used
it as the theme for their group for many years.

A collage of the handbooks that the Zoar Mennponite Church
women's group in Langhgam has used over the years.  

On Saturday morning, Pauline Steinman shared about
celebrating God's gift of creativity together and challenged
us to take risks and imagine a new reality for our
mission in the church and in the world.  

Creating a paper labyrinth was one of the activities
available during a reflective half hour after the morning session.

 

In the closing candle ceremony Sharon Schultz challenged
us to see God's glory in our work and worship and in new
possibilities and opportunities; to walk together in unity
of love and purpose; to uphold one another
and to live in faithful obedience to God. 

Saskatchewan Women's Retreat

October 16 & 17, 2015

For a downloadable poster please go to our WEBSITE.

Saskatchewan Women in Mission - April 25, 2015

The following report of the Saskatchewan Women in Mission Enrichment Day/Annual Meeting was written by Lois Siemens and appeared in the June 8, 2015 Canadian Mennonite under the title “Women’s group votes to disband". 

“It all feels so final,” someone said during lunch at the 73rd annual meeting of Saskatchewan Women in Mission (SWM) hosted by Zoar Mission Circle in Waldheim, Sask., on April 25. She was referring to a vote taken that morning to disband. After several years of difficulty finding women to fill executive and program positions on the committee we chose to let it go. By a very slim margin the women present voted to disband.

The program committee had prepared for this possibility and offered a litany of thanks to honour all women over the years who participated, to remember and to say the first goodbye.

We sang, “Now Thank We All Our God,” ate bread together and took a final photograph of the group of 65 women. Outgoing president Myrna Sawatzky lamented the loss of dollars for the many organizations that SWM presently supports, from Witness workers to Rosthern Junior College (RJC). While it felt final, the group voted in favour of a motion to develop a position within Mennonite Church Saskatchewan to represent women and to organize events.

The earliest group of women organized in Rosthern in 1906-07. In 1941, David Toews asked the women’s groups to organize an evening program at the Canadian Conference in Laird. It was so much fun that they met at the 1943 Canadian Conference in Langham and voted to organize the Saskatchewan Women’s Missionary Conference.

Mrs. Hugo Bartel of Drake was chosen as the first president, Mrs. G.G. Epp of Eigenheim as secretary-treasurer and Mrs. P.B. Willms of Saskatoon as the third member. The first project was the Margareta Toews Scholarship for a needy girl at RJC. SWM continued to support RJC and to offer scholarships. Projects have ranged from supporting missionaries at home and abroad, to making quilts, bandages, soap and layettes.

Conversations in the foyer on April 25 were subdued yet hopeful. The afternoon program focussed on “Voices of change: Navigating life’s transitions.” Patty Friesen led the group through three stages of transition, drawing from the Book of Ruth: endings, transition and new beginnings. Naming what many have experienced, Friesen wove our story together with the biblical text. Transition, she said, is “finding our way in the darkness.” As a new beginning, she offered a vision of hope with the image of birth.

Between each presentation women moved into groups and shared music that helped them cope through an ending, created something new out of yarn and built a recipe for change. Several groups, holding up their yarn creation, reflected that one strand is easily broken, but three together are strong. Alice Pilatus and Mary Loewen created a bird’s nest out of yarn—a fitting image for the three stages of transition. 

The recipes for change were inspiring and included humour, good music, patience, flexibility, prayer, joy, friendship, generosity, thankfulness and love.

SPRING INTO SPRING!

You are invited to participate in the SPRING EVENT sponsored by your provincial women's organization. 
April 18 - Women of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Enrichment Day 
April 18 - Saskatchewan Women in Mission 
May 2 - BC Women's Ministry Inspirational Day
May 22,23,24 - Alberta Mennonite Women's Retreat

You can find the poster for each event with details and contact information below. Please make plans to attend, bring along a friend or two and prepare to be inspired, enriched and blessed. 

WOMEN OF MENNONITE CHURCH EASTERN CANADA

SASKATCHEWAN WOMEN IN MISSION

BC WOMEN'S MINISTRY

ALBERTA MENNONITE WOMEN