April 2010

I first noticed her among the many who were eagerly awaiting a hot meal. As I scrambled to ready another plate on the breakfast assembly line, I happened to glance up. Her eyes met mine and we exchanged a brief smile amidst the morning rush.

He stands motionless, bleeding, silent…

She has set her table and shouts out loudly
down the street for all to come and eat.

Most technological advances are both a blessing and a curse when it comes to harnessing their potential for effective ministry and volunteer management. Take, for example, call display and an experience we had last summer in our church office.

Imagine a Sunday morning church service without volunteers: no ushers, praise band, Sunday school teachers or childcare providers; no Scripture readers, or audio visual technicians. Every Sunday, the volunteer efforts of church members make the worship service happen.

We’ve all been there – sitting in the pew as the announcements are read. At one point or another, one regular announcement goes past the usual “blurb” to being a full-length sermon. Volunteers needed! Throughout the year, we hear invitations, pleas, and sermons about getting involved. We need to use our gifts, get connected, be the body, and serve others.

Each year following B.C.’s provincial convention, MB pastors and spouses are invited to attend a retreat, sponsored by the B.C. conference, at Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa in the Fraser Valley.

Among the hundreds of MB churches that dot the landscape of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one stands apart. L’Eglise Mennonite du Grand Lac (EMGL) is a peculiar church for a number of reasons.

Text Examined: 1 Kings 4:21-28 – “The thing that makes a punch line work is the element of surprise. We see things one way, then – surprise! – the story takes a funny twist.”

Affluenza Interrupted
Authors: Doreen and Hugo Neufeld
Can something positive arise from the current economic crisis? Doreen and Hugo Neufeld believe so. In their new book, Affluenza Interrupted, they suggest the economic crisis is an ideal time for us to examine our financial priorities while increasing our efforts to save the environment.

The Interface of the Percussive Arts, Religious Experience, and Sacred Association
Author: Matthew R. S. Todd
Why have the drums and the church been at odds, historically? What is the role of percussion in worship? These are two of the main questions Matthew Todd addresses in his interdisciplinary treatise.

After last year’s intense business sessions, the MB Church of Manitoba (MBCM) gave Assembly 2010 delegates a chance to attend equipping workshops and ask God to speak to them about the future. The province’s annual convention, held March 5–6 at Portage Avenue Church in Winnipeg, drew in some 230 delegates, and focused heavily on church planting and compassion ministries.

Visit www.regenerate2101.ca updated twice weekly, to read challenging posts and interact with bloggers Ewald Unruh, Dave Harder, Sarah, Nigel, Phillip Vallelly, Rebecca Stanley, and Rachel Twigg Boyce.