Church growth is a very popular topic. Church death? Not so much.
John Longhurst
John Longhurst
John Longhurst is a freelance writer in Winnipeg.
Many of us, when we look back on our student days, remember certain professors who, through their teaching ability or personal character, left an indelible and formative impression that lasted a lifetime. For me, one of those professors was Dr. Henry Krahn, president of Winnipeg’s Mennonite Brethren Bible College from 1974–82.
In spring 1978, Harold Jantz, then editor of the Mennonite Brethren Herald, received an unexpected visitor.
In 1963, Gene Stoltzfus was a volunteer aid worker in Vietnam. One day he happened upon a number of military helicopters landing at a nearby field.
With more than 40,000 copies sold to over 400 churches in Canada and the U.S., including 50 Mennonite Brethren churches, the Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN) Close to Home pamphlets about dealing with personal issues and problems are proving their usefulness.
Phyllis Tickle, author of the new book The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why, recently spoke with Winnipeg freelance writer John Longhurst. Here is part of their conversation.…
Hundreds of Mennonite Brethren youth will soon graduate from high school. Some may be wondering what to do in September, or which university or college to attend. I wonder if…
A new self-storage business recently opened in my end of town. It’s huge – nine buildings with 768 storage units of varying sizes. Looking at it, I wondered: How many people need to rent extra space to store their stuff?
It’s hot – from 31 to 34 Celsius every day. It’s humid. It’s messy. It’s hard work. So why do some members of Winnipeg’s River East Mennonite Brethren Church keep…
Christians get divorced too I’ve been to a lot of weddings in my life. But so far I’ve been to only one divorce ceremony. It happened last year, when I…
Klassen, 45, and Loewen, 35, are brothers-in-law and co-owners of Newville Candle Company in Niagara Falls, Ont. Wherever they go they leave a trail of people sniffing the air, wondering where that scent of apples, cinnamon, pumpkin, lavender, cappuccino or grassy meadow-or any of the dozens of other fragrances they manufacture-is coming from.
Members of River East Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg didn’t go to their church service on Sunday, June 10.Instead, they did service around the city during their fourth annual Community Service Day.
Think Whistler and you think skiing. Two mountains, more than 80 runs and a $181 million international jet-set ski village and resort. About the only religious activity you might expect…