Kristen and Caleb are community-minded pastors who have experienced the body of Christ as foundational for their faith. Their experience through college and in their church testifies to our innate need for each other. We met with them to find out more about their story and what they’ve been up to at the Community Fellowship Church in Newton.
During the Christmas season, we often look for extra ways to spread the joy and excitement of the season by blessing our family, our friends, co-workers and neighbours. This is also the time that we look around us for the people in our community, towns…
Multiply is sending another group of missionaries into the field this month from their Focus Internship program. The Focus Internship is a 9 month program that teaches, trains, and equips eager Christians to walk in step with Jesus as they enter the missions field. The…
FaithWorks celebrated 20 years of ministry this past month, with a focus on the people who committed to growing this community’s mission. “The mission of the church from the beginning is right in the name,” said lead pastor, Melanie Unger. “It’s a dual-track focus. Spiritual…
Janelle Braun has been working with MBCM for five years in the area of Leadership Development. She has been on maternity leave for the last year with her second son and will not be returning to work this fall. We want to look back at…
It’s been a hard-hitting few years for summer camps and Simonhouse Bible Camp is no exception, but with the help of some of our MB churches they are getting ready to dive into summer programs in 2023. Simonhouse had to cancel their programs in 2020…
Selkirk Community Church (SCC) is a small congregation of about 50 – 60 people. The church recently built a brand new building with the intention of making it a space the entire community could benefit from. These were big plans for a small congregation, but…
125 students from around the province got to experience Soar Heartland this year. After having a last minute shift to online in 2020 and an online/hybrid experience again in 2021, the Soar team was excited to welcome students back into Winnipeg’s North End for a…
There’s value to being part of a specific denominational conference. It provides opportunity for support and accountability between many churches that hold the same beliefs and understanding. We hear stories of churches sharing building space with other denominations or even shared events, but we don’t…
Manitoba’s 2022 Assembly was our first in-person Assembly since 2020. It was good to be able to gather together, as well as provide an online zoom experience for those that were unable to attend in person. Friday afternoon began with opportunities for people to experience…
Manitoba’s 2022 Assembly was our first in-person Assembly since 2020. It was good to be able to gather together, as well as provide an online zoom experience for those that were unable to attend in person. Friday afternoon began with opportunities for people to experience five different workshops:
Friday evening’s worship service focused on our theme of Deep Faith – Extravagant Grace. Worship was led by the host church North Kildonan MB Church, and Pastor Victor Neufeld invited us to reflect on our past couple of years. He explored the deep faith and extravagant grace of our Lord and led the hearer to the sombre and uncomfortable consideration that we’ve too often lacked that faith and grace. Pastor Vic invited us to move toward Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Saturday’s AGM was a full morning of reports. We reviewed our 2021 financial year, highlighting our gratefulness to our churches for their support and our ability to keep the budget spending down to finish the 2021 season well. The constitution review team presented the updated version of the constitution which prompted good questions and discussions on this matter. Questions and dialogue included conversation about what was understood as a new way of valuing the constitution and exploring the role that it should play in our discernment process as a community.
The afternoon included some of the leadership from Living Word Temple leading participants in a blanket exercise. The Blanket Exercise is an interactive and experiential teaching tool that explores the historical and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the land we now know as Canada. By engaging participants on both emotional and intellectual levels, the exercise educates while creating empathy and understanding. We were encouraged to become more aware of how God is inviting us to reconciliation.
The final work of the day was to vote on the 2022 budget. There was a call for the board and staff to work towards hosting a Pastor’s Retreat and to find creative ways to bring our pastors and spouses together for a time of rest, connection, and support. With this added action item, the budget was approved.
Thank you to North Kildonan MB Church for hosting us with a gracious and welcoming spirit. It was a pleasure to work with you in putting on this event. Thank you to the presenters, board members and the many people who gave reports and helped guide our decisions. And thank you to all for participating. May God grant us wisdom and courage to move forward with continued faith and grace to follow Jesus faithfully.
You can find the 2022 Assembly reports and partner updates here: https://mbcm.ca/assembly2022
