Mennville EMC gets to know their neighbours through community events
I’m often asked, “How are things in Mennville these days?” I respond with one word: “Healthy.” We truly find ourselves in a healthy place (spiritually speaking). We genuinely enjoy gathering and doing life together. As we venture into the spring of 2026, we are joyfully anticipating celebrating Mennville’s 75th anniversary on July 12. We are looking forward to celebrating a community that many have called home, in both the past and present.
As we reflect on ministry in our rural context, we journeyed through a great fall and winter. In October, we held our annual fall supper and filled our church basement and half of our sanctuary with tables, chairs, and people! Some of our church members went home to get tables so we could seat even more people! We invited Dale Friesen of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to speak on the work of the foodgrains bank and how they are fighting hunger around the world, and the roles that we can play from our location.
On December 7, we had our annual Christmas in the Country event, which involved bonfires, hayrides, chili, hot chocolate, and live musical entertainment. This year, we added a crokicurl game in our parking lot. This event continues to pick up momentum as we plan it annually. This event brings the entire church family together to play a role in some way, whether through practical action, prayer, or baking dainties.
In crokicurl, a new activity held this year at Christmas in the Country, frozen milk jugs are slid from the edge of the ice surface with a curling feel.
This was the ninth edition of this event here in Mennville and though it has changed over time, the weather has rarely been an issue. Even this year, it was supposed to be cold and gusty, yet for the two hours of outdoor activities, the wind subsided. We’ve seen God bless the event through weather and other means.
Both fall and Christmas events are intentionally planned to connect with our community and to have a great time getting to know each other—or reconnecting, whichever comes first. We consider it a privilege to be settled in a rural community where we can engage our neighbours in different ways.
As we move into 2026, we will be pursuing a season of prayer and vision-casting. Our demographics have shifted in recent years, and we want to evaluate where God would have us move and grow. We ask that you would pray for God’s guidance, that we might follow him wherever he goes, especially as we reflect on 75 years of his goodness and faithfulness in this community.
– Michael Vanderzwaag