Roseisle EMC not sleeping on living out their faith
Picture a sleepy prairie hamlet nestled at the foot of the Pembina Hills in southern Manitoba, surrounded by rolling hills and lush farmland, with a small creek running through it. This lovely farming community boasts six streets, three churches, a community store, an outdoor rink, a public rose garden, and a memorial. Minutes away from Stephenfield Provincial Park, there is access to cross-country skiing and walking trails, and to a picturesque lake with a large sandy beach that attracts campers, swimmers, fishermen, and boaters alike. It is in this idyllic setting that you will find Roseisle EMC, a growing congregation of worshippers of all ages and backgrounds.
While recent church growth has created some challenges for Roseisle EMC, the church is doing their best to meet needs within the church and in their surrounding community. (Photo supplied)
Now you may imagine that not much happens in our little corner of the world, but did you know that Roseisle is known for its Canada Day “redneck” celebrations? The day begins with a delicious waffle breakfast, put on by Roseisle EMC Youth, and a local business parade. The day continues with a tractor pull and lawnmower races, before ending with live music and the best fireworks displays around.
How we relate to the community
Roseisle EMC has experienced amazing growth in the last five years. In 2021 we saw an average of 52 people in church service attendance. By 2025, we saw an increase of 89%. In our Sunday school, from 2021 to 2025, we saw a 58% increase. We also baptized 19 people and helped three members transfer in.
With increased attendance comes challenges. New attendees come with different backgrounds. Some worshippers have no previous church experience, while others possess deep theological knowledge. Churchgoers come from various traditions, including Mennonite, French, Mexican, English, Dutch, German, and Brazilian. Ministering to so many people with varied faith journeys and needs has proven to be a challenge, but one that we are doing our best to meet.
We consider our most important ministries to be our strong Sunday school program, our summer VBS program, our youth program, and our women’s group. We put a lot of effort into these programs, and they are well-attended and going strong.
Most of our church’s social outreach happens in the nearest town, Carman, where there are more needs.
While Roseisle EMC does not have a clear and defined vision statement, our main goal is to preach the word of God in a simple and understandable way and to live it out so that others feel prompted to follow Christ.
At our recent membership meeting, Pastor Fernando encouraged us to learn from the first church described in Acts 2. Luke tells us that the first church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.… They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (vv. 42–47). This is a wonderful description of unity in the body.
We are thankful that so many believers have flocked to our little church, and we pray that we can continue to grow in God’s love together.