Serving as a spiritual practice
♪“Everyone’s plate is full; some of us just have bigger plates.” This quote was given to me by a couple in our church that have demonstrated a significant capacity to serve within the context of our church community. For a time, I was a part of the group that had big plates, and I was proud of the capacity that I had for service.
Navigating tension in the art world
Aside from my Christian faith, drawing, writing, and crafting are my defining feature. However, faith and art initially seemed incompatible. Many creative Christians live in this tension.
Prepositions in faith
♪Do you remember learning about “above,” “beyond,” “in,” “of,” and the other approximately 150 prepositions that belong in the English language?
Things we’ve heard once too often
♪Have you ever heard a so-called “truth” once too often? Here’s one I heard recently: “being on mission is not just about going overseas as a missionary; it’s also staying home to serve God wherever you are.” Who could argue? But suddenly I had heard this one too many times. Instead of a timely truth I now saw a donkey my generation loved to flog.
How will they know if they have not been told?
In 1991, the Salem Express, a ferry boat, slammed into a coral reef and sank in the Suez Canal. Around 470 passengers and crew died. Harvey Thiessen recounts that night.
Editorial: ‘Lord, help my unbelief!’
My skepticism was triggered immediately; it felt like an uncontrollable reflex. That was my reaction when reading this testimony from Jeremy and Adrienne Penner’s October newsletter: “My health was slowly deteriorating, and so I went to the hospital. The doctor found a large tumor in my abdomen and told me they would need to operate.… I didn't know a lot about Jesus yet, but I began to pray that he would heal my illness.… When I went back to the doctor for my scheduled operation, there was absolutely no sign of the tumor!”
Tenacious faith in grief and sorrow
The bathroom floor seemed an appropriate place for a meltdown. My sympathetic friend waited for me to gather my thoughts. Though separated by a province, we were connected by phone and heart.
Dead trees and dead heroes
♪ If you go to the place where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet and converge, you won’t find the Garden of Eden anymore. You will, however, find a nicely manicured park with a large tree at the center.
A surprising discovery
♪ I was wrong. Embarrassingly so. I had been working with leaders in training at a Christian camp every summer for 20 years, and I gave the wrong answer to the most basic question of all.
Editorial: Rethinking well-behaved churches and embracing God’s transformative power
♪ A FEW YEARS ago, after an Abundant Springs* weekend, we heard back from Briercrest about how respectful and well-mannered EMC students were compared to some of their other groups. Naturally, we congratulated ourselves because that spoke so well of the students, families and ministry leaders in EMC churches.
Car Seats, Gluten & Opinionated Bloggers
Never ha the law fallen so hard on me as in motherhood. Never was I more aware that my best wasn’t good enough. If parenting doesn’t drive you to your knees, you’re doing it wrong.
Stories of God at Work Span Generations and Places
The eleven testimonies we heard on February 11, 2024, at our baptism and membership service were heart-stirring. The worship in song moved us in celebration and joy. The resounding amens as we accepted the men, women and youth publicly to our church family were deeply moving.
Picture Prayers Answered
Upon entering the foyer of Abbeydale Christian Fellowship on February 18, 2024, it was obvious that something special was in the air. Each of the ten various displays set up there represented and encouraged a specific area of needed prayer.
A Time of Change
IT HAS BEEN an exciting time at The Church of Living Water with all the recent changes.
When baptism becomes works righteousness
I must consent to it, but baptism is not essentially about me acting. I am being baptized in the name of Christ. Christ asks each of us, “Can I have you?” When we answer “yes,” the church as the representative of Christ takes us and pours the water of baptism over our heads.
Walking through deconstruction
There seems to be an increase lately of Christians who are deconstructing their faith and moving on from it. In fact, some reports say that 60 percent of people born in the church deconstruct and lose their faith after high school. But I’m not convinced deconstruction needs to end up there.
Young adults retreat to gain connection
At the beginning of March 2023, a group of 90-plus young adults met together at Red Rock Bible Camp in the Whiteshell region of Manitoba for a weekend of connecting with God and other EMC young adults.
A coin collection and ‘divine love’
My son recently started a coin collection. My husband, Zach, who has collected coins since he was a little boy spent time explaining to Creedence how to grade his coins. They flipped through a coin reference book. “That one is almost enough to buy a house!” I exclaimed, hearing the value of a tiny piece of metal.
Canadian research examines how parents share faith with their children
How is Christian faith shared from one generation to the next? What help does the local church provide? Parenting Faith, the 245-page report released on April 11, 2023, presents the findings of this uniquely Canadian research that identifies what helps and hinders the transmission of faith from this generation of parents to their children.
More than mere scraps
My family has had our share of medical and health struggles in recent years, which we have generally been fairly open about. Our home is no stranger to intense suffering. Through this, we have wrestled with the Lord but also come to learn invaluable truths that I wouldn’t trade for the world.