The distance between Region 1 churches has always been a challenge. Recently we have met somewhat centrally in the Best Western Plus in the beautiful “Gateway to the Rockies” town of Hinton, Alta.

“Maybe we can get 10–12 people!” Those were the thoughts of Jonathan Neufeld and Pete Hiebert when they first began planning a mission trip for the young adults group at Picture Butte Mennonite Church (PBMC). An opportunity to volunteer at El Buen Samaritano (a seniors home) in Vicente Geurrero Baja California, Mexico, was presented to Jonathan in early 2024.

Some 200 ladies gathered in our new fellowship hall for food, singing and worship. The speakers shared how God had led them in and through difficult seasons of life. 

November 24, 2024 marked the day when two young men from our church family chose to publicly declare their desire for baptism and membership in the Kleefeld EMC.

Spring sprang into action at Westpointe Community Church (WCC) in Grande Prairie with 18 of our youth, along with five leaders, heading to Merida, Mexico for a short-term mission experience.

♪ My daughter, Noelle, is a wonderful seven-year-old who loves Pokemon, drawing, and hockey. Noelle is also autistic, and like many people who are autistic, church when done “as regular” can seem overwhelming or even at times unwelcoming.

Here’s a picture of our monthly Senior’s meal

We started the month with a baptism/membership reception on the 1st. What a blessing to hear the testimonies of how God has worked and continues to work in all the candidates.

In every church family, there are a variety of surnames. Some of them at ACF are Fehr, Fair, Steele, Pitta, Unger, Friesen, Corder, Enns, Hughes, Plett, Carpenter, Young, Leal, Cameron, Cure and of course many more which can be referred to in humorous ways.

On October 6, 2024, Kleefeld EMC (KEMC) celebrated the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Mennonite immigrants in 1874 to Kleefeld—the same year the Kleine Gemeinde started in Canada.

Steinbach Evangelical Fellowship Church gathered for the commissioning of our new associate pastor, Trevor Fleming, on Sunday, September 22, 2024.

Over the last couple of years our church has grown in some unexpected ways.  The influx of Ukrainian refugees to Canada in 2022 led many families to the Arborg area.