In the silence that lived between the deadly warnings of air raid sirens, the sound of a small choir, singing a song of praise, echoed out of a church sanctuary in western Ukraine. Just the night before, Anna*, administrative coordinator for MCC Ukraine, had absent-mindedly hummed a few bars of the song during an evening tea break at the church.

Jesus has always been a tough person to follow. The church has never mastered the art of imitating the whole Jesus. Its easy to say “Jesus” and then change the subject to something more manageable. Why does Jesus make himself so hard to follow?

Shame is one of the most universal human experiences. Whether we are young or old, students or teachers, leaders or followers, all of us can identify with the sting of failure. For many pastors and ministry leaders this season of division and loss has brought with it deep feelings of inadequacy and exhaustion. How do we combat the feeling in our souls that we aren’t enough, or that we don’t measure up?

Most of us don’t think of peacemaking as an endeavour we would call “fun.” It is hard, messy and difficult work. There is, however, a strategic element of peacemaking that includes an intentional focus on shared recreational activities.

Media is one way some EMC missionaries minister: from radio work to filming projects, from social media campaigns to audio recordings distributed by WhatsApp.

If you are looking for a piece of advice this Easter season, I can provide one from the outset: Never move a piano. At the very least, never try to move one on your own.

The Personnel Committee of the EMC General Board is very pleased to announce that Adrienne Funk has been hired to fill the role of Communications Assistant.

A country at war pushes people to seek refuge, to migrate.

STEINBACH, Man.—We are saddened to report that Layton Friesen will be concluding his time as Conference Pastor with the EMC.

Kola, Man.—On Sunday, January 16, 2022, Pastor Ernest Reimer and his wife Sherridan were accepted into church membership at the Kola Evangelical Mennonite Church.

“Growing up is a big job.” Our young son informed us after a hard day of learning. I get it; I feel the same way sometimes.

EASTERN EUROPE- One of the first visits Samuel made to our house after having been assigned as a field missionary was on a warm spring day. We sat in our little courtyard and he shared more about the journey of God calling him to this life.