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.

Greetings from Pelly Fellowship Chapel. It was my pleasure to interview Pastor Ryan Rear and his lovely wife Uma on October 10, 2024—one year to the day from when they arrived. We were so excited to have a pastor again.

Half a century ago, a young family travelled west to Calgary to begin a church plant. Shortly thereafter, another family followed. Trusting in God’s faithfulness, they embraced the change.

“I came here thinking I knew a lot about God. Turns out I knew so little, and was so full of pride and unforgiveness. I came with so little faith, and had such a small picture of who God is... This three months [of discipleship school] has made me realize how little I know, how little I am, but also how BIG God is and how good his plans are!” - student testimony

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.

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!”

When I served in the children’s ministry in my home church as a young adult, one of our faithful volunteers was Grandpa Ed. Grandpa Ed showed up nearly every week and was what we called a “listener”—he wasn’t in a classroom or teaching a Bible lesson, but as kids worked through their memory verses in their classroom, he was available in another area to work one-on-one with kids to memorize or recite their verse. And they loved him.

I state the obvious: As a male pastor, I should be a pastor to women. It should not be said of my ministry that the men got good teaching, mentoring, and compassionate attention, but not so much the women. Female pastors may have these challenges too, but here I am focusing on men.

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.

Tim and Laurel Schroder’s first trip to Pukapuki, Papua New Guinea (PNG), included an eight-hour boat trip up the river during which they nearly collided with another dugout, wrecking their propeller and almost swamping their boat with all their belongings.

sleepless she slumps in tears

on the couch peers

through the blinds

a street lamp her only light

where is the light for her soul?

where is forgiveness?