What does spiritual oppression look like, both to Canadians and to missionaries working in other cultures? What are extra challenges for workers living far from their home church and family? These are the questions Gerald Reimer tackles.

Jesus is God-with-us, but though that was physically true when he walked on earth, it can be hard to see now. Asham shows both how vital God-with-us is in our lives, but where we should expect to see him particularly.

In chapter 45 of her life, Jodie tells of learning new ways to serve her church. She talks about saying a new and scary “yes” to the Lord—and how rewarding her new roles were as she led and taught in youth ministry.

In 2022, Kathleen Grift went back to college to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. “I excelled,” Kathleen says, but “began tripping frequently and struggled to carry my backpack of textbooks. The diagnosis arrived at the end of the second semester. ALS! How could it be? I was 49 years old.”

♪ Writing about the appeal of progressive Christianity is a daunting task. Those labelled as progressive Christians have been seen as those on their way out of the Christian faith, those who don’t hold to the authority of Scripture, and the legitimacy of their faith is sometimes questioned by those within evangelical circles.

♪ Managing Editor Erica Fehr writes her last editor’s note with observations about the EMC.

♪“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.

♪I’ve visited Baptist, Alliance, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Mennonite worship services for various one-time events. I’ve then asked myself, am I at the best church?

♪My attitude can easily fixate on discouragement. Grumbling about the never-ending futility of capturing weeds and losing sight of the higher purpose. Not so with Caleb.

Walter Kruse’s early teaching career got him fascinated by the far north; now, sent by EMC to teach in Paraguay he was intrigued by the cultural landscape of Paraguay: the Indigenous people, the Paraguayans (a mix of indigenous and European), and Mennonite settlers. The observations he made were recorded in the form of letters mailed to Canada; he later edited them, took some literary liberties, and collected them in this book.

Under a cloudless sky with not a whisper of a wind, on the morning of June 12, 2025, 132 ambitious men and women, ranging in age from teens to eighties, gathered at the Fly-in Golf Course in Steinbach, Man., to rally together and support a common goal. Nearly a month later and over 2,000 kms to the northwest, under heavily clouded skies and fierce winds, 65 different individuals gathered together at the La Crete Golf Course to support the same goal.

The first week of July is over and so is VBS. This is an annual event and once again we had many youngsters attending. On Friday evening we had a closing program with many parents and other family members present to listen to the wonderful message of what had been taught throughout the week.