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Last fall, a 60-foot tree in our backyard suffered a large broken limb, so we had to take the whole thing down quickly. Staring at an estimated $1,000–1,500 bill for a company to come in on short notice made for a restless Saturday, not to mention the prospect of a tree landing on our home. Sunday morning, the unique and wonderful nature of the local church kicked in. My wife bumped into a young mom who loves chainsaws (a fact revealed at a church BBQ some months before). Sunday afternoon, she and her husband – along with their three young kids – were in our yard with a couple chainsaws (hers was orange, his green), skillfully dropping branches between fence/shed/house, bringing the whole tree down. I didn’t even know what kind of tree it was, but soon found out what happens when a God-inspired open-hearted young mother picks up a chainsaw.—David Balzer, North Kildonan MB Church, WinnipegWe want to hear your stories! Send your 50–200 word account of being or experiencing “the hands of God” to mbherald@mbconf.ca or MB Herald 1310 Taylor Ave., Winnipeg, Man., R3M 3Z6.
“I heard about MCC and the baby kits in church, but I thought it was just [for] older people,” said Eliza Urbina, Grade 10. “I never thought that I could do it too.”
This year, Waldheim home economics teacher Marla Laskowski assigned layettes for MCC’s infant care kits as class sewing projects for Grade 8 and 10 students. The kits include a layette of two gowns, two undershirts, four cloth diapers, and one receiving blanket. Last year, MCC distributed almost 14,000 kits in Haiti, Ukraine, Bosnia, and other countries.
Laskowski likes to use this project to teach basic hemming and seam finishing skills because there are no additional expenses and no time restrictions. All items are pre-cut and pre-packaged by volunteers in the MCC Saskatchewan Centre.
Rather than complete a personal project this year, Grade 10 student Katelyn Siemens (pictured with Laskowski above) will sew another layette for an MCC infant care kit. “I’m enjoying this, but the main thing is that I’m helping families.”—Gladys Terichow, writer, MCC Canada
Canadian conference executive director Willy Reimer began his national ministry in March. In a unique twist, Reimer maintains a role at SunWest Christian Fellowship in Calgary, continuing to preach and provide vision for the congregation – all for the purpose of staying connected to the local church setting. 
What are the implications for a small provincial conference when a key leader dies? Quebec churches, leaders, and schools (ETEM) are trying to regain their financial and emotional footing, following the loss of professor Eric Wingender in October.
ICOMB’s Global Higher Education Consultation in June wasn’t on the radar for most people, but the event brought together MB leaders and professors from around the globe to talk about how schools and churches can work more closely together. This type of event signals the growing importance of international partnerships.
César García of Bogotá, Colombia, was named general secretary of the Mennonite World Conference. The significance? It’s the first time a Mennonite Brethren has served as general secretary of this international organization – and the first time someone at the helm of MWC has hailed from the Global South.
The board of faith and life’s study conference in late October on the topic of the atonement brought greater clarity around what Jesus’ death on the cross means for Christians – and how MBs view it. The courteous tone of the meetings was encouraging. 
Church planting took centre stage in 2011, with the June appointment of Gord Fleming as national church planting director. Fleming’s focus on training and mentoring will likely see more new churches succeed in coming years. He also oversees C2C, an all-Canadian church planting network, which deliberately partners with other denominations.
MBBS-Canada got a fresh start with the appointment of interim president Bruce Guenther in January. “Partnerships are an important part of our strategy. We need to have multiple delivery strategies for our training programs,” said Guenther. Watch for creative ways seminary education will be brought to Canadians over the coming months!
MBMSI got a new name – MB Mission – in early 2011. Perhaps the most newsworthy aspect of this story was how little commotion the rebranding caused within the denomination.
There’s no “donor fatigue” here. Mennonite Brethren responded with generosity and compassion – often through MCC or MDS – to several natural disasters that occurred throughout the year: Japan earthquake (March), North Dakota flooding (June), and East African famine (July). 
Pull out the balloons and streamers! Over the year, we celebrated several significant milestones: 75 years for Columbia Bible College; 75 years for Clearbrook MB Church; 50 years for the Quebec conference; 50 years for Willingdon Church; 50 years for Killarney Park MB Church; 75 years for Portage Avenue Church.
 2012 Feb. 15–17: Pastors Credentialing Orientation, Cornerstone Community Church, Virgil, Ont. Feb. 17–18: ONMB convention, Virgil, Ont. Feb. 29: Church Works Conference, Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C. Mar. 2–3: MBCM Assembly, North Kildonan MB Church, Winnipeg. Mar. 9–10: SKMB convention , Waldheim (Sask.) MB Church. Mar. 9–11: “Jesus: The Peace that Matters” Peace It Together youth convention, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg. Mar. 16–17: ABMB convention, Coaldale (Alta.) MB Church. Mar. 26–28: C2C Church planter assessment, Willingdon Church, Burnaby, B.C. Apr. 14: AEFMQ convention, Montreal. Apr. 21: Columbia Bible College graduation and banquet, Abbotsford, B.C. Apr. 22: Convocation, CMU, Winnipeg. Apr. 29: Blaine Lake (Sask.) Gospel Chapel centennial. May 4–5: BCMB convention, Broadway Church, Chilliwack, B.C. May 27–29: MBCM Pastors Retreat, Wilderness Edge, Pinawa, Man. June 6–8: Pastors Credentialing Orientation, MBBS-ACTS, Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C. July 11–14: Gathering 2012, Winnipeg .jpg){kind=small} |
