On Saturday April 25, 2 HMCers attended the first online annual church gathering of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. Arli Klassen, MCEC moderator, wrote this in anticipation of this gathering:
"Whether we come together in spirit, online or in prayer scattered across Eastern Canada, we remain one body. These times are reminders that the church has never been about the building. Some of our Mennonite churches use the language of meetinghouse to remind ourselves that we the people are the church. And in these days of being unable to gather for worship or prayer in groups larger than 5 people, we remind ourselves that we are and remain the church, whether we are gathered or scattered. We in MCEC together are part of the Body of Christ, scattered over cities, neighbourhoods and streets, like salt and yeast which do their best work when they are scattered."
It was very special for us in Hamilton to celebrate with our downtown neighbours Grace New Life Mennonite Church as they became full members of MCEC. Click here to read about other congregations who transitioned into and out of MCEC this year.
You can learn lots more by going to the MCEC website about the things that happened for us as a regional church over the past year. For example, you can hear from Mission Minister Norm Dyck:
Church Leadership Minister Marilyn Rudy-Froese:
Follow up on the Youth Ministry Dream Team:
and learn about Mennonite Church Canada ministry in Thailand:
Find all of that and more by clicking here for the MCEC website, and find a Canadian Mennonite report here. In this time of feeling more scattered than usual, we can be grateful to be part of the Church far and wide.