So long, Farewell

On Monday, July 23rd,we said goodbye to Menno and Lydia as they embark on another journey to Manitoba and then to Kenya. We are going to miss them a lot, but we wish them God's blessing in what lies ahead and hope to visit them in their travels! :)

A singing group sang some lovely tunes for us and we presented them with a beautiful comforter quilt to take with them.

Best wishes Menno and Lydia!

Love, Community Mennonite Church

Biking in the Beaches and Beyond

Sunday afternoon on the 15th of July, a few members of one of the small groups of Community Mennonite Church loaded up their bicycles and headed down to the beautiful Edwards Gardens at Leslie and Lawrence Ave. It is a former estate garden featuring annuals, roses, wildflowers and an extensive rockery. It is located on Wilket Creek, one of the tributaries of the Don River West Branch. Edwards Gardens is one of several parks located in Toronto’s ravines, many of which are connected by hiking and cycling trails ending on the shores of Lake Ontario.

We started the bike trail from Edwards Gardens following the Don River, through beautiful park areas, stopping for a picnic lunch and ending up at Ashbridges Bay at the Beaches. We treated ourselves to an icecream cone and relaxed for a few minutes on the busy boardwalk along Lake Ontario. Many people were out enjoying the warm, summer day and all the activities along the beach area.

As we headed back to Edwards Gardens, we biked along Queen St. which is a fascinating Street. Somewhere along the trail back to the Gardens, we were caught in a downpour of rain. We waited it out for a few minutes under trees and under a bridge, until it cleared again. We returned with nothing more than some sore bottoms, and a great satisfaction of having biked nearly 45 kilometres with friends. We’d do it again!


Julie & Eugene
Norbert & Judy
Donna & Paul

This is what the wheat field looks like now. Soon it will be ready for harvest!

cutting edge

Henry writes:

Did you know that our Cutting Edge group has met almost every month from September to June for several years?

It is almost impossible to characterize our discussions except that they have covered a wide range of writings and sometimes guests. Topics have included:

- conflicts between science and religion
- overlap between science and psychology
- how we experience God
- spirituality
- the new age movement
- the economics of agricultural subsidies
- philosophy of education
- teachings of various religious leaders
- and many others.

Seldom is a specific subject carried over beyond one month. The majority of participants are not members of Community Mennonite Church of Stouffville, and we have had some wonderful opportunities to share perspectives. We are grateful to Gord Alton, the previous pastor at CMCS, for taking the initiative to create a space for this type of conversation.

And now, even as we break for the summer of 2007, we look forward to taking time to be with our friends again, in September. You are welcome to join us for these discussions, if you like!

- Henry