Community Voices

Stouffville Federal All-Candidates Meeting, Thursday, April 28, 2011, 7:00 pm

2011-03-27T08:53:00.005-04:00

A federal election has been called for May 2, 2011. This provides an important opportunity for the churches of our community a) to reflect on how faith, public witness and the political process intersect, and b) to get to know our candidates and their views on issues that are important to us. To this end, our congregation will help to host a federal All-Candidates Meeting on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 7 pm. It will be held in the Parkview Village Auditorium (12184 Ninth Line), Stouffville.

This gathering of MP candidates for the riding of Oak Ridges-Markham is sponsored by the Stouffville Ministerial Association (representing Stouffville churches). It will be an information forum to hear where MP candidates stand on issues of concern to the churches. The evening will be moderated by Pep Philpott. The organizing committee consists of: Rene DeVries, Allan Reesor-McDowell, and Arnold Neufeldt-Fast. See our new blog page (allcandidates.blogspot.com) for up-dated information and ways that you can help.

resident radicals

2010-12-23T14:30:00.003-05:00

Here are some links to some reflections by a number of young adults in our congregation. Allan has had a subversive, underground blog going on for some time now (it took me a while to find it)... and today he has posted a radical Christmas idea.

And Rebecca, intrepid long-time co-moderator of this very blog, has posted some of her recent radicality as well...

As have Paul and David and John, who have been hard at work (and criss-crossing the country) preparing a documentary on love...

There's an advent conspiracy going on...

an invitation to "make room"

2010-12-22T11:36:00.003-05:00

What a joyful celebration last night, as the children and youth of our congregation helped us to re-enter the story of Jesus' birth, with the challenge and invitation to "make room"...

give a day

2010-12-01T15:25:00.002-05:00

Today is World AIDS Day, and various members of our congregation have been very active in raising awareness and raising funds for the worldwide struggle against HIV/AIDS. Jane Philpott is the founder and instigator of the "Give A Day" movement, which has raised about 2 million dollars (so far!) to help those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

This past Thursday there was a concert (actually, a "Harambee")at 19-On-The-Park here in Stouffville, featuring the Rouge River Connection and Allan Reesor-McDowell as well as the Albert Street Four. It was a well attended and inspirational evening, with words from Jane and from Robina Ssentongo, Director of the Kitovu Mobile AIDS Organization working with orphans and grandmothers in Uganda.

As Jane said last Thursday night, much has been accomplished, but much remains to be done. Consider giving a day's pay and join this movement of "global solidarity, local solutions."

We're Going to the Zoo!

2010-10-13T08:27:00.005-04:00

Do you remember when you went somewhere new for the first time and didn’t know anyone? You didn’t know where anything was or how things were done. Well that’s what the two Palestinian families CMC is helping to sponsor are experiencing this year, with the added challenge of having to learn a new language and writing system at the same time.

Each family benefits from 12 months of financial support from the 4 sponsoring churches [CMC, Rouge Valley, TUMC & Don Heights Unitarian] after which time they will have to take the first steps making their own way in their newly adopted home country. Of course, they won’t be left to their own devices by the churches, but the financial safety net currently provided by the churches will be replaced by either welfare or, hopefully, income from a job.

In the midst of the challenge of both sets of parents having to learn English and the children starting school, they have gradually started to get used to life in Canada’s largest city, which as you can appreciate, is a far cry from spending roughly four years in a refugee camp on the Iraqi-Syrian border. If you add in to the mix the fact that both fathers have suffered significant health issues in recent months [although both are thankfully doing better now] you can understand what a year of upheaval and change it has been.

That both families are getting used to life in Canada is due in no small part to the selfless efforts of members of the various sponsoring churches, who have devoted many hours in helping to get the adults to appointments with social agencies and Government Departments, and the children to dental and eye appointments, and so on. They have also taught them how to use the TTC and to travel by bus to visit relatives in the K-W area or in Whitby.

I think you get the picture that 2010 has been a year of massive change living far away from everything that is familiar to these two families, and the learning curve for everyone has been very steep. That’s why I can honestly say that it was my very great pleasure to invite both families, on behalf of CMC, to visit the Toronto Zoo on Saturday, September 25^th for an afternoon of simple fun and fellowship. Between the two families there are nine children, ranging in age from two to sixteen, and most of them said that they wanted to see the lions first! Of course, with the lions being pretty much at the far end of the zoo from the entrance, we saw plenty of other animals on the way and it was such a delight to see the children’s faces light up when they saw the various creatures. God has created many varied and wonderful animals, and no matter what your own feeling about zoos, it was so heart-warming seeing these children smiling, hearing them laughing, teaching them the animals’ names in English, having them teach us their Arabic names, enjoying them holding our hands and spending time with their parents. Although the weather was overcast, these children truly bathed us in their sunshine!

These families have been so gracious in accepting our hospitality and have welcomed us into their homes with open arms. They are truly a blessing to us and I am thankful for this small opportunity to get to know them better and look forward to further occasions to welcome them in to our community.

-Tim

2010-10-12T15:45:00.002-04:00

This is an article by Pastor Cameron that was published recently in the Stouffville Free Press:

Here's my advice: don't buy a toaster as a memento.

At my grandmother's moving sale, I was too young to think about lasting value. My parents urged me to buy something, so I bought a cheap toaster that I don't think my grandma ever used. When I got married we used it, but we threw it out when it stopped working. While I have great memories of my grandma, I regret not having something of hers that I can see and touch.

On the other hand, it was awesome to be part of the annual Commemorative Service at the Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse, where Stouffville's founder is buried. Standing in a building built in 1852, I couldn't help noticing that it was so plain. Compared to Old Order Mennonite meetinghouses built more recently, it was austere. I thought about how difficult life was for our ancestors and yet what wonderful gifts they passed on to us. Because of their industrious and simple lifestyle, they were able to build a strong community. That community now provides us a comfortable and enjoyable life. Taking time to appreciate our heritage filled me with gratitude for those who came before me to this area.

As I was preparing to speak at that Commemorative Service, I learned of the loss of a different heritage site. Few in Stouffville know that developers discovered the remains of Ontario's largest Huron-Wendat village, on Stouffville Creek, between Byers Pond Way and James Ratcliff Avenue. A 2007 Town Council resolution promised to recognise this site but there is no sign that this has been done. Now the site is a large pond built for storm drainage.

Will we dispose of this village and lose out on the chance to see and touch our history? Are we so ungrateful for what we have that we turn our backs on those who came before us?

- Cameron Kaufman-Frey

Re-awakening of the Spirit

2010-09-20T20:34:00.002-04:00

Greg writes:

Ahniin, Hello, I am called Greg, I am a husband to Rachel, a father to Nathan, Hannah and Miriam. I am a ‘Oshkabaywis’, or helper to the children of Waabgon Gamig First Nation School on Georgina Island. I follow the path of Gizhemandio, Great Spirit, Creator, God. Welcome to the beginning of Community Mennonite’s experience of ‘Re-awakening of the Spirit’ a journey of healing from trauma suffered from Residential Schools

A national United Church conference entitled ‘Living into Right Relations’ was held in Pinawa, Manitoba in May 2008. This gathering was the beginning of a five-year journey during which Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal people will engage with each other to model and facilitate just and right relations.

From this conference there was a ‘Reawakening the Spirit Gathering’ at Salvation Army Conference Centre in Jackson Point. The gathering went to small circles and decisions were made to bring and share in our local communities the mandate “To foster right relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.“

What will this idea look like? There are a number of educational workshops available to provide opportunities for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to better understand the enduring impact of European worldviews and culture on the First Peoples of Canada. We also wanted to know our neighbours so a “Social Potluck” was planned between Chippewas of Georgina Islands United Church, Trinity United of Newmarket and Community Mennonite of Stouffville.

On Saturday September 4, 2010 some 30 brave members of Community Mennonite met at The Aazhaawe (Going Across) Ferry. It was a blustery day. The only weather we did not experience was snow! Upon disembarking the ferry most members walked to the United Church and enjoyed a 3km trip or should I say they were blown to the church!

We participated in meet and greet games and broke bread together! This was an important step in the start of peoples journey for understanding, reconciliation and healing! These relationships must be fostered for long term just as our Creator had intended from the beginning!

On a note of interest for Community Mennonite Church. There was a baseball tournament happening on Georgina Island at the same time as our social! I was in conversation with a community member and an idea that was put forth “Would your people put a baseball team together and sign up for next year?” Opportunity knocking?

My hope is that we continue this process of friendship and we keep the dialogue ongoing and open for sharing and support. That we are able to share with the understanding and respect that people’s experiences not to be confused with stories! An old saying ”We must look back in order to move forward”, seven generations back seven generations forward!

At the end of the evening after disembarking the Ferry Aazaahawe Creator gave us a full rainbow as a “gift” a “promise of never again!” Chi-Miigwetch to All!

- Greg

Allan on IVEP

2010-08-30T10:36:00.002-04:00

Allan from our community has written a great description of his work with the International Visitor Exchange Program - read the article here, and follow the links for more information.

thoughts as municipal elections approach...

2010-08-19T14:38:00.002-04:00

Here's an article Arnold has written, which we expect will be published in the next issue of the Stouffville Free Press:

Municipal elections are coming soon. Does the church have anything to contribute?

Recently Community Mennonite Church in Stouffville took time to reflect on the needs of our town. We take seriously the Bible’s call to be stewards of the earth and to care for the welfare of our city - in particular, for the needs of the hungry, the outsider, the homeless and the imprisoned. We were very aware of the changes Stouffville has experienced since its beginnings - after all, Stouffville’s founding settlers were Mennonites! Today our town is a fast growing, multi-ethnic, multi-faith community with unique opportunities and complex challenges. Here are a few of our reflections in advance of the municipal election:

Regarding the “outsider” -- or better, the “newcomer”: In 2009, 19% of Gr.3 children in one of our newest schools were born outside of Canada, and 28% were effectively bi-lingual (the first language learned at home was other than English). This is a wonderful gift to our community and should be nurtured. While York Region District School Board will offer 81 language classes as part of its International Languages Elementary Program in 2010-11, we noted that none of these classes will be offered in Stouffville. Hopefully candidates for the school board will address this. Candidates for town council should also be asked for their most creative ideas that embrace the gifts and needs of our town’s new multi-cultural reality.

Regarding the “Poor”: The “long-form census” of 2006 indicates that the median monthly payments for rented dwellings in Whitchurch–Stouffville was 15% higher than the Ontario median, and the average value of homes was 66% higher than the provincial average. Since then soaring housing costs in the region have resulted in a 28% rise in Food Bank use between January 2008 and January 2010. For lack of lower-income housing, the poor leave our community: in 2006, only 4% of residents were in a low-income bracket, compared to the provincial average of 11%. Which candidates have a vision for the poor, e.g., plans for more social or mixed-income housing? What can regional council do better?

Regarding the “Creation”: We live on the environmentally sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine, on the headwaters of the Rouge River, and on the Lake Simcoe watershed. We are to be stewards of this land--for God’s sake and for the sake of future generations. Thankfully, the next phase of our town’s growth is governed by stricter provincial environmental regulations than were in place for Phase One. Vigilance will be crucial: almost all of our neighbouring municipalities have established Environmental (or Watershed) Advisory Committees, and give them high profile on their towns’ respective websites. Whitchurch-Stouffville dismantled its advisory committee some years ago.

Environmental advisory committees can be a nuisance for a town bent on growth. However, a quick survey of our town’s history shows environmental mismanagement devastated the town’s economy once in the early 1900s (deforestation) and also its health and well-being in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, when Toronto’s liquid industrial waste was dumped into an unlined pit above the Stouffville’s main aquifer (north-east of Hwy. 48 and Bloomington Rd). Which candidates for our next council have a vision of sustainable growth? Which candidates will make environmental leadership a signature feature of their campaign—and of our town?

These are a few questions for candidates that come out of the perspective of our faith community. We think that good discussion on these issues will be important for the long-term wellbeing of our town and its residents.

Some of our church members are new to Stouffville and some are descendents of the town’s original settler families. Yet we share a common faith commitment to ask and speak for the needs of the newcomer, the poor, and the creation. We hope to be a place where passion for Jesus and justice meet and take root.

If you are new to Stouffville and looking for a faith community--or simply curious--you are welcome to visit us. We have chosen not to build a structure, but we meet in rented facilities at Parkview Village Auditorium (9th Line) at 11 am. You can also visit our blog at www.communitymennovoices.blogspot.com .

-Arnold Neufeldt-Fast

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how do your gardens grow?

2010-07-13T15:21:00.006-04:00

I brought my Mum to the garden today and together we harvested beans, peas, beets, onions, lettuce and even a few baby carrots! She was quite impressed. Isaac, Sarah and I are so pleased with what the Earth has produced already! It is SO neat to watch these wee little seeds turn into something nutritious and delicious. We definitely feel blessed to be a part of this growing process and rather resourceful as we munch on our greens.

So - in case you haven't sauntered over to the garden in a while, go today because your beans are probably ready! And if they're not, come to our place and we'll share...we've got lots. :)

God is quite the Gardener. All we have to do is plant a seed, and trust.

-Rebecca

Baby Greens

2010-06-15T20:04:00.006-04:00

Here are some photos of our Community Garden.
I noticed that some people have already been eating spring salads! I love seeing the babylike green shoots pop out of the ground.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank Corn

2010-06-13T17:14:00.005-04:00

Hey Church!

We have some exciting growing projects on Ninth Line right now, don't we? From our Community Garden, to acres of corn for the Canadian FoodGrains Bank, we are so blessed with resources, land and a Spirit of awareness and sharing.

Here's a snapshot of our Canadian FoodGrains Bank growing project. The corn was planted at the beginning of June. By the end of the summer, this blog will be a photojournal of the crop's growth! (And any time you are heading North on Ninth Line, keep an eye out for the sign and take a look for yourself!)

Keep growing wee corn plants!

How well do we know our town?

2010-06-02T12:11:00.004-04:00

In preparation for this week's adult Sunday School class, Arnold sent around this message... follow the links to lots of interesting information about our town... as Arnold says, what are the implications of this information for understanding our own mission "in the context in which God has placed us"...?

----------
Our church wants to make reaching out and engaging our community a priority. To continue to do that well, we need to understand both the changes, statistical trends and history of our town. (E.g., I'm almost a Stouffville "old-timer" -- 37% of the community arrived after we did in 2006). Where are the needs? What would be Good News to this community undergoing such a major change-over?

To this end I've made some significant additions to the Wikipedia entry for Whitchurch-Stouffville, with links to many very interesting and important sources (some sample links below). Please take the time to read this entry and come prepared next Sunday to share your experience/wisdom about the context in which God has placed us (and let me know what could/should be added, changed, etc.).

Have a good week,

Arnold
---
If you want to do more reading, here are some sources I found helpful (esp. because they are now all online!):

* Jean Barkey et al, Whitchurch Township (Erin, ON: Boston Mills, 1993).
* Jean Barkey, Stouffville, 1877-1977: A Pictorial History of a Prosperous Ontario Community (Stouffville, ON: Stouffville Historical Committee, 1977).
* Isabel Champion, ed., Markham: 1793-1900 (Markham, ON: Markham Historical Society, 1979), 289-296.
* C.P. Mulvany, et al, Stouffville, History of Toronto and County of York, Ontario (Toronto: C.B. Robinson, 1885), 202f.
* Canadian Council on Learning, Composite Learning Index 2010 Profile: Whitchurch-Stouffville, "Smart Cities," Macleans May 31, 2010.
* 2006 Stats Canada Community Highlights for Whitchurch-Stouffville (compare also 1991 and 1996 profile).
* Cf. the detailed 1878 maps, Township of Markham and Township of Whitchurch, Illustrated historical atlas of the county of York and the township of West Gwillimbury & town of Bradford in the county of Simcoe, Ont. (Toronto : Miles & Co., 1878).

Yella 2010

2010-05-26T12:56:00.002-04:00

Allan writes from Jerusalem:

I wanted to take the time to send an update of what the Yella 2010 Learning Tour group has been up to over the first two weeks of our program, since Community Mennonite Church has been supportive of the program, and in my involvement with the program.

Week one of Yella was focused on learning about the world of Jesus. We toured the old city of Nazareth, spent an afternoon at Nazareth Village, walked the 65 km's of the Jesus Trail (lodging and eating along the way with both Jews and Arabs - check out info on the Jesus Trail here.

We visited many interesting sites like Sephoris (a Roman city of great wealth at the time of Jesus just a few miles from Nazareth). It is likely that Jesus would have spent some time here and perhaps developed some ideas around the contrasts between the empire of this world (Rome) and the empire of heaven while over looking Sephoris from the hilltop above Nazareth. We stayed a night in Cana (the sight of Jesus first miracle turning water into wine at a wedding feast). A few of us wandered into an Arabic wedding, which was fitting!. We stayed and ate the second night on a Moshav (Jewish collective or sorts). We walked over the Horns of Hittin (the sight of a great Crusader battle), and up and down Arbel Cliff (likely one of the high places that Jesus retreated to to pray and seek solitude). The last day of hiking we arrived in Capernaum (the home base of Jesus ministry in the Galilee) and stopped at some interesting sights along the way (mount of Beatitudes, the church located on the spot where tradition claims Jesus fed the 5000, and the church where tradition claims Jesus called Peter the rock on which the church would be founded), all of which provided good opportunities for reading stories about Jesus ministry. The first week provided excellent context for what Jesus would have seen, heard, experienced that gives much insight into what Jesus taught.

The second week of Yella was focused on learning about modern day Israel and Palestine. We spent 4 nights on a Kibbutz with daily activities organized by a Jewish organization that normally does "birthright" tours for Jewish YYA from abroad. We heard a Jewish Israeli perspective on the land, history, and conflict. On Thursday we moved to Bethlehem area to stay with host families and get a Palestinian perspective on the land, history, and situation through an organization that does alternative tourism for groups in the West Bank. The first week was physically challenging, the 2nd week mentally and emotionally challenging, with many stories of pain and loss intertwined with hope and the possibility of reconciliation.

Highlights for me over the past week were two meetings with people working for peace and understanding across political, cultural, and physical walls. The first was with an Israeli couple, the Shehaks, who shared about loosing their 16 year old daughter to a suicide bombing in 1996 in Tel Aviv. They journeyed through pain and anger to a place where they decided to work for peace, and have been sharing their story with Arabs, Jews, Israelis, Palestinians, and foreigners for many years now. They will be coming to Toronto in July and I am hoping to set up a speaking engagement for them.

Another highlight was a visit to The Tent of Nations. The story is too long to share here...suffice it to say that we heard a message of hope in the midst of conflict and pain, of understanding in the midst of walls that separate, of working together towards a better future in the midst of resignation and defeat.

The group has been great so far. Most of them are soaking up the experience. And all the time I have spent with the YYA has given me a good opportunity to share about Mennonite Central Committee and opportunities to get involved. I pray that the group will continue to learn and grow in new ways during our final week in Jerusalem (where we just arrived).

Sincerely,
Allan

Food Inc

2010-05-21T21:25:00.004-04:00

What's that popping up in our community garden?

Peas! Onions! Radishes! Community, as most evenings there is somebody stopping by to do a bit of work or to check on how the plots are doing... and learning little tricks from each other (like using the green bins to transport water)...

And what's that popping up in the local paper? Another article... this one featuring the community garden, and information about the "Food Inc" discussion that will take place next Thursday, May 27, at 7:00 pm at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library.

Spread the word! See you there!

the community garden begins

2010-05-11T12:03:00.005-04:00

solar info evening = full house

2010-05-10T15:45:00.005-04:00

On April 22, about 70 people - including 12 vendors of solar technology - attended the "solar information evening" planned by our congregation in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee's solar initiative. Richard says "It's hard to quantify concrete results, but I suspect attendees went away with a` better understanding of the technology, the economics and the reasons why the technology is of interest to organizations like MCC and people from within the Mennonite church. I suspect also that some people were convinced to install a system. It will be interesting to see what develops."

Interesting indeed!

Here's what our local paper had to say about the event before it happened: Learn how to sell power back to Hydro One: Mennonites host Earth Day seminar in Stouffville.

And here's an article from MCC's website, including information and quotes from the event itself: Loving our neighbours with the sun of God.

Community Garden

2010-04-11T22:15:00.002-04:00

Another initiative that has been germinating (!!) in our community is the idea of a community garden. Some generous folks are making some land available, there has been an initial meeting (with good and enthusiastic attendance and participation), and a second meeting is planned for this coming Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm at the home of Richard and Carolyn.

From small seeds...

solar information evening, April 22

2010-04-06T11:45:00.001-04:00

A couple of years ago one of our church members got up in the sharing time on a Sunday morning and said he was interested in investigating options regarding solar energy, and if anybody else was interested, to come and talk with him after the service. Well, there was quite a gathering within a few moments of the Benediction being spoken, and it was quickly decided to get together that evening for an exploratory discussion.

That evening, at another church family's home, a group of around 15 people gathered and talked and laughed and wondered together, a few people offered to do some further research, and our congregation's solar energy initiative was born. One of the ideas at that initial gathering was for us as a community to develop more experience and expertise in this area, thinking that this experience and expertise could become something that we could then offer to our broader community, in hopes of helping to make a positive impact on the environmental awareness and carbon footprint of our community (both our church community, and our town).

Well, a lot has happened, and it seems that vision is being fulfilled. One family has installed a solar installation on the roof of their house (see this post from April 2009 for more details). Other church families who operate a family business have installed a solar installation at their business, and have now become distributers/promoters for the use of this technology especially in farm applications. They held an information event with local farmers a few weeks ago, and interest is growing.

Now there is another information event planned for Thursday, April 22, at 6:30 pm, at the Parkview Auditorium in Stouffville. Come on out, and invite your friends and neighbours!

This event is happening in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee's solar initiative, as Darren Kropf, the MCCO Creation Care Coordinator, has been keeping in touch regarding what's been going on in Stouffville, and how it connects with what MCC Ontario is doing in other communities, and Darren and MCCO are helping to facilitate this event in Stouffville.

new initiatives

2010-04-06T11:41:00.002-04:00

The fact that there have been no new posts on this blog since December by no means indicates a lack of activity and reflection in our community! It just means... well... that the blog hasn't been updated for a while.

This will be rectified momentarily, as there is a backlog of initiatives and activities to be posted here. Reflective pieces seem to be somewhat harder to come by. Hmmm...

In any case, stay tuned for a series of posts with updates and information on various things that are happening in and among our community. We offer this information in a spirit of wanting to share some of the things that the Spirit is doing among us... and in a spirit of invitation as well, wanting to share this information in a public forum so that if something here catches your eye and interest, please feel free to make contact and follow up and participate. There are exciting things afoot!

Saving the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

2009-12-15T16:55:00.002-05:00

The success of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is everyone's concern. Today the UN General Secretary warned that the talks were faltering, and he pleaded to the nations of the world to increase their pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was also reported today that the Canadian federal government is pondering weaker --not stiffer-- emissions targets for the oil and gas sector. It is now very urgent that we let our government know what our hopes and concerns are.

This Fall the Adult Sunday School of Community Mennonite Church explored the biblical imperative of "Creation Care." We agreed that caring for the health of this sick and groaning planet is not optional for Christians, for our very hope is that God will set the creation free from its bondage to decay (Rom 8:21) and, in Christ, gather up all things in heaven and earth for the praise of his glory (Eph 1:10). And in this cosmic plan we were able to see that the Christian vocation to care for the less fortunate is deeply dependent on a healthy environment. In the context of these discussions we shared a number of inspiring experiments from the past year where we have tried to "walk the talk" of creation care.

Now we have another important opportunity to speak. As leaders gather in Copenhagen for the summit, the church dare not be silent in its prayers and advocacy:

We should pray for the negotiators and leaders in Copenhagen, that they may have the wisdom to see and the courage to do what is right.
We should write our Prime Minister immediatetly. You may wish to use a pre-written letter addressed to the Prime Minister contained in the link: http://www.climatechangetaskforce.org, or send your own email directly to the Prime Minister's Office (pm@pm.gc.ca).
We should write our local Member of Parliament. The MPs are listening carefully to their constituency on this issue and they may have some influence in the decision our government takes this week. For those who live in the "Oakridges-Markham" riding (this includes Stouffville), our Member of Parliament is Paul Calandra. You can share your "comments or thoughts" on his webpage (http://www.paulcalandra.com/have-your-say.htm). I wrote Mr. Calandra last week and outlined my concerns and hopes. To his credit, he phoned me back within hours and even left his cell number on the answering machine. He clearly took notice; I encourage you to write him.

The good news of the Bible is that God's work of reconciliation in Christ includes reconciliation with all things on earth (Col 1:20). This week we have some important opportunities to witness to and participate in what God is doing.
Arnold Neufeldt-Fast

Give A Day To World AIDS

2009-12-01T16:26:00.003-05:00

Today is World AIDS Day, and Jane Philpott from our congregation is the founder of the "Give a Day to World AIDS" movement, inspiring people to give a day's pay to help those affected by HIV/AIDS.

You can watch an inspirational message from Jane, read her blog post, listen to her interview this morning with Andy Barrie on CBC's "Metro Morning" radio program... (if you click here and wait a few seconds, you should hear the audio. The interview's running time is 6:27.)

You can also use this online calculator to calculate a day's pay and make a donation.

Jane concludes her blog post with these words that speak with particular resonance in this season of Advent...

We may be daunted by the magnitude of the task. But we have already come a long way. In the five years since the Give a Day movement started, the number of people in the world on antiretroviral treatment has increased by ten-fold! This has happened through extraordinary efforts of countless people around the world.

To reach a world without AIDS, we have to walk far. We share this path together.

Please engage in an act of solidarity today. Please give a day’s pay… because a day makes a world of difference.

Culture Shock Art Show

2009-10-11T01:03:00.003-04:00

Culture Shock is an art show designed to make you think about how culture affects us, what it is, and what happens when different cultures collide, etc.

WHERE: Danforth Mennonite Church
WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 7:30 - 10:00pm.

The artists featured are connected to the Mennonite Community in Toronto and the GTA, including:

Lorne Grove
Paul Plett
Leah Reesor
Joel Nash
Trevor Pogue
Sarah Steiner

There will be refreshments and plenty of interesting artwork to discover. Tell your friends!

"father figure"

2009-10-02T17:23:00.004-04:00

Pastor Cameron writes:

In a Rejoice magazine reflection for Monday, September 28, Fred Steiner writes about a football coach in his community who became a father figure to many of his players. He uses this example to illustrate what 1 Chronicles 28:6-10 is saying about God adopting Solomon as his son. This is not about a blood relationship but about the kind of relationship it is.

For years I have used the title of “Father” hesitantly for God. Partly it was in response to the fact that the majority of images used for God are male, and I don't believe that God is male. I also remember hearing a man say that he didn't like to hear people call God “Father.” His father was very abusive and when he heard “Father”, that's all he could think of. Of course, there are abusive mothers, too. So should we avoid using the parental imagery for God? Other people have said that using parental imagery has helped them heal from being abused by parents. Picturing God as a parent that truly loves and cares for them makes them feel safe and, by being able to relate to our perfect parent, they have a model that helps them to be better parents.

Now, I think these people probably had other people in their lives that provided parental love, like the football coach I mentioned above. I don't think it's possible for us to know God completely separately from our human experience. But all our experiences come short of all that God is. All our descriptions of God have some
possible negative aspects to them. For example, a monarch can be a tyrant and a shepherd cares for sheep in order to use it for its fleece or to eat.

Nothing is more universal, more multicultural, than the parental role. Even orphans who never knew their parents can identify with the idea of a loving parent. Can we talk about God as Father and Mother that doesn't alienate some people? Are there ways of describing God that are more appropriate at this time? I think I'm ready to try.

- Cameron Kaufman-Frey

help harvest pumpkins

2009-09-29T02:58:00.002-04:00

Anyone, all ages, are welcome to help harvest the pumpkins (see the previous post) on Wednesday September 30th, 4:30pm. Meet at Richard Reesor's farm packing plant located at 11691 Warden ave, just north of 19th. This is part of our congregation's "Growing Project" in support of Canada Foodgrains Bank.

pumpkins with a purpose

2009-09-24T18:12:00.005-04:00

The Rose family is inviting participation in the "Pumpkins for Charity" initiative again this year... read on!

Pumpkins for Charity

WHEN: Saturday October 3rd, 10am-12:30pm…drop by, have a visit with us and take home your beautiful, locally grown pumpkins! If you can’t come to the sale but would like some pumpkins, please call Jen or Ken. We’ll happily deliver!

WHERE: (please e-mail one of the blog co-moderators - see the column on the side of this blog - for this info or for the Rose family's phone number.)

WHY: Everyone loves pumpkins AND all proceeds go to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank; serving hungry people around the world.

Make a difference….pumpkins with a purpose.

Community Mennonite Calendar

2009-09-12T22:36:00.028-04:00

New! Above you will find the new Community Mennonite Church Online Calendar. All committees are encouraged to submit the dates of events and meetings for the 2009-2010 year to Bryan M-S or Arnold N-F. This calendar will be updated regularly. Scroll through it and see what is being planned!

Ben to Bangladesh

2009-08-07T11:08:00.002-04:00

Today Ben heads off to Bangladesh for his one-year SALT term. We commissioned him last Sunday, as is our custom, saying, among other things, that "We accept your service as an extension of this congregation and pledge our support for your ministry..." and "...our prayers will continually support you while you are absent from us."

Ben has started a blog that he plans to update regularly as a way to communicate with anybody who would like to read about his experiences and reflections over the coming year. You can find the blog here.

Blessings to you, Ben, as you go out from here - know that our prayers are with you!

welcoming new members

2009-06-11T20:55:00.002-04:00

What a delight on Pentecost Sunday to welcome Luke, Rachael, Christina, Hazel, Lorne, Greg, Rachel, Jane, and Pep as new members of Community Mennonite Church!

And within a few days, lo and behold, another new arrival...

Thanks be to God!

annual gathering of mcec

2009-05-12T10:22:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago was the annual gathering of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. Click here for a 3 minute video overview of the day...

What's For Dinner?

2009-05-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

Here's an article by Rachael Gelinas, who moved to Stouffville last year with her husband Luke and young-and-growing family, and who attends Community Mennonite Church... this article was published recently in the Stouffville Free Press...

What's For Dinner?
Thinking about the Ethics of Eating

Many people these days seem to be admirably concerned about issues beyond themselves and their own well-being. People are starting to look in earnest at the big picture when it comes to the economy and the environment. We’re hearing a lot about "green living" in politics and advertising. We’re all questioning the environmental and economical impact of what cars we choose to drive, what vacations we choose to take, and what products we choose to buy. But perhaps something we don’t often think about -- in terms of repercussions larger than personal health -- is the simple question of what we eat. Talk of global economies is often in terms of oil, automobiles, electronics, etc. But the food economy also plays a central role in global economics. We can live without cars and laptops, but we can’t live without food. When Canada’s 33 million people ask themselves “What’s for dinner?” the answer has far-reaching consequences.

As my family and I have struggled with this question, on the practical level of “what’s for dinner tonight”, and on a more theoretical level, we’ve come to realize that we need to ask exactly who we’re supporting by our food choices. Are we supporting local farmers? Struggling third world growers? Or are we choosing to line the pockets of giant corporations?

Although these seem like daunting questions to ask on a daily basis, we’ve found that a couple of guidelines have simplified the issue: Be aware of how far your food has traveled. Eat fresh and local whenever possible. This happens to be both most beneficial to our health and to the environment (and arguably the economy). When buying packaged food, read the list of ingredients. If it’s longer than five items, and/or if the ingredients are unpronounceable and/or unrecognizable, try to leave it out of the cart.

As Stouffvillites, we live in an area wonderfully rich in agricultural history, with plenty of access to farmers’ markets and local Community Supported Agricultural initiatives (or CSAs). Personally, as people of faith, my family and I find that our greatest motivation to eat ethically lies in the biblical command to be good stewards of our bodies and of the earth. As Wendell Berry, writer/farmer and man of faith himself, put it: “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing, responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”

Recommended reading:
Michael Pollan’s "In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore’s Dilemma"
Paul Roberts’ "The End of Food"
Wendell Berry’s "The Gift of Good Land"

pandemic preparedness

2009-04-30T21:57:00.002-04:00

Pastor Cameron writes:

Each day as we hear more about the Swine Flu Pandemic we feel a little more anxious and perhaps a little helpless. There is information available to help us start thinking about what we can do if the situation continues to worsen. Mennonite Church Canada has a website with resources for churches to think about how to respond. You can visit that website by clicking here - and use the tabs at the top of the page for links that will help us think about what our congregation may be called to do.

- Cameron Kaufman-Frey

solar initiative update

2009-04-17T10:46:00.003-04:00

- from Richard Reesor & Bruce Syvret:

Background Information

In November 2007, a group of members of Community Mennonite Church met to discuss the potential of alternative home energy sources as a means to reducing our collective carbon footprint. In particular, the group was interested in considering the potential of solar power as a home energy source. Various members of the group were involved by collecting information, consulting with potential suppliers, analyzing the environmental impact and evaluating the financial feasibility. The assessment indicated that the project seemed viable and it was decided that the next step was to proceed with the installation of a PV solar system on the home of one of the members as a prototype. A 2.52 kW system was installed in September of 2008 and connected to the Ontario electrical grid in late October. The following is a summary of the results to date.

Energy Production Summary

Projected Actual
Month kWh kWh

November 140 130
December 120 120
January 151 160
February 195 200
March 256 270
April 289 170 (Apr 1-15)
Total 1151 1050

Financial Analysis

The system installed was under the Standard Offer Program (SOP) which pays $0.42 /kWh. Annual energy production is estimated to be 2957 kWh, resulting in annual revenues of $1,242. The electricity generated is roughly 2/3 of the annual electricity used by the home. The cost of the system installed, net of rebates, is approximately $20,000. The payback period is estimated to be 16 years, representing a 6-7% return on investment.

A recent change to the SOP has raised the price of the generated energy to $0.80 /kWh. This change has dramatically changed the financial viability of the project. As a result, a PV roof mounted solar system installed under the new price structure will generate annual revenues equal to approximately 9% of the cost of the system indicating a payback period of roughly 11 years. As an example, a $20,000 system would generate roughly $1,800 per year in electricity. Annual maintenance costs for the life of the contract are expected be insignificant.

Environmental Analysis

Calculating the environmental impact of generating solar electricity is not an exact science. However, estimates can be made. The following website, www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator estimates that the CO2 emissions created from the generation of 3000 kWh of coal equals 2.25 metric tonnes. A careful reader of this analysis will question the logic of basing the calculation of the CO2 emissions based on coal noting that in Ontario less than half of the energy generated is sourced from fossil fuels. While this is correct, it should be noted that the peak solar generation production period coincides with peak power usage in the province. The province relies on fossil fuels to cover this peak demand period. In effect, solar generated power more or less replaces fossil fuel generated power; hence the defence for basing the estimate on CO2 emissions on replacing coal generated electricity.

It should also be noted that while this savings in CO2 emissions is considerable, compared to other typical household activity, it is less significant. For example, the above mentioned carbon calculator estimates that a medium sized vehicle driving 1500 km`s per month emits 6.6 tonnes CO2 annually. Therefore, a 33% reduction in personal car travel would have a similar impact on CO2 emissions. Another example is the household clothes dryer. The following website, http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Return-of-the-Clothesline-Debate claims that a typical dryer is responsible for 1 tonne of emissions per year. The implication is that a $50 investment in a clothes line has the potential to save almost as many emissions as a $10,000 investment in a solar generator. These examples are not mentioned to diminish the potential benefits of solar power; rather they are mentioned to highlight the importance of energy conservation as the first step in reducing CO2 emissions.

Summary Information

The experience to date has been very positive. It would appear that the initial projections for energy generation provided by the system provider are accurate. As the table above indicates, actual energy produced to date has been very close to projections. The installation was handled very professionally, with minimal effort required on my part. Based on experience to date, and the added incentive of the updated SOP, it would seem that the technology is financially viable and could be considered by other interested members of the community. However, it should also be noted that as the discussion above mentions, a solar generation installation should only be considered in conjunction with other conservation measures. As good as the financial return may be for a PV system under the SOP, other ``low tech`` solar technologies such as clothes lines and energy conservation measures should be considered as a first step in reducing ones carbon footprint.

Submitted by Richard Reesor & Bruce Syvret

Thinking on the Middle East...

2009-01-31T10:30:00.003-05:00

Here is a blog I've come across that is dedicated to dialoguing about the conflict in Israel/Palestine. Reading the stories and firsthand experiences of MCC Palestine is a good supplement/alternative to mainstream media.

Check it out. http://mccpalestine.blogspot.com/

Gratitude for Christmas

2008-12-17T17:22:00.002-05:00

by Michael Turman, who is just finishing his "Ministry Inquiry" at Community Mennonite Church, and will begin as Youth Pastor at First Mennonite Church in Kitchener in the New Year:

Can you feel it coming? The days are shorter, the nights colder, the house warmer and homier. The stores are decorated, the strings of lights are coming out, and that familiar music can be heard everywhere you go. Excitement and nostalgia are growing. Christmas will soon be here!

Strangely, such a special celebration brings so much anxiety and stress with it. We worry about the decorations, the dinner planning, the intense time management. After the presents are opened we sometimes get annoyed thinking about the things we asked for but did not receive. We worry a lot about which people we are supposed to get gifts for, and then wonder if the gifts we choose are nice or meaningful enough. Lost in these worldly concerns, many Christians develop another fear: Are we faithful enough to the spirit of Christmas? All of these anxieties reflect one thing: dissatisfaction.

Our dissatisfaction is not what Christmas should highlight. Christmas is a celebration of a miracle: the birth of a particular boy we believe brought us salvation. Is that gift alone not enough for us to celebrate? If the celebration of God's gift of Jesus is enough, then should we not be satisfied by the presences of whatever friends of family are with us? Satisfied by whatever may be the meal, satisfied by whatever we are able to give those we love, by whatever we receive from them, whether a hug, a kind word or an iPod? If we choose to be satisfied with what we have and who we are, then we can truly receive the gifts of the season with joy and give of what we have graciously, free from the fear of its inadequacy.

How can we practice this radical gratitude at Christmas? Tell people how much you appreciate their gifts and contributions—no matter how small. Teach your kids not to make a mile-long wish list, but make a thank-you list of simple things they are glad to have. Don’t believe the advertisers when they tell you that your loved ones will only be happy once they have the flashiest toys of the moment. If we are not happy now with all that God gives us every day, a few mass-produced gadgets will not change that. With hearts filled with gratitude, our holiday season can be a time of peace and joy. May God bless you with such gratitude!

- Michael Turman

Lorne Grove up to his tricks again...

2008-12-12T11:49:00.002-05:00

Here's an article in the recent Stouffville Sun-Tribune about one of Lorne Grove's latest artistic projects...

give a day

2008-12-11T08:19:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago Jane Philpott shared her experiences and reflections with the rest of Community Mennonite Church, inviting and challenging us to understand ourselves as "part of the body," and also inviting us to "give a day for AIDS." That is, to give the equivalent of a day's pay for the battle against the AIDS epidemic.

Here's an article in the Toronto Star about this initiative that Jane has started.

Peace and Ahmadinejad

2008-10-23T17:51:00.001-04:00

From Cameron Kaufman-Frey, our pastor:

Here is a link to a podcast that I found very interesting. In meeting with President Ahmadinejad, Robert "Jack" Suderman and other church leaders were criticized for in some way offering President Ahmadinejad legitimacy or acceptance. Jack talks about how he saw it as a way to witness to the way of peace. I encourage you to have a listen, as it will get you thinking about how we witness to world leaders and how we relate to religious leaders from other faiths.

Cam

fear and hope

2008-10-16T15:01:00.002-04:00

Mike Turman recently began a "ministry inquiry" program in our congregation, and wrote this article that was published recently in Canadian Mennonite:

Fear and hope drive all people. This is the most prominent lesson I learned on the MCEC Yella trip to Israel-Palestine this past May. During the three weeks we spent in the Holy Land, our group of 23 young adults was exposed to overwhelming layers of history, religion, culture, race and politics. The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, the hope and fear to be witnessed on both sides stood out for me.

The security wall surrounding the West Bank is the most prominent symbol of this conflict and of the lesson I learned. We travelled to Bethlehem and stayed for three days in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour. For visitors, as for residents, it is hard to ignore the massive eight meter concrete structure that passes right around and through the city. It may be seen as a symbol of fear: the Israeli fear of Palestinian violence. Conversely, it represents the fear that the Israeli military is inflicting to the residents of the West Bank.

Throughout those three days our host families and others we met told us about the difficulties imposed on them. For instance, the night we arrived I was taken to the birthday celebration of my host family's grandfather. In spite of the cake and gathered relatives, the festivities were muted. That day was the 60th anniversary of the Naqba, “the Catastrophe”, when Israel was formed and many Palestinians were forced from their home towns. It's harder to celebrate when simply commuting to work could mean an hour or more of waiting at a checkpoint.

We walked along the wall ourselves. It runs right through the city of Bethlehem, dividing neighbourhoods arbitrarily. The West Bank side is covered with art and graffiti. Politically charged images of beasts, bombs and cultural clash seemingly respond to the wall's dehumanising effects—it not only cuts off all residents of the West Bank from the land (Jerusalem, Israel and other cities), it also keeps Israelis living nearby from seeing their Palestinian neighbours. 8-meter tall concrete slabs can do little but oppress the spirits of people on both sides.

Yet as we walked along that overbearing wall we saw signs of hope. There are hundreds of hopeful messages spray-painted on it. German slogans recall the Berlin wall and the belief of its builders that it would stand for hundreds of years. The Israeli side of the wall wears banners proclaiming peace in Hebrew, Arabic and English. A favourite mural of ours was a colourful collage of teddy bears and toys, with the words, “I want my ball back! Thanks” written above. The hunger for free and secure lives is palpable on both sides.

This discovery of the forces that drive people has changed me. Before, conflicts around the world seemed distant. The greatest hopes and fears I encountered during my life as a student were getting good grades, of having enough money for the term, or the insecurity of a bad breakup. Now, though, I've seen what happens when a whole group of people is violated in some way, as both the Jews and the Palestinians have been in the last century. They are all looking for the kind of security that we have in Canada. We must not take it for granted.

This trip and its lessons have given me purpose as well: to share the thin slice of perspective on humanity that I've gained. We are connected to people and events everywhere. The pain and joys visible in that part of the Middle East is analogous to the experiences of people in conflicts throughout the world, whether affected by residential schools in Canada, devastated by natural disasters in Indonesia, or hoping for change in Zimbabwe. In a sense, these are matters of life and death, yet life goes on nevertheless.

There is a challenge here for me and for each of us, as Christians. Though fear is a powerful force, I now know in my gut what I'm working for: hope.

- Mike Turman

Fair Trade

2008-10-14T10:04:00.003-04:00

Here's a recent article by Pastor Cam Kaufman-Frey that was published in the Stouffville Free Press:

Tainted milk in China has people talking. Usually the average person doesn't think much about international trade. But lately we've heard news, particularly from China, of tainted milk. This follows reports earlier this year unsafe toys. Suddenly we begin to wonder about products that come from overseas.

We in Ontario has also seen that trade can mean a loss of jobs. Our manufacturers are struggling to compete with low wages overseas. Hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs have disappeared. And many of the factories that now make the goods we buy are paying wages that aren't enough for their workers to survive on.

It's unfortunate if we think of trade in such a negative light. Exporting and importing goods around the world could do a lot to improve the lives of everyone. With this in mind, people of good will are becoming aware of the practice of “Fair Trade.”

Fair Trade could be called “trade with a conscience.” Instead of looking only at profit, fair trade organisations seek to ensure that products are produced in safe, sustainable ways and that prices will provide a living wage for all those involved in producing consumer goods.

Our congregation has discussed Fair Trade. Some of us are concerned with its limitations but all of us are pleased with its effects on the lives of hard working people. While it can't solve all the inequities in the world, it does make a difference for thousands of people. On the first weekend in October at the Markham Fair, we will be joining other Mennonite churches in our area in selling Fair Trade goods from Ten Thousand Villages. Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest and best known fair trade organisations in North America. It sells crafts and food from around the world, winning awards for the positive role it has played in improving the lives of artisans in impoverished regions.

If you'd like to read more about Fair Trade or Ten Thousand Villages, check their web site.

- Cameron Kaufman-Frey

Harvest Begins

2008-10-12T00:04:00.003-04:00

Here is one of the two fields that our congregation is supporting and sending the proceeds of to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Check out their website http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/ for more information about their work both locally and internationally.

And don't forget! This week on Thursday, October 16, you can celebrate World Food Day! Follow the link for more details.

ENLACE

2008-07-29T15:30:00.001-04:00

Here's where our ENLACE participants are blogging - have a look.

bangladesh blog

2008-05-30T12:13:00.003-04:00

Hi church family!

I've heard such positive feedback from the Yella blog that I thought Shikka should have one too. It is a good way to keep in contact with you while our group is on the other side of the world.

So, while we are in Bangladesh, we will post some entries whenever we have an internet connection. Check out Shikka's blog and read of the experiences of the whole group!

Thank you for all your support, both financially and through prayer. It is most meaningful.

Dhonnobad (Thank you)
Rebecca

environmental action

2008-05-22T22:32:00.002-04:00

Here's an article by Geralde that will soon be appearing in the Stouffville Free Press:

GOD’S EARTH CAN STILL SUSTAIN US, BUT WE NEED TO ACT NOW

Global warming, contamination, air quality advisory… these are words of today. All is not well with God’s creation. Its current state warrants great concern. Depletion of the ozone layer, disappearing rain forests, melting polar ice caps, and –much closer to home– rapidly disappearing farm land. And these are but a few examples…

When asked how God is revealed to them, many Christians will mention “nature”. If God speaks to us through His creation, why do we not take better care of it? Is it not our Christian responsibility to be good stewards of our earth? No matter how you interpret the creation story, the environment started out in perfect balance. In Genesis we read: “God saw all that He had made and it was very good”. God then entrusted people to take care of the earth, but they soon started doing things their own way, often at the expense of God’s good work.

Today, we do not live in harmony with creation. In our disposable society, we build up landfill sites faster than they can break down, our need for bigger houses swallows up farm land. Convenience is our biggest enemy. We are sold on the idea that everything should be effortless, regardless of the -environmental or financial- cost. We have become so far removed from nature that we cannot see the impact of our actions. Our waste is picked up weekly or goes down a big pipe. Out of sight, out of mind… Would we make different lifestyle choices if we had to throw our waste in our backyard, between the water well and the children’s swing set?

Even today, the earth is able to sustain all people in the world, but not necessarily our lifestyle. Or, in Ghandi’s words: “there are sufficient resources on earth to satisfy everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed”. Greed can be material, but also immaterial, such as time and effort (convenience). We need to determine where, in our life, need stops and greed begins.

Fortunately, there is a positive side to this story. Carbon neutrality, renewable energy and sustainability are also words of today. We need to focus on these positives, and realize that Mother Earth can heal herself, but not without our help.

This year, several members of Community Mennonite Church formed an Environmental Action Committee, in a desire to take some concrete steps to address climate change. The first focus has been to explore the viability of solar energy. As a pilot project, one family will have solar panels installed on its home and sell the energy back to the grid. A second initiative, on using geothermal energy, is in the information gathering stage. In the future, we hope to promote alternative energy sources in the Stouffville area, to help families reduce the size of their ecological footprint and perhaps save money in the process.

Since not everyone can install solar panels tomorrow, we must remember we can start small and still make a difference. Whether it is rechargeable batteries or natural cleaning products, a small vegetable garden or postponing that errand until you have to drive into town anyway… Every little effort has an accumulative effect once it becomes a habit.

If you would like to join our Environmental Action Committee, please contact us and we will welcome you into our discussions.

Let’s accept the invitation to be caretakers of this beautiful earth.

- Geralde Reesor-Grooters

so that's where they are

2008-05-10T11:12:00.002-04:00

You can follow the adventures and reflections of our young adults in the Middle East right here. They're blogging every day, so you might want to adjust your "online time budget" accordingly...

Celebrating With Jim Veltman

2008-05-09T14:39:00.003-04:00

Eugene writes:

Last weekend we cheered, we cried, we celebrated with a friend who has been a model of sportsmanship at the highest level of professional competition. The Toronto Rock lacrosse game on April 27 celebrated the retirement of Community participant Jim Veltman. The tributes were moving, the game was exciting and our church celebrated in a new way!

And ... of note ... our church attendance that morning (when we adjusted the worship time a little bit to enable more people to attend the game and support Jim) was amongst our largest ever. Hmm ... maybe we are on to something...

Here's an article from the local paper, and a YouTube clip of the tribute at the ACC...

look out, world!

2008-04-24T14:21:00.004-04:00

The young people from Community Mennonite Church are going places... literally.

You can read here about Rebecca's upcoming trip to Bangladesh in June (she has been helping to organize a service-and-learning experience called Shikka, which is a Bengla word meaning "to learn").

Sarah and Christine will be going to Guatemala later in this summer with ENLACE, another serving-and-learning program run by MCC Ontario (and one of the leaders will be Denise - also of our congregation).

And then there's ANOTHER overseas learning experience - this one called YELLA (I know... MCC's department of "program-name-thinker-uppers" has been working overtime), involving Justin, Ben, Kayla, David, Mike, Derek, and Kevin, with Allan as one of the leaders as well.

Here's what Justin had to say about the trip in a recent message to the congregation:

"This May I will be participating in a young adult learning trip to Israel/Palestine with a group of 20 plus people. This 3 week trip, jointly sponsored by Mennonite Church Eastern Canada and Mennonite Central Committee Ontario, is designed to provide young adults, like myself, with faith-shaping and faith-stretching experiences that will help us develop as Christian disciples and leaders. I feel like being in the “holy land” will go a long way in solidifying my own faith by experiencing contexts of the bible and the Christian faith visually and first hand.

The tour is named Yella, which means “Let’s go!” in both Arabic and Hebrew. This Middle East experience will provide us with the opportunity to wrestle with multi-faith realities, delve into issues that divide people, explore biblical stories within their context, and encounter a Jesus we have not met . . . yet! Linford Stutzman, professor of culture and mission at Eastern Mennonite University will be leading the tour. He has led several groups of EMU students on semesters in the Middle East. There is also a service component where we will work at Nazareth Village, a Mennonite mission organization that helps hundreds of tourists each month understand the teachings of Jesus within 1st century Palestine."

... and here are some words from Mike - an invitation to a special event TOMORROW evening (Friday, April 25):

"This Friday at Rouge Valley Mennonite Church we are hosting a
Coffeehouse Fundraiser to help us be able to afford this trip. The
show, which features acoustic sets by local musical talents, will
begin at 7:30. The bill includes the Markham MYF Praise Band, Marcus Adrian & Co., Allan Reesor-McDowell, Mike Turman, and Antigonie.

Desserts and refreshments will be provided as well. Please come
prepared to support our trip to the holy land."

What If?

2008-04-09T14:52:00.001-04:00

Here's an article by Paul that appeared in last week's Stouffville Free Press:

As a member of Community Mennonite Church of Stouffville, a peace church that promotes non-violent, constructive and transforming approaches to conflict, I became quite concerned after hearing that the Canadian military is recruiting in high schools across Canada (including Stouffville). The military is presented as a career option and targets teenagers through offering to pay for higher education if they enlist and recruiters present a career in the military as one of promoting peace-keeping throughout the world. My concern was heightened in hearing that the goal for recruitment is the “Number of recruiters being increased from 300 currently to 30,000 in the short-term to 80,000 in the long term.” (General Rick Hillier, February, 2006). "We are the Canadian Forces, and our job is to be able to kill people" -- General Rick Hillier, July 13, 2005. Is learning to kill people being presented as just another exciting career option?

In high school in the late 60's in Markham, I was taught that Canada was an international leader in finding peaceful means to resolve conflicts and was a leader in contributing to a world UN police force. In this new century, Canada has been steadily giving up its special leadership in international peace-keeping. Instead, the militarization (violence) of Canada’s response to international relations has increased and we have become a lower-grade partner with other countries in using military force to try to establish peace (Afganistan). This approach is internationally recognized as ineffective, and in fact increases the cycle of violence.

This change has made me quite sad at what has been lost to my children and to our country. What if Canada was truly in the business of saving lives and reducing conflict rather than having the job of being “able to kill people?” What if, instead of a doubling of the Canadian military budget over the past 10 years to 17 billion dollars, half of that had gone to using peaceful means that actually work in reducing and transforming international conflict? What if only the 2007 military overspending of one billion dollars was put into courses in high school and colleges that teach conflict resolution and transformation and how lives can be saved? What if our teenagers were offered free university education to become international peacekeepers? I expect that many young persons would jump at the chance and take great pride in being international peacekeepers. We all know that we define ourselves as a country by the resources we put into education. Are we putting our resources into teaching war? Or can we put our resources into teaching peace and once again become world leaders in transforming conflicted societies?

- Paul McDowell

new life

2008-03-28T10:26:00.003-04:00

What a delight, on Easter Sunday, to celebrate Christine's baptism and Nick and Christine's public confession of faith and decision to formally "cast their lot" with us as members of this joyfully ragged band of disciples seeking to follow Jesus wherever he may lead us.

May we all walk in "newness of life" in this Easter season!

Lorne Grove's art

2008-03-07T10:44:00.006-05:00

If you've visited For The Love of Jo Coffee House on Main St. in the past few days you may or may not have noticed that you are sitting - and sipping - in the presence of over 40 years of artwork by Lorne Grove, a member of our church. If you haven't had a chance yet, do stop by and have a look. Here's a small sampling, and some words from Lorne about his art.

"From the priceless treasure of a childhood on a frugal Mennonite farm near Dickson Hill; a journey on a freight ship from New York to Bombay for three years in India with Mennonite Central Committee; to senior years with our children and grandchildren, I consider every additional day as totally bonus."

- Lorne Grove

CHILDHOOD HOME

learning from La Casa Grande - helping La Casa Grande

2008-03-04T11:16:00.007-05:00

Here is Denise's promised follow-up from her message to us on Sunday:

At our church retreat last weekend I presented about my time spent working at an orphanage, La Casa Grande, in Benin.

I reflected on how we can learn from the Beninese and their remarkable way of placing God at the centre of every part of their lives. I suggested that their few material possessions allow them to focus on spirituality more fully than us as wealthy North Americans.

To follow up on this message I encourage Community members to find something material in their lives that has become an unnecessary habit. I then challenge you to give this particular thing up for one month. Hopefully this act will allow for time to re-evaluate what we really value. Potentially it could also engage others in conversation.

(eg: "Fred, did you see the hockey game last night? No, Stanley, I've decided to cut the cable this month and was unable to watch the game," "Really Fred, please tell me why you would ever do something like that...")

Doing this will also free up some cash that could then be sent to La Casa Grande. Currently the orphanage is expanding in order to accommodate more children. Our spare dollars would go far in aiding fundraising and demonstrating our shared interest in caring for the forgotten children of Benin.

Let's plan on starting next Monday the 9th. Take this week to discuss with your family and decide what would be appropriate for you.

Let's share with one another our ideas! It would be motivating and encouraging. I'll let you know what our family has decided upon in the next few days.

Thanks for your interest and openess. I was truly blown over on Sunday by the support I felt from this congregation!

- Denise

shikka

2008-02-21T14:27:00.002-05:00

Hello church!

This past fall, I have been working with Mennonite Central Committee Ontario in helping to organize a service and learning trip for young adults to Bangladesh in June. The trip is for people over age 18 who want to learn more about the work of MCC and have an international learning experience. The program is called Shikka, which is the Bengla word for 'to learn.'

We will be staying with the Sisters at Global Family Catholic Mission and will be teaching children English, and playing with them through songs and games. This will be an opportunity to learn about another culture, religion and language and see where the money from MCC's Global Family Program is going.

I have learned a lot about organizing and planning this year through Shikka. It is a learning experience in itself to take on a role such as this one and receive applications, plan meetings and work on fund raising.

I have wanted to share about this in church for the past few Sundays but I always think about it after the service. So, here is the update! Stay tuned for fun fund raisers coming up and more news about this exciting experience!

Peace,
Rebecca

new initiatives

2008-02-15T16:10:00.002-05:00

As we move into this season of Lent it is worth noting some new initiatives taking shape among us at Community Mennonite Church - initiatives that in different ways reflect the Lenten pursuits of soul-searching, taking stock, and repentance.

1) a group has met a few times to discuss our environmental concerns and desire to work toward specific and concrete changes. One family has begun the process of conducting an "energy audit" of their house, with a view toward becoming outfitted for solar power generation. The hope is that we as a community can support this process, learn from it, and help to facilitate more households "going solar." From such humble origins the 'Stouffville Initiative for Solar Energy" is beginning to take shape... drawing some inspiration from similar initiatives that are emerging in different parts of Toronto.

2) our congregational Care Groups have begun to meet for a simple meal of soup and bread, a brief time of sharing, and prayer. These groups meet on the second Sunday of every month and are open to all ages.

3) on Wednesday evenings during Lent (8:00-9:00) Joyce is leading a group in exploring different forms of prayer.

If you would like to participate in any of these groups, please don't hesitate to be in touch. It's good to walk together on this journey of learning to love God and God's creation, our neighbours, and ourselves.

don't bring your horse to church

2008-02-08T16:27:00.000-05:00

Here is an article by Pastor Cameron - soon to be published in the Stouffville Free Press:

Perhaps you have heard that Stouffville was named after a Mennonite family that settled here in , but you've wondered, “What happened to the Mennonites?” They may not be as easy to spot as you think.

I can still remember my sister telling the story of when the people she worked with discovered that she was a Mennonite. While she was a university student, she worked summers in Waterloo. People who had not grown up in the area were talking about wanting to see some Mennonites. “I'm a Mennonite,” my sister announced. With utter astonishment on her face, her co-worker asked, “Well, where do you keep your horse when you're at work?”

It's easy to understand why the image of the horse and buggy comes to mind when we talk about being Mennonite. Since some Mennonites have rejected some technological advances, they are very conspicuous. Most Mennonites cannot be identified by what they drive or what they wear. We are a diverse Christian denomination, with churches in downtown Toronto as well as in rural Ontario. We have churches in every continent on the globe. In fact, in 2003 there were as many Mennonites in India as in Canada and for years Africa has been the continent with the most Mennonites. So you may not realise who are the Mennonites around you.

What Mennonites do share are beliefs that can be traced to the beginning of our church. Our church grew out of the Anabaptist movement that began during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. The Anabaptists took a radical stand in saying that the church should be separate from the State. This doesn't sound radical today but in Europe at that time, kings, princes and political leaders would decide the church to which their people would belong. So a baby became a Christian and a citizen of the State through infant baptism. The Anabaptists challenged this practice by refusing to baptize infants. Instead, they baptized only those who were old enough to choose to join a church.

Mennonites also share the heritage of being an “Historic Peace Church.” In the midst of the religious wars of the sixteenth century, Mennonites learned that violence does not make the world a better place. They came to believe that when Jesus said, “Love your enemies”, he meant that we cannot use violence against anyone, even those we detest. Peacemaking has come to mean many things to us, including nonviolent conflict resolution, economic justice and caring for the earth.

Community Mennonite Church of Stouffville would be happy if you would join us in striving to follow Jesus Christ. We meet at the Parkview Village auditorium on Sunday. Our Sunday School for all ages meets at 10:00 a.m. and our worship service begins at 11:00 a.m. Come as you are – with whatever mode of transportation you like!

The 100 Mile Diet: an examination of the evidence

2007-11-02T11:44:00.000-04:00

Here is an article by Richard Reesor of our community, who shared it in our adult Sunday School class on Sunday. It has sparked lots of good reflection and discussion - we're hoping it can continue on this blog!

Richard writes:

I have noted recently many articles published in the media encouraging a movement towards local eating spawned in part by the book entitled “The 100 Mile Diet”. The introduction to the “100 Mile Diet” contains the following quotes,

“The year of eating locally began with one beautiful meal and one ugly statistic…According to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, the food we eat now typically travels between 1500 and 3000 miles from farm to plate.”

The writers go on to chronicle a year of eating food only produced within 100 miles of their Vancouver apartment. They provide an interesting collection of anecdotes describing their quest for a local diet. The message I took from the book is that this diet comes with significant sacrifice, but in the interest of building community and in the interest of the environment, society should move towards this model of a food production system. Indeed, many readers have picked up on this message, and in particular, they have picked up on the environmental message. A recent article I read makes the following claims,

“ ..in Manitoba, the average food ingredient travels 2000 km…the implications of our long-distance diet aren’t solely economic. They come with severe environmental costs…”

I am a farmer in the business of producing fresh produce and transporting it long distances, so I am interested when people write about such issues – especially when they imply these activities are unjust. Over the past couple of years I have read many similar articles making similar claims, and so I began to question my own integrity as a producer of food which is largely consumed in distant markets. (This is the case for most Canadian farmers – especially Canadian grain, oilseed , pork and beef producers.) As I thought more about the question, I decided to try to calculate the actual environmental cost of transporting food that I produced. I came up with some surprising findings. Relying on my experience with the business and a basic understanding of the science of CO2 emissions, I will share with you the following evidence:

1) A typical trip for a load of fresh fruits and vegetables arriving in Canada by truck travels 1500 miles. Typical trucks carrying produce consume 200 gallons of fuel during a trip of this length.

2) A typical load of produce traveling by truck over long distances weighs 40,000 lbs.

3) A typical serving of produce weighs 4 ounces. Therefore, the load carries 160,000 servings. At an average of 6 servings per day, this is enough produce to feed one person for 73 years, or most of a lifetime. (160,000/6/365)

4) The emissions created from combusting 200 gallons of fuel roughly equates to 1 tonne of CO2. At current prices, the cost of sequestering this carbon is about $20. This is a rough estimate of the cost of the pollution created by consuming only fruits and vegetables produced by a 1500 mile diet for a lifetime.

To summarize, if an individual in good faith took the advice of the food miles logic, and bought only fruits and vegetables produced locally rather than imported from outside Canada, in a lifetime this consumer would save 1 tonne of emissions currently valued at $20 – all things being equal.

However, all things are not equal. If this consumer decides to eat only locally produced fruits and vegetables, then we must presume that this person will eat preserved locally grown produce when fresh is not available. In fact, this is the advice contained in books like the 100 Mile Diet. The flaw in the logic of this argument is that the energy required to preserve and store vegetables to sustain us between harvests is missing from the equation. I suspect this energy is greater than the energy it takes to produce fresh vegetables and transport them from southern climates in our winter months. For example, a typical truck load of fresh fruit or vegetables is cooled and refrigerated to 3C for 3 days before it is delivered for sale to a grocery store. If we froze the same 40,000 lbs of locally produced fruits and vegetables and stored at minus 20C for an average of 6 months, sure we would save transport energy, but the energy required to freeze and store the vegetables I suspect would be far greater than the energy saved in transport. Likewise, if we preserve by canning, we must calculate the energy required to bring 40,000 lbs of produce to a rolling boil for 3 minutes and compare that with the energy consumed by transporting fresh produce as calculated above.

I would now like to take the discussion one step further. I would like to add the fact that ocean freight transport is more energy efficient than truck transport by a factor of roughly seven. Using this information, we can then extrapolate that food transported by ocean freight as far as 10,000 miles from home can be consumed and the carbon emissions created by transport are no worse than the foods we typically consume in a 1500 mile diet. Further, I will add from my experience working and living in the less developed world, I have observed that foods coming from these economies, generally are produced using significantly less energy than similar foods produced locally here in Canada. Developing world farmers are more likely to rely on human labour and animal traction than fuel burning machinery to till the soil and control weeds in their crops. Also, they are less likely to utilize energy intensive synthetic fertilizers opting to use compost and manures instead.

Moreover, the natural growing conditions of tropical climates allow the cultivation of perennial crops such as sugar cane rather than annual crops such as corn to produce similar food stuffs such as sugar much more efficiently. As an example, I am told that ethanol produced from sugar cane is 70% more energy efficient than ethanol produced from annual crops such as Canadian corn. Indeed, it is so much more efficient that Canadian ethanol producers are asking the Canadian government to erect trade barriers against Brazilian ethanol imports so Canadian producers can compete. Is it just to deny these ethanol producers and other less developed world farmers the right to sell their products to developed world consumers, especially in light of the energy and emissions savings possible from consuming their products?

There are many more issues and exceptions I could discuss. However I think I have said enough to make my point. I believe the logic in the food miles concept is fundamentally flawed. The distance from producer to consumer may be the least important consideration when considering the environmental impact of various food choices. How the food is produced (energy intensive methods vs. low input), how the food is preserved (eaten fresh or sun dried vs. canned or kept in cold storage) how the food is transported (over land or water vs. air freight) and how far the consumer travels to purchase food are more important questions.

Rather than choosing foods to eat based on the distance the food travels, I believe a more just food buying decision making rule would be to buy food with the best value - a combination of price, quality and nutrition - regardless of where it is produced. Further, I choose whenever possible to buy foods coming from the less developed world - when they are of equal or better value. I believe this to be the essence of fair trade. For example, I have no qualms at all about eating basmati rice from India - a sun dried, ocean transported product grown 10,000 miles from my home rather than potatoes grown locally. I believe that when I eat rice sourced from places like India that I am getting good value and contributing to the economic well being of less developed world farmers. Further, the analysis presented would indicate that rather than being severely damaging to the environment, the environmental impact of my buying decision is negligible at worst and may be favourable to eating a local substitute like potatoes.

I present my analysis to help initiate further discussion on this important topic. I welcome feedback and comments.

Best regards,
Richard Reesor
Stouffville, ON
crreesor@hotmail.com

My Money Talks - CD Release!

2007-10-07T15:54:00.000-04:00

Bryan, who happens to be a co-moderator of Community Voices, has just released his newest album, My Money Talks. Check out his website to learn about the CD, hear some demo tunes or order the album online! The CDs are also available at the Care and Share Thrift Shop in Stouffville and of course, from Bryan himself.

Come and support Bryan at a CD Release Party on Saturday November 3, at 7:30pm hosted by Community Mennonite Church at Parkview Village Auditorium, 12184 Ninth Line, Stouffville. This is sure to be an evening full of exciting new songs and fellowship!

We are really excited for Bryan's musical ministry and the release of My Money Talks. Way to go!

Benin, West Africa

2007-09-26T13:34:00.001-04:00

This is Benin, where Denise will be for the next 3 months.

Off to Benin

2007-09-26T12:37:00.000-04:00

Denise writes:

Hi All,

I am two days away from my departure for Benin. I was feeling a bit nervous until this morning when my VISA and passport finally arrived in the mail. Cutting it close...phew.

For those of you unfamiliar with the area, Benin is a small West african country bordered by Togo, Niger, Nigeria, and Burkino Fasa. Though economically poor as a country, Benin has a stable government and for the most part experiences peaceful interactions within its borders and with surrounding countries.

I visited Benin once before during a travel semester with Eastern Mennonite University. While there this time I will be working and living at La Casa Grande, a small orphanage located 50km outside of Cotonou, Benin's largest city. Time will tell what exactly my day at the orphanage will look like but I understand it may involve tasks such as caring for/teaching the kindergarten aged children, helping cook meals, cleaning, planning activities....

This orphanage really is a special place. Take a look at their website for more information.

I will be in Benin until December 11th when I will travel to France and spend a week there before returning to Toronto on the 17th.

Thanks for your interest. I look forward to sharing stories when I return home!

- Denise

thoughts on the Mennonite Church Canada Assembly in Abbotsford

2007-08-30T21:27:00.000-04:00

Cameron writes:

If it weren't part of the expectations of my job as pastor of Community Mennonite Church, would I go to a Mennonite Church Canada Assembly?

Usually conferences wear me out, especially when I am a delegate. This is my own fault, as I try to go to as many events as possible while still fulfilling my responsibilities. What has often energized me was being part of heated discussions about issues in the church. It gets my heart pumping. Unfortunately, I often “crash” after such discussions.

This summer's MC Canada Assembly in Abbotsford, B.C. was notable for its lack of controversy. During the discernment sessions, in which we discussed the report of the General Board as well as three “Affirmation Statements”, there was little argument. Many of the sessions simply resulted in people saying, in essence, “We think this is the right direction, we just want the church to be a little bolder in its statements.” (You can have a look at the materials used in the discernment times by clicking here and looking under "Report Book")

I don't think this is a bad thing. Apparently, while I was sojourning in the United States for eight years, there was plenty of controversy in some MC Canada meetings. The Abbotsford Assembly certainly gave the impression that there is a lot that we can agree upon. Often I leave denominational meetings thinking that we sure don't have much in common. So Abbotsford did create a strong sense of unity and that the Mennonite Church does stand together on important issues. Perhaps this is why I came back feeling rejuvenated after the conference.

Of course, there was more to the conference than the delegate sessions. I visited a Sikh temple and heard an explanation of their religion. I got to hear a “preach off,” which was funnier than you might think. I went to a workshop called “Church and Culture: Finding Our Way in an Age of Disorientation,” where I heard about people that are trying to be faithful to the Gospel in creative ways. And there were interesting worship services with speakers from Burkina Faso, First United Spanish Mennonite Church and music led by a Latino band.

So, yes, I will go to another MC Canada Assembly. It certainly keeps me excited about the church.

- Cameron Kauffman-Frey

So long, Farewell

2007-07-26T18:20:00.001-04:00

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

2007-07-25T19:14:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-09T20:14:00.000-04:00

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

cutting edge

2007-07-04T22:34:00.000-04:00

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

Church Picnic

2007-06-18T14:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Community Mennonite Church gathered on a beautiful, grassy hilltop and enjoyed worship, fellowship and food. Our annual church picnic is always a highlight and this year, we were pleased to celebrate the high school graduation of four members.

After the service and blessings to the youth, we shared in the wonderful victuals of summer menus. Our tummies filled, the afternoon brought games and races, driving competitions and a water slide to boot!

Winter Wheat

2007-06-06T21:34:00.000-04:00

Here is what one of our Canadian Foodgrains Bank fields of winter wheat looks like today.

For more information, you can check out the Canadian Foodgrains Bank website and Richard's post about the CFGB below.

Stay tuned and watch the wheat field grow!

Derek in Colombia - Part 2

2007-06-04T18:52:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the long wait.
I have been in a rural community along a river called the Opon and they don’t have electricity or running water, let alone internet. I could easily spend a couple hours talking to you about all I have seen and heard over the last couple days but I will be brief and give you a more detailed account on my return.

We started out visiting the pipe line that takes gasoline from Barrancaberja, where it is refined to the rest of the country. The country’s national gas company produces 50% of this region’s income and 80% of it is produced here in Barrancaberja. There is an illegal group called the Gas Cartel that taps holes into this pipeline and siphons out as much as 25% of the gas passing through it. This gas cartel was originally controlled by the Guerrilla and has recently been taken over by the other illegal armed group called the paramilitary.

The guerrilla armed groups are socialists, desiring to change the political system to a socialist one. They were sort of the voice for the people trying to be heard by a government who wouldn’t listen. They would fight the military and that was the cause of the violence for quite a while. However, over time the military was being accused of causing large amounts of human rights abuses. Mass murders of innocent people were led on their quest to destroy the illusive guerrillas. So with this, the paramilitary was formed. They are sort of a secret arm of the military that carries out the brunt of the human rights violations. They are pretty much the same group though the military denies any connection to the paramilitary. This might be a better angle to look at it. If there is an action that the military wants to do but doesn’t want to be accountable for, they remove their uniforms and go under the alliance terrorist name of the paramilitary. Therefore when accused they can say it wasn’t us it was the paramilitary. And any time they kill anybody they dress them up as guerrillas and say, “Look what we have done…we have killed another one of those horrible guerrilla members.”

That is just the tip of the iceberg, there is still a whole lot of politics in corruption that links to all this. But I won’t get into that in this article. Basically the pipeline is a secret way for the government to finance the paramilitary group, that isn’t traceable.

After our visit to the pipeline we stayed in a Hamlet called la Florida. It was a very pitiful site, merely a bunch of small metal houses, donated by the government, which were mostly uninhabited. There was a once vibrant store, though now abandoned and in decay and also an empty school. Most of the people had left due to the violence. The person who fed us breakfast that day left and moved to the city after she had fed us. The river was in a flood state as it does every rainy season and the whole place was a mud bath.

Peace every one,
Derek

they have decided to follow Jesus...

2007-06-03T20:55:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated with Linda, Jeremy, and Ben, who made a public declaration of their faith and were baptized and welcomed as members of the body of Christ.

And in the afternoon we "showered" Ruth and Krystan as well, in anticipation of their upcoming wedding.

A glorious day!

Derek in Colombia

2007-05-28T16:55:00.000-04:00

May 24, 2007

Hola Derek here.

I have arrived in Colombia safely. I was kind of nervous about flying to Colombia all by myself but it went real well. I was blown away by the aid I received. Everyone was very helpful. I met a woman at the transfer at Huston who was going to the same gate as me so we hung out during the lay over and she helped me to the gate. She also taught me some spanish. On the flight to Colombia I was sitting with two people who were only a few years older than me and who were fluent in both Spanish and English and they helped me across the border. Wednesday night I felt rough but today I was fine, I was stuffed jam packed with information. The synopsis will be sent in a few days.

Well I gotta go the internet cafe is closing ciao.
Derek

May 26, 2007

Hola everyone, Derek here.

I am still working hard on learning Spanish but it's hard.
This past day was amazing, we went to a rally in Bogotá put on by students and teachers to protest the government cutting back on the education fund; it was quiet incredible. I had never been to a rally before.

After that we went to a part of Bogotá where displaced people were staying.
I have never been in such a poor district. We stopped at a place that organizes after school programs. And non violence. Everyone was so happy and welcoming. I really felt a calling to help these kids, to help them since they have so much potential to make a difference. A few of us played soccer with their neighbourhood kids. It kind of hit me while I was playing that some of the kids I was playing with will be killed in the next few years as part of social cleansing and many who aren’t will be drafted into the paramilitary that control the area. It was very sad. They were all so happy and welcoming.

The driving was very scary, everyone is so reckless. The roads are very narrow and very, very steep and full of pot holes. That evening we took a ride up to the highest point in Bogotá 10 000 feet above sea level. The city just opened up in front of you in a blaze of lights; it was so magical. Bogotá is massive it has a population of 8 million people. There was a really nice church on the top of the mountain, and we visited it, there was meditative music playing. It was the most holy place I have ever been. We finished by singing hymns on the mountain. It has been the most remarkable day of my life. It feels like a dream here.

Anyways, I have to go, Derek

May 26, 2007 Later...

Hola every one hope you are all doing well. Every day has been jam packed but I've been trying to get to the internet cafe as much as possible.

Today we had H speak to us about the issues in Columbia. He is a very passionate speaker. It is interesting because he is a wanted man by the military group for actions and leadership in the civil rights movement. Therefore he is very secretive in all his action, even his meeting with us is secretive and he never sleeps or stays in the same place for more than a day. He still shakes from when he was tortured a long time ago. He talked a lot about the civil rights movement and how it is hard to gain much steam due to the fact that the leaders keep getting killed.

In the afternoon we went to a community where former militants were being immersed back into the culture as civilians. We went and visited one former militant who teaches music to all the children in the area. This helps keep them out of trouble and away from violence. It is a very important program for the area as it helps install community and gives the kids something productive to do. It gives them self confidence and is an outlet for their creativity. However, this is not a government funded program. He uses his own money (which is very little) to fund it. I feel like we should support his project by getting him more instruments since his resources are very minimal. So anyone who has ideas of how we can spear head an initiative I encourage you to organize something. I have gotten his contact info and will be bringing it home with me. This is a great opportunity for community outreach. The kids were so happy when they were playing their music for us.

In the evening two people from Mesa Agraria talked about the agriculture industry in Colombia and the implications of the free trade agreement. It was very interesting hearing how the United States have destroyed the Colombian agriculture industry just to benefit their own country and how every trade agreement they make causes more and more problems for Colombia. It was also interesting to hear the implications of foreign companies coming to Colombia and patenting everything. Just to grow crops they must pay royalty fees. I will bring a more in depth article home with me.

Well until next time, Derek

May 27, 2007 Barrancabermeja

Today was a rough day for me. It started off good. We went to the 30th anniversary of a near-by Mennonite Church that had been hosting us in Bogotá. There were many inspiring stories told about the history. Our favourite part was when the youth stood up and did a presentation on what they hoped the church would look like in 10 years when celebrating their 40th anniversary. The youth talked about what they believed could happen between 2007 and 2017. It was very inspiring hearing their hopes and dreams for their church presented in this manner. The service was 2.5 hrs long. We went to really nice local restaurant. However, I started feeling sick.

We then left Bogotá and took an hour long flight to Barrancabermeja. That really didn't go so well. However, by the time i got to the CPT house, I felt much better. Barrancabermeja, is amazing, I love it here! It us unlike any place I have ever been before. I don't know how to describe it but i will bring back lots of pictures. All i can say is it is very different from what we are used to back home. Apparently the crime rate (house theft, rape, murder etc.) here is almost non existent. The area is controlled by the paramilitary who kill anyone caught doing any of these things. They kind of work like an illegal police force. Anyone doing anything that displeases them is killed. This has been a major issue for many civil rights movements who have had members, in particular leaders, killed.

I found out that one of the CPT long term members who has been here in Barrancabermeja for 6 years is from the KW area. his name is Pierre and he can speak 4 languages (English, French, Spanish and Crelle). We have been split up into groups and are sleeping at host families' houses that live next to the CPT house.

Anyways that's all. Until next time
Derek

Community Mennonite Growing Project

2007-05-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

Richard writes:

Established in 1983, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a Canadian-based Christian organization that helps provide food and development assistance to people in need on behalf of their 13 Canadian church members.

Today, Canadian Foodgrains Bank ranks among the largest private food aid providers in the world. Donations made by Canadians have helped Canadian Foodgrains Bank and its members provide over 944,000 metric tonnes of food to people who are hungry throughout the world.

Over the past 6 growing seasons, various members of CMC have worked together to grow crops and raise funds for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. In past years, the Growing Project has produced soybeans, corn and pumpkins. To date, the growing project has donated cash and grain valued at over $200,000. Combined with Canadian Government matching grants, the total funds raised from this project to be used for food aid and development assistance exceeds 1 million dollars.

This current season, the growing project has planted 140 acres of wheat. As well, a plot of pumpkins will be planted later in May. Stayed tuned to this site to see pictures of the crop in progress and opportunities to contribute to the project.

Richard

prayer and action for Colombia

2007-05-17T13:41:00.000-04:00

A big thank you to Tim and Rebecca of MCC who shared with us on Sunday about the situation in Colombia and the invitation to join with individuals and congregations everywhere in "Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia."

One of the ways we are participating as a congregation is by having a series of Sunday evening prayer meetings during the next few weeks (the first one was last Sunday), where we sing, light candles, hear stories, talk, pray, and open ourselves to what the Spirit may be calling us to do... This Sunday evening's gathering, including (if we're lucky) Colombian-style hot chocolate, will be at the dining hall at Willowgrove at 7:00 pm - you are invited to come, and to invite others as well!

We will be praying for Derek as he prepares for his trip to Colombia with the CPT delegation - you can read the recent Stouffville Sun-Tribune article on Derek and his trip here.

Here is a link to a 7 minute video on Colombia and our relationship (as members of Mennonite Church Canada) with the Colombian Mennonite Church.

welcome!

2007-05-06T20:45:00.001-04:00

Rebecca writes:

Greetings! This blog is being created to have a space to post articles and thoughts about opinions, dreams, stories, and happenings within our church community and beyond.

I've found Community Mennonite Church to be a very friendly and empowering environment, encouraging each one to use their gifts and interests within our church and our community.

Each person brings something very special to our congregation. We have a wide variety of gifts and talents in our church, and I love seeing how God uses them in many unique and incredible ways. Agriculture, music, writing, financing, restorative justice, languages, teaching, speaking: these are only few of the many areas that members of our church are using their talents.

Seeing others use their gifts is such a good reminder for me as I am thinking about post-secondary education for next year. It is very encouraging to see that God will use me in ways that involve my passions and gifts, just as he uses those in our congregation.

We are a people sharing our faith and expressing it through our work both across the street and around the world. We are a people sharing common values and beliefs, though each with their own voice.

This online blog will hopefully be a place that we can write back and forth, using our voices and sharing our gifts.

Rejoice and be glad!

Rebecca

Note from blog co-moderator: As Rebecca said, this blog is intended to be a forum for "Community Voices" so if you'd like to submit something for future posts, please let Rebecca or me know. Thanks, Rebecca, for getting us started!