People & events

The blaring of sirens heralded the arrival of about 10 emergency vehicles after lunch on Nov. 4 at MBCI in Winnipeg. They were there to pick up 237 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes prepared by the students. Organized by the students, the target had been 60 boxes. The new Grade 6 class of 24 kids packed 18 of the boxes, and they were there to help load them into the vehicles.

The second Andean Anabaptist Congress, held in Venezuela Sept. 22 to 26, brought together 85 representatives of 10 Anabaptist conferences or clusters of churches in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. (Peruvian delegates could not get visas.) They considered the theme of restoration in love: for individuals, women and family, church, community and society. The group is developing a plan for a regional Anabaptist Andean Seminary.

—Mennonite World Conference

Dreading Christmas and the pressure to shop? “Buy nothing Christmas” is a national initiative started by a group of Canadian Mennonites that encourages people to de-commercialize their Christmas celebrations. Ideas, stories, posters, and study guides are available at buynothingchristmas.org.

—release

The Mennonite Historical Society of B.C.’s annual fundraising banquet, Oct. 16 at Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, drew 500 people to hear a report on the Molotschna 2004 celebrations and a presentation by Dr. Harry Loewen: “Shepherds, servants and false prophets: saints and sinners among Russian Mennonite leaders.”

—report

The church in Colombia is under increasing attack. The Sanctuaries of Peace movement, coordinated by Justapaz, the justice and peace arm of the Colombian Mennonite Church, offers help in 3 ways. It welcomes those affected by the war in the spirit of Christ, preaches a message of peace relevant to each church’s experience, and provides a physical space for prayer or public gathering.

—Mennonite World Conference

NCMOs or “non-commital make-out sessions” are increasingly popular with church kids who don’t want to “go all the way” but want quick and convenient “love lives,” writes Steve Rabey at youthspecialties.com. They seem to believe romantic entanglements are “too complex,” that sexual urges must be satisfied, and that with sex readily available guys no longer “need pretend” they are interested in something more lasting.

—Youth Specialties

A sailing boat accident Oct. 12 took the life of Sjouke Voolstra, 62, the Dutch theologian who was going to write the chapters on Mennonites in Holland for the Europe volume of the Global Mennonite History series. Voolstra retired as professor of theology at the Mennonite seminary in Amsterdam 2 years ago. He was an experienced sailor but his life vest did not work properly when he fell into the water during a storm.

—Mennonite World Conference

The Micah Challenge, a global Christian campaign and commitment to reduce world poverty, is being launched in Canada by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) in partnership with the Canadian Council of Christian Charities Relief and Development Group, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and the Canadian Council of Churches Commission on Justice and Peace. The campaign hopes to halve poverty by 2015.

—EFC release

900 sausages and 1500 pops were given away at Gateway Christian Fellowship’s 4th annual Fall Festival, Saturday, Sept. 18. The St. Catharines, Ont. congregation’s outreach event included face painting, a barbeque, bounce houses and jousting, a ball pit, candy floss, pony rides, a bake table, car wash and pop give-away to cars stopping at the intersection. A band played and youth did choreographed flagging and dancing.

—report

What is Palestine/Israel? In a 64-page book by this name, Mennonite Central Committee answers questions about the people, faiths and modern history of this divided land; provides information on contentious issues; and highlights MCC’s work with organizations in the region. It is available free from all MCC offices.

—MCC News

The Anglican Church’s much-anticipated Oct. 18 report on the Episcopal Church USA’s consecration of an bishop living openly in a gay union chastised the Episcopal Church and asked it to “express regret,” but stopped short of calling for bishop Gene Robinson’s removal. Many church watchers say the failure to take a harder line will lead to more departures of conservative congregations.

—Evangelical Press News

Help for Sudan: Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is sending $1.1 million of relief supplies as well as $4.5 million of food from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank for distribution in Darfur’s makeshift refugee camps. The Sudan Council of Churches and U.N. World Food Program will handle distribution.

—MCC News

For 30 years, Mennonite Central Committee has been helping create jobs in Bangladesh. This anniversary was recently celebrated by 150 MCC Bangladesh staff, former staff and handicraft producers. Some 900 rural women are currently involved in the program, many making products sold through fair trade organizations. Pictured are women at Bonoful Handmade Paper placing flower petals onto handmade paper that will be crafted into lampshades.

—MCC News

Ongoing violence and lawlessness in Gonaives, one of Haiti’s principal cities, is hindering relief work after flooding by Tropical Storm Jeanne killed an estimated 2,800 people and left some 200,000 homeless. Mennonite Central Committee will help with immediate aid of food, farming tools and seeds, but also in an education and reforestration project that will prevent future flooding.

—MCC News

2005 has been declared the Year of Prayer for Canada and May 15 (Pentecost Sunday) the Day of Prayer for Canada by leaders of more than 20 of Canada’s prayer movements. They have come to unity in meetings with organizers of Celebration 2005, an initiative by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada to encourage grassroots outreach.

—Faith Today