Let's Walk the Talk
of Reconciliation with Bill C-262:

Package of 75 Free Postcards

In its 3rd printing! Thanks for the great response!

Request 75 (or 2 orders of 75, for a maximum of 150) free postcards and, together with your church, community group, and neighbourhood, write your local Member of Parliament, calling upon them to act for reconciliation between Indigenous and Settler peoples by supporting Bill C-262.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has stated that the adoption and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is the key to genuine reconciliation between Indigenous and Settler peoples in Canada (Call to Action #43). Bill C-262 can help make that happen. Supported by a broad array of Indigenous, social justice, and faith-based organizations, Bill C-262 is “An Act to Ensure that the Laws of Canada are in Harmony with the UNDRIP.” The current government has expressed support for the Declaration. Now’s our chance to help them do the right thing…to help Canada take a tremendous step forward towards justice and healing.

Tips for hosting a postcard signing event in your community, and sample postcard messages, will be included in your order, and can also be downloaded here.

Please note that your contact information will be shared with Steve Heinrichs, our Indigenous Relations Director at Mennonite Church Canada, who may follow up with you to give support, make connections, and help build the movement.

Postcards are free. A flat shipping rate of $5.85/package will be applied.

Appreciate this resource?

Please help us create additional materials by donating here.

Pathways for Peace and Justice in Palestine and Israel:

A Congregational Study

by Palestine and Israel Working Group

In response to the resolution passed at the 2016 Mennonite Church Canada Assembly in Saskatoon, the Palestine and Israel Resolution Working Group has compiled these resources for congregational study. Others outside Mennonite Church Canada will also find it beneficial as a source of information and perspective on the Palestine and Israel situation.

Includes a 4-session Script, with accompanying PowerPoint, and a list of Recommended Resources.

(4 sessions)

Leviticus

by Perry B. Yoder

Pre-order and we will ship immediately after it arrives in late October.

God is gracious, holy, and present. As a book about how to worship and how to live, Leviticus unfurls these critical characteristics of God in relation to humanity. In the thirty-third volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, Old Testament scholar Perry B. Yoder argues that the oft-neglected book of Leviticus discloses valuable truths, symbols, and practices of the New Testament. Traversing difficult interpretive territory such as the sacrificial system, purity laws, and priestly instructions, Yoder writes with a clarity and nuance that will interest a wide swath of readers. He eloquently poses for readers the focal question of Leviticus: how to live in the presence of God.

Quest for Respect:

The Church and Indigenous Spirituality

ed. Jeff Friesen; Steve Heinrichs

  Order in bulk (7 or more copies)  
  for your study group  
  at a discount  
  here!

Attentive to the concerns of Indigenous peoples from across these lands, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has specifically summoned all churches and faith groups

. . . in collaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders, Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries, and other religious training centres, to develop and teach curriculum for all student clergy, and all clergy and staff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right . . . (Call to Action #60).

In Quest for Respect, over 40 authors from diverse backgrounds – Indigenous and Settler, Christian and Traditional – take up this call to respect Indigenous spirituality, exploring what it might mean to Christians across North America and what it entails for relationships with host peoples and host lands.

With a firm hold on past and present colonialism, the contributors tackle key questions that the TRC’s call raises: What is Indigenous spirituality, and why is it critical for Settler Christians to learn about it? What is the history of Indigenous–Christian encounter? How does spiritual abuse and violence continue today? How might we repair the damage done? And what does genuine respect really look like?

Includes a study guide by Tim Runtz.

Contributors include:

Rarihokwats, Daniel R. Wildcat, Chantal Fiola, Blair Stonechild, Lyla June Johnston, Steven Charleston, Elaine A. Robinson, Darren H. Courchene, Carmen Lansdowne, Adam Barker, Emma Battell Lowman, Vivian Ketchum, J. R. Miller, Peter Morin, Jennifer Graber, Patricia Vickers, Miriam Saainawap, Jonathan Dyck, Josie Winterfeld, Joseph R. Wiebe, Gord Hill, James Cox, Mark Macdonald, Jenna Licious, Michael Redhead Champagne, Christina Conroy, Terry LeBlanc, Derek Suderman, Jodi Spargur, Cheryl Bear, Deanna Zantingh, Willie James Jennings, Gordon Zerbe, James W. Perkinson, Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, Peter C. Phan, Tinu Ruparell, Angelina McLeod, Jobb Arnold, Jeremy Bergen, Dave Courchene Jr., Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo, Tom Reynolds, Joy De Vito, Cheryl Pauls, Terry Schellenberg, Andrew Dyck, Wendy Kroeker, Laurel Dykstra, Suzanne Owen, Lyla June Johnston, Tim Runtz, Moses Falco, Dan Dyck, James Mishibinijima, Daniel Joder, Christi Belcourt, Edgar Heap of Birds, Rick Pelletier, Gregg Deal, Arlea Ashcroft, Judy Gascho Jutzi, Barry Ace, Jeff Friesen, Steve Heinrichs.

For additional reading, click here.

Also see related special Intotemak issues Yours, Mine, Ours and Wrongs to Rights, both available separately.

Note: Intotemak subscribers will receive a free copy as part of their subscription.

Appreciate this resource?

Please help us create additional materials by donating here.

Every Creature Singing:

Canadian Edition

by Deb Froese; Jennifer Halteman Schrock

illust. Matt Veith

The Canadian Edition of MCCN's creation care curriculum, Every Creature Singing, is free and downloadable.

Every Creature Singing grew out of a resolution that Mennonite Creation Care Network presented to the delegates at the 2013 Mennonite Church USA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. The resolution called members of Mennonite churches “to commit to growing in their dedication to care for God’s creation as an essential part of the good news of Jesus Christ.” It also proposed a series of twelve questions for study and discernment. This curriculum follows the questions in the resolution and is intended to help congregations act on the resolution. As partners of MCCN, Mennonite Church Canada requested permission to adapt the curriculum for a Canadian context.

This curriculum has four components:

A biblical emphasis, using a method of interpretation that we are calling an ecological lens.
A focus on your local community using questions we call circle questions.
Suggested spiritual practices.
Suggested household practice.

It is important to understand that this curriculum is not strongly prescriptive. We don’t have a list of right answers as to what God is calling your congregation to do and be. We are leaving a lot up to you and the Holy Spirit. Each session is more like a playpen than a set of provincial educational standards. You are welcome to throw half the toys out of the playpen and chew on just the questions or actions that seem most important in your context.

(12 sessions)

Begin Anew:

Christian Discipleship Seminars

by Palmer Becker

Believe in God
Belong in Community
Become Mature
Behave like Christ

Begin Anew is a 16-session series of studies that can provide your congregation with rich rewards. As you work through the sessions, you will discover that Christianity is a combination of believing, belonging, becoming, and behaving. This course is designed in a holistic way to bring about a clear faith in God as known in Jesus Christ, a solid sense of belonging in a family of loving people, and a disciplined lifestyle. This new lifestyle leads to becoming joyfully involved in a ministry in the church and in God’s mission in the world.

These studies are for everyone, no matter their background or what compelled them to come to faith in Jesus. They may be young adults who grew up in the church, dropped out, and are now interested in making a new start. They may be brand-new to the faith and to your congregation. Or perhaps they simply want to better understand the Christian faith from an Anabaptist perspective.

(16 sessions)

Also see a video introduction (45:45 min ff) by Palmer Becker on this series.

Summer 2017 CommonWord Curator:

3

ed. Arlyn Friesen Epp; Anita Neufeld

illust. Ryan Roth Bartel

Free newsletter of CommonWord.

To subscribe, please sign up here.

Lifting Hearts Off the Ground:

Declaring Indigenous Rights in Poetry

by Lyla June Johnston; Joy De Vito

ed. Steve Heinrichs

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a powerful proclamation of the principles that should guide Indigenous-Settler relations around the world. Some call it a blueprint for reconciliation. Some say that, if taken seriously, it could help states and Settler societies repair significant historic injustices and reject present colonialism. Yet as a legal text, it’s not the easiest document to read or to imagine into action.

In Lifting Hearts Off the Ground, two poets — one Indigenous, one Settler — come together to breathe life into the seemingly dry bones of the Declaration. And as we contemplate, wrestle with, and pray their words, we discover an invitation to renewed relationships with each other, the land, and Spirit.

Afterword by Leah Gazan.

USA orders - please contact Steve Heinrichs directly for a special discount.

Water My Soul:

Ninety Meditations from an Old Order Mennonite

by Darla Weaver

Darla Weaver writes out of her own struggles with Christian discipleship so that others will know Old Order Mennonites are human too and often long to walk closer to God. She bares her heart in these 90 devotionals drawn from her home-centered life in western Ohio's hills. While family, gardening, cooking with home grown food, and living as naturally as possible off the land are the focus of her days, her utmost goal is to serve and honor the Christ she loves and serves through all aspects of her life. Women especially will relate to these meditations generously sprinkled with stories from Darla's children, marriage, community and wider friends and family. Daily scripture readings, poignant prayers and journal prompts or ideas for active responses are included with each inspiring devotional.

Shalom Sistas:

Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World

by Osheta Moore

Pre-order and we will ship immediately after it arrives in mid October.

SHə·lōm' / sis‧ta: A woman who loves people, follows the Prince of Peace, and never gives up her sass. Shalom, the Hebrew word often translated as "peace," was a far cry from blogger and podcaster Osheta Moore's crazy life. Like a lot of women, she loved God's dream for a world that is whole, vibrant, and flourishing. But honestly: who's got the time? So one night she whispered a dangerous prayer: God, show me the things that make for peace. In Shalom Sistas, Moore shares what she learned when she challenged herself to study peace in the Bible for forty days. Taking readers through the twelve points of the Shalom Sistas' Manifesto, Moore experiments with practices of everyday peacemaking and invites readers to do the same. From dropping "love bombs" on a family vacation, to talking to the coach who called her son the n-word, to spreading shalom with a Swiffer, Moore offers bold steps for crossing lines between black and white, suburban and urban, rich and poor. What if a bunch of Jesus-following women catch a vision of a vibrant, whole, flourishing world? What happens when Shalom Sistas unite?

Approaching the Divine:

Signs and Symbols of the Christian Faith

by Margaret Loewen Reimer

A handbook on signs and symbols in the Christian tradition, written from a Mennonite perspective. It provides a window into the meaning behind liturgical practices and art forms developed by the church through the ages. It also explores the seasons of the church year and observances related to special "Holy Days" in the Christian tradition. Includes is a section on more universal signs and tokens, such as numbers and shapes, and some "popular" expressions of faith. The last section draws on articles and sermons related to the subject of symbols and rituals in the Christian tradition.

The book is based on a column entitled "Signs and Symbols" that appeared in the Mennonite Reporter and later Canadian Mennonite. That material has been expanded and updated for this book, with an introduction to the meaning of symbols within the life of the church and a bibliography of sources and suggestions for further reading. The book is intended as a resource to help individuals and congregations explore the meaning of worship and its artistic expressions. It is written with the hope that it will inspire a greater appreciation for the richness of the Christian tradition and stimulate thinking on how to enrich our faith and worship today.

1 Corinthians

by Dan Nighswander

Pre-order and we will ship immediately after it arrives in mid October.

Christians in the bustling, diverse city of Corinth in 50 BCE quarreled about how to be faithful to Jesus. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he calls the small band of new believers to unity and cautions against factionalism, themes that pastor Dan Nighswander unpacks for contemporary readers in this thirty-second volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series. Any Christians who experience division over loyalty to different leaders, who find it hard to agree on sexual ethics (or to live up to them), and who feel tension between their theological convictions and social context will find common ground with believers in Corinth. Home of the exalted “love chapter,” which roots all Christian action in the greatest gift, 1 Corinthians equips those who follow Jesus to craft true community with other believers, differences notwithstanding. With keen theological, biblical, and pastoral insight, Nighswander illuminates for readers the apostle Paul’s challenge to the Corinthian church and calls Christians today to unity through the reconciling work of Christ.