Who Are the Mennonites Mississauga.Indd
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...... bbelieveelieve iinn llivingiving ssimply.imply. Following Jesus has economic We Warmly Invite You Can you tell if someone is a consequences. Wealth can separate us from God and make us insensitive Mennonite … just by looking? to the needs of others. Living simply and practicing mutual aid are ways MMississaugaississauga MMennoniteennonite FFellowshipellowship Meeting at Erindale Secondary School, we work to confront consumerism and MCEC fi le photo 2021 Dundas St W., Mississauga individualism. The More with Less and Churchill PO Box 26012 Simply in Season cooking and lifestyle Mississauga, ON L5L 5W7 (905) 812-0452 books are well known attempts to Email: [email protected] share our vision for simplicity and Web: www.mississaugamennonite.com Who are the Where do Mennonites come creation care. from originally? Sunday Hours: 10 - 11:30 am Worship Service ennonites? ...... bbelieveelieve iinn ccaringaring forfor 10:45 - 11:30 am Children’s Program M Mennonites trace their roots to 16th-century Anabaptists, who ccreation.reation. God has made us stewards 11:30 - 11:45 am Coffee Fellowship were part of the Protestant Reformation. Anabaptists believed 11:45am - 12:30 pm Adult Discussion MennoMedia of the earth. We want our actions to in adult believers’ baptism, separation of church and state, and have a positive impact on the natural rejected participation in war. “Anabaptist” means “rebaptizer,” a world so that it will be a healthier place nickname given to these reformers because their adult baptism for future generations to live. followed their earlier baptism as infants. Churches that come from AAss mmembersembers ooff tthehe MMississaugaississauga MMennoniteennonite ...... aarere ccommittedommitted ttoo bbeingeing the Anabaptist tradition include the Brethren in Christ, Hutterites, FFellowshipellowship wwee sseekeek ttoo bbuilduild GGod’sod’s kingdomkingdom bby:y: a mmulti-culturalulti-cultural cchurch.hurch. Old Colony Mennonites, Old Order Amish, Old Order Mennonite, We are increasingly multicultural; many Mennonite Brethren, and Mennonite Church. a) worshipping God and increasing our knowledge Vada Snider, Mennonite Church USA Snider, Vada and understanding of His work as revealed to us in congregations worship in languages The name “Mennonite” comes from Menno Simons, a 16th- the Holy Scriptures; other than English. In Canada, we century Dutch Anabaptist leader. b) being a sharing and caring community of believers worship in 15 - 20 different languages! sensitive to the needs of each other and those around us following the example of Jesus Christ; c) providing a Mennonite/Anabaptist presence and peace witness in our community. Who are Mennonites today? You can’t tell a Mennonite by looking. Anyone who chooses to follow Jesus can be a Mennonite. There are 50 Music is a vital part of Mennonite worship services. Sometimes we sing Mennonite groups in North America. traditional four-part hymns and sometimes we join with a praise band as we sing our faith. The fi rst Mennonites in Canada arrived in the late 18th century, settling initially in Southern Ontario. A Congregation of ...... wwelcomeelcome yyouou ttoo ffellowship!ellowship! In a time of Today there are 143,720 Mennonites/Anabaptists in Canada. individualism, consumerism, and loneliness, Mennonites Worldwide there are 2.1 million Anabaptists, and more than seek to model a different kind of society—one built on 65 percent live in Africa, Asia or Latin America. Here’s a sampling of our mutual aid, trust, forgiveness, repentance, reconciliation, beliefs, values, and practices. and restitution. We invite you to join us on this journey. Used and modifi ed by MCEC with permission from MC USA and MennoMedia Original brochure created by MC USA/Mennonite Mission Network/MennoMedia ©11.2010/5M/jdy ...... aarere aactivective ppeacemakerseacemakers. We believe that peace and Who are the Mennonites? ...... bbelieveelieve wwee sshouldhould readread ScriptureScripture asas JesusJesus did.did. “All this is from God, wholeness are real possibilities. We believe it is important to fi nd In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus placed his teachings above all who reconciled us nonviolent solutions to confl ict, whether between individuals, others when he repeated the phrase, “You have heard that it was to himself through groups, or nations. Mennonites initiated and continue to promote said ... , but I say to you, ... .” So if the words and example of Jesus Christ, and has given us mediation services and alternatives to the criminal justice system, confl ict with a verse in the Old Testament or Epistles, we follow Jesus. the ministry of like victim-offender reconciliation programs. Perhaps you heard of Mennonites through cookbooks such as ...... aarere ffaithfulaithful ttoo JJesus,esus, reconciliation.” Vada Snider, Mennonite Church USA Snider, Vada More with Less—A World Community Cookbook or through fi rrstst andand foremost.foremost. (2 Corinthians 5:18) As Christians we attempt to sports professionals, Cindy Klassen, Olympic Speed Skater, or follow Jesus’ example of love Jonathan Toews and James Reimer, professional NHL players. ...... sseeee tthehe cchurchhurch aass a pplacelace for all people, even our enemies. Some people picture Mennonites as rural folk who wear bonnets fforor mmutualutual ssupportupport aandnd Mennonite convictions on and travel in horse-drawn buggies. aaccountability.ccountability. We believe in a separation between church and church where adult believers help each Mennonites share essential core beliefs with Christians of state are as important today as other live faithfully and where children Catholic and Protestant communities. We believe in Jesus Mennonite Church USA Gingerich, Ken ever. When some governments are valued and nurtured in the way of Ryan Miller, Mennonite Mission Network Christ as the One sent by God to bring reconciliation to a in the global community Jesus. We know that following Jesus ...... bbelieveelieve iinn sserviceervice ttoo broken world, and believe in the Bible as the central source of attempt to suppress the rights is only possible in a community that oothersthers aass a wwitnessitness ttoo inspiration for faithful living. of individuals and minority constantly challenges us to be Christlike GGod’sod’s lovelove forfor thethe wworld.orld. communities, we believe the in our thinking and actions. As the body of Christ, we believe church is called to share the Vada Snider, Mennonite Church USA Snider, Vada Christians are to be his hands and feet news of Jesus that God’s love in the world. Menno Simons made Mennonites are Christians who ... ...... iinterpretnterpret tthehe BBibleible iinn extends to all people. the connection between faith and ...... sstrivetrive toto followfollow thethe exampleexample andand ccommunity.ommunity. We encourage all action the mark of the true Christian. tteachingseachings ooff JJesusesus iinn ddailyaily llife.ife. We believe that “We must obey believers to read the Bible and then He said, ““ForFor ttruerue evangelicalevangelical Jesus is not only our Saviour, but also our teacher and check their interpretation with fellow God rather ffaithaith ...... cannotcannot lielie dormant,dormant, bbutut guide. A key Scripture for Mennonites is the Sermon on Christians. We believe the Spirit of Jesus than any human mmanifestsanifests itselfitself inin allall righteousnessrighteousness the Mount, where Jesus explains how his followers should is present as we gather to understand MCEC fi le photo - Kingsfi eld, Clinton eld, le photo - Kingsfi MCEC fi authority.” Mennonite The Lowell Brown, aandnd wworksorks ofof love;love; ...... itit clothesclothes think and act. We believe that God gives Christians the and apply the meaning of Scripture. (Acts 5:29) tthehe nnaked;aked; ffeedseeds tthehe hhungry;ungry; power to live in a Christlike way. As the 16th-century Mennonite Mission Network Gehman, Wayne “How does cconsolesonsoles tthehe aafflffl iicted;cted; ssheltershelters tthehe Anabaptist Hans Denck said, “No one can know Christ mmiserable;iserable; aaidsids aandnd cconsolesonsoles aallll tthehe unless that person follows after him in life.” God’s love ...... believebelieve thatthat tthehe mministryinistry ooff reconciliationreconciliation abide in anyone ooppressed;ppressed; rreturnseturns goodgood forfor evil;evil; iiss tthehe hhearteart ooff tthehe ggospel.ospel. Jesus calls all people to who has the sserveserves thosethose thatthat iinjurenjure it;it; praysprays fforor “For no one can lay any be reconciled with God and each other. We believe that the world’s goods and tthosehose thatthat ppersecuteersecute it;it; ...... seeksseeks thatthat foundation other than the church, as the body of Christ, is called to continue that ministry of wwhichhich iiss lost;lost; bindsbinds upup thatthat wwhichhich sees a brother one that has been laid; that reconciliation with all people, including enemies for whom Jesus or sister in iiss wwounded;ounded; healsheals thatthat wwhichhich iiss foundation is said to love and pray. For that reason, most Mennonites reject ddiseasediseased andand savessaves thatthat wwhichhich military service and the “myth of redemptive violence” found in need and yet iiss ssound.”ound.” Disaster relief, voluntary Jesus Christ.” most justifi cations for participating in war. refuses to help?” service programs, and raising funds (1 Cor. 3:11 NRSV —Menno Simons’ favorite passage) (1 John 3:17) through relief sales are some of the ways that Mennonites live out service to others..