‘Better together’

October 9, 2013 | Viewpoints
Garry Janzen |

Mennonite Church British Columbia exists to help our congregations be healthy, vibrant, missional and connected. I want to explore this value of being connected. At MC B.C. we like to say that we are “better together.”

How does MC B.C. work hard to create opportunities for congregations and pastors to network, share resources and support each other in ministry?

One way we help pastors from different congregations stay connected is with our monthly lunch gatherings in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. This is a time to catch up with each other, discuss matters of importance to us, and pray with each other. We miss our pastors serving beyond the Lower Mainland, but distance does make it harder to connect.

We have the annual retreat for pastors and their spouses, and we encourage each congregation to make it possible for them to attend.

Then we have the Leaders, Elders and Deacons (LEAD) Conference, which is a time for our pastors and church leaders to meet to be strengthened and encouraged. LEAD 2014 will focus on creation care, with Rick Faw of A Rocha as our speaker.

While our MC B.C. annual meeting is often viewed as simply a business meeting, it is a time to connect. At times we have squeezed it into a shorter time block in order to respect the activity-filled lives of our delegates, but the piece that always gets lost is the time to connect. For the 2014 edition, we will open up more time for connecting again.

Beyond the larger gatherings, we want to be creatively present with each other. We have a weekly e-mail exchange of prayers and information among our pastors and church staff. We seek to ensure that all pastors have a pastoral care rep to meet with, who will encourage them as well as hear their needs and concerns.

How about being well-connected in our communities? Some pastors take in cross-denominational pastors’ gatherings where they live. For our September gathering, we chose one day for all our pastors to spend at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Vancouver. Then we met together for dinner to reflect on our experiences of hearing the stories of Indian Residential School survivors, as well as their journeys into a new way forward. We are challenged to join in this healing journey by building relationships with the indigenous people in the communities where each of us live.

How do we help our congregations to experience their connection in the wider Mennonite church? Like every other connection, we get the information out there to our people and encourage them to get involved in MC Canada and Mennonite World Conference opportunities.

Finally, MC B.C. is available, and seeks to work with pastors and congregational leaders through all the matters of their life together, to ensure that no one feels disconnected. We invite everyone to join in being present with each other in the best ways possible.

Garry Janzen is MC B.C.’s executive minister.

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