Summerbridge

Summerbridge is a Canada-wide summer service program of Mennonite Central Committee. The program provides opportunity to bring together people of different cultural backgrounds and equip them to serve in their local church. MCC and local congregations support participants. Affiliation with a Mennonite or Brethren in Christ congregation is required.

Age:  17+

Length:  8 - 16 weeks

Location: your church and community

Application deadline is May 1 each year.

Contact Allan Reesor-McDowell or Cath Woolner if you are interested in the learning more.

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Profile: Rebekah Hudson

Rebekah Hudson, from River of Life MB Church in Riverview, NB, is studying Peace and Conflict Studies at University of Waterloo.  She participated in MCC’s Summerbridge program in 2007.

arm:  How did you get involved with MCC?

Rebekah Hudson: Through volunteering at my church. The Atlantic representatives for MCC at the time, Tom and Judi, told my dad about Summerbridge and he encouraged me to apply. Other than the “To Remember is to Work for Peace” pins, Summerbridge was my first real introduction to MCC’s work around the world.

arm: Why did you participate in the Summerbridge program?

rh:  I wanted to serve my church and Summerbridge was a great way to do that as a full-time summer job.  I did Summerbridge in 2007 and 2008. I worked at my church in two main areas – media/graphic design and children’s ministry. My job was an expanded version of my volunteer work, plus some other responsibilities.  Most days I worked on the website, powerpoint and other media; did any administrative tasks that came up; and organized the weekly children’s programs for the summer when the regular volunteers took a break. This was a challenge because our church is very small - often half the people who attend are kids, and most of the others are parents who also volunteer! My work focused more on kids’ ministry in 2008.

arm: What was the highlight of your experience with Summerbridge?

rh:  The biggest highlight of my Summerbridge experience was our orientation in Winnipeg. All the participants from across Canada came to learn more about Mennonite Central Committee and get to know each other for a few days. We stayed at Canadian Mennonite University, toured the MCC headquarters, volunteered at a food bank depot, went to the North End and experienced the murals and musical culture of the city. This was where I learned about restorative justice, fair trade, conflict resolution strategies and MCC’s relief and development work for the first time. Learning about alternative ways to solve these major problems ignited my passion for peace and justice that led to my choice to pursue a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at Waterloo a few years later. I also met some incredible people during my few days in Winnipeg. Although I haven’t kept in touch with everyone, I still think about and pray for them often.

arm:  How was Summerbridge part of your faith journey?

rh:  Summerbridge was also a major growing time for me spiritually. I still look back at the orientation as a very significant time, but I also learned a lot in my two summers of work. I had a lot of opportunities to learn patience. I also discovered that working to serve others often consists of everyday, monotonous tasks that must be done. Having my dad as my direct supervisor took some getting used to, but we both learned so much about working together in that time. I also learned a lot about how to work with children, plan events and recruit volunteers. These experiences helped me later in jobs at an office and a kids’ drop-in centre. Overall, Summerbridge was a major learning experience for me!

arm:  What are you hoping to do in the future?

rh:  I don’t know yet, but I’d like to experience life in a different country soon. Something that involves working with kids and young people for human rights would be amazing, but right now I’m open to wherever God brings me.  Summerbridge was an amazing experience that helped shape the direction my life is heading now. If you get a chance to participate in this program or any other MCC experience, I definitely recommend it.

News from Mennonite World Conference

Misrak Meserete Kristos Church in Addis Ababa.

Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is "a community of Anabaptist-related churches rooted in the 16th-century Radical Reformation in Europe.... Today, more than 1,600,000 believers belong to this faith family; more than 60 percent are African, Asian, or Latin American."

MWC links together this Anabaptist community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness.  One way MWC connects the church is organizing an assembly that brings this global fellowship together for about 1 week every 6 years.

I can remember travelling to Manitoba with my family when I was 8 years old to gather with other Anabaptists when Canada last hosted the event, Winnipeg 1990.  I have fond memories of that week.  Though I couldn’t speak a word of Spanish nor he more than 3 words in English, I spent the week with a Puerto Rican kid named Luis.  Our friendship brought our parents together, which led to my family living in Aibonito, Puerto Rico less than two years later (my mom taught English at a school called Betania Mennonita for a semester).

That experience – or perhaps that friendship – planted in me a seed of curiosity in connecting with people that are “different” than me; a seed which can only be fed by learning with people who can show me different ways of living, and different ways of living out the gospel.  This journey (which I recognize I have just begun) has really enriched my understanding of what it means to part of the body of Christ, with all our diversity in worldview, ideas, challenges, gifts, and abilities.

"The last 100 years of nonviolence"

http://ontario.mcc.org/peace

Enlace Video!

service | learning | fun :: faith | leadership | global awareness

Enlace 2011 applications are now available here!  Tell your friends.

But first, check out this video.

The Enlace program is about providing 16-19 year olds with the opportunity to grow in faith as global Christians by living in community and working alongside Guatemalan partners.

Enlace's Goals

• encourage faith formation
• engage in cross-cultural learning
• foster global awareness and an ethic of service
• develop transformative relationships & leadership skills

http://ontario.mcc.org/enlace

Enlace alumniiiii!   Where you at?  Let us know what you think of the program.  Share some stories and comments for those who are interested in going this coming summer.

Compassion :: This Generation Video

Here is a video of Compassion :: This Generation, a "Meeting MCC" youth event hosted by the Sommerfeld, EMC, and EMMC churches in Aylmer on November 12th.  If you missed this event but want to learn more about MCC and ways to get involved please be in touch.

produced by Simon Martin and Ken Ogasawara 

"My Life is my Message"

Camp Micah (http://www.campmicah.ca/), an inter-denominational peace and justice leadership camp run the last week of August for high school students, was a new experience for us.

As Mennonites we kind of thought we had the market cornered on peace and justice work, and it was exciting and refreshing to work alongside Catholics and United Church friends to instill alternative leadership skills in youth with a focus on peace and justice. Camp Micah uses all the normal camp activities (canoeing, low-ropes, games, and campfires) to create awareness about the importance of peace and justice in our everyday lives, and to challenge us to think about how we live our lives and, ultimately, what type of message we share with others by how we live.

My life is my message...  It was a catchy phrase to put on the t-shirts for Camp Micah.

Light a candle...

"Don't curse the darkness,

                                      light a candle”

~Chinese Proverb

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 4 of 4. Conclusion

Some final things to remember

Peace happens in relationship

Jesus, sometimes called Truth said:

Folks are lucky, blessed, fortunate, on the right track

by living out compassion

“dethrone [yourselves] from the centre of our world and put another there”[1]

This is the kindom of God

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 3 of 4. Remembering we live by a different story

We’re not alone, you know

Everyone wishes for Peace

Even beauty queens, with their tiara’s and sparkling dresses wish for …

[sigh] world peace

– someday

Everyone wishes for Peace

Even the Lennon’s who imagine no countries

[sung] and no religions too (Oh, oh – o-o-oh)

Everyone wishes for Peace

Even the folks who earnestly engage in war,

They believe that their show of mighty force will bring conflict to a speedy end:

“We’ll just go in,

strike with precision

and then we’re out.

Balance will be restored.

We’re helping people — oh, and democracy.”

But, as the general said on the radio: conflict is never that predictable

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 2 of 4. Remembering who we are

Sisters, brothers, friends, we’ve called this Peace Sunday

It’s the proverbial string we tie around our finger every year so we won’t forget

On Peace Sunday we remember who we are,

who we propose to be

We are children of God’s Peace

"We who were formerly no people at all, and who knew of no peace, are now called to be...a church...of peace.  True Christians do not know vengeance.  They are the children of peace.  Their hearts overflow with peace.  Their mouths speak peace, and they walk in the way of peace.” (to quote Menno Simons)

A Peace Sunday Sermon: Part 1 of 4. Remembering the victims of violence

Scripture: Matthew 5, Micah 6: 8

I remember, Je me souviens

I remember,

but mostly I’d rather forget

Mostly

I’d rather sit in my corner and cry, wail, lament

I remember the things we do and don’t do to each other:

war, injustice,

poverty, torture,

broken relationships, bullying, meanness, gossip, betrayal, …

I remember,

but sometimes I’d rather forget

Youth Development Committee

Usually when we promote an opportunity to get involved though this blog, we offer info on opportunities with MCC and the broader church.  But as Christians we are often (or perhaps always?) called beyond the confines of our churches (here I mean buildings, though typically when I use the word church I mean people) and church programs to engage people in the communities where we live.  I think that is where the church (people) is at its best...listening to and engaging the community beyond the church (building this time) walls.

All that to introduce an opportunity.  The provincial government is seeking youth and young adults 18-25 years old to participate in a Youth Development Committe.  It looks interesting.  I encourage you to check it out.  It would be good to have some of you who are rooted in the church bring your perspectives to this process.