Community: Bridging Realities

An ad in the local newspaper caught Pam's attention. Welcome Inn Community Centre in Hamilton was extending an invitiation to their Tuesday Diners Club for seniors. Pam, recently retired and looking for something new responded: "I'll go give it a try!" She loved the atmosphere at the luncheon and reasoned that if she was coming for the social side, she should also check out the religious part. She began attending Welcome Inn Church and blended right in. Although Pam had never before heard of Mennonites, she found that their faith fit perfectly with her perspective on life. Theat was 14 years ago.

Over the years, Pam has learned that community is very important in the Mennonite church. She speaks enthusiastically bout relationships that Welcome Inn Church has with other MCEC congregations. She remembers an exciting snowball fight after a Christmas potluck with Vineland United Mennonite Church, a delightful strawberry festival with Niagara United Mennonite Church and learning about quilting at St. Jacobs Mennonite Church. She is thankful for the people from Hamilton Mennonite Church who come regularly to Welcome Inn and help with the worship service.

One of the highlights for Pam and the entire Welcome Inn congregation is the annual trip to Bethel Mennonite Church in Elora. Marion, a member at Welcome Inn Church and former staff of Welcome Inn Community Centre comments, "It's a wonderful trip out of the city and away from everyday life to a place we all are loved and fussed over. We don't often find places where we are so wonderfully spoiled. We even take home lots of harvest food to liven up our meals for the next week."

Marion recognizes that these congregational exchanges are not always comfortable. "We are two extremely diverse groups who don't always know what to say to each other." Marion works at being a go between. "I understand both cultures and therefore help the two groups who don't understand each other very well have some meaningful dialogue." She believes that this exchange is an important event for both churches. Welcome Inn people get a chance to get away from the city and Bethel members receive insight into what it means to live an inner city existence on the margins of our society.

Both Pam and Marion have found a family in the Welcome Inn community. More than that, they have grown to know a much larger family in the community of congregations called MCEC.