Generous Impact

If the pennies you hold were magic, you could drop them in the dish and they would become 1,000, 10,000, 1,000,000,000 pennies and more… but they are not. If these pennies were kingdom pennies they would arrive just in time to pay the bills; they would become just enough… but they are not. These are only copper pennies. They are not kingdom pennies… but they have been held by kingdom people. They are no longer cold pennies… they have been warmed by the touching of our lives and our persons. They are not magic pennies… but they may be part of a miracle - in the right hands.

With these words from our “town crier,” those gathered at the 2007 MCEC Fall Church Gathering moved into worship, offering the penny they had received as they arrived that morning. God’s generous Spirit moved as the pennies grew to just over $4,700.00, received as an offering for the IMPACT program. IMPaCT, International Mennonite Pastors Coming Together, is a program of Mennonite Church Canada Witness, this year being held in conjunction with MCEC from April 24 - May 5. Sixteen pastors will come together. Pastors have been invited from Congo, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ukraine and England. They will be paired with MCEC pastors and congregations, namely: · Ruth Anne Laverty, Mannheim Mennonite Church; · Perry Bartel, Hawkesville Mennonite Church; · Claire Osinkosky, Preston Mennonite Church; · Bruce Sawatsky, Maple View Mennonite Church; · David Tiessen, Community Mennonite Fellowship (Drayton); · Hendrike Isert Bender, Nith Valley Mennonite Church; · Steve Schumm, Hamilton Mennonite Church; and · Darrel Toews, Breslau Mennonite Church. International guests will spend two Sundays with the hosting congregation, the first as a participant and the following Sunday, they will be invited to provide the message. Bible study, worship, and fellowship will be the focus of their time together. As they reflect on “The Peace of Jesus Christ” they will discuss how to create cultures of peace within the church that break down dividing walls of hostility. They will have the opportunity to interact with MCEC congregations in southern Ontario, Ottawa and Montreal and all meetings will be conducted in English and French. You are invited to share in the blessings of the generosity that was received at the MCEC Fall Gathering. There are two public opportunities for the MCEC community of congregations to interact with our guests and hosts. Disciple making stories from Congo, Ukraine, England, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Canada will be shared April 25 – 26 at the MCEC Annual Spring Gathering in Leamington, ON. The group will also reflect on what it means to live as people of peace in our various settings. Testimonials will be shared at a public closing worship session on Sunday, May 4, 7.30 pm. at Breslau Mennonite Church, Breslau, ON. A power point presentation and enthusiastic singing will invite all who gather to celebrate the worldwide fellowship of Christians in our Anabaptist-Mennonite church family. The movement of God’s generous spirit, seen in the response of God’s people at the MCEC Fall Gathering, has helped to make IMPaCT 2008 a reality. The pennies which were given were not magic pennies, just as the town crier had told us. However, the pennies were given into the right hands – God’s hands – and a miracle has taken and is taking place. For this we are truly grateful. 04/2008