March 10th

Hope and Courage Underway

Hope and Courage, Mennonite Church Manitoba’s two-year visioning process, is well underway.

Cheryl Braun, Moderator of MCM, and MCM’s Executive Minister, Michael Pahl, have been meeting with focus groups from across MCM since last fall. These are groups of 6-10 people, each from different congregations, coming together to talk about the church.

“Each person in a focus group completes a long-form survey,” says Michael. “Then we pull the group together to share about the joys and challenges of being the church in these days, and their hopes and dreams for the future of the church.”

These conversations focus both on the local church of which focus group members are a part, as well as on the regional and nationwide church.

“I have really appreciated the time and effort folks have put into being part of the focus groups thus far,” says Cheryl. “In the midst of sharing real concerns about the ongoing life of the Church and their congregations within it, they have also shared a deep love for and commitment to their congregations.”

Cheryl has been impressed by the quality of conversations among focus groups so far. “People speak with conviction about the future of their church and the Church as they wonder what and where the growth edges and changes might be for their congregation and the larger Mennonite Church,” she says. “I continue to be both humbled and inspired!”

Anyone who attends a Mennonite Church Manitoba church is welcome to participate in Hope and Courage by filling out a short-form survey available online. “This is an important way for everyone to be involved in this visioning process,” Michael adds. “Fifteen minutes of your time is all it takes to contribute to this conversation.”

Once focus groups and surveys are complete, Michael and the MCM board will sift through the responses, looking for common themes. This will result in a board report, a version of which will be made available more widely. The second year of Hope and Courage will see the testing of some visioning ideas, moving toward an initial strategic plan for MCM.

“We’re seeing some clear trends already in these conversations,” says Michael. “These trends will help shape a fresh vision for Mennonite Church Manitoba and propel us forward into future faithfulness.”

Pray for this Hope and Courage visioning process, for focus groups as they meet, for people as they complete surveys, and for the MCM board as they process the results of this work. For more information on Hope and Courage, or to complete the short-form survey, see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/hopeandcourage.