October 6th

Young Adult Retreat Nurtures Community and Belonging

Nineteen young adults from congregations across Mennonite Church Manitoba gathered in September at Camp Assiniboia for MCM’s annual Young Adult Retreat. This year’s event was planned by three young adults from Home Street Mennonite Church—Ava Campbell-Enns, Grace Siemens, and Carrie Schultz—and it proved to be a significant experience for all involved.

“I am very pleased with how it went,” says Ava. “We planned a weekend fitting for the demographic that attended, and our camp experience [as leadership staff] came in handy. Even though it was a small group, it allowed for everyone to meet each other and mix across groups that were already established prior to the retreat.”

The weekend began on the Saturday evening with welcome games and a fireside time sharing snacks and singing much-loved Camps with Meaning songs. A night game, followed by simply hanging out and chatting together, closed off the evening. After breakfast on Sunday, the group had a more formal worship time, singing songs and engaging in lectio divina around Isaiah 54:8. A nature walk and inside games followed, and after lunch together and some more free time, everyone went home rejuvenated from the experience.

“I am so grateful I took a break from my normal routine for a weekend away to reconnect with nature and my friends,” says Grace. “A weekend of fun and connection reminded me how important fostering community is.”

Sandy Plett joined the retreat on the Sunday. Sandy has been half-time Climate Action Coordinator for Mennonite Church Canada, but she recently added a youth and young adult ministry support piece to her role. This shift has happened in response to a recognition that God’s Spirit is moving in fresh ways among youth and young adults across MC Canada.

“Community and belonging keep emerging as the top priorities for young adults that I speak with, followed closely by things like justice and faith development,” Sandy says. “But honestly, we can’t get to work on justice and faith development without community and belonging—so, yeah, these are the top priorities!”

Sandy continues. “These regional young adult gatherings are such a great reminder that even if you are the only one under 35 in your congregation, there are others in the same life stage within the regional church. I’m hearing young adults across Canada say that these connecting points are so life giving.”

Praise God for the new things God is doing among us, including among our youth and young adults! For more information about the plans percolating at the regional and nationwide church levels, check out MCM and MC Canada’s websites. If you’d like to give financially to support these efforts, see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/giving.