On Sunday, February 22nd, 2026, Kristina Towes gave a sermon on "Praying in solidarity with the global church". The sermon highlighted the importance of prayer within Mennonite World Conference (MWC) as a means of connecting with and supporting churches facing hardship around the world. Recognizing the pervasive feeling of global darkness, MWC aims to foster a "Koinonia"—a community of faith—through prayer and mutual support. Persistent prayer can transform personal anxieties into a shared commitment to justice and peace, echoing Jesus’s teachings on non-violence. [JL]

Dr. John Martens is Director of the Centre for Christian Engagement at St. Mark's College.

Though these worshippers use words without meanings, they are able to nonetheless convey meanings without words. The people weeped and lamented together. They spoke in resistance against the empire with words that the empire could not ban. There was empowerment: the obscure, marginalized, and voiceless were able to speak and be heard. And, there was the letting go of control, so that one can encounter the Spirit directly. In the West, we are privileged to have so little to grieve and resist that the Pentecostal form of worship is foreign to many of us. We can still have empathy towards those with different forms of worship, and we should recognize that being different from us isn't a sign that they are wrong or inferior. [JL]
 

What was Jesus' message when he told this parable, and right after the Parable of the Prodigal Son too? One thing we see is that God is generous by nature. Recklessly generous, in fact, and his generosity offends. And like how we can't tell God how generous he should be, we also can't force Jesus to fit in a respectable, inoffensive mold that we want him to fit in. Most importantly, we should take Jesus' conclusion to heart—we should be generous with our worldly wealth so that we can gain friends for ourselves and be welcomed into a shelter that lasts for all times. [JL]

NOTE: the final slide is intentionally blank (redacted for privacy reasons).

Donna Dinsmore hails from northern Maine. She taught choral music in South Carolina for 20 years and studied, served and taught at Regent College in the area of worship and music for 9 years. Since ordination in the United Church in 2014, she has served on the North Shore, in Bella Coola, Edmonton, Calgary, Richmond and now with Cambie Village Church on 19th and Cambie. Donna loves to integrate head and heart, worship and music, and Christian spirituality and real life. She will play in any sandbox that will have her, including at First Mennonite in Edmonton and Foothills Mennonite in Calgary. She is delighted to be with us today and to bring her CVC community with her!

In the first section, Henry talked about the time when he volunteered at a local police station in Ladner. There, he was asked what believes by someone from a Sikhi background. He responded, somewhat unconfidently, that he believes in following Jesus, and that it's basically about love. Other members have commented that they too have been asked similar questions by a Sikhi believer.

In the second section, Henry talked about his time volunteering at The Mission to Seafarers with Tena. The person in charge, Sheryl, went beyond her regular duties that day helping a sailor. When Henry commented that her behavior seemed "almost Christian", Sheryl was quite unhappy, and said that she wished he didn't say that. Though confused at first, Henry realized that he responsibility was his, and if he could explain her behavior, that would mean he'd be blaming her for the response. Other members have responded with their own stories of regrets in their past. 

In the third section, Henry talks about the lecture notes he found from a Roman Catholic Church he attended in Saskatoon back in 1966. It was an interesting talk about change, adapting to them, and how the Roman Catholic extorted its believers by selling them heavenly life insurance. Dogmas don't change, but their applications must, else we will become museum pieces. Members talked about the times when they "bought", "sold", or "freely gave out" the heavenly life insurance.

The words do not convey just how long and awkward the mealtime together must've been. Jesus does not let Peter off easy for what he had done. His confrontations were direct and went straight back to the denials. But, he also does not try to get even with him. Jesus took this time to restore both Peter's relationship with him and his role as the de-facto leader among the disciples. In fact, he ends the breakfast with a strange prophecy: that though Peter betrayed Jesus to save himself, his death will be from serving Jesus faithfully by feeding his sheep.

Forgiveness might be hard, but reconciliation is harder. One can forgive without interacting with the perpetrator ever again, but reconciliation requires effort to reconnect with the person who hurt you (or you have hurt). Yet, it was this reconciliation that allowed Peter to be the rock he is known to be in the early church.

Yet, to love isn't to be complacent in violence. To love is to seek the flourishing in others (to bless them), to respond to violence with kindness, to return spite with respect, and to give without expecting anything in return. How does one love their enemies? Annika suggests that we start with curiosity. We should start off by seeking to listen and learn from those we might otherwise turn our ears away from.

NOTE: A Congregational Meeting was held in the Menno Court chapel at noon, after lunch was served at 11:30 AM.

Heidi also looked at how she observed lenting in her own life. During her two pregnancies, she practiced a "maternal lent" in which she avoided coffee and all caffeine. Though the journey was far longer and more difficult than she initially expected, she reflected that it was beautiful and that God seemed to have been with her during those times.

She concludes that lenting isn't just about removing something from our lives—and replacing it with some other distraction. It's about emptying ourselves and creating space for God to fill up. It's about removing something old, no matter how painful, so that something new can enter our lives.

Repentance has three dimensions: remorse, which is genuine sorrow for one's action; restitution, a genuine attempt at restoring what was destroyed; And renewal, or a complete change in one's being. To repent is to admit that the relationship matters to you so much that you are willing to amend past wrongs and become a changed person. Repentance requires an act of imagination, as it invites us to imagine a future beyond that of the reaction to the past.

In turbulent times like these, perhaps we should become less self-reliant, and to be more compassionate and kind towards others. [JL]

The story of Hagar is an interesting one. Though she's a minor character in the Old Testament, she is the first person to name God and the only person to name him, "The God who sees me". This is in stark contrast with much of the other characters who, when having encountered the divine, said, "I have seen God". Hagar's story is that of enslavement, impregnation, and abuse. Yet, though very little has improved for her, the Lord was with her, and that made all the difference. [JL]

Sharon is a Spiritual Formation Missionary for Imago Christi, along with her husband Geordie.

Izumi Araki actively works as VP International at ISMC (International Student Ministries Canada) is a spinning & weaving artist.

Mark is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Regent College. He is also a jazz pianist. His most recent book is Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul (IVP Academic, 2023), and his book Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Communities is forthcoming from IVP Academic in 2025.

NOTE: the response time audio wasn't of the usual quality as we were experimenting with a new wireless microphone and speaker system. Lessons have been learned - thanks for your patience through this experimentation with new hybrid worship technology.

The slides presented are available to view at 2024 Colombia Learning Tour (slides from 2024-07-14).pdf (12-page PDF of PowerPoint).

The service was held at Menno Court (1750 E. 41st Ave off Bruce St.).  Free parking available on Commercial St. to the east

The hybrid service was held at Menno Court (1750 E. 41st Ave., Vancouver) and streamed on Zoom.

The service began at 10:00 am and was held in the chapel at Menno Court (1750 e. 41st Ave, Vancouver, off Bruce St.)

This service began at 10:00 am and took place via Zoom.

The service took place at St. Mary Magdalene at 3:30 pm. Communion was served.

This service began at 10:00 am and took place by Zoom

The service began at 10:00 am and took place by Zoom. 

This service began at 10:00 am and took place by Zoom.

This worship service was held in-person at 3:30 pm at St. Mary Magdalene (2950 Laurel St. at 14th Ave., Vancouver). Communion was served

This service began at 10:00 am and took place by Zoom.

Janet has been a long-time PGIMFer. She has degrees from Regent College and Fuller Theological Seminary and is Faculty Emerita at Columbia Bible College.

This service will be by Zoom and begins at 10:00 am.

Tim is the Director of CityGate Vancouver. Prior to that he was the pastor of Grandview Church in Vancouver for 30 years. During that time, the church went from being ready to dissolve to becoming re-established as a force for good in its neighbourhood. Tim is the author of Plunging into the Kingdom Way and Forming Christian Community in a Secular Age: Recovering Humility and Hope.

Synopsis:  I will be telling the story of God's welcome as told in the parable - and throughout the Bible -- noting  our call to receive and extend that welcome, as well as noting how our refusal to share in God's welcome puts us on the sidelines of the mission of God . . . .

This service will be by Zoom and begins at 10:00 am

This service was held in-person at 10:00 am at Menno Court (1750 E. 41st Ave., Vancouver).

This service took place by Zoom and began at 10:00 am.

Tasha Carrothers spoke to PGIMF on the lectionary texts at a 3:30 pm in-person hybrid service in St. Mary Magdalene (2950 Laurel St &, W 14th Ave, Vancouver).

NOTE: Chapel access through door facing E. 41st Ave. No access from the door facing E. 43rd AVe. Parking on Commercial St. 1/2 blk east of Menno Court - walk through the alley to the front door. Visitor's parking is extremely limited and signage is not clear at Menno Court. No accessibility spaces are posted.

What was most striking, however, was that the greatest barrier that was preventing people from becoming Christians was other Christians. Perhaps what matters is not just what we say, or what great stories we are able to tell, but how we can become a living testament of the Salvation story for all to see. [JL]

NOTE: members and adherents may read Henry's 5-page sermon script at 2022-09-25-PGIMF-Henry_Klippenstein-The_Sermon_on_the_Mount.pdf (login required).

NOTE: we gathered in person at St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church (2950 Laurel Street, at the corner of West 14th Avenue in Vancouver) and on Zoom!

Annunciation, by Filippo Lippi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

NOTE: the worship sheet features a painting by Veronica Yang, entitled, "The Star".

NOTE: the bulletin features a painting by Veronica Yang entitled "The Star".

NOTE: the bulletin features a painting by Veronica Yang entitled "The Star".

You can watch a YouTube video of our Zoom recording of Don's sermon at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b1BYH2yGIU

NOTE: the recorded hymns have been removed for brevity. The response time was not posted because it was combined with the sharing of prayer concerns.

Donna has most recently served as intentional transitional pastor at Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary. Before that, she was interim pastor for Edmonton First Mennonite. Before that, she ministered for two years among the Nuxalk people in Bella Coola. She was ordained in the United Church of Canada. She is a graduate of Regent College and has a prior background in choral conducting. She loves four-part harmony!

• Resurrection Sunday piano prelude (Ruth Enns) 
• Voices Together No. 353, "Now the green blade rises" (Catherine Cooper)
• Bach, E Major Partita for solo violin (Rebecca Ruthven)

Paul Thiessen gave a tribute thanking J. Evan Kreider on the conclusion of just over a year (since March 22, 2020) of daily "Meditations While Sheltering In Place". The calligraphy card shown below was created by Laura Eriksson was presented to Evan with some tokens of the congregation's appreciation.

Becky is trained in theology (Master of Theological Studies, Regent College) and spirituality (Clinical Pastoral Education), and is currently working on a Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality. She has worked as a hospital chaplain for four years. She has recently begun a practice as a spiritual director.

Jayson is a writer, musician, and pastor. He describes himself as an "Opti-mystic God-botherer." A tweet of his that sums up his life's mission is "The greatest enemy of Christianity isn't secularism, atheism, or Islam. It's bad Christianity."

NOTE: the recording has been edited to include only the readings (no songs).