News and events
What's so Funny about Money?
January 15, 2012
Get a new perspective on your relationship with God and money. Mennonite Foundation of Canada presents What’s so Funny About Money, a Christian comedy on stewardship from the comedy team of Ted and Company. This humorous and thought-provoking stage show explores our discomfort with talking about money, the financial pressures we face, our use of time, and similar topics. For more details, click here to go to the event page.
MFC Spirit of Generosity Award winners
September 2011
The Spirit of Generosity Award provides an annual prize of $450 to one student in each of 13 Christian secondary and post secondary schools, colleges and universities related to MFC’s participating conferences across Canada. This year's awards went to:
| School |
Recipient |
Charity of Choice |
| Canadian Mennonite University |
Elisa K LeDesky |
House Blend Ministries |
| Columbia Bible College |
Denis Federau |
Youth for Christ- Abbotsford |
| Conrad Grebel University College |
Elizabeth Weber Catherine Duncan Eric Kennedy Caleb Jackett |
Mennonite Disaster Service |
| Emmanuel Bible College |
Isaiah Boronka |
Mennonite Coalition for Refugees |
| Mennonite Collegiate Institute |
Paul Ryan Heppner |
MCC Manitoba (MCI for Hope) |
| Mennonite Educational Institute |
Matthew Fitz |
Fraser Valley Gleaners Society |
| Rockway Mennonite Collegiate | Andrew Christopher Wenger |
Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support |
| Rocky Mountain College | Evelyn Eisses |
International Justice Mission |
| Rosthern Junior College |
Erin Marie Boldt |
Canada Ukraine Agrarian Development Agency |
| Steinbach Bible School | John (JJ) Harold Marcel Trepanier |
Living Bible Explorers Winnipeg |
| Steinbach Christian High School | Dominic Friesen |
Compassion Canada |
| United Mennonite Educational Institute | Molly Gillanders |
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada |
| Westgate Mennonite Collegiate | Sarah Eliza Jane Cullihall |
MCC Canada |
MFC welcomes seventh participating conference
April 2011
With the acceptance of the Alberta-based Evangelical Bergthaler Mennonite Conference as a sustaining denomination, Mennonite Foundation of Canada’s stewardship message continues to reach more people and groups.
MFC welcomed EBMC as its seventh participating conference during the Foundation’s annual meeting in Saskatoon in April 2011. Last November, EBMC’s delegate body voted in favour of seeking sustaining conference status with MFC.
EBMC leadership noted that their churches have benefited greatly from MFC’s ministry and services over the prior two years, and want to participate in and support the Foundation’s ongoing work.
"We have greatly appreciated the assistance that MFC has already provided us through extending a church loan and offering will and estate planning services to our members,” said Ken Wiebe, EBMC conference secretary. "MFC’s core message of faithful, joyful giving resonates well with our group. We look forward to benefiting from the Foundation’s stewardship education resources and learning from the other denominations that work with MFC.
”Founded in 1970, the EBM Conference has seven churches in Northern Alberta – four in the La Crete area, and single congregations in three other communities – Peace River, Grand Prairie and Slave Lake. Average attendance is about 1300.
Darren Pries-Klassen, MFC’s Executive Director, sees the new partnership as an affirmation of the Foundation’s ministry. "While groups don’t need members on our board in order to benefit from MFC services, we are grateful that EBMC chooses to work closely with us and has sent skilled people to our table. We can do more together than we can on our own.
”The move to add new groups is part of MFC’s philosophy and strategic direction. MFC is seeking to work with any group that shares our values, Pries-Klassen said.
EBMC’s appointees to the MFC board are Wiebe and conference treasurer, Henry Fehr.
MFC’s other supporting denominations are: Chortitzer Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference, Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, Mennonite Church Canada , and Northwest Mennonite Conference.
Widow's memorial grants $82,000
July 2010
Over the past ten years 30 refugees, from 14 countries, received over $82,000 in scholarships from the John Chamberlin Refugee Education Fund. In spring 2010 the Fund made its final awards. This year’s recipients included refugees from Burma, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia.This education fund was established in memory of John Chamberlin, a former English professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, who died in 1999. John was passionate about helping refugees pursue training or education that would lead to meaningful and fulfilling work in Canada.
Mennonite Foundation of Canada administered the fund while a local committee (which included some refugees) interviewed and selected the recipients. Granting decisions were made by the Grants Committee. Since 2001 scholarships have gone to Waterloo Region residents for studies and qualifying exams in nursing, human resources, social work, respiratory therapy, radiation technology, dentistry, medicine, community justice, architecture, and other areas.
The fund was supported by an initial grant from Anna Hemmendinger, the widow of John Chamberlin, and received gifts from many other generous donors in the Kitchener-Waterloo community. Initially the plan was to offer awards for only five years, but—due to generous giving—the awards were offered for an additional five years.
The John Chamberlin Refugee Education Fund offered its final awards in 2010 and applications are no longer accepted.
Interested in how MFC assists with scholarship funds? Talk to an MFC Consultant.