Church News (October/November)

​Christain Fellowship Chapel 

​Winnipeg, Manitoba
​Timothy Harris, Pastor
​cfc-wpg.org

Our Pastor couple Tim and Kristin Harris have been with us for three years now.  They are pictured here on Pastor Appreciation Sunday, and we truly appreciate them from the bottom of our hearts.  They are faithful hard workers who love God, His Word, and us. 
We are a small congregation of less than 50 on the membership roster, several who are elderly and infirm, and several who are non-residents.  However, we are also bustling with new life, as new people are making their home with us.  
​

Among these are some Hispanic families with young children, and so once again there is the patter of little feet in the midst of our aging population. God is faithful in increasing our numbers, and also faithful to these newcomers, as our resident Avant home missionaries, Mike and Carolyn Reimer, are able to host an adult Spanish Sunday School class.

We continue to promote fellowship with each other which is so important for building up the Body.  The men meet once a month for breakfast, and this summer the breakfast theme was expanded on as we hosted 2 pancake breakfasts in our parking lot inviting the neighborhood. A few people took us up on our offer, and it seems that some good contacts were made.
The “Abiding” Ladies’ Group joined together for a summer lake retreat. Our speaker, Carla Dyck, who is also our resident artist, spoke of God’s faithfulness in her own life, and how God led her in the past, and speaks to her in the present, through art.  We were all encouraged to consider and use our own gifts to build the Body.  To illustrate the point, she created a painting and made it into a puzzle, giving each participant a piece.  We eagerly put our individual pieces together to form the whole, which is exactly a picture of what the Lord tells us to do in the Church.  Our “Fall Abiding” session included a Ladies’ supper, and three subsequent Wednesday evening meetings where we focused on maturing in Christ.  We enjoyed the studies, and even the homework!

Two of our CFC families are full-time missionaries with Youth For Christ. It was good to work together with them in their fundraising event. We had the chance to hear how God is impacting the lives of young people, and were grateful for it.

As we think ahead to Christmas, our celebrations will begin at the end of November with a Christmas lunch.  Our theme for Advent this year is “Immanuel, the Mighty Warrior”.  The painting for the first Sunday is featured here.  Can’t you just see how this creates HOPE?

Linda Edwards, Correspondent 

Cornerstone Bible Church

Mountain Lake, Minnesota
​Herms Banico, Pastor
cornerstoneml.com

This year, unlike most, fall has extended with summer-like days and temperatures, allowing for ideal harvest conditions. After a deluge in late June that necessitated re-planting, the summer turned dry, resulting in a blessed harvest.
In mid-September, Pastor Herms Banico completed his year-long series in Ephesians and has now begun a series on themes of discipleship. On Sunday, October 13, we celebrated Pastor Appreciation, honoring Pastor Herms, who recently completed his Master’s degree program through Liberty University. He has expressed a desire to pursue a Doctorate degree through online study.
Several men have dedicated numerous hours to demolishing the church’s front entrance, patio, steps, and terraces to prepare for new concrete and finishes. This project was necessitated by an outdated drainage system, and while the landscaping still requires completion, we are deeply grateful for the hard work of these men.
Our summer missionary guests included the children of Frank and Ethel Wiens. Jim and Olya were able to reunite after finally receiving the necessary paperwork for her to come stateside. They spent a majority of their time with their children, Mariya and Peter, who attend Northwestern University in the Twin Cities. Pablo and Judi Perez from Ecuador timed their visit to Minnesota to coincide with a family reunion, joined by siblings Glenn and Gary. Jim and Olya were given an opportunity to speak and share on Sunday, September 15, before their return to Russia, while Pablo and Judi presented to us on Sunday, September 8, and are currently traveling to speak in supporting churches through the end of the year.
The church ladies continue to gather monthly at the coffee shop, with various activities scheduled through December. A Thanksgiving brunch on November 9 is expected to be well attended.

Marjorie Friesen, Correspondent

Countryside Bible Church

​Meade, Kansas
​Jonathan Dale, Pastor
countrysidebiblechurch.net

Greetings in the Lord! As we approach the busy fall season and many activities, may you and your families be recognizing God's greatness and the splendor of His majesty as Psalm 145 speaks of. We pray too that there will be plentiful opportunities to speak of the power of His awesome acts and tell of His greatness, shouting joyfully of His righteousness! There is indeed much to praise the Lord for!
Psalm 145:3-7 " Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness."
At Countryside Bible Church, we are thankful to the Lord for the ways He has been working and for opportunities for Christ to be proclaimed! In July, many folks from our church had the opportunity to participate and help out at Faith Bible Camp. The children had a lot of fun and they also enjoyed learning more about how once we are saved, we become new creations in Christ! What a joyous truth! The theme verse for the week was 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”

At the end of July, the highschool students and their leaders had the opportunity to go to Camp Regen in Glorieta, New Mexico. This is an exciting opportunity for them to gather with numerous other brothers and sisters in Christ and grow in their faith. This year’s theme was “In His Image”. Then back on the home front, Pastor Jonathan has been taking us through a Summer Sermon series on the love of God and loving others. We spent time digging deeper into what Biblical love really is and how important it is for us to be loving God with all of our hearts, souls, mind, and strength. Then in turn, we ought to love one another. Pastor Jonathan preached through some different key passages, starting with Matthew 22:34-40, then John 3:16, some in Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 5, and the book of Ephesians. Jaden Friesen preached from the book of 1 John one of the Sundays, and Ryan Friesen took Lamentations 3:19-24. For the last several weeks, we went through all the different characteristics/descriptions of love in 1 Corinthians 13 in greater detail.
On August 10th, the ladies at Countryside Bible Church had the joy of having a Missionary Tea with some of our missionary wives. Nora Dale hosted the event at her house, and Abigail Wiens and some of the other ladies from Redeemer Bible Church were able to join us in person. Cindy Patten was also able to join us via Zoom, and it was such an encouragement to hear from both of these ladies and how God has been working in both theirs and their families lives and also in the different ministries they are involved with! Now that summer is over, the mid-week ministries have started up again and are getting going full force! Adventure Club, Base Camp, and Crossroads have all started again and the men’s and women’s Bible Studies will be continuing on with studying the book of 1 Corinthians, starting off with chapter 7. 
May God be greatly glorified in and through all of these things!

Abigail Bartel, Correspondent

Dalmeny Bible Church

​Dalmeny, Saskatchewan
Dennis Friesen, Pastor
dalmenybiblechurch.ca

What a joy it was to host Connect24 at our church! We were so glad to see each one of you who came.
In July, we ran an Athletes in Action soccer camp, with kids attending from our church and community. This program has become a summer highlight.
We also adapted our mid-week program into a three-day summer camp for kids in grades 1-6. In the morning, kids in grades 1-3 joined us for a sampling of different clubs, such as Lego, crafts, games, and cooking. The afternoon welcomed kids in grades 4-6 to participate in cooking, art, and sewing clubs. Videos with an Olympic theme were prepared, focusing on the life of Paul and how God's love and desires for Paul reflect what He wants for each of us. Leaders led discussions with their small groups, and we hosted a lunch for all of the families on the last day.
Our church camping weekend at Memorial Lake has become very popular, enjoyed by all ages.
There is a lot happening at Dalmeny this fall “kick-off” season as we start a new year. Here are just a few things we have going on:

• Bible Discovery on Sunday mornings
  
• Junior Youth Group on Thursdays and Senior Youth Group on Tuesdays (both groups recently enjoyed the Corn Maze at Rosthern, and some attended Youth Edge at Millar College of the Bible)
  
• Kids Club on Wednesdays
  
• Men’s Breakfasts once a month
  
• The Growing Leaders Course
  
• Ladies Ministry Events – this season has included a brunch featuring speaker Joanne Borrowman and a wiener roast at the Scheller acreage
  
• Legacy Small Group for Seniors – a new group led by Pastor Dennis
  

Our recent mission spotlights have featured Sorin and Mihaela from Romania; Jason and Joanne Borrowman, recently home from Hurri Hills, Africa, with AIM; and Dave Thiessen with Harvest for Kids.
As a congregation, we have enjoyed several meals together, such as a BBQ and our Thanksgiving Dinner. We look forward to more times of growth and fellowship as a congregation.

Marilyn Harder, Correspondent

​Evangelical Bible Church

Dallas, Oregon
Troy Bassham, Pastor
ebcdallas.org

This July we had a team go to Mae Sot, Thailand for a short-term mission trip with Children to Love International. They spent time with refugees and families in the area and serving with a church and boarding house. This was an amazing trip and the younger group members are already looking forward to returning there to serve again.

In September Awana started back up again with 143 kids joining us! Youth group ministries also restarted for the year.

Alison Johnson, Correspondent

Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church

​Marion, South Dakota
David Glader, Paster

The EMB church at Marion, South Dakota celebrated Harvest Mission on Sunday, October 20 with a message by Pastor Roger Engbrecht from Sioux Falls.  
A delicious lunch featured several soups prepared by Roger Regehr.  Other ladies prepared snacks, salads and desserts.  The fellowship around the table was uplifting.
The offering was designated for the Metroplex Women's Clinic where some of our members volunteer with needy women and families.
Harvest has featured warm and sunny weather as farmers gather in soybeans and corn.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.”

- Psalm 51:12

Evelyn Duerksen, Correspondent

​Grunthal Evangelical Bible Church

​Grunthal, Manitoba
​Jared Fast, Pastor
www.grunthalebc.ca.com

The end of summer and the beginning of fall always bring an exciting time within the church body, as routines settle in and our groups resume for the year. Here are some of the groups kicking off this season:

• Hermeneutics Class – taught by Pastor Jared
  
• College & Career
  
• Youth
  
• Men’s Bible Study
  
• Women’s Bible Study – currently working through Revelation by Fran Sciacca
  
• 55+ Coffee & Fellowship
  
• Small Groups – an invaluable opportunity to connect with fellow churchgoers on a deeper level, fostering relationships, support, and prayer for one another
  

Our church’s longtime missionaries with World Team/SIM, Henry and Janet Armstrong, have returned to Grunthal, MB, after 24 years of service in Singapore. Please pray for their adjustment to our culture and climate, and that we as a church and community will have open eyes to support their needs. It’s a blessing to see them on Sunday mornings again!
September marked “Missions Month” at our church, where each Sunday we highlighted a different ministry we support. Featured ministries included:

• Mike and Carolyn Reimer – serving with Avant Ministries in church planting
  
• Gospel Echoes – providing Bible study correspondence courses, grading, and Christian literature for prison inmates
  
• Fisher Bay Bible Camp – a camp 2.5 hours north of Winnipeg that shares the gospel with the three First Nations in the area
  
• Teen Challenge – a faith-based addiction recovery program
  

Due to high attendance, we will begin holding two services on Sunday mornings to comply with fire codes. Our first service will start at 9 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 10:30 a.m., and the second service at 11:15 a.m. Please pray for our congregation to remain close and continue seeking fellowship with one another despite the adjustment to two services. We also invite prayers for our newest elder candidate, Craig Froese!
In November, Pastor Jared will be speaking at the “Biblical Marriage Made Practical” Marriage Conference at the Grunthal Bergthaler Church. 
We look forward to the upcoming season full of new opportunities for learning and growth! 

Jennifer Preston, Correspondent

Jansen Bible Church

​Jansen, Nebraska
Paul Carpenter, Pastor
​jansenbiblechurch.org

The Jansen Bible Church Women’s Retreat was on July 19-20 in Aurora, NE. We were happy to have several new friends in attendance.
The new Awana year began on Sept. 4. Attendance averaged about 60 per week. The Q&A Bible Study meets at the Jansen Legion Hall at 7:00 PM.
The annual Sunday School Picnic at Camp Jefferson was Sept.15. The morning service was an enactment of the chronological Bible studies taught each Sunday in our Junior Church service, ending with an impressive Bible Jeopardy contest over the materials in past studies. The service was led by Aric Brandt.
The church families participated in the Oct. 4-5 Hwy 136 Trail of Treasures sale. Our “For Sale” treasures were displayed in the fellowship hall. They were given away for a free-will donation. The church family was invited to help themselves to what was left after the sale, and the remainder was donated to the Lincoln City Mission. Proceeds from the sale will go to Church ministries.
Our Harvest Missions Festival is scheduled for Nov. 23-24. There will be a meal after the Sunday morning service on the 24th.
It’s time for Operation Christmas Child. We have 40 empty “shoe boxes” ready to pack and 50 more coming soon to fill.
Practice for the Christmas play is underway: An older shepherd recounts his memories of a Christmas some 30 years past.

Tena Dick, Correspondent

Indian Head Community Church

​Indian Head, Saskatchewan
​Justin Epp, Pastor

We rejoice to see God growing our church, both in number and involvement of members in ministry.
New individuals and families have been regularly attending Sunday Services over the past few months. On Thanksgiving Sunday, we celebrated the baptism of a new believer and welcomed him formally into membership. When he shared his testimony with the congregation, we praised God with him at the renewing transformation Jesus has brought to his life.
The Lord continues to bless our children’s ministry. Last school year, we restructured our weekly Kids Club program to follow a format recommended by Dalmeny Bible Church. We also implemented some of these changes during our “Summer Kids Club” (Vacation Bible School) in partnership with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), where over 25 children from both the church and community participated.
Each day, the two-hour program began with a summer missionary from CEF presenting 5-Day Club material which included a Bible story, songs, missionary story and memory verse. Then the kids engaged in activities highlighting the various types of clubs offered during the school year. It was encouraging to see different church members take responsibility for leading the activities every afternoon.
This fall, we launched another series of weekly Kids Club meetings, with more than 25 children enrolled. The club runs for one hour each week and begins with a short Bible story about Jesus’ parables, followed by time for the children to work on projects in either Lego or painting club. At the end of the eight-week session, we plan to host a Showcase Night, where parents will be invited to see their children’s work and learn about the truths taught about Jesus. A few kids attending this fall are new, but most are returning participants from our previous programs. Many church members are investing their time to lead or assist with the activities, and it is greatly encouraging to see how God is using them in this ministry. Please pray with us that God will grow the seeds being planted in these young hearts and that He may bless our efforts to build relationships with the families in our community.

Sarah Pacio, Correspondent

Martensville Mission Church

Martensville, Saskatchewan
Justin Klassen, Pastor
facebook.com/martensvillemissionchurch

With Summer officially over,  things are ramping up at the MMC. Last Spring, Pastor Justin started a sermon series on the Book of Exodus which resumed in September after the conclusion of the summer series on Philippians,
This past June, Brolin and Kelsie Simes were announced as candidates at the MMC and we are excited to announce that Brolin will be joining us in full-time ministry at MMC as Associate Pastor. A commissioning service for Brolin and Kelsie is being held on September 22, 2024.
Our Fall and Winter programming begins with the kick-off and BBQ for Sunday School on September 15. The Youth kick-off is the following week starting with a walk along the river followed by ice cream (yumm!). As we move through September, the church building once again becomes a hub of activity. In addition to Sunday School and Youth, our AWANA program starts up again. We look forward to the work of the Spirit in the hearts and minds of all the kids who so excitedly come through the doors each week.
It is so important to have a good understanding of biblical themes and to build a good foundation on scripture. The Women’s Bible Study group is doing just that by undertaking a foundational overview of the Bible this year. Our Men’s Bible Study has generated some good discussion while going through the book of Leviticus. The men’s group is also planning a men’s breakfast for early October.
We look for opportunities to interact with, and be a light in, the larger community and the upcoming community garage sale is a great opportunity. The MMC will be participating in the Martensville “Monster Garage Sale” coming up on September 20/21. This event will also be a fundraiser for the building committee.

A couple of other MMC activities coming up soon are:

• A work day at the end of the month, when we can come together to fellowship with, and work alongside, one another to ensure our building is ready for winter
  
• Our Semi-Annual Meeting
  

Brenda Quirt, Correspondent

Randville Bible Church

Iron Mountain, Michigan
Jim Janofski, Pastor
facebook.com/RandvilleBibleChurch

The Upper Peninsula has moved into the breath-taking beauty of the fall, with trees adorned with vibrant colors and all around us great reminders of our Creator's artistry and majesty. We praise Him for the beauty that He has created and sustains.
And we are thankful for His faithfulness in all spiritual “seasons” of life as well; here are a few recent highlights from Randville Bible Church:

• Our summer outreach picnic was a joyful, well-attended event, full of good fellowship, great food, and a variety of music on guitar, hammered dulcimer, ukulele, violin, mandolin, string bass, and other musical instruments.
  
• We rejoiced in the freedoms of our nation and the wisdom and foresight of our early American founders as we celebrated “Liberty and the Triumph of the Gospel”, on a Sunday near July 4th.
  
• Our “Randville Chapter Challenge” continues with several thousand Bible chapters having been read during this year on a daily basis. Our church family LOVES the Word of God—and it shows!
  
• September saw an honoring of the vital role our seniors play as we celebrated Grandparents Sunday, the second service in September. We also rejoiced in the newly translated languages that now have Scriptures in their own “mother tongue” as we focused on World Bible Translation Sunday in our last service of September.
  
• October is Anniversary Month at RBC and we thank the Lord for 90 years of ministry in the Randville area. Our special celebration is the last Sunday of the month—a time of testimonies, history and heritage, memories, and a fellowship dinner to follow.
  
• Larry Rusch, one of our long-time RBC Elders had his homegoing in October—we are thankful for how God used Larry's leadership and teaching through the years and we are grateful for the Godly heritage of Larry's relatives who were instrumental in the initial founding of the church in the 1930's. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” We miss Larry, but are thankful for our warm memories of him and we look forward to seeing him again in heaven.
  
• November will see a focused time of prayer for those suffering for the Name of Christ as we emphasize the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. November  will also be a time commemorating Veterans' Day as we recognize the service and sacrifices of our veterans and are reminded of the greatest Sacrifice of all: Jesus' death on the cross.
  
• November will conclude with a two Sunday emphasis on Thanksgiving, both recounting our nation's heritage in the holiday as well as the need for thankfulness in our daily lives today.
  

May the Lord continue to be exalted, honored, and glorified in the churches of our FEBC fellowship.

Pastor Jim Janofski

​Rock Valley Chapel

​Beloit, Wisconsin
Tim Johnson, Pastor
​rockvalleychapel.org

Our major summer event for Rock Valley Chapel was hosting a booth at the Rock County 4-H Fair. This marked our second consecutive year making the gospel available to fairgoers who stopped by. We also provided a sign and box inviting prayer requests from anyone wishing to share. These prayer requests were brought back to our church prayer groups, who prayed daily for each request, asking God to touch the lives of those who visited our booth. We are already looking forward to next year, inspired with new ideas to share the gospel!
The fall season has seen the start of our various Bible study groups. Our Adult Education Sunday morning class is currently studying the book of Proverbs. The Women's Ministry Bible study is focused on the book of Habakkuk, while the Men's Ministry Bible study is working through the book of Galatians. Additionally, our Youth Group recently enjoyed a Sunday afternoon at a local pumpkin patch—sharing fun, fellowship, and time studying God’s Word and how it challenges them. 

Karen Broekhuis, Correspondent 

Salem Church

Waldheim, Saskatchewan
James VanderVeen, Pastor
salemchurch.ca

The past few months have been filled with thanksgiving and gratitude. After 14 months of holding Sunday services in our church gym due to substantial storm damage to our sanctuary, we were overjoyed to return to our sanctuary on September 8. What a blessing it has been! The excitement was especially high as we kicked off our fall ministries, now with full use of our building, making logistical planning and setup much easier for each ministry.
Our church-wide theme for this ministry year is B.O.L.D., which stands for Believe, Obey, Love, and Declare. Both Pastor James and Pastor Ryan have challenged us to embody these principles in our walk with Christ.
The excitement continued as we celebrated 125 years of God’s faithfulness at Salem Church on October 13, followed by a Thanksgiving meal. The day was a beautiful display of God’s faithfulness through many generations. Attendance nearly doubled as former pastors, missionaries, and members joined us for the occasion. What a blessing it was to see so many familiar faces!
As we move into a regular fall rhythm, we look forward to our upcoming “Journey to Bethlehem,” an interactive Bethlehem market environment celebrating Christ’s birth. The event will take place over three days—December 13, 14, and 15—and is an excellent opportunity to share the Good News, as it was two years ago. Please join us in praying for an eternal impact through this year’s celebration.

Shawna Mwakikuti, Correspondent

​Stuartburn Gospel Church

​Stuartburn, Manitoba
Mark Funk, Pastor

The Lord is good and faithful, and we thank God for the opportunities we at Stuartburn Gospel Chapel have, to be encouraged and equipped in God’s Word, and to serve Him, glorify Him, and make Him known to others.
This summer we had the privilege to host two baptismal services by the river. It is exciting to see the work God is doing in their lives. So thankful for God! He never changes but has the power to change our lives. We as a church have had the privilege of including several new members into our congregation with a few more still looking to join.
In August, three missionaries from CEF came, and we hosted a 5-day club. We had about 20 plus kids attending, the theme being “A Journey In Trusting Jesus.” The men of the church got together in the summer for some delicious BBQ and needed prayer. They had a great time “Friend-Raising”, encouraging and building each other up.

Thanksgiving has come and gone and in this season of fall the programs are starting up. We had AWANA and Youth Opening Night in the same week, AWANA had a total of 36 kids and Youth 26.
As we continue to serve and worship together, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to God’s work in our lives and in our community.

Eileina Niessen, Correspondent​

Vita Bible Church

​Vita, Manitoba
Jonathan Coutts, Pastor

Here are a few updates from Vita Bible Church:  

• Five young people were baptized and became members this summer. See photo of this group below.

• Four new baby boys were born into our church family in the last two months. 
• We’ve begun a fellowship exercise in our church called “Who’s Coming for Coffee”. The concept is that a host family opens up their home to a group of our members for a time of fellowship and connection. The hosting family receives a note the Sunday prior of how many people they will be hosting (hosting a family of 4) and the visitors receive their address the Sunday of the event. Congregation members take turns fellowshipping together in hopes of fostering early church-like unity.
• We are hosting a ladies day for MB church women in our conference Nov 23. See our invite below. ​

• Anticipating fall meetings focused on The Bible and Mental Health, Jeff Friesen will be speaking

Corissa Friesen, Correspondent