WE WANT TO SHARE SOME IMPORTANT UPDATES REGARDING LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE EMMC. Kelly Lesser will be stepping down from his role as Pastor of Care and Mission in the EMMC Office at the end of November and will be returning to pastoral ministry at his home church. We are deeply grateful for Kelly’s five years of faithful service and the many ways God has used him in this role. As part of this transition, Henry Redekopp, currently serving as the Executive Director, will be moving

One of the most exciting parts of TF is seeing young people come alive as they encounter God’s Word in fresh ways—watching truth take root, faith deepen, and their relationship with Christ become personal and vibrant. You can play an important role in this journey by supporting the youth in your congregation and your conference. Our goal is to raise enough funds to subsidize the cost of registration for our Ontario and Belize churches. Just choose “Treasured Foundation” from

The Barnabas Bursary is intended to support individuals pursuing ministry training at Steinbach Bible College who have been identified by their churches as emerging or future pastoral leaders. It is not designed as professional development funding for individuals currently serving as pastors. Recipients are typically mature students who demonstrate pastoral gifting and have received a clear affirmation of their calling from their congregation. Steinbach Bible College has invi

We are excited to share with you that I, Nancy Friesen, and Matthew Braun are engaged and will be getting married on December 11, 2026, in Lethbridge, Alberta. Following the wedding, I will continue my role as school director/teacher in Amanecer, and Matthew will relocate to Bolivia as we begin our life together. This article is available in the July/August/September 2026 issue of the Recorder.

Please pray for Amanecer, in Bolivia, where they celebrated their first baptisms Sunday, August 9, 2026. There were two candidates: Kevin Kauenhofen and Jacob Knelsen. Jacob has no family support. Pray that God will use this event to draw the parents to faith in Christ, as well as others in the community. Membership acceptance took place on August 23, 2026. Amanecer Bolivia Church's first baptism outside. Ben Kauenhofen (left) embraces son Kevin Kauenhofen. Ben (L) and Bertha

Imagine a pianist who could say “I love you” to his lover by playing a song at the piano. The better the pianist and the better he knew his lover, the more compelling this love song would be. In some ways it might be even better than talking or writing a letter. It would have its limits. For example, it would be hard for a piano piece to say, “I love the way the sun shines on your hair when you’re making coffee in the morning”. But music might express how he feels when he see

Leaving, on a jet plane… That song rings in our ears as we finish our final packing today. Just before midnight tonight, April 1, our family will be boarding a jet towards Zambia. We will be returning home to Alberta on April 18, Lord willing. Guillermo and I (Mary-Ann) have been asked to be the speakers at the Flying Mission Zambia (FMZ) annual Spiritual Life Conference, April 12-15 and our 3 teens will be helping with the program for the missionary kids (MKs) together. Sher

Thank you for being part of the team that prays, encourages, and financially supports the work of Inner City Youth Alive at Gem Lake Wilderness Camp. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 17 years. God has truly been faithful, and I could not continue in this ministry without you. Our winter camp season ended much better than it began. We had a great time enjoying outdoor activities together in God’s creation, but more importantly, we had many opportunities for meaningf

A few days before we were to start our latest GriefShare cycle, we were expecting 7 participants. In the last two days, we had 4 people sign up, and another showed up unexpectedly, so we ended up with 12, our largest group so far. This meant dividing into two discussion groups after the video to give the participants more time to share. Due to various circumstances, the group settled down to 8 regulars. We continue to be so blessed seeing the Lord’s work in the lives of parti

Early in 2026, Elaine and I had the privilege of living in Bolivia for three months from mid-January to mid-April, while serving in an interim leadership role with the Low German ministry of MEM. Although most of our assignment focused on the MEM team and ministries, one of the rich side benefits of our experience was reconnecting monthly with pastors and churches from LIEAB (La Iglesia Evangélica Anabautista en Bolivia). For many EMMCers connected to Bolivia ministry over th

When I think back on my first trip to Bolivia, there isn’t just one moment that stands out. Instead, it’s a collection of moments, conversations, and realizations that I continue to ponder in my heart. One of the clearest takeaways for me was the importance of simply being present. Before the trip, I wondered what I could really offer in such a short amount of time. I knew I would be impacted personally, but I questioned whether my presence would actually make a difference to

The third year Missions Exposure trip (MX3), is one of the last steps towards preparing SBC students to step out of SBC to follow Jesus, serve the Church, and engage the world. This year, a team of 13 of us went to Spain and Morocco to do that preparation. During our time there, we served in various ways, sometimes in ways that hardly felt like serving at all. We grew as a team, often a team including the locals and other missionaries we were working with. There was so much l

This past month has been a meaningful and encouraging season for the SBC community as we celebrated another group of graduates being sent out to follow Jesus, serve the church, and engage the world. On April 24 and 25, Steinbach Bible College celebrated 30 graduates, including 21 graduates at our Commencement Ceremony and nine Certificate graduates recognized the day before for completing foundational theological training and preparation for continued ministry and service. Am

SBC’s Leadership Conference topic this year was The Transformative Presence of Jesus in Baptism and Communion. Patrick Franklin, associate professor of theology at Tyndale University, was the main speaker for this weekend and assumed the monumental task of walking through a perspective on baptism and communion that is not very familiar in our churches. This perspective is the presence of Jesus in Baptism and Communion. To explain how Jesus is present in these church practices

Sutherland Evangelical Church, Saskatoon SK By Pastor Josh Agent Josh Agent After noticing seven missed calls from Greg Nelson, I wondered if there was a Chevy truck that he wanted me to buy. I gave him a ring and realized that my previous assumptions were wrong. Greg mentioned that Sutherland Evangelical Church had a ministry position opening up, and he thought that I would be the right candidate. I excitedly applied for the position that same day. After consistent prayer, m

By Lil Goertzen PURPOSE STATEMENT FOR TREASURED FOUNDATION "The purpose of the National Youth Convention is to motivate the youth to develop the qualities of the Christian life by equipping them with tools enabling them to live a life dedicated to Christ." Treasured Foundation (TF) is EMMC’s flagship international youth event—an unforgettable gathering that unites high school students from across Canada and Belize. Since 1989, TF has been held every three years, building

Blue Creek EMMC, Belize By Kendra Krahn The Blue Creek EMMC joyfully celebrated 60 years of God’s faithfulness on February 8, 2026. We began the day with a special service at the church, where various groups shared their gifts and reflected on God’s love through stories, photos, and music. Following the service, we continued the celebration at the EMMC Park, enjoying delicious meals, relay games, volleyball, and meaningful fellowship with other believers. Thank you, Lord, for