Jesus Stories: Inspiration for Multiplying Disciples

Westside Gathering, an MB church in Montreal, was planted in 2003. Over twenty years later, planting pastor, David Manafo, has fascinating insight into God's faithful guidance over the years. While the church is currently in a season of exciting growth, it hasn't alwasy been that way. A patient pursuit of life in Christ, rather than the pursuit of quick numbers, has led to a depth of life for Westside Gathering.

For anyone interested in planting a church, currently part of a church plant, or wanting to bless other church plants, this episde offers rich insight into how to a church plant can flourish and multiply for the long haul.

Episode Links

- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero

- Invitatin to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation by Robert Mulholland Jr.

- Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries by Gerald Sittser

The gathered worship of many churches consist of little more than an efficient and practical four songs, a prayer and a sermon. This is not the case for Grantham Mennonite Brethren Church. This is a community that gives great intention to their worship. It is a community that values all people bringing their gifts together to glorify God.

Tabitha and Michael VandenEnden are co-pastors with Grantham MB. Listen in for a thoughtful reflection in the theology and practics of deep worship and how it forms a community.

Resource Links:

- re:Worship: Scripturally-based resources for worship planners and leaders

- The Church of All Ages: Generations Worshiping Together by Howard A. Vanderwell, ed. (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007).

- The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God's Call to Justice by Mark Labberton (IVP, 2012).

You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K. A. Smith (Brazos, 2016).

Practices: Mennonite Worship and Witness by John D Roth (Herald Press, 2009).

Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines That Shape the Church for Mission by David E. Fitch (IVP, 2016). (See Michael's Review in the MB Herald here).

-⁠ Worship Together Hymnal⁠

- Communion Matters: Toward a Missional Theology of the Lord's Supper for the Mennonite Brethren Church by Tabitha VandenEnden

Prayer is the fuel of God's mission. It is the work God has called us to. Rooted in this conviction, a short term mission team from WMB Church travelled to Austria last year. They surrounded Multiply worker, Sarah Smutney, her church and her mission with prayer. 

Join Renée Serez and Greg Reed to discover why they travelled 7,000 km to pray. Discover how God shaped their team through this experience. 

Renée Serez is a Pastor of Missional Engagement with WMB Church. Following service with Multiply, as a pastor with WMB Church and as a high school principal, Greg Reed, now equips churches for discipleship with ⁠The Navigators. ⁠

Episode Links:

- Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God by Henry Blackaby

- SQ: The Transforming Potential of Spiritual Intelligence by Randy Friesen

- The Prayer Practice by Practicing the Way

- Lectio 365 App

- Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer by Tyler Staton

The Confession of Faith is a rich treasure among our MB family of churches acrsoss Canada! Not only do these shared convictions create clarity and unity, they also serve as an excellent tool for discipleship and worship.

Join Christine Hiebert of Camp Crossroads, David Hood of Southeast City Church, Jeff Martens of Cornerstone Community Church and Jordan Duerrstein of Scott Street MB Church as they share examples of actively using the Confession of Faith to foster a culture of healthy disciple-making in their churches and ministries.

Recommended Resources:

- The Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith - CCMBC (including Explanatory Notes and FAQs for each article as well as French, Chinese, Spanish and Amharic Translations)

- Intro to the MB Confession of Faith

- Previous Confessions of Faith used by Mennonite Brethren

To purchase physical copies, go to Kindred Productions.

This is an exciting story of how fruitful Gospel witness can take shape when God's people join hands to collaborate. The story of Christian Fellowship Chapel, an MB church founded in 1951 near Orillia, perfectly illustrates our ONMB invitation to 'Move Together'.

A group of people leaving the United Church, partnered with Baptists and eventually Mennonite Brethren to start a new work. MBs from hundreds of kilometres away invested heavily to see this church thrive. This is a story of vision, faith, sacrifice and mission. Join life-long members Bob and Linda Duncan to get an inside look.

Music Credit - Revive Us Again by C2C Music, used with permission from Pat Sczebel.

The King's House in Parry Sound is a new sober discipleship home for men in transition and seeking God's deliverance from addiction. Meet Rene Nyland as he shares this story of dependence on God and faith.

The exciting emergence of this initiative in 2025 has been a work of God's hand. It's a clear example of the ONMB value of "Move Together" as God has worked through many people across Ontario among ONMB and through Bayside Family Church, a Pentecostal group in Parry Sound.

God is doing beautiful work because people have responded to his invitation and joined hands, partnering with faith.

Discover how you can partner with The King's House through their website here.

God has been doing something special in and through the Brazilian Conference of MB churches over the past 10+ years. The metaphor of a Vine and Trellis offers a window into how they've sought to propersly balance life in the Spirit with good structure and process. We'll learn how they've sought and created space for a new work of God and then supported it to have enduring effect.

We in Canada have much other learn from our Brazilian family members. Join Emerson Cardoso and Franz Wolf to learn more.

Emerson serves with Multiply's Global Lead Team, overseeing Latin America and Portugues speaking countries. Franz serves as an Associate Regional Team Leader with Multiply in the same region. Both have a track record of mission leadership and fruit local, regionally and globally.

Episode Links:

• Paul G. Hiebert's Anthropological Insights for Missionaries (1985) - Thirty-three Years Later
• Discovery Bible Study Guide

The Holy Spirit is stirring something special across Canada. Believers are recognizing the limits of their own strength and praying more!

Willy Reimer of Ignite Prayer Canada is catalyzing a movement of prayer across our nation. Listen in to hear the exciting stories of the growht of prayer and God's response. Willy also shares with us the many resources and connection points to help you foster a prayer culture in your church.

Resources:

• Ignite Resources and Training
• Lead with Prayer: The Spiritual Habits of World Changing Leaders by Skoog, Greer and Dolittle
• Building a Praying Church by Jon Tyson

Katie Bender was baptized this fall with Maple View Mennonite Church. Listen in to this exciting story of God delivering her from darkness into the light. The Holy Spirit has power to set people free!

Episode Links:

Athey Creek Teaching

Music Credit: 'Revive Us Again' by C2C Music. Used with permission from Pat Sczebel.

God is on the move among youth today. Churches have a calling to seize the moment and multiply disciples.

Join Renee Rocheleau, Youth Pastor with Meadow Brook Church and Jamie Current, Youth Pastor with Glencairn Church, to hear stories of the spiritual hunger they're seeing. They also have great insight for how the rest of the church can bless and participate with youth ministry. Disciple-making among youth is a calling for all of us!

Episode Links:

• Is That Really You, God? Hearing the Voice of God by Loren Cunningham
• The Anxious Generation: How the Great Re-wiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
• Jonathan Haidt's Way Forward for an Anxious Generation - The Russel Moore Show (Podcast)
• Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did by John Mark Comer

Music Credit: Revive Us Again by C2C Music. Used with permission from Pat Sczebel.