Sunday Morning Worship
Please continue to check our newsletter on our website for the most up-to-date Worship Gathering status and service times.
Read the MB Confession of Faith
Families worship together at 10:00 am. There is a table at the back of the sancuary with colouring sheets, books and play dough.
At about 10:25 am there is a family transition time where parents can take their children (ages 2-gr.6) to Kid Zone in the lower level.
Parents can pick up their kids in the gym between 11:30 and 12:00.
There is a supervised nursery available at the back of the sanctuary during the service.
Summer Schedule: June - August children ages 2 to Gr 2 are welcome to attend our summer Kids Church at 10:25. There will be no supervised gym or nursery during these months.
We are meeting at 10:00 AM on Sunday mornings. If you are unable to join us in person, we also live stream the service on our YouTube channel.
When you come to one of our worship gatherings you will find people dressed in a wide variety of styles from as casual as jeans or shorts to a smaller number dressed more formally. Please feel free to wear what is most comfortable for you so you can be at ease while participating in worship together.
Our worship gathering is approximately one hour long depending on what has been planned for each week. Each service includes times of worship music, congregational prayer, and relevant biblical teaching. Our worship ministries have 4 goals in our gatherings: Encounter God, Fellowship in Community, Bring an Offering, and Life Transformation.
We come together to celebrate communion monthly. All who are following Jesus as Lord are welcome to participate.
There are Bibles available in the pews. Apps like Bible Gateway are free to download on your phone as well.
The offering is meant to honour Jesus with the resources, including finances, that God has placed in our care. Our members also offer their time and talents as a worshipful offering by serving others in the church and community. Visitors are under no obligation to give.
We have designated parking spaces at the West entrance (rear parking lot door). There is also an accessible entrance for drop-offs and pick-up at our South entrance (side door). An elevator is provided for accessibility to both our upper and lower level areas. Our sanctuary is located on the upper level and has accessible seating areas at both sides and rear of the auditorium. Wheelchair accessible washrooms are located just off the upper level foyer next to the church offices and off the west foyer in the gymnasium.
Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church is a community of people committed to following Jesus in all aspects of life. As a community we live out this commitment through the vision of three defining actions – Inviting, Being, and Sending.
Through words and actions we share Christ with others, inviting them to join us in our journey. Newcomers are welcomed, celebrated, and included in our fellowship of faith. (Inviting)
We intentionally emphasize disciple-making by nurturing caring relationships, helping all to grow and develop towards maturity in their life in Christ. (Being)
We are a community with a mission that is both global and local. This commitment to sharing Christ permeates our thinking, planning and decision-making process. Through prayer, giving and service we impact our personal networks, our city and our world. (Sending)
Members of Fort Garry freely invite friends, neighbours and associates to explore what it means to know and follow Jesus and to experience the transformation that comes from being in personal relationship with God.
We invite any and all to experience the worship, community and fellowship of our congregation life. We welcome newcomers of all ages and backgrounds into our small groups, our schedules and activities, our homes and our hearts.
Those who are unsure of belief are welcome to be a part of and participate in the activities of the faith community without pressure to express a public commitment to Christ. Our hope is that through finding a sense of belonging in the community of faith that they will be drawn to choose to follow Christ.
Following Jesus means more than giving mental assent to a set of doctrinal statements or a confession of faith (believing). It means allowing God’s Spirit to completely transform our thinking, our values, and our lifestyle.
Together we engage in thoughtful communal worship, biblical teaching that is both relevant and engaging, developing world views that reflect the values of the Kingdom, and a global concern for the world God loves and Jesus died for – these are marks of a healthy community of faith.
We recognize that a life of faith is lived in the context of caring community. We share our lives through the humble sharing our authentic selves, our gifts and our needs, our strengths and our weakness with one another. We begin where people are, welcoming the broken, healing the wounded, nurturing children, youth and adults for maturity of faith in Christ and equipping them for effective ministry and service.
In our relationships, our ministry opportunities within the church and in our various “worlds,” we reflect the grace and truth of Christ. We respond to conflict with personal humility and a loving commitment to reconciliation.
Fort Garry MB Church is not a holding tank for Christians waiting to go to heaven; we are a community of “sent ones” engaged in our various “worlds” as reconcilers, healers, and agents of God’s agenda in the world. In addition to ministries offered on-site at FGMB, this happens at three levels:
Carl has been serving as Lead Pastor at FGMB since November 2013. Carl and Kathy were married in 1999 and have four fantastic children. Prior to coming to FGMB, Carl worked with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in an HR role supporting International personnel. Carl and Kathy also previously served internationally with MCC in Bolivia for several years.
Carl is a passionate teacher who loves mentoring young leaders. He always has a stack of books on the go and loves spending time working on renovating their family’s 100 yr. old home.
Andre is passionate about many things, most notably snack foods, running, hockey (Go Leafs), napping and reading. Andre holds a B.A. in Youth Leadership and Biblical Theological Studies from Providence University College (2016), and a Masters of Divinity from Carey Theological Seminary (2022). He is presently pursing education in Clinical Pastoral Work and splits his time with FGMB and Selkirk Mental Heath Centre as a Spiritual Care Practitioner.
Ruth has been on staff at FGMB since July 2006 in the role of Children’s Pastor.
Since Aug 2022 she is now in the role of Community Life Pastor.
This role encompasses all ages of the church community-family ministry, intergenerational ministries and seniors caregiving.
She has been married to David Sawatsky for 34 years. They have 2 sons and 1 daughter-in-law; Jordan, married to Sydney, and Caleb. Ruth and David love to travel, hike, cycle and take walks in their neighbourhood. They also love to watch NFL football.
Ruth has degrees in Criminology and in Family Studies, plus several Master’s level courses in Theology. Prior to coming on staff at Fort Garry she worked for 15 years with Youth for Christ in Winnipeg serving with Teen Moms and the drop-in ministry.
Janessa Nayler-Giesbrecht has been serving as the Pastor of Youth and Young Adults since June 2013. Janessa grew up at Fort Garry MB and spent 7 years volunteering with the youth ministries before taking on the pastoral role. Her passions in ministry include mentorship, leader development, and preaching. Her vision for youth and young adults is to see each of their lives transformed as they learn to recognize, live into, and share their God-given identities in Jesus Christ.
Janessa is married to Andrew and they are the proud parents of Lincoln and Darcy. She enjoys listening to podcasts, playing with her kids, reading, and writing. Janessa holds a BA in International Development Studies and is currently working towards a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry at Canadian Mennonite University.
janessa@fgmb.ca
Darryl and his wife Candace have been attending Fort Garry since roughly 2008, and Darryl has been Facility Manager here since late 2011. They have been blessed with three children.
Darryl loves to be active which fits well with his current position at FGMB. Sports have always been a passion for him, and leading the Men’s Night Out here at church has been rewarding!
Prior to FGMB, Darryl worked for 22 years in the hotel industry and is dedicated to working for those around him. Whether it is a wedding, funeral, or a meeting that the church is rented for, he truly enjoys making that event “special”.
Benita has been attending FGMB since 1989. Benita was a youth sponsor as well as a member of a music worship team for many years. She is excited to have joined the staff here at FGMB as of August 2021.
Benita enjoys making people feel welcome and valued. Prior to FGMB, Benita worked for 19 years at WMEM-KF Campus as an administrative assistant. She also enjoys organizing, scheduling and paperwork which fits quite nicely with her current position at FGMB.
She is married to Dale Unrau and together they have 2 adult children who both have recently married. When not in the office she likes to go for walks, read, dabble in watercolour and spend time with her family.
Twila Driedger comes to the role of Children's Ministry Coordinator with many years serving in Kid Zone, and leading storytelling in the Grade 1-4 large group. Twila has been attending FGMB since 2001, volunteering on the College and Career leadership team, in the nursery, and on the Women's Ministry Committee. Twila is excited to bring her passion for drama, love for children, and positive energy to FGMB Children's Ministry.
She and her husband Kris live in La Salle and have been married for almost 18 years. Together they have three boys who keep them busy with their long list of activities. Twila enjoys interior decorating, traveling to visit her family in Minnesota, and walks and talks with friends. Twila holds a BA in Mass Communications from University of Winnipeg and a diploma in Creative Communications from Red River College.
Sunday Morning Worship