Mass Choir Christmas Concert

Winkler Sommerfeld Mennonite Church extends an invitation to come hear the Christmas story presented through the reading of Old Testament and New Testament Scripture and with music presented by the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church mass choir, on Sunday December 14^th at 7 pm.  There will be an opportunity to give in support of the work of Eden Health Care Services.  The evening will also feature music by 'Sweet Assurance' as well as congregational carol singing.

In addition to hearing the Christmas story in Scripture and song, you'll learn a bit about the history of the Eden organization, some words of gratitude from people who have or are using services provided by one or more of the programs of Eden Health Care; as well as some hopes and dreams for the year to come.

Coffee and fellowship after the program.

Sharing our Stories Dessert Night

Each year Eden Foundation hosts a Dessert Night for the purpose or raising the awareness of issues related to mental health.  The evening is intended to be entertaining to a broad audience and tie in the significance of good mental health.

This year Eden Foundation has invited a group of people to come to the Steinbach Mennonite Church to tell their stories of hope and healing.  On Friday evening, November 21st these brave individuals will share their stories of lived experience and will give us an inside glimpse as to where they are on their journey of mental health recovery.  In addition Auto City Big Band, a jazz ensemble from Steinbach Regional Secondary School will be our special musical guests.

The purpose of the Dessert Night is to support the work of the Eden organization generally, but also more specifically to provide capital resources for new housing initiatives.  Eden has been invited by a group of people from Steinbach to consider a partnership in developing another affordable housing apartment similar in function to Penfeld Court and Wilson Courts.  The city has done excellent work in identifying community needs and the Eden organization is looking forward to working with the community to develop a shared proposal.  The participation of the citizens of Steinbach and surrounding area provides powerful evidence to other potential major participants that there is a collective will to achieve his affordable housing objective.

Eden's housing model ensures the needs of individuals living with mental health issues have safe, affordable homes within the context of an integrated and supportive community.  This reflects the fact that one in five Canadians are dealing with some form of mental health concern.

Admission to Eden Foundation's Dessert Night is free and there will be opportunity to hear more about the housing proposal being envisioned collectively with citizens of the Steinbach community, and to financially support the work.

For complementary tickets to reserve a seat at Eden's Dessert Night, call Eden East office at 204-326-5437 or e-mail ehcs@edenhealthcare.ca.

Laughter is Sacred Space: Dessert Night with Ted & Co.

Ted Swartz is a writer and actor who has been mucking around in the worlds of the sacred and profane for over 20 years. As theologian and thespian, Ted brings a unique perspective to his craft, creating a space where these two worlds can interact. In his portrayals of Biblical characters, Ted breathes life into their stories by uncovering the humour implicit in the text. Call it "comedic exegesis." Ted is owner and artistic director of Ted and Company Harrisonburg, VA, and is the creator or co-creator of over a dozen plays.

Ted is funny. He falls off a stage better than anyone. If you know anything about his career over the past twenty years, you know he can move an audience to tears; the funny kind. You may also know he does more than funny. In the immediate years after the loss of his creative partner Lee Eshleman, funny seemed beyond Ted’s reach. In this production ‘Laughter is Sacred Space’ Ted is crazy honest about his journey from his Mennonite beginnings to his discovery of the stage. With refreshing tenderness and delightful humour, we learn of his love of baseball, his wife Sue and his boys. We find out he is a sentimental sap, a middle child, a preacher, a performer, a wordsmith and a theatre artist extraordinaire. Moments of his memoir will come to life in this show. These snapshots promise to remind us of the vulnerabilities and victories in our lives as well as the healing power of laughter and tears; the good kind. Bring a hanky.

Ted is bringing his production of ‘Laughter in is Sacred Space’ to Morden’s Access Event Centre on Friday November 7th. The Benefit Performance will begin at 7 p.m. and about 75 minutes later you’ll be invited to stay for coffee and dessert. The Community Hall will be set up with tables and chairs, so seating will be limited and you are encouraged to call 204-325-5355 or send an e-mail to ehcs@edenhealthcare.ca to reserve your tickets. There is no charge for the tickets but an opportunity will be given to support the development of an Affordable Housing project in Morden.

Dessert Night with Ted, ‘Laughter in is Sacred Space’ is a co-operative effort of Eden Foundation, Shenandoah Playwrights Ink and sponsoring businesses making it possible for all funds collected at the event go to the Affordable Housing project in Morden.

Lecture Series 2014

Register ON-LINE now.

Each year, Eden Health Care Services hosts an event where particular interests in the mental health field are presented to the community.  The purpose of the event is to spend a day with presenters who have a specialty in a particular area of interest.  The Lecture Series as it has become known is a daylong workshop intended to engage mental health professionals, health care providers, social workers, those who provide pastoral care and the general public who have an interest in the material being presented.

This year the Eden Lecture Series is entitled “Creativity and the Human Spirit, Weaving a Fabric of Healing and Hope”.  The day is going to be packed with presenters and with information gleaned from lived experience and with practical application.   

This year’s presenters feature:

Nigel & Lucile Bart of Artbeat Studios in Winnipeg   Link to Artbeat Studio

Shirley Elias of Emotesart Studio in Winnipeg           Link to emotesart

Margruite Krahn of The Art Loft in Neubergthal          Link to The Art Loft

Joel Klassen, Music Therapist EHCS                         Link to EHCS Music Therapy

In addition to these primary presenters, the day will be interspersed with guest appearance by Ted Schwartz of Ted & Co. TheatreWorks from Harrisonburg, Virginia.  Link to Ted & Co.

 

Each of these people have personal stories to tell and have found creative ways that have led to healing and hope in their own lives and in addition, made dramatic impacts on the lives around them.  The Eden Health Care Services Lecture Series is scheduled for Thursday November 7^th at the Access Event Centre, 111 Gilmore Street  Morden, MB.  Sign-in begins at 8 a.m. and the lectures will begin promptly at 9 a.m.  The registration fee of $80 will include lunch and refreshment breaks.

Register by calling 1-866-895-2919 or 204-325-5355.  Please have your credit card ready.

Register by e-mail at ehcs@edenhealthcare.ca and include your name, your credit card information or your organization’s purchase order if applicable and your contact information.  You may also click on this LINK which will take you to a down-loadable application form that you can fill out and return by fax or scanning and e-mailing.

You may also register on line by clicking this LINK which will take you to a secure on-line registration location.

In addition to hearing the compelling stories from each of the presenters, there will be a variety of art work on display throughout the day and will be available for sale.  You will be dealing directly with the artists who have created the works being shown.

Visit the Villages: Tractor Trek Event

Photo by T. Klassen Photography

July 12^th, 2014

The Visit the Villages TRACTOR TREK is a fundraising event organized by the Eden Foundation in Winkler, MB. each summer.  This is our 7^th annual trek and we are anticipating  about 40  tractors to be registered.  The tractors need to be 40 years old or older and be able to maintain a speed of 8 – 10 mph. The goal of the event is to raise $1,000 per tractor entry. This year’s route will remain east of Highway 32, going through the villages of Schoenwiese, Gnadenthal, Blumengart, Friedensruh and Reinfeld.

The day begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Reinland Community Centre, south of Winkler, with registration and a hearty breakfast buffet.  Family members and the general public are encouraged to join the trekkers for breakfast.  (All breakfast donations are in support of the Reinland Community Centre). Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Judges will be present, judging the tractors throughout the day in the  different categories as chosen by the judging committee.  Lunch will be hosted by the Blumengart Hutterite Colony.  The trek will finish at Lode King Industries, 135 Canada St., Winkler.  After a tour of these facilities, everyone returns to Reinland Community Centre for a silent auction, supper and prizes will conclude this day of enjoying memories of the past and the creation of new ones.

Each registered trekker is asked to collect pledges in support of Eden’s mental health recovery programs.  The funds raised with this event help to fund Eden’s mental health recovery programs that do not receive government funding.  It is through these programs that individuals experiencing mental health challenges receive hope and healing. The funds that are collected as a result of the trekkers will be used to refurbish the two apartment buildings which make up Enns Courts in Winkler.  The Enns Courts apartments are an extension of Eden Health Care’s ‘Housing and Supports’ program.  For more information click HERE.

Photo by T. Klassen Photography

Come and be a part of the journey and the continuing story of Tractor Trek.  You can download a registration form and more information below.

(Registration form download.)

Head for the Hills Registration is Open!

It's an indicator of summer.  Head for the Hills registration is open.  The Farmer's Almanac says that September is going to warmer and dryer than usual.  That sounds good for those of us looking forward to this the 12th annual bike ride.  We're looking forward to a banner year with 200 riders.

Join us for a 32 km. group ride along the Trans Canada Trail south of Morden and Winkler.  The trail starts at Colert Beach west of Morden, skirts Lake Minnewasta and climbs the north shore connecting with the Stanley Trail.  After crossing the Dead Horse Creek, the trail climbs to the south, out of the valley and into a wooded, rolling single-track for several kilometres with open views of the valley.  Leaving the single-track, (1^st rest stop) the trail follows dirt and gravel roads past undulating farmland and marshes.  After 7 miles, the trail enters a pasture road that climbs the escarpment, (2^nd rest stop) winding through grassland on the edge of oak stands, passing an old Mennonite cemetery.  This leads to the final section of trail which is entirely wooded single-track through oak and poplar stands along the creeks of the Pembina escarpment. 

 This portion of the ride offers physically challenging climbs and descents as well as incredible scenery along the route.  The colours can be quite breathtaking this time of year.  I should be a comfort to know that there are 2 rest stops along the way including refreshments and porta-pottis as well as a “sag wagon” to pick you up if needed.  

Alternate road route options take you along rolling country roads. Trained volunteers are also on hand to provide first aid and technical support if needed.  We finish 2 miles from the US border on a hill overlooking the Red River Valley.   

There will be a shelter provided for you to relax under as we wait for all riders to complete.  A barbeque lunch will be provided for all riders as they arrive at noon with the awards presentations right after.  You and your bike will then be transported back to the starting area at Colert Beach by mid-afternoon.  

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Click HERE to register for Head for the Hills.

If you’d like to down-load a full description, the route map and a mail-in registration form, please click HERE [.zip]

IronMan Registration is OPEN!

The ground hog has come and gone and regardless if he saw his shadow or not, we're getting ready for spring.  One of the pleasures of summer that many of us enjoy, is playing golf.  Registration is now open for the IronMan Golf Tournament.  You can go directly to the registration site by clicking HERE.  Here's what the main page looks like and you can register from there as well.  If you'd like to sponsor a participant, click HERE.

For those visitors to this site who might not be familiar with the event, here's a bit of an explanation.  It's a one-day golf event where players are given priority on the Winkler Golf Course to play 100 holes of golf!  After checking in on Thursday June 26th, the day begins with breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and tee-off is at 7 a.m. and each golfer is equipped with a cart for the day. From there on, participants have the run of the course.  Play 100 holes as quickly as you like, share some of the duties with your caddy and stop every now and then when the Eden staff comes round with some refreshments.  When you're done, supper will be waiting for golfer and caddy.  The day ends with prizes and awards of recognition.

The IronMan Golf Tournament is a fund-raising event for Eden Foundation and the goal suggested is for each participant to raise $1,000 in supporting pledges.  Those funds collected are used for the work of Eden Health Care Services.  It is also worth noting that each year there are a group of local businesses that under-write this event and because of their financial support, participants collecting pledges can assure their sponsors that all of the funds committed to this event will be used directly in the work of Eden Health Care Services.

Eden Health Care's focus for the funds raised as a result of this event, are to refurbish the housing units at Enns Courts in Winkler.  Enns Courts was built almost 25 years ago as an extension of the Eden Health Care's firm conviction that besides good medical intervention, a decent place to live with the context of a community is a great aid in helping people along their journey to mental health recovery.  Over the course of these past 25 years of faithful service, regular usage has now brought us to the point where it's going to take a bit more than a really good cleaning and fresh coat of paint are going to do.  We need to replace fixtures and cabinetry.

While this is the current and pressing need, it is important that the other services of Eden Health Care continue to be supported.  While a decent place to live is important, it's equally important that good personal counseling is available.  It's equally important that those with employment barriers are given the assistance they might need in order for the individual to re-enter the workforce as a contributing member of the community.  In doing so, the sense of belonging and participation becomes a significant part in the journey of recovery.

Help the Eden Foundation help Eden Health Care Services and come have some fun at the IronMan Golf Tournament, schedule for Thursday June 26th.

Spring Concert

Songs of Faith and Hope is the title of the Spring Concert coming up on Saturday March 29th at 7:30 pm at the Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church..  Vic Engbrecht together with Ray Giesbrecht will each be presenting their selections of songs.  Accompanying them is one of southern Manitoba's most sought after pianists, Loren Hiebert.  The Winkler Community Male Choir will be participating as well, providing an accompanying chorus for a number of the soloists work and will also be presenting some selections on their own.

Vic Engbrecht is a highly sought after bass soloist and has an extensive repertoire including songs of faith which he holds most dear.  His most recent recording is titled "I'd Rather Have Jesus" and will be available for purchase at the concert.  Vic has sung with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, The Mennonite Festival Chorus, the Winnipeg Singers, Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet and with Canzona while under the direction of his faither Henry Engbrecht.
















Ray Giesbrecht is a graduate of the University of Manitoba and the University of Toronto School of Opera as well as having sung with CBC's "Hymn Sing".  He is currently a voice instructor at Providence University College and continues an active singing career as a soloist and as the conductor of the Winkler Community Male Choir.

Loren Hiebert is a much sought after pianist in many capacities including teaching, recording and collaborative work with other musicians.  Loren has earned his ARCT in both performance and teaching.  He has collaborated with a number of musicians including Rosemary Siemens, recording four CD's with her.  More recently, he has collaborated with the acclaimed choral ensemble "Canzona" in their recording of Germany hymns.  He is also accompanying pianist with the Men's Faith & Life Chorus.

The Winkler Community Male Choir has been together since 2005 under the direction of Ray Giesbrecht.  They have recorded one CD entitled "He Never Failed Me".  The majority of their service has been in and around the Winkler/Morden area where choir members are resident.  The men come from a collection of about ten different congregations in and around the Morden, Winkler, Plum Coulee area.  They have had the pleasure of working together with the Eastman Male Choir and with the Winnipeg Men's Chorus.  Each year, the choir has presented a Christmas concert and a spring concert.  This year the choir has the pleasure of working together with Vic and with Loren.  It also has the pleasure of having their director take the lead as a soloist with the choir having a supporting role.

This Spring Concert is intended to be a Benefit Concert, raising money for the work of Eden Health Care Services.  Enns Courts in Winkler was built more than 20 years ago and has been providing good quality and quality housing at affordable rates for residents.  The two building are in need of some more significant refurbishments after so many years of service and the funds raised through this concert will make it possible for the Eden organization to take on those renovations and still continue to maintain affordable rates.

All funds received during this event are fully tax deductible.