The Citizen, 2012-09-06, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012. After 11 years as a pastor at the
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship,
Brent Kipfer has moved on as of
Sept. 1.
Nearly 11 years to the day Kipfer
began his service in Brussels, he will
have started his time at Maple View
Mennonite Church, which is just
northwest of Wellesley, a township
east of Milverton and northeast of
Stratford with a population just
under 11,000.
The church, Kipfer says, is over
150 years old, and while it is much
older than the Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship, the two share many
characteristics.
“Maple View will come with a
different set of challenges,” Kipfer
said in an interview with The Citizen
just days before he was scheduled to
leave, “but there is a similar
passionate faith.”
Kipfer, who was born on a dairy
farm near Brunner, says Maple View
will be somewhat of a homecoming
for him, as the church sits just a 20-
minute drive from Brunner.
However, while Kipfer says he
and his family are excited to start the
next chapter of their life in
Wellesley, he admits that deciding to
leave Brussels was a very difficult
decision to make.
“Living in Brussels has been a rich
experience of community life for my
family,” Kipfer said. “This has been
a great place to raise our kids. I’ve
been moved by the genuine caring in
this community.”
Kipfer says his first memories of
Brussels have always stood out asimportant. He remembers beingwelcomed into the communityimmediately by the congregation
and by members of the community.
“There were plenty of things that
made [Brussels] a great place for
us,” Kipfer said. “I was really
pleased and excited by the vision of
the church and how it engaged the
community.
“There was a real desire to enrich
community life,” Kipfer said.
With outreach into the community
being such a large part of what the
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship did
before he got there in September of
2001, Kipfer said there were a
number of steps along the way to
continuing that work.
As far as community outreach is
concerned, Kipfer says the Brussels
community has a long history of
working together with projects, so
his time there was no different.
Kipfer uses an example like the
annual Kid’s Corner summer
Vacation Bible School organized by
all the churches in Brussels every
year.
Kipfer also cites the 5Rs Thrift
Store and the Soup and More
initiative as other Brussels
community events executed by the
churches of different denominations
in the community.
“Those kinds of things really
connected with the heart of the
congregation here,” Kipfer said.
With a small community such as
Brussels, Kipfer says, it’s important
to work together and it’s vital to the
survival of the churches.
“In a small community, it’s such
an asset that the different churches
can work together and express our
community faith,” he said.
Kipfer said Brussels is one of themost inclusive communities he hasever been involved with and the factthat he was able to be a part of it
makes him very proud.
“I was always impressed by the
way the Brussels community
welcomes others,” he said. “They
always make space for people. It’s a
very diverse group of people.
“It’s a community in which
everyone is welcomed. There is a
place for everyone.”Many members of the community,Kipfer said, keep their minds on somuch more than themselves, which is something he will always takeaway from Brussels.“There is a large number of people
In coverage of the annual
memorial service at Hope Chapel
Cemetery in Hullett Township on
Aug. 26, a previous performance of
the song “Look to the Lighthouse”,
which was performed at the service,
was incorrectly identified.
The song had been performed by a
sextette of boys from
Londesborough United Church in
1959 at the 100th anniversary
service at Hope Chapel Cemetery,
not the 100th anniversary service of
Londesborough United Church.
The Citizen apologizes for the
error.
Correction
Kipfer moves on after 11 years in Brussels
BREAK FREE
To A Better Life
This Sunday 10:30am at Huron Chapel in Auburn
“A Life-Giving Church” www.huronchapel.org
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, September 9
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-9017
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
Rev. Mark Royall, Sr. Pastor
9:25 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages
- beginning September 9
10:30 a.m
Morning Worship Service
Water Baptismal
Service
Sunday,
September 9
following the
morning
service
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
t Sept. 9: Ps. 1; Mk. 4:14ff
Thresher’s Reunion
Service
Evangelical Missionary Church
Pastor Dow preaching:
“Secrets to an
Un-chaffy Life”
9:30 a.m.
Shed 3
Swing by our booth
for baking
and free water!
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
SEPTEMBER 9 ~ Remembering 9-11,
The Day the World Changed
SEPTEMBER 16 ~ Sunday School Kickoff
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Worship Service and
Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
250 Princess St., Brussels
519-887-6388
www.bmfchurch.com
Guests Welcome
Jesus Is Lord!
Brussels
Mennonite
Fellowship
Worship Service 10:00 am
Sunday School 11:15 am
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
Continued on page 18