Grace Mennonite Church - Winkler

Rewinding a couple thousand years… our story begins with Jesus.  He is the central figure in our story.  Our desire is to be like him in character, his message of truth and his sacrificial love.  He is real, he is alive and he leads our story. 

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Hundreds of years passed and a revival came about when we realized we had lost sight of some of these important elements of life. Historians call it the time of the “Reformation.” For us it was also a time of spiritual renewal, a refocusing on Jesus and one of our historical roots. Despite intense persecution a group of visionary believers known as the “Anabaptists” took a step to recapture a Jesus-centered life marked by commitment to scripture, mission and community. They were known also for their commitment to peace, baptism upon confession of faith, and their desire to change the world by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

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Again, a giant fast forward… In 1961 Grace Mennonite Church was born. With the same commitment to Jesus, mission and heritage, a group of 32 visionary leaders decided to pursue another season of renewal. Up until that time, German had been the prevalent language of worship in our community. However, we sensed that our calling to disciple making should include more than this, and that those of other languages and cultural backgrounds should be invited into this vibrant community. And so, the charter members of Grace stepped out in faith and began meeting in the what was at that time the Winkler Bible School.

Passion and growth marked those early years. In 1962, our first church building was constructed in just 10 weeks (960 Pembina Ave). It became home to many vibrant activities and missional vision. It wasn’t long and the church had outgrown this building and relocated just down the road to it’s current home (dedicated in 1984).

As in many church stories, even though we were growing and thriving in our ministry, the need for renewal, revival and refocusing on Jesus is an ongoing process. Together we’ve experienced tough times. We recognize that these are times when our eyes slid from the central figure of our story to focus on our own desires. Not too long ago we weathered one of these seasons. As a church we felt stuck. However, God has been gracious to us and He nudged us into another season of refocusing on Jesus and personal and community renewal. Day by day we continue to strive toward what it means to truly love God, love others and make disciples.

Perhaps you’ll join us in our journey!