pcda.bc.ca – Page 4 – Pacific Centre for Discipleship Association

Breaking news: the Menno Hall project’s rezoning public consultation stage has begun!

It’s been two years since the Menno Simons Centre closed, and we are now very excited to share our vision for a new Menno Hall student residence project at the gateway of UBC in the University Endowment Lands (UEL) since our rezoning application has been accepted.

Presentation of some of the architectural materials that will be on display at the Public Open House event being scheduled for the beginning of June
Q&A time with the project development team.

The UEL’s public consultation period will run from mid-May through mid-June, so we want to inform you about what we’re proposing and how you can help.

Video of Lent Abendmusik Vespers 2022 in Vancouver

Watch the 1-hour recording of the live stream from our Lenten Abendmusik Vespers service held on Sunday, April 3, 2022, in St. Philip’s Anglican Church. You can follow along by reading the programme handout (PDF). NOTE: you don’t have to join Facebook to watch the video; you may have to un-mute the video to hear the sound.

We very much appreciate it when you donate to the PCDA to support the choir and Menno Hall, our new student residence to be constructed at the gateway of UBC in the University Endowment Lands.

Abendmusik Lent Vespers 2022

Please join the Abendmusik Vesper Choir at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of Choral Music for the Lenten season. See maps and links to driving directions on the “Hear us sing” page.

Saturday, April 2 in Emmanuel Free Reformed Church, 3386 Mount Lehman Road, Abbotsford, BC (map)
Sunday, April 3 in St. Philip’s Anglican Church, 3737 West 27th Avenue, Vancouver, BC (map) or watch the Livestream online (on Facebook, but no account required). You can download and read the programme hand-out (16-page PDF) to follow along.

As an indoor organized gathering with more than 50 people expected to attend, the appropriate COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS in effect at each church at the time will be followed. [Update as of April 3rd: this indoor choral event still requires presentation of proof-of-vaccination or proof-of-exemption per the PHO’s Province-wide restrictions in effect through April 8th. Masks are optional but encouraged.]

Donations will be gratefully accepted in support of the Menno Hall project, our new student residence to be constructed at the gateway of UBC in the University Endowment Lands.

Video of Advent 2021 Abendmusik Vespers in Vancouver

Watch the 49-minute recording of the live stream from our Advent Abendusik Vespers service held on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 7:30 pm in St. Philip’s Anglican Church. You can follow along by reading the program handout (19-page PDF). We very much appreciate it when you donate to the PCDA to support the choir and Menno Hall, our new student residence to be constructed at the gateway of UBC in the University Endowment Lands.

Abendmusik Advent 2021

Abendmusik Advent Vespers 2021 Dec 5

Join us in Vancouver on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 7:30 pm in St. Philip’s Anglican Church, 3737 West 27th Avenue, Vancouver, BC (map for directions) or watch the Livestream online (on Facebook, but no account required) and follow along by downloading program handout (19-page PDF). Donations will be gratefully accepted in support of the Menno Hall project, our new student residence to be constructed at the gateway of UBC in the University Endowment Lands.

COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN EFFECT: as an indoor organized gathering with more than 50 people expected to attend, proof of vaccination will be required, and masks must be worn by the audience. Refer to the BC PHO Order on Gatherings and Events.

NOTE: there will be no service in Abbotsford this time, but we look forward to being back at both locations for Lent in March.

2021 AGM on Zoom Tue. Oct. 12 @ 7pm

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Pacific Centre for Discipleship Association (PCDA) will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, October 12th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. to participate in the governance of our society.

To receive the Zoom meeting connection details by e-mail, please fill out the contact form to attend as a guest, or (if you want to vote on motions) pay the annual membership dues (in which case we will follow up with the Zoom instructions as well).

Jan 20 Webinar: Anabaptists on Campus

We’re hosting a webinar anticipating the new residence in development on UBC campus. Join us to explore questions like:

What distinguishes an Anabaptist heritage and ethic today?

How do Anabaptists view the intersection of faith and study?

How do Anabaptist values inform campus ministry?

How can an Anabaptist student residence serve the campus?

Who is this for?

Students, parents, faculty, and anyone else interested in university campus ministry or the future Menno Hall project at UBC.

Register free

See the Facebook event

Contact us for more info

Abendmusik Advent 2020

Advent Postcard 2020 w500

The Abendmusik Vesper Choir is pleased to share the recording of our 2020 Advent worship service:

Listen to the 23-minute MP3 audio file
Read the prayers and lyrics by viewing the 6-page PDF of the program hand-out as you listen.

While our pre-COVID choir normally consists of 24 singers, we had 9 masked singers and a technical crew make the recording on November 16th while carefully following the safety protocols of the sanctuary at St. Philips Anglican Church in Vancouver, BC.

A few words from the Pacific Centre for Discipleship Association (PCDA),

The importance of a safe and stable home is on everyone’s mind these days. While we moved out of the Menno Simons Centre at the beginning of the summer, we were pleased to see that by the time the fall academic term started at UBC, the Gerard House that we own on Wesbrook Mall has students from University Christian Ministries living together and making the best of difficult circumstances.

Our society is still working with our partners at the MCC Legacy Trust on the Menno Hall project in the University Endowment Lands for our new student residence, rental housing, and meeting spaces. The lesson of patience in the Advent season surely applies to our building plans, as we await approval of land use bylaw changes by the government to set the foundation for our upcoming rezoning application.

Being able to listen to the prayers and choral sounds of the Abendmusik Vesper Choir—even if not in person this time—is a comforting continuation of a tradition that we were very fortunate to be able to capture and share in these trying times. Our hearts go out to those families who have been impacted by the virus, and we wish everyone the best of safety and support until we meet again!

Kevin Hiebert
President and Chair of the Board of Directors

If you haven’t already done so, you can subscribe to receive future newsletters by e-mail.

As a not-for-profit society and registered charity, we gratefully accept donations through the methods described on our web site. Thank you very much for your generosity!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:38 — 54.1MB)

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‘Home Together’ book by Thomas Bergen

We are pleased to announce the release of Home Together: Student Ministry at the Menno Simons Centre! Written by Thomas Bergen (a former Residence Coordinator), this book gives a compelling account of how the Menno Simons Centre engaged emerging adults in a community of discipleship and belonging for over thirty years.

The book is eligible for free shipping and available for ~$20 on Amazon.ca, where you can also take a sneak peek of the book. It is also available in eBook format for $8.99 or less from FriesenPress, Kobo Store, Google Play, Nook Store, Amazon Kindle, and iTunes Bookstore. All the profits will go towards supporting the ongoing ministry of the PCDA.

We held a Virtual Book Launch event on Oct. 24th at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, so if you want to learn about similar events in the future, be sure to subscribe to the PCDA newsletter if you haven’t already done so.

NOTE: if you’re having trouble locating the ~$20 copy sold directly by Amazon.ca, see the instructions below. Don’t be discouraged that Amazon.ca says it is “temporarily out of stock” since they use a print-on-demand service. Lastly, if you don’t see the ~$20 Amazon.ca copy for sale, check back in a day or two, as it seems to disappear occasionally.

Home Together Amazon see other sellers

Home Together select amazon.ca

Introducing Joshua Kuepfer, AIMC

The PCDA is pleased to introduce Joshua Kuepfer as our Anabaptist Interim Ministry Coordinator (AIMC). He is an alumnus of the Menno Simons Centre and has experienced living in other Christian communities such as A Rocha and with MCC in Uganda. On a part-time basis, Joshua will be working under the direction of our Campus Ministry Committee to:

develop alumni connections and build our online presence, including social media accounts
assist with arrangements related to our ownership of the Bernice Gerard Ministry House and the former Lutheran Campus Centre property
plan and host student and Menno alumni events throughout the year
network with UBC campus ministries, chaplains, and academics as we further develop our ministry plans for the future Menno Hall on our UEL site.

If you are a student in Vancouver interested in community living, or an alumnus of the Menno Simons Centre looking to reconnect, Josh Kuepfer can be reached by:

e-mail at
phone at 604-224-5202.