To date, almost 3,000 people are reported missing or unaccounted for. We especially pray for our Nepal Vineyard family, who have already lost 10 people, with 7 critically injured. However, there is expected to be further loss of life, as some of the most severely affected areas remain unreachable and contact with several communities has been lost.

• Nepal is home to a growing Vineyard family of more than 30 churches, many serving communities in remote areas of the Himalayas.
• Right now, we are especially concerned for five Vineyard churches that have been directly affected by the disaster and have lost contact with the wider Vineyard network.

Nepal Vineyard Family Update

Noel Isaacs, National Director of the Himalayan region (Nepal Vineyard Churches), has shared that the disaster has impacted five Vineyard churches in the affected region.
Because roads and bridges have been destroyed, communications have been severely disrupted, and large sections of the route into these remote valleys have been washed away, teams have not yet been able to reach these communities.
This means we do not yet know the full extent of what has happened to our Vineyard family.
The five churches we are especially praying for are:

• Timure Church — Rasuwa District
• Mailung Church — Rasuwa District
• Dakhbari Church — Rasuwa District
• Tukche Anugrah Church — Nuwakot District
• Santi Bazar — Nuwakot District

Reports from the region indicate significant loss of life, with people missing and entire communities devastated. However, until teams can physically reach these villages, the full picture cannot yet be known.

Two church buildings in the affected valleys are also reported to have been destroyed, one completely washed away and another buried beneath mud.
There could well be significant loss of life among our Vineyard family. Many more may have lost parents, children, spouses, friends, homes, livelihoods, churches, and everything they own.
And right now, many of them remain isolated from the outside world, waiting for help and for word about those they love.

Ways to give financial Gifts:

Winnipeg Centre Vineyard has been deeply connected with Vineyard Himalayas for 31 years.
They do have the agency agreement in place for lawful transfers. They forward funds on a monthly basis, aggregated from various donors and Vineyard churches in Canada.

WCV has set up a fund for disaster relief but will not be forwarding funds until they have a clear picture from VH of how the funds will be used.  Currently, Nepalis are being prevented (by blockades and/or damaged infrastructure) from reaching affected areas to deliver relief supplies. The plan for VH is turning to addressing the longer-term effects of the unfolding crisis - widows and their families, orphaned children, etc.

Donations can be forwarded by:

• e-transfer to giving@wcvchurch.ca (auto-deposit)
• Cheques can be sent to: 782 Main St, Winnipeg, MB, R2W3N4
• In either case, mark the memo 'Nepal Emergency Fund'

How can we pray?
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
Thank you for your prayers for Nepal, for our Vineyard churches across Nepal who are responding and helping their communities, and especially for the five Vineyard churches that have been most affected by this devastating disaster.

Please continue to pray:

• Pray for Nepal. Pray for the nation as this tragedy impacts communities across the country. Pray for wise and compassionate leadership, and for the resources needed to reach those affected to come quickly from both the local and global community.
• Pray for our Nepal Vineyard family. Pray for strength, wisdom, courage, and God's presence as they care for those around them.
• Pray for Timure, Mailung, Dakhbari, Tukche Anugrah, and Santi Bazar. Pray for every pastor, leader, family, and person connected to these churches.
• Pray for those who may still be alive but trapped or isolated. Ask God to protect them and make a way for rescue and assistance to reach them quickly.
• Pray for those who are injured and in need of medical care. Pray that rescue teams and medical assistance will be able to reach them soon.
• Pray for those who are missing and for families desperately waiting for news of their loved ones.
• Pray for those who are grieving. Ask God to meet them with comfort, strength, and His presence in the midst of unimaginable loss.
• Pray for rescue and relief teams working in dangerous and extremely difficult conditions. Pray for their safety, strength, wisdom, and perseverance.
• Pray for a way through. Ask God to open roads, restore communications, and make it possible for Vineyard leaders and aid workers to reach the affected communities.
• Pray for immediate necessities. Pray for food, clean water, shelter, medical care, safety, and everything needed to sustain those who have been displaced.
• Pray for Noel Isaacs and the Nepal Vineyard leadership as they seek to understand the situation, locate people, connect with isolated churches, and coordinate the response.
• Pray for protection from further disaster. Pray against further landslides, flooding, and heavy rains, and for the safety of those already in vulnerable areas.
• Pray for the long road of rebuilding. Pray for the restoration of homes, livelihoods, churches, and communities—and for hope as people begin to rebuild their lives.

Dawn Humphreys has put together this information to keep us informed on how we can pray and support our Nepal Vineyard Family at this time.

Tennessee River Boys Concert

The Tennessee River Boys will return to Lynden for a concert at Faith Community Church on Friday, August 28 at 6 pm. Doors will open at 5:00 pm. Faith Community is located at 586 Birch Bay Lynden Road, Lynden, 98264.  The concert is free, and a freewill offering will be taken. Refreshments will follow. The person who brings the most first-time guests will receive a free CD, compliments of the Tennessee River Boys.  This award-winning gospel singing group was here last year for their first concert with us, and people were hugely blessed by their testimonies, both sung and shared from the heart. We hope you can join us for a wonderful evening of praise and worship.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Grief Share Course

We are pleased to share that a support group video seminar series with a Christian basis will begin on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at Central Heights Church. Please encourage those who are grieving to participate in this program for healing and grief recovery.

 MCC Festival for World Relief

is only a few weeks away, and we'd love your help inviting your congregation to join us.
Every meal enjoyed, purchase made, and donation given at the Festival helps provide food for families facing hunger in Ukraine, Haiti, Ethiopia, Gaza, and here in BC. Together, we can share God's love by responding to hunger with practical support and hope.

What to look forward to at this year's Festival:

• Delicious Mennonite favourites, including perogies and farmer sausage, rollkuchen and watermelon, borscht, portzelky and more.
   
• A Kid's Fun Zone ($5 per child; parents and kids under 2 are free) featuring bouncy castles, a climbing wall, LEGO, giant games (inflatable Twister, Jenga, and cornhole), live entertainment with Norden, and a family movie.

What else to expect?

• An Artisan Market with handmade quilts, plants and produce, MCC Thrift Shops and Ten Thousand Villages.
   
• Saturday breakfast from 8:00–10:00 am
   
• Live music and performances throughout the weekend, including the MEI Marching Band, Pacific Voices, Ukrainian folk dancers, and more!

Over the past several months, Vineyard Canada has been engaged in a prayerful and intentional process of discerning the future leadership of our movement. Following a season of nominations and discernment, two candidates entered the National Director succession process. After a thorough evaluation and discernment process, neither candidate reached the 80% threshold of affirmation established by the National Team for appointment to the role.

While this was not the outcome many anticipated at the outset, there is a deep sense of confidence that the process was marked by careful discernment and a shared conviction that it "seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us." (Acts 15)

In light of this discernment, the National Team unanimously affirmed David Ruis to continue serving as National Director in a half-time capacity for up to an additional two years, through the end of 2028 if needed. This season will provide space to continue strengthening our leadership structures, investing in emerging leaders, and prayerfully preparing for the next chapter of Vineyard Canada.

As we continue to steward the implications of these decisions, we have also made several adjustments within the staff of the Foundations Team to best support the ongoing health and growth of our movement. Nathan Rousu will step into the role of Managing Director, providing operational leadership and oversight across Vineyard Canada. Joyce Rees will serve in a new role focused on Church Growth, helping to cultivate and strengthen our existing churches while encouraging healthy multiplication. Anita Ruis will continue to serve as Spiritual Life Director, and Tina-Marie Axenty will continue in her role as Administration and Communications Director.

We also want to let you know that David Ruis will be taking a well-deserved sabbatical during the months of June, July, and August. We invite you to join us in praying for David during this season, that he would experience deep refreshment, renewed vision, and the presence of God in meaningful ways. We are grateful for his faithful leadership and look forward to welcoming him back in the fall.

As we continue to steward these decisions over the coming months, we remain grateful for the faithfulness of the Lord and for the commitment of those who have invested significant time, wisdom, and prayer into this work. We are deeply grateful for the prayers, encouragement, and engagement of leaders across the movement throughout this process. We continue to trust that the Lord is faithfully guiding Vineyard Canada, and we look forward with hope and expectation to all that He has ahead for us.