As a young boy, the author of this month’s hymn, O God, Our Help in Ages Past, was challenged by his father to write better hymns for their congregation. Isaac Watts went on to be a prolific writer of hymns, theology, sermons and other works. All of these writings had a powerful influence upon the thinking of the late seventeen and early eighteenth centuries. Find out more about this hymn!

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The Board of Directors of the Mennonite Benevolent Society is pleased to announce Ms. Sujata Connors as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  Sujata is a values, faith-based leader, with over 20 years of progressive leadership experience.

Sujata was born in Halifax and raised in New Brunswick.  Having grown up in a small town of 2500 people, Sujata deeply values community and connection and very much appreciates the need of the residents at Menno. She started her career in nursing working both in the UK and Canada. She transitioned to leadership roles and has worked for a number of years within the BC Health Authorities, currently serving as a Director within the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.  Her career has been predominantly focused on supporting seniors and providing high quality health services that promote wellness, independence and choice through a person-centered approach.  Additionally, Sujata has been actively involved in collaborative partnerships to build coordinated care and streamlined systems across local and regional levels.  She has led facility redevelopment, rebuilds, capital planning and property management to support clinical services.

Sujata holds a Master of Public Administration, a Bachelor of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science. She has also had significant training in quality improvement through the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council as well as the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement.

I want to extend my appreciation to the senior leadership team for providing interim leadership.  They will work closely with Sujata to ensure a seamless leadership transition to Menno over the next few months.

We are confident that Sujata will bring leadership, fresh eyes, thoughtfulness, creativity, care and devotion to the position.  She will be starting at Menno Place on February 22, 2023.

Carol Dyck, MBS Board Chair
on behalf of the MBS Board

Menno Place said good-bye to retiring CEO, Karen Biggs today, January 13, 2023.

After 9.5 years of faithful and dedicated service to Menno Place, Karen Biggs did a final walkabout. The Menno Place Team gathered to wish her well in her retirement, sharing photo memories from her first week of work in 2013.

Thank you, Karen, for your leadership, your advocacy and the improvements that you brought to residents, families and staff while you led us. We thank you for your leadership, especially during the COVID pandemic when care for the elderly was most challenging.

We wish you a wonderful retirement with many opportunities to share your love, knowledge and skill with others.

Blessings to you, Karen!

Until a new CEO is announced, Kathrin McMath (COO) will be Acting CEO of Menno Place.

This month’s hymn is a Christmas classic from the 19th century. Written by Father Joseph Mohr and composed by Franz Gruber, the story of “Stille Nacht” features a broken down organ on Christmas Eve, a poem, and the lofty desire to write the perfect Christmas song!

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The deeply personal hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour” was written out of the daily experiences of a busy housewife and mother, Annie Hawks, in the year 1872. “Suddenly, I became filled with the sense of nearness to the Master, and I began to wonder how anyone could ever live without Him, either in joy or pain. Then, the words were ushered into my mind and these thoughts took full possession of me – ‘I need Thee every hour’.”

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