About Us
Little Flowers Community is both a local worshiping community and an intentional community of faith in downtown Winnipeg. We are primarily made up of people who live in the neighbourhood, with several choosing to live life together through shared housing. In both the Anabaptist & Franciscan tradition, together we embrace lives of generosity, simplicity, hospitality and peace.
After several years of life and ministry in Winnipeg’s inner city West End community, YWAM Urban Ministries Winnipeg felt that the formation of a new church in the neighbourhood was a natural next step. After expressing the desire to partner with an established denomination with similar values and beliefs, they were approached by the Mennonite Church Manitoba. It is out of this relationship that Little Flowers is born.
Little Flowers is primarily missional, born out of missionary service in the neighbourhood over several years. However, it is that we seek to make the mission of God the organizing reality of everything that we are and everything that we do that makes us missional. It is distinctly shaped by and for the unique cultures of the West End. The core leadership, Jamie & Kim Arpin-Ricci, live and work in the neighbourhood, familiar with it’s strengths and challenges.
Our beliefs, and therefore lifestyle, are shaped by a commitment to radical obedience to the teachings of Christ in the Mennonite tradition. We are also inspired by the life and example of Sts. Francis & Clare of Assisi.
Little Flowers is committed to be community led, including all involved in the shaping and movement of the group. Within that, there is a core of believers who are committed to be servant leaders. Jamie & Kim Arpin-Ricci provide the pastoral and missional leadership, while praying that God would bring partners alongside them to share in the role of leadership. The Arpin-Ricci’s have been career missionaries with YWAM with more than 25 years collective experience serving in more than 11 nations. Their work in urban ministry in Canada included living & serving in Vancouver’s downtown Eastside, as well as 7 years living & serving in Winnipeg’s West End.
