The Messenger September 2015
Summer Reflections A kaleidoscope view of true Kingdom activity
Content: Mark your Calendars & Transitions.…………………………….2 From Jeff’s Desk………………………………………………….3 Israel/ Palestine Trip By Bill and Lynda Klymochko…………….4 Alive………………………………………………………………8 10 Highlights from Camp……………………………………….9 CHIC Reflections………………………………………………..12 Neil Josephson Award Recipient……………………………….15 Ecuador Adventure……………………………………………...16 CBC Legacy Scholarship……………………………………….17 112th AGM……………………………………………………..18
Mark Your Calendars… 2015
2016
Oct 5-7 ~ Pastor and Spouse Retreat
Jan. 25-29 ~ Midwinter (Rosemont, IL)
Oct. 16-18 ~ ALIVE (Canmore, AB)
Feb. 12-22 ~ Ecuador Mission Trip May 12-15 ~ 112th AGM (Breton, AB and Toronto, ON) July 28-31 ~ Triennial (Kansas City, MO)
Pastor Transitions Jeff Strong began ministry at Nelson ECC (Nelson, BC), Pastor Steve Menshenfriend resigned and concluded ministry at Blackstrap CC (Dundurn, SK) Joe Orr retired and concluded ministry at Off Lake ECC (Emo, ON) Jeff Loewen, from Foley, MN will begin ministry at Minnedosa ECC later this fall.
From Jeff’s Desk Superintendent “It is you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.” Psalm 74:17 Northern countries like Canada seem to love summer. It is the time for lakes, rivers, camping and cottages. In terms of the rhythm and pulse of church life it becomes a time of contraction. At its best the season of summer brings the rest and refreshment that yields true Kingdom activity. At its worst the season can bring about a disengagement that belies the call for each follower of Christ to “live worthy of the calling you have received.” This edition of The Messenger gives a kaleidoscope view of true Kingdom activity that has taken place as well as a look ahead at opportunities that help we who are part of the ECCC grow individually and corporately. Enjoy the end of this time of sun and warmth. At the same time don’t miss the chance to think intentionally about the opportunities we now have to grow, encourage and serve. Summer isn’t our idea, it is His who set the boundaries of the earth; our call is to lean into the wonder of this reality.
Israel/Palestine Trip Reflections from Bill and Lynda Klymochko Except for Jerusalem and along the Jordan River, the Israel we visited was hot and barren. However, Jerusalem is liveable because it resides on one of the Judean Mountains at 700 meters above sea level. It even gets cold at night. The west side of Jerusalem is marked by the Mount of Olives. The Wilderness is immediately to the west of the mount, in which the elevation falls to 500 meters below sea level at the Dead Sea. It was very apparent to us that we could not fathom living in this wilderness for one day, never mind 40 days like our Lord did [Matthew 4]. We cannot describe our many experiences obtained during our two week visit to the Holy Land in this brief article. However, we hope the following highlights will whet your appetite for your own visit.
Israel is a police state. There are Muslim holy places, Jewish holy places and Christian holy places. We did not find holy places that are claimed by all people groups. Since the 1967 war, the Jews are in control of Israel. There are gun carrying soldiers and police everywhere as visual confirmation that the Jews control everything. They control where you live, there is a Separation Wall throughout Israel to keep the Jews and Palestinians apart and there are big red signs warning Jews that they are prohibited by law to enter various areas of Israel. Even the water is controlled, 75% to the Jews and 25% to the Palestinians – if and when the Jews decide to distribute the water to the Palestinians. If you are associating with Palestinians, you are very likely to experience discrimination from the Jews. In our opinion, little has changed since Jesus' time, the attitudes of peoples' hearts remain virtually the same. The only change we saw is the Jews have replaced the Romans.
Lots of law and virtually no grace. We visited the Dome of the Rock which the Muslims believe is the place where Allah took the prophet Mohammad directly into heaven. Proper dress was expected for our visit here, which meant the women had to be covered shoulder to foot. As we were entering, one of Lynda's three shawls fell off of her shoulder. Immediately, she was verbally attacked by one of the (apparent) elders whose job was to ensure that everyone was dressed appropriately. The attack was indicative of a confrontation that occurs just before a fist fight. Fortunately Lynda's smile and demeanour prevailed and the confrontation quickly subsided. This event reminded us of how much we experience God's grace in our life everyday in our wonderful country back home. We thought Christians are supposed to demonstrate the love of Christ. We visited the Church of the Nativity, one of two apparent birthplaces of our Lord. We visited alongside Muslims who were there to honour Isa (Jesus) whom they consider as a prophet of Islam. This church is administered by three Christian denominations, these being the Armenian Orthodox, the Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholic. Below the church structure is the cave of Jesus' birth. In the cave, the manger is “owned” by the Roman Catholics, the rest of the cave is “owned” by the Greek Orthodox and the Armenian church “owns” other areas. When we came out of this church, we met up with members of the Palestinian Police Force. We asked our guide if the police were here to stop a confrontation between the Muslims and Jews. Our guide told us that Jews are not allowed to live in Bethlehem. The police came regularly to ensure the denominational priests of the Church of the Nativity weren't fighting as they are known for frequent brawls between themselves over control of this church.
God is working amongst the Palestinian Christians. We met with many Palestinian Christians who shared with us the discriminating abuse by the Jews and their being shunned by other Palestinians because they are not Muslims. We were told again and again by these Christians that it is their duty to love their enemies because Jesus said to do this. Our Christian brethren take the Beatitudes of Christ very seriously, especially “Blessed are the Peace keepers ...� [Matthew 5:9] We also met with Palestinian Christian organizations such as the Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation [musalaha@netvision.net.il] who are striving for reconciliation amongst the Jews, Muslims and Christians. We also learned that if someone smiled at you in the streets of Jerusalem, that person is likely a Christian. We walked where Jesus walked. It could be properly argued that some of the places we visited were not those places described in the Bible, such as the Upper Room used for the Last Supper [Mt. 26:17-30]. However, we did visit places of no dispute that Jesus walked there, such as the community wine press in Nazareth [Matthew 21:11] , the steps leading to the entrance of the Temple [Mark 11], the Pools of Bethesda [John 5:1-15] and the road leading out of the ruins of the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest who found Jesus guilty of blasphemy [Matthew 26]. And we sailed on the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberius. Lynda found the boat ride and the churches we visited around the lake very calming and relaxing. We were most impacted during our visit to the Church of the Ten Lepers After a long bus ride out of Nazareth, we arrived at the Church of the Ten Lepers in the Palestinian province of Jenin. This church is also known as the
Burqin Church for the town it is in and also known as St. George's Church. It is a Byzantine-era Orthodox Christian church in honour of Jesus curing the ten lepers (Luke 17). Verbal history taught us that the lepers occupied one of the village cisterns (water hole). After their healing, their cistern became the first Church of the Ten Lepers. Much later in time, a bigger church was added on to the side of the cistern and the side wall of the cistern was knocked out to combine the two to make the present church. We were most impacted during our visit here. First by how far Jesus had to walk to get to this place. Our Saviour deliberately went out of his way from his regular route to seek out those that he ministered to here. This reminded us of how Jesus sought us out too. Also, we were impacted by how much our Palestinian brethren showed the love of Christ to us. These people were very poor, their work was making olive soap in a cottage industry sponsored by World Vision. Yet, they gave us 34 people food and drink, and then they gave us gifts. We were truly humbled by their generosity. We now pray that we remember this event when Christ calls on us to give to others. If you have any questions about our trip to Israel, please do not hesitate to email us at BLKlymochko@shaw.ca
ALIVE exists to provide an opportunity for adults of the Covenant Church and friends to connect and experience Christian community through worship, fellowship, study, and encouragement related to our journey with Christ.
RENEW with guest speaker Tim Keener
A part of being human is holding ideas, opinions, and beliefs dear… a part of the fall is not seeing which of those things we might need to let go of in order to grow. Renewal is growth. It is a change of state from decline or plateau to growing again… to life. How do we as followers of Jesus assure that we continue to grow and mature? How is God using change in our lives to accomplish his purposes and to grow his Kingdom? Do you want to grow? Of course we all want to grow and become stronger—emotionally, relationally… and spiritually. But what does it mean to grow spiritually? To be alive is to be growing… to be changing! Join us to explore together what it means to “grow”.
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER - Sept. 22nd FINAL DEADLINE Full Registration (Includes Hotel and 3 meals) Couple $380/Individual $325
Program Registration (Includes lunch of Saturday) $50 Couple / $30 Individual
Visit our website or call our office for details and registration.
www.covchurch.ca | 204-269-3437
10
HIGHLIGHTS FROM CAMP
COVENANT HEIGHTS BIBLE CAMP
Family Camp had 80+ people attend the weekend, with almost half of those kids. We had the opportunity to hear from Tim and Di Keener and their ministry in Montreal, QC. It was great to have them and their four boys join us for the weekend. A group of 35 campers for Junior Camp and 49 campers for Teen Camp. These numbers have increased from the previous year. This is always encouraging to see. At Junior Camp we were joined by Nils and Erica Clauson, Covenant Missionaries from Mexico. It was great fun to learn about the Mexican culture, what it means to be a missionary, and God’s love for all people. It was also great to have their two boys join us as campers for the week. Our first one-night Squirt Camp for campers ages 4 – Gr. 2 was a great success with 13 girls and 13 boys. It was an exciting time for these little ones to get a glimpse of camp. It was also great to witness many of the parents reconnecting with each other or reengaging with the camp over this weekend. We had a total of 70 volunteers between all the camps in summer. Cabin leaders, cooks, nurses, speakers, worship leaders, board members, maintenance day volunteers—We are thankful for all who play a role in the ministry at CHBC. We had many new families and new campers attend camp this season. We have also witnessed a great deal of new and renewed interest in participating in the ministry of CHBC. We had a few individuals in particular that went above and beyond, investing great time into camps and programs. To see people do this, with great joy and energy, eager to share the love of Christ and see this ministry continue, was exciting to see. New projects/improvements for our facilities and an upcoming capital fundraiser is on the horizon. More details will be available in the fall. We have over 15 students signed up for our Branch Leadership training that will take place this next year. All of these students are interested in being Jr. Leaders at camp next summer. Our hope is to walk with the students through the months leading up to the season, encouraging them in their faith and giving them skills and resources that will help to develop them into great leaders for our camp. 3 Fall Retreats planned for September. One for the youth, one for College and Career aged adults, and one that is a Spiritual Retreat weekend. We are excited about expanding our programming into the Fall and into some new age categories.
Matt Hardy, Director Hanne Johnson, Camp Coordinator
COVENANT BAY BIBLE CAMP
Theme: Under Construction—God is building within me. Many campers were introduced to the idea that God created them, and continues to build them. Campers and staff were encouraged to continue in their growth in the Lord. During Sr. High, campers were invited to say “Yes, I want to be courageous” in following Christ. Food! We had excellent cooks this summer who fed us well. A personal favorite was Popeye squares, an egg, cheese, and spinach breakfast dish. The Lake. This summer, Alberta Health Services lowered the severity of warnings against Blue-Green Algae, and the algae did not come until August, so we were able to enjoy the lake through all of our programs. Staff who stepped up! This was an amazing summer for staff, as many of our cabin leaders were here for only 1 or 2 weeks. It was amazing to see all of our staff step to the challenge of filling multiple roles, as well as to see so many younger staff volunteer to wash dishes, clean bathrooms and help out. Full Camps. We had excellent attendance this year, with 61 each of Squirt and Junior campers who we are so excited to see grow through the years at CBBC, 34 middle campers, 20 Jr. High Campers and 24 Sr. High Campers. Wilderness Adventures. Some of our Jr. and Sr. High Campers had the opportunity to go on an overnight canoe trip down the lake. These campers all came back saying it was a great experience, that they enjoyed being ‘away’ and that it challenged and stretched them, and bonded them together. How great to see youth immersed in God’s creation! Facility Improvement. Many projects were completed that continue to build into the future of the facility. Our prayer trail has been more fully developed, some cabins painted and there has been general improvement to a number of buildings. Dime Carnival. At our family camps we held a dime carnival, in which campers could play carnival games by donating a dime to Camp Zulu (the ECC camp project). One of the options was to vote for a staff member who would receive a pie in the face. We raised over $300 between the two family camp weekends, and 4 staff received a sweet punishment! Significant Decisions for Christ. This summer we saw a number of campers make significant decisions for Christ. We had one Jr. Staff member come into the summer “on the fence” about God. We could sense that he was searching for a reason to believe, and felt that camp was where he needed to be. Just past the half way point, this staff member decided that he wanted to live for Christ. He was impacted by the passion and lives of his fellow staff. What a joy to see true change! We also had the privilege of hosting 5 baptisms from Faith Covenant Church in Breton, all of whom were campers this summer. These young women stepped out in faith and proclaimed in front of their families, friends, church, and fellow campers that they have decided to lay down their lives for God! Memorizing Scriptures. An Absolute highlight was seeing so many campers eagerly desiring to learn scriptures. We gave campers verses each day to memorize, and they recited them with enthusiasm. One camper was unaware of the pronunciation of Psalms, and proclaimed with confidence “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ‘P’Slams 139:13”
Thank you to the ECCC churches for your support of our ministry, for sending campers, and for sending staff. We truly are blessed to be a part of the movement of God’s Holy Spirit in the lives of His children! Kendra Freeland Ministry Director, CBBC
KOOTENAY COVENANT BIBLE CAMP
There were 4 generations of people at our camp this year. The oldest was in her 80’s and we had 2 infants about 4 months old. This gave camp a real family feel. The campers loved spending time with the little ones, cooing and awing over them. Hazel has been the camp Grandma for a number of years now and she is still not slowing down much. Our staff this year were very engaged in the program and took responsibility while putting the campers first. Thanks again you guys. Our Speaker came on board late in the planning and did a fantastic job connecting with the kids and helping the kids find and follow Jesus. His young family was also able to be at camp and were a blessing to the kids too. A highlight from our Speaker…During the last evening when we were talking about being accepted, one of the boys handing me a drawing of what he saw in his dream the night before. Before I could talk with him about it he had seen a vision during the singing time which brought some clarity to his dream. The essence of his dream was; he saw a door wide open, but there were chains across it. After processing it with him and explaining that his acceptance comes from Christ and not from his lack of sin, he saw the chains come away, and Jesus reach out and take his hand. He also did a great job communicating the simple truths that God is near, He wants to talk to us, He cares for us, and He accepts us. There were many campers who I felt connected with the talks and listened intently. Just having one of the kids see a vision of God smiling over His kids is sign enough of a great successful camp. Our Crafts guy David did an awesome job with the crafts and the kids. A LOT of work and love were put into his crafts and prep. He also made 2 wooden table games for the kids to play during “free” time and there always seemed to have kids playing them. The FOOD WAS AMAZING!!! Need I say more? Thanks Marie and crew. Our Program Director did an amazing job of thinking on her feet to adjust the activities to suit the cooler than anticipated weather we had a camp. I don’t think that the kids noticed nor cared that they didn’t get wet everyday…other than the Polar Dip first thing in the morning for those who wished to start the morning “refreshed”. The hike to Pebble Beach was also an activity the kids and staff look forward to. It consists of a 45 min hike and then time to play on the beach and swim in the lake. The beach is made up of small smooth stones of all kinds. Many of the kids bring rock souvenirs back with them and they usually make it back to camp as long as they did not get to heavy on the hike back. Many of our Camp Ministry Team were at camp and those who were not on staff from time to time came out to help out and brought supplies as needed. These visits encouraged the staff and helped keep the milk fresh.
THANK-YOU GOD for a great camp! Laura Nelson, Staff Coordinator
CHIC is a triennial event held in Knoxville, TN for high school students from Covenant Churches in the United States and Canada. Thousands of youth gather for small group Bible study and devotion, large group gatherings with speakers and music, and outdoor recreation. 2015 was a CHIC year. The ECCC sent 92 students and 31 adults from 10 groups, representing 14 churches from 5 provinces and 2 states! Churches from ON, MB, and AB drove to Tennessee and the churches from SK and BC flew.
What impacted you most at CHIC 2015? Brooklyn Olson from Norquay, SK: “The thing that impacted me most was how many people there that were worshipping God. There was so many people and it made me feel like there was more people that believed all the same things that I did.” Soren Dueck from Winnipeg, MB: “I was impacted the most by the worship, it not only taught me how important worship is but how it is not just singing. It’s a connection with God. The things that hit me hard at CHIC were the talks where I realized I wasn’t connected. That’s what impacted my life.” Amy Kemerink from Malmo, AB: The thing that impacted me most was probably project blue. The fact that we got to learn about the needs in India by watching the video clips of the four that got to actually go was so powerful. Also, doing the water walk itself was a cool way to connect to not only the project but also the family’s individually. We take clean, running water for granted everyday! There are people that have to walk hours for a dirty puddle, while we take five steps to the nearest sink. The CHIC staff did an incredible job making us more aware of the needs of others, and of how we are called to be God’s hands and feet.
What would you say to those that have the opportunity to attend CHIC in 3 years? Amy Kemerink from Malmo, AB: “Go! Honestly CHIC was such an incredible opportunity. I learnt so much about myself, and about what God has planned for me! There’s great music, speakers, fellowship, games, and more! CHIC was a life changing experience and is worth every penny spent.” Soren Dueck from Winnipeg, MB: “Go without expectations. Whatever you think you know about faith will be challenged in a healthy environment with your leaders and peers. All I will say is that CHIC will change your life.” Makenna Olson from Norquay, SK: “If you get the chance to go to CHIC, you should go because it is an amazing experience that you will never forget. I learned so much about God and what it means to be a Christian. I had so much fun and I would definitely go again if I had the chance.”
Nelson Blair & Noreen Lewis Danielle Royer
Erickson Dean and Nadine Bala
Malmo Marc Vandersluys Charlene Tinis
Strathmore Amber Link
Norquay Natasha Westerhoud Tim Johnson
Minnedosa April Hamm
Winnipeg Rick Penner
Sarnia Kerry Rempel Kelly Greaves Lorne Font Matt Clever
How did you enjoy your experience as a CHIC volunteer?
CHIC 2015 Leaders, Volunteers, and Staff from Canada Surrey Belinda Lockhart Christian Wood
Breton Marc & Angela Lantz Jenneth Barg
Other Staff Sally Carlson (Council, On Campus Recreation) Dan Larson (Prayer Team) Chelsey Doerksen (Excursions Team) Eric & Erikka Hedberg (Mainstage Team) Morgan Janzen (On Campus Recreation) Heidi Frei (Volunteer) Corinne Stoter (Liaison, On Campus Recreation) Rob & Kerry Marsland (Volunteers)
Morgan Janzen from Strathmore, AB: “I really enjoyed volunteering at CHIC! It was really neat seeing how much work goes into it. It made me appreciated how amazing the event is even more and showed me how passionate the people putting it together are about helping teens get to know Jesus on a deeper level. There were lots of different opportunities to help so anyone would be able to find something that suited their strengths if they were interested in volunteering. I also got to spend some time with my students and I loved hearing how God was teaching them and helping them grow.
Photos courtesy of Corinne Stoter, Amber Link, Sally Carlson, and Mark Vandersluys
Neil Josephson Leadership Award The 2015-2016 Neil Josephson Leadership Award recipient is Holy Community Covenant Church from Winnipeg, MB. The Neil Josephson Leadership Award is awarded annually to a congregation or ECCC related ministry that seeks to intentionally develop deeper leadership within their ministry. The following is part of the proposal submitted by Holy Community Covenant Church. Holy Community Covenant Church (HCCC) is a church plant in Winnipeg’s West End neighbourhood whose focus is to share life and ministry together for the glory of God (1 Thess. 2:8) We believe in sharing our faith with our neighbours through genuine care and relationship in demonstration of God’s love. Commissioned three years ago, HCCC has just begun developing its formal congregational leadership structure with the appointment of a Leadership Team at our first Annual General Meeting in April, 2015. One of the goals our Leadership Team recently set for the year is to increase member involvement in serving and leading in our community. We desire to continue building the church’s leadership potential by investing in individuals within our community to encourage greater understanding of their God-given gifts and abilities. Over the past few years HCCC has relied mainly on the leadership of our pastor; we now we seek to extend some of that responsibility to the congregation to raise up a priesthood of all believers. It is our desire to create a culture of equality where everyone can be involved in ministry; where the congregation is passionate about the ministry they are involved in because it best fits their abilities and God’s calling on their life. We propose to bring about this passion and involvement by first helping members to better identify some of their giftings, and then by providing opportunities for service and individual and corporate growth through sharing these newly identified gifts with one another and the West End community at large. This fall, we intend to host a congregational self-exploration and leadership workshop. This half day session will provide a space for congregants to consider both their personal character and skills so as to better understand themselves and how they can participate in furthering the kingdom of God through ministry involvement at HCCC. Part of this workshop will include taking the Enneagram personality test, in an effort to help church members gain a better understanding of who they are. The workshop will also include time for individual contemplation and larger group discussion. The workshop will end with a session highlighting our current ministry and leadership opportunities and will give room for people to participate as they feel called. We, at Holy Community Covenant Church, are excited to be the recipients of the 2015 Neil Josephson Award and are grateful for this opportunity to develop leadership within our ministry.
Ecuador adventure
Feb. 12-22, 2016 Covenant Partners in Jesus’ Kingdom
ECUADOR is a small South American country of 13 million people who are friendly, hard working and industrious in spite of facing many difficult social, economic, and political problems. Living wage jobs are scarce so families often deal with issues of poverty, absentee fathers (who must travel far to work), and discouragement about the future. The country is predominately Catholic, yet only 5% attend church on a regular basis. Educational options for many children are few and many families find themselves in the cycle of poverty and dysfunction.
THE PARTNERSHIP: The Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada (ECCC) has partnered for many years with the Evangelical Covenant Church of Ecuador (IPEE) supporting the former Covenant Bible College campus as well as ECCC missionaries Andy and Jenell Pluim. Many in our conference have experienced a taste of Ecuador through missions trips led and hosted by the Pluims. Last year A NEW PARTNERSHIP was formed between IPEE, the ECCC and The Santiago Partnership, an international team of Christ followers collaborating with the local church of Ecuador seeking to transform the lives of “at risk” children and their families as well as serving under-privileged communities. Under the leadership of missionaries Joel and Kim Delp, this new partnership has targeted the Quechua people in the highlands surrounding and living in the city of Cayambe. Working with a local Covenant Church, last year’s team helped in the building of a home for at risk children in Cayambe, as well as building a relationship with a small church up in the Andes mountains called San Antonio de la Pakcha.
2016 MISSION TRIP: Feb. 12—22, 2016 The trip in February 2016 will continue the work with these partners, continuing the work on the home for at-risk kids in Cayambe as well as the relationship with the San Antonio de la Pakcha Covenant Church. The trip is for adults, families, and youth accompanied by the adult. Pastor Natasha and her husband Mike will be leading the group in 2016.
COST: Costs last year were approximately $2000 per person, including the project and airfare. While prices fluctuate, we expect this year’s cost to be similar. As we learn more about the project for this coming year we will be able to provide a more accurate cost for the trip. A deposit of $250 should be send to the ECCC office (address below) before Nov. 1st, 2015.
CONTACT INFO: To stay informed and receive more details about this upcoming trip, contact: Natasha Westerhoud (natasha@mykasha.com) or Arden Gustafson (ardengus@gmail.com) or call Norquay Covenant Church (306) 594-2233 Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada PO Box 23117 · RPO McGillivray · Winnipeg, MB R3T 5S3
The CBC Legacy Fund provides scholarships of $500 for students who are enrolled in theological, biblical or discipleship programs that equip men and women to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, through spiritual formation, biblical knowledge, Christian service, and intentional community.
Guidelines and Applications can be found on our website at www.covchurch.ca/cbc-legacy-scholarships Application deadline is December 9, 2015.
Save the Date‌
112th Annual General Meeting Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada
May 12-15, 2016 URBAN Avenue Community Church Toronto, ON
RURAL Faith Covenant Church Breton, AB
PO BOX 23117 RPO McGillivray WINNIPEG, MB R3T 5S3 Ph: 204-269-3437 Fx: 204-269-3584 office@covchurch.ca www.covchurch.ca
Staff: Jeff Anderson, Superintendent/President Julia Sandstrom, Director of Ministry Support Glenn Peterson, Director of Church Planting Sally Carlson, Financial Officer Monica Doerksen, Bookkeeper Hanne Johnson, Office Administrator
The Messenger is a publication of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada. Editor: Hanne Johnson