...fresh ways of looking at God’s global mission
On Being a Cultural Inbetweener by Dr. Charles Cook
Perspectives is published twice a year for the Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University August 2018 IN THIS ISSUE The Jaffray Centre The Early Years Fern Buszowski Reaching out to Refugee Claimants Journey Home The New Canadian Friendship Center Katharine Milum
“Being an inbetweener … speaks of our need to be intentional about moving beyond simply desiring to engage with the other, to actually acting on that desire, and creating a bridge to them.” Over the summer I was privileged to engage with a number of folks from across Canada who were looking to help facilitate understanding between people of different cultures. What was encouraging about this group of Jesus followers was their recognition that in our increasingly multicultural world one of the gifts we offer the “other” is the gift of understanding. It is the ability to provide time and space to hear and understand people for who they really are — even when they are different than us. My summer encounter with them and their desire to be attentive to cultural difference was particularly refreshing, given our need to navigate the complexities of living and working together in today’s disparate multicultural world.
Recognizing the shifting multicultural landscape of our nation, the Jaffray Centre has advocated for increased understanding between cultures since its inception in 2008. Over these past 10 years we have intentionally worked to provide resources designed to assist the community of faith in our mutual “ministry of reconciliation” (2Cor. 5:18). A ministry which has become increasingly complex in a world in which we know more, see more and hear more about the “other.” A world of 24/7 news loops, where whether we like it or not, we are forced to regularly reflect on how we relate and respond to those different than us. A world in constant turmoil which, if we were honest with ourselves, we might acknowledge has made us more concerned for our own continued on next page...
Intercultural Mosaic of Worship & Prayer Jordan Abbott Friends of Jaffray Kristi Hopf Ambrose and Missions Dan and Melodie Ibsen
@JaffrayCentre @jaffraycentreglobal jaffrayglobal.com
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personal welfare than about the welfare of the “other,” let alone the “other” without Christ. Two useful resources available from the Jaffray Centre which are designed tto move us closer to engaging with the “other” are: the Cultural Fluency Awareness Assessment and Training initiative and our Culture Fluency seminars. Both tools are designed to increase intercultural awareness and help us to grow into what we like to refer to as “inbetweeners”— culture mediators. Inbetweeners are people who step up and lean in to the role of bridging understanding between cultures in order to ascribe value and extend compassion to the “other.” I like the idea of being an “inbetweener” because it is a strong image of what it means to be a Jesus follower. Christ’s incarnation undoubtedly is one of the definitive expressions of this concept (John 1:14). His life, subsequent death and resurrection is the ultimate example
of an inbetweener as on the cross he bridged the rift that existed between God and humanity. God’s generous act of initiating and graciously extending a means of reengaging in relationship with his estranged creation provides us with a tangible example of how we might approach the culturally different “other.” It speaks of our need to be intentional about moving beyond simply “desiring” to engage with the “other,” to actually acting on that desire, and creating a bridge to them (Phil. 2:1-11). Being an inbetweener is about moving beyond our natural sphere of relationships to discover ways to befriend the cultural “other” (the stranger [Deut. 10:19] or alien [Lev. 19:34]) in our midst and develop genuine God honoring friendships.
They, like us, are created in the image of God and are of infinite value to God. A candid assessment of our own attitudes would likely reveal that all too often we allow the “spirit of the day,” rather than the essence of the gospel to shape our attitudes towards the “other.” This reality is evident in so many ways around our globe and includes who we give deference to, who assumes power and who — individuals or groups — exert unfair privilege over another. Yet these human-centered approaches that exalt one group over another, need to be challenged and measured against the message of the gospel. Jesus ultimately calls us to be servants not masters. To concern ourselves for the “other,” and not to be consumed with ourselves; this is the role of the inbetweener. u
Extending the gift of understanding and making space in our lives to develop friendship with “others” means we have no alternative but to be concerned with their life situation.
Charles Cook is Professor of Global Studies and Missions and Director of the Jaffray Center for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University.
Book Recommendation Regions Beyond and Regions Around: Diaspora Missions and the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada Edited by Sadiri Joy Tira, 2018
Throughout history, expressions of the Christian Church have been shaped by population movements. Local outreach to new immigrants was a vital issue at the birth of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). The plight of new non-Protestant immigrants from Europe, influenced the C&MA founder, Dr. A.B. Simpson, to resign from his position working in a church in New York City in 1881, freeing him to minister primarily to the growing underclass of society. Driven by urgency for the neglected in his “regions around,” Simpson also dedicated himself to mobilize workers to go into the “regions beyond.” Though migration is an age-old reality of human experience, rapidly shifting demographic realities of the 21st Century summon the Global Church of Jesus Christ, to respond to what some believe to be divinely orchestrated opportunities and challenges. Regions Beyond and Regions Around is an attempt to articulate the C&MA in Canada’s response to 21st Century realities, and to inform, instruct, and inspire local churches to engage the people from beyond who now reside around us in our communities. The book includes essays and reflections on the topic of Diaspora Missiology and the local church from Dr. Joy Tira, Ray Downey, John Healey, Samson Aragones, Stanley John, and Warren Reeve. The first edition of the book was given out at the 2018 C&MA General Assembly. u 2
...fresh ways of looking at God’s global mission
Regions Beyond and Regions Around is an attempt to articulate the C&MA in Canada’s response to 21st Century realities
JAFFRAY CENTRE PERSPECTIVES
A Look Back at the Early Years of the Jaffray Centre - Fern Buszowski Working with the Jaffray Centre brings fond memories of innovative ideas, new initiatives, and collaborative partnerships - all empowering future leaders around intercultural and multi-ethnic issues. I had the privilege of working on a part-time basis with Dr. Charles Cook for 4 years as the Project Manager for the Jaffray Centre in the early days to help the Centre get established. In the beginning, not much stayed the same from year to year as the Jaffray Centre grew – new ideas and new partnerships and contracts were being forged rapidly. The early days of the Jaffray Centre saw the initiation of several unique projects, a few of which I was able to be a part of. The initiation of the Ang Endowment fund that supports the Ang International Educational Exchange. Development and supervision of a Youth Leadership Development program which was a
partnership between Quebec and Alberta local churches funded by Alberta Provincial STEP grants and led by Ambrose Students and Alumni. As a team member of Jaffray’s Global Learning Consortium we established procedures for developing online learning modules and I developed a module on learning a foreign language using only native speakers through an effective language learning process I learned years ago in my own studies on second language learning. Our first bridging program was established early in 2009 between Calgary’s Centre for Newcomers (CFN) and Ambrose University’s Business Department, facilitated by the Jaffray Centre where we offered a “Canadian Professional Accounting Certificate for International Business Professionals” helping newcomers find employment in Canada.
Coming full-circle, almost 10 years later, after an early retirement from pastoral ministry, I am once again collaborating with Charlie Cook and his team to develop new ways to offer Emotional Intelligence – Eqi 2.0 and Cultural Intelligence (IDI) assessments, debriefing and team training as a new type of bridge building between individuals, teams, leaders and their organizations to empower and equip people with unique skills related to intercultural and multi-ethnic issues. u Fern Buszowski, MALM, MA Counselling, CPC; Retired Pastor, Counselling and Soul Care
Event Calendar Religious Nones, Evangelism, and the Canadian Context – Ambrose University September 8, 2018 Missions Huddle Red Deer October 11, 2018 Intercession: Reaching People Through Prayer Ambrose University October 12, 2018
Jaffray-Ang Symposium Calgary, Alberta January 16-18, 2019 DAI Foundations in Servant Leadership Course Millbourne Community Life Centre, Edmonton AB, February 9, March 16, April 13, May 18, 2019
For more information about these and other Jaffray events and projects, please visit us at www.jaffrayglobal.com or send us an email at jaffray@ambrose.edu.
Global Missions Podcast (globalmissionspodcast.com) Bi-Weekly
FRESH WAYS OF LOOKING AT GOD’S GLOBAL MISSION
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...fresh ways of looking at God’s global mission
Reaching Out to Refugee Claimants In April, the Jaffray Centre had the privilege of hosting a Saturday event on ‘Refugee Claimants: A Hidden Population on the Church’s Doorstep’. The morning session provided the opportunity to learn about the unique challenges faced by Refugee Claimants in Canada. James Grunau and Brad Kinnie, the Executive Director and Program Manager of Journey Home Community, and Dr. James Cresswell, Associate Professor of Psychology at Ambrose University shared about the challenges faced by refugees coming to Canada. In the afternoon, those interested in working with refugee claimants in Calgary continued the discussion digging deeper into the topic, learning about the resources currently available in the city, and dialoguing on how to effectively partner together to better support the refugee claimants in our communities. The Journey Home Community in British Columbia is an organization established to help refugee claimants as they navigate their entry into Canada. Convention Refugees arriving in Canada are supported by Government and Private Sponsorship groups, so they are helped with housing and supports to promote healthy integration. However, Refugee claimants (asylum seekers) do not receive these same supports and often have to find their own way through complex government systems and complicated resettlement pathways, so the organization supports in these areas. Journey Home Community’s mission is inspired by God’s love, and welcomes refugees into community by offering housing, settlement support, and relational care. They envision a society where all refugees experience hope and belonging as they engage in meaningful participation in their community and flourish in all aspects 4
...fresh ways of looking at God’s global mission
of life. The organization officially began to operate in 2005. At its start, Journey Home Community basically ran as a “family business”. They had a very low budget, were mostly funded by the donations of a few committed volunteers, and their “board” consisted of three people; but even with these humble beginnings, they were already assisting four refugee families in the best way they could. In the years since, the organization transitioned from that smaller but important mission of reaching a few refugee claimant families with the love of Jesus, into a broader and expanded vision of meeting the needs of hundreds of refugees who are claiming asylum in Canada each year. They now help between 12 to 16 new families per year with transitional housing (apartment suites in Burnaby and New Westminster), and have supported over 40 additional families with resettlement assistance and their moves to more permanent housing. Journey Home Community also has numerous volunteer teams who come alongside families and provide the relational support so necessary at this point in their journey. As part of their vision to see a society where all refugees experience hope and belonging as they engage in meaningful participation in their community and flourish in all aspects of life, James and Brad of the Journey Home Community were excited to visit Calgary to introduce their Refugee Claimant Sponsorship Program to those in the city. Since there are many more refugee claimant families arriving in Canada than Journey Home Community is able to assist with, the Refugee
Refugee Claimants:
A Hidden Population on the Church’s The arrival of asylum seekers increased significantly across Doorstep Canada and Alberta in 2017. Faith groups play a significant role in helping refugees settle into Canada. Join us for a morning of discovering how Journey Home Community is partnering with churches in Metro Vancouver to extend support and care to this hidden refugee claimant population. Learn how this model may be applied to the Calgary context. Presenters: Brad Kinnie & James Grunau, Journey Home Dr. James Cresswell, Ambrose University Saturday, April 21, 2018 9:00 am - 12:00 Noon Location: Ambrose University Cost: Free For more information and to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/refugee-claimantsa-hidden-population-on-the-churchsdoorstep-tickets-43679331055
A Jaffray Cultural Fluency Initiative
Claimant Sponsorship Program was developed to train and equip churches and groups to extend a welcoming hand and practical support to those who need it most. Journey Home provides the training and tools needed for successful resettlement of a refugee claimant family, and asks the sponsors to commit to welcoming a family by assisting with housing, orientation, and inclusion in their community. They believe that together, we can help refugee claimant families experience a warm welcome in Canada. To learn more about Journey Home visit www.journeyhomecommunity.ca
JAFFRAY CENTRE PERSPECTIVES
The New Canadian Friendship Centre - Katherine Milumherine Milum The New Canadian Friendship Centre (NCFC) is a ministry of Centre Street Church which provides services for immigrants to Calgary regardless of immigration status. Recently we have had increasing numbers of Refugee Claimants come through our doors seeking help — people who are not immediately eligible for government funded ESL and other immigrant support services. We are able to meet some of their unique needs through registered classroom ESL instruction, as well as drop in ESL Conversation Classes (up to 4 times a week), each with childcare for preschool children during morning programs. The NCFC also provides vital social networks and community support for Refugee Claimants as they are welcomed into the Centre by volunteers who know their names, attempt to greet them in their first language, and often give them a hug. As they interact and become friends with volunteers and others from around the world though ESL, baking, knitting, exercise, and other classes they find a place of acceptance and belonging, and with that comes courage and hope. The Jaffray Centre’s recent workshop with Journey Home on Refugee Claimants gave me a greater understanding of the complex and difficult process Refugee Claimants encounter as they come to Canada, and how not just NCFC as an organization, but the church as the body of Christ can respond to their needs. Through connections made at the workshop, we have been able to better resource and work with other groups to help the families that come to us, and to provide specific training to our volunteers. We were also inspired to invite our Refugee Claimant students to a lunch where we listened to their stories, and heard from them what they needed most. Participating in this workshop was an important step in helping us identify and respond to the unique needs of Refugee Claimants who come to NCFC. u Katharine Milum is the director of the New Canadian Frienship Centre in Calgary, AB. You can learn more about their ministry at ncfcentre.com
Background Info on Refugees There are three ways for refugees to come to Canada: Government sponsored – about 7,500 annually, Privately sponsored – about 16,000 in 2017, and Refugees claiming asylum – about 50,000 in 2017.
What is a Refugee Claimant? A refugee claimant arriving in Canada claims protection at a port of entry or at a Canada Immigration Centre. This person is defined as someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country because of a fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership in a particular social group.
...fresh ways of looking at God’s global mission
2018/2019
The academic year marks the ten year anniversary of the Jaffray Centre at Ambrose University! In the next edition of Perspectives, we are excited to be looking back at some of the great initiatives which the Jaffray Centre has been a part of over the past decade. We invite you to join us in January for a stroll down memory lane.
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Towards an Intercultural Mosaic of Worship & Prayer – Jordan Abbott In June, as an assignment for a seminary course, I organized a worship event at Encompass Partnerships in Calgary called, Mosaic: An evening of worship, prayer and intercultural exchange. The vision of the event was to draw people together from a wide variety of backgrounds in order to bring increased unity to the Church. The evening included a time of teaching and dialogue, as well as an experiential time of worship which included music, prayer and scripture reading reflecting four culturally distinct forms of worship. Each aspect of the event was led by people from different cultural backgrounds. Throughout the evening a spirit of observation, learning and acceptance of cultural differences was fostered as we worked toward creating unity while embracing our diversity. In my previous career as a structural engineer, I was privileged to work on a number of signature bridges in Alberta. Now over 4 years into my career in pastoral ministry, God has shown me that “bridge building” is indeed part of his call on my life. Bridges require careful planning and research as well as attention to design and detail. If they are designed and built right, they become integral pathways, which connect things that previously stood apart. As I worked towards detailing and defining this ministry project I kept in mind this image of building a bridge.
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As I have observed other churches and interacted with peers in ministry, I have come to see that the demographic of our churches in Calgary, particularly in the C&MA, is tracking with the changing ethno-cultural landscape of Canada. Multiculturalism is a badge that Canada wears with honour, and the Church is certainly a multicultural institution at its core. Therefore, it seems fit to me that the Church must take steps towards growing, learning and leading the way in bringing down the barriers that can quickly arise in a multicultural society. The multicultural landscape of our country is most often linked to the church’s missional and evangelistic ministries under the somewhat simplistic banner, “the nations are at our doorstep – let’s reach them with the gospel.” But imagine if you will that, by God’s grace, you are able to lead your Iranian neighbor or Nigerian co-worker to faith in Jesus Christ. Naturally, you might invite them to your church. What happens next? Will they be able to engage with and understand the corporate worship expressions? If English is their second, third or fourth language, will
they track with the sermon? Will they wonder why we bow our heads and close our eyes when we pray? Will they find our dress and mannerisms completely irreverent? In concert with our missional outreach to the growing immigrant community, we must also consider our theology of corporate worship and prayer. Do they facilitate an encounter with God for those of a different cultural and linguistic background? If not, how will we learn to grow? The Church must learn to cross this divide and become bridge builders. Over 50 people attended this worship event, and many of them were pushed beyond their comfort zone and out of their familiar forms of worship and prayer. But by enduring through difficulty and confusion, we can increase our understanding of other cultures and in doing so we move towards unity. As shown throughout the Bible, God’s heart has always been unity in the presence of diversity. u Jordan Abbott is working on his Master of Arts in Intercultural Ministry at Ambrose.
JAFFRAY CENTRE PERSPECTIVES
Friends of Jaffray – Kristi Hopf Sometimes the lessons I learn in the desert seem more poignant when I am living in Canada. The difference between a “be” (relational) society versus a “do” (product-driven) society has been the biggest cultural difference that has impacted me since my return to Canada last year. In many ways, when I live in Niger I struggle against this aspect of a more relational society. I am trying to live in and honour their culture, yet I am still driven by the productivity aspect of my culture. When I look at a calendar year I realize that between rainy seasons and harvest, I only have six months in which to teach or do projects, and three of those months are in hot season with one month where temperatures soar to +45 and higher! Sometimes projects take the back burner to relationships; weddings, funerals and babynaming ceremonies take precedence. Sometimes life happens beyond our control. For example, one year, elections spanning a two-month period effectively wiped out my ability to travel. One day, I was held at the military post on the edge of town for 2.5 hours and never received permission to head to the village. I turned around discouraged, knowing that everyone was waiting for me and that I would now be delayed another week before I could try again. I try to hold my plans with open hands – and I think I have made great strides towards this – but, I am still a product of my own culture and I hold onto my drive to show results much more tightly than I ought.
“Living in the village and my home being filled with people day and night — I miss having relationships take priority over doing and being busy.” Kristi Hopf
Despite all this, when I return home to Canada the part of my soul that struggled against this cultural difference while in Niger now misses that very element. I’ve developed a seeming love/hate relationship with the focus on ‘being’ and now I miss the relational aspect of life. Living in the village and my home being filled with people day and night — I miss having relationships take priority over doing and being busy. In all of this, I think of the Gospel story of Mary and Martha. I think that the aspect of having a “Mary-spirit” in my spiritual relationship should extend into having a “Mary-spirit” in my life and ministry so I would learn to sit and just be with my friends even more. In the end although I have learned to live in both cultures, I do neither particularly well. But as I return to Niger I pray that I will be even more stripped of my culture and embrace theirs; that I will be less concerned about projects and “producing”. Perhaps maybe not “less concerned”, but certainly less ambitious in what I want to tackle in the few months of teaching time. I want to learn to hold things with open hands and be less busy. To live without stress that things aren’t being done, so that I can be more open to relationships and that of life which is so important to them—to empty myself of even more of “me”.
Kristi Hopf is an international worker with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. She has spent the past ten years working with the Fulani people in Niger. After starting her degree in 2005, Kristi graduated from Ambrose Seminary with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Ministry in 2018.
For in the end, as important as physical hunger and suffering is, is it not much more important that my friends eat of Christ and hunger no more rather than new planting methods of bread for today? u
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Ambrose and Missions Dan and Melodie Ibsen
As we began to wind down our 31 year career in Guinea to return to Canada for retirement, we got a call from our mission leadership asking us if we would consider coming to Ambrose to be the International Workers in Residence (IWIR). We had almost no idea of what that might involve. We wondered how we could relate in a university setting to students from a culture that was completely foreign to us. Our initial response was “No WAY!” We can’t and really don’t want to do that. But after prayerful consideration we felt we should say yes. We have thoroughly enjoyed our first year in this role and have agreed to continue for a second year here at Ambrose. The IWIR role was created to bring a fresh missions perspective to the Ambrose campus. We teach missions courses in the ministry school and seminary. One of our favorite activities has been the one-on-one mentoring opportunities with students, being a sounding board for them as they explore God’s calling and direction for their lives. We had the opportunity to have most of the 30+ students who are majoring or minoring in intercultural studies in our home for a meal where we could hear their story, see their passion for God and His work, and share from our story things that might encourage and help them. We also work with the “REACH” club that seeks to bring a missions focus on campus. Each month this club hosts a dinner and conversation with people engaged in cross-cultural ministry. Students hear about what God is doing in various parts of the globe and interact with people who are engaged in missions. REACH also hosts a weekly prayer time for the nations and promotes missions through 3 chapel service during the school year. During the winter term in January of 2019, we have the privilege of leading a group of 9 students on a travel study
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ABOUT
Students have challenged us, taught us and helped us to see that God is still raising up a generation to further His kingdom. program to West Africa. We will explore how the church develops from nothing to a mature body of believers in that context. Students will interact with IWs (International Workers) who are starting their ministry in Senegal. They will learn from them about the challenges of pioneering a new work and ministry. Then they will have the opportunity to join us in Guinea to celebrate the centennial of mission effort in that country. They will see the fruit of 100 years of God’s work in that country — a church of over 80,000 believers that is reaching out in mission to the unreached peoples of that nation. We look forward to leading the students from Ambrose as they encounter missions from beginning to end. We are glad we said “yes” to our leadership when they challenged us to become IWIRs here at Ambrose. The faculty has been so receptive and helpful. Students have challenged us, taught us and helped us to see that God is still raising up a generation to further His kingdom. u
We often refer to the Jaffray Centre as a combination incubator/greenhouse where new ideas, collaborative initiatives, and fresh ways of looking at God’s global mission are nurtured, developed and then launched into service in the church and in the world. Each of the four hubs (Research Projects and Publishing; Educations, Training and Global Awareness; Global projects and partnerships; and Church in Mission Events and Services) houses the different initiatives we’re working on, and we’re always adding more. The Jaffray Centre is made up of people like you and me who want to engage the world around them in new and meaningful ways. Through collaborative project development, training, and research projects, the Jaffray Centre seeks to rekindle and ignite a passion for God’s unending concern for people. Interested in any of our current initiatives or have ideas for new ones? We’d love to hear from you. Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University jaffray@ambrose.edu jaffrayglobal.com 403-410-2000
JAFFRAY CENTRE PERSPECTIVES