Mosaic Spring 2019

Spring 2019 A publication of Canadian Baptist Ministries

Build Churc

Embrace What You Believe

Spring 2019

cover & inside cover photos: Gordon Brew

BUILD THE CHURCH

contents

EMBRACING LOVE BANISHES FEAR This issue of Mosaic is the second in a multi-part series that features the foundational causes that anchor CBM’s ministries around the world.

4 Joining the Work of God: A Call to Share the Good News 3 Terry Talks: God’s Design for Mission

POVERTY

d the ch

10 More Than Just a Name: A Church Stands in Solidarity with the Mi’kmaq Community

BUILD THE CHURCH

12 Just Think: A Letter to the Church

JUSTICE

14 A Holistic Approach to Mission: Equipping Churches in Latin America

KIDS AT RISK

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t’s Sunday morning. Children scurry up the makeshift wooden steps of their rural church in Assam, a northeastern province of India. The service at Bortamuli Baptist Church is about to begin.

Like many of the surrounding homes, the church is fortified with a zinc roof and elevated on stilts to protect against flooding (cover photo and above). Located in the northeastern part of the country, this region is prone to destructive monsoon rains.

Many families in this community are from the Mising tribe, an indigenous group that depends on subsistence farming to survive. Heavy floods often damage their crops and livelihoods. Through a new partnership in the area, CBM is working alongside local congregations to provide alternative sources of income. See page 16 to learn more.

16 Weaving a New Story: A Photo Essay 18 Bearing Fruit in the Arab World: The Ministry of Arab Baptist Theological Seminary 21 Engaging Generation Z: A Conversation on Discipling Baptist Youth

7185 Millcreek Drive Mississauga, ON l5n 5r4 Tel: 905.821.3533 mosaic@cbmin.org www.cbmin.org Mosaic is a community forum of local and global voices united by a shared mission.

Mosaic will serve as a catalyst to stimulate and encourage passionate discipleship among Canadian Baptists and their partners.

Mosaic is published three times a year by Canadian Baptist Ministries. Copies are distributed free of charge. Bulk quantities available by request.

Managing Editor Jennifer Lau Editor Nicolette Beharie Art Director Gordon Brew

terry talks

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God’s Design for Mission H

eather and I love walking the Mimico footpath on the shores of Lake Ontario. Like ducks on the water, our conversations skim over highlights of our day, our children, the cadence of changing sunlight, our retirement, funny stories about our relatives (only hers, of course) and one of our favourite questions: What has been our very best time in ministry – ever? With all due respect to my esteemed CBM colleagues and our current local church, we always say that it was when we were church planting in downtown Paris in the 1990s.

We were younger and more energetic, for sure. We had vision and a sense of élan or momentum in our action. We were also very naive about urban poverty, missional ecclesiology and church leadership.

None of our formal theological education had equipped us to face this daunting challenge. Back then, in Francophone Europe, we couldn’t find any textbooks about church planting or gurus on the subject. But we had a few sharp arrows in our quiver: (1) a solid team of close friends who formed together a spiritual community of radical discipleship (2) a handful of local church-planting models – some good and a few bad (3) a well-honed knowledge of our neighbourhood, and (4) an unwavering belief that God’s design for mission took on the shape of small, local churches where his people could live out their calling through faithful presence and witness.

For nearly eight years, we shared our faith, love, family and home with a small handful of brothers and sisters and that local church took shape. And it grew, just as we all did. All that time – while we believed that we were building the church – the truth is that God was building us through the church. Building the church was not our calling, but God’s. It took us a while to learn that the church wasn’t the goal of mission as much a God’s means to accomplish his mission in our community. I like how Tim Dearborn says it in Beyond Duty: A Passion for Christ, a Heart for Mission: “It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, but the God of mission who has a church in the world.” The church’s involvement in mission is its privileged participation in the actions of the triune God.

Our little church in Paris never grew big, but it did grow deep. And its impact for God’s kingdom grew wider and wider. It forged an identity in the community that helped make it a very special place within our urban landscape.

More than 50 years ago, A.W. Tozer noted, “It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God.” So many of our Western models of church planting and church growth have centred on creating attractional spaces for seekers, slick programs for kids and youth, multigenerational models of worship, expensive latte machines and the niftiest preaching around. But there is often a vacuum for divine mystery. Is God in this place? When it comes to building the Church, Jesus told his disciples that this was his job: “… I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

(Matthew 16:18) In this issue of Mosaic, you will walk with Jonathan Wilson once again as he exposits the local church. You will learn how a practical theological program is training lay leaders for the church in Latin America. You will hear how a local church in Halifax is coming to grips with its past and its very name. And you will meet a very insightful younger leader, Julia Rhyno, who asks our churches to rethink their priorities if they really care about reaching millennials.

So, let me turn the opening question back to you. What has been your very best time in ministry? And if you are like Heather and me, I’d venture to say that it was when God showed up through his people and he built his church. Sometimes, through us. Oftentimes, with us. Occasionally, in spite of us.

Terry Smith CBM Executive Director

photo: Johnny Lam

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Joining the Work of God A CALL TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS

by Jonathan R. Wilson

In

one of my favourite Peanuts comic strips, Sally, Charlie Brown’s sister, is sitting at a desk with a blank sheet of paper with the heading, “Church History Exam.”

In the next frame she begins to write, “When thinking about the church, it’s important to start at the beginning.” In the last frame she continues her answer, “Our pastor was born in ....”

blessed. So it is through Jesus the Messiah that God calls into being a new people – the Church – through whom the good news is declared to all creation.

Genesis 1 teaches us that the Creator is life-giving, world-ordering, ever-faithful love as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (This is the loving, relational life that is without beginning or end, that we only come to When did the Church begin? Many of us would say at Pentecost, know through Jesus Christ.) Genesis 12 teaches us that this God will when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples who were gathered not let creation and human creatures go on their way to death and in one place. That’s a good answer; it’s one that I destruction. The God of Abraham (and Isaac and have taught and it’s right in many ways.

Jacob) renews the blessing that God bestowed on The “story” of the us in the beginning. Exodus teaches us that God In this article, however, I invite you to consider acts in the midst of human history to accomplish Church is the story of another beginning point for “the Church.” If we God’s purposes. The “Word made flesh” think of the Church as the people whom God God’s work – Father, teaches us that God loves, redeems, blesses and calls together in order to carry out God’s work in Son and Spirit – from commissions in our midst – not from a distance. the world, then the roots of the Church go back to Genesis 1. There, God makes humankind and blesses us by giving us work to do in God’s good world – creation.

beginning to end.

God renews this blessing after the Fall, when God calls Abram (later Abraham and Sarah) to carry out God’s mission – to make of Abraham a people through whom God will bless all the peoples of the earth. (Genesis 12:1-3) God makes Abraham’s descendants into a people by freeing them from Egypt and bringing them to a land from which they may bless the nations (Exodus). Tragically, they mistake God’s blessing as something for themselves alone. Their disobedience and idolatry bring God’s judgment.

Our God, however, is sovereign and loving. God fulfils his intentions for humans and all creation in Jesus Christ: the good news that through Abraham’s descendants, the people of Israel, the Messiah has come. Through him all the nations – the “Gentiles” – are also

Today, God continues to work through a people who love and relate and bless and fulfil God’s commission in the midst of God’s creation – a world captive to sin and death, in rebellion against God and warring against one another, alienated from God’s love and ignorant of the one way to life.

WHO is building the Church?

The “story” of the Church is the story of God’s work – Father, Son and Spirit – from beginning to end. As the people whom God has created to carry out God’s work in the world, the Church receives life as a gift, joins what God is already doing in the world, and then extends that work as a blessing to all the peoples of the earth: life, love, good work, and a glory and delight to our Creator and Redeemer.

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“People of God” means that through God’s work the Church has an identity that is larger, more inclusive than all other identity markers: nation, class, race, language, sex.

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WHAT are the Father, Son and Spirit building?

In his classic, Images of the Church in the New Testament, Paul Minear identifies 96 “images” that the New Testament (NT) authors use for the Church. Happily, he identifies a number of “minor” images, then groups the rest under four master images: people of God, new creation, fellowship in faith and body of Christ.

Image #1: People of God The Father, Son and Spirit are building the Church as the people of God. This language of peoplehood establishes a continuity between Israel and the Church.

This helps us understand that God is building the Church as a people who are united across space and time in a primary identity that absorbs and transforms all other identities. “People of God” means that through God’s work the Church has an identity that is larger, more inclusive than all other identity markers: nation, class, race, language, sex.

When we join God in building the Church as people of God, we must recognize that our partnerships in our mission to build the Church are partnerships in Christ.

That means that we are not primarily “Canadians” partnering with “Kenyans” or “Bolivians” or “Chinese” or any identity marker other than our primary identity as people of God. (I have emphasized “primary” because we are naive if we think that we shed any of our other identity markers. Indeed, as we will see next, in Christ our “differences” become another way that we are the Church.)

To be the people of God means that the Church is not subordinate to another marker of “peoplehood” like nation, class, language or race. Too often, the Church has descended into being a servant of one of these. The images that cluster under the image of people of God bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ: in Christ all these differences are brought into unity – not uniformity. To see how this is the case, let us turn to the next master image.

Image #2: New Creation The Father, Son and Spirit are building the Church as new creation. In the broken creation, we are captive to the lie that life is a zero-sum game in which differences are threats. But in new creation through Christ, God brings all things into the peace, the wholeness, that God intends for the world that he creates. (Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:19-20).

And the Church is the first sign of this new creation. In the Church, our differences and diversity become gifts of the Spirit that are sources of strength for one another. Where we are weak, others will be strong. Where we are strong, others will be weak. Together, we can build up the Church.

In the Church, our differences and diversity become gifts of the Spirit that are sources of strength for one another.

Since the Father, Son and Spirit are building the Church as new creation, when we join God in building the Church we must be intentional about making the Church a sign of new creation. This means that we place a priority on making visible the ways that our differences strengthen one another. We don’t take this visibility for granted or presume that it “just happens.” We are explicit and intentional about how we are building the Church as new creation.

Since the Church is sign of new creation, we also commit ourselves to bearing witness to God’s healing for all creation. The gospel is not just the good news that persons are being made new; it is also the good news that communities and all things in creation are being reconciled to God through Christ and being made new in Christ.

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Guided by this conviction, we practise peace-building. We learn deeper practices of healing (beyond “reconciliation”) in partnership with First Nations followers of Jesus Christ. We deepen our understanding of the reconciliation of all things as we embrace “marketplace ministries” and “marketplace transformation.” And we integrate the celebration of creation as God’s gift and care for this gift in all that we do.

Image #3: Fellowship in Faith The Father, Son and Spirit are also building the Church as fellowship in faith. Following Minear’s more detailed exposition of this third “master image,” I will develop this as the “fellowship” or “household” of those who are believing. This more precise meaning of faith represents the active practice of faith. “Faith” is the way of being and living that reflects – and is reflected in – the life of a community.

This fellowship of those who are believing is gathered, sustained and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

This fellowship of those who are believing is gathered, sustained and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This work of the Holy Spirit in the Church has two main streams. The first stream guides and sustains our confession of the faith, in which we confess “one, holy, catholic, apostolic church.” This language does not have to be recited as part of a creed to be helpful to us.

To confess that the Church is “one” is not to assert the foolish claim that the Church is organizationally one; rather, to confess that the Church is one is to acknowledge that the Spirit gathers a people for one purpose: to bless all people by bearing witness to the good news of God’s peace through the blood of Christ shed on his cross, and by inviting all people into that peace.

To confess that the Church is “holy” is not a claim to perfection, nor is it “a prideful assertion that we are better than others or more lovable or worthy of God’s praise.” 1 Rather, to confess that the Church is holy is to testify to our participation in the kingdom of God and the future destiny of all creation in the full reality of that kingdom. For this the Spirit sets us apart.

To confess that the Church is “catholic” is not to align us with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope); rather, to confess that the Church is catholic is to “bear witness to the openness of every culture to God’s redemptive work, which converts culture to a means of living in the kingdom.” 2 To confess that the Church is “apostolic” is not to establish the office of “Apostle” as some super role in the Church; rather, to

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confess that the Church is “apostolic” is to commit ourselves (1) to “the apostle’s teaching,” which we have today in Scripture, and (2) to “the apostolic mission,” which is witness to Jesus Christ.

In addition to guiding and sustaining our confession of faith, the Spirit equips and empowers us as the “fellowship of those who are believing.” Our thoughts may immediately turn at this point to Paul’s language about the Church as the body of Christ. We will consider that image next. But here, under the image of “fellowship in faith,” another set of images illuminates the building up of the Church. We will consider two: the disciple community and the household of faith.

The Holy Spirit gathers the Church as the disciple community for a very clear and compelling mission: to bear witness to and fulfil the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. This mission requires that we be discipled. Most of us have at some point engaged in a purposeful activity that requires discipline: playing a sport, cooking, singing in a choir. We know that the fulfilment of the purpose of that activity requires discipline. The same is true of the Church as the fellowship of those who are believing: we must be purposeful and disciplined in our practices. But in our society, even inside the Church, we may interpret “discipleship” as an intrusion on our individual freedom or as an arbitrary exercise of power. We need to be a fellowship in faith who know that we are called to a mission, for a purpose, that requires discipline – costly discipline because we live in an age that rebels against discipline.

The Holy Spirit also gathers the Church as the household of faith and gives to that household a way of life – an economy – in which the power of the Holy Spirit nourishes the common life of the household so that all may flourish. The “household” is the NT analogue to the “family” – with a difference. As the Holy Spirit called people to faith and united them across all natural barriers, the language of family expanded in the NT to become the language – and the practice – of “household.” Here, people who had no “natural” kinship recognized their deeper kinship in the Spirit. And in this household they practise a new economy – the economy of the Spirit that promises and gives abundant life in which death is not the final word.

Both Christian and pagan literature attest to the generosity of the household economy of the early Church as they gave up their lives for the sick and dying, the widow, the orphan, the poor – even those who were not part of the “household of faith.” If “God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8) then the fellowship in faith is called to do the same.

Recognizing that God builds the Church as fellowship in faith, we must continually re-learn what it means for the Church to be a disciple community. Perhaps Canadian Baptists, through CBM, may offer strengths in leadership development and theological education, but our partners may sometimes be ahead of us in the practice of discipleship. We may build them up by providing the vision and teaching necessary to sustaining discipleship; they may build us up by their sacrificial practices of following Jesus day by day.

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Image #4: Body of Christ Finally, as far as NT images are concerned, God builds the Church as the body of Christ. Although this image occurs only in the letters of Paul, it gathers up all the other images and deepens and extends their meaning and significance. In his letters, Paul uses this image in different ways. Thus, “the body of Christ” does not have one static meaning; rather, it is a way of seeing that illuminates different realities of the life of the Church.

We are familiar with some of the ways that the body of Christ illuminates the life and mission of the Church: the oneness of “the body”; the diversity of “members” and gifts; the exhortation to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:1-16) Here, I invite you to explore a different, relatively neglected, reality of the Church that the “body of Christ” illuminates: as the body of Christ, we live in such a way of discipleship that we bear witness to the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s letters are filled with the recognition that as followers of Christ, we will suffer: “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11) What Christ made known in his body, we now make known as the body of Christ. We must be careful to recognize that our bodily life is not the incarnation of one who is “fully human, fully divine.” It is his suffering and death and his resurrection in which we participate and to which we bear witness. We can be faithful to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission only by being the body of Christ today.

As we join God in building the Church as the body of Christ, we do not discern our call to participation in God’s mission by calculating the suffering that we may be part of. On the contrary, we must continually commit ourselves to recognizing

When we embrace a broken world with the healing reality of Christ, we must expect and also embrace the suffering that comes to us as the body of Christ.

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that we join Christ and bear witness to his good news when we join our life in Christ as part of the body of Christ to those who have suffered or are suffering. When we embrace a broken world with the healing reality of Christ, we must expect and also embrace the suffering that comes to us as the body of Christ.

It’s taken quite a few words to explore what the Father, Son and Spirit are building when they build the Church and when we join with that work. Now, we can consider some other questions more briefly, since the answers to the what question leads directly to answers to these other questions. In fact, I hope that you could do a fairly good job of answering the next set of questions on your own or with a mission group.

WHY is the One God – Father, Son and Spirit – building the Church and WHY should we join with God? The answer to why moves in two directions: one asks for cause or motive, the other asks for purpose. God is not caused to act or motivated by anything external to God, otherwise God would be under the control of some other power. So we say that the sole motive or ground for God to build the Church is God’s love for God’s broken world that simply is who God is. The Church is the first sign, the down payment, the guarantee of God’s healing of all creation. We, followers of Jesus the Messiah, want to get in on this joyful, courageous work, and so we build the church.

God’s purpose in building the Church is to prepare a people to spend eternity with God in a new creation, where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) In this new creation, members of every tribe and language and people and nation will gather to sing everlasting praise to the One who is worthy. (Revelation 5:9) We want to get in on this hopeful, glorious work, and so we build the Church.

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WHERE is God building the Church?

God is building the Church all around the world in places that are visible to us and in places where we cannot see. There are stories of God building the Church in places where it would become dangerous for the Church if those stories were public. Today, there is no one geographical centre for the Church. In the beginning of the Church, Jesus proclaimed, “ ... you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Now, the Church is spread throughout the earth and God is building it.

Finally, we need to recognize that just as the “Word became flesh” in one human being, so today that message – the Message – becomes flesh in the visible, real, public lives of God’s people: the “Church” exists, lives and bears witness as local congregations.

The “what” of the Church – the people of God, the new creation, the fellowship in faith and the body of Christ – exists only through the life of local congregations. These local congregations may join together to bear witness and build the Church in ways that they cannot do on their own. But the basis and goal of all that work is the strengthening of local congregations.

Jonathan R. Wilson, Why Church Matters: Worship, Ministry, and Mission in Practice (Michigan: Brazos Press, 2006), 124.

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Wilson, Why Church Matters, 125.

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Finally, we need to recognize that … the “Church” exists, lives and bears witness as local congregations.

HOW does God build the Church?

I once heard John Stott retitle the Acts of the Apostles as “The Acts of the Risen Christ through the Power of the Holy Spirit in the Church.” That still seems to me to be a good description of how God builds the Church. The basis is the resurrection of Christ. The pattern is Christ’s suffering and victorious love. The power is the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The expression of that power is through the members of the body of Christ, our roles and offices.

By God’s grace and mercy, this is how we join with God to build the Church. And it is a great joy to do so in Canada and around the world on mission as the people of God, who are the sign of new creation, a fellowship in faith and the body of Christ.

Jonathan R. Wilson is Senior Associate for Theological Integration with CBM and Teaching Fellow at Regent College. For further reading, he recommends his book, Why Church Matters; Mission Between the Times by C. René Padilla; The Community of the King by Howard A. Snyder; Faithful Presence by David E. Fitch, and the associated website, sevenpractices.org.

More Than Just a Name A C H U R C H S TA N D S I N SOLIDARITY WITH THE MI’KMAQ COMMUNITY

by Nicolette Beharie

[above] Dr. Rhonda Britton became the first female pastor in 175 years to serve at the former Cornwallis Street Baptist Church in Halifax when she assumed the role in 2007.

photos: Amy Holloway Photography

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hen historic Cornwallis Street Baptist Church in Halifax, N.S., decided to change its name last year, it didn’t go unnoticed.

Now called New Horizons Baptist Church, images of the iconic clapboard building with arched windows flashed across television screens, appeared in local newspapers and sparked discussions on social media. The message was clear: the church was taking a bold stance against injustice by severing ties with the street’s controversial name.

Located on the west side of Cornwallis Street, the predominately AfricanCanadian church was named for its geographical location. Like other public sites across the city – such as parks, schools, monuments and rivers – the street itself was named in honour of Edward Cornwallis, the British military officer who founded Halifax in 1749. But in recent years, Cornwallis’ legacy has been the subject of heated debates across the city. While some laud him as a public hero, others say he is responsible for a form of genocide against the Mi’kmaq people.

Four months prior to the church’s announcement, a statue of Cornwallis was removed from a Halifax park after years of advocacy to take it down.

“The intent of the name change is to identify ourselves by a name that better reflects the church’s values with an eye to the church’s work in the future,” Dr. Rhonda Britton, Senior Pastor of New Horizons, shared in a press release. “The change also supports our First Nations sisters and brothers in their continued efforts to educate the public regarding the violence and mistreatment they have endured.”

When Dr. Britton began working at the church in 2007, she met with Dr. Daniel Paul, a Mi’kmaq elder and author at the forefront of a growing movement to remove Cornwallis’ name from city monuments. At the time, he was circulating a petition to change the name of Cornwallis Street. Along with another colleague, he told Dr. Britton about the atrocities faced by Indigenous people under Cornwallis’

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authority. In the same year he founded Halifax, Cornwallis issued a monetary reward for Mi’kmaq scalps. This incentive spurred brutal attacks on Mi’kmaq villages, claiming the lives of men, women and children.

a different way outside these walls. I think it’s a great testament to what we are supposed to be in the kingdom, and it’s a reminder that the kingdom is every nation, tongue, tribe and people. We have to exemplify that every day.”

“I had never heard of Cornwallis,” admits Dr. Britton, a Floridanative who was new to Nova Scotia at the time. But after learning the history, the church agreed to sign the petition to change the name of the street. If approved, congregants knew they would have to consider a name change as well. “We were fine with that,” says Dr. Britton. “But the city never changed the name of the street.”

Through an annual service to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the church works to promote racial unity within their neighbourhood. Local leaders, including the mayor and the city’s police chief, have attended the popular service. In recent years, uniformed police officers have also participated in the church’s choir to show their solidarity and support.

Although they couldn’t control the outcome from the city, members of the church still wanted to show their support for the Mi’kmaq community. After careful consideration and discussion, the congregation voted in favour of changing its long-held name and began the journey towards redefining the church’s ministry. “[The congregation] recognized that in cases of oppression, we have this in common with our First Nations brothers and sisters,” says Dr. Britton. “We can’t change what happened in the past, but we can decide what we want to celebrate in history.”

Established in 1832, the church was founded by Rev. Richard Preston, the son of a slave who came to Nova Scotia from Virginia.

Originally known as the African Baptist Church, it provided an alternative place of worship for African-Canadians facing restrictions and discrimination in other churches. About 60 years later, the church was incorporated as Cornwallis Street Baptist Church after a renovation brought the building closer to the street.

Under this name, the church later became the place of worship for Viola Desmond, a Canadian businesswoman who challenged racial segregation at a Nova Scotian theatre in 1946. Often compared to Rosa Parks, a U.S. civil rights activist in the 1950s, Viola was recently commemorated on $10 Canadian banknotes.

“Our church was founded out of racism, so the people who decided to step out and start their own church were doing a new thing.

They had a new vision for who they could be as people working in the kingdom of God. For them, this was a new horizon,” Dr. Britton explained in an interview with Global News Halifax. “So we kind of picked up on that [unknowingly]. God still has a lot more work for us to do.”

Today, New Horizons is a thriving body of believers that is known for its community involvement. As an urban church located near public housing, congregants help provide essentials like food and clothing to those in need. They also lead community outreach events, organize rallies, and partner with city agencies to address poverty, violence and social injustice in the area.

For Dr. Britton, building the church starts within the hearts of its people. “It’s part of our call to be a people who are reconciled, forgiving and forbearing. That has to be modelled in the church,” says Dr. Britton. “You can’t be one way inside these walls and be

As pastor of the church for the past 12 years, Dr. Britton has partnered with Mi’kmaq leaders on various community initiatives.

Through these interactions, she became more aware of how the name of the church was affecting its witness to the community.

“We would be talking about justice, but we bore the name of one who oppressed our brothers and sisters,” Dr. Britton remembers.

“And even though we were named after the street, not the person, that hardly matters to people who have been harmed.”

“When we do something like this, it exemplifies to the world that we are not just talkers.”

When the church first announced its new name to the public, it prompted an outpouring of appreciation from members of the Mi’kmaq community. Dr. Britton received calls, emails and letters from people who were touched by the church’s efforts to promote healing and reconciliation.

“I think people recognize that it wasn’t just a name change. It was a very solid part of our history. We had been known by that name since 1892. It is very much a testament to our growth,” the pastor explains. “When we do something like this, it exemplifies to the world that we are not just talkers.”

Mi’kmaq Elder Dr. Paul was thrilled to learn of the church’s decision: “I salute my brothers and sisters in the Black community for making my day and travelling in fellowship with our people.”

Although the church’s street address remains the same, a sign outside that reads “New Horizons Baptist Church” is evidence that the work of building the church has started from the inside out. Now, the congregation is ready to take on its next challenge: constructing a new church building.

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A Lett er

TO THE CHURCH

I grew up in church. Attending Sunday worship, weekly activities and worshipping with other believers was an important part of my life. I honestly wish that I was still as in love with church as I was as a child.

Everything changed when I entered my teens and started searching for my role. I wanted to contribute to the community I was connected to and to give back. Unfortunately, the more I got involved, the more I felt disconnected. I had less of a voice, my opinion didn’t matter and I was only important when contributing something specific.

Now, in my 20s, I constantly face these questions: Why am I still going to church? Am I seen as a real person? Is my participation valued? As a pastor’s daughter, I have attended and been involved in a variety of churches. The pattern I have witnessed is that the younger generation should be seen and not heard. Sure, sometimes you humour us with fun activities and events, but when it comes to the core of what the church is doing, we are often shut down and dismissed. Feeling this way inspired me to write this letter.

I see a large number of churches pouring all their time, energy and finances into preserving their buildings and the memories and traditions that come with them. Churches are raising funds for the latest technology and sound systems. Congregations are going into debt or pushing huge fundraisers to expand or construct buildings with the best features and lots of space for better “ministry and outreach.” What really bothers me is when pastors and youth pastors are reduced to part-time or churches forego pastoral leadership to stay “afloat.”

I can honestly tell you that when I look for a church I do not care about the building. You could be in a traditional building or a new one. Maybe you are renting commercial space in the town centre.

I don’t care if you have the latest technology, gizmos and gadgets.

That is not what worship is about. I don’t stress over whether or not you play the latest music. I enjoy contemporary songs, but I also see the value in having a variety. These are not deciding factors.

I am searching for a community, a family, for people who honestly care about me. I’m looking for raw worship, where it is not about putting on the best show, but about coming together and humbly worshipping God. I’m looking for a community that has a great love for God and is devoted to loving all people – loving outside the inner group, beyond the “four walls” of Sunday morning.

What if we let go of all our material desires for the church? What would happen if we worshipped in a responsible, affordable manner?

What if we focused our fundraising abilities toward helping others?

Think about the thousands of dollars drained into mortgages, renovations, new buildings and technology that – let’s be honest –

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I’M LOOKING FOR RAW WORSHIP, WHERE IT IS NOT ABOUT PUTTING ON THE BEST SHOW, BUT ABOUT COMING TOGETHER AND HUMBLY WORSHIPPING GOD. I’M LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A GREAT LOVE FOR GOD AND IS DEVOTED TO LOVING ALL PEOPLE – LOVING OUTSIDE THE INNER GROUP, BEYOND THE “FOUR WALLS” OF SUNDAY MORNING. we could most likely do without. What if we sold the huge building that is only half full and rented a reasonable community space?

What if we integrated worship into the community instead of secluding ourselves? Imagine the impact we would make if all the money raised was dedicated to serving and helping those in need?

We need to let go of our desires for the church and realize God wants us to get outside our “four walls” and genuinely love people. What would happen if we let go and worshipped simply? Maybe people would see that our hearts are focused on more than just ourselves.

I believe that people see the church as an exclusive group, whose members think they are better than others and know better. A community who creates comfy clubhouses where they feel good about worshipping and never have to leave their comfort zone.

I want to see these barriers broken down. We should focus on feeding the hungry, providing for those in need, giving friendship to people who are alone, encouraging and inspiring young adults, assisting single parents and single individuals. We can show people the depth of God’s love, not by preaching, but through pure and humble actions.

Right now, I feel as though my voice isn’t heard. While I am not saying every church has these challenges, I feel that these issues apply to the church as a whole. You will probably read this letter and decide I am just another young “millennial” who doesn’t understand. Regardless, my heart tells me we should be doing more.

Sincerely,

Julia Rhyno Kingston, Nova Scotia

EDITOR’S NOTE:

This letter was presented to CBM earlier this year.

Printed with permission.

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A Holistic Approach to Mission EQUIPPING CHURCHES I N L AT I N A M E R I C A

by David Nacho

F

or some Christians, a church is a place to escape the world. Their understanding of the Church’s mission is akin to Noah’s ark: bringing lost souls in and holding them securely until one day they are taken to heaven. Was this God’s plan when he called a people to himself? Biblically understood, the Church is meant to be God’s agent of transformation. To live up to this calling faithfully, we must question our individualistic views of discipleship and learn how to see the whole of life with missional eyes.

As the Church is God’s agent of transformation, a missional understanding of discipleship is key.

A strong church is a mission-oriented church.

Christians, no matter where they are from, are called to engage others in love – sharing the gospel in both word and deed. This is called integral mission. In the mid-1980s a group of theologians and Christian professionals in Argentina created a ministry of theological education called CETI (a Spanish acronym for Community for Interdisciplinary Studies).

The central objective of CETI is to help build the Church holistically. CETI provides practical course material related to everyday life with family, church, society and work modules, rather than the traditional subjects offered by many theological education programs. CETI students come from various local congregations. They work through the modules using an interdisciplinary approach that draws on field work, biblical study, theological input and social analysis.

Recognizing CETI’s potential for missional discipleship, CBM has played a leading role in revamping and empowering its transformative ministry across Latin America over the last decade. As a result, CETI study circles have been established in Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba and several other countries, encompassing close to 500 students. CETI group facilitators invite students to participate in biblical discussions related to the contexts in which they serve. This collaborative approach invokes curiosity in participants and invites students to own what they’ve learned and hold one another accountable as to how it’s lived out.

As the Church is God’s agent of transformation, a missional understanding of discipleship is key. A strong church is a mission-oriented church. At CETI, Christian formation means helping students to establish connections between God’s good purposes (Ephesians 1) and everyday life, as they serve others through their local church. A missional understanding of discipleship can positively impact a church’s testimony to the wider community.

[top, right] CETI is a learning community of students, faculty and administrators.

Through practical courses, students learn to build bridges between their faith and everyday life.

A recent example comes to mind from Jesus the Good Shepherd Church in El Salvador.

While studying CETI’s work module, a group of students at the church decided to do something about the unemployment and underemployment within their community.

After prayer and discussion, they decided to organize a job fair for their small town. The group and their pastor consulted with government officials and invited local businesses to post job openings. They also held a forum with young entrepreneurs to promote local ventures. More than 200 people participated in this initiative, which exceeded the group’s expectations and resulted in a concrete act of service from the church to its surrounding community.

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CETI teaches students in churches across Latin America to think missionally together. This communal learning experience creates an environment in which students can be a testimony of God’s love to those inside the church as much as they are to those outside.

Testimonies are essential to building a strong mission-oriented church. However, many Christians tend to view their testimony from an individualistic perspective. While character and personal growth are vital in discipleship, the testimony of a faith community as a whole – not just those of its individual members – helps churches to live out God’s integral mission more faithfully.

Last year, I visited a Baptist church on the periphery of São Paulo, Brazil, that had just completed the church module. Marcos, one of the study facilitators, shared how the course material helped him reflect on the concept of belonging. From this, he identified a need among their study group: some of the women struggled to focus on the material because they had to care for their children in another room. To address this issue, Marcos rewrote portions of the church module in the form of a children’s story, which describes a boy who wants to become an integrated person. In each chapter, the boy has an encounter that relates to one of the CETI themes, leading him on a journey to wholeness. Marcos encouraged the

men to take turns leading the story time with the children while the group studied the material. Through this intervention, the women increased their participation in the study and the men benefitted from reviewing the course material in simple terms as they read to the children.

Learning together as a community is not merely an intellectual endeavour. Rather, it builds the Church through strengthened relationships and holistic witness. While serving as CBM Field Staff in Bolivia, I watched CETI students discover how their concept of church had been limited by today’s individualistic and consumerist worldview. Studying with missional eyes, we discover together that the Christian life is about belonging. Yes, we belong to Christ, but we also belong to one another.

David Nacho is CBM Field Staff based in Costa Rica. He serves as the Academic Dean and a Professor with CETI.

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Weaving a New Story A P H O T O E S S AY

by Gordon Brew, CBM’s Team Lead, Content and Design

D

uring a recent visit to India, I had the opportunity to visit CBM’s newest partner, Alempang Baptist Church (ABC) and our latest projects in northeastern India.

The church is located in the province of Assam, which is the ancient home of the Mising tribe. They are the second largest indigenous group in Assam.

ABC is partnering with CBM to work alongside other local congregations like Bortamuli Baptist Church. Small-scale farmers in this community are affected by monsoon rains that destroy their crops. To help provide alternative sources of income, Bortamuli Baptist is leading a women’s empowerment project that encourages Mising women to create traditional shawls. It was incredible to see the speed at which the women worked their looms, while maintaining the intricacy of the pattern. With the material support they receive from CBM, the women are able to increase their family income by selling the shawls. This helps pay for essentials like food, medicine and school fees for their children.

CBM has been serving in India for 150 years and is still leading the creation of innovative programs with partners who understand the witness of the local church in caring for its community through word and deed.

mosaic—spring 2019

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Bearing Fruit in the Arab World

by Elie Haddad

[below] Founded in Lebanon in 1960, ABTS equips leaders for ministry in challenging contexts within the Middle East and North Africa region.

M

eet Elissar: She is a young woman who faced significant challenges growing up in Lebanon. Although she was not raised in a Christian home, Elissar encountered the gospel at a critical time in her life.

“Christ came to me while I was at the bottom of a deep pit. I was caught in drug addiction and immoral sin, but I refused to view myself as a sinner. I was better than the rest, I thought. It wasn’t my fault. It was the result of what others had done to me,” she says. “Despite my stubbornness, the God of the impossible came into my heart right after I heard the gospel. I asked him to reign over my heart, and he changed me.”

Today, Elissar is one of the many students who attend Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS), which is a small seminary located in Beirut. “My vision is to deliver the gospel to every woman in my community who is oblivious to God’s love and her value in him,” Elissar says. “I also long to see the children of my community being transformed into the image of Christ, becoming a light within their homes.”

photos: Randy Vanderveen

T H E M I N I ST RY O F A R A B B A P T I ST T H E O LO G I C A L S E M I N A RY

mosaic—spring 2019

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Lebanon is one of the smallest countries in the Arab world, yet it continues to be a strategic gateway for ministry in the region. Although the vast majority of other Arab countries are predominately Muslim, Lebanon maintains a balance between various religions. Lebanon operates within a complex sectarian system that provides a balance of power between the different religious communities and where religious freedom is protected by its constitution.

The freedom that Lebanon enjoys provides a platform for ministry that is unique within the Arab world. ABTS is legally allowed to enrol students from all over the Arab world – the Middle East, North Africa and the diaspora – regardless of their religious background. ABTS is a small seminary within a small evangelical community in a small country, yet it has a big vision for training church leaders in the entire region.

“their own,” and not as concerned with reaching the “other.”

Survival-mode ministry looks for safety inside its walls, since going outside one’s community can be risky.

Against this backdrop, the Holy Spirit seems to be doing two things. First, the region is witnessing historic divine intervention.

People are seeing visions and dreams. They are also experiencing miracles, healings and dramatic answers to prayers. Second, God is shaking the Church to its core, transforming hearts, minds, attitudes and behaviours. Many churches that were operating in survival mode are discovering their role as agents of the kingdom of God and are finding their prophetic voices. Now, ministry is becoming more concerned with the “other.”

It takes a different kind of church to serve this region at a time like this: a church that has a deep understanding of the multi-faceted gospel, a gospel of word and deed; a church that is deeply in love

Many churches that were operating in survival mode are discovering their role as agents of the kingdom of God and are finding their prophetic voices.

Now, ministry is becoming more concerned with the “other.”

ABTS is not responsible for building the Church – Jesus is building his Church. But ABTS has the privilege of coming alongside the Church by equipping faithful men and women for effective service and by providing key educational and ministry resources.

Jesus is building his Church in the Arab world at a very unlikely time, and in a very unlikely place. The region is marked today by political and economic instability, war, conflict, violence and extremism. However, new opportunities to proclaim the gospel are emerging every day. The harsh realities of the region are proving to be fruitful soil for the gospel. People are disillusioned with the existing political and religious systems as a solution to their socio-political problems. As a result, many are now open to considering something new, something different.

The gospel is suddenly becoming more appealing to new people groups. As the people of the region experience conflict, the gospel is offering reconciliation and peace; as they experience hopelessness, the gospel is offering hope, eternal hope; as they experience brokenness and pain, the gospel is offering restoration and healing. The prevailing conditions in the region are opening up minds and hearts to hear the message of the gospel, and the mixing of peoples and forced migration are providing the means for the gospel message to be shared with these new people groups.

When this shift started happening in the Arab world, the Church was not adequately prepared for what the Holy Spirit was about to do. Churches within a mainly non-Christian context – which can be unfriendly and sometimes hostile – tend to develop a survivalmode mentality. Ministry becomes concerned with caring for

with God, with his mission, with his people and with the peoples of the region; a church that is equipped to reach the “other” and love them regardless of whether they love us back or not; a church that boldly proclaims the redemptive love of Christ; a church that is transformed and that can act as a transformative agent to its host community; a church that exists for the sake of the world and not for its own sake.

This kind of church requires a different kind of leader. It requires an apostle and prophet, not just a pastor. It needs leaders who are able to read and understand the signs of the times and who are able to educate and mobilize their congregations to respond accordingly. It needs equippers who are skilled in raising other leaders. It needs thoughtful and reflective leaders who are able to connect the Bible with the needs of their communities.

The role of ABTS is to equip such leaders. This is why a lot of time and effort was spent in redesigning the curriculum to be effective in training leaders for the needs of the church in the Arab world today. This is ABTS’s contribution to building the Church in the region. There are several factors that make this new curriculum effective in equipping leaders for the Arab world.

First, the ABTS curriculum is concerned with more than merely theological knowledge. It is concerned with three dimensions of educational outcomes: affective, behavioural and cognitive (in other words, head, heart and hands). The Arab church today needs thoughtful thinkers, with highly developed spiritual character, having competent skills. This is the leader’s disposition that ABTS aims to develop in each student.

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[above] ABTS welcomes students from around the world, providing theological education and specialized learning resources.

Second, the ABTS curriculum is integrated in nature. This helps the leaders think holistically. They are taught how to exegete the Bible; they are taught how to exegete their culture, so they can know how to make the Bible relevant to their culture; they are taught how to exegete themselves, allowing what they learn to shape them and their ministry; and they are taught how to engage with theological thought throughout the rich history of the Church.

Third, the ABTS curriculum is concerned with raising critical thinkers. Students at ABTS are not given packaged answers.

Rather, they are given more questions and are taught how to process these questions in order to draw the right conclusions and make the right decisions. Students are not taught what to think but how to think. They are given tools so that they become life-long learners. The ABTS classroom was transformed from a teaching environment to a learning environment, where the teachers are not the absolute authority on the topics but are facilitators of training. This is even more important because of the diverse contexts that the students come from. Whatever is taught in the classroom in Beirut may not be relevant or applicable in other areas in the region. Students are expected to bring their own contexts to the classroom, usually through case studies that they develop themselves. By the end of their time at ABTS, students become skilled in contextualizing their learning to fit their own situation and answer their challenges.

Fourth, a main component of the ABTS curriculum is the hidden curriculum, the implicit curriculum. Students tend to learn a lot more from what they see and experience in seminary life than what they hear in the classroom. Students learn more about leadership and ethics and relationships from what they see practised at the seminary than from what their textbooks tell them.

Students learn more about leadership and ethics and relationships from what they see practised at the seminary than from what their textbooks tell them.

Finally, for the curriculum to be effective in the Arab Muslim world it has to distinguish between religion and the gospel. Leaders are challenged to move from proclaiming Christianity to proclaiming Christ. The purpose of the church in the Arab world is not to preserve the presence of cultural Christianity. Rather, its purpose is to preach the kingdom of God, by being faithful witnesses to the redemptive work of Christ.

God has been using ABTS and its Institute of Middle East Studies in a significant way to challenge the Church’s thinking, behaviour and practice in proclaiming the gospel. In the process, God has been transforming the ministry of ABTS to become an effective catalyst for the ministry of the Church in the Arab world.

Elie Haddad serves as CBM’s Team Leader for the Middle East and North Africa region and as President of ABTS.

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Engaging Generation Z A C O N V E R S AT I O N O N D I S C I P L I N G B A PT I ST YO U T H Interview by Nicolette Beharie

Rev. Louise Knowles was appointed this year as CBM’s Coordinator, Youth Engagement and SENT Programs. For the past five years, she has served in a parttime capacity with CBM, focusing on youth and young adults. In this interview with Mosaic, Louise shares more about her new role and passion to reach Generation Z.

MOSAIC: THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, YOU HAVE HELD VARIOUS YOUTH-FOCUSED ROLES. WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT WORKING WITH THE NEXT GENERATION?

LOUISE: I’ve always felt a deep responsibility to care for and disciple the younger generation. As a teenager, I could always be found helping in the nursery, teaching Sunday school, leading vacation Bible school or volunteering at camp. At the time, I was given a lot of freedom and opportunity to lead within the church. That’s why my call to ministry in my late teens felt very natural, like I was simply following the next turn in the path.

A few years ago, I helped to debrief a team of youth who had returned from an overseas trip to Kenya with CBM. As I listened to them process their experiences and share stories, I was reminded of how much we have to learn from young people. Their perspectives on the world and the ideas they bring to the table should never be dismissed. I am often inspired by their passion and desire to lead. Although it’s been a while since I’ve been a teen, I still feel a deep sense of responsibility to walk alongside them as we follow Christ together.

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MOSAIC: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE NEXT GENERATION? WHAT ARE THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS AND CHALLENGES?

LOUISE: I am fascinated by this next generation, known as Generation Z. While there are many different definitions, Gen Z includes those born between the late 1990s and 2015. The Barna Group, a Christian polling firm based in California, recently released some interesting research.1 While this generation is still young – those surveyed were aged 13 to 18 – the findings provide some helpful insights.

Researchers found that Gen Z is the most success-oriented generation observed to date. In terms of academics and career goals, they have high expectations around personal achievement.

Financial independence is also noted as extremely important to this generation. This isn’t overly surprising, given the financial crisis they were born into.

When it comes to morality, Gen Z is very relativistic. A quarter of the youth polled in the study indicated that what is considered right or wrong changes over time, based on society. With more access to information than ever before, they are deeply empathetic and feel that one’s beliefs shouldn’t hurt others. With a rise in those identifying as atheist and a trend away from church attendance, this is the first truly post-Christian generation. They long for relational authenticity and transparency, but they are also looking for opportunities to lead.

It is crucial to understand the different generations represented within churches. While there are similarities, there are also stark differences that are helpful to understand as we all live together as God’s people. The attributes of each generational divide are not to be judged or criticized, but rather to be understood and used to shape our expression of our faith.

MOSAIC: WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT CONCERNING YOUR NEW ROLE WITH CBM?

LOUISE: I am thrilled to be able to expand my work in youth engagement. Through my new role, I will continue to build on much of the work I was doing previously at CBM. This includes developing global discipleship initiatives for youth, working with our regional partners in Canada to engage youth at their events, working with Baptist camps, and connecting with youth pastors and leading trips. The other part of my role involves managing CBM’s SENT program, which provides Canadians with global discipleship experiences (see page 23).

For the past five years, I’ve been able to meet youth and leaders from across Canada. I’ve been inspired by the ministries I’ve encountered within our Baptist family, and I’m looking forward to growing those relationships and partnerships.

mosaic—spring 2019

MOSAIC: WHAT MAKES THE SENT PROGRAM UNIQUE?

LOUISE: The SENT program provides Canadian participants with training on biblical mission, engages them with an overseas trip to serve alongside the local church and helps them continue the mission when they return home.

Two things stand out to me that make the SENT program unique: First, the overseas trip is just part of the SENT experience. Rather than focusing on the trip as the end goal, SENT helps participants see their whole lives as mission. It helps them process their international experience in a way that encourages them to live out their faith wherever God has called them – to be people of justice, humility and mercy. Second, the SENT program intentionally builds the Church. CBM projects around the world are done in partnership with local church communities. When Baptist churches in Canada support these projects or serve on a SENT trip, they are joining hands with global congregations to build the Church together.

MOSAIC: CBM’S SENT PROGRAM OFFERS HANDS-ON GLOBAL DISCIPLESHIP EXPERIENCES. WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DOES THIS EXPERIENCE HAVE ON YOUTH AND THE CHURCH OVERALL?

LOUISE: In 2015, CBM launched Kamp Tumaini, a summer camp experience for children affected or infected by HIV and AIDS. Between 2015 and 2018, CBM sent five teams of Canadian youth to serve as camp leaders alongside Kenyan youth leaders.

I’ve heard countless stories of the impact that SENT trips have had on Canadian teens. For most, the trip is their first opportunity to lead outside of their Canadian church context. Youth learn to adapt to a completely different culture, view the world from a different perspective and deepen their walk with God. As a result, many of these youth return home with a passion to engage in new ministries within their local church.

Following a SENT trip, I’ve seen youth live out their faith in various ways: creating opportunities to serve at their high schools through school Bible studies; raising awareness about justice issues around the world; serving at Canadian summer camps with renewed passion; and, in some cases, taking a further step to answer the call of God on their hearts to pursue theological education.

These youth have gained invaluable experiences that are enabling them to be effective leaders in the church today. For the church in Kenya, many of the young leaders who have served at Kamp Tumaini have gained new ideas to strengthen their local ministries.

I’m optimistic that hands-on global discipleship experiences – which invest in youth both at home and around the world – will help build the Church for decades to come.

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MOSAIC: THROUGH YOUR PREVIOUS ROLE WITH CBM, YOU VISITED SOME OF OUR PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD. WHAT POSITIVE CHANGES HAVE YOU WITNESSED WHEN IMPOVERISHED YOUTH ARE INVOLVED IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH?

LOUISE: My first cross-cultural experience with CBM was in El Salvador in 2008. It was a really formative experience for me – it helped confirm my call to ministry and influenced my theology.

We visited our local partners and witnessed some incredible work the church was doing within impoverished communities.

At the time, members of CBM Field Staff were mentoring a young congregation with a vibrant youth ministry. We visited home builds, water projects, and learned about the civil war and its impact on the country. Despite their own personal challenges, the youth and young adults were highly engaged in advocating for justice and involved with current political issues. They shared their dreams of becoming teachers, lawyers and pastors, so they could influence the next generation in positive ways. Through their involvement in ministry, these youth were able to make a difference beyond the four walls of their church.

MOSAIC: AS AN ORDAINED MINISTER, HOW CRUCIAL

Whatdoesitmean to be

SENT?

CBM’sSENTprogramprovidesCanadiansofallageswithaglobal discipleship experience, which includes an overseas trip and opportunitiestoputtheirfaithintoactionwhentheyreturnhome.

We are SENT as God’s people living up to and into the call to be disciples in a world of disparity and injustice.

Be SENT out and challenge yourself to immerse, serve and learn in another culture.

Be SENT back ready to become an advocate and put faith into action in your own community.

IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ENGAGING YOUTH

UPCOMINGYOUTHPASTORTRIPS

AND BUILDING THE CHURCH?

Generation Z values authenticity. I can’t think of a more authentic way to build the Church than to have older generations share their faith stories with the younger generations. My grandmother, now in her 90s, has been one of the biggest influencers in shaping my faith, and that is largely due to her authenticity and passion to care for others.

Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation, Barna Group, 2018 1

Thistripisdesignedforyouthpastorswhowanttoexplore possiblemissionopportunities.Throughthisexperience, leaders will gain the insight needed to plan a trip for their youth group in the future.

UPCOMING TRIPS FOR YOUTH El Salvador – March 2020

@readytobesent

I think we often forget that church is one of the very few places in society where people of all ages gather. Not only do we sometimes forget how unique this is, but we sometimes grumble about our differences. There is no question that living together as a true family, with all ages and stages of life, is going to be difficult. I think we would do well to apply Paul’s words in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.”

Costa Rica – March 2020

BeSENT.ca

LOUISE: I agree wholeheartedly with Marv Penner, a Canadian youth ministry specialist, who says that the single most significant spiritual responsibility of any generation is the spiritual well-being of the generation that follows. The Church is called to engage this generation by actively listening to them, radically accepting youth and challenging them to live as Jesus taught.

ThroughCBM’spartnershipwithOneCon,anannualyouth conferenceinAtlanticCanada,youthwillworkalongsidelocal churchestobuildlatrines.Astheysharetheirjourneyoffaith inadifferentcontext,youthwilldeepentheirwalkwithGod.

Rwanda – August 2020 CanadianyouthwillpartnerwithRwandanyouthtohostKamp Tumaini,asummercampexperienceforchildrenaffectedor infectedbyHIVandAIDS.Youthwillgainvaluableleadership skills as they serve alongside local youth.

Interested? Visit BeSENT.ca to learn more.

2019 Kids Care Resources Now Available!

All NEW resources available at kidscare.cbmin.org Kids Care Website

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Register online to access all Kids Care resources for FREE!

Download educational videos – created by kids for kids – to better engage your Sunday school students.

Receive updates about our resources by signing up to our mailing list.

This year’s fundraising campaign encourages kids to support the building of latrines in El Salvador.

Printable templates available online.

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Kids Care is CBM’s annual educational resource that gives Canadian kids the opportunity to learn about children in other parts of the world. This year’s theme is “God is Good”.

Each lesson includes videos, stories, discussions, activities, games, recipes and prayers.

To order a printed Kids Care resource, email us at communications@cbmin.org or call 905-821-3533.

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