The Messenger Volume 52 No. 5 April 2014
God’s Love: The Story of Good Friday page 6
INSIDE:
PHOTO: ISTOCK
The Dance of the Resurrection page 9 ‘Bless the LORD, O My Soul’ page 12
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Editorials
The Church, a centre of hope
O
ur congregations are centres of hope in a challenging world. Five centuries ago Johannes von Staupitz said to a depressed, pre-Reformation Martin Luther, “Man, God commands you to hope!” Yet Douglas John Hall, a theologian, warns that the Christian message will not be taken seriously today if churches do not take seriously the reasons for despair in our world. We need not run from history, he says. “The source of faith’s affirmation of history ‘in spite of’ the pain is God’s own participation in it,” Hall says. “. . . history itself has been, is being, and shall be transformed” (Confessing the Faith, Fortress, 1996, 486-490). Yes, we have reason for hope.
Biblical hope is not naïve optimism. It isn’t based simply on what we see around us, or in denial of it. It isn’t grounded in the thought of inevitable progress. It’s the belief that the supreme actor in the world is not humankind—with its capacity for evil—but God. Christ has a plan for his creation, both people and planet (Rom. 8). J. C. Wynn, a Christian educator and seminary professor, says, “The paradox is that when we open the lessons of eschatology [a positive future started by Christ’s birth] we are not avalanched by despair, but see that it is shot through with hope of our salvation from the very perils it describes” (Christian Education for Liberation and Other Upsetting Ideas, Abingdon, 1977). – Terry M. Smith
Biblical hope isn’t naïve optimism, but is grounded in God as the supreme actor in the world.
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Hubmaier’s counsel
B
althasar Hubmaier was baptized upon confession of faith on April 15, 1525. As a doctor of theology and a former priest, he risked much by giving up infant baptism and practicing believer baptism. He wrote in 1525: “After a person has now committed himself inwardly and in faith to a new life, he then professes this also outwardly and publicly before the Christian church, into whose communion he lets himself be registered and counted according to the order and institution of Christ. “…Then he lets himself be baptized with outward water in which he professes publicly his faith and his intention, namely, that he believes he has a gracious, kind, and merciful God and Father in heaven through Jesus Christ, with
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whom he is well pleased and satisfied.” He said, further, “If he henceforth blackens or shames the faith and name of Christ with public or offensive sins, he herewith submits and surrenders to brotherly discipline according to the order of Christ, Matt. 18:15ff ” (Balthasar Hubmaier, Herald Press, 1989, 85-86). For Hubmaier, there was no separation between following Christ and being responsible to the local church. A Christian was to be baptized and accountable to others. Today, in relatively safe Canada, some people question the value of church membership. Hubmaier did not. (He was burned at the stake on March 10, 1528.) Do we identify with, serve within, and show accountability to a local church? – Terry M. Smith
Today, in relatively safe Canada, some people question the value of church membership. Hubmaier did not.
Table of Contents Features
Columns
6
God’s Love: The Story of Good Friday
5
The Dance of the Resurrection
15 Window on Missions
– Russell Doerksen
9
– Bryon Bezanson
12 ‘Bless the LORD, O My Soul’ – Dr. Dan Epp-Tiessen
Editorials
3
Pontius’ Puddle
Archives materials being readied for Winnipeg – Glen Klassen After 48 years, how’s the Church in Nicaragua? – Ken Zacharias
page
22
16 An Education App
A Re-affirmation of Evangelicalism? – Terry M. Smith
Departments 2
Archives Alcove
17 Further In and Higher Up Jesus undoes us – Layton Friesen
4 Letters
26 Here and Far Away
18 With Our Missionaries
page
Overflowing to wet the feet around me – Jocelyn R. Plett
21 With Our Churches 23 News
18
27 Stewardship Today
25 Shoulder Tapping
Make kids pay for vacation – Andrew Epp
28 Kids’ Corner
The first Easter – Loreena Thiessen
page
19
page
10
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The Messenger
Letters and Notices
Volume 52 No. 4 April 2014
Celebrating God’s grace
EDITOR TERRY M. SMITH
ASSISTANT EDITOR ANDREW WALKER
Submissions to The Messenger should be sent to messenger@emconf.ca. The Messenger is the monthly publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. It is available to the general public. Its purpose is to inform concerning events and activities in the denomination, instruct in godliness and victorious living, inspire to earnestly contend for the faith. Letters, articles, photos and poems are welcomed. Unpublished material is not returned except by request. Views and opinions of writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Conference or the editors. Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement. The Messenger is published by the EMC Board of Church Ministries, 440 Main St, Steinbach, Man., and is a member of Meetinghouse and Canadian Church Press. Subscription rates 1 year $24 ($30 U.S., $45 foreign) 2 years $44 ($55 U.S., $85 foreign) 3 years $65 ($82 U.S., $125 foreign) Manitoba residents add 8% PST. Digital only subscriptions: $15 per year. Single copy price: $2 Subscriptions are voluntary and optional to people within or outside of the EMC. Subscriptions are purchased by the Conference for members and adherents. Change of address and subscriptions Undelivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions should be addressed to: 440 Main St, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5 Phone: 204-326-6401 Fax: 204-326-1613 E-mail: messenger@emconf.ca www.emconference.ca/messenger Second-class postage paid at Steinbach, Manitoba. ISSN: 0701-3299 Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40017362 We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage for our publishing activities. Advertising The Messenger does not sell advertising, but provides free space (classified and display) to enhance our Conference, its churches, boards, and ministries; inter-Mennonite agencies and educational institutions; and the wider church. Ads and inquiries should be sent to messenger@emconf.ca. THE MESSENGER schedule: No. 7– July 2014 issue (copy due May 08)
4 The Messenger • April 2014
Thank you for your reflections on the parent-child dedication ceremony (Jan.). I admit my attitude towards the raising of children in the fear of the Lord is more agricultural than spiritual. The commitment for me started before the seed was planted, if the seed took, that the crop would need to be nurtured, protected, fertilized, watered, and cared for before the time of harvest.
The Lord God gives me the grace and strength to husband the crop, and His grace provides the conditions to allow the crop to grow. The celebration of God’s grace in granting us children can be a parent’s rejoicing. The call of His people to obedience in raising those children can be to all the church community. It is my prayer that I model the forgiveness and love that I wish to celebrate in my children. – Gordon Dyck Steinbach, Man.
Gratitude to Stackhouse and General Board Thank you for one of the best features I have read in a long time...and thanks to Dr. John Stackhouse for his excellent article “The new evangelical way of (not) arguing” in the January edition of The Messenger. His truthful and honest approach to this topic was both refreshing and inspiring. It is becoming more and more rare to hear such a forthright and daring exposé of the slippery slope that we as evangelicals find ourselves on. I applaud his boldness and deep courage to say it like it is. His appeal to the church of today, as well as to each of us as individuals, to stand firmly on the Word of God as our final and
Guidelines for letters
Letters published are generally to comment on issues raised in The Messenger. The magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length, style, legality, and taste. It can refuse publication. Letters by regular mail and by fax must contain a handwritten signature with at least the writer’s first and last names and an address. For letters by
complete authority on all matters, is what we need to hear. What a challenge for each one of us to really get back to the Bible! My gratitude also extends to the ministerial of my local church for their strong and unapologetic stand on the authority, accuracy, and inspiration of the Bible in its totality. I also appreciated the endorsement of this article by our EMC General Board, included on the same page, as well as clear reminders of what our own Statement of Faith has to say regarding this issue. – Barbara Plett Landmark, Man.
e-mail, the writer’s name and email address are deemed to be an electronic signature. The writer’s regular postal address is to be included in e-mail correspondence. The writer’s name and general address are to be published. In sensitive matters, names may be withheld. Letters to the editor are to be 250 words or less.
Columns • Archives Alcove
Archives materials being readied for Winnipeg Volunteers welcome on Archives Committee STEINBACH, Man.—Glen Klassen, our EMC representative to the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada, recently presented this report to the MHSC. The EMC Archives Committee consists of Glen Klassen, Loren Koehler, and Don Kroeker. This past 2013 we have met on four separate Saturdays at the Conference office to prepare our archival collection for its upcoming move to the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg, Man. A good portion of our time was spent rehousing the most fragile and valuable documents in acid-free folders. We are also continuing to process and classify a considerable backlog of donations that has come into the archives over the years. Archival material is being properly housed, described and catalogued in a searchable database while duplicates and non-archival material are being weeded out. As a result of our efforts, a significant amount of space has been opened up in the Conference vault. We are
nearly caught up with the backlog and anticipate being ready to transport the collection to its new home sometime in 2014. We are anticipating that housing our Conference’s archival collection in a dedicated archival facility will make it more accessible both to our members and to other scholars and researchers Glen Klassen, studying the history of the EMC. EMC rep. The Archives Committee operates on a volunteer basis and we are always ready to welcome new members. If you have a passion for history and/or some experience in an archival or library setting, why not consider getting involved on our committee? For more information, please contact the EMC national office. – Archives Committee
••
The Archives Committee races against time Materials deteriorate, language skills fade The EMC Archives Committee members toil in the background against mounting challenges. Working with older materials is an often forgotten race against time. The materials themselves physically deteriorate. The language skills to translate them—from Gothic or modern German—are fading within our conference. There is slim budget ($1,000 per year) to carry forward such work. Yet the EMC national archives play a vital role within our conference. For instance, original sermons by KG founder Klaas Reimer are rare, but we have some. How shall we properly care for them? Placing the EMC archival holdings in Winnipeg will bring together related materials for easier research. The Mennonite Heritage Centre facilities in Winnipeg are not perfect. The storage site is not a fireproof vault, though MHC takes steps to reduce the risk to archival materials.
When most of EMC’s archival materials are moved to Winnipeg, the photo library, some boards’ records, and other materials will remain in the national office’s vault. For matters of precedent in decisions and policy, articles, and more reasons some materials need to be accessed quickly on site in Steinbach. There are two major on-going needs in the archives. First, we need translators who can work with Gothic German script or modern German. Second, we need someone who both cares and can read enough German to coordinate translation efforts by Births selecting materials, assigning them, KLASSEN— to Matt and Mallory Klassen, a son, Logan James, on Dec. 19, 2013. and working with translators. – Terry M. Smith REIMER— to Marshall and Alyssa Reimer, a daughter, Isla Margaret, on Dec. 17, 2013.
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God’s Love:
The Story of Good Friday
PHOTOS: DESIGNPICS
by Russell Doerksen
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S
tories are important—they are not only how we entertain ourselves, but also how we pass on what we know from generation to generation. We think about the world in relation to time and because of this we think of many things in terms of stories. Whether events are fictitious or real, when we organize and retell them there is always a beginning, a middle, and an end. These three parts of a story are important to us because they help us get the whole picture. This is why in a murder mystery, there is an investigation. It is not enough to know that someone is dead. We need to know how it was done, and we need to know why. We need the whole story and this need will not come to an end until we understand what happened. This need to know the whole story is important to have at this time of year. It is the Easter season now, and we as Christians know that the life of Christ is the most important story there is. However, here’s a word of advice: just as we would need to find out the whole story of a murder mystery, let us make sure to discover the whole story of Christ. As we celebrate Christ’s death for our sin this Good Friday, let’s keep in mind his birth and life among us as well.
quickly when we think of the Incarnation in terms of a story. The death of Jesus is very important, but it does not explain God’s purpose in the incarnation. Before we talk about the death of Christ, we need to first talk about his birth and his life. The magnitude of Christ’s death—how in it we are saved—can only make sense if the story of the Incarnation is told as a whole.
The Story of the Incarnation
This is the story of the Incarnation. God, fully divine, came to live a life that was also fully human. This was done for one reason that we know from John 3:16: because God loves us. Long ago in the fall, humanity pulled away from God and in doing so became fundamentally broken. The only way God could fix us was by becoming human himself and living the life that he did. By becoming human and living a fully human life in every aspect, God became everything that it means to be human (he assumed it). We read this in Hebrews 2:17: “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Christ needed to be born, to live and to die, because that is what it is to live the entirety of a human life. In the fall, all of humanity was run through with sin, and so only by becoming human in every way could God assume all of fallen humanity, allowing for him to cleanse humanity from its unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Through the incarnation we learn that the death of Christ is not what makes the life of Christ important, but, instead, that the death of Jesus only has meaning because of the birth and life preceding it.
Before we talk about the death of Christ, we need to first talk about his birth and his life. The magnitude of Christ’s death—how in it we are saved—can only make sense if the story of the incarnation is told as a whole.
Birth, Life, and Death
At Good Friday we properly pray, “Thank you Jesus for coming to die for our sins.” We retell the story of the passion, and our eyes tear up at the sacrifice. Yes, there is a good reason for the tears—but wait for a moment. How often is a death a whole story instead of just the end of one? Too often Good Friday—the death of Jesus—is made into the whole story of Christ, and we forget everything that came before it. In our minds the life of Christ is reduced to his finale, and we miss out on everything important that Scripture says came beforehand. There is a difficulty with this focus on death, and it is revealed
The Meaning Given
Now, there are plenty of important things to note about Jesus’ death. Christ’s death was ➢
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caused by the cries of an angry mob yelling to crucify him. Christ’s death was significant because he was crucified, the method chosen at the time as the death of dissidents of the great gentile Roman Empire (Phil. 2:8). In the circumstances of Christ’s death, all of humanity is represented and all of humanity is screaming to crucify him. Good Friday is the single lowest point of human existence because it was at that time, when faced with the full glory of God, that we showed the extent of our depravity by calling for him to die in the same way as a dissident. But as we have learned, Christ’s death is not the whole story. It was only through the act of God being born for us, living for us, and only then dying for us that all of our fallen humanity was assumed. Then, it was only through God’s loud “no” to our fallen nature, when Christ rose from the dead on Easter Day, the pinnacle of history, that we were saved from our fallen nature (John 3:18). This Good Friday, when we thank Jesus for coming to die for us, let us also thank him for coming to be born for us. Let us thank Christ for coming to live for us. Then and only then, once we have acknowledged his hard life lived, let us thank Jesus for coming to die for our sins.
God Incarnate: The Abridged Story
With this in mind, let us again tell the story of Jesus Christ, God made incarnate. We, fallen humanity, are so loved by God that he was willing to make the greatest sacrifice by sending his Son to live what can only have been a painful, fully human life. Christ was born as all of humanity is, Christ lived through the daily grind as all of humanity does, and then he died as all of humanity must one day do. This should be a disgrace to us. Not that Christ came to live among us fully human, but that our sin should have affected him even in the slightest, let alone to the extent of causing a painful death on a cross. We read this in 1 Cor. 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is the story we should recount on Good Friday: the story of Christ’s life up until his death on the cross. In it there is love and sacrifice. In it we are ashamed, and in it there is no joy. But the story does not end there, and it is in this afterword where we should give our thanks. For in three days, Christ rose from the dead. In his resurrection we see our salvation, because, even though Christ was weighed down by all of our sin, he arose. On Easter we see his atonement accepted and our fallen nature cast away. And then we arrive at the present. Christ ascended into heaven, still fully God and human, our mediator from now until forever. It is in Christ’s birth we are saved. It is in Christ’s life we are saved. It is in Christ’s death we are saved. And it is in his resurrection that we may know life everlasting.
But as we have learned, Christ’s death is not the whole story. It was only through the act of God being born for us, living for us, and only then dying for us that all of our fallen humanity was assumed.
Russell Doerksen (Fort Garry), BA, MDiv, is a member-at-large on the EMC Board of Church Ministries, is married to Shannon Doerksen, works as an itinerate preacher, and is currently looking for a pastorate.
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PHOTOS: DESIGNPICS
The Dance of the Resurrection by Bryon Bezanson
I
t was early on Easter Sunday, a few years ago, when I received a phone call asking me to come to the hospital. One of our “senior saints” was passing into glory, finishing a long life well lived for her Saviour. As I met with the family they shared that her favourite day of the year was Easter. How fitting that her Lord would choose to call her home on her favourite day. As I left the hospital and headed to our local cemetery for our sunrise service, I was overwhelmed with a great sense of joy and worship as I thought about the celebration that this lady was experiencing on her first day in glory. It was at this point that the idea of the “resurrection dance” came into view. Resurrection speaks of unquenchable worship, freedom, victory, and “Home.” It’s the party the father throws for his lost son in Luke 15. It’s King David dancing with crazy passion before the Lord as he brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6. It’s the raw emotion the Psalmist exudes while he worships
his great God in Psalms 149 and 150. But in order to have resurrection, there must be death.
Sorrow and Mourning
Funeral services and cemeteries are often places of sorrow and mourning, places where we pay our final respects and say our last goodbyes. We come with heavy hearts and we feel quite broken, hurt, and even maybe abandoned. These events definitely are not a place we come with great anticipation and joy. Neither was it for Jesus’ followers on that first Easter morning. These feelings of hurt, brokenness, abandonment, and hopelessness defined their whole demeanour. The women came to finish the preparations of Jesus’ body, the disciples are hiding like scared rabbits, and there is a general spirit of heaviness hanging in the air. To make matters worse, the ladies arriving at the tomb discover that the stone covering the tomb’s entrance has been moved and the body of their friend, Rabbi, and Lord is gone. ➢
The ladies encounter an angel who tells them that Jesus isn’t there; He has risen just like He said He would. The Dance of the Resurrection begins.
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This would have been the last straw except for what happened next. The ladies encounter an angel who tells them that Jesus isn’t there; He has risen just like He said He would. The Dance of the Resurrection begins. It’s interesting to note that the dance of the resurrection began at a tomb no less. Yet it’s quite fitting. At the place of our deepest sorrow and need Jesus meets us bringing hope, comfort, joy, and the greatest demonstration of power; conquering sin and ultimately death.
It’s Personal
What makes this dance so unique, so amazing? Well, for one thing, it’s personal. For Jesus’ followers, His death felt like the end. They were devastated, confused, fearful, and abandoned, so they thought. In John chapters 20 and 21 we have the account of Jesus coming to three of His devoted followers, meeting them in their specific place of need, and extending His personal touch. For Mary Magdalene (20:11-18) it was a feeling of abandonment, aloneness. Jesus changes that with one simple word, her name, “Mary.” Only one person could say her name with such tenderness and compassion. Her grief turns to jubilation and she runs with a new-found joy in her heart, telling the disciples and everyone she met about her risen Lord. For Thomas (20:24-29) it was doubt. He needed proof, not just hearsay. Jesus specifically appears for his benefit, granting his request to touch his wounds.
At the place of our deepest sorrow and need Jesus meets us bringing hope, comfort, joy, and the greatest demonstration of power; conquering sin and ultimately death.
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Thomas’ doubt turns to faith. He goes on to be a martyr in India, as Christian tradition tells us, proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus his Lord. For Peter (21:15-22) it was feelings of failure and worthlessness. He had denied knowing Jesus three times the night Jesus, his teacher and close friend, was arrested. Jesus comes and restores him, preparing Peter for his calling, being the Rock on which Christ would start His Church. The dance of the resurrection transforms fear to faith, sorrow to joy, timidity to boldness, doubt to belief.
It’s Powerful
The second unique thing about this dance is that it’s powerful. We don’t know Mary Magdalene’s history after her encounter with Jesus in the garden, but for Peter and Thomas, along with the rest of the disciples and numerous others, a new courage and boldness are birthed. They set the world upside down for Christ, which ultimately leads to many of them dying a martyr’s death. But they consider that a privilege, understanding everything they had and did were because of Jesus’ extravagant sacrifice and love for them. He taught them how to live and to die. The Apostle Paul, who also had a dramatic, life-changing encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, put it in these words, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). He understood that death wasn’t the end, but
the beginning of a richer and fuller life with his Saviour in heaven. Some may wonder when this resurrection dance begins. Again, the Apostle Paul writes in a letter to the church in Rome: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (10:9-10). We begin this dance when we invite Christ to be the Saviour and Lord of our life. It’s a relationship that requires focused attention and investment of our time, energy, mind, and heart. And this dance is open to anyone who is willing to “count the cost” (Luke 14:28 NLT).
Christ, to be with Him where He is. First Peter 1: 3-4 promises a priceless inheritance. Revelation 21:4 promises no more death, sorrow, tears, or pain. God always seeks to give us His best, both in this life and most assuredly in the life to come. The Lord invites each and every one to join in the dance of the resurrection. And I’m sure if those who have gone before us could speak to us, they would encourage us to embrace Christ’s invitation to the resurrection dance. It’s not an easy dance, but Jesus promises to take the lead and show us the steps throughout this life and beyond for all eternity (Matt. 11:28-30) just as he has for so many others over the centuries and will continue to do until His dance card is complete.
It’s not an easy dance, but Jesus promises to take the lead and show us the steps throughout this life and beyond for all eternity.
It’s Promise-filled
PHOTO: BCM
One last unique thing about the dance is that it’s promise-filled. The Scriptures give us a glimpse as to what our Christian brothers and sisters who have died are experiencing today and what we can share in as well. John 3:16 promises eternal life. John 14:1-3 promises a residence in the Father’s house with
A Prayer
Father, we thank you for Jesus, the Author and Creator of the resurrection dance. We know that without Him and the finished work of his death and resurrection we would have no hope, no joy, and no home. But because of His extravagant love for us, we can say with the psalmist, “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing, You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with Joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!”(Psalm 30:11-12 NLT). Bryon Bezanson has been a pastor, associate and then senior, at Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Swift Current, Sask., since 1999. Bryon is pictured with his “beautiful wife Janice and incredible kids Brandon, Taylor, and Josiah.”
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PHOTOS: DESIGNPICS
‘Bless the LORD, O My Soul’ by Dr. Dan Epp-Tiessen
T
hirty-five years ago Charlie Newcombe gave me the gift of Psalm 103. Just before I started studying with Charlie, surgeons removed a brain tumour and then Charlie underwent an aggressive round of radiation treatments. Afterwards he was never as sharp as he had once been and his mind tended to wander. Once a week several of us met at Charlie’s house and tried to keep his mind on track so that we could go over our Hebrew translations for that week. One evening, on one of his tangents, Charlie took us to Psalm 103, and told us how this psalm had brought him strength and comfort during the darkest moments of his illness. Then Charlie read the psalm for us with a passion and commitment that could only have come from someone who had allowed the words of the psalm to penetrate to the core of his being and do their work there. Psalm 103 helped Charlie face his cancer and eventually it helped him to die. Ever since that evening Psalm 103 has been my favourite psalm and for this gift I am profoundly grateful. In his hour of need Charlie Newcombe found
strength in a hymn of praise. Psalm 103 begins with a self-exhortation to praise God (vv.1–2) and then it provides a long list of reasons why God is worthy of praise (vv. 3–19). It closes by calling all of creation to join the psalmist in praising God (vv. 20–22). How can such glorious praise help someone face cancer and even death?
Praise as an Act of Defiance
Praise can be an act of defiance whereby we affirm and nurture our faith even in the midst of deep suffering. When Robin Jutzi died of cystic fibrosis at the age of forty, his family asked those of us gathered for the committal service at the cemetery to sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” This was praise as defiance. In the face of enormous pain the Jutzi family wanted to declare and cling to their faith in a God from whom all blessings flow. Praise can be a declaration whereby we look the horrendous evil, sin, and suffering of this world straight in the face and acknowledge that these things are real and hurt all too deeply, but they will not destroy our faith in “the steadfast
Praise can be an act of defiance whereby we affirm and nurture our faith even in the midst of deep suffering.
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We need lament psalms to keep our faith realistic and to prevent our praise from becoming denial.
love of the LORD [which] is from everlasting to everlasting” (103:17). I suspect this is how Charlie Newcombe experienced Psalm 103. Charlie had come through a very difficult life experience and he likely knew that his days on earth were numbered, and yet he could proclaim with deep conviction, Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy (103: 2–3).
Be Careful
But we must be careful with such praise, because praise in the face of suffering and evil can easily become denial. If all we do during difficult times is praise, then our faith becomes “God is great and good and isn’t life wonderful.” But life is far from wonderful for many people, and we must never minimize the pain and suffering which life dishes out to so many people. Many of the psalms are hymns of praise, but even more are laments, prayers for deliverance from life’s troubles. These lament psalms recognize that life can be full of struggle and that horrible things may happen to good people. We need lament to keep our faith realistic and to prevent our praise from becoming denial.
Home?
When George died rather suddenly at the age of seventy-five, the minister had a smile on his face throughout the funeral and kept reassuring the family that there was no need to be sad. George was a good Christian man and he had now gone “home” to be with his Maker. True enough, but this meant that George wasn’t going “home” with Mary anymore. That evening when she went “home,” the house that she and George had shared for more than fifty years was going to be big and lonely, the bed cold and empty. There lay the pain that cried out in vain for some kind of acknowledgment. This funeral had an abundance of praise, but because it was not balanced by lament, the praise was shallow, lacked integrity, and functioned as denial. Praise as defiance is different. Defiant praise acknowledges the world’s deep pain, but reminds us that evil and suffering are not the ultimate realities of this world. God’s steadfast love, which Psalm 103 speaks of, is the ultimate reality. Defiant praise reminds us that God’s steadfast love is strong enough to carry us through life’s difficult experiences, strong enough to empower us for faithful discipleship even in the face of persecution, strong enough to carry us from this life into the next, and strong enough even to renew and heal all of creation (Psalm 96:10–13; Rev. 21:1–5). ➢
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Praise connects us with God and thereby it creates a sturdy world in which God is present and can be trusted. Praise Connects Us With God
Claus Westermann claims that the secret of praise is its ability to make contact with God. As we praise we remain with God. This is one of the reasons why praise is so central to worship and Christian life. One of the mysteries of worship is that our praise may help us experience some of the love, grace, and power of God that we celebrate in our praise, even if we are not consciously aware of what is happening to us. Stumbling upon Westermann’s statement helped me to understand an experience I had when our eight-year-old son Tim was dying of cancer a number of years ago. During the last month of his life Tim was unconscious and so Esther and I took turns keeping watch by his bed waiting for the inevitable. To fill the time I sang my way through all the familiar songs in our church hymnal. I
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was puzzled that it was the hymns of praise that spoke most powerfully to me.
Was I Going Crazy?
One time the tears were streaming down my cheeks as I sang, “Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices.” I remember feeling guilty and wondering if I was going crazy. How could I sing hymns of praise while I was watching Tim die? Praise puts us in touch with God, and this connection is precisely what I needed during that painful time. I needed to experience God’s love and grace and strength surrounding and sustaining me. Those hymns of praise were doing their work on me even though I was not consciously aware of how they were affecting me. Praise connects us with God and thereby it creates a sturdy world in which God is present and can be trusted, a sturdy world in which we ever abide in God’s care, no matter what storms of life may rage around us. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (103:1). Dr. Dan Epp-Tiessen is Associate Professor of Bible at Canadian Mennonite University. He and his wife Esther are members of Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg. This article is a revised excerpt from a 2010 Mennonite Church Canada worship and prayer resource Faith and Hope in the Midst of Changing Times.
Columns • Window on Missions
T
he EMC first sent missionaries to Nicaragua in late 1966. Between 1966 and 1992 as missionaries served in church and health initiatives, local congregations were started, and they together formed the Fraternidad de Iglesias Evangelicas Menonitas de Nicaragua (FIEMN). What’s the state of the church today? On a recent visit to Nicaragua, one of my highlights was meeting with the FIEMN Pastoral Council. This council consists of five pastors who have a commitment and desire for churches to be unified and to see the local church mature spiritually. The Pastoral Council gives care to the FIEMN churches and outreaches by providing two pastoral supervisors who regularly visit each church once every three months. They are also available to assist churches, for example, when they going through pastoral changes or church challenges. At the FIEMN annual assembly held on Jan. 11, Pastor Francisco Cano, who chairs this council, shared the state of the church with the 120 people in attendance. The FIEMN has 22 churches and 16 church outreaches. Pastor Francisco reported that between 2006 and 2010 there was little growth in the conference. In the past three years, however, growth has increased, which is encouraging, but he emphasized that there is much more that they could be doing. The FIEMN churches recently submitted their church reports to the council, which shows that there are 1,071 baptized members in the 35 churches and outreaches who reported. Fortyfive adults were baptized in 2013. In addition, the 13 church outreaches that reported say that there are an additional 427 adults who attend services, but who are not yet baptized. In the Los Limos congregation there were no conversions for many years, but they are praising the Lord for nine adults who accepted the Lord in 2013.
PHOTO: BOM
After 48 years, how’s the Church in Nicaragua?
Ken Zacharias and Len Barkman with church members
The churches reported that there are 248 youth in their congregations. The one area of concern is the decline in Sunday School attendance, where in 2013 the number attending was 951 individuals. The FIEMN is growing in their autonomy and they are demonstrating this by being self-administrating, self-propagating and selftheologizing. As EMC Missions, our desire is that in time that they will also be autonomous with their finances and that they will be able to do their work within their financial means and limitations. We recognize, however, that the financial challenges are the most difficult. Many of the church members have low income and conference giving is minimal. It is our desire to continue to understand this reality and to give wisely to assist with donations designated towards FIEMN initiatives, but to give in such a way that it will not lead to long-term dependency. As Pastor Francisco reported on the state of the church at the annual assembly, his passion for spiritual growth in the life of the believer was expressed clearly. Let’s continue to pray for Pastor Francisco Cano as he leads the FIEMN Pastoral Council. The FIEMN pays a few of the pastors 4,000 Cordovas per month ($175) and the highest paid pastor receives 6,000 ($262). Most pastors receive less than 4,000 Cordovas per month. In 2014, the Board of Missions is contributing $16,000 to Nicaraguan Church budget initiatives. To donate to this project, please designate your gift as FIEMN – Budget.
by Ken Zacharias Foreign Secretary
As Pastor Francisco reported on the state of the church at the annual assembly, his passion for spiritual growth in the life of the believer was expressed clearly.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 15
Columns • An Education App
A Re-affirmation of Evangelicalism?
I by Terry M. Smith
What’s more important than answering this? To look at what we are teaching now.
n 1952 Evangelical became part of our EMC name, thanks partly to Dr. Archie Penner. It focuses on Christ, the cross, and grace; the privilege of assurance; and the tasks of evangelism and missions. Menno Simons was “a sound evangelical, a true saint of God united to Christ by faith, born again and sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (J. C. Wenger), but much dust has settled since his death in 1561. When A Re-affirmation of Evangelicalism was a title proposed for a lead article in our 2012 bicentennial series, one EMC minister objected because it implied the Kleine Gemeinde (part of which developed into the EMC) had moved away from Evangelicalism; he saw more continuity. Another EMC minister described the KG as “mildly” Evangelical. A modern definition of Evangelicalism highlights the new birth as a life-changing religious experience, the Bible as the ultimate religious authority, a concern for sharing the faith, and an emphasis on Christ’s redeeming work on the cross (David Bebbington in Nolt, Scandal, 8). Was the Bible the KG’s ultimate religious authority? Scripture was treasured, quoted, used. When ministers preached, how were the Scriptures selected, used, and interpreted? Did tradition ever supersede the Word? “To his own master he stands or falls” (Rom. 14:4).
J. C. Wenger called Menno Simons “a sound evangelical.” PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN
16 The Messenger • April 2014
Was there “a focus on Christ’s redeeming work on the cross”? Analyzing 10 KG sermons (eight preached in Russia), Dr. Archie Penner said they spoke of Christ’s death as substitutionary, propitiatory (averting God’s anger), and victorious over the powers. Referring to a sermon by Peter Toews, Penner held, “No Evangelical, dedicated to orthodoxy, can find fault with this expression of the Biblical doctrine of the atonement” (Delbert Plett, Leaders, 103). What about “a focus on the new birth as a life-changing religious experience”? What is meant? A moment, a process, a dateable start, conversion, following? Historian Delbert Plett said the doctrine of “assurance of salvation” was promoted by insecure “Separatist-Pietists” and conflicted with the KG’s faith that focused on discipleship, “a very simple concept which even the youngest child could understand” (Sinners and Saints, 135, 285-287). His controversial analysis is ultimately unpersuasive despite some proper concerns. Menno Simons taught positively on assurance to an insecure believer (Complete Writings, 1050-1052). What about “a concern for sharing the faith”? Many early Anabaptists died violently because of it. The minister who saw more continuity said that the KG did not talk about their faith with others. This aspect of being Evangelical, it seems, was missing. Missions came late to the EMC—about 135 years after the KG started. “We are Evangelicals,” said Layton Friesen during his 2012 convention message. “That is what we have become.” The journey of the past 70 years into Evangelicalism is something for which “God should be thanked and praised,” he said. Was this, though, actually a journey into Evangelicalism? Or was it a return, helped in part by Evangelicals, to aspects of earlier Anabaptism that by then, ironically, were part of the wider Evangelical heritage? What’s more important than answering this? To look at what we are teaching now.
Columns • Further In and Higher Up
Jesus undoes us
T
PHOTO: DESIGNPICS
he cold, steel finger of shame I feel when I see the hurt I caused written across the face of someone I love is overwhelming and despairing. There is no control Z. What I have written I have written. It is part of our grim human “dignity” that our actions are inscribed into the granite of time and cannot be erased. I can console myself that time will heal, that I have to accept myself, that no one has to be perfect; but this is all wrong. Time only dulls the memory and forces me to ignore it and get on. Accepting myself is accepting the unacceptable if I hurt those I love. I do have to be perfect. What I have done to my beloved is permanent. My action is now an eternal part of his or her being. The guilt of that is suffocating and no selftalk changes the fact. I have sinned. Have you ever noticed what Jesus does with his wounds after the resurrection? Something has changed about them. When Jesus meets Thomas and the other disciples, he invites them to feel his wounds and place their hands into the cavity in his side. Notice what Jesus never says about his wounds. He does not say, “Look what they did to me. Look what you did to me.” There seems to be no residue of violence in these wounds now—no reference to the conspiracy of death by the Romans, Jews and disciples. In the 17th century painting of the scene by Caravaggio, Jesus draws a surprised Thomas near, takes his dirty hand, and places it deep in his wound. It’s a difficult painting to look at. One cringes at the raw intimacy of it. The weaponshaped cavity in the side of Jesus is now the place of intimacy between killer and killed.
by Layton Friesen
What has happened to the wounds? Resurrection. Resurrection is not merely life after death, but death as evil mysteriously unwound. The marks of our malice, inscribed into our Beloved’s side are there, but can now serve Jesus’ mission rather than his killer’s. Resurrection is an act, the act of forgiveness. The marks of killing remain, but have become, through the resurrection of Christ, the place to touch a new intimacy, union with God and one another. Christ takes our grimy hand and places it into the wound of his broken body. This is my body, which is given for you. Can you imagine coming to Heaven and meeting the person you have wounded? This person reaches for your hand and places it into the very wound your action inscribed into his or her person? Apart from the resurrection this is unimaginable and foolish. Many might prefer hell to this encounter with their victim. Many victims might prefer hell to this encounter with those who hurt them. Christ taking over his wounds for his own purpose gives us a glimpse of the justice and love that the death and resurrection of Christ has wrought from the granite permanence of our writing on one another. The wolf shall live with the lamb. Love is that liquor sweet and most divine, Which my God feels as blood; but I, as wine. - George Herbert
The weaponshaped cavity in the side of Jesus is now the place of intimacy between killer and killed.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 17
With Our Missionaries
Training in England In February I travelled from the Netherlands to visit Lesley while he taught at the annual translation courses in Glouchester, England. At Redcliffe College new Wycliffe members from Europe are trained before serving throughout the world (see Recliffe’s website). I spotted Hanneke and Michiel Louter from the Netherlands, whom I had visited in 2011 during their application process. Michiel is now in Lesley’s classes, while Hanneke is training in literacy. They hope to go to Tanzania in June. During chapel Hanneke gave her testimony, shared with her permission. She read two letters, by Gideon and herself, to communicate how God called her to Bible translation and literacy. Below is a summary:
PHOTO: BOM
EUROPE
Lesley Fast with Hanneke and Michiel Louter
Hi, My name is
Gideon
Hanneke
I used to live in
... Israel at the time when everything seemed to go wrong. It was depressing and I wondered why God didn’t do something to help us be free from the ongoing disasters, from hunger and despair and from the Midianites.
... Dordrect, working in a hospital, enjoying my job and my life. I was aware that many people in the world had huge needs and did not have access to God’s words. I prayed that God would do something to help them be free from hunger, despair and from illiteracy.
I was doing my part
... trying to help our family survive by threshing wheat in unlikely places, so the Midianites wouldn’t steal it.
... as a believer, showing and telling others how great it is to live with God. I did that among my collegues friends and family.
One day
... a man appeared out of nowhere and said: The LORD is with you, mighty warrior. Not knowing what he was talking about and not realizing he was an angel, I asked what he meant. Then he said I should save Israel out of Midian’s power.
... God spoke to me, through what others said to me: “Hey, Hanneke, you could work for Wycliffe, together with Michiel. You could use the gifts you have to be a literacy worker!”
I almost laughed
... and told him I am from a rather lowly back... Me? I am the youngest in a very ordinary family. ground and family, perhaps he could send Leaving them and my country was not that attractive someone else with more muscles and influence? to me, and besides, I knew nothing about languages and I am not that smart. Certainly God can send someone else, better qualified than me!
But
... he answered, and I have never forgotten it,: “I will be with you and you will defeat the Midianites”, and then he gave me two signs to prove this was a message from God Himself to me.
... I forgot something. From the very beginning of my life I had heard God’s promises, like “I will be with you, I will strengthen you, I will help you...” In fact, the Bible is full of promises for his people, and I realized they were also for me.
Guess what!
... I did defeat the Midianites! But it was God who gave us the victory.
... I am here, preparing to do literacy work in Tanzania. But it is not me, it is God’s strength within me.
Lesley and I are privileged to be involved with people like Hanneke and Michiel. Other participants are from Australia, Germany, Sweden, Romania, England, France, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Thank you, EMC, for your encouragement. – Marianne Fast 18 The Messenger • April 2014
Marianne and Lesley Fast (Blumenort) have been serving in Bible translation, first in Papua New Guinea and since 2005 in Europe.
With Our Missionaries
Pastor Gerardo Chavarría leads FIEMN
PHOTO: BOM
Gerardo visits ten church groups once every three months, travelling through the mountains by either foot or mule.
Visiting churches by mule
PHOTO: BOM
NICARAGUA
Earlier this year Pastor Gerardo Chavarría was elected as president of the Fraternidad de Iglesias Evangélica Menonita (FIEMN) conference in Nicaragua for a five-year term. As president, Gerardo will be working full-time for the FIEMN. I have known Gerardo for the past eight years and I have come to appreciate his gentleness and pastoral heart. With his continuous smile, he is a compassionate man who enjoys ministering with congregations. He is a good listener and exemplifies well James 1:19: “Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” His listening skills give him many opportunities to speak into people’s lives. Together with his wife Jesenia, Gerardo pastors the Diriomito congregation of 40 adults in an area close to the beautiful volcanic-formed lake, Laguna de Apoyo. For the past ten years this church has been meeting under open air or a tin structure, waiting for the small piece of land on which the church is located to receive its own legal title. With the congregation unable to obtain the title, a church member recently donated a lot about a kilometer down the road. The church is planning to begin construction on a church building in 2014 and the BOM has been invited by the FIEMN to participate by donating towards the costs. Gerardo is also the Pastoral Supervisor to more remote churches located in the mountainous region. He visits ten church groups once
Gerardo Chavarría and Len Barkman, 2014
every three months, travelling through the mountains by either foot or mule. The distance between some of these churches is two or three hours. This is difficult travelling because of the rough terrain, and it requires a dedication that Gerardo certainly possesses. Four years ago Jared Schroeder, from the Westpointe Community Church in Grande Prairie, and I had the opportunity to travel for a three-day period with Gerardo and two other pastors while he visited these churches. It was an insightful and educational trip as we spent this time together. It has given me a tremendous appreciation for Gerardo and for the men who pastor in this region. As the FIEMN president and full-time administrator, Gerardo is beginning a responsibility that is new for him. He is new to administration, and he will have a learning curve as he leads the FIEMN. As a man of integrity, Gerardo will, through his pastoral and compassionate heart, give the FIEMN churches and committees much confidence—I have no doubt. The churches are in good hands as he will work together with the National Council, Pastoral Council, and with each of the other committees. I ask that you pray for Gerardo as he begins this important administrative responsibility. Pray that he will find a good balance in this role together with his responsibilities as pastor of the Diriomito congregation and as one of the two FIEMN pastoral supervisors. His responsibilities will not be diminished; they will only increase. I invite you to participate in the Diriomito church building project. Please designate your gift N1 – Building Construction. – Ken Zacharias EMC Foreign Secretary
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 19
With Our Missionaries EMC workers at ICYA
ICYA: sent and standing strong NORTH END, WINNIPEG
Andrew Reimer
PHOTOS: BOM
I heard a sermon with the title: “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.” How true it is. Things can be going along swimmingly and then you are hit with another challenge. Yet despite these tough days here at Inner City Youth Alive, we feel His calling and it carries us. We know our mission is to stand in there despite whether it is the “one thing” or “the other.” When I talk to our supporting churches we make sure we understand clearly what they want of us in order to remain on target. The EMC churches of Regions 5, 6, and 7 have sent us to this mission field. Knowing that we are sent and commissioned helps us get through the hard days. We are like Paul, who suffered his share of hardships, when the church in Antioch sent him off to new mission fields to spread the good news. He clearly knew he had believers in Antioch standing behind him in prayer. We need to function like ambassadors of the churches that sent us. We are, in fact, a nimble and mobile expression of those churches. This is why I often speak in churches about ICYA and bring up the question, “Are you okay with us ministering in this way to people of the North End?” Of course, during a Sunday morning mission report we don’t get a response, but it matters that we are sent as the churches’ expression of hope through Christ into the community we have been sent to. In our past council meetings we have often given church representatives the voice to tell us “do more of this” and “do less of that.” Given the challenge of our work, it
George Nickel
Christina Kroeker
Nolan Giesbrecht
Kent Dueck
matters to us that we walk with the blessing and mandate. We are also inspired by the churches’ historical reputation for resolve and commitment they have lived out. It was the secular social activist Stephen Lewis who commended the churches for their staying power in Africa. He lauded the churches’ resolve by noting that long after the government agencies had quit and gone home in their battle against AIDS, the churches would still be there standing strong. Our staff wants to stand strong to reach into dark places. My daughter Jill and I recently stood in the entrance of a home in our community while responding to a suicide threat. She prayed with a young girl battling depression and got her to contract with her to call us first before she did the unthinkable. I was struck by the darkness in the house—a big empty house with barely a light on. The couch clearly doubled as a bed. You could just feel the burden and yet it was good to see the girls hug. Jill even managed to get a laugh out of her. We want to be a light in dark places because this is what the churches want us to be. – Kent Dueck Kent Dueck is the executive director of Inner City Youth Alive (ICYA), which began in 1986. ICYA has a drop-in centre, a motorsport club, a wilderness camp, work skills training, meals for kids, and community outreach. It is a partner with St. Aidan’s Christian School and the School of Urban Leadership.
20 The Messenger • April 2014
With Our Churches Westpointe Community Church
GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta.—Martin Gonzalez, Gregory Gonzalez, David Dyck, and Naomi Krahn were baptized and received into membership at Westpointe Community Church. Their testimonies and baptisms took place during our annual church family camp located at Bear Lake Bible Camp (June 14-16). - Katelyn Tarnowski
KATELYN TARNOWSKI
Four baptized during camp
Naomi Krahn, David Dyck assisted by his father Brad Dyck, Pastor Dwight Munn, Gregory Gonzalez and Martin Gonzalez assisted by their father Martin.
•• Community Bible Fellowship
The 20th Annual
VBS held at Grand Rapids
Fred and Stella Neff
EMC
PROJECT BUILDERS
Golf Classic
June 19, 2014 Steinbach Fly-In Golf Course To register, contact Ruth Penner: 204-255-8062 or rrpenner@shaw.ca
PHOTO: BOM
SWAN RIVER, Man.—A group of adults and youth from Community Bible Fellowship and two young men from Landmark travelled up to Grand Rapids, in August 2013 to teach Vacation Bible School. Fred and Stella Neff made sure that we had a place to sleep and eat, as well as securing room for us at the school. We had access to two classrooms and the kitchen, as well as bathrooms and the schoolyard. On each of the five days, the children were taught about God’s love for them through songs and stories, crafts, and outdoor play. Attendance averaged about 40 to 45 children a day and 18 children stayed after class on the last day to learn how to accept Jesus as their Saviour. Fred and Stella’s house and yard became “Grand Central” because we usually spent time there after classes and in the early evening—often around the fire pit. It was an amazing and eye-opening experience. – Betty Warkentin
Details available at www.emconference.ca (under events).
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 21
With Our Churches Heartland Community Church
PHOTO: BRIGITTE TOEWS
‘Mini’ Mission Fest held at HCC
John Nikkel and Ivan and Cheryl Giesbrecht served in Mexico.
LANDMARK, Man.—Our Missions committee organized a special “Mini” missions focus to coincide with Missions Fest Manitoba 2014. Mike and Jen Blair led us in worship before each session. Len Barkman, Denis Keating, and Jennifer Froese facilitated three sessions, while the rest of the missions committee prepared a meal for us to enjoy between sessions. Josh and Jocelyn Plett (MAF, Madagascar) reported via Skype. Josh flies 70 to 80 hours a month in a Cessna 182, delivering needed supplies and doctors to remote villages. Jocelyn has returned to Weddings Madagascar from Paris where WIEBE–FEHR : Johnny Wiebe and Dianne Fehr were married on April 20, 2013, at Westpointe she participated Community Church. They reside in Clairmont, in a week-long Alta. seminar in communications for WIEBE-BUECKERT: Arnold Wiebe and Kristy MAF. Bueckert were married on July 20, 2013, at Westpointe Community Church. They reside in Len BarkGrande Prairie, Alta. man reported on the EMC’s BRAUN-REMPEL: Fred Braun and Laverna involvement with Rempel were married on Sept. 21, 2013, at Grande Prairie Museum, officiated by Pastor Dwight Munn. They reside in Grande Prairie, Alta.
22 The Messenger • April 2014
missions in Nicaragua. Len stated that enduring many trials such as natural disasters has “produced strength” in the local churches. There are currently 22 churches and 15 outreaches as a result. Flo Friesen reported on women and children at risk of domestic violence and forced prostitution. A woman she has mentored (Starr) has been instrumental in furthering the gospel through social justice and education projects, which included a women’s shelter. Flo’s many years of prayer, encouragement, and discipleship have had far reaching effects in closed countries. Doug and Christal Barkman (Teach Beyond, Germany) reported on the challenges of life without a vehicle. They also chose to connect with a German-speaking church to learn the language and connect with their neighbours. John Nikkel and Ivan Giesbrecht spent a working vacation with their wives in Ixtapa, Mexico. John helped expand an existing orphanage and Ivan continued work on an ongoing seniors’ home project. Cheryl and Andrea helped to distribute toys, clothing, and educational materials to those who make their living at the local garbage dump. Evelyn Barkman spoke about travelling again to Mali to help with ongoing projects she has been a part of. She still enjoys much contact with people she has lovingly served for over forty years. Denis and Wilma Keating have also followed Evelyn to Africa. Evelyn reported that the welding skills training that Denis provided to the local men has been put to good use at the Bible School. Tim Dyck (EMC Board of Missions) encouraged us with a message on “The Not So Good Church Planting Method.” He said, “God uses imperfect people to spread an extraordinary message, empowered by the Holy Spirit.” Travis Harms gave a brief report on his mission experience with SBC’s MissionX in Kugluktuk. He was amazed at the cooperation between the school’s principal, the local church, and the community in general. SBC works with Bob and Trudy Mclaughlin (SEND International) to send students for missions exposure in the north. Many people over the past few years have made genuine decisions for Christ. – Brigitte Toews
News
Wide roles for BCM, executive secretary How many hats does Smith wear? STEINBACH, Man.—It might surprise some EMCers to realize that the Board of Church Ministries (BCM) is responsible for more than The Messenger. Of course, some readers think of Terry Smith, BCM’s executive secretary, as an editor because of the monthly magazine that comes into their homes with his writings and photo. Yet, while its magazine is important, the BCM’s work is much broader and so are the roles of its national staff members. Based on information regularly provided to them, pastors and church delegates are, hopefully, well aware of this. The BCM delivers resources and services to help congregations with Christian education, family life teaching, and youth work. It ministers to post-high school students and makes arrangements for Conference youth events. It provides conference publications and periodicals, promotes the writing and publication of Christian literature, and administers the EMC’s national archives. Within this, Terry Smith serves in various ways, including relating to the BCM’s Education Committee and the Archives Committee. About 25 years ago the EMC’s halftime national Education Director position was rolled into the position held by Menno Hamm, Smith’s predecessor. Smith has been engaged in EMC national education for 16 years. His work as an educator flows into his parttime role within The Messenger and also other projects. As an administrator, he enjoys being engaged in business meetings, assisting with significant decisions, and planning projects to serve local churches. What’s a challenge? To discover that materials resulting from the BCM’s hard work might sit idle in a pastor’s office; many of these resources are intended for other congregational leaders or to assist in the pulpit or in the classroom. What are some of the BCM’s projects? Follow Me (lessons on social justice), Theodidaktos: Journal for EMC theology and education, CD
The BCM provides Christian education resources, encourages the publishing of Christian literature, ministers to youth and post-high school students, and oversees the EMC archives.
Terry Smith
Gerald Reimer
Wes Kroeker
booklets of sermons on peace and discipleship, the sermon guide Going Deeper: Six Key Themes on Anabaptism, the Christian Education Update (it can save churches money), and the pamphlet Marks of a Mature Disciple. The BCM assists other boards with some publishing projects. Erica Fehr While “story” is important to Smith, he also highlights “sermons, Sandilands, and seminary.” “Sermons” refers to how he values direct contact with congregations and welcomes more invitations. “Seminary” reflects how he encourages the continuing education of ministers to further assist congregations; he studies part-time at Providence. “Sandilands” Andrew Walker refers to free time spent deer hunting—a farm boy’s link with the land that, as an ordained minister, is also reflected in a special concern for smaller rural churches. Terry enjoys editing, can do reporting, and delights in preaching and teaching; this explains why columns and occasionally lead articles appear in addition to editorials. “If I have to choose between reporting on what other people are doing and doing,” he says simply, “I’d rather be doing.” Gerald Reimer, serving both the BCM and the Board of Missions, works as the EMC’s conference youth minister and missions mobilizer. He relates to the National Youth Committee, Inter-Mennonite Chaplaincy Association (on the University of Manitoba’s campus), and elsewhere. Andrew Walker serves as The Messenger’s assistant editor and as the BCM’s administrative assistant. As of the March 2014 issue, Erica Fehr came aboard as a proofreader for The Messenger. Wes Kroeker is BCM’s chair and Brigitte Toews, Stephanie Penner, Henry Friesen, and Russell Doerksen are members. – EMC
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 23
News
SBC’s Mission X 2014 challenges students Strives for educating beyond head knowledge
PHOTO: SBC
STEINBACH, Man.—SBC students have returned from their Mission X experiences enthused with the need for missions and service in Canada and beyond. Each year students are sent out on mission exposure (Mission X) opportunities in various capacities and locations. This year, two groups of first-year students participated in para-church service and rescue initiatives in Winnipeg’s core area (Jan. 8-14), while second-year students travelled to the native communities of Northern Manitoba and ministered there from Jan. 8-15. Third-year students had the opportunity of ministering in international settings from Dec. 26 to Jan. 17, with this year’s destination being Belize. Kugluktuk, Nunavut, is an exciting alternate destination for our third- and fourth-year students who served there from Jan. 8-13. First-year students serve lunch at Living Bible Explorers winter camp. Mission X is not only a short-term missions trip that serves others; it is a means by which students’ how the people welcomed us.” lives are changed. They experience a deepening of their Steinbach Bible College is committed to training faith as they are exposed to the needs of hurting people servant leaders and this is evident in the Mission Exposure and learn to rely on God to equip them to deal with the (Mission X) module all students are required to, or, rather, challenges they face. have the awesome opportunity to participate in. Comments from this year’s A college education that remains just head knowledge students express their does not do a lot of good unless students are taught how to experiences: apply that knowledge to everyday living. Mission X is one “God shines brightest way SBC strives to partially accomplish that vision. in dark places.” Through Mission Exposure students at SBC are indeed “I was really impacted putting their education into practice. This opportunity by a 12-year-old girl who to serve allows students to consider, and to carry out in a was the only Christian in tangible way, how their faith intersects with the real world. her family and school.” To see more photos, visit www.facebook.com/ “Though uncomfortSBCCanada. able and not what we ex– SBC pected, it was a good lesson in knowing the voice of Jesus.” “To make the greater impact we must put on the serSBC is responding to Jesus’ call to make disciples through vant mask instead of the one of superiority!” biblical instruction, life-on-life mentoring, and learning “When you go on a trip, you’re not bringing God there through missions and service. Our mission as an evangelical because He already is there. You can pick up where He’s Anabaptist college is to equip servant leaders who will already been working.” follow Jesus, serve the Church and love the world. Your Mis“I cannot believe how amazing the experience was and sion Starts Here!
Steinbach Bible College is committed to training servant leaders and this is evident in Mission Exposure (Mission X).
24 The Messenger • April 2014
Shoulder Tapping EMC Needs* *With any applications for EMC church pastoral positions, candidates are expected to also register a Ministry Information Profile with the EMC Board of Leadership and Outreach, which can be obtained through Erica Fehr, BLO Administrative Assistant, at efehr@emconf.ca or 204-326-6401.
EMC Positions Prairie Grove Fellowship Chapel is looking for a full-time lead pastor. Our congregation consists of about 80 attendees and has a real heart to love God and love people. We are looking for a pastor who has strong preaching and teaching skills and is gifted in relating to the multiple generations of the congregation. He will provide leadership on the ministerial team and serve alongside our half-time youth pastor. A Bible college education and previous pastoral experience are desirable. PGFC is an EMC church located in the growing community of Lorette, Man., 15 minutes southeast of Winnipeg. To apply or for more information, contact Alek at pgfc.search@gmail.com. The ConneXion church in Arborg, Man, a community of one thousand, is currently seeking a half-time pastor. Arborg is in the heart of Manitoba’s Interlake, one hour north of Winnipeg’s perimeter. The church of 25 to 50 adherents is affiliated with the EMC. We practice the values of “BELLS” as we build our community; we seek to bless, eat, listen, learn and send. There is significant opportunity for other part-time employment in the community. Interested applicants should contact the pastoral search committee chair or submit a resume to peter.dueck@vidir.com. We are seeking a faithful Jesus follower with proven leadership skills. Taber EMC is seeking a full-time youth/associate pastor. Candidate should have the ability to plan and oversee a comprehensive youth ministry and oversee associate pastor ministries as arranged by the church leadership. Valuable assets would be skills in sports and music. Contact church board chair Abe Klassen at 403-223-0588 or 403-331-9563. Send resumes to Taber EMC, Box 4348, Taber, AB T1G 2C7 or taberemc@ yahoo.ca.
Hillside Christian Fellowship is looking for a fulltime or interim pastor. Previous experience is preferred and housing is available. Hillside Christian Fellowship is a rural church located on Highway 697 in the Buffalo Head Prairie area, about 25 kms from La Crete in northern Alberta. The industries that drive our community are farming and logging. We have about 50 to 60 people attending on average each Sunday. For information contact Jim Friesen at valley@sis.net or call (work) 780-928-3880 or (cell) 780-926-7717.
La Crete Christian Fellowship is seeking candidates to fill the role of senior pastor. LCCF is located in a beautiful, prosperous farming and logging community in northern Alberta. We are a multi-generational congregation with a strong commitment to missions. Our average Sunday attendance is 450. The senior pastor would be a team member working with and providing general oversight to the associate pastor, youth pastor, office staff, lay minister and a large, supportive ministerial. He would have appropriate Bible college education and preferably a number of years of pastoral experience. He would agree with the EMC Statement of Faith and Church Practices. Duties include, but are not limited to, preaching, teaching, some administration and officiating at various church functions. Information can be found at www.lccfc.ca. Please contact Darryl Olson at darrylwolson@gmail. com or 780-821-0287 if you can serve together with us in this capacity. Roseisle EMC is seeking a full-time pastor starting any time after June. We are a congregation of about 75 people located in a small community about 100 kms southwest of Winnipeg. Housing is available. A more detailed description of our wishes and priorities will be posted soon. For now, please contact Pam or Cam Dyck with any questions. They can be reached at 204-435-2778 or at candpdyck@yahoo.ca. Island Gospel Fellowship, in Burns Lake, BC, is a seeking a full-time youth pastor/outreach worker to build on a growing ministry to youth in the Burns Lake area. Currently there is a group of 50-60 youth attending weekly youth events. Many of these youth are from the community and do not attend any church. A successful candidate should have a passion for outreach and a strong desire to share the love of Jesus; an ability to communicate biblical truths to youth in a relevant way; strong relational skills to connect with youth and work with others; the ability to organize events and involve volunteers; a willingness to partner with camp ministry. For further information or to send us your resume, please contact the search committee at igf@ telus.net or phone 250-692-7551. The Church of Living Water in Tillsonburg, Ont., is seeking a full-time senior pastor. We are a young church with attendance ranging from 70-100. We have a growing children and youth ministry. CLW is seeking a pastoral couple who will live among us to guide and direct the church to deeper and greater ministry in our community. We believe the senior pastor role to be that of a shepherd who guides his congregation, needs to be a strong encourager and a pastor who has passion for God and his people. This is best accomplished by studying and teaching, praying and preaching, and visiting and visioning, all based on God’s Word. Previous pastoral experience is preferred,
and candidate must be in agreement with our EMC Constitution and Statement of Faith. Applications or resumes should be sent to the CLW Board of Elders: Abe Neufeld (chair) abeneufeld@bell.net and David Dyck (vice chair) daviddyck@hotmail.com.
Other Positions Christian summer camp staff needed for underprivileged children’s camp: counsellors, program directors, wranglers, kitchen, secretary, lifeguard, nurses. Brightwood Ranch, near Edmonton, Alta., is a Christian camp for kids from single parent, foster and group homes. One-, two- and four-month positions available. Salary plus room and board. www.hopemission.com/summercamp. Contact us at: bright.wood@ hopemission.com Bergfeld Mennonite Church (EMMC), a rural congregation in southern Manitoba, is looking for a fulltime pastor. We are an evangelical, mission-minded church of about 120. Our church has many strong committees and programs in place, especially a vibrant adult Sunday School. Contact: Bergfeld Mennonite Church, Attn: Pastoral Search Committee, Box 1478, Altona, MB R0G 0B0; abereg@mts.net; 204-324-8283 (ask for Abe). Aylmer EMMC prayerfully seeks a full-time bilingual lead pastor. Our average attendance is 300 to 350. The senior pastor would be a team member working with and providing general oversight to the associate pastors, youth pastor, office staff, lay pastors, board, and other church leaders. Please contact: AEMMC Lead Pastor Search Team: search@aemmc.ca or 519-866-3202 (chair Abe Wiebe). Mid-Way Christian Leadership, based in Thompson, Man., is looking for an adult life coach, youth life coach and office manager. Please email generaldirector.mcl@gmail.com for full job descriptions or inquiries. Inner City Youth Alive, a faith-based youth organization in Winnipeg, Man., is looking for a motorsport director, a dynamic person with strong leadership and organizational skills to work with youth in the race car program, Inner City Motorsport. Knowledge in metalworking, mechanical skills and use of related tools is an asset. If you or someone you know would be interested and qualified, go to www.icya.ca for job details. Forward resume to Don at don@icya.ca.
Where are position ads to be sent? Ministry-related position ads are welcome. Please send all position ads, including pastoral search ads, to messenger@emconf.ca. All ads are to be 150 words or less. All ads can be edited.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 25
Columns • here and far away
Overflowing to wet the feet around me
M I resolve again to allow Him to bless me till the blessings flow over and out from my life to wet the feet of those around me.
26 The Messenger • April 2014
PHOTO: JOCELYN R. PLETT
by Jocelyn R. Plett www.writewhatyousee. wordpress.com
y garden in December through February overflows with growth, bursting out of her borders, plants falling over with heavy blossoms. I’ve come to enjoy the natural display of abundant new life during the time of year we celebrate Christ’s birth. Indeed, the abundant life that overflows from the garden at this time is often too much for this prairie girl to believe. I continue to learn how Christ brings an overflow of abundant life in a similar fashion within me. The more I learn to trust in Christ alone for what I need, and even what I want. I realize that our God is a God who loves to bless us. Wow. It’s stunning at times, when I have the eyes to see it, how God gives me more than I could ever ask or imagine. I’m learning, slowly, to let Him do it. To expect great things from Him. By no means is my life smooth sailing, just as I know most of your life isn’t. The same God who promises that He will bless us also promises that life will be full of trials and tribulations. I confess that my personality tends to view life through dirt-coloured lenses. It’s easy to wake up in the morning and let my heart fall in despair at the thought of yet another day fighting baby-induced-fatigue while parenting three active and often disobedient children while my husband is away on a three-day trip and battling the current heartache that life has brought. Yet when I gaze out the window, treating morning exhaustion with a prescription of strong coffee, I see life spilling out of the confines. Jesus told us that he came to bring life and
that in abundance (John 10: 10). The Psalmist thrills with the realization that as God blesses us our cup overflows (Psalm 23: 5-6). Indeed, when I do a word study on “abundance,” I’m amazed to find how many places within the Word tell of how abundantly God gives to his people. Years ago I heard a pastor speak on this idea of overflow. With a cup-holding volunteer straining to get out of the way, the water the pastor poured with abandon into the cup overflowed and spilled out over the floor and the shoes of his helper. It was surprisingly shocking! I think we’ve learned to expect just-enough-toget-by from our God, despite knowing about His infinite riches and unending love. I resolve again to allow Him to bless me till the blessings flow over and out from my life to wet the feet of those around me. Because of Christ’s birth, his death and resurrection, we have the source of abundant life within us. If we have the eyes to see it, there are blessings and mercies new every morning (Lam. 3:23), spilling over and saturating us daily, soaking the lives of those we come in contact with even as we walk through the valleys of death and crisis, trials, and even the mundane tribulations of daily life.
Columns • stewardship today
Make kids pay for vacation
S
PHOTO: DESIGNPICS
itting on the beach, swimming and building sandcastles all seem like a dream right now as I look out my window at the deep snow banks. Our three children (ages 6, 5 and 2) are dreaming about summer camp, playing in the sun, and bicycling with friends. There’s nothing like a relaxing week with happy kids, good friends, and a beautiful spot in nature. But this dream doesn’t happen without our children’s participation. They are busy saving up money to go to camp, because we make them pay for our family vacations! Sound harsh? Maybe. Sometimes our family and friends wonder how we could ask this of our children, but it works and here’s why: In our house we have been teaching our children to “share, save and spend” as the way we handle money. Most of the time, they are eager to share and spend, but finding motivation to actually inspire saving was hard until last year. Friends of ours went to the Great Wolf Lodge, a hotel with an indoor waterpark. The kids loved the idea of saving their money so they could go. Their savings piggy bank filled quickly and energetically with their Christmas money, birthday money, and money earned doing a few extra tasks around the house.
They saved for six months and came up with $150 needed for this hotel experience. (My bargain hunting made this a little more affordable.) What a rewarding milestone for them and our family as we sat around the table counting their money, and they were able to treat themselves and their parents to a family vacation. Was it hard to take this money from our kids? Yes. It was really difficult, but it was worth it. Now we are saving up for summer family camp. Our kids absolutely have fallen in love with our church camp. Around our house these days the kids are looking in couches for extra money, asking (sometimes) for jobs they can do to earn money, and tucking birthday money away. But they are also tempted by instant gratification. They see a commercial on TV for a new toy and they “need” it. They are faced with a real-world dilemma: do I satisfy my immediate want for a toy, or do I tuck money away for our camp? Our five-yearold always chooses a toy, yet our six-year-old most often chooses to save. It is fun to see their personalities develop. It isn’t a perfect system, but it works for us. Can we afford to do these vacations? Yes, we already had these planned and in our budget, but this turned into a unique way to teach our kids about money.
by Andrew Epp
Was it hard to take this money from our kids? Yes. It was really difficult, but it was worth it.
Andrew Epp is a stewardship consultant in the St. Catharines, Ont., office of Mennonite Foundation of Canada. For information on impulsive generosity, stewardship education, and estate and charitable gift planning, contact your nearest MFC office or visit MennoFoundation.ca.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 27
Columns • kids’ corner
The first Easter
E by Loreena Thiessen
PHOTO: DESIGNPICS
Read the story of the first Easter in Luke 24.
aster is a time of joy. With a happy smile we wish each other “Happy Easter!” We put on something new and family dinner is a feast of ham, eggs, and Easter bread. Spring is here full of the promise of summer. Fresh flowers and new green grass bring bright colours. Birds sing in the trees. New baby animals make us laugh. The first Easter was different. For a time before that first Easter there had been confusion and disappointment. Jesus was the Messiah the people had been waiting for. Now he was here teaching and performing miracles. His followers learned many things. They learned they must become like little children to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 10:15). What Jesus meant was that they must simply believe what he says, not make it too complicated. They learned that instead of sending away the hungry crowd they were able to feed them all with just a small boy’s lunch. John 6:9. Jesus’ power made this happen. Jesus tells them that if they destroy the temple he will rebuild it in three days (John 2:19). Jesus was talking about himself, that he would rise in three days. Even when Jesus explained these things it was confusing. They didn’t fully understand. The most confusing of all were these words, “Where I am going you cannot follow” (John 13:36). Then Jesus said, ”I am the Way” (John 14:6), meaning they must follow him and they will know the way. Jesus’ followers were disappointed too. Jesus came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey as a King would. They believed this meant he would be their ruler and destroy their enemies. Instead he acted as a servant and washed their feet. And he was arrested. Now he was gone. This was not what they expected. They were afraid too. What would happen to them? It was a dark and dreadful time. His followers
28 The Messenger • April 2014
forgot what Jesus had taught them. Together they hid and tried to comfort each other. In their time of disappointment and sadness what a surprise that first Easter Sunday when they found the tomb was empty. Jesus body was not there! It was after they saw him that they remembered. He would rise, he would live again, and he would give them the strength to carry on. The living Jesus came to them so they could see for themselves. He reminded them of his words and now they understood. This was their time of joy. Read the story of the first Easter in Luke 24.
Activity: Go on a Spring Scavenger Hunt Needed: • • •
A good place to walk and observe, like a park, woods, forest, or hiking trail. Camera Notebook, pencil, pencil crayons
Do:
As you walk see if you can find these eight different things: • Three different types of birds; can you tell their names? • Flowers starting to grow; do you know what they are? • A squirrel eating something • Buds growing on a tree or bush • A rabbit • Something rough and something smooth • Look for one yellow item, two red items, and one white item • An animal that is not a squirrel, rabbit, or bird
Reason for doing this activity: • • • •
To get outside and enjoy Spring To practise observing, looking carefully To learn something new To spend time with family or a friend
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