The Messenger Vol. 43 No. 8 April 20, 2005

Salvation More than just a ticket to heaven

The

Messenger EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE VOLUME 43 NUMBER 8 APRIL 20, 2005

The

editorials

Messenger EDITOR Terry M. Smith

Christ’s Spirit and an expanding world

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t Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled the Early Church in the presence of “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5).

The Apostle Paul said to the church at Colossae, “All over the world, this gospel is bearing fruit and growing” (Col. 1:6).

With all due respect, just how wide was their sense of the world?

Were Jewish people in “every nation” under heaven, including in what is now called North America? Were people “all over the world” seeing the fruit of the gospel, including in ancient Scandinavia?

They were not quaint or wrong.

The inspired writers Luke and the apostle Paul were speaking of the gospel’s influence in the world as they knew it. Two thousand years later, the world seems wider to us than these beloved church leaders understood it.

But are we so different? How wide is our sense of the world?

While we talk of “the global village” and

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The question woven into Acts 12

N ACTS 12 King Herod arrests the apostle James and, later, Peter. He has James executed, while Peter escapes from prison by an angel’s intervention.

Then Peter joins Christians praying for him, a group repeatedly skeptical of his release.

We serve a good, caring, sovereign God. At the same time, we can have questions and shy away from simple, clear, easy reasons. Faith in the Crucified and risen Christ is necessary; easy answers aren’t.

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having our borders expanded through mass media, our planet, peoples, and cultures remain so much wider than many of us realize.

God’s Spirit at Pentecost bore witness to Christ’s desire that his witness and his Church extend “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The history of Acts tells of the Church expanding through communities, cultures, and countries until it knocks at the doors of Rome—where, in that part of the world, it was said that “all roads” led. But there remained more paths then— and now.

Along with the wider Church, the EMC is involved in taking Christ’s news to the “ends of the earth” in the Spirit’s power. Thousands of denominations and hundreds of missions are striving to fulfill the Great Commission, with one Spirit guiding us ultimately in this purpose.

O Spirit of Christ, may our sense of the world expand and may your Church grow T in the world! M Terry M. Smith

Why did James die and Peter live? It’s likely people prayed for James as well as for Peter. Both apostles were needed by the Church. James could have had a long history of building and leading the church as did Peter. Yet only one continued to live on earth.

In grappling with God’s sovereignty, we can have questions.

When my father died suddenly in September 2004, some people thought it was providential that I was in Calgary the day he was flown there on medical emergency. Yes, it was. Yet how was it that someone didn’t find him a bit earlier before he was injured?

It’s an ancient question woven into Acts T 12. There’s no clear reason given there. M Terry M. Smith

ASSISTANT EDITOR Rebecca Buhler THE MESSENGER is the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. It is available to the general public. Its purpose is to inform, instruct and inspire: 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. The views and opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Conference or the editors.

THE MESSENGER is published twice a month (once a month in July and August) by the Board of Church Ministries of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 440 Main Street, Steinbach, Manitoba.

Subscriptions: $12 per year (Manitoba residents add 7% PST, total: $12.84). Subscriptions are voluntary and optional to people within or outside of the EMC. In cooperation with the EMC Conference Council, members and adherents pay through their church.

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The magazine and its publisher, the Board of Church Ministries, are obligated to work within the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Mailing information: All correspondence, including undelivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions, should be addressed to: The Messenger 440 Main Street Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 1Z5 Phone: 204-326-6401 Fax: 204-326-1613 E-mail: emcmessenger@mts.net On-line edition available at www.emconf.ca/Messenger

MESSENGER SCHEDULE: No. 10 – May 25 (copy due May 6)

THE MESSENGER

letter

coming events

What sort of Anabaptist?

I was delighted to read that a committee is exploring the “EMC’s relationship to an evangelical Anabaptist theology” [Exploring our theology editorial, March 9, 2005].

In particular, I think it is a good thing to focus on our Anabaptist identity rather than our Mennonite identity. In fact, it strikes me that it is a peculiarly unMennonite thing to do to call ourselves Mennonites. I think that Menno Simons would have been horrified that people would take his name upon the church, as though they were followers of him rather than of Jesus. Like Menno, we aim to be obedient disciples of Jesus, not disciples of Menno.

Identifying ourselves as Anabaptists is helpful, because it draws attention to one of our key beliefs, namely that baptism is a sign which is only appropriate for those who are able to confess personally their union with Christ in his death and resurrection. In that sense, we are really Baptist rather than Anabaptist because we do not believe that this is a second baptism in the case of people who were baptized as infants because of the faith of their parents.

In regard to the Evangelical part of our identity, I am assuming that no one wishes us to give up being evangelical, in the sense of being committed to the good news that God saves sinners through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The main question there is perhaps whether it is redundant to be both Evangelical and Anabaptist, since Anabaptism is by definition commitment to radical obedience to the gospel of Jesus.

If we are serious about examining our Anabaptist identity, however, I wonder if the Conference is ready to reconsider what sort of Anabaptist one has to be as a card-carrying EMCer. Currently, we have a position which identifies us with the kind of Anabaptism that was expressed in the Schleitheim Confession and later affirmed by Menno.

This line of Anabaptism grew up in the situation in Zurich where state and church were allied against the theological dissent of the Anabaptists. There the State used the sword against Anabaptists who were deemed theologically heretical and so it was naturally assumed that Christians should not participate in the State. What resulted was not simply a separation of

April 20, 2005

church and state, which all Anabaptists (or Baptists) affirm, but a separation of Christians from the State.

A different understanding exists in the Anabaptist theology of Balthasar Hubmaier whose experience in Nikolsburg was different from the one encountered in Zurich. There he was able to envision a separation of the Church and the State as distinct institutions while affirming the active involvement of Christians in both of them.

Like the Zurichers, Hubmaier believed that God has given the power of the sword to the State, but he did not believe that Christians who served God in State leadership were prevented from using the sword in fulfilling the role that God has given to the State, the preservation of civil order, including the defense of citizens against attack from another State.

It looks as though the current agenda of the committee is more limited, namely an examination of the significance of being Evangelical and Anabaptist. Along the way, however, perhaps a broader examination may develop and we might ask ourselves how much of our traditional association with a particular historical form of Anabaptism (Schleitheim and Menno) we wish to insist upon as essential to our identity as a company of followers of Jesus. Or, maybe not. Just wondering.

Terry Tiessen Kleefeld, Man.

Volunteer for a workteam!

May 26–June 10

Caaguazu, Paraguay Training Centre construction Roof and ceiling, electrical Individual cost: About $2,100 (includes airfare from Winnipeg) For applications or information contact: Lester Olfert EM Conference office 204-326-6401 lolfert@mts.net emconf@mts.net

April 28 Life @ Work: Equipping leaders for marketplace impact Evening simulcast Steinbach Bible College Steinbach, Man. www.maximumimpact.com/mis 204-326-6451 April 29 Abundant Springs Worship Night 20one Rosenort Fellowship Chapel Rosenort, Man. 204-326-6401 April 30 House of Doc Benefit Concert for MCC’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder program Douglas Mennonite Church Winnipeg, Man. 204-298-4359 or 204-783-0897 May 14 Retirement celebration for Dr. John J. Friesen Canadian Mennonite University Winnipeg, Man. 204-487-3300 May 20–23 Abundant Springs 2005 Cascade Caronport, Sask.

204-326-6401 May 27–28 All Women’s Day Speaker: Elizabeth George Providence College Otterburne, Man. 204-433-7488 ext. 256 June 16 11th Annual EMC Golf Classic Steinbach Fly-In Golf Course Steinbach, Man. 204-947-7185 or 204-326-7000 July 1–3 2005 EMC Convention Speaker Rod Masterson Finding Calm in Chaos Peace River Bible Institute Sexsmith, Alta.

204-326-6401 July 2–8 Mysterious Providence Arts Camp 2005 for grades 7–12 Providence College Otterburne, Man. 204-433-7488 ext. 260

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DEATH and life for Christ

Salvation on the Cross

and the Christian

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F THERE is anything we Christians like to talk and think about it is salvation.

How thoroughly do we understand the salvation message?

We are born once of the flesh, and need to be born again of the spirit as Jesus told Nicodemus.

Why? So that we can be fully alive as the original Adam was fully alive: body, soul, and spirit.

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Jake Enns, Wymark EMC Over the past few years of my pastoral ministry I have experienced what for me has been amazing growth in my understanding and experience of salvation.

Many of us can recall growing up in the church often hearing a phrase something like: “You need to get saved so that you can go to heaven when you die.” It was my belief that this was the singularly most important truth of salvation. This truth carried me through baptism and church membership as a teenager, through Bible college and seminary as a young adult, and into church ministry as a pastor.

My goal had to change I understood that my goal as a Christian was first to make sure that I was going to heaven, and then to try to get as many others to join me as I possibly could. I don’t think it would be wrong to conclude that this is the most commonly held perspective of salvation in the evangelical church of North America today, and it is a good one. But there is more to salvation than that.

Some five years ago I decided to do a bit of a study on heaven. Let me show you what I found. It confused me at the time: “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:5–6). These verses did not fit my “when I die I will go to heaven” belief system. This verse (see also Colossians 3:1–3) clearly uses past tense to declare that the Christian, at the moment of salvation, is seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

This was a novel truth for me. But then I noticed something else. I was dead, then made alive together with Christ, then raised up with Christ, then seated in heavenly places with Christ. The how of it is found at the end of verse 6—because the Christian is in Christ. Romans 6:1–11 teaches the same truth. We are all born dead. That is, we are born spiritually dead, though we are physically alive.

The dead spirit we are born with is the dead spirit that we inherited from Adam because he died spiritually as God declared “the day you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

THE MESSENGER

So Adam died the very day he ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. His death was spiritual; that direct intimate connection between his spirit and the Spirit of God that he was created with had been broken. He was spiritually alone and dead though his body lived on for many years.

As spiritual heirs of Adam, of the same Spiritual gene pool if you will, we are all born dead. Every human needs salvation, more than forgiveness, to come back to life.

We are born once of the flesh, and need to be born again of the spirit as Jesus told Nicodemus.

Why? So that we can be fully alive as the original Adam was fully alive: body, soul, and spirit (physically, psychologically, and spiritually). That is, salvation in the here and now, not merely salvation for the great heaven beyond.

More than a one-way ticket Salvation then is not just getting my one-way ticket to heaven. According to Romans 6, at salvation we were baptized into Christ Jesus, meaning we were baptized into his death (verse 3). This can only be a spiritual event as those of us reading this article were born roughly 2,000 years after Jesus’ physical death and there is no record of Jesus receiving a physical baptism when he physically died.

Spiritual truth, about the core of who Jesus is and what he did to save us and who we are in him, is being taught. Verse 4 in Romans 6 says that after we were baptized into Jesus’ death we were buried with Him. There is no confusion possible here, as Jesus was only buried once. Then Romans 6:5 goes on to teach that in salvation we are united with Jesus and so “we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Jesus was April 20, 2005

resurrected some 2,000 years ago; therefore, as one who is saved and hence united with Christ, the Christian has already undergone resurrection with Christ.

New life indeed! The old has been crucified and all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). As Galatians 2:20 also makes clear: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

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he cross is central to the salvation question. At salvation something dead (our spirit) is made alive in Christ, and something alive of us is crucified.

What of me died on the cross of Christ? This was my next question. Thankfully Paul answers this question: “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died (been crucified) has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6–7).

The old self is crucified in order that one’s slavery to sin might be done away with. In other words, we are all born in Adam as slaves to Sin, as slaves to Sin we are crucified with Christ, and Jesus becomes our new master even our very life. “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

Beyond efforts to stop sinning This brings us to our side of the salvation equation.

I grew up with the understanding that it was God’s job to save me and forgive me, and it was my job to stop sinning.

I believed that God gave me an example in Jesus concerning how I was to stop sinning, but it was up to me to do it.

But no matter how hard I tried I still kept on sinning, more and more. In

Salvation then is not just getting my one-way ticket to heaven. According to Romans 6, at salvation we were baptized into Christ Jesus, meaning we were baptized into his death (verse 3).

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fact, whenever I renewed my serious commitment to try harder to live better, I failed. Time and again this cycle brought me to despair. This is a common experience, not unique to me.

I have since learned that the solution had nothing to do with my effort, how well I could get myself to behave, but everything to do with relationships. This answer is also found in Romans 6:22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (see also Romans 7:6).

The Christian has been set free from sin because he or she is no longer under the law. “Do you not

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know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death or of obedience…having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:16–18).

In other words, living the saved life is not about trying hard not to sin, for that would mean that my mind is set on my former master whom I was crucified to, but that I live under the mastery of righteousness which is found in Christ who is my new life. The simplicity of trusting in Jesus to live through me, as Christ permitted the Father to live through him, is so simple it defies imagination and the result is nothing short of amazing!

God, in Christ, did this to do much more than merely get me into heaven some day when my body dies. No, God’s plan from the start was to get himself out of heaven and into me.

What a fantastically original plan that is. No person could T think that up. M Pastor Jake Enns began serving at Wymark EMC in August 2004.

He is married to Katharina (nee Reimer) and they have four children: Kyro, Kacylia, Natalia, Jaris. Jake trained as a finish carpenter before obeying God’s call to pastoral ministry. He holds BRS (Steinbach Bible College) and MTS (Heritage Theological Seminary) degrees. He previously served as pastor of Christian Centre Fellowship (Mennonite Brethren) in Thompson, Man.

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THE MESSENGER

a woman s journey of faith

1

Betty Koop

First Impressions

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ODAY I am looking at a dainty, handcrafted ivory pitcher enhanced with delicate flowers.

We bought it on one of our “need to get away” trips into South Africa when life was just too busy in our home in Lesotho. It reminds me of another trip to Bloomfontein, South Africa, under very different circumstances.

We had just finished having lunch at one of the local hotels. Outside I looked up to see if our car was still there. A bad mistake! I missed a step off the sidewalk, twisted my ankle and fell heavily on my right knee.

The pain was excruciating and I knew it was more than a simple graze. Glen got help from the hotel; fortunately an orthopedic specialist was there to arrange a wedding reception for his daughter. He took one look and ordered that I be put to bed to combat shock. A hotel room was opened and I was carried through the crowded lobby on a stretcher.

After some rest, another visit from the doctor, a ride in the back of the hotel’s combie (van) to a small hospital just across the border into South Africa, x-rays and very kind attention from the staff, I found myself in a hospital room with nothing to read.

Everything was in Afrikaans, the local language (based on Dutch but modified a lot over the years). A very kind nurse, who realized my dilemma, sent someone to her home to get me some English Reader’s Digests.

Talk about going the second mile!

My knee and leg were splinted and heavily bandaged. X-rays had shown that I had fractured my kneecap and torn several tendons. The next day Glen took me to see an orthopedic surgeon in Bloomfontein. The upshot of that visit was admittance to the hospital with repair surgery done at five that evening.

The nurse who admitted me came to my bed in the ward. She was rather curt and unfriendly, it seemed to me. I didn’t think I’d had time to do anything to offend her; I knew enough not to call her “nurse” which would have been highly insulting since that meant a student nurse. Once you have your degree, you are a “sister.”

She did get my papers filled out, but with no smile and little warmth. I rather hoped I wouldn’t see her again.

I was in a lot of pain that night and was very happy for the morphine that sent me flying sky high! When

April 20, 2005

the surgeon appeared in the morning, he said a few words to me in English, and then spoke in Afrikaans to the sister who accompanied him.

Soon she was back, carrying what looked like a saw.

It was a saw! The lady in the next bed had understood what the doctor said, so she kindly filled me in. The nurse was to cut a hole into the cast over the knee area so that the incision could be dressed each day.

She did just that, with Glen assisting. She applied a very soothing but icky looking ointment, covered it with gauze, and closed the hole with more bandages.

That first day after surgery was not the greatest, but the staff who took care of me were very kind and considerate.

I had been told that the dressing would have to be changed the next day, and that they would remove the two drainage tubes inserted into my knee. I wasn’t looking forward to that, since I was sure the gauze would be tightly stuck to my incision and the tubes would have fused to my skin by then.

The next day when it was time for this procedure, I was quite dismayed when I saw the admission sister walk in, grim-faced and unsmiling. I cringed inwardly.

This was going to be painful.

She undid the bandages, and with utmost gentleness removed the dressing. The tubes were removed quickly, but expertly, so I felt little pain.

As she applied new ointment and dressings, we started to chat. Her English was quite adequate, if not very fluent. Certainly it was 100 percent better than my Afrikaans! But she confided that she was quite embarrassed about her English, so she had talked to me as little as possible when she admitted me. She had been afraid of me. We were good friends by the time she moved to the next patient.

How often do we let first impressions negatively influence our view of another person? I learned a lesson that day, which, unfortunately, I’ve had to relearn frequently: Never write off someone when you first meet. It’s very possible that this person will have a positive influence if you let her. Maybe even become a friend.

God sees all persons as having great worth. As His T followers, can we do any less? M

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with our missionaries

Missionary transitions

Judy and Dave Schmidt (Rosenort EMC) returned to Paraguay on February 4 for another term of service. Their ministry is primarily with AMAR (ministry to persons living with AIDS) and also in church planting.

Chris and Revita Kroeker (Rosenort EMC), with Cory, Stefan and Daniela, returned to Paraguay on March 4 for another term of service. Chris serves as Director of Radio Mensajero. They are also involved in ministries in the Tres Palmas church.

Please pray for each one in their continued ministry

To register, call Duane Penner (204-947-7185) or Gary Reimer (204-326-7000)

Oaxaca, Mexico

Peter and Anne Wiebe (Vanderhoof) left their ministry in Mexico on March 31 to begin their retirement. They have returned to their home community in Vanderhoof, B.C.

Catherine Thiessen (Mennville) retired from years of ministry in Mexico on April 6. She is taking up residence in Blumenort, Man.

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Plunged into Hebrews and asking for prayer

A bird is singing lustily in the pine trees towering high above the office where we are working. We stop briefly to listen to its cheerful melody, wondering what kind of bird it is and what has prompted it to break into song. Upon reflection we note that every afternoon at about this time, we hear it singing in the trees.

A Zapotec colleague and I are attending a three-week workshop on the book of Hebrews at SIL’s centre in Mitla, Oaxaca, in southern Mexico.

We, along with 32 others—expatriates and speakers of twelve of the native languages of Mexico—are systematically working our way through the book of Hebrews under the direction of one of our more experienced colleagues. We spend four hours together in class each morning and the rest of the day working in our language groups.

My colleague does not have much experience as a translator, having served mostly as the backtranslator of several books of scripture in Aloapam Zapotec. (A back translator reads the Zapotec text and translates it back into Spanish, which helps identify points of miscommunication.)

To be dumped headlong into revising a book as difficult as Hebrews is a real challenge for her and for me. I’m used to working with Zapotecs who know the Scriptures well and have a lot of experience as translators. With them I serve as a consultant, asking questions and making suggestions, but leave the final rendering of the scripture in their hands. Now I have a lot more responsibility for how we will actually translate a verse. It’s not a role with which I am very comfortable.

THE MESSENGER

What a wonderful book Hebrews is!

Again and again we’re hearing about Jesus and how perfectly able he is to save us from the power of sin. I have been praying that the words of Hebrews would affect us both in the translation process.

Would you join me in praying for us and that God will raise up more Zapotecs to get involved in the translation project?

In the last year or so, as we have limped along without the help of the two best Zapotec translators, I have often found myself wondering how this job is ever going to get done. Perhaps the better prayer request would be for contentment for me. I would like to be more like that bird in the tree, singing just for the sheer joy of it.

Grace Thiessen

Grace Thiessen (Steinbach EMC) serves with SIL, an organization dedicated to training, language research, translation and literacy (it is a partner to Wycliffe) She was been working for twenty years to translate Scripture into Zapotec, a language spoken by 500,000 people in Oaxaca, a southern state.

with our churches

Praising the Lord for zeal, leadership, and unity Rosenort (Man.) EMC: Just before the New Year, the membership prayerfully called out and affirmed three men for spiritual leadership training. Greg and Lynette Kroeker, Trevor and Rebekah Friesen, and Alex Loewen agreed with enthusiasm. We hope to continue to be an encouragement to them in the years to come. Thanks to Ed and Anne Loewen, Rudy and Joanne Brandt, and Jake and Diana Dueck for their years of service in the ministry of caregiving and ministerial leadership as deacons. Pray for our fellowship as we call others to serve in this ministry.

We were pleased to accept David and Judy Schmidt as members before their return to Paraguay. We will continue to support and pray for them in their challenging ministry. Their son Marvin and wife Heidi, with two children, have

A few of our youngest musicians sing Hosanna on Easter morning, waving their palm branches vigourously.

April 20, 2005

just moved to our community from Paraguay and we welcome them.

Several of our college age youth have served or are serving in shortterm missions this past year, including Trevor and Rebekah Friesen in the Congo; Andrea Dueck in South Africa; Joel Brandt, Olivia Penner, and Wendy Schmidt in Guatemala; and Alex Loewen in Ukraine. Members from our church have served with MDS in Florida and gave a report on February 13 at Heritage Apartments.

Carol Loewen and Patty Loewen continue to lead a Morning Out for Young Moms on Wednesdays at our church.

Various workshops have been held such as Making Easter Bread by Laura Siemens, Card-making by Erika Friesen, and Crocheting by Sherri-Lee Pauls.

Devotionals are on topics like Surviving Marriage with Children by Naomi Dueck.

Our Church Family Day on March 13 was well attended and we enjoyed skating, broomball and table games. Best, of course, was the delicious supper that was served by the Ladies Fellowship. Dr. Roger Gingrich was our speaker for both our morning and evening service, and he and his wife were a real encouragement to us.

Lorilee Scharfenberg

A combined adult and children’s choir celebrated our risen Saviour in song.

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Ministers retreat, battalion maneuvers Kleefeld, Man.: Ministers and deacons of Kleefeld EMC met at Camp Arnes February 18–20 to accomplish three tasks. The first task was to retreat from the daily grind and get to know each other and bond as a team in a relaxed setting. Second, to receive some practical teaching from Dave Reimer, one of the ministers. He spoke to the group on the Seven deadly sins of meetings, How to sabotage a meeting, and other helpful topics. Third, they met to talk about setting a vision for the church. Each of these tasks was achieved successfully.

However, it was agreed by many that one of the memorable events of the weekend was the Saturday night sharing time. A good amount of time was spent opening up to and praying for each other. Prepared testimonies were presented by Clara Koop, Art Kornelsen, and Sharon Klassen. Pastor Darryl Klassen reported that it was a very balanced weekend, well worth the time spent in preparing for and participating in it.

Battalion 3542 left early Friday morning, February 18, for a retreat at All People’s Church at Falcon Lake.

Nineteen boys and five leaders were kept busy with activities like bocci ball, street hockey, movies, chess, Pit and other card games, and cross country skiing. Cooking was a new experience for some, and the Friday supper of chicken and baked potatoes was appreciated.

Devotional topics were centred around Why Study? to develop discipleship in Bible study, along with encouragement through the use of Christian biography and church history. Music was led by members of the youth praise group. Saturday was filled with skiing and snowboarding at nearby Falcon Lake Ski Resort, followed by more eating, devotions, games, and a bit of sleeping.

A hearty breakfast was provided on Sunday morning. After cleanup, they left to arrive just in time for our morning service. Captain Bruce Peters reported that it was a great weekend for building relationships, enjoying each other’s company indoors and outdoors, and for doing a little thinking on the side.

Louella Friesen

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Kleefeld EMC held a baptism on February 6: (front) Ian Isaac, Zac Friesen, Will Naylor, Derek Bergen, Kris Clarke, (back) Teri Kuhl, Mallory Paydli, Pastor Darryl Klassen.

The congregation was blessed to receive new members by transfer: Helena and Doug Koop, Darlene and Myron Penner, and Rosie Zacharias.

Parent-child dedication service

Crestview (Winnipeg, Man.): On October 24, 2004, Pastor Vern and Lana Knutson dedicated themselves to raise their daughter Olivia Grace with Christian understanding in the desire that she grow up to serve the Lord. Ministerial members Beth Braun (youth director) and Bernie Driedger (deacon) were involved in the service.

Darlene Wiebe

THE MESSENGER

Journeys with Jesus Roseisle, Man.: Our winter kids club took us on several Journeys With Jesus, the theme for our after-school club program.

This year’s club ran from January 20 to March 3 from 4:30 to 5:30. Forty children in Grades K to 6 were registered, with top attendance being 35. This was quite a dramatic increase from previous years, so that was pretty exciting.

Through a variety of lessons and stories, we learned about: Obedience: God wants us to follow the instructions in the Bible.

Reverence: We acknowledge God’s greatness and respect His holiness and power.

Discipleship: We can learn Christ-like attitudes and actions from Jesus.

Faithfulness: We are faithful to God when we make choices that please Him. Trust: God is completely trustworthy.

Hope: God is in control and will bring good from all things.

Special visitors each week also included some puppet friends, Bartholomule and Gouda the Goat. They introduced each day’s lesson.

Throughout the hour that the kids spent at club each Thursday, they participated in active games that reinforced the lesson, prepared snacks that were a reminder of the Bible truth, created scrapbooks that showed how God could work in their lives all year round and made Bible treasures to take home as reminders of the Bible stories.

To close our time together, we got to see God at work in science and in our lives through the antics and experiments of Igor, our mad scientist. He always managed to cause quite a bit of excitement.

Our club finale took place on March 3. The kids, and an army of volunteers, cooked and served a delicious spaghetti supper for parents and other Club kids listen to the day’s Bible story.

Igor (Pastor Kelly Lesser) involves one of the club kids in an experiment.

invited guests. We entertained our guests with several of the kids’ favourite songs, a slide show, and a final appearance by Igor. Over 90 people attended our supper, which was a new record.

We are thankful for the opportunity that we were given to share God’s Word with so many children. Our prayer is that they will continue to take to heart and live out the lessons they learned and grow to love God more and have a desire to be like Him. Eleanor Friesen Sunday School Superintendent Reporter: Lyndsey Bourgeois

Riverton youth are impressive!

Riverton, Man.: “The glory of young men is their strength” (Proverbs 20:29).

The energy and vitality of youth is truly an inspiration, and the Riverton Gospel Chapel youth are no exception. Whether spending nights on a hard church floor or on the slopes of Aessissippi ski resort, their spirits soar.

Because they are our future, we look for ways to encourage and support them.

A fundraising event on Valentine’s Day was one of those moments. Together with parental leadership they provided adults with an opportunity for an evening out, complete with a full-course meal. Their point of need? Attendance at Abundant Springs.

Do we encourage and support them?

Absolutely. Opportunities that exist to teach and instruct need to be pursued.

Consequently, we find the necessity to dedicate ourselves to provide a spiritual environment for our children in order to help them to become true believers.

This was the tone and focus of our pastor’s message at the parent-child dedication held here on March 13. We

April 20, 2005

were reminded of the importance of It is my wish that your life as a family family, and our responsibility for our may truly reflect joy and laughter in children and their well-being. Pastor building precious memories with family Don Timmons conducted the service and friends. with sensitivity, and provided a relaxed Carol Kornelsen environment for children and parents alike.

Our children are gone from home.

There are no school lunches to prepare and no bus to catch, but I love what I hear in my walls. As Bob Benson said in his poem Laughter in the Walls: “Every corner/Every room/ Every nick/In the coffee table/Will be crowded with memories…And Peg and I will sit/Quietly by the fire/And listen Pastor Don and Diane Timmons, Jonathon and Pat Sigurdson (with Mercedes), to the laughter in the and Steve and Lori Weber (with Emma) participated in a March 13 parentchild dedication. walls.”

11

stewardship today Mike Strathdee

Stewardship: more than the harvest

O

N the rare occasions when conversations in a church setting turn to congregational or individual stewardship, attention often gravitates to tangible outcomes. How much money has been raised? How much are we likely to be short compared to budget?

Sadly, for many, stewardship equates to nothing more than fundraising.

To put this in agricultural terms, most eyes are fixed squarely on the harvest—bringing in the sheaves and filling the granary. If the church views stewardship solely as fundraising to meet the current year’s budget, there is considerable danger of longer term crop failure.

Much greater attention, over-emphasis even, needs to be paid to preparing the soil, pest control, sowing and cultivation.

Frequently when my phone has rung in recent months, conversations have centred on situations where people don’t have the tools they need to beat back the weeds of oppressive debt. Far from knowing how to wield a hoe or sprayer, some people don’t even see the wisdom of having these tools at hand.

We need to create sufficient trust and community that people aren’t afraid or ashamed to ask for help.

We all need to find people to be accountable to. Those who most need help will be afraid or ashamed to seek help unless we regularly promote the availability of assistance.

Can our elders or deacons take training so they know how to help others? Financial literacy should be part of baptismal and marriage counseling courses.

Congregations would do well to run personal finances courses at least every few years.

Low interest rates have created far too easy credit.

The pain of poor choices will certainly intensify over the next year or two as borrowing costs rise to more traditional levels.

Don’t look for a harvest from over-extended people who can’t get their credit card bills and other carrying costs under control. There is little room for giving, let alone joyful giving, if the field is overgrown with weeds.

Many among us need some basic financial know-how, 12

and need to exercise some spending restraint.

Furthermore, we need to remember whose field we are tending in the first place. Regular proclamation of the biblical truths that the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it (Psalm 24) can and should lead to discussions about what it means to be faithful in our use of the three Ts—time, talent and treasure.

Teaching children and people reaching various milestones in life how to use the tools they need to live healthy lives will greatly improve our chances of putting bountiful harvests to work for God’s kingdom in decades to come.

More importantly, we’ll be found faithful.

Finally, let’s focus on tending the soil for the longterm. Modeling good habits and growing a good crop by sharing our stories, being in dialogue about money and how it affects us must be a regular part of the church season, not just a few weeks before budget T year-end. M For stewardship education and services, contact your nearest Mennonite Foundation of Canada office: Abbotsford – Dave Kroeker, 1-888-212-8608; Calgary – Gary Sawatzky, 1-877-717-0708; Winnipeg – Edwin Friesen, 1-800-772-3257; Niagara – Darren Pries-Klassen; 1888-212-8731, Kitchener – Mike Strathdee, 1-888-212-7759.

THE MESSENGER

FRANCES FAST 1955–2005 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God (Psalm 90:1–2).

On January 18, 2005, Frances turned 50. Fifty is a time to look back over a person’s life and acknowledge her many gifts and accomplishments, knowing full well that she is human, full of faults and foibles, far from perfect, never will be perfect. Sadly, however, this is a tribute to mark Frances’ death on January 26, 2005, and without her living self present among us, heaping on the accolades doesn’t work. Doing so would put us in danger of losing the reality of who she really was. Better, then, to look back over Frances’ life and note some of the pieces that were important to making her the person she became.

In the early 1990s Frances visited Los Jagueyes (Quellen Colony) in Chihuahua, Mexico. Here she checked out her birthplace and her first home, which today is only a cement tile floor in a cow pasture. The walls of the adobe house are all washed away but, across the creek, the farm where our grandparents lived is still in operation. Frances started her life in 1955, at the end of three happy years of her parents’ life in Mexico—in the dust; the bright, hot sunshine; and the wide open spaces.

In her early 20s, Frances was a student at Mennonite Brethren Bible College. Here, after being bored during most of her elementary and high school education, she was suddenly immersed in challenging content. At MBBC, she acquired a great deal of knowledge about the Bible, enough to dip into for the rest of her life. She also learned that the Bible could be taken apart and examined, and that it was plenty strong enough to hold its own in the face of rigorous questioning.

April 20, 2005

When Frances was 25 she went to Papua New Guinea. Here she worked for two years in a National Geographic setting for Wycliffe Bible Translators, an organization that attracted others like her: devout young adults who were ready for adventure. She also met older, pioneer missionaries, some wonderful, others not so wonderful. From one of the wonderful ones she learned that all cultures are valid and that cultures are made up of ordinary people, not National Geographic photos.

In PNG, Frances also discovered that she had the ability to become a writer, a serious writer who one day might be published. Later, at the University of Winnipeg, her study of English literature marked the beginning of her career as a student and teacher of literature, and as a writer.

Later, over the course of several years at the Association for Community Living in Steinbach, Man., and much more recently at El Dad Ranch, Frances worked with clients with mental disabilities. As part of her work, she attended a conference with Jean Vanier, who taught her that people can only be whole when they know that who they are, what they are, and how they are, is loved. This was also the case with herself, Frances claimed. She could only be her best when she was loved.

Finally, studying post-colonial literature at Queens and the University of Toronto was another time of discovery for Frances in the late 1990s. Groups of people, whose voice had not been represented in novels about their own countries, were telling their own stories from their perspective. Here began Frances’ passion for hearing the voices of all, drawing out from people what they had to say for themselves.

Today, Frances leaves behind a gaping hole, and we will miss her excruciatingly.

Her mother Tina; her brothers and sisters, Douglas, Emily, Harold, Julene, Kerry, Lesley, Merle, Rosabel, and Viola; her sisters- and brothers-in-law, Alfrieda, Allen, Bob, Ted, Rick, and Marianne; her nieces and nephews, Jordan, Anicka and John, Kara and Karin, Stephanie and Mary Jane, Peter and Alex, Bronwyn and Cressida, Katherine and Joseph; Ingrid, Thomas, Ciaran, and Irian; her uncles and aunts; her church; her cousins and her friends.

We will miss her faults and foibles, and we will also miss her more saintly qualities: her ability to forgive, her suredness about things she knows to be true, her quickness to support and encourage, and her wisdom.

Her Family

Guilty re o m no

Jesus,

I have sinned.

How can I ever repay for all the wrong I’ve caused?

How can I correct the mistakes I’ve made?

I wallow in my guilt, head low, sin-sick, So sad is my life.

Will I ever be happy again?

Then I hear You call my name.

I look up into Your gentle eyes.

Despite my guilt Your hand is stretched out in love and forgiveness.

Jesus,

You took my sins upon you.

You were willing to pay for more sin Yourself So now I am guilty no more.

Laura Plett Siemens Kola, Man.

Come, See What God Has Done!

Copies of this book celebrating 50 years of EMC missions can be purchased from the Conference office. Call 204-326-6401 or order online at www.emconf.ca. Books are $10 each, plus any mailing costs.

13

IRVIN PETER THIESSEN 1938–2005 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies (John 11:25).

On January 29 the Lord Jesus in His grace reached down and welcomed Irvin into his glorious kingdom, freed at last from pain and suffering.

Irvin was born at Main Centre, Sask., on August 13, 1938, the fourth of five children of Henry and Helen Thiessen.

When he was four, the family moved to a farm near MacGregor, Man., and later northwest of Austin.

When revival swept through the little congregation at MacGregor in 1951, Irwin was one of many young people who made

their commitment to Christ. Singing in the choir became a weekly highlight, and practicing on his guitar filled many evening hours. He enjoyed not only gospel music, but also the country western styles of Wilf Carter, Johnny Cash, and others.

Throughout his life Irvin demonstrated loyalty to his church, serving as a choir member, in quartets and music groups, and later as choir director and song leader.

Soon after Irvin met Evelyn Klassen from the Pine Creek district, a romance developed, leading to their marriage on April 16, 1961. Following several years of employment, Irvin and Evelyn purchased a farm in 1965 in the Forestville district, where they resided for almost 40 years.

Besides farming, Irvin drove a school bus for 25 years. The Lord blessed Irvin and Evelyn with a chosen family: Grant in 1967 and Linette in 1970. His children were huge highlight in Irvin’s life, and remained, with their spouses and children, its sunshine always.

Irvin showed love and acceptance to everyone, and he and Evelyn enjoyed visiting with young and old alike, as well as attending social events. Irvin’s quick wit enlivened many conversations.

Irvin enjoyed excellent health until almost two years ago when he began to suffer the effects of cancer. His recovery

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last year, following a series of chemo treatments, led him to believe that he was free. During the summer they moved into their retirement home in Austin.

Although the cancer came back, he never showed bitterness, anger or frustration.

Throughout his illness he minimized his pain and suffering, not wanting to burden his family, true to his unselfish nature.

Irvin was predeceased by his mother Helen in 1994 and his father Henry in 1997.

He leaves to cherish his memory, Evelyn, his beloved and loving wife; his children and grandchildren Grant and Anne of Austin, and Linette and Terry Giesbrecht, Clinton, Kayla and Kyle of Winnipeg. He will also be missed by his brother Marvin (Wendy) and three sisters, Lenora (John) Kauenhofen, Elvina (Menno) Hamm, and Eva (Reuben) Friesen and their families; and Evelyn’s sisters and their families, as well as many relatives and friends.

Although we miss our loved one deeply, our sorrow is lightened by the sure hope of being reunited with him in heaven, for which he also expressed a strong desire.

We wish to thank everyone for their expressions of love: prayers, cards, and acts of kindness. May God bless you all!

The funeral service for Irvin Thiessen was held on Wednesday, February 2, in MacGregor EM Church, with interment in Austin Cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to Clarke’s Funeral Home, MacGregor.

His Family

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14

THE MESSENGER

shoulder tapping Are you a church planter? Are you a visionary person with entrepreneurial abilities? Do you have a passion for God and an ability to relate to the culture around you? Are you flexible and adaptable? Perhaps God has uniquely gifted you to be a church planter. E-mail Peter and Trudy Dueck at tpdueck@mts.net to discover more about the qualifications and the opportunities for church planting in Canada.

Endeavour Fellowship Chapel in east-central Saskatchewan, with a congregation of about 50, is currently looking for a pastor. Contact Tom Treen (Elders’ Chairman) at 306-547-3383 or tdpromise@sasktel.net.

What are you doing this summer? Summer staff positions available at Inner City Youth Alive, 418 Aberdeen Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2W 1V7. Phone 204-582-8779; e-mail icya@mts.net; www. innercityyouthalive.org.

Mennville EMC, a rural church near Riverton, Man., seeks a half-time youth leader/pastor to give spiritual leadership and be a program director for a youth group of approximately 25 to 30. Contact Kenton Barkman, Box 576, Riverton, MB R0C 2R0. Phone 204-378-5623 or e-mail kenton@mts.net.

Hague Gospel Church (EMMC) seeks a senior pastor. HGC is a young, growing church with about 100 regular attendees. It is located in Hague, Sask. Contact Pastor Search Committee, Box 577, Hague, SK S0K 1X0, or e-mail willie.unger@comcocontrols.com.

La Crete Christian Fellowship seeks a full-time youth pastor, an energetic leader with vision who has a geniune love and passion to reach out to young people and the ability to be a partner with us to build a strong ministry with the young people in our congregation and community.

To find out more about La Crete and the church, see www.lacretechamber.com; www.telusplanet.net/public/lccfc; e-mail: lccfc@telus.net or lfem@telus.net; phone: Frank Winsor at LCCF, 780-928-3783.

MacGregor (Man.) EMC is seeking a full-time pastor to minister to a congregation of about 140 people. The applicant must be able to relate well to all age groups. Contact Bruce Unger at 204-6853177, e-mail bruceunger@mts.net, or by mail to Pastoral Search Committee, c/o MacGregor EMC, Box 133, MacGregor, MB R0H 0R0.

Continental Mission, Inc., seeks a director.

Working largely with First Nations people in northern Manitoba, this 63-year-old faith mission seeks a visionary team player with a heart for Native ministry. Many opportunities for ministry exist, and the mission is ready to be taken to the next level.

The director will give overall leadership, overseeing a staff of about 20 missionaries.

Candidates should have ministry and administrative experience. The director is

April 20, 2005

expected to relocate to Thompson, Man., a city that serves as a hub for much of the mission’s activities. Contact: Mel Friesen at CMI, 159 Cree Road, Thompson, MB R8N 0C2; phone 204-778-4491; e-mail cmi@mts.net

work! Contact Terry Smith, executive secretary, at 204-326-6401 or emcmessenger@mts.net.

Red Rock Bible Camp is recruiting spring and summer staff. For a complete listing, contact rrbc@redrockbiblecamp.com. Two particular positions are as follows: photovideographer (bursary plus support) and assistant cook (salary plus support).

Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission seeks an executive director/financial manager to serve the Burkina Faso Partnership Council. This position requires administrative skills, experience with missions in Africa, and an ability to work with expatriate and national personnel. French and English are required and Jula would be a definite asset.

For information contact Len Barkman at emclen@mts.net or 204-326-6401.

Call Mennonite Disaster Service (Winnipeg, Man., office 866-261-1274) about volunteering short-term (one to three weeks) and long term (one month or more) or check the website at www. mds.mennonite.net for current opportunities.

Construction or cooking experience is helpful, but not necessary for bringing hope back to the lives of disaster survivors. All ages 18 and over are welcome.

Fourteen school teachers are needed to serve in an international/national K–S4 school in Kabul, Afghanistan. The school currently has 72 students and 6 teachers, but a new campus and school are being built to accommodate more teachers and students (currently turned away).

Teachers are preferred to come with support from their churches and friends. Contact Len Barkman at emclen@mts.net or 204-326-6401.

MCC Manitoba seeks an executive director qualified to provide dynamic leadership. This administrative team leader will work with staff and board to provide vision and structure to Manitoba’s program within the broader MCC context. A commitment to MCC’s mission and goals is needed. The position is in Winnipeg. For information call Ron Loeppky at 204-261-6381.

Send resumes to MCC Manitoba, Executive Director Search Committee, 134 Plaza Drive, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9, or email to ronloeppky@mennonitecc. ca. Application deadline is May 15, 2005.

Targeting tentmakers! Are you willing to pursue your vocation in a new setting so that you can more fully use your gifts in the church? Do you have a passion to help those without hope to find Christ, and to be people of integrity in a new community? Are you a team builder? Consider the opportunities available as a tentmaker in a new church plant. E-mail Peter and Trudy Dueck for information at tpdueck@mts.net.

Elim Mennonite Church, about 150 people in Niverville, Man., seeks a full-time senior pastor. It has active English and German ministries and a range of programs. Primary responsibilities include preaching, teaching, administration, counseling, visitation, and community and conference involvement. They seek Bible teaching, a passion for outreach and discipleship, and a desire to lead a crosscultural group. German is an asset, not a requirement.

Contact Darlene Redekop, Box 1062, Niverville, MB R0A 1E0; phone 204-388-6667; or e-mail darlene_redekop@hotmail.com.

Applications are invited for a part-time (60%) administrative position with the EM Conference, responsible to the Board of Trustees and the General Board. This position includes the role of chief financial officer and requires training and experience in financial management.

Administrative leadership and office management skills are essential. Good oral and written communication abilities are required.

For information or an application form, contact the office at 204-326-6401 or Ron Penner, EMC Moderator, at 204-255-8062. Applications should be in by April 30, 2005.

MCC Canada seeks an administrative services director (60–80 percent time) with a preferred start of June 1, 2005. The director is responsible for supervision and support of building, computer and financial services; records management and the central warehouse in Plum Coulee, Man. Contact Marsha Jones at 204-261-6381; e-mail at mgj@mennonitecc.ca; or view job description at www.mcc.org/servicetree/st_frame.html.

Could you do one of these? The EMC Archives Committee seeks volunteer help with: Data entry on computer, assisting in the photo library, organizing overflow area, backlog of materials, organizing books, examining vault contents, organizing Messenger sets. Do you enjoy computers? Do you hate computers? There’s

Executive Position

Executive foreign secretary

for the EMC Board of Missions. Responsibilities: Administration, visiting Latin American mission fields, recruitment, promoting EMC missions, and reporting to the board. Qualifications that are important considerations: A ministry degree, a working knowledge of Spanish, and missions/ ministry experience. Some training may be provided. Starting date: Mid-2005 (negotiable).

Send inquiries and resumes to: Chairman, EMC Board of Missions, 440 Main St., Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5, or e-mail: ernieloewen@yahoo.com.

Note: Both positions are open to male and female applicants.

15

kids’ corner Loreena Thiessen

The

I

opening month

N APRIL the warm sun changes everything. Even before the snow disappears pairs of Canada geese find their way back to the place where they were born. In a few weeks this is where they will lay their eggs and raise their new family of goslings.

Mallards return, too. Soon the robin appears.

In the river the thick layer of ice begins to crack and breaks into many pieces. Underneath the chunks of ice the river water speeds up. The ice chunks squeeze and grind against each other. As the sun beats down they get smaller and smaller. More and more open water can be seen between the chunks.

The seagulls arrive. They circle and scream above the fast flowing river, hungry for fish that are waking up from their long winter’s sleep.

The snow melts and suddenly it is gone. In patches of new grass soft green blades poke up through left over dead leaves and winter mold.

Above the thawing earth the sky is very blue and promising.

People change, too. Mothers open windows to let the fresh air in. Children get out bikes, scooters, and roller blades, and fly past joggers, the wind tugging at their hair. Fathers check lawns to see how soon they will be able to cut it! Everyone is happy to feel the warmth of the sun on their face.

Soon the whole neighborhood will look green and bright and clean. The energy of the sun brings new life to our environment. And it gives us new energy which motivates us to try new things. This is how God planned it.

God made many promises to his people. This is one of them: As long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not end.* T Read it in Genesis 8:22. M *my paraphrase from New Explorer Study Bible NKJV PAGE 16

April Frisbee Need: 1 frisbee per person a pencil and paper a few friends backyard or park Do: Choose targets in a park or backyard, like a tree, a bench, a sign, or a post.

Take turns throwing your frisbee toward each target from a marked starting point.

Keep score of how many throws it takes for each person to hit the targets.

The person with the lowest score is the winner.

THE MESSENGER Evangelical Mennonite Conference 440 Main Street Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5 Publications Mail Agreement #40017362 PAP Registration #9914