February 2004

The Free Methodist Church in Canada February 2004 - Volume 1 Issue 2

Will there be a Church for the next generation?

COVER Will there be a Church for the next generation?

Bishop Keith Elford Financial Snapshot Norm Bull

PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Youth Ministry with Today’s Youth

PAGE 3 Student Ministries Think Tank: What emerged as the highest priority

PAGE 4/5 Passages Small Groups at Lakeview: Friends for the Journey

PAGE 6 Regional News

PAGE 7 Giving Stream, Canadian Scholarship Plan, gets its Real name: Leadership Development

PAGE 7 GLOBAL MINISTRIES: God at work in the Philippines

MOSAIC 4315 Village Centre Court Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1S2 Tel: 905-848-2600 Fax: 905-848-2603

www.fmc-canada.org

For submissions: howdenl@fmc-canada.org Dan Sheffield, Editor-in-Chief Lisa Howden, Managing Editor and Production Mailed under Publication agreement #40008369.

Return postage guaranteed.

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family

I

spend a lot of time thinking about the future of the church and wondering about what it will be like for the next generation. Most of the time, I'm fairly optimistic as I interact with people of all ages and from various parts of the world. The church that my grandchildren will inherit will be the same as the church that I experienced growing up in the last half of the last century of the previous millenium.

"Somebody's lost their grip on reality" you probably just muttered. "Or maybe somebody just kept their grip on reality," I might reply.

I started thinking about this in a more focused way in mid December as last year wound down and as the planning for the next General Conference in 2005 started winding up. I believe that when God's people invest the time and energy to come together, they should focus on THE CENTRE. I hate wasting time and energy on flaky fads. So that got me musing more than usual about why the church exists and what makes the church, the church and what's the main point behind it all? The General Conference planning committee wanted the National Leadership Team to get the point boiled down to one sentence - and creative and catchy too, please.

Here's what we came up with for a theme, "Called to declare Jesus…anywhere, anytime, in all kinds of ways."

We want to make it clear that Christ followers aren't called only to understand, announce and insist on truth about Jesus, but to declare Him as the person who can be known. Carefully balanced theology about Jesus is very important, but it is an error to just make propositions about our Lord and then miss The POINT. People must be connected to the person on whom this truth is centred… Jesus the Messiah who is at the same time the full revelation of all the attributes of God AND the most wholesome human the world has ever known.

The world inside and outside the church has conscious and mostly unconscious longings for reality that can only be experienced in knowing the living Christ. His followers are called to declare His presence …anywhere …anytime…and in lots of different ways.

As I travel and watch and listen, I'm seeing signs of this happening in healthy churches all across Canada and beyond our borders in a rich diversity of language, form, size and culture that is both thrilling …. and at times bewildering. The ride that the church is on these days is both exciting and terrifying, but in all of it, I have confidence that the essence of what Jesus had in mind

continues.

At the same time, it's unnerving for many of us to see time honoured, subculture bound The ride that the church is on these (perhaps sometimes idolized) days is both structures and modes that are exciting and comforting and comfortable have terrifying, but in authentic Christian alternatives all of it, I have spring up alongside them. Here's confidence that the good part. Jesus is behind a the essence of lot of it. This not to say that all what Jesus had in that is, and has been, must be mind continues. discarded. Yet, if the vision to see a healthy congregation within the reach of people living in (and coming into) the changing cultures of Canada and in places beyond, is going to begin to be fulfilled, new and different expressions of the church postmodern, house-based, non-English or French language-based, intercultural to name a few - must continue to emerge.

Coaching all these expressions into a harmonized voice to declare the reality of Christ without getting distracted by lesser side issues is a constant and daunting challenge. (e.g. Here are some of the challenges that are on my mind these days. Who will pastor congregations with modern mind sets when many younger candidates are more postmodern in orientation? Will we be able to plant more congregations if many of these will only happen with bi-vocational leaders? Who will minister to the growing immigrant population in Canada and go to other parts of the world as well? How will second generation immigrants to Canada thrive spiritually when caught between the worship culture of their parents and the day to day world of their Canadian peers?).

To pick up those I lost in the first paragraph. Yes, I'm going to become a grandfather this year . . . and yes my grandchild will be able to relate to the same church that generations have known and loved. I know this because there will always be (as there has always been) a warm hearted, clear thinking, deeply surrendered, international, intergenerational family of people who live in close relationship with the essential reality behind the creeds that begin with the words, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth…" We can believe in the vitality of the church if we centre on the reality of Jesus whom we are called to declare …anywhere, anytime, in all kinds of ways!

FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT All of the income for 2003 has been received and processed. The picture is very encouraging.

Total receipts for Giving Streams were $503,335, which was 95% of our goal.

The chart on the next page summarizes the results.

The significant shortfall in Church Development income is noteworthy and of

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continued on page 2 <<Financial Snapshop>>

concern. We achieved only 65% of our target and $22,600 less than in 2002.

Planting of churches in Canada . . . and beyond is a top priority for us. We have to find the right fundraising and communications strategies and tools to motivate our donor base to give substantial dollars to this area of ministry. The National Leadership Team, the Board of

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Youth Ministr

EDITOR’SDESK Welcome to Mosaic!

As I was assembling the pieces of the February/March MOSAIC, I hoped that others would see the same pattern forming that I did, a pattern that is actually listed among our core values as a denomination - connectionalism. In this issue we have some great stories about individuals connecting with each other and the church through small group ministry (see Friends for the Journey, page 4). We also read about a young pastor in Barrie connecting with youth and young adults in helping them form a stronger connection with Christ and discovering their identity in Him (Youth Ministry With Today's Youth, see page 2). Bishop Keith, in his column, outlines the theme for General Conference 2005 - another form of connection for the national church.

The MOSAIC itself exists to 'reflect the diversity of ministry within the Free Methodist family' by telling stories that try to connect us to each other.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of the MOSAIC and in doing so I trust you will see our desire to connect with you.

Lisa Howden Managing Editor

General Conference 2005 Date, time and theme set!

“

Called to declare Jesus…anywhere, any time, in all kinds of ways!

Date: May 27-30, 2005 Location: Inn on the Park

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I Peter 2:9 says “ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” What an exciting challenge! After much prayer and consideration, it was felt that the theme of this conference should point us in the direction of continuing to move on with what God has in mind for the Church in terms of evangelistic outreach and church planting, both here and beyond. The study teams will reflect the mission of The Free Methodist Church in Canada and will endeavor to instruct, inform and inspire us to answer the call to declare Jesus anywhere, any time, in all kinds of ways! !

We ask that you pray for the General Conference and those that are preparing for it.

Tanya Prinsep from Flare Events Coordinators will be acting as our General Conference Coordinator. Tanya and her family attend the Barrie Free Methodist Church in Ontario.

H

ello! My name is M a r c Hartenberg and I have been in youth ministry since 1995.

During this time, I have worked with students from a variety of different social backgrounds and income situations. These youth range from those who are sold out for Christ, to "casual" Christians, to those who have not yet experienced what God can do in their lives. Some are popular among their friends, or have a couple of close friends, while others are "single survivors" who feel rejected by their peers.

My experience in youth ministry has taught me that, no matter what social, cultural, or economic situations they are in, teenagers are all searching for the same thing . . . their true identity and purpose in life. In this quest for truth, young people are unfortunately in danger of being shaped by the lies that they are told by the world around them. Their home life, friends, school, their family's financial state, and the media are just

some examples of how the world can affect the lives of our teenagers.

Teenagers often deny or are unaware of the level of influence that the world has on them. "I am my own person," they proclaim, "I make my own decisions." It is easy for them to Youth Ministry is "mask" their true feelings and deny a vital part of insecurities they may the church have about themselves.

Under because its role is to help the pressure of searching for their teenagers find identity and trying to their true identity portray an image, a teenager's day might and purpose in unfortunately look their lives with something like this: Christ.

Wake up, look in the mirror, shower (if there is time), look in the mirror, get dressed, look in the mirror, grab a bite to eat, look in the mirror by the door and head out to the bus, get out, run into the class (possibly late), during the break; look in the mirror, get back into class, lunch, look in the mirror, back to class,

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Continued from cover . . .

Financal Snapshot Administration and a resource group will focus Norm Bull, Director of Administrative Serivces on this in the coming months.

The same could be said for Leadership Development. We need to attract and develop an additional pool of effective pastoral leaders to staff our expanding congregational base.

GIVING STREAMS YEAR-END BUDGET

ACTUAL

400,000

402,446

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

30,000

22,177

CHURCH DEVELOPMENT

80,000

52,251

QUEBEC

20,000

24,461

GLOBAL MISSIONS

The denominational support ministries and administrative services are financed to a large degree by a tithe from local churches. Congregations are challenged to give 10% of their operating budget receipts to support the operational expenses of the Ministry Centre (Core giving). $956,834 was received for this purpose in 2003. This is an increase of almost $40,000 over last year and 104% of our Core revenue budget. This is a great encouragement to the National Leadership Team as we partner with local churches to achieve our purpose, vision and mission. We have been intentional in communicating our fiscal policy and expectations for support for denominational operational expenses. Churches not participating at the 10% level have been challenged to increase their giving and move towards that target. The responses have generally been positive. Feedback to churches, on an individual basis, will be provided in the next month or two.

A detailed analysis of the operational budget has not been completed yet but we will certainly end the year in the black.

We are most thankful for our people who give very generously to the ministries of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.

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ry With Today's Youthâ&#x20AC;Ś break, look in the mirror, back into class, finish school, look in the mirror, head to an after school job or activity, look in the mirror, go home for supper where everyone in the family is late, look in the mirror, listen to music, watch TV, a movie, on the phone with a friend, homework, evening activity for the rest of the night, look in the mirror, go to bed...

You probably noticed that the term "look in the mirror" was used frequently throughout the paragraph above. Teenagers, like a lot of people, look for satisfaction in the physical side of life because the world around them has taught them to do so. The world deceives people by promising "happiness" through physical, social, material and intellectual gain. This emphasis on the physical side of life is shown by how important a teen's physical appearance is, who they hang out with, and in what activities they are involved. Emphasis on their physical being can create a mask that hides a youth's true identity and ultimately leaves them feeling unfulfilled. The masks that a teen wears may fool people in their lives but their true feelings can never be hidden from God. Jesus says, in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father except through me."

Teenagers, like all people, often get distracted on the road to truth by the lies they are told all around them.

The true way to real living is not on a "Golden Street, wide open and lined with roses." The true way is more like a "dirt road that has many hills and mountains to climb, bridges to cross, and is straight and narrow."

Jesus says, in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction,

and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." It is our job to guide our youth to the truth and to be there for them as they travel along.

Youth Ministry is a vital part of the church because its role is to help teenagers find their true identity and purpose in their lives with Christ.

Teenagers need to be taught how to conquer sin and live holy lives through the word of God. Teens need strong Christian leaders, friends, confidants, and positive influences. Youth need people in their lives that will not judge them, but rather accept them for who they are and not for who this world wants them to be.

I have been here in Barrie, Ontario for about a year and a half now.

Our youth ministry here is called "Beyond Belief Youth Ministries".

Our mission statement is, "Pointing ourselves and others towards God" - Colossians 1:10, Romans 1:16, 1 Timothy 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16, and Mark 16:15. The verse that is close to my heart as a youth pastor - and one that is great for anyone in ministry - is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:8, "We are delighted to share with you [our young people] not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you have become so dear to us."

This is a tough world for our youth to live in!

Youth are searching for their true identity and sometimes they end up trying to live up to everyone else's standards. We need to help our young people by pointing them towards the truth - their identity and purpose in Jesus Christ - the living Son of God! Marc Hartenberg is Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Barrie Free Methodist Church in Ontario.

[c] Employing a Student Ministries Coordinator: Employing a "point person" (initially on a part time basis) emerged as the highest priority. This was seen as the most important in order to get the other two priorities (networking and leadership development) on the move.

An experimental first step was taken in Southern Ontario, December 19, 2003 that could result in the creation of a national student ministries movement in the FMCiC. "All good things tend to start with a few passionate people getting together to let God stir their hearts and take deliberate steps in faith that God will provide if they would ask him to show them the way. Six of us did just that!" writes Superintendent Alan Retzman.

Four youth pastors met with Bishop Keith and Alan Retzman to get their hearts and brains around what God wants to see accomplished for his glory in Student Ministries.

(Student ministries refer to ministry to young teens, senior teens and young adults).

Pastors Rick Hancock (Trulls Rd. FMC, Courtice, ON), Jennifer Wager (Verona FMC, Verona, ON), Jan MacPhail (Harrowsmith FMC, Harrowsmith, ON), and Marc Hartenberg (Barrie, FMC, Barrie, ON) spent the day in Courtice coming up with a vision and mission for Student Ministries in the FMCiC. In a discovery process similar to JDPAS (Job Description Performance Appraisal System) three things emerged as priorities: [a] Networking among student ministries leaders: including the development of an effective communication system and the planning of student ministries events; [b] Leadership Development: finding ways to identify, disciple and train local church student ministries leaders, as well as recruit those who are experiencing a call to full time ministry;

The hope is that student ministries leaders in all local Free Methodist churches across Canada, regardless of their size and budget, can eventually be resourced through internet-based youth leaders networks and through resources that could be accessed on a student ministries website.

The first step in the experiment is to start a pilot project in southern Ontario where the highest concentration of Free Methodist Churches is to be found and then build across Canada from there.

"I'm very excited about where this ministry could go once we get it up and running," says Bishop Keith Elford. "The Board of Administration recently endorsed the concept in principle and now we've started the conversation with student ministries leaders to get their buy-in and input as to where to begin with this project. We have some very capable and committed student ministries leaders all across the country and it's very stimulating to think about what could happen once we get these local church ministries linked to one another and spurring one another on. As we pray and continue to trust the Lord to lead us, it will be interesting to see what happens in the neighborhoods of our nation."

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Passages Appointments Darren Friesen, Ministries Facilitator (Supply) December 1, 2003 Lakeview, Saskatoon, SK Gloria Reimer, Spiritual Development Director (Supply December 1, 2003 Lakeview, Saskatoon, SK Garry McColman, Supply Pastor December 12, 2003 Enterprise, ON Marion Traviss, Supply Pastor January 12, 2004 Cordova Mines, ON Wade Fitzpatrick, Senior Pastor April 19, 2004 Moose Jaw, SK

Ministerial Candidates [approved November 29, 2003] Adam Beach Darren Friesen Stephanie Gilmer Gloria Reimer Carol Shepstone

New Assistant SuperintendentS Rick Hamilton, Assistant Superintendent for Pastoral Care of Non-appointed Ministers (for clergy in transition, on leave of absence, serving beyond the denomination, etc.)

December 17, 2003 Brad Bent (replaces Larry Larson) January 12, 2004

Approved for Ordination Daniel Graham (approved November 29, 2003) July 18, 2004 (at Arlington Beach Camp)

Change of appointment status Kevin Kay - Released for Service Beyond the Denomination - United Christian Broadcasters Belleville, ON, November 17, 2003

Transfer in Nathan Umazekabiri from Southern Africa General Conference, November 21, 2003

Friends For The Journey Friends For The Journey; that's what we call our small groups at Lakeview Church. People want a place where they can belong, a place where they feel safe and accepted. This is true for all of us - from the college student who is beginning to ask questions about the meaning and purpose of his life, to the retired Christian school teacher who wants to share her faith journey where it will somehow make a difference for someone else.

At Lakeview we have always encouraged

people to be a part of a small group, because we believe that spiritual truth is best applied in our lives within trusting relationships.

Small groups are like the living cells of an organism; they grow and reproduce themselves. Each Group has a leader or leader couple, but they also have a leader in training so that as groups adds new people they are able to 'multiply' and new cells are formed. Groups continually identify new apprentices, add new people, and growth continues. Each group has three ‘non-negotiables’ - friendship/sharing life, caring for each other and serving together, life application of the Bible. How a group balances

Robert Munshaw from Wabash Conference, November 22, 2003

these three components depends on their purpose and covenant. In that way each group

Society status approved

women or men, couples with blended families, daytime seniors groups- these are some

Next Church, Kingston, ON January 26, 2004

Fellowship status approved Jusnexdoor, Summerland, BC January 26, 2004

is unique. Homebuilder groups for young married couples, groups for college age examples of Nurture groups that are age or stage specific. But many are simply a mixture of old and young, married or single, new in faith or long time believers. Each person has something to offer the group, by way of experience and encouragement, and just like a family, they learn and love and grow together. They are the church in

Churches in Transition

microcosm. While these Nurture groups continue to be foundational to our small

Centennial FMC, Belleville, ON Crestview Park FMC, Winnipeg, MB Eastern Koinonia FMC, Toronto, ON Killarney FMC, Killarney, MB O'Connor FMC, Kakabeka Falls, ON - as of Dec. 31, 2004 Polson Park FMC, Kingston, ON Prince Edward County FMC, Picton, ON - as of June 30, 2004 Richmond Hill Chinese FMC, Richmond Hill, ON St. Henri FMC, Montreal, PQ Souris Valley Community Church, Estevan, SK The Edge, Maple Ridge, BC Timmins FMC, Timmins, ON Vennachar FMC, Vennachar, ON Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK

group ministry, other types of groups have been growing rapidly. Our

PASTORS IN TRANSITION

groups, but what a joy it is! People begin their walk with Jesus . . . grow in their faith

Huckle Choi Germain Fortin Larry Larson William Lippman Mike Smeltzer Dale Vinkle

. . . walk alongside others . . . and the journey continues.

Support/Recovery groups meet for a specific period (usually 8-13 weeks) and focus on a particular need. Some of our groups include: GriefShare, DivorceCare, Married for Life, Young Single Moms, Depression/Chronic Pain, Eating Disorders. Once people have had a few weeks of the ‘small group experience’ they will often look for a nurture group to join. Some of them will take support recovery training and go on to ‘multiply’ support/recovery groups. The Alpha Course, with its seminar/small group format, has resulted in several new Nurture groups being formed. We have seen many people come to faith in Christ, and continue to grow in the safety and support of a loving small group. One challenge we face is to identify and equip leaders to meet the demand for

Elizabeth Nickel is Pastor of Small Groups at Lakeview FMC in Saskatoon, SK.

5 M O S A I C

My Small Group Story

by Aaron Sesula

B

eing human is all about finding a place where one feels a sense of comfort and safety. We want to belong.

Throughout my life I have always been in different types of groups. Groups of people who peer-pressured me into things that didn't make me feel safe or comfortable, but there was always a sense of belonging. Living a life of misery, emptiness and feeling dissatisfied, I one day stumbled into a church in Saskatoon (Lakeview Free Methodist) and was amazed by the sense of love, caring and kindness I experienced. It was scary at first, but it also felt good. I stuck around because I wanted whatever these people had.

I started attending an Alpha Course at the church every Tuesday evening, unsure of what it was all about. The course helped me to understand who Jesus was and why he came to earth as the Son of God. I couldn't seem to stay clean. I would always to to Alpha clean but would always end up with old groups again, feeling uncomfortable and lost. Then I would remember Nicky Gumbel's message that Jesus died for the sins of mankind and that He would forgive me if I would let him. I had a lot of trouble accepting this. It seemed too simple.

I knew that I wanted a different life and different groups to be around. I started attending 12-step programs and hanging out with people who understood me and what I was going through. During that time I again attended Alpha for my second go around and I started to really understand what was being said in greater detail. It was hard for me when the last video was shown because it meant that the small group would not be there the following week. The group was a good opportunity to get to know some new people and a chance to talk together and to thank God. Now I am in a regular small group, and it has been a meaningful life experience to learn about people and their walk with Jesus: their struggles and successes. It is a safe place to hang out and to share our common bond: living for Christ.

In conclusion the one thing I have learned about life is that one cannot live on their own.

Whether one hangs out in a group of safety or danger, one is always striving for acceptance.

Since becoming a new Christian and being clean for 7 months to the day I am writing this, I am

joined a Seniors Bible Study Group that meets one afternoon a week. Even though each group is different in some ways, in other ways they are all the same. Whether we are just getting started, or we've been walking with Jesus all our life, everyone in each group is hungry for Jesus. Sure, we enjoy the fellowship, sharing our ups and downs, praying for each other, celebrating answers to prayer, and doing good works together, but most of all we hunger to know Him more.

Seems to me that a ‘small group’ is how church got started in the first place!

by Leanne Phillips My husband and I are planning to attend an Alpha course together, where we'll be part of yet n the Fall of 1998 my husband suggested that another small group, and who knows where that we should attend church. I wasn't very will lead? enthusiastic, but went along because I thought it would be good to spend some time together each week. We have a dairy farm and spend a lot of time working together, but very little time doing anything else! A

by Leanne Wells friend suggested Lakeview Free Methodist Church, never had the privilege of being introduced to and with our first visit there religion as a child, and my attitude changed. The remember always feeling music was great, the like something was missing sermons were so interesting I thought they were in my life. When I grew up much too short, the dramas were wonderful, and I roamed the world, then to top it off, there was an announcement searching for something I that anyone interested in singing in a Christmas could not find no matter Choir should come to a practice the next how far I traveled. That Wednesday night at 7 pm. I love to sing, so I sense of belonging, and purpose to my life was showed up, and was welcomed so warmly I began never there. Hitting the bottom was inevitable as to feel at home. Noticing that several of the choir I attempted to deal with abuse, divorce, group were not in a small group yet, Pastor addiction, depression, and being a single parent, Elizabeth asked us if we'd like to continue all on my own. A new friend brought me to meeting on Wednesday evenings in a small group Lakeview Free Methodist Church, and for the setting and so it started. Since Lakeview has a first time I felt a connection to a church. Pastor fairly large congregation and I am a shy, Dean Angell spoke in a straight-forward, modern introverted person who finds it hard to talk to and honest way -his message reaching into the strangers, looking back, I can say with certainty dark place I had dwelled in for many long years. that if it hadn't been for my small group, I'd The help, support and guidance I have received probably still be just an anonymous Sunday from the caring staff, and the many friends made morning service attendant, if I were still going to here, has helped transform my life. church at all.

Attending the Alpha Course opened my eyes to I came to faith through my Small Group, a world I'd been searching for all my life. It made friends and acquaintances, received answered my long, sought after questions and put encouragement, learned the importance of a new perspective to my existence. During the reading the Bible, had my questions answered, Alpha Retreat I let the Holy Spirit take hold of learned how to be a Christ-follower, all in a safe, me, and made drastic life changes. confidential environment.

After Alpha ended I felt a sense of dissociation That first Small Group which grew out of a with the church and my newfound faith. By temporary Christmas choir, has evolved into a joining a small group I have restored those group that ministers to a care home by singing the feelings and that connection. Through this old hymns, praying and visiting with the seniors fellowship I am gaining friendships, support, who live there. As it was not an environment spiritual guidance, and discovering the joy and suitable to Bible Study, I also joined a group that hope that Jesus Christ can bring to many lives in had grown out of the Alpha course whose focus is many different ways. My journey has just begun, more on study. If that weren't enough, I also and I hope it never ends. glad I have Jesus, a church I love, and a small group I enjoy being a part of and feeling safe in.

I would also encourage anyone thinking of joining a small group to test the water. Find a group you like and trust in God to take His course.

“I Feel Passionate about Small Groups”

I

Small Groups = Connection

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a privilege to worship with these vibrant Christian brothers and sisters. Pray that they will find a facility more accessible to the public.

Vestine is ministering to women and teaching them to sew and sell their crafts to help support their families.

In Nairobi, Kenya, Lois Meredith took us to Kibera elementary school where we met Principal Andrew and staff. The school has 220 pupils from pre-school to grade 7. They are adding additional classrooms in 2004. Canadian funds were used to improve the water system at Rev. Greg Pulham (delegate), Bishop Keith Elford and Mrs. the school. We noticed that everyone would like Betty Humphrey (delegate) in Harare, Zimbabwe for the first meeting of the Free Methodist World Conference to attend school but some will never be able to because of the lack of money. The Child Care A JOURNEY TO THE HEART Sponsorship Ministries has made education OF AFRICA possible for many.

Arriving in Harare Zimbabwe, we were met by From Nairobi, Lois drove us over a potHenry and Bonnie Church who graciously holed highway to Kericho where Debbie arranged our accommodation and transportation Hogeboom lives and teaches at the Kenya during the conference. Zimbabwe is a beautiful Highlands Bible School. Here we enjoyed country but probably has the highest inflation dinner in the home of Pastor Nixon, Neddy and rate in the world. For two hundred American children. The Light and Life Church in Kericho dollars, we became millionaires overnight with started with Pastor Ben and his family of eight Zimbabwe dollars. This does not make life easy for the people of Zimbabwe.

"Obedient to the Heavenly Vision" found in Acts 26:19 became the theme for the Free Methodist World Conference. Bishop Elford, President of the World Conference, in his keynote address challenged the delegates to develop international relationships so that we know each other well, trust one another and so have the basis to work together as partners to see the Gospel message spread in the existing countries as well as in unreached nations and people groups. As a result of the World Betty with Ezekiel, Vestine and Happiness, Rwandan church planters in Conference, I am sure new Durban, South Africa. partnerships will develop to minister to the unreached. meeting in their home in 1992. Now they have Liz and John Pass from South Africa lead us a membership over 150 and are already in the in worship and praise. At first some of us were second building program. We enjoyed dinner very reserved in our style of worship but as the with their Church Council [Official Board] and conference progressed everyone became more were impressed by their visionary leadership. actively involved in the African way. The They also operate the Light and Life Academy Africans can teach us much about worship and with 90 elementary children. Again the Child praise.

Care Sponsorship Ministries contributes to their The first session of conference was a little education. tense but as we worshiped together a spirit of The countries we visited and the people we unity prevailed. We soon understood that we met have so little but do so much for God's were all brothers and sisters in Christ coming Kingdom. Our membership in Canada of 7,500 from different backgrounds, cultures and is small compared to the world membership of languages to do God's agenda. It was a thrill to 632,000. However, in our wealth we need to see the emerging international leaders being the pray that God will show us how to best partner presenters. and share our resources with the nations of the The topic "Leadership Development" was world. presented by Bishop Elie Buconyori from We can make a difference, as we are Burundi and Rev Elesinah Chauke, a teacher Obedient to the Heavenly Vision. from the ESSA College in South Africa. Bishop Jim Tuan from the Philippines and Dr Narendra Betty Humphrey is Chair of the Board of John from India presented the topic "Outreach".

Administration for The Free Methodist Church in As they spoke their passion, enthusiasm and love Canada. for God and people was very evident.

When I think of the theme "Obedient to the Heavenly Vision," I cannot help but recall the NATIONALNEWS conversation that I had at dinner with Opportunity International Canada has Mukagoima, a delegate from Rwanda. She announced that shared with me how her husband had been Gary Walsh has murdered in the genocide in Rwanda and she been appointed was left with two children to raise. In spite of President, this she is actively serving in ministry. She is only e f f e c t i v e one of thousands who lost loved ones in the December 1, genocide, yet remain "Obedient to the Heavenly 2 0 0 3 .

Vision."

Opportunity After the conference, Dale and I visited International Canada is a micro enterprise Ezekiel and Vestine and their daughter development organization specializing in helping Happiness in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. the poor help themselves in 25 countries. If you They have responded to God's call to plant a want to know more about the organization, go church in downtown Durban. Presently they are to opportunitycanada.ca worshipping in the chapel of the YMCA. What

REGIONALNEWS

SALMON ARM, BC - Every Christian delights in a celebration where people feel comfortable and welcome. Lakeside Community Church in Salmon Arm, B.C. felt their worship time was just too good to limit to Sunday mornings. The church plant started seven years ago with a vision to meet the community's need for a relaxed, family-focused church. Now a maturing ministry with a strong Sunday morning service and mid-week small groups, Lakeside has decided to follow the example of other Free Methodist congregations in Canada by offering a Saturday night alternative. Calling it "Saturday Night Alive," the event has lived up to its name.

Some of those attending work on Sundays or simply don't find a morning service works for them. Children don't leave for separate programming, so Sunday school teachers get a chance to worship through a whole service. "The highlight of the service for me is the relaxed atmosphere," says Pastor Randy MacDonald.

"It's a family setting where kids can sit with their parents and participate in the whole worship experience together. I love to see the kids colouring while I'm preaching." After a two month trial period, the decision was made to extend the experiment until Easter. MacDonald says the leadership want to continue it because of the church's vision to reach out to people who have been offended by church or never been to church. "We do this by offering a safe place for people to come and discover and worship God." Heather Persson attends Lakeside FMC in Salmon Arm, BC .

7 M O S A I C

More than the name of this Giving Stream has changed. The FMCiC has a commitment to develop leaders. CSP is one part of the plan. Internships are Alan Retzman, Superintendent of Personnel becoming a larger part of the plan as we discover how God is using them to give opportunities to local churches in multiple staffing. A more accurate title for this Giving Stream is Leadership Development.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INTERNSHIPS. The ideal at the end of an internship is to have the intern appointed to a church or go on paid staff in the same church. Matt Wiley is a “second career” intern at Ricelawn Free Methodist church in Welland ON. He will be going on staff full time at Ricelawn at the end of his internship. Grant Wolfe was a second career intern at Kingsview FMC in Toronto, and was appointed to Grapeview FMC in St. Catharines, ON, at the end of his internship.

Darryl Dozlaw is a second career intern at Regina Northview FMC who will leave school teaching and go on staff as soon as local church finances allow.

Amy Caswell is in her Calgary FMC internship and Matt Wiley is planning on continuing her call to teaching by pursuing an MDiv at Tyndale Seminary. Not all interns go on staff or are appointed but in each case the interns are following their call from God to become ministry leaders. Keitha Slack has extended her internship at Valleyview Community Church in Val Caron, ON, where she now volunteers time in local church ministry while teaching.

She is investigating a call to foreign missions.

The internship is a key strategy for building leaders in the FMCiC. It allows a candidate to Amy Caswell get experience and mentoring by a senior pastor and local church ministry leaders as they give shape to their calling. It allows a church to have a "long interview" with a candidate and hopefully come to the conclusion that at the end of the internship they must find a way to keep the intern on staff permanently. The internship is an organic process that is built on relationships formed in the local church. Over an extended time the intern discovers and sharpens their call by connecting with leaders who have been there and are committed to developing new leaders.

INTERNSHIPS HELP GROWING CHURCHES TAKE BIG STEPS WHILE THEY DEVELOP LEADERS. Internships provide extended connection in one of our healthy local churches. Randy MacDonald, Senior Pastor of Lakeside FMC in Salmon Arm, BC needs help to get an intern. His church isn't near any of our training institutions. He is developing leaders right now and is capable of training and mentoring an intern. If the right intern can be found we can help him expand the ministry, encourage the local church by giving them an extended view of benefits of the added staff, and help him create a pattern of continual development of new leaders.

We are developing leaders in the local church. Our affiliated training schools and the denomination are resources that exist to build the

ministry in the local church. investment.

This is where we must make our

CSP PROVIDES DIRECT HELP TO DEVELOPING LEADERS IN THE FMCIC. Rob Van Norman and Bob Snider have a few things in common. Both are second career pastors with a clear sense of call to ministry from God. Both have 25 years experience in the business world where they made their "mark." Both are needing to complete their educational requirements while they pastor churches. CSP provides financial aid to help them complete the courses.

Rob Van Norman

SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE USED TO DEVELOP LEADERS. Benedict Gomez is the pastor of the Tamil congregation that meets at Wesley Chapel FMC in Toronto. He came to the Free Methodist Church after completing much of his course work in a school where we do not provide financial assistance. Pastor Benedict is "tracking" with us towards ordination and has received Special Scholarship money to help meet financial needs. We wanted to invest in him because he is committed to planting churches with us. Special Scholarship is a way that we can develop leaders when neither internships or CSP can help.

WHY THE CHANGE TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT? The Board of Administration supported the National Leadership Team’s desire to put more funds into developing leaders. The NLT pointed out that we have fewer funds available due to lower investment returns.

With limited funds they made the choice to focus on candidates who were actively pursuing a call of God to ministry leadership in the FMCiC, who had received a lay minister's license, and were on the way to ministerial candidacy. These candidates would be tracked by MEGaP (Ministerial Education Guidance, and Placement Committee.)

Why the change? We are growing. At the time of this writing we have 144 congregations. The NLT has a vision for 175 congregations by General Conference 2005. We must focus on and devote ourselves to leadership development to meet such a compelling vision.

Internship funds have been increased from $25,000 to $50,000 for 2004. We still need more funding for leadership development. CSP amounts in 2003 were still low. Consider the need - we anticipate losing 5 leaders each year to retirement, death, or change in ministry. We have fifty ministerial candidates. Forty of these are already under appointment. We would need every one of these MC's to be appointed and 21 more to be employed to reach the goal of 175. We need to be cultivating new leaders in as many healthy congregations as possible.

Increasing internships from 6 interns in 2003 to 12 in 2004 and 12 more in 2005 will help meet our need for new leaders.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. If you want to apply for an internship or for supervising an intern, go to our website for more information. Under Leadership Development you will find a checklist for both the intern and the supervisor.

The pastor and board of the local church can help a candidate get the lay minister’s license and be recommended to MEGaP for consideration to Ministerial Candidacy. Also see our website to learn more about "tracking." All leaders we develop we also track. You can now fill out the tracking online and email it to the Superintendent Of Personnel office.

When your local church gives to Giving Streams: Leadership Development, you are investing in present and future leaders being developed for ministry in The Free Methodist Church in Canada or its affiliated ministries. CSP, Special Scholarship, Internships are all in one - Leadership Development. Make an investment in a leader that you know.

GLOBAL MINISTRIES

I

n 1949 missionaries Walter and Gertrude Groesbeck and John and Ruby Schlosser paddled up the Agusan River and started the first Free Methodist church at Bunawan on the island of Mindanao. A Bible school was begun in 1955. Since then, the Free Methodist church has grown to 5 annual conferences, 143 organized churches, 253 ordained ministers and 17,668 members. There is also a Bible College and a Graduate School of Theology.

The Free Methodist Church of the Philippines officially obtained General Conference status on November 2, 2003 under the leadership of Bishop Jim Tuan.

The Philippine FM church now has 13 missionaries of its own in Nov. 2, 2003 - The Free Methodist Church in the place in Thailand, Philippines becomes an autonomous General Cambodia, Australia and Conference. Bishop Joe James and Bishop Jim Tuan Hong Kong and is looking to place at least 50 by the year 2015 through the agency of APFMMA (Asia-Pacific Free Methodist Mission Association).

The Republic of the Philippines consists of 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean of which only about 2,000 are inhabited.

The two largest comprising 2/3 of the land mass are Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south. Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521 and claimed the archipelago for Spain. Magellan was killed by tribal chief Lapau Lapau on the beaches of Cebu City and remains a national hero to this day. The Philippines gained its independence from Spain in 1898 and then from the US in 1946.

The population of 78.4 million is predominantly descendants of Malays and Chinese with Muslim and Mestizo (Filipino-Spanish or Filipino-Americans) minorities. While Tagalog is the official language, there are over 80 dialects and some 60 ethnological groups and only about 10% of Filipinos retain their traditional culture.

The Philippines is the only "Christian" country in Asia and is composed of Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and another 3% which include some animists in tribal areas. Muslims live mainly on the southern Island of Mindanao where the Free Methodist Church is very visible. Muslim guerrilla groups have been fighting for independence in this area for nearly 30 years.

Recently an American missionary and a Filipino nurse held hostage by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas for more than a year were killed during a military rescue attempt in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Norte.

Guerrillas also claimed responsibility for a series of bombings in April 2002 that killed 15 people and wounded 54 in the city of General Santos. The guerrillas are most infamous for kidnapping 20 foreign tourists from a luxury resort in May 2001. Most were released for large ransoms while others were killed. A Brussels-based research centre declared the Philippines the most disaster-prone country on earth. It named typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, garbage landslides and military action against Muslim insurgents as just some of the problems both locals and tourists have had to deal with.

The Philippines derive economic benefits from its natural resources such as timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper and is blessed with an abundance of agricultural products such as rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish. In the midst of this land of plenty and upper class opulence, poverty is widespread and communities of squatter shacks build up around dump sites where people salvage whatever they can sell for a few pesos.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Philippines are now gearing up for what will prove to be another stormy election in May 2004. Corruption

at all levels of government and systemic poverty are a social malaise that perverts the country's social fabric. The only "Christian" nation in Asia is now rated as the number 11 most corrupt country in the world along side Pakistan, Romania and Zambia. Along with these domestic social ills, the Philippines exports locally produced marijuana and hashish to East Asia, the US, and other Western markets and serves as a transit point for heroin.

Bishop Jim Tuan points to the country's malaise regarding corruption and poverty as a problem of leadership. Those in positions of responsibility are not held accountable to any moral or ethical standard for their actions. This raises the question in my mind what leadership really is and just who is a leader? I have just finished reading Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. He recounts the story of young African American girl Ruby Bridges: "It sounds simple. The results are far from simple. Lives change and communities experience redemption when persons identify their lives with God's will. Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist, social critic, and Harvard professor, writes extensively about the moral life of children. A young child changed his life and the direction of his professional development. In 1960 Ruby Bridges was a six-year-old African American child, the daughter of impoverished, illiterate parents. In that year she desegregated the schools of New Orleans. Twice a day, accompanied by federal marshals, she steadily threaded her way through jeering, hateful mobs to go to school. Coles, as he later described himself, was at that time an 'arrogant young psychiatrist'.

He sought out Ruby Bridges. He was certain that he 'could identify a psychological condition' to explain her actions. After getting to know Ruby Bridges, he said, "I could not have been more wrong." What he discovered was not a complex psychological reason for what she was doing.

He found, instead, 'a six-year old's commitment to live what she had learned in the Bible." He goes on to say "Surely the crisis in leadership in the life of the church is, at least in part, a crisis in the life of the spirit among our leaders, among ourselves."

I was leading a bible study here in the Philippines on the doctrine of Christian perfection and came to the conclusion that perfection is really just the completion of our faith with a sacrificial work or to put another way, our confession of faith is not complete until there is the living sacrifice of our lives as a living witness to that faith. After our theological discussions, one of the group told the story of a poor young Filipino girl and her irrational actions which then became the focus of our discussions The poverty stricken mother of this young girl was shocked to learn from her daughter that she had given one of her only two dresses to another girl who had none. Her mother asked her why she would do such a thing when they were so poor! She replied ... because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we learned at Sunday School ... if we have two things and someone has none then we should give one to them."

The Bible study then broke out into a discussion of how literal we should take the Bible and the discussions ended without resolution. I believe that it ended without resolution because true leadership in the Spirit of Jesus Christ is not bounded by human conventions and rationalizations and cannot be quantified. Ruby Bridges and this poor Filipino girl are leaders because their hearts are focused on obeying the words of Jesus and making a sacrifice of their little lives. The leadership of the early missionaries like the Groesbeck's and Schlosser's and now this poor young Filipino girl challenge us who profess the name of Jesus to present ourselves as living sacrifices and reflections of the light of Jesus against the darkness of the poverty and corruption that engulf society.

Rob Duncan VISA Missionary in the Philippines