M O S A I C 10
PASSAGES Appointments Stephen An – Chaplain, Canadian Armed Forces, Trenton, ON, effective June 15, 2011 Brian Bell – Lead Pastor, Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON, effective September 15, 2011 Peter Goodyear – Pastor, Asbury FMC, Perth, ON, effective July 10, 2011 Tom Gurnick – Pastor, Queensway FMC, Niagara Falls, ON, effective June 1, 2011 Phil Hamilton – Associate Pastor, Chapel Ridge FMC, Stittsville, ON, effective August 1, 2011 Munetoshi Hatsusegawa – Pastor, Wesley Chapel Japanese FM Church, Toronto, effective June 15, 2011 Paul Millar – Pastor, Westport FMC, Westport, ON, effective August 15, 2011
Ordination approved and service scheduled Judy Crowe – June 12, 2011 at Frankford FMC, ON
Change of Status Elizabeth Nickel – retired, from Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon, SK, effective Aug 31, 2011 Catherine Stonehouse – retired, from Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY, effective June 30, 2011 Edward Yoshida – retired, from Wesley Chapel Japanese, Toronto, ON, effective June 15, 2011
Churches in transition Avonlea FMC, Avonlea, SK Barrie FMC, Barrie, ON Charlemont FMC, Wallaceburg, ON Church-on-the-Hill, Orillia, ON Cornerstone Community Church, Almonte, ON Eyebrow FMC, Eyebrow, SK First FMC, Moose Jaw, SK Harrowsmith FMC, Harrowsmith, ON Kingston West FMC, Kingston, ON Pine Grove FMC, Seeley’s Bay, ON
ONLINE RESOURCES Topics worth thinking about
The site, maintained by the Study Commission on Doctrine, is intended to be a place where articles can be found on topics of interest. There are also several helpful pastoral resources. Visit www.fmcic.ca >> who we are >> Study Commission on Doctrine for access to the following resources . . . . Communion - Free Methodist stance regarding
Communion; Children’s Communion Brochure [pdf]; Children’s Communion Brochure - Leaders Guide; Communion Service for Children; Communion Bibliography
Ecclesiology - Ecclesiology Affirmation Evangelism - Eastern Thought and the Gospel; Ministry and evangelism in contemporary Canadian society Human Sexuality - Christian Marriage; HIV/AIDS: Implications for the Local Church; Statement on Homosexual Behaviour; Providing Pastoral Care for Same-Gender-Attracted Individuals
Methodism - Defining the Elements of a Methodist Ethos Sanctification; Seeing the World through a Wesleyan Lens; Seven Steps Toward Free Methodist Renewal; The Free Methodist Synthesis
Ordination - What is the Meaning of Ordination?; Life and
Character of an Ordained Minister; Dennis Camplin interview on the meaning of ordination; Tom Gurnick interview on the meaning of ordination; John Vlainic interview on the meaning of ordination
Science and Ethics - Cloning, Embryonic Stem Cell; Research, and Approach to Bioethics; End of Life Care Organ and Tissue Donation; Ethics - How to Make Ethical Decisions in a Complex World Social Issues - Compassion and the Poor; Human Rights; Social Justice; The Environment; Child Abuse Prevention Policy (Winning Kids Inc); Suicide - A Funeral Sermon Resource Theological Issues - Documents to Help Us with Issues of Truth [PDF]; Baptism and Dedication; Divine Healing; Open Theism; The Security of Believers; Theology of Possessions Women in Ministry - Women in Ministry (FMCNA, FMCIC); Wesleyan Perspectives on Women in Ministry; Women in Ministry (Reading the Bible as a whole, 1 Timothy 2:12)
WE ARE FREAKING BROKE!
T
hese were unusual words to hear at the General Conference, but they certainly got my attention – along with everyone else! We were in a rather lengthy discussion on how to fund a potential new National Leadership Team position (Director of Church Health). It was one of those win/ lose moments where we all knew something important needed to be said and heard! That was when Garry Castle from Next Church in Kingston stood up. With obvious heartfelt passion, Garry laid these words on us… “I am part of a pretty young church that is no longer a church plant but a full society. We are tithing to core - and we are freaking broke! But it is something I value in my own life. It is something that I value that my church did. We had a 10-year plan to get there and when I got somewhere near the helm, I said “We are going to go there now because we have to model this for each other. This is our family and we believe in the work of our family.”
This is when the Next Church became one of my most favorite cousins in the family! Let me extract two phrases from Garry’s input that grabbed my heart. After all, generous stewardship is a matter of the heart. Garry said, “We are tithing to core and we are freaking broke!” and “We are going to go there (tithe) now because we have to model this for each other. This is our family and we believe in the work of our family.” As someone who strives to help all of our churches create a culture of generous stewardship, my heart leaped. Here was a small, young, and broke church that got it. They understood why they gave. It wasn’t about how much they had, but about being part of the ‘family’. You give because this is how you model generosity to the people in your church. You give not because you have to, but because you want to. You give because you are part of the family. It reminded me of Paul’s praise for the Macedonian church that gave despite being extremely poor, because of their overflowing joy in being part of what God was doing in the greater church. (1 Corinthians 8:2-3) Just as with individual families, most churches struggle with meeting budgets, unexpected expenses, and the need to get everyone in the ‘family’ involved. Generosity is something that needs to be both taught and caught. If we want our people to give to the local church, then we have to teach why generosity is so important in our conforming to the Image of Christ. But perhaps before we can ask the people to give, the leadership of the local church also has to model it first. The FMCiC has intentionally structured the support of the denomination on the biblical model of tithing. Simultaneously as individuals give to support the ministry of the local church, there is opportunity for each church to tithe 10% to support the work of those at Ministry Centre who work on behalf of all local churches. If all our churches modeled tithing this way, we would not only
have the resources to fund our present level of ministry, but also the much needed future NLT positions. The position on the radar right now is the Director of Church Health. Paul tells us that God blesses us with resources, so that in turn we can bless others when they are in need (2 Corinthians 8:14). What is so encouraging about Next
Church and others like them, is that these churches are not waiting to be a certain size, or till they meet budget, or to finish their building project. Even in their poverty – they give faithfully. Despite being a small church – they give. And even when it might not make sense – they still give. Imagine what we could do collectively throughout Canada and beyond if every church tithed to Ministry Centre? And just imagine what God could do if everyone in your local church learned from their Official Board’s example to give this way. What ministry could you do in your community? Creating a culture of generous stewardship means so much more than simply giving out of duty or obligation. It is not trusting our wealth, but trusting in God. It is becoming rich in good deeds and willing to share. It is building community with the needy. We are not called to be generous to simply pay the pastor, pay the bills, run programs, support the denomination or because we are told to. We are called to generosity because this is a spiritual issue; a central matter of discipleship and a transformational issue of the heart. We may start giving as a discipline. But if we allow it, God uses generosity to transform our hearts by rooting out selfishness and apathy. Without this transformation we are all “freaking broke” in a spiritual sense. As long as we cultivate a desire to be rich in money to meet our needs, we miss the opportunity to be rich towards God in generosity. But when we recognize how rich we are in Him, and cultivate a desire to be generous like Him, we cannot help but give. We are then giving as a love response to God from a blessed heart. The question changes from “How much do I have to give?” to “Where can I start giving?”
Sandy Crozier is the Stewardship Development Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. You may contact Sandy at sandy.crozier@fmcic.ca VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES