April 2004

The Free Methodist Church in Canada April 2004 - Volume 1 Issue 3

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family

COVER The Five Easters

by Rev. David Ashton

PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Leadership Development

by Rev. Alan Retzman

PAGE 3 The Embrace of Grace

By Bishop Keith Elford General Conference Update

By Conference Coordinator, Tanya Princep

PAGE 4/5 Passages Pineview’s building projects Small Town Church BIG VISION

By Bruce Kellar

PAGE 6 The Ultimate Evangelist

By Rob Clements

PAGE 7 Camping information Family & youth Camp Dates

PAGE 8 GLOBAL MINISTRIES: The Wright’s prepare for Niger Child Care Ministries

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e are heading for Easter! This is the day we celebrate the rising of Jesus Christ from the dead! Easter is so central to Christian faith that it is the one item of belief that we cannot jettison without ceasing to be Christian altogether. When Paul writes to the Corinthians his conclusion is clear. “If He is not risen, then our faith is a fake. We have been going around telling lies. Christianity is a hoax.” But he is risen, indeed! So we celebrate Easter — but not just one.

We get to celebrate five Easters.

The Easter of History 1970 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was executed as a criminal. Less than 48 hours later the tomb was empty.

An Angel announced he had risen from the dead, and over the next six weeks more than 500 people would see him and speak with him. This was no ghost, though the disciples were prone to think that when they first saw him. He ate food with them, showed them his wounded hands and side, and gave evidence that he was in fact risen, not simply in their hopes or imaginations, but in reality. It was the world's first Easter.

The Easter we celebrate annually 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.

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There was no day like that first Easter, but every year, a day has been set apart that we call Easter Sunday. It is to be a day that eclipses all other days of the year. The Old Testament had its feast days that commemorated God's great activity in their early history and the church of Jesus Christ understood the wisdom of these great festivals. So the church established its own festivals to underscore what God has done in Christ. Christmas reminds us of the incarnation of God in Christ, Good Friday reminds us of His atoning for our sins, while Easter tells us of His triumph over sin and death and hell.

The Easter we celebrate weekly There is, however, a third Easter. It is the Easter that recurs once each week for every Sunday is Easter! Up until the Resurrection of Jesus, the seventh day of the week was the day for public worship. The people of Israel

would meet for worship on Friday evenings at sunset, and celebrate with a day of rest until sunset on Saturday evening. Each Sabbath day Israel celebrated God's great act of creation. In six days he made the world and on the seventh day he rested. So after six days of work we too could rest on the seventh.

But when that first Easter took place, the early church knew that they had encountered a reality just as wonderful as the creation of the world. It was an event that brought about the re-creation of humanity. It had given the world a brand new start. It was the beginning of a new age of the world. So how were we to celebrate it?

The earliest Christians met in the Jewish Synagogue on the evening of Sabbath to worship, but as tensions increased they found themselves meeting together for their own services for worship. Sometime during that first century they began to worship together on the first day of the week in the early morning. Why the first day?

Because that was the day of resurrection. Why early morning? Because He was raised in the early morning of the world's first Easter!

The Epistle of Barnabas, written at the end of that first century, reads, “We keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day on which Jesus rose from the dead.”

But even before that in Acts 20:7 the church is breaking bread together on the first day of the week, and Paul is calling for offerings to be set aside on the first day of the week, and John is in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, the first day of the week. The church made this great change in the calendar to give honor to Jesus who rose from the dead on a Sunday morning. Every Sunday then is a celebration of resurrection day.

The Easter we shall celebrate one day There is another Easter, however, that we shall celebrate one day. It is not the one that occurred in the distant past, or one that recurs annually or weekly. It is the Easter that awaits us all at the end of our life here. Many within Ancient Judaism presumed either that death was the end of life or that what happened after death was absolutely continued on page 2

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2 Leadership Development

EDITOR’S DESK Easter is upon us!

I went to see “The Passion of the Christ.” I must admit to being a little apprehensive because of all the mixed publicity the film was getting.

However, it would be tantamount to lying if I did not tell you that I was deeply moved by what I saw. My motivation for sharing this is not to have everyone rush out and see the movie, but rather to share how this has changed and challenged me personally.

Like most Christians, I have to use more than my fingers and toes to count the times that I have read through the gospel accounts of Christ’s passion. In fact as a child, before I could even read, we would sit down as a family and the account would be read to my sisters and me. As grateful as I was for Christ’s sacrifice, I can’t say that I had a clear image in my mind of his suffering — at least not fully. What this film did for me was to bring its terrible reality front and centre. Christ suffered greatly so that my sins could be washed away. Seeing the film unfold was painful and hard to watch and I found myself just repeatedly thanking God for His love. In fact, I haven’t stopped thanking Him. I wear a cross . . . it doesn’t look anything like the cross that Jesus bore. Mine is silver, shiny, unblemished and rather lovely — quite like my thoughts had been of Christ’s pain and suffering — all cleaned up and fit for public viewing. Now when I put on my cross, I’m reminded that there was nothing “sanitized” about Christ’s sacrifice. It was raw, bloody and shocking — all this He did for me.

However you get there, my prayer for you this Easter season is that the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice will touch your heart and rekindle in you a holy passion to serve Him. I know that it will never be the same for me again.

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he Free Methodist Church in Canada (FMCiC) is creating a learning environment to equip leaders for ministering in a fast moving and changing world. There is no greater mission than to tell the story of Jesus, and no greater joy than to witness a life giving response to the message. For this we need leaders who can make that message clear, comprehensible and contextually relevant.

There is no challenge so complicated than to call people to simple faith, because each culture requires adjustments to how the message is communicated. We offer grace where rules and ritual have dominated the lives of precious people. Jesus’ call is reaching out to all cultures, and personally in each life. We need leaders who are prepared to tackle the task with courage, knowledge, and reverence for God as he has revealed himself. How will we stay sharp mentally, emotionally, and physically to be our best for Jesus?

One of the 7 Core Values of The Free Methodist Church in Canada is learning.

One attribute of a good pastoral leader is a commitment to being a life-long learner.

Growing and learning is at the heart of our Christian witness. The kind of leaders we must have for our future are men and women who have a distinctive focus on improving the way they serve and walk in their community.

Healthy pastoral leaders must grow in order for congregations to be healthier.

Personal health precedes corporate health.

To encourage health in pastoral leaders in the FMCiC we propose that each minister enter a life-long commitment to learning.

This is the reason for starting an organized Continuing Education Program. It will provide Ministerial Education Guidance and Placement committee (MEGaP) a system for keeping each member of

conference accountable for exposure to new learning. Continuing Education will focus on the minister’s personally identified leaning needs and the results of growth areas identified in the annual performance appraisal.

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) will provide MEGaP a systematic way to account for professional development that helps to ensure quality continuing education programming. This system, 1. Guides the minister in planning CEUs. 2. Documents each minister's commitment to life long learning and assist MEGaP in working with his/her learning needs.

3. Establishes criteria for continued certification in the FMCiC (ordination or commissioning.)

This initiative was approved at General Conference 2002. Many ministers have been committed to life long learning as a personal core value long before this action was taken. The intent of the Continuing Education Program is to encourage growth in all ministers and raise the awareness of biblical call to excellence. John Wesley himself required all his ministers to be constantly growing and the same is true today. The MEGaP team encourages you to take seriously your need to grow.

By this time you read this article you will have received the Continuing Education Program by email. You may also check it out on our FMCiC website. The CE Program begins as of September 2004.

If you have questions check out the FAQs as they develop. We will post all of your questions on the website over the next couple of months. I also encourage you to talk to a MEGaP member near you.

Alan Retzman Superintendent of Personnel

Thanks Jesus.

Visit the website at www.fmc-canada.org F O R I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T L E A D E R S H I P D E V E LO P M E N T

Lisa Howden Managing Editor

Company Courses, Continuing Education, Internship Program, Base Material Canadian Scholarship Plan (CSP) , JDPAS, Schools, SHAPE Material Special Scholarships, Training/Tracking , Clergy Care Network

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Easter is the continued

presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, moment by

The Five Easters Continued from cover unknowable. Death brought dread or doubt, but little hope and no certainty.

With the teachings of Jesus, however, the mists began to dwindle. He taught with certainty about life beyond. Then one day all the proof we needed was provided. On Friday he died. On Sunday he had been raised from the grave. The doubt disappeared.

The question was resolved, once for all. There is life beyond death — and not just for him, but for all who are his followers. A personal Resurrection Morning is promised to all who are in Christ. There is an Easter in our future!

moment, day in

The Easter that is ever present

and day out.

There is, on top of all of the previous good news, a fifth Easter.

Easter is more than memory and more than hope. Easter is the continued presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, moment by

moment, day in and day out. On Easter day the great church of God does not simply shout, “He was raised”. It declares, “He is risen”. He is living among us and continues to be involved in our lives. That is why the Easter story contains the words of Jesus, “Look around you, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Down the centuries the words repeat, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And throughout the moments of all our days, the Resurrected Jesus is with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Every day we live in the glorious aftermath of the resurrection. So let us, as we wake up each morning, proclaim the good news, “He is risen indeed!”

Rev. David Ashton is Academic Dean at Rocky Mountain College

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The

Embrace of Grace

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o here we are in the Easter season of the year again and this year, like no other, Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ has people talking about what Jesus did, like no time that I can remember before. This is surely encouraging.

Several times during this sacred season we will be invited to hold broken bread and a cup in our hands and hear Jesus’ words, to eat and drink and remember. But what is it that He wants us to remember?

He wants us to remember his life here among us, Gethsemane, the cross and His victorious rising. In the garden of Gethsemane, though Jesus knew all things, and He had come from months of hope-filled conversations and miraculous healings of human brokenness, he knew that as the divine Son of God, He now needed to provide for the healing of all of humanity’s brokenness, especially the poisoned relationships between us and God. Think of what’s gone wrong in this world and of the effects that can often ripple on and on for generations . . . racial hatred, genocide, community and corporate corruption, sexual exploitation, child abuse, war . . . Streams of spiritual poison flow from all of these.

Let’s think of our own experiences too — especially those pain-filled relationships where people have hurt us, and we've hurt them back.

We’ve got all of this runoff flowing, with what result?

Let me give you a picture. It’s like we find ourselves on the shore of a vast ocean called death and God is way over on the other shore. We cannot see Him, build a bridge across nor catapult ourselves over to him. Just sniffing its noxious fumes makes us more ill. We've made a mess.

And if Jesus had not made the decision He made in Gethsemane, we'd be left standing alone on the shores of this polluted expanse . . . forever. Our streams of selfishness mingled with the streams of every one who has ever lived, have fed this deadly spiritual contamination and put this eerie distance between our God and us.

But the person hurt worst by the situation is God Himself. He loves us so deeply that He can not bear this isolation from us. In Gethsemane, the intensity of Jesus’ struggle was very severe, but by the end He decided to do something that no one else could do.

He decided that He would allow Himself to be bound hand and foot and cast into this toxic spiritual sea and do something that no one had done before. He’d plummet down into this sea of full strength sin. He’d inhale of this bitter, crippling poison that often paralyzes us when we try to move toward Him or toward one another on issues of forgiveness.

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He’d endure allowing it to saturate everything about him and ultimately, kill him because He had something in mind that was worth the agony.

He’d endure On Good Friday when He played out his allowing it to choice, we see Jesus there — bound to the cross with cruel nails. But, be clear. Remember His saturate decision. He’s no victim as He was crucified everything about with horrible instruments of death! But there's him and more. If we go below the surface, we see the deeper reality of the cross. He actually died a ultimately, kill him deeper death from deliberately inhaling the because He had poison that twists, ruins and breaks something in relationships.

When Jesus died on the cross, it was like He mind that was was thrown into the undertow of a sin ocean worth the agony. and sucked down out of sight into the hopelessness of death. This is what really happened on Good Friday.

For a couple of days, it looked like our situation had only gotten worse. And how could it be otherwise? After all, Jesus took in the sum total of the evils committed on this earth from the beginning of time. Only Jesus could do this. And He died.

Some day we’ll die too, but what He did took the threat out of death!

Here’s why. Three days later, He’s back, walking up on the beach toward us, smiling warmly, full of life, the slimy sea behind Him. And He simply opens his arms. Though the wounds of torture are evident, His arms aren’t spread for us to see the ragged gashes, to learn of his pain. With this gesture, He is offering us a gift. It’s called the embrace of grace . . . and, it’s very good.

Listen to God’s Word on the subject: “Sin didn’t, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace.

When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah (Lord Jesus), invites us into life — a life that goes on and on and on, world without end” (Romans 5:20b-21, The Message).

So wherever you are in the Easter season, and wherever you are in your spiritual journey, here’s something to think about. Jesus has an embrace of grace for you.

General Conference 2005 Update

n January of this year, the Board of Administration passed a proposal naming the Study Teams topics for the 2005 conference. The nominating committee is currently creating the study teams and we ask that you pray for them as they seek to create effective teams to encourage us “to declare Jesus…anywhere, anytime, in all kinds of ways!”

The study teams will consist of five Study Teams with foci attached to each of the elements of The Free Methodist Church in Canada Mission statement. The COMMISSION team and the INTERPRET team will be standing committees of the Conference while the INVEST group will consist of reports only. The FIND Study Team will deal with the issues of evangelism and growth, both in Canada (Church Development and inter-cultural ministries) and beyond (Global Ministries). It has been especially recommended that the Study Team give special consideration to highlight testimonies of breakthroughs and progress in the strategies for reaching the Canadian cities identified by the 2002 General Conference as well as the “And Beyond” initiatives.

By Bishop Keith Elford

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The MATURE Study Team is to focus on presenting effective strategies for children, and student ministries. By “student ministries,” we are referring to strategies to disciple and challenge young teens, senior teens and young adults to reach their peers and be prepared to be the next generation of leaders. The CELEBRATE Study Team will deal with communication issues. It will be this team's assignment to demonstrate to the Conference the ways in which pastors and churches are presently connected, the modes of communication that are in place, and possibilities for even better communication in the future. It will also bring recommendations for refining and improving these areas that enhance our connectionalism.

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We are looking forward to hearing from these Study Teams and we certainly appreciate your prayers as they begin their process.

Tanya Princep General Conference Coordinator

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Passages Appointments Carol Shepstone, Director of Evangelism & Outreach February 18, 2004 Karen Crescent, FMC, Orillia, ON Ken Byars, Assistant Pastor - February 23, 2004 Arlington Woods FMC, Nepean, ON John Kurish, Senior Pastor - March 1, 2004 Polson Park FMC, Kingston, ON

Through the Roof

Jack Minor, Pastor - March 1, 2004 The Edge, Maple Ridge, B.C.

by Bruce Kellar

Matthew Turvey, Pastor - March 4, 2004 Dunnville, ON Stephanie Gilmer, Assistant Pastor March 19, 2004 North Grenville Community, Kemptville, ON Joseph Seidu, Pastor - March 22, 2004 Crestview Park, Winnipeg, MB Jim Peetoom, Senior Pastor - July 1, 2004 Centennial FMC, Belleville, ON

New MEGaP Members Neta Dawson [replaces Jim Grimes] February 24, 2004 Barry Taylor [replaces Peter Tursa] February 24, 2004

Change of Appointment Status Larry Larson - March 1, 2004 Released for service beyond the denomination Seminary of Urban Ministry, Winnipeg

Churches in Transition Eastern Koinonia FMC, Toronto, ON Killarney FMC, Killarney, MB O'Connor FMC, Kakabeka Falls, ON - as of Dec. 31, 2004 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 Timmins FMC, Timmins, ON Vennachar FMC, Vennachar, ON Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK

Pastors in Transition Huckle Choi Germain Fortin William Lippman Mike Smeltzer Dale Vinkle

Deaths Rev. Willis Stonehouse, December 24, 2003 Rev. E.A. Cooper, January 31, 2004 Rev. Douglas Russell, February 11, 2004

Upcoming Events

April 2004 National MEGaP Mount Carmel, Niagara Falls, ON April 15-17, 2004 Board of Administration [BOA] Crieff Hills Retreat Centre - Puslinch, ON April 23-24, 2004

Company Courses - April 30/May 2, ‘04 THINKING LIKE A CHRISTIAN Introduction to Christian Doctrine Rev. John Vlainic Polson Park FMC [Kingston, ON]- 613.542.6249 THE HEART OF CANADIAN FREE METHODISM History and Polity - Rev. Greg Pulham Lakeview FMC [Saskatoon, SK] - 306.374.6556 THINKING BIBLICALLY Introduction to Bible - Rev. Stanley Hanna Verona FMC [Verona, ON] - 613.374.1232

“Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.”

Luke 14:22-24

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his is a command that the Heavenly Father places on all the saints. Often times we place ourselves in a treadmill system where we forget about the sovereignty of God. Early in my ministry as Senior Pastor at Pineview Free Methodist Church, I began to notice several people who were not part of our church community dropping by my office to chat about various situations in their lives. Of course I urged them to come and worship at Pineview.

Frustration mounted when these people would not come to church, and the number of people dropping in increased. My support staff often times would comment, “Who are these people?

They don't go to the church!” My response was, “They are in the outside circle.” This kind of activity continued for almost a year. The more they came and the harder I tried to compel them to come, the more frustrated I became because of rejection. I kept referring to this group of people as the outside circle. This term ‘the outside circle’ seemed to be callous, rejecting. I began to ask the Lord, “Are they sheep? Are they goats? Who are they?” “Am I just being used, taking up countless hours of time, talking?” I started using different lingo. Inadvertently the word “religion” would pop up. It seemed so foreign to me, hard to explain. Through much prayer, the Lord helped me to understand it was relationship not religion they needed to hear about.

People would question what religion I was involved with and could I please explain what that religion was like. I did not have the foggiest idea what they were asking. All I could tell them about was the relationship that I had with God through Christ Jesus.

The outside circle began to grow, people from all walks of life kept coming. I began to ask questions of the people involved in the outside circle. “Why won't you become involved? Why won't you come and worship?” Similar answers kept coming back.

“I don't feel worthy to worship in this church.”

Out of desperation and frustration, I began to seek out God in a deeper way. He took me to a passage (Mark 2:1-5) that talked about a paraplegic who needed four friends with faith and that if they could get this man to see Jesus he would be healed. Of course, the story tells us that when they arrived at the house where Jesus was speaking they could not get near them because of the crowds. Seeing Jesus seemed to be an impossible task at that time. I had listened to bitterness, anger, hurts and criticism towards religion. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that indeed these people needed a “Through the Roof’” experience in order to see Jesus. God began to work in my heart two and a half years ago to really look at this passage and respond to a vision he had created. It was clear in my heart and mind that we needed to plant a church in Flinton, a nearby town. We would call this plant “Through the Roof’” (TTR).

Momentum and excitement continues to build between the outside circle now called TTR and the leadership of Pineview Free Methodist Church. It is evident when we hear the command of our Saviour saying, “Go” — where hurting and needy people are in order to bring them to where they need to be.

We have tested this vision many times and allowed God to place His seal of approval on it.

We approached our local town council to share the vision with them, knowing that they have a building that has been reclaimed and it will be going on the open market for sale. We are trusting God that this will be the new home of TTR. God is raising up qualified, willing leaders and the finances to enable this to happen. We are not sure if this is the building but we are trusting God (Philippians 4:19-20).

Moses led the Israelites out of captivity from the Egyptians with many challenges and obstacles. God parted the Red Sea allowing the Israelites to seek freedom. We are trusting God to part the seas to provide His blessing for His wandering people of TTR. It is our hope to be able to begin our first service, building or not, by the end of April. There are about 65 people outside of Pineview's community involved in TTR. Join with us in prayer as we go forward. We are praising God for this wonderful opportunity for enhancing The Kingdom.

The Bible tells us that without a vision we perish (Proverbs 29:18). When we think about the wisdom behind the instruction of having a vision one can ask, “How big is God?” I think it is true to say, “God is as big as the vision is.”

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Newly acquired land will provide parking for newcomers!

Trusting God and praying for Land Four years ago, we started seeing God fill up our new sanctuary after an extensive building project.

Every Sunday I would watch as people parked their cars and made their way to our worship service. One Sunday I realized a small tragedy was occurring. People drove into our small parking lot and had no place to park, so they drove right back out again. A sinking feeling came over me as I observed this several times.

Frustrated, I took the problem to the Trustee Board. We began praying and discussing what to do. The only land available was to the east and to the south. We pulled out our survey map to look at where we could find additional land. Many of our cars were actually parked on our neighbor's land. We began to realize we had a serious problem. The Trustees and I made an executive decision to contact the landowner (who owns the only available property) to see if we could expand our boundaries. During the first conversation with the property owner, she abruptly said “NO”.

She was not open to selling any land at all. I informed her that we were already parking on her land and she indicated that that was “OK”. I began to plead with her that it was only a shortterm fix. A sense of hopelessness crept in, thinking God would not lead us this far in building a new sanctuary so that we could compel people to come in. How could we fill it without places to park? The only thing we knew to do was to pray, and pray we did. Several months passed. The problem tormented me. During my second visit with the property owner, I explained that this land was our only hope of growth. The landowner agreed to sell a little sliver of land where the cars were parked but would not part with any other land. I told her of our plans for a new gymnasium, a counseling wing and possibly senior citizen housing to which she indicated, “This is not my problem”. She did ask one question, “Assuming that I don't sell you any land, what will you do?” I informed her that we would have no choice but to abandon this property.

On our knees we went, asking God what we should do. Several months passed, a year passed.

Something inside of me said, “Faith without action was no faith at all”. I contacted a local surveyor and friend who had done several

projects for me in my past career and in fact was the surveyor who had looked after the church property. Together we drew up the church’s survey plans and the adjacent property in question. I brought this home, took a coloured marker, shaded in our little spot of land, the lady's huge acreage with another colour and with another shade coloured in the much-needed property. I sat down and wrote a heartfelt letter requesting an immediate response. Seven months passed, not a word of response. We left the entire situation in God’s hands because through it all, we knew He had a plan.

One day a voice message was left at the office.

It was the landowner and she indicated she had received my letter and that the hand coloured description was very helpful. Three more months passed. The silence was painful. The Holy Spirit kept responding, acknowledging that the Heavenly Father had a plan. One busy Saturday morning at my home, the phone rang. It was the landowner. She indicated that she was willing to go ahead with the proposal of the four and a half acre land extension. In a state of shock overwhelmed with emotion she added the word “BUT . . .” Friends, it was one of those but's followed by what seemed like an hour. She indicated that she would make us a deal we would be pleased with. I began to uncontrollably sob.

My eight-year-old daughter was questioning her mother “Who is making my daddy cry?” God indeed had a plan! On March 21, 2004, Bishop Keith and officials will have joined us in dedicating this as holy ground, fulfilling all of our opportunities, visions and dreams for the coming days.

Caring for Golden Apples Our church has just undergone the wonderful process of JDPAS. In preparation for the Pastor’s job description, the demographics of our area from Stats Canada indicated that our community and surrounding area were enjoying an influx of growth, primarily baby boomers/busters. A lot of our growth at Pineview would fall in this age bracket. Our senior citizen group called “Golden Apples” has been questioning and praying about what they will do for living arrangements in their more senior years. We have also been praying about this for some time. The Bible tells us to feed the hungry, to look after the widows and

Pineview worship service

widowers and to feed the poor. Many of our seniors are burdened wondering how they will ever be able to stay in this immediate area, maintaining the joy and happiness of where God has placed them.

Pineview has a huge vision to create and build a church operated senior citizen complex, providing excellent housing with all of the fringe benefits and amenities needed to allow people to have the quality of lifestyle that they deserve. This thought began as an idea and a dream and is now in its first stage of reality. The excitement and enthusiasm continues to build. We took our idea to our town council and asked for their blessing.

They applauded us. The next step was to contact the Ministry of Natural Resources about acquiring the property adjacent to our new property, which is the next step of the vision becoming a reality. Upon meeting with the office of the MNR we were nervous but prayed up. They indicated that anything was possible with an approved plan and that they would be open to aiding us in this project. We are calling this project “Pine Village”.

Pine Village has given us a life changing experience in finding out how big God really is.

In Psalm 133:3, the author writes “For there the Lord commanded His blessings, even life forever”. It is when the vision is in place we can see this blessing being commanded upon us.

Upon realizing how unique Pineview seems, we take into consideration that God provided a main road alongside of Pineview that leads to this property. There is a full-scale library, full service Post Office, two general stores, two service stations, a hardware store, and a park with tennis courts all within walking distance from our church. It is our plan in the near future to change our parsonage or manse to become our administration building, providing much needed space for our ministry center.

From a Pastor's perspective, we often do not dream big enough because we do not want to cause overdue stress and overtax God's people.

We need to realize that indeed it is the vision and faith that causes His people to be blessed.

BIG DREAMS, BIG GOD! Bruce Kellar is Senior Pastor of Pineview Free Methodist Church in Cloyne, ON

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THE ULTIMATE EVANGELIST

by Rob Clements

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here is in many church quarters the idea that the ultimate Christian evangelist is the one who, supposedly following in the pattern of revivalists such as John Wesley or Charles Finney, spend their lives on the road stopping only to preach in the open air, or like many radio and TV preachers today, on the television or radio and fill hockey arenas around the world with their audiences. These leaders big build buildings and attract thousands. Some own satellite channels. Read the gospels, however, and you will find a very different portrait of the ultimate Christian ministry: the lifestyle exemplified by Jesus himself. Yes, Jesus preached to a multitude of thousands, but it is also significant that he didn't preach to more people. Yes, he healed people. But for the most part they were those who came into contact with him personally. Often he retreated into solitude. In fact, given the overall picture, it is remarkable that when God's Word was made flesh and pitched his tent among us in the person of Jesus Christ, he invested most of his energy in a small group, focusing especially on a few individuals.

Meanwhile millions of people in other parts of Judea — not to mention the rest of the world were sick, dying and still searching for the truth.

The fact is that though crowds seemed to gather wherever Jesus went, Jesus only preached to the smallest percentage of people alive in his day and that mostly in the last years of his life when he began his ministry. At times I ponder what he was doing before that‹-how he lived in relationship with his family, how he worked in his vocation, for example, knowing the enormity of the mission set before him.And then there's the Apostle Paul. Many people imagine that Paul immediately set about spreading the gospel after his “conversion” on the road to Damascus. But in Galatians, Paul says that after his call to preach to the Gentiles he went “immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter. I saw none of the other apostles — only James, the Lord¹s brother.” Three years? Somehow this seems dissonant with the almost frantic, thrill-seeking variety of Christianity which urges us to race against the clock before “the rapture” comes.

Three years. Look, here is Paul sorting out what all this blinding light business is about, rethinking his Jewish faith, now articulating what it means for the Gentiles, learning from James. Here is Paul making tents with his friends Priscilla and Aquila — spreading the gospel in the marketplace, working with his own hands so that he will not be a burden on others. Look, here is Paul working so he can maintain his integrity — so will he will not be swayed by the money that people in the city of Corinth want to give him (1 Cor. 9:15-18). "But Paul," I can hear people say, "don't you have something

better to do with your time? How to you expect to fulfill your God-given calling of bringing the gospel to the Gentiles like that?” Why don't you act like the other rabbis and teachers so you can devote yourself to “the ministry.”

“Ah,” Paul replies, “but this IS ministry.”

Malcolm Muggeridge, a famous BBC journalist who converted to Christian faith, once asked his audience to imagine a fourth temptation of Christ: A Roman media tycoon named Lucius Gradus is offering him a TV debut: “Would Jesus agree? Gradus laughs at the mere notion of refusal. How could he possibly refuse what would enable him to reach a huge public, right across the Roman Empire, instead of the rag, tag and bobtail lot following him around in Galilee? “... Jesus, who, in Gradus's terms, was crazy, did turn it down all the same, as he had the other three temptations. He was concerned about truth and reality, Gradus with fantasy and images... It may seem extraordinary to us now that this drama, and all it has meant for mankind in enhancing our mortal existence, should have been carried, without benefit of media, first from Judea to Asia Minor, and thence to Europe to spread through the whole Roman Empire.”

There is something intrinsically “incarnational” about the good news of reconciliation with God. It becomes flesh. It must. It is its very nature and the message cannot be divorced from the messenger. Evangelism is not merely a matter of words, not simply communication that can be conveyed on a TV or spammed out on the net; it can't be passed out in the form of a tract or transferred by the pages of a book. It must be lived out and embodied

in community. If there were an easier way we can be assured that the Father, “who wants all people to be saved,” (1 Tim 2:4) would have spared his only Son and shown us so.

Rob Clements is a member of Trulls Road FMC and a Ministerial Candidate.

Website Articles Asian Ministries Officer THE AGENCY World Relief Canada was formed in 1982 as the relief and development assistance arm of the Evangelical Church Community in Canada, and is an agency working in partnership with overseas church organizations empowering the poor in the developing world.

THE POSITION The person, based in Markham Canada, will: X Administrate / manage/ advise World Relief Canada's emergency relief and development programs, in relationship with partners in Asia. This will include two 3-week trips a year to Asia for planning, assessment and training.

X Relate to and encourage support of churches within World Relief Canada’s Canadian constituency, particularly the Chinese Christian community.

THE QUALIFICATIONS Our applicant will be: X A committed Christian with strong interpersonal skills.

X A leader with administrative, supervisory, assessment and reporting skills.

X A motivated person with working experience in the Chinese community.

X A person with compassion for the poor and an understanding of appropriate relief and development activities.

X A person with demonstrated ability to motivate, organize and call people to commitment.

X A person with public speaking ability and communications and teaching skills.

The candidate will have a university degree in agriculture, water supply or business, and/or a related academic field.

Also, international development experience would be an asset.

Willingness to travel to Asia for 6 weeks per year, and within Canada for 6 weeks per year.

Bilingual proficiency in English and Cantonese is essential. Mandarin would be an asset.

Apply with a resume to: Mr. Laurie Cook - CEO, World Relief Canada, Suite 310, 600 Alden Road - Markham, ON L3R 0E7 Fax: (905) 415-0287 E-mail: lcook@wrcanada.org www.wrcanada.org

UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON OF LENT

by Barry Taylor JESUS VIDEO DROPPED OFF AT EVERY HOME

By Allen Sackmann Girl in a gown

By Darryl Dozlaw

TEDDY BEAR MEMORIAL TREE OFFERS COMFORT IN MORE WAY THAN ONE

by John Gardiner JUST TOO GOOD TO LIMIT TO SUNDAY MORNINGS!

by Heather Persson GOD AT WORK IN THE PHILIPPINES

By Rob Duncan

visit www.fmc-canda.org <<story archives>>

7 M O S A I C

Arlington Beach Camp and Conference Centre Inc. PO Box 15, Cymric, SK S0G 0Z0 Dennis Camplin, Interim Executive Director Y 306.484.4460 W 306.484.2117 contactus@arlingtonbeachcamp.com www.arlingtonbeachcamp.com Family Camp July 11 - 18 Young Teen Camp I [Grades 6-8]July 25 - 3 Sr. Teen Canoe Trip August 10-16 Young Teen Camp II [Grades 6-8] August 15 - 21 Sr. Teen Camp August 22 - 28

Echo Lake Camp | RR 1 - Newburgh, ON K0K 2S0 Brent Brown, Executive Director Janice Hogeboom, Camp Registrar Location: Godfrey, ON Y 613.374.5727/campsite V echo@echolakecamp.org www.echolakecamp.org Youth Camp - August 22 - 29

Kakabeka Falls Camp | 316 North Franklin Street Thunder Bay, ON P7C 4J2 Gary Parker, Chair Contact: Suzanne Persall Y 807.623.6331 V park@tbaytel.net Youth Camp July 29-August 1, 2004 Family Camp August 27-29 - 2004

Maple Grove Christian Retreat Centre PO Box 69, Thamesford, ON N0M 2M0 Steve Smith, Chair John Wahl, Executive Director Y 519.285.3334 campsite maplegr@iprimus.ca www.maplegrove.org Family Camp July 3-11,2004 Teen Camp Aug 15-21,2004

Canadian Pacific Ministries Pine Grove Camp 2651 Dick Road - Winfield, BC V4V 1L9 Vern Frudd, Chair Eugene Whitehead, Director/Manager

Canadian Pacific Ministries continued . . .

Y 250.766.2865 W 250.766.3265 V kelfmc@cnx.net Family Camp - July 5-11

Pine Orchard Camp | PO Box 184, 11B -1100 Gorham Street Newmarket, ON L3Y 7V1 Location: 4088 Vivian Sideroad, Cedar Valley Neal Nelles, Camp Manager Y 905.473.5660 - camp site V info@pineorchardcamp.com www.pineorchardcamp.com Family Camp - August 6-15

Severn Bridge Camp PO Box 27008, Barrie, ON L4M 6K4 Location: 1023 Severn River Road Severn Bridge, ON P0E 1NO Ray Sutton, Chair Y 705.689.6568 - camp site Y 705.458-4541 - off season W 705.737.2057 V sbc@bfmc.org or severnbridge@bfmc.org Camp dates - July 16 to 25, 2004 inclusive

Shell River Camp PO Box 1318, Roblin, MB R0L 1P0 Roblin Free Methodist Church Contact: Linda Chase Y 204.937.4759 Family Camp Sunday June 27th to Saturday July 3rd

Wesley Acres Inc. PO Box 330, Bloomfield, ON K0K 1G0 Edward Morris, Chair Elaine Young, Director Y 613.393.3159 W 613.393.1720 V wesley@reach.net www.wesleyacres.com Family Camp 1 - June 26-July 4 Family Camp 2 - July 24-Aug Teen Camp August 1-7, 2004

Two guys, Joe and Bill went camping. After they got their tent all set up, they fell sound asleep.

Some hours later, Joe wakes his friend and says, "Bill, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."

Bill replies, "I see millions of stars."

"What does that tell you?" asked Joe. Bill ponders for a minute, then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies, and potentially billions of planets.

Time wise, it tells me that it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small, and insignificant.

Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.

Why? What does it tell you, Joe?" Joe is silent for a moment, then says, "Bill . . . it tells me that you someone has stolen our tent."

GLOBAL MINISTRIES

GATEWAY CITY Niamey, Niger Population 1,000,000 Muslims 97.5% African Traditional 2% Christians 0.4% (Evangelicals 0.1%)

P

icture with me if you will a place where there are three seasons; hot and dry, hot and wet and hot during the day with slightly cooler evenings. This country is mostly Sahara Desert, but on the edge of the desert is a river that brings you to the capital city. The trade centre for this impoverished country, this is a city of a million people. The people here come from various tribes and background and speak various languages, but in the city they use French to communicate with those who like them have come to the city looking for a better life. The city I am referring to is Niamey, the capital of Niger.

Now let me introduce you to my family: Jennifer and I met in college where a passionate faith and desire to serve God drew us together despite our denominational and personality differences. As a girl, Jennifer had been to Africa on a family vacation and on their way home Jennifer felt God clearly speaking to her that one day she needed to come back. It was with that goal in mind that she had gone to University and teacher’s college.

My decision to go to Bible college David and Jennifer Wright with sons had been a little Cole (left) and Ben. more last minute.

I’d already been accepted for engineering at a couple of universities in Ontario but had no desire to go. I remember saying to God at a Youth rally that I’d go anywhere he wanted because I knew that was the only place that I would be at peace. So it was that I began heading towards full-time ministry. While in college I developed an interest in the province of Quebec and French West Africa.

Two kids later, we’re now in Caistor Centre where I’ve been pastoring for the last five years.

Cole, who is about to turn five, started JK last fall. He’s been diagnosed with a form of high-

functioning autism called Asperger’s Syndrome.

I understand that Bill Gates has the same thing, and most people would not realize that it’s there except for a few odd mannerism. Ben, his younger brother, is an active three year-old who loves trains. Caistor Centre has been good for our family and we’ve enjoyed being here.

Jennifer’s been able to teach at the local public high school and last summer she helped coach Cole’s soccer team. A year ago January, I remember walking home from the church thinking, “You know, I think I could spend a very long time here…” That spring I began to get restless. Dan Sheffield’s reports on Sri Lanka caught my interest and I wondered if I might get involved in some way. Then a little later he reported on an exploratory trip to West Africa.

My mind began to race as my thoughts went back to some of my thoughts in college.

Towards the end he mentioned plans by SIM to open an University level Bible School in the city of Niamey, Niger. I had wrestled with the idea of teaching in the past but this felt like an opportunity I needed to pursue. Since then Dan Sheffield has negotiated an arrangement with SIM to get involved in the school as first step towards church planting in this gateway city.

We are now in the process of finalizing our plans to go to Niger. We will be spending a lot of our first year working on language training and developing relationships. I will be taking theology courses and having a pastoral role in the bible college that I hope to be teaching in the following year. Jennifer will be learning French while caring for Ben, helping Cole with all of the adjustments and possibly working in the international school part-time.

Unreached peoples: Chadic (6:46.3%), Nilo-Saharan (15:27%), Tuareg (6:12.2%), Fulbe (3:10%), Arab 2.3%, Gur (2:1.3%), plus other smaller groups

Where you fit into this picture Prayer is the key. Without prayer our efforts our in vain. We need you to be praying for our physical needs as there are a few things that need to come together in order for us to go. When we get there we will continue to need your prayers for health and safety as we try to adapt to the heat and the change of diet. We need prayer for all the administrative details that need to come together in order to make travel arrangements and still meet the needs of our congregation. You can also pray for our financial needs as we will have to raise our own support for the two years that we will be there.

What's changed in the past

A

Located in southwestern Niger on the Niger River, Niamey the capital city of Niger (10.7 million) is a river port, road and trade centre and home to 17% of the country’s population. Mining of uranium and other minerals has brought some economic development to this impoverished land, but in the 1980’s the Sahel famine, collapse of the uranium market and Nigeria's closure of the common border devastated the economy. Ninety percent (90%) of the population lives at the bare subsistence level at the best of times. Niger has considerable freedom of religion and few restrictions on mission work, however, Islamic fundamentalists are pushing for change and imposition of shari'a law. There are 36 different people groups in Niger, 14 of which have no one working among them, while others have few. One of these groups, the Tuareg were the once rich ruling class people that are now impoverished and resentful due to drought, famine, changing trade patterns and political change.

4 years ?

sk one of the Free Methodist members in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and your might set off a barrage of exciting reports of God's activity in their midst.

Just four years ago, in May, 1999, the first Free Methodist church services were held there. Now there are 24 congregations and 4,000 members! Every day is a story of God's activity changing lives.

Meeting the needs of children has been a key factor in the growth of the Ethiopian church. A “Child Nutrition Clinic” provides life-changing education and nutrition to over 100 malnourished children per day. The clinic, staffed by three Ethiopian doctors and 40 other Christians, trains parents in affordable nutrition and supervises their progress as the children gain a healthy lifestyle.

Now International Child Care Ministries (ICCM) has come alongside this fast-growing band of Free Methodists to provide sponsorships for children whose families cannot provide the finances to buy food and provide education for their children without help. Canadians are excited about sponsoring a child in such a

Vivian Hyndman Director

resourceful and fruitful ministry as the Ethiopian church provides.

The Ethiopia ministry re-emphasizes a fact we have experienced in many other situations of poverty - when you help the children, you reach the whole family.

Watch for more exciting news from Tanzania. ICCM is now being established to support the ministries of our missionaries and local church leaders in that country. We provide food, clothes and education along with the message of eternal life, bringing hope to all who hear.

Child Care (ICCM) operates in 14 countries. Sponsorship provides auxiliary support to our ministries in those countries. Canadians sponsor 2276 children through ICCM. We are pleased to be the “link” between our Canadian Free Methodist churches and the sponsorship of children, giving tangible support to Free Methodist missions and ministries overseas.

Talk to us at 905 788-2602, email iccm@fmc-canada.org or mail us at 4315 Village Centre Court, Mississauga, ON L4Z 1S2. Visit our web page at childcareministries.net