December 2006

The Free Methodist Church in Canada December 2005 - Volume 3 Issue 1

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family

COVER What Jesus Came To Do

by Randy MacDonald PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Leadership Development: Suprising Discoveries from John Wesley and B.T. Roberts

by Alan Retzman PAGE 3 Things Happen When We Pray

by Bishop Keith Elford Grant Wolfe’s Top Five Reads PAGE 4 Love Means “I Want You To Be”

by Victor Shepherd PAGE 6 Will Gillan’s Dilemna A Christmas Parable

by Bishop Keith Passages PAGE 7 Student Ministries:

by Andrew Brown PAGE 8 Global Ministries: Under African Skies

by Dan Sheffield 2005 India Celebration Tour

by Diane Fidler-Gray

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.

hristmas at 488 Alfred Avenue would be like no other. Oh, it would start with the same traditions. The brightly decorated family room, a freshly cut spruce tree and that gray wool sock that would eventually have a Christmas orange stuck in the toe and a handful of bulk candy on top. Christmas, however, seemed to come especially early that year. Maybe it was because it was our first year in the biggest house we would ever live in. For the first time each of us would have our own bedroom. I'll never forget that Christmas morning. It was abnormally quiet. Abnormal because quiet was not a word people normally associated with my four siblings and me!

I was the first to wake, and after a quick look at that wool sock, I was off. I quietly slipped down the long twisting staircase to the main level of the house where only hours before we were sitting around the tree, singing Christmas carols and eating snacks. As I neared the bottom of the staircase my mind exploded with anticipation.

"What would it look like?" Even though I've seen that sight every year, I've never quite understood how the transformation took place. This year was no different. As I placed my foot on the last stair, I couldn't believe my eyes.

There, only a few steps away, were the two huge French doors leading to our family room. Two massive glass doors framed with wood that I had somehow never seemed to notice before that morning. And, beyond those doors, was a magnificent sight.

That same, rather plain room that I had sat in last night had been remarkably transformed once again. As I lunged for the old glass doorknob, my heart sank. Someone had locked the doors. "What was going on?" Whose sick, twisted mind is responsible for this? I think what hurt my heart the most that morning was the sight of our tree with all the lights shining in the darkness. And the presents, oh the presents. There, on the other side of the glass, was a magnificent mountain of certain fun. I could almost feel the hours of endless enjoyment. I remember placing my little face and both my hands on the glass, taking in all the beauty.

As I released my face from the glass, my eyes caught a row of slippers on the floor, neatly arranged in the order of birth starting with my oldest sister to my baby brother. It didn't take me long to figure out the second last pair were for me. Inside the slippers was a cardboard book with eight full-sized packs of lifesavers. Given the situation, I did what any kid would do. I put on my slippers and popped a few of those lifesavers into my mouth. For that moment life

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was good. Several different flavours of lifesavers colliding in my mouth! What a treat! This was all good - for a few minutes. But as soon as the flavor wore off, so did the feeling of comfort. It wasn't long before my mind was focused back on those massive glass doors that separated me and the rest of my family from the joy, excitement and energy that I knew was in that room. I could see it but couldn't feel it.

I decided to start back up the stairs to wake up my parents and tell them of the fate that awaited them. As I made my way up the stairs in a rather comatose state, I passed the rest of my siblings coming down the There, on the stairs. Boy, were they in for a shock. As other side of the I stood on my mother's side of the bed, glass, was a telling her of the devastation downstairs, magnificent my Dad awoke yet pretended not to be mountain of listening. Looking back now, I'm almost sure I heard snickers coming from his certain fun. I side of the bed. How rude! Hadn't he could almost seen my big crocodile tears? This was big feel the hours of stuff. I mean - how would we ever get to endless all that good stuff? When my dad arose enjoyment. from under the covers, I noticed in his hand a long shoelace with a key tied to the end - an old, rather familiar looking, skeleton key. It didn't take me long to figure out who was behind the devastation I was feeling.

“Why? Why would you do this?” My mom lifted her head and told me that it wasn't time. I would have to wait. She told me that when the time was right they would come downstairs and unlock the door. Discouraged and confused, I made my way back to my bed where I stayed until my Mom and Dad came to get me, key in hand.

After what felt like hours, there we were. All sitting in amazement and excited about the possibilities. I know what was going through my brothers’ and sister’s minds because it was the same thing that was going through my mind.

Which one would I open first? In my concentration, I missed my parents leaving the room. However, we all noticed them return because with them were two very familiar faces. Faces that we had seen several times before.

It was George and Ruth. George was from the men's hostel where dad was working and Ruth from the women's hostel where my mom was working. Our family had sort of adopted them. But what were they doing here now? Oh well, it didn't matter. The more the merrier. I just wanted to get to ripping off that paper! And it didn't take long.

Before I knew it, every present was unwrapped. A few had

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What Jesus came to do - continued on page 6

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The greatest Christmas story I enjoy journaling. This is partly start here Lisa Howden Managing Editor

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f we forget history we are doomed to repeat it. There are surprising similarities between what we are doing in The Free Methodist Church in Canada and the approach taken in leadership development by John Wesley and B.T. Roberts.

I found something scarier than forgetting history: If we don't pay attention to what first burned in the heart of Wesley and then B.T. Roberts (founder and first General Superintendent of the Free Methodist Church), God will need to bring about a new movement by His Spirit to re-kindle the passions God gave these men.

I attended and presented at a Leadership Development Consultation at Indianapolis with Free Methodist World Missions area directors. I was struck by the similar view that Wesley and later, B.T. Roberts had on leadership development to what we are asking God to do among us now. It informs what we are doing in Canada today, and hopefully carries a similar passion. Howard Snyder, a well respected historian of the Free Methodist Church, brought to light several things: My paraphrase.

WESLEY ON LEADERSHIP

AFTER WESLEY'S DEATH

1. Develop the common Christian.

Wesley started with an Anglican view of hierarchical leadership. Then he saw the gifts of the Spirit functioning in the hearts of men and women, "doing good to the bodies and souls of men and women." Common folks were exercising spiritual gifts. This was novel in Wesley's day.

Sadly, after Wesley's death Methodists saw a number of regrettable declines: 1. Decline of the class meeting. The preacher increasingly assumed the role of professional clergy and the original role of class leaders declined.

2. Other structures to nurture the movement were gone. In early Methodism class leaders were, functionally, the real pastors operating under the 2. The priesthood of all believers was a central preachers. theological construct in leadership development.

3. Pastors took on a professional role. Now clergy Wesley saw effective work among his preachers gradually took over more and more of the who were more poorly educated than the functions of class leaders and they stopped being Anglican clergy, and found that God was at work trainers and stopped developing leaders. in these unordained men and women. This modified his view of leadership to include the common folk, and brought new life to the B.T. ROBERTS AND LEADERSHIP meaning of the priesthood of all believers.

1. The special role of Free Methodists historically has been to preach good news to the poor. Leaders 3. Leaders were developed based on their gifts and assumed this function. provided an opportunity to use them.

Roberts did not develop a theology of leadership.

Christians were given opportunities to exercise Still, it was clear that a call to preach and to be a gifts. Ordination was not required. "Wesley pastoral leader was a call to be soul winning. identified and deployed class and band leaders, While other movements existed to serve many assistants, stewards, visitors of the sick, parts of society, Roberts said that it was the schoolmasters, housekeepers, orphanage workers, specific call of Free Methodists to preach the good and others. The whole system encouraged the news to the poor. Soul winning was not a matter kind of spiritual growth in which useful gifts, of giftedness. To Roberts it was a logical abilities, and skills would be recognized and put progression, a syllogism. If Jesus will make you to use in redemptive ministry.” Methodism thus fishers of men, then he promises success to you in provided considerably more opportunity for fishing for men. exercising gifts than the Church of England which was severely hedged about by clericalism 2. All Christians are called into ministry. (where the ordained did all the ministry.)

Roberts wrote in Fishers of Men: “One of the most Early Methodism grew through leadership hurtful, practical errors of Protestantism is the development. Whether man or woman, ministry idea, so widely prevalent, that to do efficient was not restricted to the wealthy or the educated. service for Christ, one must be an accredited For those with spiritual gifts and eagerness to preacher of the gospel, and have the pastoral serve, leadership and ministry opportunities were charge of a congregation. This is a great mistake. fully available.

“Protestants recognize only an authorized band of workers-preachers; and practically but one order 4. Leaders developed locally. of preachers-pastors. This is not as Christ “On the job training” was Wesley’s way of intended.” He calls others to his work, and he teaching his trainees. would have the Church recognize the call.

He gave particular attention to ‘on the job’ [Roberts, Fishers of Men (1918 ed), pp.39-40.] training of his preachers, prescribing reading, giving practical instruction in the use of time and the exercise of ministry. The classroom was the Roberts in essence pointed to the priesthood of all community around the local church. The believers and the necessity of having flexible and community became the incubator and training workable structures to lead all Christians into the work of God. Pastors had to be trainers of leaders as camp for Christian ministry. well as doers of ministry.

Surprising discoveries - continued on page 5

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Things happen when people

Pray

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felt inadequate, inferior, inept and a whole lot of other things, and increasingly so, as the day progressed. Donna and I were in Hyderabad, India, for the celebration of the launch of the India Provisional General Conference. It should have been a "high" because of what the Lord was doing to bring together a national church that has over 1,200 congregations and 100,000 members, but I had a highly anxious spirit and a very heavy heart.

Was it jealousy? Was it cynicism? Was it demonic oppression? Was it despair about the progress of the Church in Canada? I don't know. But as I knelt before the new bishops for them to lay their hands on me in prayer, I was desperate for God to break this crushing heaviness, or I was going to have to make plans to graciously quit and give someone else the responsibility of leading the Free Methodist part of the Church in our nation.

As Bishop Narendra John prayed, something cracked in the load. It didn't shatter and fall into pieces around me; but during the evening, it melted away; and by the next day it was gone and my heart was light.

The following weekend, I was back in Canada and on a plane to Timmins - exhausted from jetlag and knowing that I needed strength for the celebration of Scott Woolhead's ordination, meeting and greeting God's people. And then a seven hour drive to Sault Ste Marie, where the next day, I would be “on” for the dedication of the church's newly expanded facility. I didn't have “it” and I knew it.

A month or so earlier, I had spent part of a day in waiting prayer; and because I didn't have a clear sense as to where to focus my prayers, I had sat in a discipline of silence - both internal and external, and came away surprisingly rejuvenated. “That's what I'll do now as we fly,” I thought, “and God will strengthen me.” Sitting with my eyes closed on the plane, Jesus showed me something more. After reminding me of the experience in Hyderabad, He said to me, "In your heart, kneel before me and I will place my hands on you and pray for you. I know what you need." There was no instant power surge, but I had more than enough for the demands of a busy weekend.

These are two rather personal experiences, but I decided to tell you about them to encourage you to keep growing in your prayer life. Dr. E. Stanley Jones, the great missionary statesman, said that the Christian life has two heartbeats--communion and commission, and we need both. We must commune with God to tune out the distractions and know Him more deeply and intimately. Communion is where character transformation and healing of the emotions happen as He prays with us. But then there comes a moment to cease sitting and to respond to His commission to be involved in what He is doing in our day to day world. It's a rhythm that I'm learning at a deeper level.

Here are some other learnings that perhaps you already know, but that are

An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind

by Erwin Raphael McManus A challenging word for anyone in ministry who understands it's all about servanthood, authenticity, and taking risks in faith.

The Making of a Leader

by Dr. J. Robert Clinton One of the best books I know of on leadership development.

Indian Bishops, Narendra John (left), Gollapolli John (right) and Joab Lohara (centre) pray for Bishop Elford on a recent trip to India.

opening up at deeper levels for me. When we are prayerless, the root issue is not disobedience - it's deeper. It's immaturity in one's relationship with Jesus.

When we really love someone, there is very little (actually, only very extreme circumstances) that keep us from that person. I've been finding that God's heart mysteriously responds to an honest admission that parallels the prayer of the desperate man in Mark 9:24, who prayed, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." The prayer for the prayerless is "Lord, I want to want you more.

Help my indifference."

Sometimes, though, we don't pray because there are issues that we don't want to face. That makes sense, doesn't it, but it's stupid! Usually those issues require more than we have within ourselves to deal with them. It is so much better to face them with the resources of God's grace (Grace has been defined by one person as God's willingness to use Sometimes, His power on our behalf ), where burdens and bondages are cracked and melted. though, we don't I use the metaphor "melted" advisedly because, though it is wonderful when answers to prayer are dramatic and God acts instantaneously, Daniel learned pray because that sometimes there is a lag in time between when we begin praying and when we see God acting (Daniel 10). there are issues On the topic of delays, Selwyn Hughes writes, "I am convinced that thoughts arrive in the hearts of countless Christians that are in reality answers to prayer; but that we don't because they are not accompanied by a thunderclap or do not come at the moment of prayer, they are not want to face. recognized as such. Answers to our prayers are not necessarily dramatic. A quiet thought dropped into the mind by God is as deserving of praise as if the heavens opened and God's voice spoke from beyond the clouds." He's right!

So, I'm learning more about prayer. My growing passion to go deeper comes from realizing more fully that it is not by might, nor by power that lasting things happen, but through the moving of the Spirit of God in response to believing prayer. What's really encouraging is that it seems that many across the Canadian church are feeling the same things and are willingly joining with me on specific days of fasting and prayer every month.

And what are we expecting? That as we present ourselves before the Lord Jesus in prayer, He will show us that He is able and willing to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we would ever imagine.

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Rev. Keith Elford is Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada

Evangelism Outside the Box

Contrarian's Guide to Leadership

by Rick Richardson

by Steven B. Sample

Sensitive to our cultural times, Richardson provides practical ideas to help us connect with this seeking generation.

If you've thought you've read most things on leadership, read this one - it's original!

Breakout Churches

by Thom S. Rainer Through a comprehensive study of a number of churches and its leaders, Rainer points to common factors that led them from mediocrity to greatness.

Grant Wolfe

is the Supply Pastor at Grapeview FMC in St. Catharines, ON.

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here are few thinkers more profound than Augustine. Born in the year 354 and living until 430, he was philosopher, theologian, political theorist, cultural commentator, and all of these at once; and not only all of these at once, but all of these superbly. His words are always weighty and need to be heard again and again. He wrote much about love, approaching the topic of love the way an appreciative jeweller approaches a gem, glowing over the different lustres it radiates as light shines on it first from one angle and then from another. One word from Augustine that we are going to linger over is as brief as it is brilliant: “Love means ‘I want you to be.’”

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Let’s think first about the creation. On the one hand God doesn’t need the creation; i.e., doesn’t need the creation to be God. God is without deficit or defect. Therefore he doesn’t create in order to find in the creation what he somehow lacks in himself. On the other hand we know that God is life and God is love. God is the one and only "living" God in that God alone has life in himself. Because God is life God alone can impart life. Because God is love he appears to delight in creating and vivifying creatures who aren’t God themselves but who are made to live in love with the God who lives and loves by nature.

To say that God conceived us in love and fashioned us in love and constantly visits us with his love means, says Augustine, that God is forever saying to us, "I want you to be." Be what? When God creates mountains and monkeys he says, "I want you to be that thing." When he creates humankind, however, he wants us to be what monkeys and mountains can never be: creatures whose purpose, delight and fruitfulness are found in a living relationship with him, which relationship is love.

The apostle John has said most pithily, "God is love." Less pithily but equally profoundly Augustine would say, "God is the one who longs to have us be; God longs to have us love him; God longs to have us reflect back to him the love with which he first loved us and continues to love us. This is what it is to be."

The problem is, as everyone knows, that the creation didn’t remain "good" without qualification. Instead the creation was undone (in some respects) by the fall. We who were created to find our purpose, delight and fruitfulness in a living relationship of throbbing love for God now look everywhere else. We who are to reflect back to God the love with which he first loved us and continues to love us now do everything but that. For this reason God can no longer say, "I want you to be." Now he must say in his judgement, "I want you not to be." Insofar as God wants us not to be he plainly isn’t the creator; he’s now the destroyer. Anyone who reads scripture attentively knows that as soon as the creator is presumed upon or traded on; as soon as the attempt is made to exploit God or test him, as surely as God is disdained or merely disregarded, the creator becomes the destroyer. Scripture speaks like this on every page.

We’d like to think that if God were displeased with us, justly displeased with us, it’d be enough for him to ignore us. But destroy? Destruction sounds like "zero tolerance." It’s odd, isn’t it, that we fault God for "zero tolerance" when we insist our legislators implement it everywhere in our society. We insist on legislation that guarantees zero tolerance for wife-beating, drug-trafficking, sexual exploitation of children; zero tolerance for income tax evasion and impaired driving. We insist on social policies of zero tolerance because we know in our hearts that tolerance isn’t a sign of generosity or magnanimity or largehearted liberality. Tolerance is ultimately a sign of confusion, blindness, and

Augustine the teacher [centre] during his brief stay in Rome.

by Dr. Victor Shepherd

spinelessness – none of which can be predicated of God. His tolerance, in the wake of our primal defiance and disobedience, would be only the shabbiest character defect in him.

Israel always knew this. To the prophet Amos God said, "I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel." (Amos 9:7) A plumb line is used in house construction to expose deviations from the upright. The house of Israel was found deviant. And the result? When the plumb line is spoken of in 2 Kings 21 the conclusion is stark: "Says the Lord, ‘I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down." It’s over! "I want you not to be."

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Yet to another prophet, Hosea this time, God spoke as anguish-riddled a word as we shall ever overhear in scripture: "How can I give you up? How can I hand you over?…My heart recoils within me, my compassion grows warm and tender, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come to destroy." (Hosea 11:8-9) Not even the destroyer will come to destroy.

Then what will he come to do, given his recoiling heart and tender compassion?

He will come to save. "For God so loved the world", is how the apostle John speaks of this truth. "World", in John’s vocabulary, doesn’t mean what it means in the Oxford English Dictionary; "world" for John is the sum total of men and women who blindly yet culpably disdain their vocation of reflecting back to God the love in which he created us. The "world" is the sum total of men and women who slander God’s goodness and slight his patience and scorn his blessing and ridicule his truth and laugh at his judgements even as they lecture him, "Don’t tell us what to be; we’ll decide for ourselves what we’re going to be.

We forge our own identity, and our identity has nothing to do with you." And then with a love that will forever remain incomprehensible God so loves such ungrateful rebels that he will submit himself to the humiliation of a stable and the horror of a cross. Plainly he’s saying, once more, "I want you to be."

But there’s a difference this time. On the day of our creation God loved into existence the glorious creature that he had conceived in his own image and likeness. So glorious were we as we emerged from God’s own hand that we mirrored his glory. It was grand, then, when he said to us, "I want you to be."

In the wake of our rebellion and subsequent disfigurement, however, when his image is defaced in us and shame attends us and we are as loathsome as we formerly were resplendent, his loving us now isn’t akin to Adam’s loving Eve on the day of their primal splendour; God’s loving us now is akin to Hosea’s loving his wife when Hosea found her, now a prostitute with three illegitimate children, shamed and disgraced and valued commercially at 15 shekels, half the price of a slave. It is for broken down creatures like this that God now breaks his own heart. "How can I give you up? How can I give you up when I want you to be?"

The love with which God created us appears to have cost him nothing; but the love with which God so loved the world manifestly cost him everything.

Christmas clearly cost God everything, for the sole purpose of Christmas is the Christmas gift crucified. John Calvin was fond of saying that the shadow of the cross fell upon the entire earthly life of Jesus. And so it did. The shadow of the cross fell even upon his birth. His birth? Even upon his conception, for on the day that Mary learned she was pregnant she was told, "a sword will pierce through your heart too." (Luke 2:35) It appears not to have cost God anything to have us come forth in primal splendour. But to have us be born anew, to have us made afresh, to have us be, at last, what we were always supposed to be; this

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These fresco renderings by Benozzo Gozzoli (1424–1497), “Take up and Read” and “Death of Augustine” are two of 17 scenes painted in Tuscany, Italy.

entailed that child, born for us, who from the moment of conception gathered embraced restores us to that immediacy and intimacy we crave in our hearts. into himself the eventuality of the cross. Christmas, therefore, costs God The Christmas gift cherished finds us no longer asking about the meaning of everything. life, but not because we now have a 10,000 -word answer complete with footnotes. The Christmas gift, rather, has brought us to live in a love to God "God is love."(1 John 4:8) It means, "I want you to be, be those made in my that reflects the love he has always had for us. Living in such love, in the image whose love for me reflects my love for them." immediacy and intimacy and contentment of such love, we need neither "God so loved the world."(John 3:16) It means, "I still want you to be, even arguments nor explanations nor demonstrations. When the writer of Proverbs though you are a disgrace to me and disfigured in yourselves; I still want you to records, "He who finds me finds life!" (Prov. 18:35) we shout, "’Tis true!" be those whose love for me reflects my love for them, regardless of When the prophet Amos records, "Seek me and live!" (Amos 5:4), what anguish I must suffer in the person of the cruciform child of we exult, "Yes!" When the prophet Ezekiel records, "Turn [repent] Christmas." and live!" (Ez. 18:3), those who have turned to face God simply "He loved me, and gave himself – for me! (Gal. 2:20) Listen to know it’s true. No longer are we expecting only the detachment of the apostle Paul exult. "He loved me!" If love means "I want you to an abstract idea; now we glory in the immediacy of a concrete be", then "He loved me!" can only mean, "I am. At last I truly am. I want you to be encounter. "What does life mean?" Those who have embraced the I’m finally alive." Is this the same as mere existence? If love means Christmas gift and henceforth resonate the Son’s love for the Father "I want you to be", could we ever substitute, "I want you to exist"? - be those aren’t left asking the question. Those, on the other hand, who are Never! "He loved me!" will never mean, "I exist." It will always made in my impelled to ask the question are also unable to recognise the answer. mean, "I am! I truly am! I’m profoundly alive!"

Forever unable? Of course not. Phillips Brooks, author of O image whose "He loved me!" But didn’t God so love the world? Of course he Little Town of Bethlehem, writes, "How silently, how silently, the did, and Paul knows he did. Then why the exclamation, "He loved love for me wondrous gift is given. So God imparts to human hearts the me!"? It’s because the purpose of the Christmas gift has been blessings of his heaven." The gift is wondrous; that is, it transcends reflects my love fulfilled; fulfilled in this one man at least. The purpose of God’s so human comprehension. It is given "silently"; that is, the manner of loving the world is to have this individual and that individual and for them. its impartation is a mystery. Because the gift transcends human yet another come to be: come to abandon herself to the one whose comprehension, and because the manner of its impartation is a love incarnate for her has brought her to spend the rest of her days mystery, you and I are ultimately speechless before the secret work in love for him. Yes, God did so love the world; but only the individual can of the Holy Spirit that prepares anyone’s heart for the blessings of heaven. We respond. "He loved me!" is precisely the cry of someone who has responded. can’t describe or explain the secret work of the Holy Spirit that moves the And in such an individual the Christmas gift has proved fruitful. person who is incapable of recognising the answer to no longer needing to ask We can’t help noticing that when the cry, "He loved me!", was torn out of the question. But that there is such a work of God’s Spirit, and that such a work the apostle, it wasn’t merely that one matter was settled (he thereafter knew we can’t measure or control or describe or explain; this we never doubt. And himself loved); ever so much more was settled. In fact, everything was settled. therefore we give up on no one; we dismiss no one. Instead we pray, and Thereafter he never groped and guessed as to what life means. He never continue to pray, then pray some more, knowing that in the mystery of God’s hemmed and hawed, wondering what he was supposed to do with his life. He secret work "where meek souls will receive him still the dear Christ enters in." never drowned in doubt over the significance of his toil and his suffering. He And where Christ enters in someone has come to be. Where Christ enters in knew what life means, knew what he was to do, knew the significance of his toil the purpose of the incarnation is fulfilled. And the love wherewith that person and suffering even if those for whom he toiled and suffered didn’t know. And was created and redeemed is now reflected in her love for our great God and his future? "Life means Christ", Paul told the Christians in Philippi, "and my Saviour, who is rightly said himself to be, to be eternally, even as he guarantees dying can only mean more of him." as much for all who hold – and hold on to – the infant born in Bethlehem.

Let’s come back to one question Paul never asked. In the wake of "He loved me!" he never asked, "What’s the meaning of life?" He didn’t have to ask it. He Dr. Victor Shepherd is Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Tyndale, wasn’t puzzled. The Christmas gift ends bewilderment here. The Christmas gift and Adjunct Prof. of Theology at University of Toronto.

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Surprising Discoveries

[continued from page 2]

through discovering and exercising their gifts, and serving wherever Jesus has called his people to use those gifts.

2. Keep the central focus of pastors and missionaries “…let spiritual life get into a church, …when life on expanding the ministry of the whole body divine comes thrilling through its members, some will (priesthood of all believers) and facilitating the break through all their regulations, and exercise the raising up of leaders of various kinds through a functions of an office which the church does not continuous ongoing process of discipling and recognize.” Fishers of Men leadership training in the local church.

3. Keep the central focus on evangelism, especially CHALLENGE IN THE FMCIC reaching the poor, in our towns, cities, country and world.

Our challenge today is to be a movement in our context similar to the movements of Wesley and Roberts. The Tradition is not always good. Recapturing the same FMCIC must heart as Wesley and Roberts will bring us to the heart 1. Remain a vital movement of God training leaders, of God. I'm a third generation Free Methodist. Some The picture Roberts gave was one of all members using their gifts in all ways to all people that God led them to:

of you are fourth and fifth generation Free Methodists.

Is Free Methodist tradition good? Probably the answer is yes and no. Tradition does not serve as well unless we have the first generation passion of B.T. Roberts, whose desire was to have the first generation Methodist passion of Wesley. Wesley's passion was to reclaim first generation Christian passion of freedom in Christ to all who come in faith believing Christ died for all sin. To all of them holiness was a verb and not a noun.

Training leaders in this tradition will make us a movement of God, in our world, with guidance and power from the Spirit of God. Rev. Alan Retzman is Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada.

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What Jesus Came To do

Passages APPOINTMENTS

Kris Gowdy - Pastor of Student Ministries Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON effective October 26, 2005 Mike Stern - Lead Pastor Asbury FMC, Perth, ON effective January 1, 2006

MINISTERIAL CANDIDATES APPROVED

Ron Bartolo (Polson Park, Kingston, ON) Ann Foster (Smiths Falls, ON) Kris Gowdy (Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON) Mozaly Pelelo Jonas (Sherbrooke, QC) Karen Martin (Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON) David Stephenson (Ridgeway Community, Ridgeway, ON) Kathy Stephenson (Ridgeway Community, Ridgeway, ON)

ORDAINED MINISTERS RECEIVED

BY TRANSFER David Atton (Karen Crescent, Orillia, ON) From Anchor Ministerial Fellowship John Kurish (Polson Park, Kingston, ON) From the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

CHANGE IN NETWORK LEADER Stephen Bond (replaces Bob Quick) effective October 25, 2005

CHURCHES IN TRANSITION

Athens FMC, Athens, ON Avonlea FMC, Avonlea, SK Caistor Centre FMC, Caistor Centre, ON Eastern Koinonia FMC, Toronto, ON Edmonton FMC, Edmonton, AB Killarney FMC, Killarney, MB Marmora FMC, Marmora, ON Pineview FMC, Cloyne, ON Richmond Hill Chinese FMC, Richmond Hill, ON Wesley Chapel, Toronto, ON Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK

PASTORS IN TRANSITION John Baker Raymond Hartman Rodney Peterson Vic Stonehouse

Darren Friesen Don Miller Joan Stonehouse Dale Vinkle

Will Gillan's Dilemma A Christmas Parable

Willard Gillan went to his bench in the corner of the basement. He had gone to the little workshop almost every evening of November. With each passing hour, his satisfaction had been growing.

Willard (or Will as his friends called him) was an artisan of sorts. He worked with paint brushes, wood chisels, sandpaper, and saws. He followed the carpenter's son from Nazareth but lived on a tough side of Chicago.

A picture had been in his mind, and now it stood almost life-size in his little work area. There was Joseph, Mary, the straw-filled manger, four shepherds huddled together, two sheep, and three bowing kings. The only thing lacking was the Christ child.

Will had decided to go for realism. The baby would look like a normal middle-eastern infant--a baby with dark hair, not blond, and jet-black eyes, not blue.

After all, the child had been born in Israel to Jewish parents.

All month he had thought about where he would place the nativity scene. For sure it had to be put outside in the darkness of the street and be lighted up.

There was a deeper darkness in his neighborhood than that which came when the sun went down and the neon beer sign flickered on across the street. It was to that deeper darkness that shadows human hearts that he had wanted to bring light and beauty, yet simplicity.

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even managed to find their way under the tree for George and Ruth. It truly was a Christmas to remember!

Every year, as Christmas approaches, I find myself revisiting the truths about Christ's birth.

And this year is no exception as I find myself thinking a lot about "What Jesus Came to Do".

Looking back on this story from Christmas, I see what I've come to believe about Jesus and what he came to do. For most of my life, I believed that Jesus was more like the slippers and the lifesavers! I know this sounds a bit whacked, but bear with me as I explain. Like most of you, I was taught that Christmas was all about God sending Jesus to earth so he could pay the price for my sin. So he could give me my ticket to heaven. I believe that this same philosophy is evident not only in my life but in many of the churches of today. Don't get me wrong, I still believe this is true. However, I've come to realize that it is only a partial understanding.

Look back with me at that locked family room with the beautiful lights and the presents piled high around the huge spruce tree. That spectacular sight represents heaven. We know what's waiting for us but we're unable to get to it because the time is not right. We stand patiently waiting with anticipation. All we can to do is look, watch and wait. But then God looks down at us with mercy and decides to do something - the slippers and lifesavers. He sends His one and only son to pay the price for our sin. We get to enjoy HIM until the doors of heaven are open for us. Much like those slippers and Lifesavers were my temporary reward on that long ago Christmas morning, Jesus came as our temporary hope until we reach heaven. Oh those lifesavers tasted good and the slippers were warm and cozy, for awhile. The same for us in the church, we sit and wait for the second coming. We demand soft chairs, the right music and a great message, that will remind us of God's gift to us. And what a precious gift it was to me! The longer I

He had done the same thing last year. It hadn't been as nicely crafted as this group. Will's wife had been ill with cancer (she died in the spring), so he had not had as much time to put into it. This year there had been lots of time.

You may ask why he didn't just put up the old one.

Why go to all bother of making a new and even better holy family? That's what had him in turmoil.

Frustrated vandals had come one night last year with fluorescent orange paint cans and sprayed sexual obscenities all over the virgin's face.

A few nights later they twisted Joseph's head off.

Will had patched it up, but on Christmas Eve they hacked the shepherds to pieces and stole the little baby.

In his place in the manger, they had thrust a plastic toy pig.

The police had come. Neighbors had come around too, the same folks who had "ooed and aahed" when he had first set it up. That night they were nervous and quiet, and conveniently blind. No one had heard or seen anything.

Though there wasn't a basin, the constable turned his back on the mess, walked away, and "washed his hands." He knew what he should do but he couldn't.

The splintered wood was laid to rest in a dumpster.

Yet light was desperately needed in the darkness of the street. So Will had begun again. Yet he had also been going back and forth in his mind about where he was going to place the manger scene this year so that it would be safe.

Could he somehow protect it behind heavy gauge wire? What about plexiglass? Was there a place up

think about this picture I can't believe that it is what God had in mind when he sent us Jesus!

So what do I believe he came to do? I believe that Jesus was giving us more than a hint when he was teaching the disciples how to pray.

He said “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’” (Matthew 6:9-10 NIV). Was Jesus just filling his prayer time with words, or did he really believe that the stuff that was going on in heaven was the stuff that we are to be involved in and enjoy now, here on earth?

Could it be true that Jesus came to pay the price for our sin and to crack open the doors to heaven so that we could know and experience God now? To experience Him, not just as a short term solution that helps us make it to a preferred date in the future, but so that God's kingdom could be unleashed here on earth?

I believe that Jesus came so we could know that we are living in God's Kingdom NOW! And He doesn't want us to keep it to ourselves.

He wants us to enjoy and share all of it with the people he places in our lives. The people like George and Ruth. God fully intended for Jesus to pay the price for us to make it into heaven.

But that isn't the end of the story. He sent Jesus to help us enjoy life. He sent him so we could live our lives as if we are already in heaven. He sent his son so that we would know that no matter what this world may throw our way, God is with us!

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel'-which means, ‘God with us’’’ (Matthew 1:23 NIV).

That's what I believe Jesus came to do!

Randy MacDonald is Lead Pastor at Lakeside Community Church in Salmon Arm BC

higher--out of the reach of the darkness--perhaps on the little balcony?

All these thoughts had been rummaging around in his heart. There had to be a safe place. Why should he risk its getting ripped apart again?

This year's work was his finest. He had even momentarily thought of keeping it inside ... for himself …where it was safe.

And then he had read the Book. It said, "Being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a human, [Jesus] humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!" Then he knew that he had no choice as to where the manger scene was to be placed.

By Bishop Keith Elford

7 M O S A I C

“N

o part of Christ’s church is sufficient to do all that it can do without the mutual support, encouragement, and wisdom of other parts of the church" [Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit]. This is the essence of the Methodist principle of "Connectionalism" which is one of the seven core values of the FMCiC. The Acquire the Fire / Free Methodist Weekend was an amazing connectional opportunity taken advantage of by 650 Free Methodist youth and their leaders. We gathered in Hamilton from as far away as Sudbury, Deep River and Sarnia for an amazing time of growing in our faith together. Friday night after ATF we packed out the Playhouse Theatre for our FMDOG Release Party, where we heard our own young people share about what it means to be an FMDOG (Free Methodist Disciples of God).

I believe we are beginning to develop a culture of commitment to connectionalism throughout Student Ministries, and I am excited about that fact. I would love to hear from groups committed to connecting and their ideas for how we carry this out practically.

I like Lovett Weems' description of connectionalism when he says, "Connection is built on mission and vision but thrives through … enriching relationships among Christians". Amen!

Check out a take on "Connectionalism" from one of our Verona youth and read about Arlington Woods' connection experience at ATF… Andrew Brown is Student Ministries Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. browna@fmc-canada.org

A Youth Perspective on Connectionalism …

Why is “connecting” so important? Why do we “connect”?

One of the most important reasons is that through connecting we are able to spur one another on toward living a life honouring to God. It enables us to support each other in our pursuit of God. There is also something amazing about having an identity beyond ourselves through our unity in Christ. As we connect with other FMDOGs (Free Methodist Disciples of God) we are able to see the many diverse ways that one can serve God. We are individuals and yet united to a common goal and cause.

Finally there is something about connecting that creates energy. What an amazing feeling as we gather together …it is an inspiring and energizing experience.

Paul in his letter to the Romans describes this idea of connecting and the reason why we do it when he says, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Jesus Christ. So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5-6 I would encourage our youth, young adults and their leaders to seek opportunities for connecting and to be blessed by the spiritual growth that you receive.

Tarilyn Bartels - Student at Verona Free Methodist Church (A summary of Tarilyn's message at the FMDOG Release Party)

… d n e k e e W M F / ATF It was fantastic to take a pile of my teens to Acquire the Fire and the FMDOG events. Our whole group had profound and wonderful experiences. A huge thanks to Andrew and his team for putting together our billeting and fun events. Mmmmmmm all you can eat chicken wings (drool).

Paul Millar - Youth Pastor at Arlington Woods

I thought this event was awesome, the worship was so powerful and Ron Luce and his friend Joel Johnson did a great job. I definitely "Acquired the Fire" and what was great was I learned how to "Maintain the Fire" and live the life God has set for us. Viva Le Resistance!

Donald McLeod - Student at Arlington Woods

This weekend was amazing! It changed my life totally; I have a new view of everything now. I'm so much happier. I have all this energy I don't know how to contain. Man if you go to this it will change your life. I know it did for me. It helped me with many things!! I'm so much happier for going and I thank everyone who put it on and I'm so glad that the people who went got to experience a life changing event.

GO FM DOG WHOAAA! Lysh - Student at Arlington Woods P.S. The explosions were amazing too.

I arrived at Acquire The Fire having only ever been to one church service in my life. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I never in my wildest dreams imagined that it would have as big of an impact on me as it did. It has opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing this world and I have since realized how badly we need these events. I think it was while listening to the worship band and seeing everyone in the stadium so into it, that I realized I had been missing out on life.

I am definitely anticipating next years ATF and hoping to get to the Battle Cry event in Detroit. Last thing, I want to thank everyone who helped put this event on, if it weren't for you guys I would have never realized what I was missing out on.

Max - Student at Arlington Woods

by Dan Sheffield

U n d e r

A f r i c a n

W

E WERE LITERALLY SITTING UNDER A BIG SHADE TREE (in 38C heat), having church, in a city on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.

I was visiting David and Jennifer Wright in Niamey, Niger, a city of over 1 million in Muslim French West Africa. Niamey is a Gateway City - a key urban centre for sharing the Jesus story with unreached people groups. Niger is less than 1% evangelical.

David and Jennifer and their two boys Cole and Ben have lived here as short-term missionaries since August 2004. David is working at ESPRIT, a bachelor's level theological school conducted in French. Jennifer teaches at Sahel Academy, a K-12 school for missionary kids conducted in English. Both of these schools have been developed by SIM, a large non-denominational mission agency with about 150 workers in Niger. David and Jennifer's main assignment however has been to work on language and culture learning with the objective of initiating new Free Methodist ministry in Niger.

During their time in Niger, the Wrights have attended worship serves at the Eglise Evangelique Internationale/CBN (International Evangelical Church at Centre Biblique location).

This church is part of a small fellowship of six churches in Niamey which have a vision for evangelism, church planting and wholistic ministry. As time progressed, the Wrights were asked about the Free Methodist Church's vision for ministry in Niger. When it was suggested that we have a similar vision for ministry, the EEI leaders asked about partnering in some way.

So, during my recent Nathan Umazekabiri, David Wright and Kimso Younoussi discuss FMC and EEI relationship. visit to Niger (October 2029/05) we negotiated a partnership with the leaders of the EEI churches. Pastor Nathan Umazekabiri (St. Henri FMC, Montreal) accompanied me to aid in teaching and communicating our Free Methodist values and vision - en francais.

The EEI leaders have agreed to help us with the process of registering The Free Methodist Church in Niger, obtaining visas for our missionaries, getting bank accounts and purchasing property, when appropriate (all rather tricky

2005 INDIA CELEBRATION TOUR On August 21, 2005 a group of Free Methodists began the Tour of Celebration to India. The people came from Canada, the United States and Taiwan. It was an intense trip in which we met with Free Methodist national leaders, visited Free Methodist churches, hostels and schools, made new friends and celebrated God's goodness over 125 years of ministry in India. Every day was filled with new challenges as we experienced God's protection, guidance and encouragement. Every church, every hostel, every school we visited, greeted us with garlands and gifts and warm smiles and never ending hospitality. It was an amazing experience.

We also toured some famous places in India - the Taj Mahal (in Agra), the Gateway of India and Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as the Victoria Terminus) both found in Mumbai. Also in Mumbai we witnessed the people celebrating Krishna’s birthday by making human pyramids to reach a prize that was strung across the street.

For my dad and I this was an especially memorable trip as it had been more than 30 years since we last stood in India. My parents, Dr. Keith and Gloria Fidler, had been medical missionaries at Umri Christian Hospital. This was my home where I had grown up with my brother and sister. It was very special to see Umri again and to be welcomed by old friends.

The trip ended with us attending the Provisional General Conference Inauguration Sunday service. It was quite a thing to take communion with almost 3000 Indian brothers and sisters especially knowing that many are being

S k i e s

details in this Muslim country). We will help the EEI churches, financially, as they establish a Christian school - a key element in their evangelism and outreach strategy. And we will help with scholarship funds for a couple of ministerial candidates to take theological training - they have 6 churches and only 2 trained pastors.

David Wright teaching Bible story to Muslim children.

We also agreed that David and Jennifer and boys would help them in a new church plant in the community where the school will be built, until they leave to return to Canada in July 2006. Hence, our Sunday service under the African shade tree. Pastor Amadu and his family have moved into the community and begun their outreach primarily with children. Now, however, after several months of meeting, older teenagers and even some mothers are coming to see what's going on at the Church Under The Tree. David tells a bible story with pictures and Pastor Amadu leads the children in singing and bible reading, in French. Then Pastor Amadu's wife, Mariama, translates the French into Djarma, the local language, for the children who don't have sufficient French.

Lord willing, the Wrights will return to Niger in mid-2007 as long-term missionaries with the assignment to plant a new FMC in an unreached neighbourhood of Niamey. A number of Free Methodist churches in southwestern Ontario have been supporting David and Jennifer during their short-term assignment. Others, however, will be needed to join them in prayer and financial support as they prepare to go back and initiate this new ministry.

If your church has a desire to reach out in a Gateway City initiative, Niamey is looking for ministry partners!

Rev. Dan Sheffield is Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries for The Free Methodist Church in Canada.

by Diane Fidler-Gray persecuted for their faith. Finally, to be able to watch the inauguration of the three Indian Bishops, knowing that the India Free Methodist church was now forging ahead, was an uplifting experience. It was very special since Narendra John, one of the new Bishops, was a young pastor when we were last in India and his brother had worked in the hospital with my dad.

This only touches the surface of what we experienced. I have heard people say that India will change your heart forever. This is, of course, my experience because it is home to me but after the trip I heard a few more people repeat this same statement.

Please pray for India and the Christians who work faithfully for the Lord.

Diane Fidler-Gray is a member of the Asbury FM church in Perth Ontario.