June 2005

The Free Methodist Church in Canada June 2005 - Volume 2 Issue 4

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family

COVER A Vision for those with eyes to see

by Bishop Keith Elford PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Growth Ministries Flinton Church Plant update

by Jared Siebert PAGE 3 Is food still food if it’s been through the blender?

By Greg Elford PAGE 4 Leadership development in focus

by Alan Retzman National Leadership Team camp speaking scheudle PAGE 5 In Pursuit of a dream

by Chad Vankoughnett Sabrina D’Rozario’s Top 10 reads The Emerging Reality

by Jeff McCann

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he importance of knowing clearly where you are going and how to get there is a lesson I learned when we had teenagers and we were planning summer vacations. The level of enthusiasm for participating was directly related to where we were going and what we were going to do. (Honestly now, I don't suppose Beccy and Greg were any different from the rest of us.) We're all more inclined to "get on board" if where we're going captures our imagination; and through "our eyes," we see it as worthwhile. The thing that gets us to get on board is the power of a compelling

To see. I don't believe that the FMCIC is to minister to every Canadian and certainly it can't be responsible for the whole world. But it can be looking for and "seeing" unreached communities and people groups where there is no evangelical witness and trying to do something about it.

vision…whether it's for a summer vacation for the family or for a national denomination's response to Jesus' Great Commission to reach and teach all people groups.

We have many very wonderful yet different-fromeach-other people in our movement in Canada and in other parts of the world. In order to challenge us deeply, our vision must have these features: first, it should be big enough that we cannot do it in our life time; second, it should be big enough that we cannot do it ourselves (the Lord will have to help us….and we will have to "do it" in concert with the rest of the Body of Christ); third, it must be complex enough that Builders (people born before 1948), Boomers (people born between 1948 and 1966) and Busters (people born after 1966) can all have their piece of the action. Finally, it ought to be simple enough that all of us can memorize it.

At the 2002 General Conference, we adopted the following: It is the Vision of The Free Methodist Church in Canada to see healthy churches within the reach of all people in Canada and beyond." What do you think? Is that "big enough"? The Reader's Digest version could be "healthy churches within the reach of all people in Canada and beyond." Let me briefly unpack what this communicates.

in the eight q u a l i t y characteristics of health identified in Christian Schwartz's book, Natural Church Development: empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship, holistic small groups, needoriented evangelism, and loving relationships. I want to see the churches we have and the churches we develop…healthy! A healthy church proclaims an authentic "Apostles Creed-compatible gospel" (ACCG); and like anything else healthy that God creates, it reproduces.

Healthy.

I'm talking about "healthy" as described

PAGE 6 Passages Students leading students

by Andrew Brown God’s Girls - by Blaire McPhail PAGE 7 Extreme Praise - by Phil Hamilton One secret to overcoming prayerlessness - by Greg Langille PAGE 8 Global Ministries: Recovering Multiple Horizons

by Dan Sheffield08369.

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

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Churches.

Not one church reproduced in cookie-cutter fashion with one approach, but a variety of churches of different sizes and diverse styles and languages contextualized to address Canada's plethora of cultures and subcultures. Some will be as small as cell-based house continued of page 2 - VISION

By Bishop Keith Elford

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Ready, willing and available RECENTLY SOMEONE FROM MY church approached me saying, “Lisa, I remember when God would minister through you in the gifts of the Spirit during the service . . . it was a great encouragement to the body; it would be wonderful if that could happen again.”

I smiled and thanked him, but I was at a loss as to what else I could say. I was thinking, “Is that not totally up to God?” Several months have gone by since that

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he bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick. But a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

(Proverbs 13:12) Well, that is certainly true for Bruce Kellar, the pastor of Pineview Free Methodist, and now the pastor of “Through the Roof ” a brand new church planted in the tiny rural town of Flinton Ontario. For 3 long years, hope has been deferred for Bruce. Anyone walking with him during this period could see his heart’s sickness. But that was then and this is now; and now Bruce’s longing has been fulfilled. Bruce is pumped! He’s pumped because as of April 17th, 2005, a “tree of life” is now growing at the centre of his life, and in “downtown” Flinton. That tree of life named “Through the Roof ” meets every Sunday night at 6:30 pm, in a recently converted grocery store. At the time this article was written “Through the Roof ” has 30 people in attendance and has led 3 people to Christ! No wonder he’s pumped!

conversation and I must admit that I had not given it much thought until very recently, when I read this scripture from 2 Timothy 1:5-7, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of selfdiscipline.”

I hasten to mention that my focus is not to consider what motivated my friend at church to speak to me. The important thought here is that I am directly involved in the operating of God's gifts. The Message states it this way, “And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed--keep that ablaze!”

Both these translations speak of action, "fan into flame . . . keep [the special gift of ministry] ablaze." These are not passive words - they are a call to action. But it’s up to me. God does not need us to touch people, he could do it alone.

But he chooses to partner with us - to move through us if we are willing. He invites me to engage Him. I can choose to accept or reject that invitation. I have the freedom to position myself to hear what God is saying. By positioning myself I mean that I have to be open, listening and sensitive to God's Spirit; acting as a vessel that he can flow through to meet needs in the body of Christ. I have found that the more time I spend with God, the easier it becomes to hear his voice. Ultimately God is responsible for the "when and how" he will move among us; I just have to be available and willing to take part in his plan.

The reality is that God has placed different gifts in all of us so that we might function as the body of Christ in our workplaces, in our communities, and in our homes as Christ enables us.

I wonder what would happen if we all began to intentionally fan into flame the different gifts that God has placed in each of us?

Lisa Howden Managing Editor

The inspiration for “Through the Roof ” comes from Mark 2. The passage describes a group of friends that cut a hole in the roof of the crowded house in which Jesus was preaching. They so desperately wanted their friend to have an encounter with Christ, that they actually vandalized a house to do it! “Through the Roof ” so far has not had to go as far as actual vandalism to get the job done, but they have cut a hole in the traditional way of doing church to ensure the folks in the surrounding community have free and easy access to Jesus. Everything about it screams “You belong here!”

A typical service begins with the customary cup of coffee and chit-chat. Then Bruce brings the group together, welcomes everyone to church, and then leads with prayer. Next Bruce opens up the stage to anyone who has brought their instruments and has a song to sing. The results so far have produced blue grass, country, contemporary, rock, and last week an old gentlemen who could yodel so well people are still talking about it! After this kind of mixed bag of musical odds and ends Bruce brings a simple story style message based on scripture. During the message people are free to interject with questions or comments on what Bruce is presenting.

As is common with most church planting endeavours, the “launch” period in the life of a church plant can be very chaotic. All of the systems, plans, and people Bruce has marshalled against the needs of the community get their first test for seaworthiness. No matter how well crafted there are bound to be leaks! The key is to always stay focused and yet remain flexible and adaptable. This is a period characterized more by art than science. Let me assure you all, Bruce is quite an artist!

I thought I would pass along to you some advice Bruce has passed along from what he has learned during the course of planting this church. This is something more unique in the rural context, “don’t spend too much money on paper advertising”. As anyone who has lived in a small town can tell you rumours spread quickly. In light of this Bruce has developed a knack for creating the right kind of rumours about “Through the Roof ”. Everywhere he goes (gas stations, lumber yards, local restaurants, etc …) Bruce asks “Have you heard about ‘Through the Roof ’?” If they say “No”, he uses it as an opportunity to spread the right kind of information. If they say “Yes.” He asks “Well, what have you heard?” Which is how he is able to measure and correct public perception. This “advertising campaign” has proven incredibly effective, has led to further conversations about God, and in some cases Bruce has led people to Christ through it!

God bless you Bruce! We’re pumped too!

Jared Siebert is Director of Church Growth Ministries at The Free Methodist Church in Canada

VISION churches; others will be modern parish churches; some will be post modern expressions of the emergent churches and still others may become mega-ministries. All of them will proclaim the Good News. None of them will compete with what other "ACCG" groups are doing.

We'll just be out there doing the best we can do for Jesus.

must be put within the reach of every person. Our responsibility is to respond to Jesus' Acts 1:8 challenge and do our part to put it within the reach of all - those who are similar to us (our Jerusalem and Judea), those who are our near but different neighbors (our Samaria) and those who live in other parts of the world - beyond Canada.

Too big a vision? None of us need be bored.

Too wide a vision? The bigger the playing field, the greater the need to get players out of the stands and on to the field. Too vague a vision?

Not for those who have eyes to see what the Lord is showing to the church.

Within the Reach. I'm not thinking only about geographic proximity or commuter convenience.

Our vision addresses the reality of cultural and cross cultural "reach" - in Canada and beyond our borders. If you are a Chinese- or Hindi- or French-speaking "builder" living in Canada, the English-speaking post modern ministry just down the street is probably beyond your "cultural reach." (It's also probably beyond the cultural reach of most English-speaking "builders" too.)

The issue is: Who deserves to be reached with the gospel? I believe that Jesus would say that the Bishop Keith Elford, The Free Methodist salvation provided by his death and rising can and Church in Canada

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here is nothing like the anticipation that hangs in the air right before someone rips the paper off a present you know they are going to love. Sitting anxious to see a reaction, people watch for the unique moment when a discovery of what's been given flashes across the face of the recipient.

It's a trip, especially when you know the present fits hand in glove with the person.

Lately, I've been mesmerized by watching people who are tearing into gifts that God has given them for the first time.

Challenging people to rip open gifts from God in their life is changing the way things happen in our ministry at New Heights Church (NH).

People are taking real risks, moving ahead with failures and successes and seeing that God wants to use all of us, given the chance. One area where this is most obvious is among our Youth.

I dropped my jaw at something one of the teenaged guys from NH told me. Given the opportunity to co-lead and organize a new accountability group for the guys his age, he told me that they had decided to commit 24 hours leading up to one of their hang out nights to go completely Empowering people isn't without food. "What?" I said, "That one came out of nowhere, so much about who suggested that? There's no way that I could have ever convinced those mega-eaters to potential results, better do that".

"I know" he answered, "but hey, we decided statistics or payoff in my together, and I think everyone is actually going to do it". He mind as it is about continued, "Just one question for ya, is food still food if it's been in the blender?" creating opportunity In my mind, empowering people isn't so much about spots for people to potential results, better statistics or payoff as it is about creating excel into. opportunity spots for people to excel into. It's about the radical value that God can accomplish more through others than just me. It's admitting and believing that what people accomplish in their own right is trivial compared to the ways they can be used by God as they rip into their gifts from him.

Jesus is bent on making this point clear. In John chapter 5 we read, “So Jesus explained himself at length. ‘I'm telling you this straight. The Son can't independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does.’” (Message).

What am I afraid of when it comes to giving up one of my roles? That I won't be noticed? Probably. That I'll be replaced? Hopefully. That I'll have to find something else to do? As if there has ever been a shortage of projects.

Is munching on a piece of humble pie worth seeing people leap into themselves? Is modeling a mindset that admits "It's not about me" going to make a difference in the end?

Empowering others takes security. Choosing to be a person that values helping people succeed instead of gathering glory for yourself takes a ton of confidence. There is a fear of being replaced or of losing hard earned progress by letting others take the driver's seat. But seriously, who do I think I am?

“

Wasn't I just saying that it was God who can do the amazing things, or did I think all along that it was me?

My wife Erin and I laughed at the way the Youth Girls Night that she leads accelerated ahead in depth and purpose the night that she urged two of the teenaged girls to have the courage to lead the group in a study. Erin commented, "I couldn't believe it, all the girls were focused and listened and were so into it; why doesn't that happen every other week?"

Handing it off admits that achieving my own ideal outcome is less important than watching an up-and-comer's struggle to accomplish something for themselves. With sincere and constant encouragement, new responsibilities become new passions for people who are given the chance to lead. Challenging people to get involved in areas that are full of potential, where they are passionate and allowed to make mistakes breeds growth in an individual, growth in a ministry and breadth in a community that values sharing responsibility. And as far as attracting others, a rookie with passion can inspire people to tag along for a real life ride far quicker than a suave veteran who doesn't need a hand from anyone else.

An off the wall idea for fundraising had the leaders of our Thailand mission team hand 16 rookie missionaries a 20 dollar bill each with the challenge: "Let's see what ya got. Whoever can multiply this cash into the most money in the next 2 weeks wins bragging rights and $100 towards your trip." I guess bragging rights is still a big motivator as several came back with over $100 profit. Of course others still owe us 20 bucks.

There is no doubt in my mind that our youth are beginning to grow.

However, I see clearly that if the leaders around them aren't willing to let them take things on that are worth taking on, we will limit them. My hope is that looking back a year from now, the leaders at NH will be able to say that things were messy, things were raw, but we were bold in our experiments, and we were intentional in firing people up to get in the mix and serve God. In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Timothy gets some advice from his coach. The apostle Paul endorses his protégé with encouragement, writing, "I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline". As we discover our own gifts and assist others in doing the same, we should be moved to disciplined actions rooted in love for God. Can you imagine thinking of yourself and those around you as hungry followers of Jesus that are emblazed with passion, chomping to get in the mix and be used for Jesus sake? Can you imagine being a person that is eager to pass glory on to others and on to God? Can you see areas in your life where you could hand off responsibility and rally behind someone that you can see God's hand on?

Live a life that is focused on challenging all those around you to get out of the way and watch God drop gifts on undeserving people, that can give glory back to Him. It's starting to work here!

Greg Elford is Interim Co-Pastor at New Heights Church in Mission, BC.

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Bishop Keith Elford Maple Grove - July 9-10 (preaching Sunday, 10:30) Arlington Beach - July 23 (speaking Saturday evening) Wesley Acres - July 30-31 Severn Bridge (July 29-30) Pine Orchard - August 6-7 Dan Sheffield, Missions Speaker Pine Grove - July 1-6 Arlington Beach - July 17-21 Jared Siebert, Director of Growth Ministries Wesley Acres - July 9 (9:00 a.m.), July 10

Definition of Change:

"Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly."

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his definition is not exactly true, but I've remembered it for years. It might be better said, "Anything worth doing needs to get started and then make changes along the way." This is risky. So is change. When I look back on changes we've made in personnel - tracking candidates and pastors, moving from pastoral votes to job descriptions - I see that we learned a lot along the way which were huge improvements. Praise be to God! Because making leadership development work better in the local church is worth doing, we are proposing changes to the General Conference.

The essence of the proposed changes The pastor and local church will interview candidates for leadership. These are new leaders who are eager to discern God's call on their lives. Three interviews have been designed, which resemble MEGaP interviews (Ministerial Education, Guidance and Placement). The pastor and local church will conduct these interviews, not MEGaP. There will be local church based, pre-interview steps, accountabilities, and mentoring to prepare the candidate. There will be follow up guidance steps to every interview in the local church. At the end of this process (approximately two full years), National MEGaP representatives will conduct “audit” interviews to ensure that all of the local church requirements have been met. Training for pastors and local churches for the whole process will be provided.

Candidates called to one local church or to Canada and beyond. The choice at this point for the candidate will be whether to remain in the local church, and be called Local Pastor or to move on to serve beyond the local church where the training took place, and become an Ordination Candidate and follow the process leading to ordination.

Local Pastor: The call is to one local church, in a specialized ministry. A local pastor remains in the same church and is not available for appointment outside that one local church. Service in the "…and beyond" of the FMCiC vision is an option. MEGaP will participate in a local church celebration service affirming the call of God on the new leader's life.

Ordination Candidate: The call is to prepare for service as a senior pastor. It is a call to the ministry of leadership and to the Word and sacrament. The call is to become a developer of other pastoral leaders. The candidate has the audit interview and, when recommended as an Ordination Candidate, completes the MEGaP guidance and education tracking steps to become an Ordained Minister. Service in the "…and beyond" of the FMCiC vision is an option, as well as a full range of ordained ministry options.

The change has begun At the National MEGaP retreat in April 2004, the committee approved the Leadership Development Plan in principle.

It has continued as a collaborative process with pastors and ministry candidates across the country.

A group of pastors and ministry candidates met at Think Tank I in December 2004.

If the General Conference approves the National MEGaP recommendation we will take the next steps: Q Think Tank II will meet in June 2005 to refine the process.

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The pastors at Think Tank II will "test drive" the process in their local churches during the Fall of 2005.

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The training of Network Leaders will take place in early 2006.

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Individual pastors and official boards will be invited or may request to initiate the Leadership Development Plan in their local churches. They will be "guinea pigs," in a sense.

It has been said, "Find out what God is doing and join it." God is bringing to us a river of people flowing through our churches. He is calling them into ministry. The only thing worth doing is joining what God is doing. It won't be done "poorly." It's in his Word. Ephesians 4 speaks about his intention to make us people developers: "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…and become one."

Rev. Alan Retzman is Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada

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hese books have meant a great deal to me over the years both as a student and as a pastor. These books have made me cry and they have made me laugh. They have caused me to ask questions, look for answers as well as to accept the truth. They have made me angry at injustices and have forced me to be more proactive. They have made me laugh and find joy in the simple things of life and have encouraged me to live in the here and now.

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recently purchased a book for my wife by Bruce Wilkinson called "The Dream Giver." This book got me thinking about my own dreams, and whatever happened to them. You see, when I was a boy, I had the same 3 dreams that every other little boy on the prairies in Canada had: I wanted to be a hockey star, I wanted to be a cop, and I wanted to be a cow. I'm not kidding. Just like every other child my age, I lived in a perpetual world of imagination and dream, and quite frankly, nothing is impossible to a 3 year old. Just find one and ask…I bet they don't even know what the word means.

Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of those dreams. I think I began to understand the definition of "impossible," which is an unfortunate part of growing up. I soon began to realise that in order to be a world famous hockey star like Darryl Sittler or Lanny McDonald, I would need to actually be able to skate well enough to play hockey. I tried being a goalie for a while, but the pads outweighed me by about 50 pounds, so that didn't last either. Hockey was just not in the cards for me.

When I graduated High School, I realised that I would never be a cop either. I was 6 feet tall, I weighed 125 pounds, and if I turned sideways, I could fit through a set of double doors without opening them. I was just too small, too weak, to be a cop.

But by then I had a new dream. When I became a Christian at 16, I knew that the only kind of work I would ever do was in the church. I knew that I would be a pastor with every breath I took. You don't have to be able to skate to work in the church, and you don't have to be big and strong…you just have to be willing to work on Sundays, right?

Once again, God had a way of using reality to show me that my dreams were just that…dreams. I went to Bible college to become a pastor, and when that didn't pan out, I went to Seminary, thinking that God was just asking me to get more education.

When I finished my MDiv, and I still couldn't find any work as a pastor, I finally figured out that maybe, just maybe, God had a plan for me that didn't involve the church right now. I did the only rational thing I could think of…I stayed in school until He showed me where to go.

So I ended up working at a college in BC doomed to shut down. I followed that up with a one year stint as a secretary (do you know that male secretaries don't get flowers on Secretary's Day? What a rip off!). And then, the unthinkable…God called Dyan and me back to Saskatchewan, and left us in Saskatoon for 8 months while He fought to convince me that He could use me outside of professional ministry. That old dream of being a cop kept coming back to haunt me. I was now 40 pounds heavier, I had studied martial arts, and I loved CSI…what other qualifications could I possibly need? So I finally allowed God to reunite me with my old childhood dream.

I spent 3 years as a police officer in Moose Jaw. During that time, I discovered that being a cop and being a Christian are much alike. Both are about being a light in darkness. Both are about caring for people no one else wants to deal with. Both are about serving our fellow man. The cop carries a gun, the Christian carries the Sword. Police deal with crime…Christians deal with sin. Being a police officer allowed me to see the darkness in our community much more clearly than I would otherwise have been able to. He used my dreams to teach me more about being a Christian and the state of our sinful world than years of Bible College or church ministry could ever have shown me.

God doesn't give us dreams that are foolish. Sometimes we are given the opportunity to explore those dreams, and other times, they fall by the wayside, only to be picked up again in His time. I still love hockey, and though I'll never play in the NHL, I have managed to hoist the Stanley Cup (you should check out the picture in my office!), and I still get to play, which is more than most NHLers can say these days! I wanted to be a cop, and even though I had to put that dream behind me, God still held it out when the time was right, and I got to do something that very few others ever get to do.

I wanted to be a pastor, and though God withheld that from me for a season, I am now fulfilling that dream. As the Teacher says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." (Ecc. 3:1) The Bible says that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart (Ps. 37:4). God gives us the dreams, and we are to trust Him that He will fulfill them when the time is right. I have learned that all the dreams that I have held in my life are possible, if not in the way or time that I expect, and if they are in God's plan, I need simply to be patient and flexible, and they may yet happen. Sometimes our dreams are too big, or more likely, too small, but God can and will fulfill them in often surprising ways.

Now all I have to worry about is that cow thing…

Chad Vankoughnett is Associate Pastor at First Free Methodist Church in Moose Jaw, SK

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Working the Angles – The Shape of Pastoral Integrity / by Eugene Peterson Seasons of Grace / by Victor Shepherd Why God became Man – The Virgin Conception and Original Sin / by Anselm of Canterbury

4 Their Eyes Were Watching God / by Zora Neale Hurston 5 Cry, the Beloved Country / by Alan Paton 6 The Chronicles of Narnia / by C.S. Lewis 7 The Emotionally Healthy Church / by Peter Scazzero 8 The Chosen / by Chaim Potak 9 A Little Exercise for Young Theologians / by Helmut Thielicke 10 Inside Out / by Larry Crabb

ow can we comprehend what stimulates the minds of this generation?

Is it naïve to think that what worked for a previous generation, will work for the next?

Simply changing the style of worship in our churches is not the answer.

There would never be enough of any one style of music that would suit the diverse taste of today's youth. It would mean turning off an entire generation of youth who simply want to see something that's real, genuine. It reminds me of something Billy Graham said during his appearance at Skydome in front of over 74,000 youth. His advisors suggested he address the youth in jeans and a T-shirt. Billy Graham's reaction received a standing ovation from those youth. He said "But I know different, I know that you didn't come here to see me dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. You would rather see me the way I am."

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"No generation has ever been more alert to such nuances than the media-fed children of the 1980s and '90s, who can sense uncoolness at a thousand paces." - Andy Crouch (The Emergent Mystique)

I was listening to a podcast (a type of on-demand radio delivered via the internet) the other day that relates very well to the topic of changing our worship/style etc. It's something that I've adopted for myself. The popular reality show Pimp My Ride takes an old beat-up car (the host used a one thousand dollar Ford Pinto as an example) and drops $50,000 beautifying and completely redoing this car into an incredible looking machine. The money is spent on new rims, a mind blowing stereo, great seats, a modern paint job and some video screens. But, in the end…what is it? It's still a $50,000 Ford Pinto!

Underneath all the crazy upgrades, flashy lights and expensive interior, it's the same car; nothing has changed.

If we truly desire to become relevant in our culture, perhaps it's time to examine the message instead of the means. The church (as a whole) has spent considerable time teaching the turn or burn concept. "If you were to die tonight, do you know where you would go?" This may pose a great question to the unbeliever about their eternal destiny, but what does it do for people who have no hope for today? I've heard so many people (Christians and non-Christians alike) and I've even said it myself, "I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow let alone a month from now." How true is this for our culture? Years ago, the old eternal insurance policy routine may have been successful as a vehicle to salvation, but quite frankly, in my opinion it's not working anymore. Let's meet our culture at the conflict. In a world of hurting people, it's not what someone has to look forward to that is going to change their heart, it's…how can I stop this hurt? How can I make this pain go away? We need to hear something that's for now and as much as people still need to go to Heaven, they need to know that Heaven is the bonus!

Living your life on earth for God is not easy, but rich in immediate benefits and then…when your life is over, you get to go to Heaven!

Jeff McCann is senior editor of Christrock.com, an internet magazine focussing on Christian music. He also is a member of Centennial FMC in Belleville, ON.

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Passages APPOINTMENTS

- February/May 2005

Hilkka Aavalsami, Associate Pastor of Congregational Life Kingsview FMC, Toronto, ON - April 5, 2005 David Barbour, Intentional Interim Pastor Kelowna FMC, Kelowna, BC - March 11, 2005 Dennis Camplin, Intentional Interim Pastor Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK - February, 1, 2005 Angela Connell, Pastor of Congregation Care Buchanan Park FMC, Hamilton, Ontario - January 27, 2005 Mary Lee DeWitt, Director of Children's Ministries New Horizons, Sarnia, ON - April 5, 2005 Dale Dirksen, Pastor House of ROC, Moose Jaw, SK - March 11, 2005 Carl Edmondson, Pastoral Assistant in Charge of Small Groups Thunder Bay FMC, Thunder Bay, ON - February 2, 2005 Greg Elford and Susan Phillips, Interim Co-Pastors New Heights FMC, Mission, BC - May 17, 2005 Richard Hancock, Associate Pastor Barrie FMC, Barrie, Ontario - May 1, 2005 Pierre-Andre Jean-Charles, Assistant Pastor Rosemont FMC, Montreal, QC - March 18, 2005 Larry Jones, Associate Pastor Queensway FMC, Niagara Falls, ON - May 3, 2005 Matthew McEwen, Senior Pastor Bracebridge FMC, Bracebridge, ON - March 1, 2005 David McLauren, Senior Pastor Surrey FMC, Surrey, BC - March 1, 2005 Barbara Thompson, Assistant Pastor Pineview FMC, Cloyne, Ontario - January 27, 2005

Identify! Invest! Involve! This has become the new mantra for the General Conference Mature Study Team as we have been thinking through how it is that we can help people to become everything that God intends them to be. I think everyone who has been through the maturing process can identify someone who took the time to "identify, invest in and involve" them. For me it was Peter Wright the founder of Reach Forth who took me under his wing when I was a young university student. I thank God for how He used this relationship in my life to help shape who I am.

In the “Heart of Free Methodism” course, one of the analogies used to describe our spiritual growth as a community was that of a chain of people climbing a hill. Each person in this line had one hand reaching up to be helped up the hill, and another hand reaching down to help someone else up. It is a neat picture that shows that we all should be on both sides of the "identify, invest and involve" equation on an ongoing basis.

Who is it that identified, invested and involved you?

Who is currently giving you a pull up the hill?

Who are those that you have helped climb?

Whose hand are you holding on to now … helping to give them a lift?

The stories below are encouraging because we can see what happens when we "identify, invest in and involve" the younger generation. It is awesome to see them and others like them taking steps of leadership and equally exciting knowing that there are people surrounding them (often unseen) that are giving them a hand up.

Andrew Brown is Student Ministries Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada

Bruce Wendel, Assistant Interim Pastor (Supply) Grace Methodist Church, Mississauga, Ontario - April 18, 2005

Received by Transfer Dan Jansen (Jody) from Christian & Missionary Alliance Kevin Tompkins (Jacky) from The Wesleyan Church

Approved Ministerial Candidates Hilkka Aavalsami (Kingsview FMC, Toronto, ON) Jacqui Acree (Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon, SK) David Blondel (The Third Space, Peterborough, ON) Mary Lee DeWitt (New Horizons, Sarnia, ON) Alain Doseger (Next Church, Kingston, ON) Mark Earle (Burlington FMC, Burlington, ON) Brad Hamm (Lakeview, Saskatoon, SK) Beverly Kay (Centennial, Belleville, ON) Randy Loe (Calgary FMC, Calgary, AB) Franceen Neufeld (Next Church, Kingston, ON) Marty Verk (Polson Park FMC, Kingston, ON) Christopher Vyn (The Third Space, Peterborough, ON) Bruce Wendel (Grace, Mississauga, ON)

Network Leaders William (Rusty) Crozier (replaces Angel Valentin) David Panton (replaces Brad Bent) Victor Stonehouse (replaces Don Miller) Michael Szabo (replaces Wade Fitzpatrick)

Ordinations Ed da Silva, May 22, 2005 (Toronto) Darren Friesen, Lakeview, Saskatoon, SK - March 20, 2005 Dale Hawley, Frankford, ON - May 1, 2005 Scott Woolhead, Timmins FMC, ON - September 9, 2005

Commissioning Darryl Dozlaw, Arlington Beach Camp, Cymric, SK - July 23, 2005 Elizabeth Nickel, Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon - July 24, 2005 Susan Phillips, New Heights, Mission, BC - Feb. 13, 2005 Gloria Reimer, Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon - July 24, 2005 Phyllis Slessor, Barrie FMC, ON - June 26, 2005

Churches in Transition Arlington Woods FMC, Ottawa, ON Asbury FMC, Perth, ON Caistor Centre FMC, Caistor Centre, ON Eastern Koinonia FMC, Toronto, ON Edmonton FMC, Edmonton, AB Killarney FMC, Killarney, MB Richmond Hill Chinese FMC, Richmond Hill, ON Ridgeway Community Church, Ridgeway, ON

Pastors in Transition John Baker, Germain Fortin, Darren Friesen, Don Miller, Norman Shepstone, Dale Vinkle, Eugene Whitehead

IN 2002, MANDY DEYO AND I ATTENDED A WOMEN ALIVE conference in Kingston, Ontario. God gave us a vision inspired by the conference to create a place where teenage girls could go freely to learn about God and to become comfortable with themselves. We wanted them to know that there are other girls dealing with similar issues, and that God will always be there for them. Almost three years later, the first God's Girls retreat took place at Echo Lake on May 14 -16, 2004, and the second at Circle Square Ranch on April 1-3, 2005.

Following the first retreat theme, "You Go Girl", we decided to call the second retreat "The Amazing Race". This represents the race that we are continually running on earth until we cross the finish line into the glorious kingdom of God. We started out with some get-to-know you games, encouraging the girls to step out of their comfort zones and meet new people. We opened the service with a few worship songs from our incredible God's Girls Worship Team, followed by our speakers, Cheryl Rayfield and Carrie Simpson, who shared about their troubled pasts. They overcame hardships through the grace, mercy and forgiveness of God, and now are true believers in Jesus Christ.

The highlight of the weekend occurred on Saturday night. An 'indoor campfire', was set up with a cross in the middle of the floor surrounded by candles. Everyone showed up in their pyjamas. We wanted to create a relaxed setting where the girls would feel comfortable sharing with each other and worshiping God. Many girls shared what God was doing in their lives. It was a very meaningful night as girls connected with each other.

Everyone felt God's presence and was touched by what the other girls had to say.

Saying goodbye was hard, but we left knowing that God touched lives. The dream that God gave us over three years ago is now a reality and we are thrilled! God moved during the past two God's Girls weekends, and it was incredible to be a part of. It is evident that God is working in the lives of these girls and we are so excited that God would use us to be a part of His plan to change the lives of many young women!

Blaire MacPhail from the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church

7 M O S A I C

D

o you ever have periods of prayerlessness? Who doesn't.

Why not try going to the gym, spa, spending time in the

think that most of you can relate to a small group or a youth group that meets several times a week. As teens, we attend our Bible studies, our mid-week activities, our Sunday morning church and we always find time to hang out with our Christian friends. I love to be with my Christian friends and spend time with them, which the Bible says is a great thing. However, the trend that I noticed was that although our youth group became very close-knit, we were not unified with the whole church body and we weren't reaching out enough. So several of my friends and I got together and agreed that we could have a night where the whole church could be invited out to a "Generation-X" style service.

We dubbed it "cool church".

God gave us the vision of a worship service that would be contemporary enough to invite a non-Christian friend, yet that would still be a spiritual renewal for a strong Christian. I proposed the plan to my dad (the senior pastor of my church) and the board, and the idea was a hit! The suggestion of a church that was more extreme and appealing to the younger generations caught on fast, and thus the name "Xtreme Praise" was adopted. We advertised that Xtreme Praise would be held every Sunday night at 6 pm‌ and we prepared for the kick-off. An upbeat worship band was assembled and we got cool speakers lined up, including Brian Vaughn, Cathleen Getchell, Andrew Brown, Jan McPhail, and many others. On the first night we planned for about 20 people to show up, but more than 60 attended, which was an incredible encouragement for us, and that's when our vision really began to thrive. Teens invited school friends, young adults brought co-workers, and even our seniors got excited and told their study groups.

The youth group started making promotional skits for Sunday mornings and posters began to cover our church inside and out.

Week after week the ministry continues to grow (almost a 100 at last count), and week after week we are amazed by the work that God is doing through us. Even in the coming weeks there are some wonderful plans for a continuing ministry. A dream can start small and sometimes the vision may seem unrealistic, but with a little faith and perseverance, God will use us in ways we could never imagine. I hope that this will encourage you to get involved with your church, to find your gift and use it, because you will never know your full potential until you let God work through you. Then you can really make an Xtreme difference.

I

Phil Hamilton - Whitby Free Methodist Church

hot tub, or have a massage? These are just a few ways to

relax and let go.

Have you ever noticed that when you take time out to care for yourself that your ability to function is greater?

Problems and

stresses that seemed so overwhelming now don't seem quite so big.

When we are at rest and peace our abilities to communicate and listen are enhanced. Our ability to perform mental tasks, including prayer, may be inhibited in part by stress. The experts tell us that when we are under stress we typically have a fight or flight response.

We want to fight against or run away from stresses that are pushing against us. This process works against our ability to deal with devoted mental processing.

This may sound "unspiritual" to you. After all, we usually hear that prayerlessness is caused by sin, or unbelief, or "the dark night of the soul" amongst other things. And while these may be true, we have all experienced the peace and clarity that comes from taking some time to recharge our batteries. In other words, maintaining or renewing an enjoyable life of prayer may involve lifestyle changes.

Monastics through the centuries understood this principle.

With rare exceptions people devoted to a life of prayer have combined a simple diet, meaningful labour, and a peaceful setting with their devotion to God. This lifestyle is more than simply working to help the community survive. They recognized that as human beings we normally need a well-balanced life to function best.

This lifestyle concern takes into account the simple fact that we share in the physical creation. Our fruitfulness in prayer is not built upon the physical body, but by faith, of course. But, the fact remains that we do inhabit physical bodies which have their own physical requirements to function best.

This too embraces the biblical imperatives to surrender and rest.

Jesus often took time to go to a secluded place to rest and pray.

These words are foul to the ears of this frenetic and frantic generation. However, if He who came to save the world took time apart to be with His friends, go to parties, eat out, and even take a vacation, we need to pay attention to lifestyle issues.

While we are overwhelmed with stress, we are typically fighting or fleeing. These are not successful Christian options. An improved prayer life may involve nothing more than a changed lifestyle. So, if you go through times of prayerlessness and it concerns you, stop and listen. There may be spiritual or relational issues to deal with or your physical body, a gift of God, may need some wise stewardship. Try praying then; you may be amazed at the fluency you master in the language of prayer.

A

t General Conference 2002 we made a subtle change to our vision statement. We said our vision now includes "the world" - in a more proactive manner. But what did that really mean for us? I'd like to suggest that we began to see the world from multiple horizons. Our focus had rightly been upon identifying God's purposes for our own local churches (those "healthy church" things) and our communities (what does God want us to be doing in our neighbourhhoods). Many of us were seeking to discern church planting needs in areas beyond our own communities, and we had begun looking at other peoples living amongst us. But then we added another horizon, the world beyond our borders. Again, some churches had already been looking there, but, in a sense, we were now legitimizing and encouraging this kind of engagement with the world.

General Conference 2002 also encouraged the National Leadership Team and Board of Administration to consider appointing a Director of Global Ministries. This move took our church into a completely new sphere of ministry engagement - Canadian Free Methodists taking responsibility for cross-cultural Great Commission ministry. In the past we have largely sent our missionaries and our funds to our American mission partners where they deployed them as they best saw fit. This arrangement has met our needs for more than a century. But today, local churches across Canada are suggesting to us that this arrangement is no longer sufficient - we want hands-on participation in the work of cross-cultural ministry.

This step into self-determined mission initiatives beyond our own borders is not completely without precedent - we have had a bit of practice. The Holiness Movement churches that form part of our Canadian FM heritage sent missionaries to Egypt in 1899. Men and women from the scrub farmland of rural eastern Ontario were sent out as missionaries to the heartland of the Muslim world: Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. Floyd Appleton left rural Ontario in 1904 to join the just-birthed Free Methodist work in China and soon became the team leader.

J.W. and Jennie Haley, with children Peace, Blake and Dorothy

because of its ministry involvement amongst Somali refugees was asked to join in developing a hospital project in Mogadishu, a city of 1 million people. The Tamil FMCs in Toronto and their partners have drawn a number of independent congregations in Sri Lanka into the Free Methodist family as a means of more effective outreach to unreached peoples in that country.

A small rural church, Caistor Centre FMC, and its partners, have sent their former pastor, David and Jennifer Wright and their two small boys, to Niamey, Niger to initiate new ministry in this city where Jesus-followers are less than .1% of the population. Presently there are several other churches looking at new ministry in two other Gateway Cities - keep your ears posted.

Sunday school class held outside in Pallekelle, Sri Lanka

The Canadian FMC has assumed responsibility for overseeing the new Mission District in Sri Lanka with 6 churches. This involves assessing churches, interviewing pastors, teaching FM theology and practice, organizing functional structures and registering the FMC in the country.

And just at the time we were getting involved in ministry in Sri Lanka, the tsunami struck bringing devastation to the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, giving us a unique opportunity to demonstrate the kind of people that we Free Methodists are.

Then, since we seemed to be available for new ministry opportunities, our American friends, asked if we would consider assuming responsibility for developing the fledgling church-in-formation on the island of Cuba. Not one of our Gateway Cities, or an unreached people, but an opportunity that for which the Lord has uniquely prepared us.

At General Conference 2005 we will officially embark on a new course of ministry with less official connection to Free Methodist World Missions (the American mission office), but with a more pro-active involvement directly with the Free Methodist family around the world. In some cases this will involve partnerships led by Asian, Latin American or African Free Methodists. In other situations, where Canadian missionaries would be an asset, our churches will send our own people to initiate new ministries.

I think this recovery of multiple horizons for ministry helps us to see more clearly through God's eyes. Eyes that seek out the hurting, broken and oppressed, and he challenges us to be his hands and his voice to bring healing and restoration.

J.W. and Jennie Haley after serving churches in Ontario and Saskatchewan left for South Africa in 1903. Thirty years later they packed up again and pioneered new mission work in Central Africa. Their innovative mission methods impacted this region (Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Tanzania, Kenya) which now records the largest concentration of Free Methodists in the world.

The outreach to Cambodian refugees begun in Moose Jaw and continued in Hamilton during the 1980s led to Canadian FM Pastor Sok Rev. Dan Sheffield is Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries for The Free Em pioneering new work back in his home country of Cambodia during the Methdoist Church in Canada 1990s. The ministry team in Cambodia is now one of the most innovative examples of cooperative work amongst Free Methodists from multiple cultures and sending countries.

This DNA suggests that Canadian FMs have played a unique role in taking the good news to peoples around the world. At this point of transition, we're just moving toward a new orientation in how we do that. In 2002 we said that, the Lord being our Helper, we would like to see Canadian FM churches significantly involved in new outreach in the Gateway Cities. Gateway Cities are those urban centres amongst the most unreached peoples, primarily in North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

And so, since General Conference 2002, the Lord has led a number of churches in our family to respond to global mission opportunities in a diversity of ways. The New Horizon Church in Sarnia and its partners have joined with Indian Free Methodists to simultaneously plant 4 churches in Hyderabad, an unreached city of 6 million. Kingsview Church in Toronto

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Sok Em (far right) baptizing new believers Cambodia, 1996

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