March 2006

The Free Methodist Church in Canada March 2006 - Volume 3 Issue 2

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family

COVER Six Questions for Leaders

by Bishop Keith Elford

PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Music at the Next Church: Sweet Dark

by Clarence Wilms

PAGE 3 Journey: Searching for God’s Call

by Alan Retzman Missionaries to Canada

by Jared Siebert

PAGE 4 Formulas for Life

by Dean Angell

PAGE 6 Student Ministries Above all things . . .

We Must Rock!

by Larry Jones Passages

PAGE 7 Missions in our own backyard

by Doug Dawson Debbie Hogeboom returns to Kenya

by Debbie Hogeboom

GOD HAS GIVEN US THIS VISION TO SEE healthy congregations within the reach of all people in Canada and beyond. Of course, for us to see this happen we need healthy leaders who lead with godly discernment and skill in sync with what the Holy Spirit is doing. But where can we go for leadership principles to help us keep moving in a state of health as churches and as leaders?

It has been suggested that if we want to understand how God works in creating and sustaining life, we should learn to think organically and observe principles that are evident in nature. Here are six observations with six questions for you to consider…especially if you lead a ministry.

Question: How does the ministry you are leading respond to crises?

Healthy organisms have interdependent parts.

The Bible makes it clear that the church should think of Healthy organisms have systems that work to sustain it. Trees grow itself as a body and observe the way that the individual leaves because leaves do the work of parts are integrated into a whole photosynthesis. system to make the body capable of When leaves fall off a doing much more than any individual tree, they are not part could. Each part is important, garbage. If left to the but functioning on its own, its impact processes of nature, is limited. they rot and turn into humus that provides Question: How is the ministry that you lead integrated into nutrients for the further growth of the the overall intention that God has for your church and tree. community?

Healthy organisms multiply. An organism does not

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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the Lord has used persecution and crises to advance His work. Crises, like viruses, attack the body and if the body ignores, or even worse, embraces this hostile energy, it will be weakened and can ultimately be destroyed. On the other hand, if crises are faced with godly courage and trusting faith, they can strengthen the body. Prayer becomes more earnest. People shake off lethargic indifference. The crisis is overcome by a united response from the body.

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There, on the other side of the glass, was a magnificent mountain of certain fun. I could almost feel the hours of endless enjoyment.

It takes energy just to lead a ministry. But what if every leader, while leading, also invests energy in another person who wants to learn to lead and gives them opportunities to learn to lead by observing and doing?

When the project is over, the work is done, but perhaps even more importantly, another leader is on the way to competence. Keep this up and soon there will be a whole group of leaders to sustain and expand the ministry into the future.

grow endlessly, but reproduces a form of “growth” that multiplies itself. For example, a tree does not keep getting bigger only; it seeds new trees, which in turn produce more trees and eventually there is an orchard. This is also part of what the Scriptures are getting at when the family is introduced as a metaphor of the church. Children are born into a family as a safe and supportive place to grow and mature, Question: As you lead, is someone developing godly but ultimately, if at least some children do not competence alongside you as a leader? eventually mature and have their own family, that part Healthy organisms benefit from symbiotic of the human race will become extinct. relationships. The oxpecker is a tiny bird that exists alongside wild animals in Africa. By picking ticks off Question: How is the ministry you lead planning to reproduce the bodies of large animals like itself to build the family of God? (e.g., small groups birthing antelopes or zebras, this little bird gets more small groups, congregations planting more it groceries and the large animal stays congregations, leaders raising up and mentoring new leaders, free of blood-sucking bugs. etc).

This is an example of symbiosis which is defined as “the intimate living Healthy organisms are able to transform together of two dissimilar organisms energy–even negative energy. Through the ages, in a mutually beneficial relationship.” Diverse spiritual Questions - continued on page 2

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First things first My 18-month old nephew loves to play with building blocks. We spend much of our time, when I am visiting, erecting monstrous towers. His favourite constructions are the ones that end up being as tall as he is, and because he is so young he lacks the patience and skill to make sure the base of his tower is wide enough to support the great height of the blocks. Ultimately they begin to sway precariously as more and more blocks are placed on top . . . it inevitably collapses.

This picture, to me, describes our lives without Jesus as our source. Spending time with him and reading his word is a prerequisite for personal growth. It is one of the things that we need to share with new believers and yet sometimes in our busy-ness it can be the first thing that is set aside. RA Torrey, an American evangelist, once said, “We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results.”

Dr. Richard Dobbins, founder of EMERGE Ministries – a full-service Evangelical Christian mental health centre dedicated to helping churches minister to the needs of Christian believers – has said that the most common thread in all the people who have sought help after experiencing burn out or a moral failure was that they did not have a regularly scheduled or daily devotional time.

John Wesley wrote, “The neglect of prayer is a grand hindrance to holiness.”

And so, I have made a commitment to guard my devotional life and not just slot it in during the day at a convenient time. Because the problem is that there is never a convenient time – there is almost always something else that needs to be done – pressing issues, “good things”, but distractions nonetheless.

Ensuring a strong foundation through prayer and reading God's word – these are building blocks for the Christian life. There are so many great lessons you can learn while playing with an 18-month old.

Lisa Howden Managing Editor

You have had the opportunity to build skills and experience in the full range of development and fundraising, such as direct appeals, special events, and major gifts and planned giving.

Marketing and branding have been particular areas of strength.

But….. working towards the alleviation and even the eradication of Poverty in a world full of injustice for the poor has a very real attraction for you.

Now is your chance to reenergize your career and truly make a difference.

Music at the Next Church: Sweet Dark No, this album is not about a piece of chocolate or is it? Next Church in Kingston, Ontario, has always strived to be innovative when it comes to doing church. In 1999, when six couples signed on the dotted line to plant the Next Church in a downtown neighbourhood, everyone agreed that good music would be a draw.

People attending Next at the time were saying, “I love the music, how can I share this music with other friends and families?” Al Doseger, pastor of Next thought the best way of sharing the music was to make an album, especially given that one of the founders of Next, Matt Baetz, was the owner of a recording studio.

In 2000, Next released Around 11, a collection of original and cover songs that were Sunday morning favourites. The album was used as a “calling card”, given to the Next community and visitors free of charge.

There was an overwhelming response. People began to ask shortly thereafter, “when will another album be coming out?”

In response to that question, the leadership of the church approved the making of a second album in the early part of 2005. It had always been understood that if a second album was to be made, it would need to be comprised of originals, new songs that were unique expressions of the people within the community. Around this time, a wave of newly composed songs began to emerge in addition to ones already part of the church's repertoire.

The next step was to ask musicians to submit a bare bones recording of their songs. The response was amazing with over 20 pieces submitted by various musicians. A group was formed to review

Questions

the songs on the basis of musicality and lyrical content and to reduce the number of songs for the album down to 15. Once that was done, the recording of the album began in June under Matt's direction. The album was completed in December.

The end result is Sweet Dark, an eclectic musical mix that reflects the diversity of the Next Church.

The songs explore issues surrounding faith and relationship with God. The album mirrors the tension felt between belief and unbelief, struggle and grace To purchase Sweet Dark or listen to any of the songs from the album go to <<www.nextchurch.com>>.

Clarence Wilms attends Next Chuch in Kingston, ON

[continued from cover]

gifts and ministries can exist in mutual indifference or in competition that causes conflict, but how much better if the Creator's plan for symbiotic interdependence is practiced.

Question: Does the ministry you lead compete with others or are you intentionally looking for ways to form mutually beneficial (win-win) relationships with other ministries that have a very dissimilar focus from your ministry?

Healthy organisms bear fruit. This may sound like the same observation as the principle of

Is searching for a

Director of Development World Relief Canada is one of Canada's most well respected and relevant NGO's working internationally in Africa and Asia, sectorally in food security, agriculture and microfinance. WRC is a key partner in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank as well as being in a leadership position within the Integral Alliance, an international body of like agencies, as well as being a recipient of ongoing program funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

WRC partners with the church in Canada and overseas to respond to the basic needs of the world's most oppressed, poor and suffering people, empowering them to meet their own needs.

Using a full range of fundraising methods you will engage individuals, businesses, foundations and the church community in soliciting support for World Relief Canada's programs designed to respond to the basic needs of the poor and suffering people of the world.

To respond to this opportunity, please contact Laurie Cook, CEO email: lcook@wrcanada.org 600 Alden Road, Suite 310 - Markham, Ontario L3R 0E7 Phone: 1 800-567-8190 or 905-415-8181

multiplication above, but let's return to the apple orchard. Every healthy tree multiplies itself while at the same time fulfilling its creator's purpose to produce a crop of apples. If it is not producing apples (they have the seeds in them for future trees), they will not multiply. Sometimes ministries are created, but after a while, they become less and less fruitful for a number of reasons (changes in the ministry area; loss of leadership, passion or focus, etc). If a ministry loses its fruitfulness, there is no possibility of multiplication. Sometimes with a bit of pruning, ministries regain their vigor; sometimes they need to be chopped.

Question: Is the ministry you are leading still producing the fruit for which it was created?

Astute readers will know that I have been drawing your attention to the Six Biotic Principles identified

by Christian Schwarz in his book, Natural Church Development. I think that he had some great insights. If we keep them in mind, they give us good questions to keep asking ourselves as we work together to develop healthy congregations in Canada and beyond, led by healthy, godly, competent leaders. I encourage you to think about these six principles and ask yourself the questions in connection with the ministries that you lead.

Rev. Keith Elford is Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada Natural Church Development resources <<www.ncdcanada.com>>

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A Piece in the Journey: Internships “…much more can be accomplished through ten people who discover and live within their call than 100 who are unsure.”

Gordon Cosby

ERIC SANDRAS, author of Buck Naked Faith, (Nav Press) was looking for a modern day example of real community and feels he found it when he discovered the Church of the Savior in Washington D.C. Gordon Cosby, the octogenarian founder, is still active in it. The Church of the Savior is a place where seekers could mature in their calling without becoming ingrown, isolated or irrelevant to the needs in the community. “Gordon's community,” said Sandras, “is simply a place to discover God's call on their lives that could change someone's world.”

Internships help women and men in our congregations discover and live within their call. We have had internships since 2000. We started with four in the first year and have had up to eight per year ever since.

Some internships help a passionate person to investigate a call. Other internships will help a candidate clarify their call by sharpening their gifts and graces. Still others can use an internship as a launch into full-time ministry. To qualify for an internship a candidate needs to build a relationship with the supervising pastor. A plan to discover God's call needs to be developed between them. There are checklists for pastor and intern to complete on our website. <<www.fmc-canada.org>> In 2000 we had $25,000 invested in interns. In 2005 we increased that to $46,000. Expanding internships even more will happen as funds become available through Leadership Giving Streams. This is just one of the ways Leadership Giving Streams is helping to create leaders for now and the future.

Thanks for investing in leaders through the Giving Streams.

Rev. Alan Retzman is Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada More on Internships visit <<www.fmc-canada.org/main_leadership-development.htm>>

Tyndale Seminary, a transdenominational graduate institution in the evangelical Protestant tradition, invites applications and nominations for a full-time tenure track faculty position as the Chair of Wesley Studies. The position involves teaching courses in Wesley studies and related fields, engaging in scholarly research, supervising theses, and linking with students and constituents from Wesleyan denominations. Desired qualifications include a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant field, a proven record of teaching and scholarship, and a commitment to a Wesleyan theological stance. Letters of application should be accompanied by a current curriculum vitae, a sample of scholarly writing, and the names and contact information for three references. The search committee will begin its review of applications immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Interested candidates should submit documentation in confidence to: The Wesley Chair Search Committee, c/o Ms. Cathie Kearsley, Director of Human Resources, Tyndale University College & Seminary, 25 Ballyconnor Court, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2M 4B3. Email: employment@tyndale.ca

MISSIONARIES TO CANADA EMIL BRUNNER once said, “The Church exists by mission as fire exists by burning.” In short, no mission – no church. If mission is central to the existence of church than it is important to see ourselves as the missionaries. All Christians must see themselves as missionaries to Canada. Why? Because God has not commissioned anyone else directly with this task. Because there is no one else with as deep of an understanding of Canadian culture than Canadians.

Because our church won't exist without this as our central duty.

First, we need to place holy living at the forefront of our missionary activity. Holiness, as it has sometimes been practiced among Christians, resembles smug self-righteousness. This is not the kind of holiness God calls us to. Holiness, as it has sometimes been practiced among Christians, is more about things we don't do than the things that we do. This is not the kind of holiness God calls us to. The kind of holiness God calls us to is described in 2 Peter 1: …add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note that these earmarks of holiness are specifically designed to keep us from being “ineffective and unproductive”. Persons who add faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness to others, and love to their repertoire for living have a powerful effect on all things they come into contact with. There is nothing in our society that cannot be transformed by these elements of holy living.

The practice of hospitality is also central to our missionary work. It was the hospitality of God that made it possible for us, as strangers, to become members of His family. As we participate with God in the work of His kingdom, hospitality will play a central role in our work. It will be over our dinner tables, in the booths of restaurants, and over cups of Tim Horton's coffee that God will make His appeal to the world through us.

Keeping our accountability relationships focused on engagement rather than avoidance will be important in our missionary work. Often the focus of accountability relationships has been that of avoidance of the world rather than safe engagement with the world. It's a common experienced among modern Christians to have no friends outside of church within three years of becoming a Christian. This trend cannot continue if we are to effectively engage our world. God promises that he will keep us safe as we engage the world and that “greater than he that is in me than he that is in the world”. If we choose to disengage for fear of our spiritual safety we effectively loose our saltiness and hide our light.

Rev. Jared Siebert is Director of Growth Ministries for The Free Methodist Church in Canada <<www.lifecycleproject.org>> Missional Church Discussion: <<www.lifecycleproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Missional_Church>>

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spent time running this past summer. I have tried to stay consistent since January 2005, although I upped the ante a bit in the summer and ran every day.

One day, when we were in Northern Idaho, I wanted to try a new trail. It was great, fun and exciting…for the first 100 ft or so. The terrain on the new trail changed soon after I began and I started running over roots and rocks, dodging branches and jumping logs! It was nearly impossible to set any kind of steady pace. After just a few feet, I found myself wanting the open road again where I could see clearly ahead and where I did not have to worry about roots or rocks and things that could tangle me up.

I

p.m. and I suddenly look at my family and they are whipped. And, we've got a three hour drive still ahead of us. The adventure was not nearly as exciting for Pam and the kids as it was for me. They slept, I drove and it began to rain.

Now, as it turns out, these two examples – running on a new trail and my family road trip – were not life threatening, just a little uncomfortable. I certainly have more destructive patterns of behaviour. But my point is, that all of us have these patterns and if we really take a good look at them, some of those patterns have the ability to hurt us, sometimes deeply, and the people around us.

So, here's what I'm learning or trying to learn about negative cycles in my life. Here are some quotes from my black journal book about mud puddles.

This incident reminded me of a poem. It's called:

“AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS” Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in . . .

It takes forever to find a way out.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again . . .

It . . . takes a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in; it's a habit . . .

I get out . . .

Chapter 4

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.

I've noticed that I sometimes step into the same mud puddle over and over in my life and I make the same mistakes over and over again. I have realized that there are some negative cycles that can be very damaging if they get out of control. One day, I wrote out both the good and bad patterns and rhythms I saw in my life. These patterns can be summed up in a few phrases: “Bigger is better.” “More is good.” “Busier is best.” “Pleasure is comforting.” “Adventure is fulfilling.” “Experience is best.” “Immediate is great.”

These patterns are sometimes positive, and sometimes they can be negative. For example, I enjoy a full day. I like to crunch in about three extra things in the day just to see if I can get them done. It's kind of fun. But, sometimes, I ride that edge too much and then the pressure mounts. The time crunch occurs and all it takes is one extra construction project or one speed trap and, all of a sudden, I'm not having any fun and neither is my kid, who is late for soccer.

This past summer had a classic vacation story. I woke up one morning, and said to my family, “Let’s drive to Montana and see the country around Missoula.” So, we packed some lunch and off we went. Adventure. Nature.

Shopping. Restaurants. 170 miles from home. Awesome. But, then it's 10

WISDOM FOR MY LIFE If you don't know how you got into the cycle, you won't be able to find your way out.

If you don't know why you did it, you won't be able to change your motivation.

If you are determined to only learn the hard way, you will find it hard to learn.

If you can connect the dots and see the relationship between cause and effect you will be free from much unnecessary pain that mud puddles can create in life.

Never see your circumstances as isolated from your actions. Quit blaming. If you are in the mud, you are the one who walked in there.

But, the questions is, “How do I get out of the mud puddle once I'm in?” Or, better yet, “How do I prevent myself from getting into the mud puddle?” I believe there is a formula for answering these questions. That formula is best captured in one word…INSIGHT. Insight is the ability to see and understand life clearly and the ability to see and understand the inner nature of things. Insight is what allows us to read other people and situations with wisdom. Insight is what makes our intuition and truth line-up on the same plane. And it's what allows us to make right decisions and right choices in our lives and in our families. If we live without insight, we may come to live with great regret. Insight is a rare gift from God and a blessing. It's rare because it takes a lifetime to develop and few of us find it. It's a blessing because I believe God alone has the ability to multiply it in our lives. Insight is not just a human skill that we can hone. It's a supernatural gift given to us by God's grace and mercy.

Insight is not a genetic thing or a birthright. It's not a chance thing, either.

It's not as if you wake up one morning and all of a sudden you have great insight. No. Insight gets developed in our lives by God's grace and by us choosing it.

Insight is a choice and it grows within us, as we make choices in our lives and as we walk with Jesus. These choices create amazing things that shine light on the path ahead of us and stops negative patterns of behaviour from overtaking our lives. Proverbs 2:2-5,9-11 says, “Turn your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

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Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”

reward for all my labour. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

The “formula” of discipline, discernment and discretion works in every area of life, whether that be your time schedule, your friendships and relationships, or your daily tasks. My bet is that following the “formula” for a short time will see a huge pay off in your life.

Can you imagine this “formula” working in your spiritual life, as well?

Imagine if you made some very small but significant disciplined choices to develop your soul. What if you just took 30 minutes every morning (or whenever) to explore and invest and develop your spirit. You could learn to worship or you could study God's Word or you could simply sit and let God have a bigger piece of your mind and heart and life. A short, daily spiritual routine of thirty minutes emphasizing discipline, discernment and discretion over a year can make such difference of lasting eternal proportions.

In a certain part of Malaysia, a specific kind of bamboo is grown that is very valuable. The farmers who grow it know all about the wisdom and patience and discipline that it takes to produce the results they desire. In the first year, they plant the seed, water and fertilize. Nothing visible happens in the first year. In the second year, they continue to carefully water and fertilize all year.

Nothing visible happens in the second year, either. In the third year, more water and fertilizer are needed, yet nothing happens. There is absolutely no visible evidence that the three years of work are even close to being successful.

The fourth year comes around and water and fertilizer must still be applied, in the right amounts and at the right time. But you guessed it. Nothing happens.

In the fifth year, the farmers diligently water and fertilize. And, suddenly, the bamboo grows ninety feet in thirty days. Not nine inches in thirty days, not nine feet in thirty days but ninety feet in thirty days! From zero to the height of a nine story building in thirty days. This is what happens with small steps of obedience, small actions of discipline and small steps of faith. These steps produce amazing results over time.

There is great regret in life when we stay on the same street trying to get around the same mud puddles. But, there is great reward in walking on a completely different path called insight. Proverbs 4:18, 25 - 27a, says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only those ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left and the blessings will flow.

There are three words that can be gleaned from this passage to help us become more insightful human beings. They are Discipline, Discernment, and Discretion. Discipline is training that produces self-control so we do not fall into a mud puddle. Discernment is the ability to see a mud puddle before it comes. Discretion is the ability to act cautiously when approaching a mud puddle. These three words are keys to the secrets to life which often are not very complicated. But, the secrets are difficult to fully experience in life.

Most of us know that choosing to eat well would make a huge difference in our health and in the aging process. We know that good daily food choices can dramatically change our quality of life for the better. But, so many of us are caught up in a negative cycle with food. We eat because we think food will make us happy or we eat because we don't have anything better to do or we eat because we have an abundance of food in Canada. But, how often do we eat with the nurture and care of our bodies in mind?

We often forget that discipline, discretion and discernment with food will get us out of some destructive negative health cycles. To be aware of our eating patterns and to act on that awareness is Insight is the insight. Often, insight is all about prevention.

Let's examine another example. In our culture, ability to see and we have a “buy now, pay later” mentality. To talk about discretion, discernment and discipline in a understand life consumer-based society is a lot like swimming up clearly and the stream. That new SUV or bigger T.V. or grander home or great business deal just loses its shine ability to see and when payments are strapped to your back and understand the you become enslaved by debt. The Bible makes some great statements about money. In fact, it inner nature of talks more about money and how it affects us than it does about almost anything else. things.

The Bible says that money and material things actually belong to God. He is the owner and giver of life and He owns and gives everything, including our pay cheques. Our role as human beings in creation is to manage or be good stewards of God's resources. We have the responsibility of managing God's stuff so we can make a difference for good with what we've been blessed with. Giving money, being generous and using God's resources to bless others should be our #1 priority. Rev. Dean Angell is Lead Pastor at Lakeview Free Methodist Church in But, what often happens is that we forget discipline, discretion and Saskatoon, SK. discernment and instead we become good consumers rather than good <<www.lakeviewchurch.com>> stewards. We become great at buying on instant credit to satisfy our selfish desires. We then end up with a huge debt that requires so much of our cash flow that we can't give to things that are truly important. The truth of the matter is that it's not wise and it's not what God desires for our lives. He knows how much our heart shrivels when we are not practicing generosity and He knows how pointless it is to pursue money for selfish gain. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (NIV) said,

“

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the

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Passages APPOINTMENTS Floyd Babcock, Intentional Interim Pastor, Wesley Chapel FMC, Toronto, ON, effective January 8, 2006.

Ann Foster, Assistant Pastor, Smiths Falls FMC, Smiths Falls, ON, effective January 22, 2006.

Raymond Hartman, Pastor, Caistor Centre FMC Caistor Centre, ON, effective January 22, 2006.

Karen Martin, Pastor of Care, Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON, effective December 9, 2005.

MINISTERIAL CANDIDATES APPROVED Sherry Thomas (Barrie FMC, Barrie, ON) Philippe Reichenbach (St Henri, Montreal, QC)

he guest speaker at the EFC National Youth Forum back in January was Michael Frost, a noted Australian Christian communicator and evangelist. While I don't resonate with his somewhat negative perception of the “traditional” church, I do appreciate his passion for the need to engage the culture around us. The apostle Paul knew the importance of reaching out to the world around him: “I have become all things to all men, so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel …” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23). In terms of making connections with youth, there are many points of entry (sports, technology, academics, boarding etc.) that allow one to develop relationships of love and caring. Check out the story of how God led Larry Jones and Queensway Church into an amazing opportunity of ministry to the young people in their community.

T

CHURCHES IN TRANSITION Athens FMC, Athens, ON Avonlea FMC, Avonlea, SK Crossroads FMC, Salmon Arm, BC Eastern Koinonia FMC, Toronto, ON Edmonton FMC, Edmonton, AB Lakeland Community, Spiritwood, SK Marmora FMC, Marmora, ON Mountain Ridge Community Church, Abbotsford, BC O'Connor FMC, Kakabeka Falls, ON Pineview FMC, Cloyne, ON Richmond Hill Chinese FMC, Richmond Hill, ON Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK

PASTORS IN TRANSITION John Baker David MacPherson Don Miller Rodney Peterson Joan Stonehouse Vic Stonehouse Mike Szabo Cam Taylor Dale Vinkle

Invite your participation in the campaign to fully endow The Donald N. & Kathleen G. Bastian Chair of Wesley Studies at Tyndale Seminary At present, we have raised $860,000 in cash towards our goal of $1,200,000.

Friends, alumni and supporters of Christian higher education are needed to accomplish this goal.

Both cash donations and planned gifts are welcome. For further information, please contact Lloyd R. Eyre, President, Lorne Park Foundation or Norm Bull of the Free Methodist Foundation in Canada.

Lloyd R. Eyre, President Lorne Park Foundation P.O. Box 871 Peterborough, ON K9J 7A2 705.745.7585 lreyre@cogeco.ca

Norman J. Bull Free Methodist Foundation in Canada 4315 Village Centre Court Mississauga, ON L4Z 1S2 905.848.2600 bulln@fmc-canada.org

Andrew Brown is Student Ministries Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. You can contact him at andrew@fmdog.ca

ABOVE ALLTHINGS. WE . .

MUST ROCK! This is the first of 10 Commandments for the “Church of Rock”, a Friday night ministry for kids and youth at Queensway Church in Niagara Falls. But before you think that this is just another typical youth ministry where a bunch of church kids hang out, let me tell you a bit of our story.

A little over two years ago, my wife Janna and I were wandering through a local mall on a Friday night with our kids. Despite being bored out of my skull – I have a very strong aversion to shopping – God used that night as a catalyst to whisper an idea into my heart about future ministry. What I noticed that night was literally hundreds of kids just hangin' around with seemingly nothing to do and nowhere to go. As I sat on a nearby bench while my wife kept Zellers in business for over an hour, I came to realize that the language and culture of this next generation of youth was based primarily around music (each one had an MP3 player glued to his/her head), skateboarding (I saw flips, trips and even a few epic spills) and fashion (let's just say each kid had a unique way of expressing themselves!). Most of all though, I saw that each kid acted as though they desperately just wanted somewhere to belong and fit in, and that this was the place that they felt most at home. They were seeking approval from their peers, and would do almost anything to get it.

In short, what I saw was community. I couldn't help but be moved by that and convicted to ask myself the question “Can't the church be doing more for kids like this”? The burden God put on me that night was a little unexpected, as I never thought I would find myself immersed once again into youth ministry in any way. My wife and I had been involved in youth ministry for five years or so when we were first married, but since having our own family we felt God pull us in other directions of ministry. However, as with many times in the past when God spoke an idea in my heart, I pushed it into the recesses of my mind, assuming (or hoping) that it might go away.

A couple of months later, my wife and I watched School of Rock, a movie starring Jack Black. This is the story of a down-and-out, pseudo rock star whose dreams of superstardom have been crushed by the unfair trials of life. As he attempts to get his life together after being kicked out of yet another band, he takes a job pretending to be a school teacher at a rich prep school. Realizing that he knows nothing about educating children, he turns to his only source of passion and knowledge – rock music. From there, mostly by accident, he ends up teaching the kids valuable life lessons through the medium of rock and roll. The movie resonated deeply with me for a couple reasons. For one, I too have long dreamed of being a rock star – but unfortunately have always been a little short (some would say a LOT) in the talent, money and opportunity departments. Passion I had, but that only takes you so far. Second, I was once again reminded of the enormous power of music, and how God had used it in many different ways to draw me into relationship with Jesus and to continue to transform my own life over the last few years. I watched that entire movie three times that night (my wife thought I was going insane or hitting an early mid-life crisis) and at one point I just blurted out “we need to start a Church of Rock for kids in our community”! The dream was born.

As I thought more and more about the idea, the scripture that immediately came to mind was one that had encouraged and challenged me for many years. In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul writes “Do not let anyone put you down because you are young, but set an example for other believers in your faith, life, love and purity”. This became the biblical foundation for the Church of Rock, which would attempt to mentor kids to be passionate disciples of Jesus, a move away from just tolerating them until they “matured”. It became a response to what I felt had been sorely lacking in youth ministry in our current culture.

In my decade of watching youth ministry in our city, I often heard church leaders talk about how our youth were the “leaders of the future”, but then turn around and relegate them to the basement with limited resources and funding. I have even heard the argument that “kids don't have any money”, suggesting that building a ministry for them and around them was somehow not as legitimate as other ideas. Kids in our community need Jesus, and unfortunately I had been witnessing the progressive migration of our youth away from anything that resembled Jesus and His church. Just as people in the past have seen the importance of sharing the gospel in the language of the people, I am firmly convinced that God can use music as a means to reach our young people with the transforming power of the gospel.

I quickly realized, my wife and I could not take on this type of idea alone and the next logical step in the journey was to float this somewhat nebulous idea of a “Church of Rock” to a trusted group of seven to eight friends. Their response was awesome, not just in support for the idea but more than that – each one willing to jump on board and to serve alongside in whatever way they could be used. That I did not expect. Since that time a few more people have jumped onto the

7 M O S A I C

Church of Rock bandwagon.

The next step was to sit down with my Senior Pastor, Jennifer Anderson, to hammer out the vision and purpose behind what I wanted to do. In one memorable afternoon, we came to focus on the statement, “igniting the next generation” – which defined the core of what we felt God calling us to – to respond to the rapidly changing needs of the next generation and to infuse their lives with the power of Jesus and his love for them. Using the term “ignite” as our base, we outlined the following core values for the Church of Rock:

2, which was another scripture that God prompted me to use as a foundation for the ministry. It says “Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple.

He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple”. Carlee Kaobel and Cherry Lapointe, Grade 7 and 8 at the time, wrote the following words:

We are the living stones, Jesus holds us together Stand up tall and strong, never say never We all can stand forever, without Jesus we'll fall Believe in the Cornerstone, never say never G Investing our time, resources and energy into the Hold your head up high, spread your wings and fly next generation With the help of God, we'll never die, we'll never die G G rowing kids to recognize their unique diversity G N avigating kids through life I couldn't write that in a million years. Neither of G Identifying each kid's unique purpose in life those two were “church kids” either, just friends of G Transforming kids by mentoring the character of friends who loved music and wanted a safe place to use Christ and explore their talents. To me it confirmed that God G Empowering kids to discover and use their gifts can speak to and through people in many ways, even (or maybe especially) through our youth. The kids have Just imagine, 10-12 adults giving up every Friday fundraised over $4000 in two years to purchase new night to serve the kids in our church and our equipment such as drums, guitars, sound equipment community. Believe me, that is no ordinary feat! We and other wacky stuff, and we recently bought a multihave found that serving God together in this way has track recorder so that we can actually produce the kids brought us even closer together, and sacrificing part of music onto CDs. To date the kids have hosted two our lives for this ministry is one of the most rewarding “Rock Bashes”, where they invite their parents, friends things we have done as a group. I've found that serving and our Queensway Church family to see them with people you love and trust implicitly helps perform their songs and showcase their talents. overcome a lot of the frustrations that can come along We are not quite sure what the next step is in the with youth ministry – like burnout and the feeling that Church of Rock journey. For most of these kids, 75% of you are on an island at times. I could never have done whom have never been to church before, Church of this without this small group made up of some of my Rock is church for them each week – it's their best friends: Chris and Christine Milne, Jody and community. I can't imagine seeing them move on to the Carrie Zimmerman, Dana Andrews, Susan Dyet, next “program”. They have become part of our lives. In Janine Zimmerman, Mike Hunt and Rachael many ways, seeing them grow and mature has impacted Monaghan – not to mention my wife Janna and Pastor us as leaders as much or more as they have been Jenn. God is smiling at you, gang!! influenced by our team. To me, it's never been just a The launch date was September 17, 2004, with 18 program on Friday nights, but a church within a church kids in attendance, along with 8 leaders and a few little – although admittedly a very LOUD one! If you ever ones (kids of leaders) who tag along for fun. Since then find yourself in Niagara Falls on a Friday night with we have grown to at times topping 35 kids on a Friday nothing to do, drop by and see us – you might just like night, mainly between Grades 4-8. The kids learn how it. to sing and write lyrics, play drums, guitar and percussion, work with puppets and drama as well as all Larry Jones is the Associate Pastor (and El Capitano!) sorts of other fun stuff. Each kid also earns “Rock at Queensway Free Methodist Church in Niagara Falls, Bucks”, a system that allows them to collect fake money ON. and purchase prizes a couple times a year. The kids take <<www.vaxxine.com/qfmc>> turns doing spotlights on Christian bands, and often we will do a lyrical study of a song to see what the songwriter is really trying to say – both secular and Christian. To this point, the kids have written 6-7 of their own original songs, mostly based on scripture from our devotions or from their everyday life. The kids first song, written during the second week of Church of Rock, is called Never Say Never, and is based on 1 Peter

G KIDS SAYIN ?

E R A T A R H F W O OCKM! H C R U H E C ABOUT IND OUT, JUST ASK TH

OF ctivity IT'S EASY T night a y a d i r one me F we are n aweso d a n a s ’ n t i I " fits veryone where e . family" abel ve Carlee Ko e! I lo ce to b a l h p g J n an, os n amazi h Brend t i w "It’s a d n a in my b playing a". and Dan gy ys ther Matyas Na is alwa d o G t a . th or say" earned you do "I’ve l t a h w matter you no Kaitlyn Roy and not urself o y e b to bett earned listen I . e s "I’ve l l ne e e someo act lik too"! nnery n Kelli McCo and bei guitar g n i y a a r l i p bout p the ins "It’s a gave me k c o R of Church . guitar" y to pla bel Derek Koa long, they be t a h t s u ne feel tal abo "Everyo judgmen r o m e a d c I is ru st time r nobody i f e h I did else. T m set, u r anyone d a e down at en call and sat were ev m e h t o my w y of n have e what an v e I lay and I can p enwood Steven Gre e fun. d can b o G t u o ng ab "Learni rritt Nicole Me

WHAT ARE THE LEADERS SAYING ?

"I wanted to be involved in a new worthwhile, upbeat youth mi nistry It’s the Scho ol of Rock in reality Dana Andrews (gui tar teacher) "Kids are le arning about interacting in community - all through musi c".

Rachael Monagha n (singing/songwriting leader)

by Dan Sheffield

Missions in our own backyard Taking Jesus to the Streets Last summer I went on a mission trip, actually our entire family went. We prepared supplies and packed the van and travelled for 10 minutes to our destination, downtown Tillsonburg! Yes, that's right, downtown Tillsonburg.

Our supplies consisted of cans of cold pop, tracts and Bibles in Spanish and friendly smiles. In parking lots, malls and along the main street we shared the good news with some of the Mexican migrant workers who make this area their home for three to four months each year.

As part of the South Western Ontario Spanish Initiative we reached out to some of the 18,000 migrant workers who live part of the year in the area from Simcoe to Windsor south of the 401. This summer we partnered with the Gurrola family from Mexico. Victor, Chayito, Karla, Ale and Dani Gurrola visited Ontario for three weeks. Victor is a bank manager in Mexico and a Godgifted evangelist. They spent their weekends in Tillsonburg along with Lloyd and Barb Peterson from Wilkesport. On Friday afternoons and evenings when the workers would come into town to shop we would divide into teams and cover the town. The cans of cold pop attracted many people. Striking up a conversation in Spanish, Victor would ask where the person was from in Mexico, talk for a while about “home” and then flow into the hope that Christ offers. Often groups as large as ten would gather around and listen to the good news. Many would accept tracts and some would take Bibles.

Over the six weeks that outreach occured about fifty migrant workers began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Praise God! Many would come back the following weeks with more questions about Jesus.

After the Gurrola family went back to Mexico, others from the Sarnia congregation came on Fridays to help.

One encounter stands out for me. On one of our trips to a strip mall we encountered a man representing a cult who was handing out literature in Spanish. I approached one of the recipients, and through broken Spanish and the help of Chayito who didn't speak much English, we told the man that the truth he was looking for was in the Bible, not in the magazine that he had

received. We gave him a Spanish Bible and prayed with him. About an hour later we saw him sitting with some friends, reading the Bible to them and the big smile he gave us told us the joy that was in his heart. We again saw him a week later and he remembered us and shook our hands vigorously. I wonder what influence he will have when he returns to his family and friends in Mexico?

We also had the opportunity to meet a Spanish speaking congregation in Aylmer and a pastor of two Spanish churches in London. Did you know that there are ten Spanish churches in London?

Good things happened in Tillsonburg last summer and we are hoping for better things next year. On our wish list: a storefront location on the main street where we can offer a telephone so that workers can phone home with some privacy, videos in Spanish to share the gospel, English lessons for those who want to learn the language so that they can communicate better on the farms, Bible studies and Spanish speaking people to share the good news.

How can you help?

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Pray for the right person(s) to come to Tillsonburg and area next summer who will be available to share the gospel for the months of August-October.

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Pray for a storefront location to open up. Give financially to help make our wish list a reality. (The Spanish Initiative is a Conference approved project).

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Pray for all the migrant workers who take the good news of Jesus back home with them.

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Pray that what has begun in South Western Ontario will continue.

Maybe God is speaking to your heart to come to Tillsonburg next summer and minister to this mission field on our doorstep.

Please contact Pastor Doug Dawson at the Tillsonburg Free Methodist Church.

Rev. Doug Dawson, Senior Pastor at Tillsonburg Free Methodist Church

DEBBIE HOGEBOOM RETURNS TO KENYA Debbie’s colleague sent her an email recently about ministry at the church she worked with over the past few years.

“There is a very strong basketball team at Light and Life now. It is under the leadership of a young man by the name of Herbert. He has mobilized the youth and they have come up with rules to govern themselves as church youths, around the church property. They have a wonderful theme, “Youth Against Drugs and Alcoholism”. They have played in three different tournaments in Kericho and they have improved their performance with every match they have played. Last weekend they went to Kipchimchim for a basketball tournament and they were number one. This coming weekend, they will go for another tournament that was organized by the Kipchimchim school and they asked our church to be the main sponsors of the tournament. What they expect from the church is that the church funds the tournament by producing two trophies for the tournament. 11 teams will be participating in the two day tournament. They will then give our church an opportunity to conduct the opening speech by giving a lecture on the dangers of drugs and alcohol to the youth. Also after the tournament is over and before they give the trophies, the church will be given yet another opportunity.

Pray for these boys, together with the Light and Life Church council. Pray for these guys and for God’s special spirit to pour afresh on the lives of these young

boys.

These youth have promised to join the church and become members of our church. Their leader Herbert came to church last Sunday and made a commitment to make Light and Life his home church. This is a very smart young man, he is working with a legal firm in town as clerk. The rest of the group plans to come soon, they are still asking questions at how they will be received in the church and they are afraid to be called in front and mention their names. I trust that things will work out okay, also pray for Patrick as he works on helping these boys join the church.”

Keep the youth ministry and sports evangelism at Kericho in your prayers.

Light and Life Church is located in a slum with much need for this kind of outreach but it is tough and sometimes discouraging. We have been praying a long time for someone to take leadership in this area and he has answered these prayers. Praise the Lord!

Debbie returns to Kenya, March 27, 2006. She will be taking up a new assigntment in the city of Eldoret where a new church plant is underway. She will continue Christian education development and training for the Free Methodist Church in Kenya.