The Free Methodist Church in Canada | Spring 2010 | Volume 7 Issue 1
Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family
CONTENT OFFER THEM CHRIST | BISHOP KEITH ELFORD E COVER
Offer them Christ by Bishop Keith Elford
Regional Gatherings 2010
PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Everything in it’s right order by Jared Siebert FM Numbers PAGE 3 Timeless qualities of leadership by Kim Henderson General Conference 2010 2010 Family Camp dates PAGES 4 & 5 Culture and the missional church by Dan Sheffield Missionally minded ... say what? by Maureen Adams Merry Missional Christmas by Jay Mowchenko Missional Focus by Jeff Nault PAGE 6 Passages Meet Sandy Crozier Investing Ourselves by Sandy Crozier PAGE 7 God showed up at the White House by Katherine Siebert International Child Care Ministries PAGE 8 Update on Global Partnerships by Dan Sheffield
very day when I come into the Ministry Centre, I walk past a print of a short, elderly man standing on a wharf talking earnestly to a man who is about to be rowed out, with others, to a sea-going ship. It’s clear from the artist’s interpretation that the conversation is serious and indeed it was! What we have hanging on the wall is a print of Kenneth Wyatt’s rendering of John Wesley saying final farewells to Thomas Coke, as he sends Coke off from Bristol, England to America to ordain Francis Asbury. Wyatt entitled the painting, “Offer them Christ.”
It’s a good picture to have hanging in a prominent place in the national Ministry Centre of a movement that is intentionally seeking to recover its missional passion and orientation. It’s a picture of people committed to God’s mission. It’s a picture about being “sent out.” It’s a picture that implies risk and challenges associated with engaging the culture of a new frontier. And I love the title. It says what they (and we) are to be doing, “Offer them Christ”! When you think about it, it is quite a remarkable thing that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) would invite us to be involved in His mission to bring wholeness to the world’s brokenness. In this edition of the Mosaic, we are reporting on and reflecting on the importance—no, let me push it a little bit further, the necessity of the church understanding issues related to culture as we seek to offer Christ. It’s a big topic, but let me offer several essentials for every movement (and person) who seeks to be missional. First, the mission is to be done in partnership with God and in the power of His Holy Spirit. In John 15, Jesus explained it to the disciples (and through John’s writing, to us) that just as a branch broken off from a grapevine cannot produce grapes, we cannot do anything apart from Him. We need to receive the Spirit’s presence in our lives to assure us that we are indeed adopted into Christ (Romans 8:16). But we need to understand from the get-go that we are spiritually reborn to participate in God’s mission in the world. In addition to the vine and branch analogy, I hear this clearly in the intimate, locked room conversation that Jesus shared with the disciples as they were still scrambling to comprehend that he had indeed risen from the dead. He showed them his hands and his side and said to them, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ….and “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” ( John 20:21-22)
“Offer them Christ”, a painting by Kenneth Wyatt
In that moment, they received the witness of the Holy Spirit to assure them of their relationship with the Lord Jesus, but also because they were being sent to participate in God’s redemptive mission to bring wholeness (shalom) to all of His creation.
God is on a God-sized mission in the world. He offers a relationship with Himself so that He can send us out to participate in His mission. In the second place, Jesus makes clear on one occasion that His followers must be motivated by love – love alone! Someone wanted Him to outline a list of the things one should do (or not do) to prove their spirituality and devotion to God. Jesus took the Old Testament laws and narrowed them down to what we know as the Great Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and commandments hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus’ questioner was trying to embarrass him on another occasion when he asked, “And who is my neighbour?” In reply, Jesus told a story that is popularly known as “The Good Samaritan.” If you read it wearing cultural lenses, you will see that God’s intention is to demonstrate His love to all people – even people who very foolishly travel alone on a dangerous road regularly inhabited by thieves. In Jesus’ story, the
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Not very many verses after Jesus quotes the Great Commandment, He describes the lives of those whose hearts have been transformed by God’s love to see the world as He sees it. He fast forwards to His second return and explains the He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Those that He puts on His right hand, He will commend with abundant blessing because, motivated by love, they fed the hungry, gave a drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed those who were in rags, and visited the sick and imprisoned. (Matt. 25:31-46) A third aspect of the mission of God is to see Christ formed within people so that they represent Him well in the world. Just before He ascended, Jesus said to the disciples, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you; and surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). There it is again! In this mission to which He commissions all disciples, He promises His presence and implies a partnership with Him. In the language of the New Testament, the focus of the above verses is on making disciples. And they are to come from all nations!
THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2 - “OFFER”
MOSAIC
is a publication of
abused and beat up Jewish victim is bypassed by representatives of the religious culture, and to his Jewish audience’s surprise, it is a person that they regarded as cultural scum who cares for him. Clearly, God is serious when He says He loves “the whole world”. And surprisingly, it seems that He will involve anyone in His mission – even a despised Samaritan.
REGIONAL gatherings | 2010 Purposes To introduce local church leaders to one another so that they can build relationships and potentially give assistance to one another To vision-cast to lay leaders and pastors between General Conferences To increase missional momentum, and counter-act feelings of isolation To facilitate the formation of partnerships through which local churches in a region might respond the possibility of planting a church in Canada or sending out a cross-cultural worker to a ministry beyond Canada or helping one another (e.g. work teams to help one another with construction projects) in other ways.
Locations Quebec @ Rosemont on March 20 [completed] Central Ontario @ Wesley Chapel on March 27 [completed] South/Southwest Ontario @ Brantford on April 17 Saskatchewan/Manitoba @ Arlington Beach Camp on May 1 Northwestern Ontario/Winnipeg @ Dryden on May 8 Eastern Ontario @ Athens on May 15 Northern Ontario @ Sault Ste Marie on May 29 Alberta @ Ellice on June 5 British Columbia @ Merritt, Nicola Valley Evangelical Free Church on June 12
MOSAIC 2
EDITOR’S DESK Pizza, tandoori chicken and how adapting is a Godthing Queen Street in Brampton, despite formerly being the “main drag” through downtown, has now become a hard to navigate road. With just under a half million people in Brampton – making it the eleventh largest city in Canada – there always seems to be a construction crew busily pulling up some section of Queen Street and an inordinate amount of people “out and about” just as I am trying to make my way up the strip. I was idly looking around on just such an occasion – stopped at an intersection waiting for a police officer who was directing traffic to waive me through – when I noticed the restaurant’s sign: “Pizza, Rice: Sri Lanka and Indian Foods.”
EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT ORDER
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hen it comes to the church it is important to be orderly. To be even clearer it’s important to get things in the right order. The proper order seems to be along these lines Trinity D Mission D Church.1 This means several things. The Trinity, being an eternal community, created us with a capacity to participate in that eternal community in some way. We rebelled and left. God has been on a mission to reconnect and reconcile with us. As part of His mission he created the church.
itself. Coming up with answers to questions no one outside it is asking. A church outside the mission is no church at all. Emil Brunner says it like this “The church exists by mission as fire does in burning.” Have you ever seen a fire that doesn’t burn? Then you have never seen a church that is not on the mission. It may be labeled a church. But it is not a church. The Mission of God is the single greatest health factor in church life. It is what keeps
By adapting their menu choices they are able to engage the interest of a greater number of people. They will, by necessity, have to re-examine their approach in the years to come and continue to adapt to the changing needs of their environment in order to remain effective. I had a few thoughts cross my mind, as it relates to the Church, that I have thought about since I first saw this restaurant sign. The story remains the same In our Christian context, adapting to our communities does not mean compromise. We can best follow Jesus, both individually and corporately, by being Christ-like to the people around us and thinking in new ways to meet people where they are. The gospel story doesn’t change – but how we present it will – depending on our different and changing contexts. One size does not fit all It is both responsible and faithful for individuals and churches to discern what God is saying and adapt – so that the way the message is communicated is effective and their ministry relevant within that specific context. These adaptations will be expressed and look differently in each individual life or congregational life. I wonder how well this restaurant would do if it were located in a different community? In a context without the huge South Asian influence, would it have the same relevance? The bottom line In order for us to be effective in sharing Jesus, we must continue to practically and faithfully adapt to our changing settings. This is not a new concept for the Church, as it has adapted in each new age and setting. This issue of the MOSAIC focuses on Culture and the Missional Church. There are great stories of individuals and churches working within their contexts to share the love of Christ in faithful and successful ways.
Lisa Howden Managing Editor
Contrast this with how Christ looks at the people in your community. He sees fields that are ripe and ready for harvest and his problem is low attendance in the worker department. He is wondering how he is going to get the workers in your church outside the building and working in His fields. If the church’s energy is primarily to draw in instead of push out we will wind up in a tug of war with God. Struggle long enough and He might let go of the rope. If He lets go of the rope the church collapses in on itself. Having conversations with itself. About
churches feeling young, healthy and strong. When you allow the Mission of God to have control very powerful things begin to happen. First and foremost the Mission of God aligns your heart with His heart. You love what he loves and hate what he hates. There is unlimited energy and vitality in that. Second by giving ourselves fully to the Mission of God we have God as a partner in our efforts. As with hearts, when energy and efforts align with God it can make for some light lifting. Third, the Mission of God creates its own energy. The Mission of God has the transforming power to change former enemies into friends of God. These new friends of God, once part of your church, will bring new energy, fresh thinking, and excitement to your lives together. Ever notice how much fun it is to have a new Christian in a Bible study? The same thing happens – it’s just that it can happen church-wide. Ever notice that new
we started. In fact, if you enter the mission because of any of the benefits described above you are in danger of being disorderly. However, it is evidence of a truly great God that He makes His orders such a pleasure to follow! 1
From the book The Shaping of Things to Come by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. They state that Christology informs our missiology which informs our ecclesiology. In other words Christ D Mission D Church. Rev. Jared Siebert is the Director of Church Development for The Free Methodist Church in Canada Join the 100 Church Challenge! As a movement we are putting out a call to 100 churches to support church planting across our country by giving $3700/year to the Church Development Giving Stream. Can we count you in? Call the Ministry Centre for details.
OFFER
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In our going, we are to make disciples. In our baptizing, we are to make disciples. And in our teaching, we are to make disciples. In other words, we are to continue to “offer them Christ” until they grow into the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). It’s a great mission to which we have been commissioned, but let me break it down into a simple (but not simplistic) understanding by telling you a true story that I have been observing for about 40 years. Being missional is fundamentally about ever expanding redemptive relationships When I was about 17 years old, I became good friends with another teen who shared my interest in cross-country running and gymnastics. We were both on the high school team. Eventually, I summoned my courage and invited him to come to youth group. As I remember it now, there wasn’t a lot of “sizzle” to our youth group; we were pretty human
FM Numbers
Hmmm, interesting . . . I discovered, after a little research, that it was once just a pizza place and branched out some years back. It’s not really a very traditional food combination, is it? With Brampton’s large South Asian population they no doubt felt this change would better meet the needs of their community.
Finally, the Mission of God makes things grow. Yes it’s true that churches on the mission of God see growth. The early church saw people added daily. Of course we can’t enter the mission for the purpose of growing the church. As soon as we do we have the order wrong again and are right back where
If the church’s energy is primarily to draw in instead of push out we will wind up in a tug-of-war with God. Struggle long enough and He might let go of the rope.
As I’ve mentioned orderliness is important. But why? Because the church is the most temporary of all three. The Trinity is eternal and Their mission has been around at lot longer than the church. The mission goes back to the garden. Here is often what this looks like when we start with the church before the others. We wind up looking for a mission that supports our church and a God that fits us. When we look around our sanctuaries on Sunday morning and see gaps in attendance and empty pews we can often be tempted to think “What’s it gonna take to get people in here?” Our mission then becomes finding ways to get people to attend our church.
Christians can be the best evangelists? If you enjoy the new energy they bring imagine what would happen if they brought their friends?
About Giving Streams
Overall Giving Streams to December 2009 was above 2008 levels by over $171,000
About Haiti
Did you know that Free Methodist Churches gave $91,500 !! (matched by CIDA = $183,000!) This number was 13% higher than any other denomination.
and very normal teenagers. One night as we drove home after youth group, I asked him if he had ever thought about opening his life to the Lord Jesus. It was a conversation that went on for several hours (my parents later told me they wondered whether I had been in a car accident), but in the early morning hours, we prayed together and he received Christ. Today, he is still a growing Christian and part of a Free Methodist congregation. But that’s not the end of the story. He came from a large family and several of his brothers came to know Christ. Today, they are solid, committed Christians; and one of his nephews is presently a ministerial candidate. From living inside this story, I would like to make a couple of observations. First, if someone (me or someone else) had not About Core
For the twelve months ending December 2009, core came in at $1,182,000 which is over $40,000 above 2008 levels and just $8,000 below the 2009 goal of $1,190,000. We are praising the Lord for the solid ways in which an increasing number of local churches
offered him Christ in some way, he would not be a Christ-follower today. Secondly, my friend and his brothers and their families all continue to walk with the Lord these days because they were introduced into a community of faith that continues to offer them Christ and encourages them to continue to grow in Him. God is on a God-sized mission in the world. He offers a relationship with Himself so that He can send us out to participate in His mission. He releases the power of His Spirit. He reminds us—no, He clearly commands us to let nothing other than love be the motivation for what we are doing. And, He reminds us that in our going, He continues to transform us and mature us even as we participate with Him in His mission to others. Rev. Keith Elford is the Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada
responded to the CORE covenant in a disciplined healthy way in 2009!
Visit the website
For information regarding: central payroll group benefits government returns and treasurer’s informaton go to the website: www.fmc-canada.org
3 MOSAIC
Our General Conference 2011 theme is chosen WE’D BETTER GET ON WITH IT … STRIP DOWN, START RUNNING, NEVER QUIT – EYES FIXED ON JESUS.
TIMELESS QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP
HEBREWS 12:1-2 (THE MESSAGE)
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ife is about balance. So is leadership as we hold to the truth that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and navigate in a world that changes at an ever increasing pace. All of the ministry approaches and techniques that worked in 1980 quite likely won’t work today. If we keep on doing what we’ve always been doing, we’ll keep on getting what we’ve always been getting. If what we’re getting is more and better disciples of Jesus – that’s wonderful. But if that’s not what we’re getting, then it’s time to refocus. We need to always keep God’s mission at the forefront and be open to how to continue to introduce people to Jesus Christ in whatever context we find ourselves.
What will that take? Qualities, characteristics, virtues that are indispensable. They’re found all over the New Testament. Some of these qualities are found in the character lists of Paul’s letters (1 Tim 3; Titus, 2 Tim 3:10-11). Others are in the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-232. Yet others are portrayed in the life and parables of Jesus. More appear as the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12). These ‘indispensables’ are qualities that are evident in our lives and they also develop through exercise, through our submission and obedience to God and our dependence on the Holy Spirit: But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 The Message) Paul wrote to Timothy, but the words are for us as well, so as we read it, let’s substitute our names for Timothy’s.
... we need to stop and ask questions. Do we know why we do things the way we do them? These qualities are developed as we embody them, make them a part of us as we are empowered by the Spirit to do so. As Paul reminds Timothy, it is possible to miss out: But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.(1 Timothy 1:6 NLT) As I’ve been reading and reflecting lately, here are a few thoughts on some of the qualities that we need to keep on practicing in the Spirit. Faith (Hebrews 11:1): We walk by faith. When all is going well, it’s easier. When certain things don’t happen we need to be able to pray through it, giving it over to God, trusting that He is at work for His good purposes and in His timing. Courage is also needed, as faith is spelled RISK. Where Christ is leading and what He’s asking is often counter cultural. It takes courage to step out and go against everything our instincts are telling us. Yet we take that step in faith because we are convinced that God is in the outcome, and we’d rather be in that outcome with Him than anywhere else without Him. Forgiveness (1 John 1:9): We have two powerful tools we can use any time that allow us to experience freedom in our relationship with God and others. They are confession and forgiveness. Forgiveness can also require courage – the courage to ask for it and the courage to give it. Teachable spirit: this is the opposite of what Paul warns against as self-willed in Titus 1:7 (NASB). If we’re inflexible in our beliefs,
traditions or living habits, how can we learn and adapt to a new context and model that for our people? I heard a story a long time ago that helped me understand the role that traditions and habits can play. There are 3 generations of women in this account: a grandmother, a mother and a daughter. The daughter was interested in learning how to cook and approached her mom for lessons. One of the first meals they worked on together was a roast. The daughter watched carefully as the mom worked and noticed that the mom cut off both ends of the roast before putting it in the pan. The daughter was taking notes and asked why the ends had been cut off. The mom paused for a bit and then said she’d always prepared the roast this way because that’s the way she had been taught by her mother. The next time the daughter was speaking with her grandmother, she asked her the purpose behind cutting the ends off the roast, thinking that it was related to meat juices and flavour. Her grandmother looked at her and said ‘Oh that – I cut the ends off because I liked to do a big roast and my roasting pan was always too small.’ The daughter had her answer, even though it was very different from what she’d been expecting. The story reminds us that we need to stop and ask questions. Do we know why we do things the way we do them? When we have the answer, then we need to explore if the reasons and conditions still exist. If they don’t, then we need to be willing to learn what we have to, to explore and lead in a new direction.
Echo Lake Camp [Godfrey, ON] Summer/August 22-29, Fall/October 8-11 Tel: 613.374.5727 echo@echolakecamp.org www.echolakecamp.org
Kakabeka Falls Camp [Kakabeka Falls, ON] August 13-15 Tel: 807.768.5338 wfidler@tbaytel.net Maple Grove Camp [Thamesford, ON] July 3-11 Tel: 519.285.3334 maplegrovechristian retreat@bellnet.ca www.maplegrovecrc.com
Date: May 20-23, 2011
Discernment (Rom. 12: 1-2): This is the ability to observe people and circumstances and ask ‘what is God doing’ and then engage others in ‘how do we respond?’ It’s operating with ‘What is God asking of us today?’ knowing that this might change in just a short time. Discernment comes from a place of prayer and surrender.
Location: Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel Speaker: Bishop David Roller US Conference
Patience (Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:2): Patience is what makes discernment and waiting on God possible. Most of us need to practice patience and when we ask God for help, He will – quite often by sending someone our way! Forgiveness also plays an important part in our development of patience. If we cannot (or will not) forgive people, if we cannot push on with failings, we won’t be capable of patience. Presence (Eph. 4:1-2): This is the way we embody peace, gentleness and integrity. It’s an unspoken certain message that communicates “I’m here, willing to do what God asks of me”. It’s difficult to describe yet it’s something we recognize when we’re with someone who has that ‘presence’. It’s peaceful and comforting and attractive. This presence is the fruit of a deep relationship with God. Humility (Phil 2): We lead by depending on the Spirit to do His work. After all, there is no vacancy on the Trinity and even if there were, none of us would be qualified. We serve, share wisdom and speak the truth in love. We are called to live out the kind of humility Christ modeled for us as written in Philippians 2. The list certainly isn’t complete. Some may think I’ve left out the most important quality: love. I haven’t. It is the greatest. I believe that when our primary motivation is love for God (and all who He loves) there is a more natural flow as we continue to develop the other qualities we need to lead. God has a mission and the church is His instrument of choice for accomplishing that mission. We are God’s Plan A. As I read Scripture, I have yet to find a Plan B. These qualities are all needed, yet we go through seasons when we need to practice some of them more than others. They are timeless – after all, there’s nothing new under the sun. Rev. Kim Henderson is the Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada
2010 Family Camp Dates Arlington Beach Camp [Cymric, SK] July 18-25 Tel: 306.484.4460 contactus@ arlingtonbeachcamp.com www.arlingtonbeachcamp.com
THEME EXPLANATION We are excited about the conference theme! Since being missional is the FMCIC’s first priority, the theme reflects a commitment to being passionate about the mission of God while remembering that what we are doing is in continuity with those who have gone before us. After considering several scripture passages, we have concluded that Hebrews 12:1-2 would be a good anchor passage for the 2011 General Conference. Taken in context, those two verses recognize that God has been at work historically (“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses”-the great heroes of the faith in chapter 11), and we now have the opportunity, in this generation, to “get on” with doing what the Lord has always desired from his people.
Pine Grove Camp [Winfield, BC] Tel: 250.766.2865 Pine Orchard Camp [Cedar Valley, ON] August 6th - 15th Tel: 905.473.5660 info@pineorchardcamp.com www.pineorchardcamp.com
Severn Bridge Camp Severn Bridge, ON] July 16-25 Tel: 705.689.6568 sbc@bfmc.org Wesley Acres [Bloomfield, ON] Camp 1/July 3-11 Camp 2/July 31- Aug 8 Tel: 613.393.3159 wesley@reach.net www.wesleyacres.com
VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.FMC-CANADA.ORG Here are some of the resources that you will find on the website: •
Bishop’s Notes ::: you will find a link to the weekly update on the home page.
•
Church Development ::: there are some great church health resources check them out. Consider participating in the 100 Church Challenge!
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Global Ministries ::: Read about our ongoing Mission Projects, Partnerships and Gateway Citie initiatives ... how can your church get involved?
•
FMC Photo Gallery ::: you can visit our flickr site by selecting the “Photo Gallery” on the home page or visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fmcgallery
MOSAIC 4
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n a recent episode of CBC Radio’s “Tapestry,” reporter Kevin Sylvester explored ‘the silencing of the bells.’ He discovered that his own local Catholic church’s bell-tower did not have any bells in it. Then he proceeded to ask about bells across the city of Toronto. Knox Presbyterian Church has bells, but stopped using them because their ringing was affecting the structural integrity of the bell-tower. They have used electronic, recorded bells for almost 40 years, despite the fact that the structure was restored a decade ago. But more than a year ago the wires up to bell-tower loudspeakers were burnt out and never replaced, so even the artificial bells are silenced. A pastor at Walmer Road Baptist Church said that bells had never been installed in their belfry and couldn’t imagine why they would want to ring them now anyway. Yorkminster Baptist Church, however, located on deafening Yonge Street, rings their new bells everyday. Passers-by thank the church for contributing a natural sound to the metallic cacophony of the street. Perhaps the most telling interview was with the priest from a Catholic church in Saskatoon that has been ringing its bells for decades. They have had to stop ringing their bells for the past three years, because of complaints from neighbours about being woken up on Sunday mornings. Police have warned that these neighbours are prepared to lay charges if they hear them again. When Sylvester asked three senior leaders from Knox Presbyterian if his church could buy their unused bells, he sparked a chorus of nervous laughter – ‘oh no, that would never happen!’ They mentioned committees that would have to be involved and history that would be considered; the bells were given by the Lieutenant-Governor, a parishioner, in 1908. The bells were symbols of ‘something’ because the leaders knew the heart of their congregation would be stirred if they even brought up the idea of removing the bells.
This exploration of a cultural symbol left over from Christendom may trigger a whole variety of responses from Free Methodist believers. Very few, if any, of our church buildings ever had bells, or ever desired bells. But we have lots of other cultural symbols. Cultural symbols are visible, physical manifestations of a culture, organization – or congregation – and serve as indicators of our cultural values. Symbols are things that can be experienced with the senses and are used by a congregation to make, and communicate, meaning. Symbols are experienced as real, and their impact has significant consequences for our congregations.
A symbol at the core of the Christian faith is the serving of the Communion meal – or is it The Lord’s Supper, or The Eucharist? Even with this symbol of bread and wine and ancient phrases, we may take different meanings depending on how our understanding (theology and values) was shaped and constructed in our early Christian formation. When we talk about culture we often are led to think about “other cultures” – like Portuguese, or Indian, or Nigerian. And some of us examine and seek to understand those cultures to add to our picture of the world. When we talk about those ‘other cultures’ we often refer to behaviours, foods, values – the web of common agreements held by a particular group of people.
The intention of the Culture and Missional Church course is to help us develop a set of common principles regarding our missional orientation across our movement. Sometimes we talk about “Canadian culture” or “postmodern culture.” Since we live in these cultures it is not quite as easy to study them and make sense of them – the cultural symbols of our own society just seem like “the way everybody does things.” It’s others who are ‘different,’ not us! We also have to understand that our local congregations develop a culture – a way of doing things complete with symbols, behaviours, ways of organizing, values and beliefs. Throughout the history of Christianity we have learned that wherever the gospel is preached it is preached in a human language, in the language of a particular culture; wherever a Christian community tries to live out the gospel, it emerges in the shape of a particular human culture. Some of that shape is rooted in biblical theology and some of it is just “the way we do things around here” – that is, it’s part of the culture of our congregation. At General Conference 2008, MEGAP introduced a new Foundational Course required of all FMC pastors – Culture and the Missional Church. The purpose of this new Foundational Course is to provide content that is distinctive to our Free Methodist movement – material that for the most
part isn’t available in the bible colleges or seminaries where our Ministerial Candidates do their training. As our movement leaders became increasingly concerned about the gap between the culture of our churches and the cultures around us, the need for a course to help bridge the gap became apparent. A local church engaging in mission in its own neighbourhood needs to think like, and use the skills often associated with ‘missionaries.’ In this course participants are introduced to basic issues in understanding culture in our wider society and our organizations, principles for research and analysis of local church culture(s), processes for leading congregations through the “renewal cycle,” as well as a number of leadership practices for the missional church. The course uses two of the core books of the missional church orientation: The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch and The Ministry of the Missional Church by Craig Van Gelder. Students are introduced to the seminal work of Lesslie Newbigin as well as examining the unique legacy of renewal and cultural engagement we have in John Wesley. Church bells may not be a cultural symbol in our Free Methodist churches, but there are surely other issues, practices or behaviours, that are peripheral (shallow-water concerns) to vital Christianity which form barriers to connecting with our neighbours who still need to meet Jesus. The intention of the Culture and Missional Church course is to help us develop a set of common principles regarding our missional orientation across our movement. In the course we discuss this quote by Dee Hock: Purpose and principle, clearly understood and articulated, and commonly shared, are the genetic code of any healthy organization. To the degree that you hold purpose and principles in common among you, you can dispense with command and control. People will know how to behave in accordance with them, and they’ll do it in thousands of unimaginable, creative ways. The organization will become a vital, living set of beliefs.
Some of these stories of leaders who have taken the course will give you a glimpse of how far along we are as a movement.
Rev. Dan Sheffield is the Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries for The Free Methodist Church in Canada
5 MOSAIC
Culture and the Missional Church Missionally Minded ... Say What? In signing up to take the required course as a ministerial candidate, I did not fully understand nor (to be totally honest) was I particularly enthused about attending the Culture and the Missional Church Foundational Course. What was I getting myself into? The term “missional” was not in my vocabulary and what did “culture” have to do with church? I was in for a surprise! It was an enjoyable experience sitting in on the team teaching by Dan Sheffield and Jared Siebert. As the relevancy of the information unfolded and the understanding and significance of the material was beginning to take shape in our minds, it began to make a whole lot of sense, at least to me. With class sharing, small group discussion and mind bending game, there was never a dull moment! I must confess I have not reread one of the required books, Craig Van Gelder’s, “The Ministry of the Missional Church” as I noted I would need to do in my book reflection assignment. After reading it you may also agree that it would take more than one reading to fully appreciate and apply the knowledge that is included in its pages. (Dan & Jared, I know it will be a useful resource book). It was through the assignments that I was really stretched. In one of these I had the opportunity to explore the worship issue in our church and what the organ (as an instrument of music) represented at Harrowsmith FMC. This symbol or operational culture within our church, as I discovered, corresponded with traditions and decisions that were also reflective of our denominational history. Do you wish to understand why your church operates the way it does or how it could be more effective for its neighbors? Is the church today fulfilling its mandate as Van Gelder states, “is a social community created by the Spirit that is called and sent to participate fully in God’s mission in the world”? The course and the subsequent assignments offer the opportunity to explore ways, through various tools, to more fully evaluate our church and how we (and others) fit in its valuable mission. Also, these ministry evaluating exercises will show how well the church fits in its surrounding community and in the wider global picture. What began as an exercise in obtaining one more required course, ended in discovering ways in which I (and we as a church) should sit up and take note of how I am (we are) fulling His great commission. As Missions director at HFMC, and as a leader, I will be more attuned to the direction we are
heading, more willing to participate in exercises to measure our effectiveness and dogmatic in ensuring that HFMC continues in its direction as a Missional Church. Maureen Adams is the Director of Missions Ministries at Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church
Merry Missional Christmas! How does one become “missional”, exactly? Through working through the Lifeplan process and taking the “Culture and Missional Church” course, I learned that being Missional mostly meant paying attention; seeking to truly understand the needs and issues in the community around us, and then asking, “How can we ‘be Jesus’ in these circumstances?”
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
When asking that question, most of us feel pretty inadequate: “What can we do to change something so big? We’re just a small church. I’m nobody special.” Now what?!?!?!
God promises Paul that His power is “made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). This was true in a BIG way Sandy’s case:
Rick Warren, the author of “The Purpose-Driven Life”, first introduced me to what has become my favourite method of uncovering God’s mission. He says, “God wants you to have a Christlike ministry on earth. That means other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts. The things you’re most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, and most reluctant to share are the very tools God can use most powerfully to heal others.” Our weaknesses offer greater potential for meaningful impact on others than our strengths do! Sounds a bit backwards, doesn’t it?
Meet Sandy. Almost seven years ago, her husband Daryl died from an aneurysm, leaving her with three young children. This was not an easy time for them. As Christmas approached that first year, the thought of facing that day without their husband and father was very uncomfortable. What could she do? Sandy and her husband had always wanted to work at a Soup Kitchen but had never had the chance. After much discussion among her and her children the family hosted the first JAMS Family Christmas Day Dinner. This dinner is not necessarily for the poor, but geared towards those who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. While many organizations host meals throughout the Christmas season, Sandy realized that Christmas Day is often the most difficult day to get through when you are alone.
But II Corinthians 1:3-7 tells us, “Praise be to the God and
After starting out with most of her help coming from families within the church, Sandy now states that the whole community has become involved volunteering both time and money to make this event a success. Starting with 53 people the first year, the dinner hosted 105 people this past year, and raised over $800 for a local daycare. Sandy’s favourite thing about hosting this dinner is seeing the smiling faces and hearing the laughter and chatter of people making new acquaintances. Individuals often shower her and her family with praises for the ministry they are performing, but Sandy just smiles and jokingly states that her motives are a bit selfish THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES ON PAGE 7 - “MISSIONAL”
MOSAIC 6
PASSAGES Appointments Ken Dryden – Pastor at Lakeside Community Church, Salmon Arm, BC, effective December 4, 2009 Cliff Fletcher – Lead Pastor at Whitby FMC, Whitby, ON, effective July 15, 2010. Luke Haggett – Assistant Pastor at Smiths Falls FMC, Smiths Falls, ON, effective January 1, 2010 Cameron Montgomery – Pastor at Ecclesiax, Ottawa, effective January 4, 2010 Derek Spink – Pastor at Westdale Park FMC, Napanee, ON, effective June 1, 2010
Ministerial Candidates approved Robert Clark (Lakeview, Saskatoon) Luke Haggett (Smiths Falls, ON)
Transfer in Gerry Zak – pastor at Lakeland Community Church in Spiritwood, SK, {from the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada}
Transfer out John Kurish to Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Ordination approved and service scheduled
MEET SANDY CROZIER | OUR NEW STEWARDSHIP DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Sandy comes out of a Russian-Canadian culture in the High Park area of Toronto. As a third-generation vegetarian, she practices her cross cultural training every time she cooks for her ‘meat-and-potato-loving’ husband. She met Rusty while serving together over 30 years ago at The Yonge Street Mission’s EVERGREEN in Toronto. Later, they served with Campus Crusade for Christ’s Canadian Music Ministry before moving to Eastern Ontario. While working for a design, consulting, and management firm that focused on cultural and architectural heritage, Sandy honed her skills both in developing concepts as well as creatively communicating them. Her duties also carried her into the realms of project-management, marketing, training and teaching. In her personal time, Sandy’s experiences as a volunteer, and also recruiting volunteers, has given her a heart for those who give of their time and energies to make this world a better place for others. She presently volunteers as a Regional Volunteer Team Leader for Focus on the Family in Eastern Ontario.
Sandy worships at Westport FMC where her husband, Rusty, serves as Lead Pastor. Although their two children, Christopher and Katharine, no longer live at home – their kid’s pets still do! Mocha (Chocolate Lab) and Chiquita (Bengal Cat) provide many opportunities for in-house volunteer labour. Sandy has a passion for helping people discover, and live out the truth of God’s Word in their everyday lives. She is deeply excited about helping people not only find freedom from bondage to debt, and this materialistic culture – but also about seeing them discover the joy and contentment of “life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:20).
Chad Van Koughnett – May 2, 2010 a.m., First Free Methodist Church, Moose Jaw, SK
New MEGaP committee members: Debbie Deyo – New Heights, Mission, BC, replacing Neil Merrick Jim Grime – Freedom Community, Brantford, ON, replacing David Wright Keitha Slack – Saskatoon FMC, replacing Rob Van Norman
New BOA members Tanya Prinsep – Barrie FMC, replacing Claudette Powell Jason Johnson – West Springs, Calgary, AB replacing Wade Fitzpatrick
Churches in transition Asbury FMC, Perth, ON Avonlea FMC, Avonlea, SK Barrie FMC, Barrie, ON Bramalea FMC, Brampton, ON Charlemont FMC, Wallaceburg, ON Eastern Koinonia, Toronto, ON Queensway FMC, Niagara Falls, ON St Joseph Island FMC, Hilton Beach, ON Surrey FMC, Surrey, BC Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON Vennachar FMC, Cloyne, ON Wawota FMC, Wawota, SK
Pastors in transition Ousman Ali Jennifer Anderson Dean Babcock Glenn Dixon Harold Fox Tom Gurnick Larry Hart Dale Hawley Kevin Kay
INVESTING OURSELVES
M
y first task as Director of Stewardship Development for the Free Methodist Church in Canada is to write this article! In desperation, I contemplated plagiarizing material from my predecessor, Joanne Bell. After repenting of this, I pondered what I could possibly write that would help you and me, and our churches be healthy and bear fruit. It is clear that stewardship development is more than simply imparting about how or why to tithe. It is about helping people make the most of what God gives them in the context of our transformation to being missional people in missional churches. Becoming a faithful, generous steward is counter-culture to the world we live in. The direction of godly stewardship is outward. We manage resources not for our own benefit, but as a trusted servant. We save not only to achieve financial freedom and personal security, but also to be able to give. Becoming a faithful, generous steward is all about trusting God for all we need. It is about deciding not just how much to give, but how little we need to keep.
Becoming a faithful, generous steward is counter-culture to the world we live in. The direction of godly stewardship is outward As a generous steward, we manage our time not only to be successful, but to be free to follow God’s leading and to invest ourselves in the only earthly thing that will last forever – other people. As a person, church or community puts into practice good stewardship principles, we will find ourselves not only free of debt, but in a position to be able to do whatever God is asking of us. This can be a difficult process - but the rewards are worth
it. Being a faithful, generous steward is the foundation of living that ‘abundant life’ that is offered to us. Even though at times, I feel overwhelmed by the immensity of the task at hand, I am excited about the possibilities of helping you ‘be’ this counter-culture people. It is my goal to gracefully help people understand that God asks us to be generous because He is generous. But how do we do this? Giving is a heart choice individuals need to make with God’s help. Becoming a generous steward then, involves encouraging each other to choose to exercise and live by the fruit of the Spirit. What we invest will also be what we reap. So begin to invest these things: • Love – because this has to be the reason behind all we do; • Joy – because the joy of our salvation was what kept Christ on the cross; • Peace –peace with God and where He has us; • Patience – with God’s timing as He works in us and others around us; • Kindness – to all created in the image of God; • Faithfulness – trusting that God is in every circumstance including our struggles and suffering; • Gentleness – remembering that we are all ‘made of dirt’ and in need of God’s Grace and Mercy; • Self Control – because we do not live our lives for ourselves. As we become this type of faithful, generous steward we cannot help but reflect the character of Christ. We will trust more. Love more. Relate to others more. Hope more. Live more purposefully. Rest in Him more. Enjoy more. Give more. Now that is abundant living! As I reflect on the above, I realize that I have said nothing new. All of these concepts are already recorded in scripture, in any biblical resource on stewardship – and on the Generous Steward website. So I am off to thank Joanne Bell again for all the hard work she has done and ask for her forgiveness for inadvertently plagiarizing. Mrs. Sandy Crozier is the new Stewardship Development Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
Upcoming Foundational Courses HEART OF CANADIAN FREE METHODISM WESLEYAN THEOLOGY Date:
Rick Venne’s Commissioning service, New Horizons Free Methodist Church in Sarnia, Ontario Bishop Keith Elford with Rick & Bridget Venne
April 16-18, 2010
Instructor:
Rev. Matthew McEwen
Location:
Peterborough FMC Ontario
Please note: This course will be offered in Western Canada in the fall of 2010
Date: Instructors:
May 28-30, 2010 Rev. Greg Pulham Rev. Jacki Barbour
Location:Rice Road Community Church, Welland, ON Please note: This course will be offered in Western Canada in the fall of 2010
7 MOSAIC
GOD SHOWED UP
AT THE WHITE HOUSE… humorous life experiences that caused us all to thank Jesus that we weren’t the ones asked to fill those particular shoes. Heather’s open and transparent spirit and her stories of years worth of journeying alongside her husband David in pastoral ministry granted us permission to let our hair down, to be equally open about the difficulties and joys that we face inside this God-given calling on our lives. Regardless of whether we came to this calling with joy or had to warm up to the idea after years of watching what God was doing inside the heart of our spouse, the Retreat offered a wonderfully relaxed and safe space in which to explore all that being a pastor’s wife entails.
N
o really it’s true. Recently the Free Methodist Women’s Ministries International Executive organized a fantastic over night and full day Pastor’s Wives Retreat at the White House. Pretty impressed aren’t you? Well, we, those that were able to attend, definitely were.
During the few fleeting hours that we shared, God showed up. He made Himself known to us. One especially moving moment for me came as we all gathered during the Saturday morning session to pray for one another. We prayed for a wonderful sister for a few minutes only to have this particular prayer end with the group singing a song many of us had long
The White House is a beautiful ministry-based bed and breakfast, located in Oshawa, ON and hosts numerous groups for the purpose of personal spiritual renewal. It was a delightful treat to stay at the White House, or be billeted out for fun times with new friends for the mini getaway this past January. To top things off we had a fabulous guest speaker, Heather Moran, sharing her heart with us.
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as having 105 people over for dinner on Christmas Day is a blessing for her and her girls, and they can’t imagine spending the day any other way.
Pray for your child daily
•
Send letters to encourage your child and their family
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Remember your child’s birthday and Christmas and give them gifts to celebrate these important events
•
Purchase a Bible and hymnal through ICCM and help them develop a deeper relationship with Jesus
•
Visit your child during an ICCM trip
How do I get started partnering with a child? •
Contact us at the ICCM office 905.848.2600
•
Are you interested in a specific country?
•
[Does your church already have a local-global connection?]
The cost is $30/month
Payment Options PAC (Pre Authorized Chequing) Having your partnership be automatically withdrawn from your account on a monthly, semi annually, or annual basis. Credit Card ::: Through our website only ::: (not available over the phone) Cheques Preferably sent quarterly ($90.00), semi-annually ($180.00), or annually ($360.00)
Since returning home and resuming all that makes up my life’s work, this moment has stood out to me. When there are days I think He’s forgotten my name or I feel especially weighed down with the particulars of my life I am quickly transported back to the White House via memory lane and relive that moment when the Holy Spirit made it very clear that indeed we are intimately know by Him.
Katherine Siebert attends and is a ministry leader at Una - a church plant in Kitchener, ON
MISSIONAL
•
The White House is a beautiful ministry-based bed and breakfast, located in Oshawa, ON and hosts numerous groups for the purpose of personal spiritual renewal,
God showing up at the White House gave each of us renewed strength, brought about wonderful new friendships and fun reunion moments, allowed for burdens to be shared, and joys to be celebrated. We gained courage knowing we do not face our callings alone, that we have each other but more importantly we have Him - the amazing, faithfully loving, all knowing, ultimate life Director.
Heather’s theme ‘The Master’s Script’ challenged us to consider the ways in which God holds the role of Director in our lives. Each session brought thoughtful insights, sensitivity to the Spirit, and much laughter. We eagerly anticipated Heather’s special session openers called Bloopers – painfully
What does partnership look like at ICCM?
since forgotten, ‘Surely the Presence’. As we quieted, the woman being prayed for stopped and with tears caressing her face explained this was the song that was being played at the time she became a Christian. The song sung was prompted by one of the women attending who later said she wouldn’t have ever suggested one, nor sung out in that way normally, but really felt led to do so. I am so thankful for their obedience to the Spirit in those moments because it became a defining one for me.
Looking for how you or your church can become more “Missional”? Try rooting around in your weaknesses, or thinking through your wounds. Like Sandy, take the hurts and losses in your life and look around for others like you; you’ll be surprised at what ministry opportunities you find! Rev. Jay Mowchenko is the Lead Pastor at Weyburn Free Methodist Church in Weyburn, SK
Missional Focus The Culture and the Missional Church Course was offered in late November 2009 at the Harrowsmith FMC. It has, in some significant ways, altered and shaped the direction of the ministry that I am engaged in. I have been the pastor at Verona FMC since November 2, 2009; this is my first pastoral position. I was ‘called’ by the family here after helping out as the interim for the summer. (At that point I was bi-vocational, working in social work and a Ministerial Candidate appointed to the Smiths Falls FMC). I mention that because I submit what I learned from the course humbly; there are new things needed (Isaiah 42:9 ‘former things have taken place and new things I declare’), but not necessarily because the old things failed or were inadequate (obviously some practices have been successful or the church would cease to exist). But I believe that God loves new, and ‘He is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’
The course helped me to see that many of the practices of the Verona church were healthy, but needed to be seen through a different lens. The course was a combination of teaching and experiencing ‘missional.’ The hands-on exercises helped emphasize the insights that were presented. It was a moving combination of
information and revelation for me, and the assignments helped me to dig in and ‘mine’ the realities I learned about. One of the assignments for the course was to “choose one new dimension of ministry encountered in the course and discuss how to incorporate these insights into your present ministry.” Using the tools from the Culture and Missional Church Course, I planned and held a fun and successful interactive Missional Leadership Training Day that would “help us think about some of the assumptions and expectations we carry; are we explorers or defenders, or both?” The goal was to help us to see how to ‘engage our contexts (our circumstances, our situation, our milieu) and continuously reshape our ministry to carry out God’s mission in the world.’ A list of ideas was generated that could help us build bridges to the neighbourhood. The course helped me to see that many of the practices of the Verona church were healthy, but needed to be seen through a different lens. For example, at our Society meeting in January 2009, I presented the budget as the ‘Holy Spirit Transformation Mission Budget’, and attempted to examine each budget line through the lens of how we are bringing the life changing message of Jesus to Verona, to Frontenac County, and to the ends of the earth. I am in a learning stage of leadership in the church at Verona and I am bringing to the table the SHAPE God has given me. The course helped me to be aware of the symbols and other practices in the VFMC that underline or highlight the values and theologies of the church. I have been making the connections between actual practices, and what that might mean as practical theology. One example is the church logo (as a symbol). The symbol was a red fiery cross shooting through the outline of a heart, and diminishing in size as it trailed off (kind of hard to describe). I have temporarily replaced it with a deciduous tree (mighty oak?) as an initial attempt to display a locally accessible symbol, with associated connotations of ‘rural area’, ‘strength’, ‘deep roots’, and ‘value of nature’. The new symbol and its meaning will be mined at a future leadership planning day. As I move forward in ministry at VFMC, I am seeking His Spirit and anointing for the work He has called me to, and I am preparing to travel in directions that are intentional and unplanned. Jeff Nault is Lead Pastor at Verona FMC in Ontario
MOSAIC 8
UPDATE ON GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS
L
ast December I had the opportunity to participate in the official welcome of the Ghana Mission District as an extension ministry of the Free Methodist Church in Canada. This was a unique situation in which Ghanaian FM leadership asked to come under the oversight of the FMCiC. The request came about as the result of deep relationship. Barrie Free Methodist Church has been developing a partnership in Ghana, dating back to 2004 when church leaders participated in a Global Church Workshop. In 2005 they sent an exploratory team to Accra, Ghana. In 2006 Barrie sent a family from their congregation to Ghana for a two-year assignment to work alongside the leadership of the Ghana Mission District. Each year BFMC is sending at least one ministry team (sometimes two) to Accra. In 2010 Crestview Park FMC, Winnipeg will also join this partnership. This is the deep relationship. This is why the Mission District leadership requested to connect more closely with the FMCiC. And I haven’t even mentioned anything about what BFMC is ‘doing’ in Ghana. The underlying missiological principles in this partnership model are [1] that God gives vision, gifts and resources to all parts of his body, whether in Canada or in Cambodia; [2] that the Great Commission – to take the Jesus story to all people groups – is given to all believers, whether in Canada or in Sri Lanka. Therefore in our present globalized world, the whole family of Jesus-followers needs to be involved, working together, in the mission of the Church. Each part of the family brings vision, gifts and resources to the table. To the best of our knowledge, Canadian Free Methodist churches are presently involved in these kinds of whole-hearted partnerships in about 10 countries around the world.
Missionaries, David and Jennifer Wright (far right) with Dan Sheffield (far left), with church leaders in Niamey, Niger.
a team from this group of churches travels to India to help with training programs at the invitation of the Indian church leaders. These churches have raised funds to help purchase ministry properties in Hyderabad and surrounding area, as well as supporting a number of new church plants each year.
... in our present globalized world, the whole family of Jesus-followers needs to be involved, working together, in the mission of the Church. Each part of the family brings vision, gifts and resources to the table.
Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church [HFMC] has been involved for a number of years with a partnership in Brazil. The church made a commitment to ‘tithe’ their building fund. As they raised tens of thousands of dollars for their own building expansion, they set aside a tenth for their international partnership. HFMC has sent teams to Brazil and welcomed Brazilians in their own congregation. They are also committed partners in the ministries of Debbie Hogeboom, Linda Stryker, the Wrights and Dan Sheffield.
In December I was also involved in initiating a new Churchin-Formation movement in Niamey, Niger [GC]. David and Jennifer Wright serve as missionaries in Niamey supported by a coalition of churches, mostly in southern Ontario. This ministry partnership has enabled the affiliation of one new church in this majority-Muslim country, and we anticipate more in the future. [Partner churches: Caistor Centre, Freedom/Brantford, Grapeview/St Catharines, Arlington Woods/Ottawa, Grace/Mississauga, Peterborough, Belhaven, Campbellford, Frankford, Cornerstone/Almonte, Crossroads/ Salmon Arm, Holt, Ryde/Gravenhurst, Valleyview/Sudbury, St Joseph’s Island, Smiths Falls, Wesley Chapel/Toronto, Zion, Trull’s Road/Courtice, Whitby, Open Arms/Tillsonburg]
New Heights FMC in Mission, BC has been involved in a partnership in Chiang Mai, Thailand since 2005, helping with a small orphanage and the ministry that has developed as a result. Each year New Heights sends at least one team – usually with fifteen or more participants! For the past couple years they have also partnered in sending a missionary into a “creative access” country in Southeast Asia [GC].
The development of the Sri Lanka Mission District [GC] would not have been possible without the participation of Mississauga Tamil FMC and Wesley Chapel, Toronto. Present partners in this ministry partnership now include Northview FMC, Regina and First FMC, Moose Jaw. Teams travel to Sri Lanka twice each year for leadership development and ministry empowerment.
Harrowsmith FMC has partnered with the FM Brazilian Conference on a church planting project in Euclides de Cunha, pictured is the groundbreaking service.
A number of churches, mostly in southern Ontario, have partnered with Debbie Hogeboom as a missionary in Kenya. Athens FMC, one of Debbie’s partner churches, will be sending a team to help with initial stages of a new bible college campus in Eldoret. [Partner churches: Asbury/Perth, Centennial/ Kamloops, Peterborough, Smiths Falls, Grace/Mississauga, North Grenville/Kemptville, Pineview/Cloyne, Picton, St Joseph’s Island, Wesley Chapel/Toronto, Zion, Westdale Park/ Napanee, New Horizons/Sarnia, Kingsview/Toronto, Trull’s Road/Courtice, Frankford, Crossroads/Salmon Arm] New Heights team members with Thai school children
A group of churches [Sarnia, Trulls Road, Salmon Arm, Cordova Mines] are partnered with the Hyderabad Mission District [GC] of the India General Conference. Each year
Lloyd and Barb Peterson (New Horizons, Sarnia) serve as active liaisons and team leaders for partnerships in both Mexico and Dominican Republic. This partnership also includes Open Arms FMC, Tillsonburg whose ministries to Mexican migrant labourers is a key connection for the Mexico ministry. Sault Ste Marie FMC and Kingsview FMC, Toronto,
have active partnership connections in Dominican Republic as well. Sok and Savy Em, serving in pastoral training in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia are partnered with Buchanan Park FMC, Hamilton. Cornerstone FMC, Almonte, ON is also partnered with FMC ministry in Phnom Penh. Both churches have sent teams to Cambodia in the past several years. [Partner churches: Buchanan Park/Hamilton, Rymal Road/Hamilton, Cornerstone/Almonte, Arlington Woods/Ottawa] Chris and Terri Payk are serving a short-term assignment in Taiwan as part of a unique partnership between Rice Road FMC, Welland and Mu Cha FMC in Taipei [GC]. Chris and Terri serve on the staff of both churches! [Partner churches: Rice Road/Welland, Asbury/Perth, Grace/Mississauga, Verona, Dunnville, Whitby, Wyevale]
Colombo, Sri Lanka - Ministry Centre
New Hope FMC in Bracebridge along with Ryde Centennial FMC in Gravenhurst initiated a new partnership in 2009 to send short-term missionaries Dean and Stephanie Babcock to work alongside FMC leaders in Malawi. Several churches [Frankford, Verona,] are involved in an active partnership in a “creative access” country in the Caribbean region, helping support pastors and encouraging ministry development. To date 30 churches have participated in a Global Church Workshop. This half-day resource helps leaders to gain an understanding of what God is doing around the world today and how global partnerships can be developed. If your church would like to explore this possibility please contact our Global Ministries office. [GC] = part of the Gateway Cities Initiative Rev. Dan Sheffield is Director of Intercultural and Global Minsitries for The Free Methodist Church in Canada