Spring 2011

The Free Methodist Church in Canada | Spring 2011 | Volume 8 SPECIAL GENERAL CONFERENCE ISSUE

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family

CONTENT NOTES FROM THE TRAIL SINCE GENERAL COVER Notes from the trail since General Conference 2008

by Bishop Keith Elford

PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Free Methodist Family Camp dates PAGE 3 Updates from Leadership Development

by Kim Henderson

PAGES 4 & 5 Get on with it

by Jared Siebert PAGE 6 Passages A plan for life together

by Sandy Crozier

PAGE 7 General Conference We’re here!

by Chris Lewis Activating change locally to impact children globally ... in Kakabeka Falls

by Randi Mitrovic

PAGE 8 Gateway Cities - A report card

by Dan Sheffield

DID YOU KNOW? The MOSAIC is produced using environmentally responsible processes. The paper is acid-free, contains 10% post-consumer waste material, and is treated with a non-chlorine whitening process.

Vegetable-based inks were used throughout the publication and it is 100% recyclable.

MOSAIC

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CONFERENCE 2008 | BISHOP KEITH ELFORD

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don’t know if you know this, but one of my favourite pastimes is hiking. There’s nothing like setting out to work your way through a major section of trail and then stopping with your trail map in hand to look back at the ground that you have covered on your way to the destination that you have set for the day. In this edition of the Mosaic, we’re reflecting on life since the last General Conference, so I’m taking a few minutes to stand still and look back over the ups and downs of the journey that we have been on since May 2008.

The 2008 General Conference will always be memorable in my mind because of its theme, and more so because, instead of just being an inspiring slogan, it increasingly became a reality as we gathered, worshipped, fellowshipped with one another and considered the matters at hand. The theme was “You’ve been treated generously, so live generously – that’s so like Jesus!”

What was remarkable to me was the way that the Holy Spirit moved during that Conference so that as the hours passed there was actually an ever increasing spirit of generosity among us and many who were at the conference left with a deep conviction about the freedom that is unleashed by choosing to live with a generosity of spirit.

Prior to the General Conference, the Board of Administration and the Network Leaders had been seeking God as to where the primary foci needed to be for our movement. God has entrusted us with the vision to “see a healthy congregation within the reach of all people in Canada and beyond”. In separate meetings several months apart, these two groups of leaders had each determined a total of five different priorities. This is the landscape of the trail that I am going to scan – map in hand.

The first three priorities for both groups were exactly the same – a missional focus, pastoral health, networks. The Network Leaders discerned that their fourth priority was to embed regional gatherings as a way of strengthening connection within our movement and stimulating partnerships among congregations. The fourth focus for the Board of Administration (BOA) was on maintaining financial health during these challenging economic times.

The BOA also said that it was time for a comprehensive evaluation of the progress of the movement in light of the far-reaching changes that had been made and implemented in 1995. So, as a leadership community, we came to the 2008 General Conference with a clear understanding of where we believed God was calling us to go, but also aware that it was time to stand still and see if the way that we were doing things was going to help us to get there. Over the last three years then, there has been significant energy invested in studying our progress while at the same time continuing to drive toward the five priorities outlined above.

As I look around now, another three years later, and reflect on these five priorities, as we gather for another General Conference, it encourages me to see the traction that the missional outlook on ministry is starting to get. It’s true, that like any new emphasis, it

has the potential to be today’s buzzword and tomorrow’s tired fad. I’m not really concerned about saving the “M” word as much as I am with our movement living out the passion and practice of the “Sending God” of the scriptures who in love sent His Only Son, the one who

There is something very powerful that happens when you put committed local church leaders together in a room and release them to talk about kingdom things. The burdens of frustration are shared and borne together to the Lord in prayer and then in ongoing contact. poured out His Spirit in Pentecostal power to empower and send his people into the world to be salt and light and to both speak and be good news.

In some quarters of our movement, this missional consciousness is being recovered.

The seeding being done in the “Culture and the Missional Church” course is starting to sprout

new conviction among some of our leaders and to give them tools for the missionary mission that our sending Lord wants to see accomplished in the communities of our nation. But full engagement with what God is calling us to is going to require disciples that are more robust than what we have been seeing in our nation in the last century.

I wish that we had been paying more careful attention to all the Means of Grace (both the acts of piety and the acts of mercy) that John Wesley said were so important for bringing people out of self-centred immaturity to Godpleasing other-centred service. I’m glad that “Discipleship” is going to be an important topic at the coming General Conference. I’m also thrilled about the way the revisions that are being proposed to our FMCiC Mission statement are intentionally re-positioning us.

The revised statement starts off : “Following God’s activity in our ‘Jerusalems, Judeas, Samarias and beyond,’ The Free Methodist Church in Canada (FMCIC) will …. You’ll read the rest in the BOA report.

Pastoral health has been receiving a lot of attention over the last three years. Some major research energy has gone into finding out where we have healthy churches in our movement. Describing the details of the process will take too much space for this article, but suffice it to say that we started with churches

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2 - “FROM THE TRAIL”

MOSAIC 2

EDITOR’S DESK Will our conference be great? I don’t know – you tell me.

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’ve been to a few General Conferences now, maybe not as many as some people . . . veteran conference attendee Arthur Perry for example, but certainly enough of them to know what is needed to make a conference great — Jesus with us.

The presence of Jesus in our midst will make all the difference. Without Him the grandest of events will be shallow and empty, but with Him, the simplest plans can be richly meaningful and transforming.

I have to admit that this does provide me with some comfort when I think about all the hours of conference planning meetings and staff meetings that I have attended.

We have done our best to cover all the bases, but ultimately the responsibility for the success of this event lies not with one person, but with where all of us who are attending centre our hearts and minds.

Glitches will happen during the Conference. What is that old adage? If you look for problems you will surely find them.

And when you do, the question is what to do with them? Focus on what didn’t turn out so well (or not at all)? But all that will do is make something or someone other than Jesus the centre (the false centre) of attention.

Friends, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will be very active as we work together and there will be an atmosphere where Jesus is free to move in and through us.

I love the five goals for General Conference? I believe that as we focus our attention on accomplishing these goals we will draw closer to Jesus and He will move among us.

Here they are . . .

• Worship and pray • Inspire involvement/ Build momentum • Teach leaders/influencers • Build relationships • Celebrate diversity/accomplishments • Attend to matters of the Corporation My personal plan for General Conference weekend is to look for ways to connect with and serve others. As you can imagine, this is a very busy weekend for all Ministry Centre staff and so I’ll have to be intentional about searching out opportunities to celebrate, inspire and influence in any small way that I can – so that I don’t “miss God” in all the business.

I am excited about the time we will spend together – it only happens once every three years, after all! – and while so many from across Canada have been praying that the Lord would meet with us, I’d like to add a prayer that expresses my heart’s desire.

Here is my “borrowed” prayer for us: “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

So, will conference be great? Let’s look for Jesus among us when we are together and it will be the best ever!

Lisa Howden, Managing Editor

CAMP DATES Arlington Beach Camp and Conference Centre Inc. PO Box 15, Cymric, SK S0G 0Z0  306.484.4460 www.arlingtonbeachcamp.com

Canadian Pacific Ministries Pine Grove Camp 2651 Dick Road - Winfield, BC V4V 1L9  250.376.8332

Family Camp Dates: July 17-24, 2011

Pine Orchard Camp Inc. Location: 4088 Vivian Sideroad, Cedar Valley - Newmarket

Echo Lake Camp Location: Godfrey, ON  613.374.5727/campsite www.echolakecamp.org

 905.473.5660/campsite www.pineorchardcamp.com

Family Camp dates: August 5-14, 2011

Kakabeka Falls Camp Location: Highway 17 Oak Leaf Dr, Kakabeka Falls  807.768.5338 Teen Camp: July 28-31, 2011

Severn Bridge Camp Inc. Location: 1023 Severn River Road, Severn Bridge  705.689.6568/camp site  705.458-4541/information Family Camp dates: July 15-24, 2011

Maple Grove Christian Retreat Centre 194936 19th Line PO Box 69 Thamesford, ON N0M 2M0  519.285.3334/office  519.285.2596 www.maplegrovecrc.com Family Camp dates: July 2-10, 2011

Wesley Acres Inc. Location:1391 Wesley Acres Road, Bloomfield  613.393.3159 www.wesleyacres.com Family Camp #1: July 2-10, 2011 Family Camp #2: July 30 - August 7, 2011

FROM THE TRAIL continued from cover

that, using a set of carefully thought out criteria, identified themselves as healthy. We then interviewed the pastors, board chairs and delegates of some of those churches to find out from the pastors what their personal disciplines and practices are and, from the lay leaders, what was in the environment of their churches that support health. A church health profile and a pastoral health profile have emerged, but we have yet to see all the ways that the insights gained can be used by the Holy Spirit to strengthen the movement in an ongoing way. Over the last three years, I have been more conscious of the crucial “healthy pastors – healthy congregations connection” and have tried to be more diligent in my writings, my conversations and in my own modelling to emphasize the importance of being responsible for taking proactive appropriate self-care. This has also been something that we’ve been talking about more with our network leaders.

In our work with the Networks, we are seeing incremental sustained improvement. The foci of our training times have intensified on the above priorities that we have said are important. These priorities have also found their way into the themes that we have addressed at the Ministers Conferences.

In the networks themselves, we have emphasized the importance of support and accountability and moved our mode of accountability from being upward to leaders only (the Network Leader and Bishop) to also being horizontal in that pastors report in to everyone in their network. Through emailbased check-ins guided by key questions as well as in face-to-face conversations at network meetings, pastors have a place where they can talk about their personal and pastoral lives and receive encouragement as well as pushback from caring colleagues.

Over the last three years, I’ve been moved by the reports of support that has flowed from the network members to one of their comrades. We’ve got some wonderful network leaders; they are pastors who understand the pastoral life and the joys and sorrows of local church life and they really care about their pastors.

The Regional Gatherings have turned out to be a greater source of blessing than I could ever have imagined. We had had only one set of Gatherings before the last General Conference and, while it went well, I wondered if there would be sustained interest. In 2009 and 2010, it has been a real joy to see relationships deepen between local church leaders as they had the opportunity to come together with friends whom they had met the previous years.

There is something very powerful that happens when you put committed local church leaders together in a room and release them to talk about kingdom things.

The burdens of frustration are shared and borne together to the Lord in prayer and then in ongoing contact. New actions in some churches have been sparked as they hear about what others are doing. I know of at least one new church plant that is being birthed because of a key conversation between two churches that happened in a talking group at a Regional Gathering. Longtime leaders are saying that the Regional Gathering has captured the best part of the previous Annual Conference. New leaders (lay and pastoral) are catching the broader vision of the movement and they are telling me that they are signed on to what they see and are glad to be part of what God is doing among us.

Finally, as we come to the end of these last three years, I have to say that from a financial perspective, the FMCiC has lived through some of its most challenging and at the same time most surprising times in recent decades.

Like everyone else, managing investments

wisely in the current economic context has required faith, wisdom, diligence and grit and I praise the Lord for the capable people who have been watching over the resources that are being entrusted to us. The majority of our churches are faithful to the spirit of the CORE covenant that we have with each other. The ethos of generosity emphasized at the 2008 General Conference is taking root more deeply. I have been so encouraged by the testimonies of churches that, in healthy, mature repentance have said that in the same way that they teach and expect their people to be generous, they are going to trust God to enable them to tithe as a church to the work that God is doing in and through the FMCiC. As the Holy Spirit continues to work in this area, there will be more than enough for the future endeavours that the Lord is leading us toward.

So, we’re on the trail together and God is with us. It’s not a military march nor is it a Sunday afternoon stroll. It’s us… God’s people desiring to walk in step with Him, repenting when we get distracted and go down fruitless rabbit trails, getting back up when we stumble, stopping to settle our disputes when they break out from time to time, but still pressing on with what He wants us to do while noticing that we are being changed more and more into His likeness. There’s lots more trail ahead to explore beyond GC2011 – enough to keep us going for a lifetime. You comin’?

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

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UPDATES FROM LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT s I reflect back to General Conference 2008 I’m thinking about time. Time is fixed yet we experience periods when time flies by and others when time crawls and minutes feel like hours. That’s usually how I feel when I’m on the treadmill – I’m always positive I’ve run longer than what the clock tells me!

Each morning as we wake up we have the gift of time. We all receive 24 hours each day. None of us can borrow time and we can’t go into debt either. It’s what we do with the time that matters. With General Conference now at our doorstep, I feel like time has flown by. What happened during the past three years? I’d like to highlight one or two updates from GC08 recommendations that we’ve been working on in leadership development.

Sabbaticals for Pastoral Staff As the previous issue of Mosaic highlighted sabbaticals, I’ll mention them briefly here. The conference adopted guidelines for sabbaticals and all guidelines are available on the website (www.fmcic.ca/en/leadership-development/ pastoral-resources/sabbaticals).

At least eight sabbaticals were taken by pastors in the past three years. There is now a question on the annual report to track sabbaticals for our record-keeping.

The end of a transition, when a new pastor is being appointed, is a good occasion for a church to adopt a sabbatical policy.

This gives time to start planning financially.

New Pastor Orientation Three years ago this recommendation received a resounding ‘yes’: The National MEGaP recommends to General Conference that an orientation for new pastors be developed by the Director of Personnel and MEGaP. The need and desire to have these kinds of resources available to pastors have definitely been with us longer than three years. Shortly after the recommendation passed, a group of pastors gathered at the Ministry Centre for a day-long brain storming event to agree on what should be included in orientation resources. These pastors were fairly new in their lead pastor positions (3-5 years) and so approached the topic by thinking through ‘if I only knew then what I know now’. Over the course of the day we went through periods of lots of animated sharing and then things would fall silent, indicating that we were at the end of the ‘list’ and then the conversation would start back up again. The results of that day of brain-storming formed the table of contents for the resources: Table of contents: 1. Preaching/Teaching 2. Services – baptism & dedication, funerals, weddings, communion, etc.

3. Foundational Courses/CEUs 4. Church Boards 5. Denominational Expectations 6. Annual Society Meeting 7. Spiritual Formation 8. Permanent Records at Local Church 9. Salary and Benefits 10. Pastoral Counseling 11. Contact with People 12. Community Awareness 13. Discipleship 14. Conflict/Past Issues Resolution (coming soon) 15. Change Agent 16. Denominational Matrix of Support 17. Other Resources 18. FAQs (coming soon)

With the list of topics developed, the clergy members of National MEGaP, Bishop Keith and myself selected a topic(s) and started writing. The writing has been formatted but still reflects the style and personality of the various authors.

These resources (available on the website at: www.fmcic.ca/ en/leadership-development/pastoral-resources/686-newpastor-orientation) are part of the orientation and while these materials have been developed with the new lead pastor in mind, they will benefit all of us by providing new ideas, fresh insights, lists of other resources, affirmation and so on.

Each morning as we wake up we have the gift of time. We all receive 24 hours each day.

None of us can borrow time and we can’t go into debt either. It’s what we do with the time that matters.

The other part of the orientation process is a time of connecting and training at the Ministry Centre. On Dec. 1 – 2, 2010, fourteen lead pastors from BC, SK and ON (none more than two years in their appointment) gathered for our first New Lead Pastor Orientation! During these two days they met the Ministry Centre staff, connected with the NLT

A question I had that was answered: • CD of resources answered many questions in my role • Several things I was able to discuss with several people.

• Very helpful to do it in person.

Things I’ve Learned or Had Affirmed: • Head office cares about the new pastor and their struggles • We’re part of a good thing • We’ve got great people all around Things I’ll Do Differently Now: • work to identify a Stewardship Director • Re-visit Life Plan process more aggressively • Even though I do attend all the leadership commitments, I will look at them as more of an opportunity than just a commitment • Make sure leadership reads the Mosaic As you can see, the feedback was extremely positive. Going forward, I will be in contact with these pastors by the fall this year to see if they have used the resources and have found them to be useful, as well as to get their input on our resources areas that could be developed. The current plan is for the new lead pastor training to be an annual event at the Ministry Centre.

This kind of training event is an example of CORE dollars at work! In the fall last year, when CORE was struggling, I was worried that I would have to cancel the event due to lack

New Pastor Orientation

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and the Stewardship and ICCM Directors, had a Q&A with the Bishop, were introduced to the online resources and were able to interact and share experiences with each other.

Here are some of the thoughts and comments shared by the pastors who participated: I liked ...

• connecting with the leadership team • fact that costs were covered – wouldn’t have been able to come otherwise • getting to meet and know other pastors, especially from the west where I rarely get to meet them

Upcoming Foundations Course :: :: :: Personal and Church Stewardship

of funds. Thank you for your ongoing faithfulness to CORE giving.

That’s a piece of what we’ve been working on since GC 08.

It’s amazing how a 22 word recommendation can fill so much time!

We’ll see what happens this year !

Rev. Kim Henderson is the Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada

The purpose of the stewardship foundational course is to educate and inspire regarding biblical stewardship.

We will examine biblical stewardship from both a personal and church management perspective.

June 6, 7 & 8 - Galilean Bible Camp, Blind River, Ontario To register call Susan DePlanche at 905.357.3165

MOSAIC 4

Get on with it

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Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it.

Because he never lost sight of where he was headed ...

O At present our denominational health looks something like this.

23% of our churches are church plants. 21% of our churches are considered to be healthy and feel positively about their future. 37% of our churches are considered to be in reasonable health but are currently experiencing some challenges that could directly impact their future. Finally, 19% of our churches are considered not to be in good health and are starting to run out of options.

ver the past three years since General Conference 2008 I have noticed a growing sense of urgency about the work that we do as a movement. This year’s conference theme seems to capture that sense of urgency in its challenge to “get on with it.” This sense of urgency has a lot to do with the fact that we have been in the middle of a broad-based conversation about where we are going as a movement. Self-reflection can do that to people. Self-reflection, if you do it right, can lead you to a decision. Decisions, if you make them correctly, can lead you to helpful courses of action. So where are we at in this process? Well, this May at General Conference 2011 we’ve got some big decisions to make. That’s because we’ve worked hard at getting the self-reflection part right. We’ve spent many hours over the last little while in prayerful thought. If we get our time together in May right, and God will no doubt help us to do just that, we will be ready to “get on with it.” Bishop Keith reminded us a few issues back that our theme for this conference isn’t some cranky shout from the impatient who prefer action even if it comes without self-reflection and decision. Our General Conference theme is based on the intense challenge of Hebrews 12:1-3.

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

The first reason we want to “get on with it” is because of all that has gone on before us. As a church we have a rich heritage that has made us what we are. There are all kinds of great people in our corner cheering us on. Our pioneers and veterans that blazed the way are also in our corner cheering us on. It’s good to remember and reflect on that. However there is a subtle danger if one indulges in this too much. It can lead to wishing to see the pioneers and veterans back on the field doing all of the work. Not only is this wish not possible it is actually counter productive. What good does it do to wish Paul and Silas were still here doing the work of missionaries? What good does it do to wish that Thomas Aquinas were still doing theology? What good does it do to wish John Wesley were still preaching revival?

What good does it do to wish Mother Theresa were still here caring for the poor?

The writer of Hebrews put the heroes in their place . . . in the cheering section. We also need to be put in our place .

. . in the field! Mission work, theological reflection, revival preaching, and caring for the poor are our responsibility now. And we better “get on with it”. Self-reflection, when done right, begins by getting things in their right place. We can admire the work of the past provided we are clear on who the next leg of the race belongs to. As we have taken the time over the past three years to engage in some selfreflection we have come face to face with the people, the decisions, and the actions of the past that have brought us to where we are now. Looking over General Conference minutes from years past it is easy to see a slow refining of our energies and resources toward a focus on growth and health. You can see this most clearly in our desire to begin planting churches.

Church planting was once simply a good idea a number of years ago. It was something we knew we needed to do.

After some self-reflection it became something that we decided we would do. Now, it is something that we do on a regular basis. And it’s a good thing! We now know that had we not engaged in church planting our denomination would currently be 75% smaller. Self-reflection, decisions and actions of the past have brought us to where we are now. If they had not our 2011 Conference would be focused on how to do more with less. But what if we had put the same amount of denominational time and energy into established churches that we put into church planting?

Are there things that we can learn from the success of our church planting efforts that we could apply to the rest of our established churches? These are questions we want to begin to address at this General Conference. We also anticipate that we will need to revisit these questions many more times going forward.

What we are thinking Here are some of the things that we are currently thinking about. We believe that increased spiritual vitality through a focus on spiritual disciplines will go a long way to improving the overall health of our churches. After all, our success in church planting isn’t due entirely to the denominational resources and energy that we invest. It is also due to the intensity with which our church plants grab hold of God’s mission in their neighbourhoods; it’s the way they are able to simply “strip down and start running” that enables them to “get on with it”. Wesley had a lot to say about shaping people’s lives for the mission and we want to take advantage of that powerful heritage. If greater intensity about the mission meets the historic practices of Methodism in our established churches, look out! We are also wondering if more can really be invested in established churches with our already lean and mean national leadership. Could more hands make for lighter work? We’ll be asking these questions and more at this General Conference. So don’t miss it. Seriously.

The second reason to “get on with it” is that our present

5 MOSAIC

situation demands this from us. The world desperately needs a church at its appointed work. Our faith is not a faith in the glory days of the past. We don’t serve a God that was once alive. We serve a God who is alive and is at work today. As the author of Hebrews warns us there are plenty of things in the present that can so easily entangle us and prevent us from fully engaging in the work that God has for us. Sadly, we are not immune to these entanglements. Our self-reflection has revealed that we are in the middle of clear and present challenges.

WE NOW KNOW THAT HAD WE NOT ENGAGED IN CHURCH PLANTING OUR DENOMINATION WOULD CURRENTLY BE 75% SMALLER. At present our denominational health looks something like this. 23% of our churches are church plants. 21% of our churches are considered to be healthy and feel positively about their future. 37% of our churches are considered to be in reasonable health but are currently experiencing some challenges that could directly impact their future. Finally, 19% of our churches are considered not to be in good health and are starting to run out of options. What does all of this mean? Well, at present there isn’t an owner’s manual that explains what the gauges should be reading. Until that manual arrives we are left to wrestle with some facts. These facts tell us that 56% of our churches are experiencing something less than good health. These facts tell us that 56% of our churches are facing challenges that could directly impact their future. That is, of course, not to say that it’s all smooth sailing for the other 44%. We all have challenges to face. All of our churches needs must ultimately answer the challenge to “get on with it.” However, given the fact that we are talking about the future of 56% of our churches some special attention should be given to what it might mean for them to “get on with it.” This is an important question for all levels of leadership to wrestle with.

As I mentioned earlier we have some movement-wide suggestions we would like to make at conference. But these suggestions alone, as well thought out as they are, will not do the whole job. We are all going to need to take this challenge to heart. Pastors and boards are going to need to discuss this in earnest. Lay people are going to have to engage in the conversation as well. The problem, just like the solution, involves all of us. Moving toward health in the church can often be as complex as when human beings move toward personal health. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking advantage of what is already there. The old standby options like diet and exercise are absolutely vital to health and are available to us all. Denominationally we have some old standby options as well. Things that are as vital and simple as diet and exercise in promoting health ( JDPAS, LifePlan, Networks, etc...).

Sadly, these are not universally utilized. Sometimes deeper issues require deeper solutions.

Factors like emotional, spiritual and relational health all play a significant role in both personal and church health. In these cases a deeper willingness and courage is needed to see change. Sometimes that willingness and courage are found voluntarily. - just because it is the right thing to do. Other times willingness and courage are brought on by the dire consequences of poor health. If we are to increasingly become the kind of church the world needs we are going to have to take these questions of health seriously.

There is a third reason we need “to get on with it”. Our movement faces challenges not only in the present but also in the future. For instance, we face future challenges in the area of leadership. Will we have enough newly ordained pastors to lead our churches when many of our current pastors retire en masse in the next decade? New leaders are nurtured in

healthy supportive congregations, are further shaped in formal education, and continually refined by healthy denominational systems and supportive local churches. Our ability to meet these leadership challenges depends on each link in the chain. We will need to take steps now to ensure that each link in that chain remains strong in the future.

Connection challenges We also face challenges in our future relationship with Canadians. Canada is increasing in diversity. Our future responses will need to be as equally diverse. Part of “getting on with it” in the future will mean finding newer more creative ways to respond to and engage with the world around us. In short we are going to have to live and think like missionaries. As missionaries we will need to make our own comforts and wants subservient to the needs of those outside the kingdom. In some of our congregations the needs of those outside the kingdom compete directly with some of our long cherished and deeply held visions of what the church should be. Sadly, churches can become so deeply entrenched in defending their own wants that they are unable or even unwilling to heed God’s call back out into their neighbourhoods. These kinds of conflicts not only cause great discomfort between people inside the local church, they ultimately threaten our survival as a movement. The author of Hebrews reminds us to run our future race in the same way that Jesus did. He overcame every obstacle. He stopped at nothing. He literally surrendered all for those outside the kingdom. In meeting our future challenges we are going to have to have the mind of Christ.

The sense of urgency in our movement is real. No doubt some of our urgency comes as a reaction to the very real challenges we face. And so it should. But there is also something else going on here as well. I believe that there is a true readiness “to get on with it”. That readiness has come from having taken the time to reflect, from preparing ourselves to make some significant decisions, and a genuine anticipation for the action that will no doubt follow. I truly believe that God will honour our sincerity and prayers throughout this process and will more than meet us halfway. The crowds are already cheering us on. Our eyes are fixed on Jesus. It time to dig deep, re-find our energy, and “get on with it.”

Join the 100 Church Challenge!

Church Planting is vital to the ongoing health and sustainability of our movement.

As a movement we are putting out a call to 100 churches to support church planting across our country by giving $3700/ year – that`s $308/month; or $10.15 a day to the Church Development Giving Stream.

Can we count you in?

Contact the Growth Ministries department davika.dotson@fmcic.ca or by calling 905.848.2600 ext 205 to donate.

Rev. Jared Siebert is the Director of Church Development for The Free Methodist Church in Canada

MOSAIC 6

PASSAGES Appointments Brian Bell – Lead Pastor at Trulls Road FMC Courtice, ON effective September 15, 2011 Joyce Box – Associate Pastor, Grace Methodist, Mississauga, ON, effective January 14, 2011 Rusty Crozier – Pastor at Bramalea FMC Brampton, ON, effective May 15, 2011.

Kris Gowdy – Associate Pastor of Student Ministries, Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon, effective June 20, 2011 Munetoshi Hatsusegawa – Lead Pastor Wesley Chapel Japanese Church, Toronto, ON effective June 15, 2011 Michael Hogeboom – Lead Pastor, Arlington Woods FMC, Ottawa, ON, effective April 1, 2011.

Kevin Kay – Intentional Interim Pastor at Pine Grove Comm. Church, Seeley’s Bay, ON, effective April 1, 2011 Nancy Luross – Associate Pastor of Children’s Ministries, Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon, effective January 27, 2011 Jan MacPhail – Pastor, Shiloh Community Church (church plant), effective January 14, 2011 Robert Rasmuson – Director of Sunday Night Live, Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK, effective January 6, 2011 Matt Turvey– Associate Pastor, Cedar St Community Church, Simcoe, ON), effective February 1, 2011

Network Leader Appointments Dan Massey – Network leader of the network previously led by Jack Bradley Greg Elford – Network leader of the network previously led by Randy MacDonald

Ministerial Candidates Approved Timothy Lyon – Next FM Church, Kingston, ON

Ordination approved & service scheduled Germaine Coulombe – May 14, 1:00 p.m. at Rice Road Community Church, Welland, ON Judith Crowe – June 12 at 3:30 pm at Frankford Community Church, Frankford, ON Bruce Kellar – May 1, 3:30 p.m. at Through the Roof, Flinton, Ontario Aaron James - February 6, 3:30 pm at Blue Mountain Community Church, Thornbury, ON Dustin Laird – May 8, 4:00 p.m. Crossroads FMC, Salmon Arm, B.C.

Transfer of credentials into FMC Surnimal (Shonu) Ghosh – May 8 Pastor at Mainstreet Community Church, Kelowna, BC (from Baptist Union of Ontario and Quebec) Kenneth Dryden – May 8 Pastor at Lakeside Community Church, Salmon Arm, BC (from Christian & Missionary Alliance) Derek Spink – May 1 Pastor at Westdale Park FMC, Napanee, ON (from the Free Methodist Church of North America)

Retirements honoured since our last General Conference Elizabeth Nickel – Saskatoon, SK Jim Peetoom – Abbotsford, BC Gloria Reimer – Saskatoon, SK Victor Stonehouse – Oshawa, ON Dwayne Tanner – Moose Jaw, SK Gary Walsh – Wellington, ON Edward Yoshida – Toronto, ON Coral Young – Sarnia, ON

Deaths Rev. Robert Ferris, Perth, ON – April 18, 2011 Mrs. Jewell McCausland, (Located Deacon), Killarney, MB – March 12 Rev. Lloyd Mino, Napanee, ON – March 24 Bessie Robertson, (permanent deaconess), Moose Jaw, SK – March 11

Churches in transition Asbury FMC, Perth, ON Avonlea FMC, Avonlea, SK Charlemont FMC, Wallaceburg, ON Church on the Hill, Orillia, ON Cornerstone Community Church, Almonte, ON Eyebrow FMC, Eyebrow, SK First FMC, Moose Jaw, SK Harrowsmith FMC, Harrowsmith, ON Kingston West FMC, Kingston, ON Pine Grove FMC, Seeley’s Bay, ON Queensway FMC, Niagara Falls, ON Westport FMC, Westport, ON

A PLAN FOR LIFE TOGETHER As I prepared to write this article, our home was in turmoil. The past few weeks our house has been through what most homes see over a lifetime: 120 km/h wind storms; multi-day power outages; 4 feet of snow; garage renovations; bathroom renovations; 12 gallons of paint; and some 100 + guests and visitors. Spilled drinks and cake on the floor is just the icing to this story (lol). But out from all of this mayhem and chaos came something beautiful and amazing …my son’s wedding!

For a simple wedding, with an in-house reception, this wedding took a lot of planning – especially when the goal was to keep the costs low. Even with aiming to keep expenses to a minimum, unexpected things always arise. Prioritizing the expenditures and creatively working with a budget is what enabled them to share a grand experience with all of their family and friends without going into debt.

Unfortunately, this story is not often the case for most couples. The average wedding costs run between $18,000 and $30,000 (not including the cost of the honeymoon or engagement ring). It is easy to see why many start off their lives together already deep in debt.

The Love & Money Workshop we offer to churches is based on material from a book by Matt Bell, “Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples.”

I would recommend this as a great resource for both pastors and young couples to help get started in applying biblical principles that will help them throughout their life together.

Living with debt creates tremendous stress in any couple’s lives. Research has shown that couples that have debt will fight about it.

As I think about our son and new daughter’s new life together, I would encourage them to apply the principles covered in this workshop.

Live below your means (Spending Plan) – Create a spending plan (budget) that will allow you to make the most of what God has provided you – without going into debt. This is the most important tool in your financial management. This is how you plan how your money will be spent (rather than fighting over where it went).

Make Generosity a Priority (Give) – As a couple, decide

to make generosity a financial priority. God uses generosity to root out selfishness out of our hearts. And being less selfish will help you as a couple in your relationship to each other and with others. When you are generous with your money, you break the hold that materialism has on your hearts. And when money and things are no longer so important – people become a priority. And this makes for a great life together.

Plan for both the unexpected and important goals (Save) – Life happens. Both good and bad – children,

retirement, moves, unexpected emergencies, vehicle breakdowns, job losses, and more. When these things happen, we need to have savings in place in order to avoid using debt.

Avoid Debt (Sufficiency with Contentment) – Living

with debt creates tremendous stress in any couple’s lives.

Research has shown that couples that have debt will fight about it. And couples that fight about debt will also be more likely to fight about other things. By avoiding debt, we not only learn to live contently with what God has provided, but we avoid the stress and source of many arguments.

Avoid Financial Infidelity (Work together) – A recent survey showed that 36-40% of couples confess to lying about spending. Commit to work together and hold no financial secrets from each other. And when you do fight about money (which you will), commit to fighting fair.

Make sure you avoid contempt. Listen well and learn to ask clarifying questions. Learn to speak non-defensively.

And most importantly, stay with it. Remember that your relationship is more important than money or anything that money can buy.

Monitor, Flex & Adjust (Living the Plan) – Next to having a spending plan, the next most important step is to regularly monitor where your money is actually going as compared to your plan so that you are able to flex and make any necessary adjustments. This is living out the plan.

Live for Eternity (Outlive the Plan) – No matter how

well we manage our finances, we need the right perspective.

We do not live, save or spend our lives for today – but for eternity and God’s Kingdom. As a couple, seek God’s Kingdom first in all areas of your life. Be generous with each other and anyone God brings into your life. Use what He has entrusted to you for His purpose. As you do, together you will find life that is truly life – and become rich towards God. If your church is interested in hosting a Love & Money Workshop for your community, please contact the Stewardship Development office: sandy.crozier@fmcic.ca.

Mrs. Sandy Crozier is the Stewardship Development Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. sandy.crozier@fmcic.ca

7 MOSAIC

GENERAL CONFERENCE ... WE’RE HERE! We’d better get on with it – strip down, start running, never quit - eyes fixed on Jesus! As General Conference unfolds this weekend the anticipation is growing as what once seemed so far away is now at our doorstep.

The General Conference Planning Committee has been hard at work for over a year now making sure that all the pieces are in place for this event.

Remember to . . .

1. HAVE YOUR PICTURE TAKEN - if you are a member of conference, pastor a church, are a retired minister, or are on a committee, please remember that we need to take your picture!

2. PICK A WORKSHOP - there is a series of workshops that will take place on Sunday afternoon between the morning and evening services. They are open to everyone! Please consult your GC folder, or your Sunday bulletin to see the full list.

3. VISIT THE DISPLAYS - we have some excellent ministries both in-house and affiliates who have display tables set up in the foyer . . . please make sure to set aside some time to visit!

4. SHARE YOUR STORIES remember to tell people about your experience at conference. :: :: VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR RESOURCES :: :: If you were not able to attend GC2011 or would like to know more, visit fmcic.ca and select “General Conference” on the left side menu resources, videos and pictures will be available shortly after conference.

Chris Lewis 2011General Conference Coordinator

Activating change locally to impact children globally… in Kakabeka Falls

I

met Randi Mitrovic last year while visiting Kakabeka Falls and it is hard not to find her passion contagious; her passion for Christ, the O’Connor FM church, her community and the kids at ICCM. She is a model for ICCM as she communicates to her church what partnering through ICCM is all about.

She shares how O’Connor FMC is activating change locally to impact children globally…

Paula Moriarity, Director of International Child Care Ministries

Partnering with ICCM and our children means bringing love and enthusiasm to church with me and to the 12 children that are currently partnered with O’Connor Free Methodist Church. I recently took over the responsibility of bringing our children to life for everyone at our church, and quickly realized that it is easy to agree to partner with a child and then only think about them when it’s time to write the cheque that supports them. But I have learned that these children and their lives are very much real, and so I remind our congregation that we can share in their lives if we make the effort to go the extra mile. We now write to our children to get to know them, to tell them about ourselves and our church, and to let them know that we love them, pray for them and include them in our church family. The children we partner with have a place at O’Connor Free Methodist Church that includes their own page on our website; a photo album at the church (just like most families have for their real children and grandchildren), the cards and letters we send throughout the year and the special Sundays and our Christmas Eve service in our church that are dedicated to remembering our children - because they are an important part of the O’Connor Free Methodist Church family!

A SPECIAL PART OF THE O`CONNOR FMC FAMILY

I am very excited about International Child Care Ministries and our wonderful opportunities to partner with children around the world! Love is an action word and so is partnering! And I am always willing to show others how to take action…to reach out and make a difference, especially for the children!

by Randi Mitrovic There are others who have Randi’s passion across the country and we want to encourage more people to be involved by being an active part of ICCM!!

iccm@fmcic.ca www.childcareministries.net

MOSAIC 8

GATEWAY CITIES | A REPORT CARD In January this year I was in Niamey, Niger visiting Canadian FM missionaries, David and Jennifer Wright. The Wrights have been serving in Niger for six years as the direct result of the Gateway Cities Initiative that was introduced at General Conference 2002.

Niamey is a Gateway City – a significant urban centre for

engaging unreached people groups who treat these cities as social, political and economic hubs for their region. These cities are found in the 10/40 Window (a geographic region, 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator from West Africa to East Asia) – the most unreached region of the world. Typically, evangelicals represent less than 2% of the population of these cities. In Niamey, that figure is less than 1% of a population of almost 1,000,000.

The following recommendation was approved at General Conference 2002: “Flowing from this desire to be more significantly involved in global ministry as the Canadian Free Methodist Church, and desiring to use our resources in a strategic manner for Kingdom witness, it is recommended that the FMCIC take responsibility for 5 new initiatives into Gateway Cities (urban centres which impact upon unreached people groups) over the next decade…”

What Have We Done?

The onus for this initiative has been upon local churches and their natural networks of relationships and contacts.

The FMCiC printed a prayer booklet in 2003 called Praying Through the Gateway Cities, in which we asked people to pray for these 100 identified Gateway Cities and wait on God to see where the Spirit would lead us. People did pray using that booklet and many continue to do so. As God opened up opportunities in these cities through the vision of our churches, we responded to the best of our ability by encouraging, providing connections, in-depth information, training, and coaching.

Praying through the Gateway Cities Booklet

The following paragraphs describe briefly some of the Gateway Cities where Canadian FM churches have invested substantially with both human and financial resources.

Hyderabad, India (6,383,000) In 2002 New Horizons FMC (Sarnia, ON) began investigating a ministry partnership with Indian Free Methodist leaders who had just recently begun churchplanting in Hyderabad. This ongoing partnership now includes a number of other congregations across Canada.

The initiative has invested 100s of thousands of dollars in ministry development for church-planting, leadership development and property purchases. This is done via a unique relationship with the Hyderabad Mission District which is under the oversight of the India General Conference. This Mission District, only initiated in 2001, now includes more than 50 congregations.

David and Jennifer Wright with sons, Cole and Ben serving as missionaries in Niamey, Niger a gateway city.

Mogadishu, Somalia (1,579,000) Kingsview FMC (Toronto, ON) was involved in a unique opportunity to help with a health project in Mogadishu (2002-2005) in partnership with the Somalia refugee community in their neighbourhood. Although not leading to longer-term ministry development in Mogadishu, because of the ongoing conflict there, this initiative involved a significant investment of people and financial resources over a number of years.

Colombo, Sri Lanka (2,647,000) In 2002, two Canadian pastors of Sri Lankan background, Rev Srithiran Jeyarajah and Rev Benedict Gomez, along with their respective churches, Mississauga Tamil FMC and Wesley Chapel (Toronto, ON) began exploring the possibility of initiating new ministry in Sri Lanka.

From these two initial congregations the partnership has grown to include a number of other congregations across Canada. The Asian Tsunami of December 2004 provided a substantial opportunity for Canadian FM churches to invest in new homes for tsunami survivors. Today there is a functional Mission District under the oversight of the Canadian General Conference including 15 established congregations and multiple “preaching points”/church plants.

Niamey, Niger (980,478) In early 2003, Rev. Greg Langille (Holt FMC) and Rev Dan Sheffield (FMCiC) took a survey trip through three countries in West Africa: Senegal, Mali and Niger. From this trip and subsequent report, Rev David and Jennifer Wright (Caistor Centre FMC) gained an interest in ministry involvement in Niamey, Niger. From 2005-2007, the Wrights served as short-term workers sent out by Caistor Centre FMC and some other partner churches.

From 2008-2011, the Wrights have served as long-term workers in Niamey, initiating new FM ministry in this majority Muslim country. Besides Caistor Centre FMC, there are another 15-20 congregations who participate as substantial partners in their ministry. This Church-inFormation is under the oversight of the Canadian General Conference, with one affiliated congregation and several others in development.

Chiang Mai, Thailand (186,655) Since 2005 New Heights FMC (Mission, BC) has been involved in a partnership with a national-led ministry in Thailand that includes providing education, housing and food for about 30 Lahu children abandoned by their parents.

The ministry has developed over the years as teams from New Heights have built or repaired facilities and helped to purchase property for income-generating agriculture, all working toward establishing a Christian congregation in this community. First FMC (New Westminster, BC) is exploring how they can partner with this ministry in Thailand. A new development began in 2008 with New

Heights support of a Free Methodist worker serving in Laos (a creative-access country adjacent to Thailand), in partnership with FMC Thailand and Rainier Ave FMC (Seattle, WA).

Phnom Penh, Cambodia (1,485,660) In the early 1990s, Rev Sok Em, together with his Khmer congregation and Buchanan Park FMC in Hamilton began new church-planting ministry in Cambodia. The Mission District of about a dozen churches was handed over to the Hong Kong Annual Conference for oversight in the late 1990s. In the mid-2000s Sok and Savy Em returned to Cambodia to develop a ministry training school for pastoral leaders. A number of FMCs in Canada have been invested in this new work including Buchanan Park, Campbellford, Arlington Woods (Nepean, ON), Cole Lake and Wawota.

As God opened up opportunities in these cities through the vision of our churches, we responded to the best of our ability by encouraging, providing connections, in-depth information, training, and coaching.

Taipei, Taiwan (8,511,000) Rice Road FMC (Welland, ON) has been instrumental in sending a couple from their congregation, Rev. Chris and Terri Payk, to work on staff with a congregation in Taipei for the past several years. A number of others churches have also partnered with Rice Road in this venture.

Asmara, Eritrea (663,900) Chapel Ridge FMC (Kanata, ON) has been exploring emerging opportunities to encourage Christian congregations in this closed, creative-access country.

Where to Now? The purpose of the initiative was to recover our Canadian engagement with some of the most unreached parts of the world. In the past we sent pioneering missionaries on new initiatives to unreached settings such as Egypt, China, and Central Africa. We will continue to respond to opportunities that the Holy Spirit lays before our congregations, to the best of our ability.

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