Our History

OUR STORY 2020

THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH IN CANADA

TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from Bishop Cliff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Leadership Ministry Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ministry Centre Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Prayer Team Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Church Planting Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Leadership Development Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Credentialing Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Church Health Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Intercultural Engagement Team Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 ICCM Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Communications Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Generosity Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Devotional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Your Ministry Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

WHAT IS A MINISTRY PLAN?

BISHOP CLIFF FLETCHER

It is a prayerfully and thoughtfully discerned strategic plan. It states first of all the direction that you will be taking for the next few years, the specific steps you will take in order to accomplish said direction, and the necessary budget for those years.

Why is a Ministry Plan necessary?

1. It first of all requires prayerful discernment.

A church family praying together will necessarily nurture unity. A praying church will be used supernaturally by God. Why do I want each of our churches to develop a 3 Year Ministry Plan?

My first answer is that it promotes listening / discerning PRAYER! 2. A Ministry Plan is necessary for budget purposes. We build a budget that is not just short-sighted, but is vision driven; 3. It rallies the church. The Bible tells us that without vision the people perish KJV (or “cast off restraint” NIV, or “stumble all over each other” The Message).

Without a Ministry Plan that outlines vision (or revelation from God), people will create their own agendas, designate funds towards their own priorities, use or not use gifts as they see fit, and fight about the colour of the carpet in the sanctuary or if the drums are too loud.

A Ministry Plan rallies church family around the vision. We will rally with resources and our gifts.

4. It helps us build a right leadership team (paid and volunteer); 5. A Ministry Plan gives us a measure of our effectiveness, an evaluative tool; 6. A Ministry Plan needs to be written in such a way that it inspires those not yet in the church! I mean that a well written and thoughtful Ministry Plan will not have a heading called “Project Save Your Neighbour: this year meet a neighbour so to present the Gospel, so that they will have an opportunity to not go to hell.

As an incentive the member with the most conversions at the end of the year wins an all expense paid luncheon date with Jared.”

I’m pretty sure that if my neighbour visited my church, and saw this, they would feel that they were little more than a “project” to me!

Vision from God, I assure you, will in fact inspire your neighbours toward you and God! And by the way, if you want a luncheon with Jared, simply call him it is a great investment of your time (just remind him to bring his wallet!).

This document is Ministry Plan, Budget and good communication all together: Ministry Story.

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LEADERSHIP MINISTRY STORY Three years ago the Board of Administration determined from Life Plan that the FMCIC must rediscover our unique calling. Prayerfully we determined that our calling is rooted in our Free Methodist history. Six “Guiding Principles” based on our traditional “Frees” have been proposed.

These principles have become the foundation of the new “3 Year Ministry Plan”.

FREE TO FOLLOW GOD

FREE TO EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY

FREE TO BE COURAGEOUS

We are all free to journey with God, as revealed through Jesus, who invites and empowers us to join Him on His mission to reconcile everyone and everything.

We are all free to enjoy gracious, authentic relationships with one another as the family of God, while practicing the ways of Jesus.

We are all free to follow God’s Spirit learning, innovating and exploring new territory for ministry in ways that makesense for our local context and mission.

FREE TO COLLABORATE

FREE TO PURSUE JUSTICE

We are all free to work, pray, learn, and partner with people, churches and organizations that are in harmony with our vision to see a healthy church within the reach of everyone in Canada and beyond.

We are all free to challenge racial and economic injustice, champion equality of opportunity for men and women, and advocate for the intrinsic worth and value of all people, living out the legacy of our movement.

FREE TO HOPE

We are all free to experience the deep love and peace of God, to live without fear or guilt, and to accept Jesus’ forgiving, healing, restoring, and transforming grace.

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The Ministry Plan will outline programs and initiatives that the FMCIC will pursue for the next 3 years. The plan offers clear, measurable goals. The plan is not static, which means that it is a working document, able to be revised as we progress. Currently the 3 Year Ministry Plan includes the following: □ Engaging Women in Leadership Task Force □ LGBTQ Task Force □ Leadership Development □ Church Health □ Church Planting □ Evangelism □ Prayer □ Intercultural Engagement Team □ Generosity □ Children & Youth Ministry Task force Each of these have specific mandates with detailed timelines. They outline Kingdom opportunities. FMCIC will need to consider children and youth ministry (we are asking how to support our churches in developing relationships and ministry to children and youth); we have to pay attention to Canada (we hope to develop a friendship with our First Nations brothers and sisters; we will explore opportunities with new Canadians and Quebec); we will mobilize to pray – after all what are we if we are not a prayer movement?!; we will create a discipleship culture through networks and training opportunities; and we will be careful to create a consistent and ongoing LifePlan review.

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MINISTRY CENTRE STORY The staff at the Ministry Centre, and its satellite offices, are very proud to be serving The Free Methodist Church in Canada. This is more than a job to us; we are committed to our movement’s vision “to see a healthy church in the reach of all people in Canada and beyond.”

Part of the way we serve you is by working well together, and we have been developing our team culture and core values so we can ensure that continues to happen.

Culture is a set of shared beliefs, values, and practices. It is the operating system that powers our ministry. Culture amplifies those already serving in the organization and helps them do their best work. Our culture is more than a sign that hangs on a wall; it is the hidden force that drives behaviours both inside and outside our organization.

WE EMBRACE TEAMWORK

We’re a team of peers set out on a great mission.

We value collaboration and connection. Mindfulness and mutual respect permeate our culture.

We seek to understand each other and those we serve. We practice humility and mutual submission.

We have a bias toward action as we lead together. Kindness, love, respect are our fuel. As valuable as we are as individuals, we are exponentially more valuable when we are aligned and working together. We take ownership. We collaborate. We care.

WE CHOOSE TRUST

We are trusted, therefore we give trust to each other. Openness and transparency is our love language toward one another. We share information, insight and advice. We manage tough situations with courage and candour.

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We champion each other’s projects and deeply respect the knowledge, skills, ideas, and capabilities of each team member. We ask questions.

We believe the best. We trust one another.

WE WELCOME CREATIVITY

Creativity is a quality, not a title. We practice creativity together. We work hard to solve problems in new and helpful ways. We are open-minded in search of the best ideas.

We aim to take things that work well and improve upon them in unexpected ways. Together, we have the power to solve seemingly unsolvable problems. We cultivate curiosity. We dream big.

We embrace innovation.

WE SERVE WITH EXCELLENCE

Our gifts and graces to serve give us the ability to strive for excellence. We lead to the best of our ability no matter our role.

We embrace our responsibility of process of serving with integrity and have an unfaltering commitment to make well-thought-out decisions that lead to the best outcomes for the right reasons. We care about our work. We care about those we serve. We do our very best.

WE LIVE OUT JOY

We are joyful people because we are first and foremost, God’s beloved. We strive to create a sacred container in our work place where joy is alive even in the midst of struggle and sorrow.

Laughter, humour and having fun is vital to our success. We value energizing one another with joy. We laugh together. We live out our true vocation as God’s beloved together. We embrace the joy it is to serve well with one another.

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PRAYER TEAM STORY

COORDINATOR KEN ROTH

Where are we? As we looked at the spiritual condition of the FMCIC we saw a general decline in the number of members, churches and new professions of faith. We also sensed that prayer was not a priority for us but something we add to our plans rather than plan from. We also saw that this is not just the FMCIC experiencing this kind of decline but the evangelical church in Canada in general.

But we also saw that there are embers glowing, that there are people and congregations humbling themselves, praying, seeking the face of God and turning from the sin God is revealing to them, so that He will hear their prayers and bringing healing to their lives, families, congregations and communities.

This past year we have been fanning those flames by stirring up the churches to become houses of prayer and concertedly praying for the FMCIC. We have been doing that: a) by enlisting a Prayer Point Person from every congregation across Canada (we now have 60 of them out of 150 congregations) to work with their pastor to stimulate its prayer life and to pray for the FMCIC, b) by a monthly Prayer Point Update (also through the website and Facebook) to help inspire and teach about prayer and c) by meeting monthly via Zoom to pray.

We started with one prayer group and now we

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have three: one in Ontario, one in Quebec (French-speaking) and one in the Western provinces!

We want to be a “House of Prayer”.

What do we envision? That over the next year 20% of our churches are noticeably becoming “houses of prayer” (and 50% in the next 3 years) that: □ Are noted for being churches of prayer both by those in the congregation and outside of it □ Are practicing Ephesians 6:18 as they learn how to pray in the Spirit in new ways □ Are identifying and repenting of sins that are hindering prayer and God answering those prayers □ Are seeing growth in various areas of the church as a result of prayer □ Have a Prayer Action Plan with leadership for it (including a Prayer Point Person) and pastoral participation □ Have the younger generation growing in prayer and involved in the prayer life of the church □ Are actively praying with and for the FMCIC and local churches in the community □ Are being led by a FMCIC leadership and teams that are growing in and devoted to prayer □ The 20% that are noticeably becoming ho uses of prayer will impact the other 80%

How do we get there? In 2020 we will continue to do the 3 things we have already initiated, with the goal of having 80% of our churches actively involved in them (including pastors and Prayer Point People). Action Plan Progress for our 2020 Vision for the FMCIC Growing into Being a “House of Prayer”: Continue working towards 80% of our churches becoming actively involved in the following 3 things: 1. Enlisting a Prayer Point Person from every congregation across Canada (we now have 60 of them out of 140 congre- gations) to work with their pastor to stimulate its prayer life and to pray for the FMCIC 2. A monthly Prayer Point Update (also through the website and Facebook) to help inspire and teach about prayer 3. 3 monthly, national, prayer meetings via Zoom, that take place in 3 regions of the country (Quebec, Ontario, West)

scheduled GC, where we received excel- lent teaching from Doug and Margie Newton and applied in prayer for the FMCIC what we learned.

□

Help 50% of our churches begin developing a Prayer Action Plan that will help them expand the ways of, the amounts of time for, the number and variety of people engaged in, and the understan- ding and faith for, praying. We are planning several more virtual prayer summits to equip local churches as they move in this direction.

□ Find new ways to help resource churches as they develop and seek to implement their Prayer Plans, which may include the development and training of prayer teams for intercession, deliverance & healing, participatory congregational prayer, learning about listening, prayer, etc. □

Encourage another 20 of our pastors and staff to attend the Church Renewal Conference in Steinbeck, Manitoba (about 10 of our pastors have already attended), or another conference/retreat on prayer, this coming year. The CR con ference may shift to being a virtual one.

□ □ Enlisted 32 churches from across Canada to take part in a 24/7 prayer watch during

the 40 days.

□ We were not able to follow through with enlisting our younger generation to organize a special worship and prayer □

night because of the pandemic.

□ Over 200 pastors, delegates, prayer point

people and other interested people came together for a shortened, virtual Prayer Summit the day before the formerly

So far, the National Prayer Team has not had a budget, but this year we see the need to give an honorarium to Doug and Margie Newton for all they have been doing as they partner with us to develop our prayer ministry.

□

Established a 40-day season of prayer that lead up to GC, during which time daily prayer resources were made available, including devotionals about prayer written by various people from our movement.

But we also saw that there are embers glowing...we have been fanning those flames

The plan to work with Bishop Cliff, Arlington Beach Camp and Wesley Acres Camp to develop a family camp that would focus on prayer, are on hold until we see what the pandemic restrictions will be in the future.

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CHURCH PLANTING STORY Our church planting team: DIRECTOR OF CHURCH PLANTING

□ Jared Siebert

SYSTEMS AND ADMIN

□ Jessica Isaak

CHURCH PLANTING COACHES

□ Evan Garst (Ontario)

□ Grant Wolfe (Ontario) □ Jay Mowchenko (Western Canada) □ Edrice Clermy (Quebec) The Free Methodist Church Planting ecosystem leans heavily on our team and the work of the New Leaf Network. Both are vital to the future health of our plants.

We rely on the resources of The New Leaf Network to train and equip our leaders and planters.

FUTURE

Our team works with new and emerging leaders and communities of faith, as they follow Jesus into their neighbourhoods. The strength of our church planting process and our involvement in the New Leaf Network is producing fruit. We are currently tracking 41 different projects through the various stages of church planting.

As we move into the future, our team is focusing on three areas. First, we are finalizing the development of our Planter Discernment Process and anticipate having the full program running in Ontario this fall

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Second, we are forming an ad hoc committee to help us think more creatively about the sale of Free Methodist church properties.

Finally, our long term planning involves us asking the question: What kind of church will Canada need in the next 20 years?

In conjunction with the BOA and the Church Planting Resource team we are actively working out the Scenario Analysis Process. Our efforts are fruitful and we will soon have a report to share. Stay tuned for more.

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STORY

The Leadership Development Department continues to look for ways to alongside, support and develop leaders. This includes helping local churches identify and develop leaders for both the local church as well as vocational ministry. And it also includes looking at the movements system of developing, encouraging, supporting and equipping both those working towards vocational ministry as well as those currently serving in ministry.

With the help of the Leadership Team and its several working sub-committees, we continue to take a look at our entire system, looking to continually improve the support and resources we offer.

For example, several changes have been made to our internship program with the hopes of making it a more helpful time of preparation for those entering ministry. We want to equip and benefit the local church, the supervising pastor as well as the intern. Other questions we are asking and other parts of the system we are looking at including things like: □ Ensuring that the courses we offer as a movement are helpful in developing the kind of pastors we need moving forward □ Ensuring that our support system for pastors is functioning well and doing all it can to support pastoral health □ Providing resources to help equip both pastoral and lay leaders.

All this work will involve research, pilot projects and ongoing check ins.

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Developing, walking alongside and equipping healthy pastors and leaders that are prepared to minister in local churches and the Canadian context

In addition to the work of the Leadership Team, the Leadership Development department (in partnership with the Lorne Park Foundation) continue to support the ongoing education of those working towards ministry as well as those in ministry.

This involves funding for internships ($16,000 towards 3 internships) as well as scholarships for students and for continuing education. Here is a small picture of that work: Under the Leadership Scholarship Plan, 20 students received funding towards tuition. This included 6 undergrads, 11 post-grads and 3 doctorate students. In addition, the Special Scholarship fund helped 26 people with their educational needs.

Developing, walking alongside and equipping healthy pastors and leaders that are prepared to minister in local churches and the Canadian context is a very big, far reaching goal. But that’s what the Leadership Development department continues to work towards.

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CREDENTIALING STORY Credentialing is primarily the work of the Ministerial Education Guidance and Placement committee (MEGaP). They oversee the credentials process, interview those tracking for ministry, assign growth areas as needed and do their best to walk alongside those who are trying to hear and be obedient to God’s call. That really is the goal of MEGaP — to help folks hear God’s voice and to do what they can to help prepare people to step obediently into what God has for them.

One of the more recent initiatives started

by MEGaP has been the emphasis on connecting with people under what is known as Special Appointment. This would include folks who serve as chaplains (whether military, care home, hospital or prison), counsellors, Christian educators and so on. The Director of Leadership Development met with these folks, learned about their ministry, looked for ways for the movement to support them and prayed with them.

It is the walk alongside part that MEGaP has been trying to pay attention to. They continue to explore and refine the roll of the MEGaP contact person. Every candidate will have a contact person going forward, who will answer questions, encourage, support and pray for them along the tracking journey.

Many commented that this was the first contact they had with the movement in many years and it was appreciated. This will happen regularly moving forward as we look to continue to encourage and support these people doing important Kingdom work.

In addition to that, folks at MEGaP continue to do interviews throughout the year (tracking interviews, transfer interviews for candidates from outside the denomination, and spousal support interviews for folks getting married). As well, they continue to review the interview questions to make sure we are asking what needs to be asked.

The Quebec MEGaP just finished rewriting some of their questions so that they were more helpful. Other ongoing projects include looking at Educational requirements and making sure they are covering what is needed by our pastors and reviewing policies around the Counselling Support program for pastors and their families.

PASTORS’ ORIENTATION DAY: SEPT 7-8 20

Just so you know, here are the people MEGaP deals with: 217 Ordained Ministers, 20 Commissioned Ministers, 56 Lay Ministers tracking for Ministerial Candidate, 1 Ministerial Candidate tracking for Commissioned Minister, 26 Ministerial Candidates tracking for Ordained Minister and 9 Transferring ordination credentials into the FMCIC. In addition 57 people took one or more FMCIC foundational courses.

The desire of the folks on MEGaP is to grow in their ability to listen well to candidates and resource them in helpful ways as they continue to work with all kinds of people in order to help them step into being the types of pastors and leaders Canada needs.

TODD STELMACH: FEB. 2 2020

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LOUIS INNOCENT: MAR. 17 2019

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CHURCH HEALTH STORY

The work of the Church Health department over the last few years has served to remind churches of the signs of health and unhealth that they need to be aware of.

Now, with the addition of Regional Coaches and a Church Health team, the hope is that churches can not only know what to watch for, they can respond and work towards revitalized robust health.

Since Regional Coaches have become a part of the movement, they have been invaluable resources to churches and leaders. We want to continue to train and equip them in areas like church revitalization and leading through change so that they can continue to resource and encourage churches.

Of course they will continue to help develop and train effective boards, they continue to help churches put together effective ministry plans and develop clear vision and mission, and they will continue to resource churches with tools like the LifePlan, the Church Health survey and the Journey Discipleship Survey. And they will help us to develop and refine new resources out of the needs they discover working with churches. Feedback has

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been overwhelming in terms of appreciation for the work of the Regional Coaches.

Much of the Church Health budget goes towards resourcing the Coaches and making them available to churches. Currently they work one day per week for the movement, but as demand grows so will the availability of coaches. And we will do our best to equip them so that they can equip the local church.

The Church Health team is a group of denominational leaders in Canada (Wesleyan, PAOC, Nazarene and Baptist) who meet together to share what each group is learning in area like church revitalization, ministry in the Canadian context, equipping leaders and church consultation. This is a valuable exchange of ideas and support that will continue to help each movement improve.

The goal remains the same. To see a healthy church within the reach in everyone in Canada. This is what the Church Health department continues to work towards as it comes alongside each local church and helps them take responsibility for their communities for the Kingdom sake.

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INTERCULTURAL ENGAGEMENT TEAM STORY

The Intercultural Engagement Team is still relatively young. It was conceived in 2018, we were welcomed into the world and learned to walk in 2019, and now in 2020 we’re hoping to put on our big-boy pants as our Heavenly Father continues to lead us forward and help us grow.

The IET provides support, resources and consultation for missional efforts by the local church, and we do so by inviting Free Methodists across Canada to see the need for, and place value in intercultural empathy, education and equipping.

Thanks to the support of the Missions Giving Stream, in 2019 we were able to launch consistent and creative forms of communication. We will continue to provide and expand this in 2020, placing a value on communications that encourage Spirit-infused empathy towards the other.

MINISTERS CONFERENCE 2019

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Last year we were able to research and explore new partnerships which allowed us to launch new indigenous ministries, including the Sunday experience “Many Voices – One Heart.”

In 2019, this experience was hosted by 3 FMCIC congregations, and shared at the Western and Eastern Ministers Conferences.

In 2020 we’re continuing to place a value on this intercultural educational experience with at least 5 congregations already scheduled to host.

And finally, last year we were able to equip local congregations for mission by providing organizational support for work teams in Canada and overseas. In 2020 we will continue to provide workshops and consultations of discernment, inviting congregations to greater engagement with our Global Partnerships in Sri Lanka, Ghana and through the work of ICCM and Tearfund.

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ICCM STORY This past year has been full of growth and new projects, and we are so excited to see how God is moving in our ministry around the world. We have seen great fruit in our countries through stories of transformation, success, and faith. Through the generosity of our partners this year, we have been able to provide 39 water filters for families in need, feed over 20,000 Haitian students so that they can focus in class, and have been able to plant 23,510 trees for the benefit of the environment and all those who live off the land.

Sponsorship and our creative special projects are addressing needs and giving people opportunities to hear the gospel. Many alumni, such as Christina Baugbog, have reflected that their sponsorship has been an amazing channel of support to them, their family, and their community. Christina has responded by studying to be a nurse and devoting her life to the service of others, and we find many ICCM alumni wanting to ‘pay it forward’ by volunteering with the program or sponsoring children themselves.

One of our new projects which we will continue to grow were our Coffeehouse events, which were hosted by a few Ontario FM churches who partner with ICCM. A combination of worship and chatting with Regional Coordinators Neddy and Belle, these evenings were an amazing time for connection showing current donors as well as new people what ICCM is all about. About 15% of people in attendance decided to sponsor a child, and there were countless benefits to having time for donors to build a personal connection with our leaders. We are looking forward to developing further in 2020, through building up our partnerships with churches at General Conference, and planning new initiatives to bring us forward into this new decade.

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INDIA

MALAWI

KENYA

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COMMUNICATIONS STORY The Communications Team is dedicated to ensuring every church is equipped with the tools and resources they need. This includes our FMCIC website, and resources, in both French and English that provide value to our pastors and churches.

Through the FMCIC blogs, videos, eMOSAIC, and Facebook page, the Communications Team connects and inspires churches through shared experiences and stories.

If you have questions about Communications within the FMCIC, contact Lisa Howden at lisa.howden@fmcic.ca

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THE TURQUOISE TABLE

CLIFF’S NOTES

MOSAIC

More than 1,000 views

More than 1,500 reached every week

On average we get 4,000 website visits a month

RESOURCES

WEBSITE

SOCIAL MEDIA

Equipping our churches

Information central

Expanding our reach

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GENEROSITY STORY We give because of our story and our story causes people to give...

Our ministry passion is seeing people (and churches) find freedom and joy in living generously.

It involves finding freedom from things like debt/ fear. It involves discovering the freedom to give, celebrate, share, and care for others. At the foundation of it all is a call to disciple people in joyful, generous living as a child of God. The Generosity Project seeks to change people’s focus from fundraising to discipleship; to radically change our goal from simply boosting giving to holistically, cultivating disciples who are generous in all areas of life. We come alongside churches to help equip and coach leaders to infuse generosity discipleship throughout their church and community.

This is not a program or a fundraising strategy.

We do not have a “generosity formula” but we do have effective tools and resources that can help grow a generous church. We currently have 3 pilot churches willing to test and refine this process over the next year.

A LITTLE CHURCH THAT GIVES…

I would like to share a story about Westport FMC who have been using the Narrative Budget and how it changed how they saw themselves.

This church is in a small rural community of around 700 people and 7 churches. Several years ago the church budget was around 140 K – which was a struggle to meet. As regular ‘tithers’ passed or moved away, there was a significant drop in giving. In 2013 they were really behind budget and decided to cut back a percentage 24

across the board (salaries, ministry, etc.).

But it is what they did next that started to turn things around - they started to celebrate the things that they were doing that lived out the Gospel – to care for, feed and clothe people.

‘Things began to shift as we stopped thinking of ourselves as an institution and started seeing ourselves as a movement.’

Using the narrative budget helped them tell their story by connecting the budget to the church vision/mission. ‘It helped us show how we were stewarding God’s resources.’ As they used the tool, they discovered that almost 50% of our budget went to loving their neighbours outside the church. ‘This excited us. So much so that it inspired our Gen X and Millennial church to start giving.’

God is significantly outgiving their faith budgets.

Their latest year end receipts were over $248K, which is well over the current budget. They are now asking God, ‘What is he preparing us for.’

This has become a chicken-and-the-egg type thing. ‘We give because of our story and our story causes people to give — including those outside the church, from the local Catholic Church to even a few atheists in town. All giving is to this movement of the Gospel.”

What a great story! If you need help with creating a narrative budget for your church, please contact Sandy Crozier at sandy.crozier@fmcic.ca

PLANNED GIVING PROGRAM

FMCIC PLANNED GIVING PROGRAM FEB 1 2018 – APRIL 30 2020

I am so encouraged to update you with our latest numbers on our Planned Giving Program.

As of April 30 2020, we have seen over $6 million in planned gifts with over $2.5 million to our

FMCIC (Denomination)

$1,043,000.00

Local FM Churches

$834,500.00

FM Partner Ministries (includes Aldersgate Village, Arlington Beach, Echo Lake, Lorne Park Foundation, Maple Grove, Pine Orchard & Wesley Acres)

$887,500.00

TOTAL FMC + MINISTRY PARTNERS PLANNED GIFTS

$2,765,000.00

42%

OTHER KINGDOM PLANNED GIFTS (NON-FMC)

$3,786,000.00

58%

TOTAL KINGDOM PLANNED GIFTS

$6,551,000.00

100%

FMCIC Denomination, FM Local Churches and partner ministries (FM Camps, Aldersgate Village, and Lorne Park Foundation).

N & TB | BARRIE, ONTARIO

Fifteen months ago we started the process of revising our wills, yep, 15 months it took us to make those tough decisions and finally put pen to paper — again. This is the second revision since we’ve been married.

I’m relieved to tell you, I just emailed the worksheets to the lawyer!

Why am I sharing something so personal?

It’s okay if you’ve procrastinated on it too, and now’s a great time to get it done. I want you to know about this organization: Advisors with Purpose. Their service is free!

APRIL 2019

$4,546,000.00

INCREASE

$2,005,000.00

31%

The net effect of income tax and probate on our estate will be zero! Haven’t we all paid enough of that while we’re alive?

We are set up to give to the charities that matter to both of us the most.

We have 100% control of the distribution of the assets that we’ve worked so hard to create. They are really helpful, patient, and professional.

Also, I think my family is going to be kind of sad by my passing, and someone is going to have a whole lot of paperwork to do when that happens. So, if I have some things organized and some important details already dealt with, I think that’ll save them time, energy, and unnecessary strife in an already difficult time.

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DEVOTIONAL Here is how you can make the best use of our FMCIC Ministry Plan:

1

Select and read one of the biblical passages

3

Alone or in a group, consider/ discuss one or more of the Discussion Questions

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2

Select and read one of the Ministry Plans/Stories from this publication

4

Take time to pray specifically about the ministry

READING

□

DISCUSSION

Galatians 5:13-14 – You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.

□

In what way(s) does this ministry plan exemplify our call to ‘be free’ in order to see a healthy church within reach of everyone in Canada and beyond?

□ Identify the ministry passion in the plan.

What passions motivate people in your ministry setting?

□ John 8:36 – So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

□ What is one thing you learned about ministry across our FMCIC family from this plan?

□ Ephesians 3:12 – In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

□ In what way(s) can your local church support/ encourage the dreams of this ministry plan? □ How can you share this ministry with others?

□ 1 Peter 2:16 – Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

□ What new idea for ministry in your setting does this ministry plan inspire?

PRAYER

□ Pray a blessing for the leaders and the ministry plan □ Pray for wisdom □ Pray for resources and support □

Pray that this ministry will impact people to ‘be free’ as part of our movement in seeing a healthy church within reach of everyone in Canada and beyond.

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YOUR MINISTRY STORIES

Churches across the movement found tangible and beautiful ways to engage in faithful presence to neighbours, even in a time of isolation.

From gathering prayers and words of support for local long-term care facilities to delivering meals to hundreds of people in need when food distribution programs closed down, the FMCiC family has been busy helping, loving and serving.

The Ministry Centre has been hearing so many helpful and encouraging stories of churches utilizing creativity and compassion to make a difference and take responsibility for their neighbourhoods. Harnessing the power of technology to check in with local neighbours, offering food, supplies, care and help, all these seemingly small acts combine to create a tapestry of love being sewn across Canada through FMCiC churches.

These stories, and the countless others that haven’t been told yet, are beautiful examples of how even in times like these the Church can truly thrive as we rediscover the essence of our calling and purpose - love God and love others.

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Our prayer for Caressant Care

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CONTACT US 4315 Village Centre Court Mississauga Ontario L4Z 1S2 P: 905.848.2600 F: 905.848.2603

www.fmcic.ca