Mennonite Brethren Herald - April 2015

The MISSION we share TOGETHER

Stretching our understanding of TRANSFORMATION

What’s the PRICE of MULTIPLICATION?

A P R I L 2 0 15 W W W. M B H E R A L D . C O M

GOOD NEWS for CANADA Volume 54, No. 4 Publications mail registration number: 09648; Agreement number: 40009297

An anxious Saviour RYLEY HEPPNER

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fter plowing through scores of accounts, I have come to realize the manner of Jesus’ death is rarely reflected in common, idealized martyrdom stories.

The majority of those who occupy the pages of John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs went to their deaths without anguish. They seemed to have perished with a sense of joy.

Hugh Latimer stood at the stake with eagerness, able to say to his fellow martyr Nicholas Ridley, “Be of good comfort Master Ridley, and play the man...”

Stephen stood before his accusers moments before the stones flew and gazed into the sky, saying, “Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).

Jesus’ own death stands in contrast to such accounts.

He falls to the ground in the Garden of Gethsemane and cries out, “Take this cup from me” (Mark 14:36). He shouts out from his cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).

The Jesus displayed in these scenes experiences anxiety and distress. He approaches his death with a sense of weakness.

This image of a frail Jesus can be perplexing.

Why is he so troubled that he sweats drops of blood when other innocent victims throughout history have faced death with ease?

Again, Mark makes Old Testament connections.

This cup is a phrase the prophets used over and over to speak of God’s appointed punishment of the wicked.

In Isaiah 51:17, the prophet writes, “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath….” Isaiah describes the cup as belonging to the Father. It is the vessel that holds his anger.

The implications

Mark’s use of the hour and this cup reveal a deeper layer to the story. Perhaps Jesus is not distressed simply by the thought of physical pain but by a complete understanding of the gravity of God’s wrath.

He is aware of the spiritual darkness and separation from the Father wrapped up in the hour of judgment.

The gloom Jesus will face goes far beyond nails through palms; it reaches to the pits of hell.

The Christian martyrs of history have faced death with the comfort of God. Their deaths have been roads to freedom.

Why does he not rejoice in victory?

Jesus’ death saw an outpouring of the cup of God’s wrath. He hung upon the cross in complete separation from the Father.

Where is the willingness and composure that has been evident up to this point?

The challenge

The cup and the hour Consider the Garden of Gethsemane episode (Mark 14:32–42).

After sharing a Passover meal, the disciples move to the familiar garden. Jesus orders them to sit, and takes Peter, James and John farther in. After commanding them to keep watch, Jesus moves a stone’s throw away and enters into prayer. “[And he] prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him” (v. 35).

Mark’s use of the hour finds its roots in the Old Testament, where the prophets often employed the word to describe an appointed time of God’s wrath (e.g., Daniel 11:35).

In other words, the hour that encompasses Jesus’ betrayal-trial-death is not simply a period of physical pain but a descending of God’s judgment on sin.

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“Abba, Father,” Jesus then prays, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me.

Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).

April 2015 www.mbherald.com

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is distressed by a thorough understanding of the judgment that will soon fall upon him and those who refuse him.

May we take courage in the strength of our Lord who, knowing the darkness that judgment entailed, still chose to take the place of sinners.

And may we find a new a sense of urgency for the proclamation of the gospel.

Ryley Heppner is from Grand Forks, B.C., where he is a member of Gospel Chapel. He holds a BA in youth work from Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C., an MA in Christian studies from ACTS Seminaries, Langley, B.C., and is working on an MTS with a major in New Testament studies. He is an itinerant minister, a contributor to www.TheExpositors.com (where this article first appeared) and the local outreach/intern director with Ride Nature Ministries.

FEATURES 12 Be transformed!

–Doug Heidebrecht

16 Shall we dance?

Charismatic renewal in the Mennonite Brethren church –Nikki White

34 Hope for the shadow people –Carol Penner

COLUMNS CCMBC news 8 Executive director Unpacking the mission we all share –Willy Reimer

10 Ontario convention 2015 Are we willing to pay the price to multiply?

–Sandra Reimer

4 Editorial Stories that movet –Karla Braun

15 Transformed lives No greater reward than sharing God’s love –Charlie Chun

18 Text Message I’m going fishing

John 21:1–21

–Denis Federau

20 ICOMB – Wiebe’s witness The power of the cross(es): Hope and faith in Lithuania –David Wiebe

35 Intersection of faith and life People of the book?

–Phil Wagler

DEPARTMENTS 5 Letters 22 News 25 Transitions 26 Births, weddings & anniversaries 30 Finish lines [Obituaries] 32 Crosscurrents

NOTE: The Canadian Bible Engagement Study (heavily referenced in the March 2015 issue) was sponsored by the Canadian Bible Forum, together with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Stronger Together Foundation.

The members of the Canadian Bible Forum are the Bible League of Canada, Canadian Bible Society, Every Home for Christ, Gideons Canada, OneBook, Open Doors Canada, Scripture Gift Mission Canada, Scripture Union Canada, and Wycliffe Canada.

CORRECTION: The review of “Consider the Sunflowers” printed in the March issue was written by Rose Scott of Coast Hills Community Church, Surrey, B.C.

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MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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Editorial Stories that move K ARL A BR AUN

F

ittingly for a Canadian story, Randy Klassen observes, it began with hockey.

Bethany College mission instructor Trever Godard took a group of second-year students to the Olympics in Salt Lake City to practise and develop their discipleship in a concentrated, unfamiliar context.

This learning experience was so valuable, the mission module was repeated the next year, closer to home. Second-year students spent a week on a northern Saskatchewan First Nations reserve – where the wacky, quintessentially Canadian sport of broomball overtook hockey as the recreation of choice.

This launched more than a decade of exchange between the school and several reserves.

Though the students were different each year, as Bethany kept returning, trust was built with the host communities. The trip’s purpose came to resemble a family visit: less task-oriented, more relationship-building.

Bethany College set aside Feb. 5–6, 2015, to tell stories from this decade-plus of service learning at the third and final Discipleship and Context event (a mission conference). “The Art of Storytelling” was a time to recognize God’s transforming activity in students and the ministry partners.

With the school’s pending closure, the event was flavoured with bittersweet memories, but avoided syrupy nostalgia.

@ Second-year student Matt Janzen expected

the trip to Beardy’s reserve would be characterized by brokenness; instead, he was impressed by the intentional, vibrant, caring community – where one of the elders adopted the good-natured young man as a son.

@ Residence director Dynel Weber realized on

her first-year trip that she doesn’t necessarily have answers. Now, as she practices listening and getting to know the people before offering help, she has received the blessing of discovering ordinary people living out extraordinary faith in their contexts.

@ Over 10 years of connecting with Hall Lake

reserve, Bethany faculty Jerry Letkeman is convinced “it’s never a bad idea to pursue friendship without an agenda.”

@ A group of women who spend one day a week in

a correctional facility have learned to recognize their own brokenness and addictions alongside women whose lives have been destroyed by their poor choices. And yet, “your crap can fertilize relationships and healing for others,” one put it baldly.

@ Over eight years of leading teams to Beardy’s,

professor Randy Klassen has seen God go before.

The stories he’s lived there have shown that the way of Christ is not power or fear, but solidarity and humility.

“Storytelling is an essential part of discipleship,” said Bethany college professor Luke Heidebrecht.

It requires discipline to artfully open our experiences to insights about God’s work in the world.

At the Herald, we believe in storytelling. We believe that by recounting how God has worked in and through his people, our readers are encouraged, challenged, convicted and inspired by the theatre of God in us and our world.

Easter is the greatest example of how God not only teaches but redeems us through story. God in flesh among us gave us the four dramas – Gospels – that frame our belief. Those accounts and the ones that follow in the book of Acts, enact what life as a Christ follower might look like.

As we practice this art, are our stories the end or the beginning? Our greatest, most compelling narrative – Christ’s death on the cross – launches a new story for our transformed lives, one characterized by repentance, love, sacrifice, hospitality.

We also discover lessons about living on God’s mission in the stories that come out of our own lives. Through reflection, retelling and listening to experiences, we learn about God and ourselves.

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Snippets of insight from Bethany stories:

April 2015 www.mbherald.com

What kind of stories are we living and telling that move us into this new reality?

Reader responses Reaffirming non-resistance Re “Faithful together in civil conflict” (Columns, January). My prayers are for the believers caught up in the terrible conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

For many of us, Ukraine was our grandparents’ homeland. Our grandfathers also had to choose whether to take up arms against anarchist militias or accept conscription into the White Army when the front moved through their villages.

Those troubled times brought our families to Canada as refugees.

What should a believer from our country think or do about all this? Let us strengthen our non-resistant beliefs. We should teach our sons and daughters it’s never a good idea to join the army in war or peace. We are a separate people and not of this world. We should try to put ourselves in the shoes of people like those brothers who were conscripted. I cannot judge them and hope they are safe.

DAVID SCHROEDER QUEEN CHARLOTTE, B.C.

Just read it Re “How will I engage with the Bible?” (Features, March). In my 40 years of professional life and 55 years of Christian life, I have always used the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method. Also, I try not to make the easy seem hard. So, when it comes to reading the Bible, I have one rule for all those who trust Jesus as Messiah: read the Bible as if your life depended upon it because it does!

GARY DICKSON PORT COQUITLAM, B.C

Switch it up Re “How do you engage the Word?” (Features, March). I really enjoyed reading this as I seem to be struggling with just sitting down and concentrating on reading. Nice suggestions to switch it up. Thank you.

reinforces gender stereotypes. We must find a way to flesh out feminism and embrace it in a liberating way for both genders within the body of Christ.

EMMA MAE BODDY WINNIPEG

An answer to prayers Re The mustard seed (Features, March). What an incredible God we have that answered our prayers!!

The joy of reuniting with family and church as well as the baptism is so encouraging. God is faithful.

HELEN MULLER ONLINE COMMENT

What a wonderful story of how God builds churches with “broken” people. I have prayed for this woman and am so thankful for this wonderful new life she has, even though the journey is probably difficult at times.

MARION PANKRATZ ONLINE COMMENT

A way forward Re “Sexual violence and the church” (Intersection, March). Thank you, Jessica Morgun, for this piece.

I think you are getting at something very necessary and important, especially # 3, the idea of entitlement propagated in some Christian books as biblical, thus once more using the Bible “against” the other. The way forward is as you suggest.

DORA DUECK ONLINE COMMENT

“How do you engage the Word?”

Steve Dick @snrdick1

Mennonite Brethren Herald is published monthly by the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, primarily for the use of its members, to build a Canadian MB community of faith. We seek to 1) share the life and story of the church by nurturing relationships among members and engaging in dialogue and reflection; 2) teach and equip for ministry by reflecting MB theology, values and heritage, and by sharing the good news; 3) enable communication by serving conference ministries and informing our members about the church and the world. However, the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the church as a whole. Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement.

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Actually songwriting has become more of a recent discipline for me. Loving it

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CRYSTAL ONLINE COMMENT

Still too stereotypical Re “Looking back over 2014” (Editorial, January). Feminism is a movement that strives for equal rights and opportunities for men and women. Yet, to say the installment of a new position to support the spouses of church planters is somehow related to feminism misses out on essential elements of feminism and

APRIL 2015

“Displacement & upheaval continue in Ukraine”

john vanDyck jr @bigfatwhiteguy

Feb 22

Having traveled these areas repeatedly, mostly on my motorcycle, I have met many and pray for their safety.

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Volume 54, Number 4 • Copy run: 14,500

Letters to the editor Mennonite Brethren Herald welcomes your letters of 150–200 words on issues relevant to the Mennonite Brethren church, especially in response to material published in the Herald. Please include name, address and phone number, and keep your letters courteous and about one subject only. We will edit letters for length and clarity. We will not publish letters sent anonymously, although we may withhold names from publication at the request of the letter writer and at our discretion. Publication is subject to space limitations. Letters also appear online. Because the Letters column is a free forum for discussion, it should be understood that letters represent the position of the letter writer, not necessarily the position of the Herald or the Mennonite Brethren church. Send letters to: Letters, MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6, or by email to mbherald@mbchurches.ca.

THE MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD IS A PUBLICATION OF

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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homepage He is risen!

Baptism and beyond

Summer 2015 archival intern announced WINNIPEG Liz Wittrig is the recipient of the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission’s summer archival internship for 2015.

Wittrig will spend a total of five weeks visiting each of the MB archival centres in North America (Fresno, Cal.; Hillsboro, Kan.; Winnipeg and Abbotsford, B.C.) during June and July.

In addition to discovering the unique character of each MB archive, she will explore the stories and images housed in them, especially pursuing her interest in women’s voices in relation to the Anabaptist peace witness.

“We hope it will be a rich experience for [Liz] and that it will provide insights for the Commission, too,” says Don Isaac, chair of the Historical

“Sometimes a single act

can have enormous consequences,” writes Valerie Rempel in “Birth of Anabaptism,” a concise history of the beginnings of the Mennonite story.

The movement has taken many forms since its birth in Zurich, but what all Anabaptists still have in common, Rempel writes, is that they “look to what God has done in Jesus as the basis for salvation. They share with many other Christians a Trinitarian understanding of God who is revealed to humankind as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“Almost 500 years after Conrad Grebel baptized George Blaurock, the call to radically follow Jesus is still being answered.”

Read more of this article by associate professor and J.B. Toews chair of history and theology at Fresno (Cal.) Pacific University Biblical Seminary at mbherald.com/ birth-of-anabaptism and share your own stories of how you are answering the call to follow Jesus today.

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April 2015 www.mbherald.com

Commission, whose mandate is “to document and communicate the story of God’s work among us.”

Wittrig is a senior student completing a BA in May 2015 at Goshen College, Goshen, Ind., and an internship at the Mennonite Church USA Archives in Goshen.

The summer internship is made possible with support from U.S. and Canadian Mennonite Brethren churches.—Jon Isaak, Historical Commission executive secretary

GOD, SEX & CHURCH A THEOLOGY OF HEALTHY SEXUALITY The Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches will host the study conference on October 21–23, 2015, at Westwood Community Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The theme is God, Sex & Church: a theology of healthy sexuality.

Join us in Winnipeg where we’ll gather as Canadian Mennonite Brethren to gain a clearer vision of God’s design for human sexuality and of the church’s role in bearing witness to that vision.

Board of Faith & Life Study Guide A Study Guide (including discussion guide) is available for all groups and individuals who would like to learn more about human sexuality. An electronic copy has been sent to every MB church in Canada. To receive a free printed copy, please contact kindred@mbchurches.ca.

Don’t miss this opportunity to study, worship and network with your faith family.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT STUDYCONFERENCE.MENNONITEBRETHREN.CA

coming events CONFERENCE EVENTS: Apr. 17–18: Quebec convention, L’Intersection, Terrebonne, Que.

church launch

Manifest celebrated its official launch Mar. 1, 2015, meeting in Nose Creek School, Calgary, with some 100 people in attendance. Pastored

by Brad Huebert, the church plant began as a home fellowship in February 2014. Services began at the school in January 2015. “It was a high energy morning, full of new connections with guests and opportunities to pray with the sick, hug the hurting and embrace the lonely,” says Brad. “Manifest’s mission is to help all people discover true life in Christ.”

May 1–2: BCMB convention, South Langley (B.C.) MB Church.

May 3–5: BCMB pastor and spouse retreat, Whistler, B.C. May 12–13: Church Multiplication Conference, Toronto.

May 24–26: Manitoba pastor and spouse retreat, Hecla Island, Man. June 9–11: Pastors Credentialing Orientation, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Sept. 28–Oct. 1: C2C Network assessment centre, Calgary.

Oct. 21–23: “God, Sex and Church: a theology of human sexuality” study conference, Westwood Community Church, Winnipeg.

Manifest enjoys good relationships with Calgary’s Urban Grace Church, where Brad apprenticed, and Dalhousie Community Church, where he recently served as lead pastor, and supporting church McKenzie Towne.

Brad previously served as youth pastor at Winkler (Man.) MB and The Meeting Place, Winnipeg. He has a BA in Christian ministry from Providence College, Otterburne, Man. Brad and Shauna have 3 children.

Nov. 30–Dec. 3: C2C Network assessment centre, Toronto.

PARTNER EVENTS: Apr. 10–12: Mosaic of Grace, 50th anniversary, Bakerview MB Church, Abbotsford, B.C.

PHOTOS: COURTESY BRAD HUEBERT

Brad and Shauna Huebert with Noah, Glory and Joel.

Apr. 18: Columbia Bible College graduation, Abbotsford, B.C. Apr. 19: Outtatown graduation, CMU, Winnipeg.

Apr. 25: Bethany College spring concert.

Apr. 25: Canadian Mennonite University spring concert.

Apr. 26: Bethany College commencement.

MAID: “the future of digital community archives”

Apr. 26: Canadian Mennonite University graduation service.

Mennonite Archival Image Database (MAID) is live at archives.mhsc.ca with more than 80,000 photo descriptions and 9,000 images. “Never before has the public had this kind of access to photos from Mennonite archives,” says Jon Isaak of the Centre for MB Studies (CMBS), Winnipeg.

May 3: MB Mission MUD café TREK celebration service, CMU, Winnipeg.

June 4: 19th annual Columbia open golf tournament, The Redwoods Golf Course, Langley, B.C.

The online tool – on open-source software by Artefactual customized by PeaceWorks Technology Solutions – is a project of the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada and provincial partners.

Roy Salmond and Mike Mulder at Banff ’83

July 21–26: Mennonite World Conference Assembly 16, Harrisburg, Pa. Sept. 26–27: 50th anniversary celebration, Cariboo Bethel Church, Williams Lake, B.C. PHOTO: COURTESY MAID

“MAID shows the future of digital community archives,” says Greg Bak, University of Manitoba archives professor and former senior digital archivist at Library and Archives Canada.—Conrad Stoesz, archivist, CMBS and Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg

July 17–19: Mennonite World Conference Global Youth Summit, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

View more events from churches, schools and agencies at mbherald.com/calendar.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Unpacking the mission we all share Willy Reimer

E

aster 1980, I had the joy of declaring my faith in and allegiance to the One who saved me, redeemed me and commissioned me – Jesus Christ. The transformation was observable and life altering.

But I still had to learn how to live out my identity in Christ. I needed to ask deeper questions. As we develop our life in Christ, we begin to ask questions such as: What guides my decision-making processes? How do I prioritize my use of time, investments and giving? Is my life aligned with God’s call on me, my family and my church?

Every Christ follower and ministry must answer these questions. The executive board asked these questions when we gathered at Stillwood Camp and Conference Centre, June 2013, to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit as we developed a document to outline the mission, preferred culture, guiding principles and central ministry focus of the Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada.

Over the ensuing months, the mission statement was poked, prodded, dissected, scrutinized, edited and reviewed from Vancouver to Montreal and points in between. We debated its theological significance with the Board of Faith and Life, pastors and conference leaders.

We discussed the strategic and financial implications with staff and leaders.

Our mission statement will guide the ministry of national leaders as we seek to fulfill God’s call on us as a family of churches, and inform local churches what they can expect from

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the national team. Overall, the work of our denomination is to encourage and resource local churches to fulfill their biblical mandate.

Our mission statement is this:

CCMBC exists to multiply Christ-centred churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ.

Why these particular words and focus?

The Mennonite Brethren church in Canada was birthed in mission.

In 1883, U.S. MBs held their annual conference in Hamilton County, Neb. As the meetings progressed, delegates expressed concern about the spiritual condition of the Mennonites who had immigrated to southern Manitoba. A motion was put forward to send Heinrich Voth of Minnesota and David Dyck of Kansas to Manitoba to investigate the possibility of beginning a missionary work there. Moved, seconded, carried. The rest is history.

In 1888, the first Canadian MB church was established in Winkler, Man. Since then, we’ve continued to express our missional impulse through the work of the local church, as we apply the Great Commandment and Great Commission in local, national and international contexts.

Multiply It’s natural, then, to talk about ourselves as a multiplying movement. As we partner with God in proclaiming the good news of Jesus to millions of Canadians who don’t know Christ, we focus on the task of multiplication.

And what do we multiply? We multiply churches. We know that local congregations of believers multiply disciples. But, as a national church family, we work together to encourage and support the multiplication of churches.

You’ll notice we added a qualifier here – “Christ-centred.” Why did we include this? There are many different kinds of churches in Canada.

Some are focused on Christ and some aren’t. We believe it’s important for Mennonite Brethren churches to focus on Jesus. He is the centre of our gospel and foundational to our evangelical, Anabaptist, charismatic understanding and interpretation of the Bible.

Transformation The penultimate phrase in our mission statement – “to see Canada transformed” – has generated the most discussion. We believe this phrase highlights several aspects of our mission and theology.

First, our call is to Canada. CCMBC is a mission agency and Canada is our mission field. We partner with MB Mission for global mission, and with ICOMB for global ministry partnership, but our primary responsibility is to ensure that Canadians hear and experience the gospel.

Holy Spirit and seals them for eternal life. When sin and death are finally abolished and the redeemed are gathered in the new heaven and the new earth, God will have completed the plan of salvation.”

An individual and corporate call And what about “transformation”?

Our understanding of the kingdom of God teaches that the kingdom was initiated by Jesus and will be present in all its fullness at Christ’s return.

Until that day, we live in the “already but not yet” of the kingdom of God. We believe that wherever God’s people are present and submitting to God’s rule and reign, everything changes.

When the kingdom of God is made manifest through his bride, people increasingly experience the presence and power of God, which changes lives, relationships, marriages, justice issues, violence issues, societal systems and structures.

Transformation is observable. When people embrace faith in Jesus, we can see the change in their lives.

Testimony, baptism, ministry and personal priorities give evidence of new life in Christ.

As Doug Heidebrecht notes, “God’s purpose is to transform people, and when his people are transformed, changes take place within social systems and structures. However, we must be careful not to assume that changes to systems or structures will then actually transform people.”

(See “Be transformed!” p. 12.) It is the Holy Spirit who actually transforms people.

The full impact of the kingdom will not be experienced until Jesus returns. In the meantime, we’re called to pray and live out what Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Gospel Finally, we wanted to clearly communicate that the agent of transformation is the Holy Spirit and the means of transformation is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good; he came to make dead people alive! The heart of our message is that new life in Christ is made possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

As our Confession of Faith states, “Throughout history, God has acted mightily to deliver people from bondage and draw them into a covenant relationship. Through the prophets, God prepared the way of salvation until finally God reconciled the world to himself by the atoning blood of Jesus. As people place their trust in Christ, they are saved by grace through faith, not of their own doing, but as a gift of God. God forgives them, delivers them from sin’s bondage, makes them new creatures in Christ, empowers them by the

My prayer is that this mission statement will inspire you to consider God’s call on your life personally. I pray it will inspire our churches to consider their role as Christ-centred churches in working together for the sake of Canadians who do not yet know Jesus.

I’m convinced we’re living during a unique time in history when God is moving his people to greater passion for Christ and a greater desire for authentic discipleship.

Nominal Christians are stepping back from church. Young Christians are demonstrating a willingness to follow Jesus in ways that challenge the rest of the church to step up and fully live as God’s people. Denominations and congregations are working together with greater joy and effectiveness than we’ve known in recent years. More and more, I hear people say they refuse to compartmentalize their faith, and are seeking to live in the truth and power of the Holy Spirit.

I invite you to join in what God is doing across Canada, as our church family does our part to faithfully fulfill the ministry to which God has called us.

Follow executive director Willy Reimer on Twitter @willreimer MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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ONTARIO convention report Are we willing to pay the price to multiply?

WAT E R L O O ( O n t . ) M B C H U R C H “I didn’t expect to meet God at [an annual general] meeting,” said worship leader Matt Unruh at the 84th annual convention of the Ontario Conference of MB Churches (ONMB), Feb. 21–22, 2015. Some 130 people worshipped and listened to inspiring stories at Waterloo Mennonite Brethren (Ont.) Church Friday night. Guests and partners joined the 95 delegates from 21 of 27 member churches in the Ontario conference who returned Saturday to make decisions.

Friday night, Willy Reimer challenged the group to avoid pursuing independence, security and comfort. The executive director of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches asked, “Are you willing for your church to be disrupted if people different from you attend?”

Reimer referred to the Apostle Paul’s flexibility as he found common ground with anyone and everyone in order to save as many as possible (1 Corinthians 10:32–33).

Reimer highlighted the stark reality that millions of Canadians do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In the same vein, ONMB executive director Ed Willms said, “Ontario is secular, diverse and anti-Christian.”

In conversation, MB church planter Jon Osmond, community chaplain and planting pastor with FreeChurch in the Annex area of Toronto, agreed with the characterization of Ontario’s shift away from Christianity. In a previous plant 10 years ago, said Osmond, it was much easier to get neighbours to attend church. These days, he and his wife Claudia practise hospitality with wealthy neighbours who are hungry for community but who have no obvious need for God. Similarly, Albanian-born Endrit Mullisi has adjusted his evangelism style to be more subtle as he reaches Albanians in Toronto who have no interest in religion.

He celebrates baby steps toward Christ 10

April 2015 www.mbherald.com

as neighbours experiment with praying in Jesus’ name, though they are not ready to call him Lord.

On the convention theme of Costly Multiplication, Robb and Sara Williamson-Bynoe shared their journey from a dream home in Bowmanville, Ont., to loving people in poverty by living among them. With help from MoveIn, a ministry associated with the Ontario conference, they relocated to a low income Oshawa neighbourhood with their two kids.

“It doesn’t matter how well you are doing in a race if you are running the wrong race,” says Robb.

Karen West, Ontario moderator and chair of the ONMB board of directors, invited the congregation to communion at “the table of the King.” She reminded attendees that “Jesus is worth everything we can give.”

“We’re better together” Several speakers and ministry leaders talked about prayer, the moving of the Spirit, unprecedented collaboration among evangelical denominations and the sense that God is up to something in Canada.

When Gord Fleming, national director of the C2C Network, faced a $1.2-million shortfall six weeks prior to the MBbased church planting organization’s fiscal year-end, he called his staff to fast and pray for 30 days. They ended the year with a $10,000 surplus.

“Right now, there is a Holy Spirit moment in Canada,” said Fleming. “Will we surrender our resources for costly multiplication?”

The frequent rallying cry, “we’re better together” resonated with delegate Steve Spenler from Waterloo MB. Spenler says the Ontario conference is valuable because churches collaborate on ministries like Camp Crossroads. He and his family have benefitted from this “spiritually transformative space” over the years.

Willms and the board have fostered increased cooperation on many levels.

Not only is there renewed unity between the national and provincial MB conferences, regional leadership clusters of Ontario MB pastors have been formed to reduce isolation and accelerate learning.

As well, Willms collaborates closely with a senior leadership team comprised of Ed Heinrichs (Camp Crossroads executive director), Philip Serez (MB Mission Eastern Canada mobilizer) and Greg Laing (C2C Network regional director).

For the first time, the event was live streamed through the Canadian conference’s Global Mission Media TV (GMMiTV) website, offering remote access to the event for those far away.

In the main sessions, there was little discussion and few questions. The meaty business session – with the most voting – took place in the afternoon. Skipping the final coffee break to get people out faster made sustaining attention difficult.

PHOTOS: SOSPETER GATOBU

(from left): Delegates pray for church planter Dave Harder; Ed Willms introduces the team from FreeChurch Toronto; Waterloo MB pastor Chris Stevens.

Ontario convention highlights • The Faith & Life team reviewed and credentialed 12 pastors.

• In its final budget year, ONMB’s ministry development fund gave $50,000 to 14 Ontario churches to train leaders and develop ministries.

• Long-time bookkeeper, Vic Boese, was thanked in absentia for his service. ONMB administrative assistant Andrea Kaine will take over as he retires.

• 21 out of 27 member churches donated to ONMB, but revenue was below budget; mostly due to a shortfall in church and individual giving.

• Church plant campuses Annex of FreeChurch Toronto (pastor Jon Osmond) and the Manotick Parish of The Journey, Ottawa, (pastor Darren Milley) were launched.

Related agency reports • Camp Crossroad’s first men’s retreat was a huge success. 878 youth attended summer camp; 286 campers made significant spiritual decisions. Crossroads also hosted a Christmas dinner for their local community in Torrance.

• Tabor Manor, owned and operated by ONMB, repurposed their old long-term care home into semi-independent “wellness suites” with supportive services, similar to their sister home for seniors, Pleasant Manor; both are in St. Catharines.

• Nov 1, 2014, some 130 people celebrated the 10th anniversary of ONMB-owned and operated Valleyview Manor in St. Jacobs.

• In 2014, Ontario MB churches sent four new long-term missionaries with MB Mission. In 2015, MB Mission will host an intercession retreat in Ontario and relaunch SOAR

(now ESSOR) Montreal, a summer short-term mission program in collaboration with the Quebec MB conference and the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

• In recognition of the growth of both organizations, ONMB and Bethesda Community Services (ministry serving individuals with special needs), are clarifying their partnership.

• An area parent complained to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal about District School Board of Niagara’s “preference for Protestant Christianity,” citing in particular the Christian Spiritual Life Centre (supported by ONMB) at Eden High School, a public institution in St. Catharines with 843 students. Breaking news announced at convention was that the case was dismissed.

Convention business • Delegates approved a 2015 budget of $292,500.

• Tabitha VandenEnden (Grantham, St. Catharines), Bill Stubbs (Glencairn, Kitchener), Darren Milley (The Journey, Ottawa) and Ron Willms (Southridge, St. Catharines) were acclaimed to the nominating committee.

• Greg Allen (Meadow Brook Church, Leamington), Shelley Campagnola (Waterloo MB), Jeff Jantzi (The Gathering, Ottawa) and Kim Knight (Waterloo MB) were acclaimed to the leadership board.

• A temporary amendment was made for the year 2015 to reduce the number of board members from 11 to 10.

For those who weren’t at the convention, it’s not too late to be part of what God is doing through the Ontario Conference of MB Churches and their many partners in the province and nation.

Sandra Reimer is a communication strategist and a member of Glencairn MB Church, Kitchener, Ont. MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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Be transformed!

DOUG HEIDEBRECHT

t

he call to be transformed fills our ears wherever we go. There are advertisements encouraging us to transform our bodies, community groups seeking to transform neighbourhoods, protests striving to transform the justice system, even movements looking to transform culture.

Mennonite Brethren also have a vision for transformation. MB Mission’s goal is “holistic church planting that transforms communities,” the U.S. Mennonite Brethren conference seeks the “transformation of individuals, families and communities,” and the new Canadian conference mission statement declares that we exist “to multiply Christ-centred churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ.”

We commonly use the word “transformation” to talk about change, but what do we really mean by it? We know real change is needed in our world, so what kind of transformation are we seeking?

Scripture offers a way of understanding transformation that may stretch our definition of the word.

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referring to a general sense of change, biblical transformation is potent language referring to a person’s dramatic change into another form. It’s like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly.

The Gospel writers describe Jesus as being transformed in front of his disciples when he appears in dazzling white clothes alongside Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:3; Matthew 17:2). Jesus’ physical transformation reveals the reality of his “form” as the Son of God to those who have “eyes to see” his identity as “the Christ” (Mark 8:29, 9:7; Matthew 16:16).

Yet these same disciples struggle to recognize how the path of suffering and death before Jesus is the way of the kingdom. It is only when they “see” how the way of the cross completely transforms their perception of success that they will also be followers of Jesus (Matthew 16:21–26).

An ongoing process

Changing into another form

The two other references to transformation in the New Testament describe ongoing, dynamic change taking place within believers.

The word “transformation” is rarely used in the New Testament. Instead of merely

In Romans 12:2, transformation is both a command – “be transformed” – and a

continual process that happens to believers when God is the agent of transformation.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul says that believers are being transformed into the image of Christ by God’s Spirit so that our lives increasingly reflect Jesus’ character – a new form – rather than our old selves (Romans 8:29; Galatians 2:20).

It is when the Spirit of God is invited into human hearts through faith that this transformation begins. The presence of the indwelling Spirit not only cleanses us from sin and reconciles us to God, but also begins to reshape our very being around the person of Jesus.

Radical change To talk about transformation only makes sense when we truly understand what kind of radical change the Bible is talking about.

As we walk through our neighbourhood or stroll through the mall, it’s easy to discount – or at least sanitize – the biblical picture of those who live in darkness, without hope, because they are alienated from God (Ephesians 2:12).

The idea of inner blindness, futile thinking and hardened hearts doesn’t seem to fit with the trendy fashions or clean, attractive environments that surround us, or the politically correct ways we describe our world.

The persistent pressure to conform to this age leads to darkened minds unable

to perceive the reality of God or understand his ways (Romans 1:21, 28; Ephesians 4:17–19). Transformation removes the veil used by the god of this age to blind and harden people’s hearts (2 Corinthians 3:14–15; 4:4).

us to be (Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:5–10). This process of transformation is not a quick fix, but instead offers hope for healing, restoration and freedom.

Transformation also involves the renewal of the mind or the daily renewal of the inner person (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:16). At its core, this entails a drastic altering of how we perceive reality – the way we see everything is fundamentally changed by the cross and resurrection.

Our ability to “see” Jesus as Lord revolutionizes everything!

The language of transformation recognizes that the change needed is so profound that the Bible calls it the beginning of a new life (Romans 8:11; John 3:3-8).

In fact, when Christ transforms us, it’s so all-encompassing that Paul has no other way to describe it except to call it a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).

Our mind is now able perceive the invisible God and we can begin to understand what his will is for our lives.

Transformation entails a drastic altering of how we perceive reality – the way we see everything is fundamentally changed by the cross and resurrection.

Death and renewal So how are we transformed?

Transformation involves offering our bodies as a living sacrifice to God where “we are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body” (2 Corinthians 4:10–11). While we cannot transform ourselves, our part is to willingly submit to the transforming work of God in our lives.

Ironically, it is only as we intentionally put to death our old self with its values, ambitions, attitudes and behaviours that we are able to be changed into the form of Jesus – the new self that God has created

We are able to see what is unseen, like recognizing that suffering is only temporary, because we walk by faith (2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:7). This renewal in perception transforms us into people who both think and live differently (Romans 12:3–21).

Transformation of community If God is at work transforming our hearts and minds, then this inner change begins to create a people of God who actually live differently and are no longer separated by the barriers and distinctions that tend to divide humanity (Ephesians 2:15; Galatians 3:28).

"

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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The church, as a “new creation,” is not only the temple of the living God in which he dwells by his Spirit, it’s a new form of what it means to be a community of God’s people (1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 2:16). Transformation is always first about the church.

We may wonder whether we as the church are really much different from those who don’t call Jesus Lord.

It is here we humbly recognize that the transformation of the church involves three things: 1. Transformation is a vision calling us to change.

2. Transformation is an ongoing process that happens to us.

3. Transformation is a command for us to follow – “be transformed” (Romans 12:2)!

While we cannot transform ourselves, our part is to willingly submit to the transforming work of God in our lives.

God’s ongoing work within the church is to create a people who are being transformed – who actually love one another, accept one another and forgive one another.

Transformation as witness Transformation begins to spread to others when the church lives as a witness to what it looks like to live under God’s reign. For example, when God’s children love not only their neighbours but also their enemies, people are shocked (Matthew 5:43– 45). It makes no sense for someone to forgive others who have caused suffering or loss. What kind of person could love or forgive like this?

But as God’s people reflect the life of Jesus in their lives, something begins to change in the way those around them see the world – their perception of reality is altered. Who could possibly 14

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enable someone to really love others, to forgive without vengeance?

Paul calls us a “letter from Christ,” written on human hearts by the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:2–6). While this message is held in “jars of clay,” the transforming work of God reveals the power and presence of the living God who offers an invitation for all to respond to him (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Transformation’s ripple effect If God is really able to transform not only our hearts and minds but also our very lives, what effect can this have on our families, communities and nation?

Certainly, the transformation of God’s people will affect those around them: the poor will be cared for, broken relationships will be restored, the sick will be healed, the oppressed will be set free and justice will be proclaimed (Luke 4:18– 19). God loves the world and seeks to reconcile all things to himself through Christ (John 3:16; Colossians 1:20).

God’s purpose is to transform people, and when his people are transformed, changes take place within social systems and structures. However, we must be careful not to assume that changes to systems or structures will then actually transform people.

Powerful political methods for change – education, lobbying, protest or even coercive force – offer only an external illusion of transformation. Attempts to motivate, regulate, legislate or enforce behaviour cannot transform people’s hearts and minds either in society or within the church.

Jesus calls those who have “eyes to see” to experience the transforming power of his Spirit in their lives by entering into God’s kingdom through the cross. Jesus, who “loved us and gave himself up for us,” models for his followers how to invite others on this journey of transformation (Ephesians 5:1–2).

Doug Heidebrecht is currently working in an international setting. Previously, he served as director of the Centre for MB Studies in Winnipeg and as an instructor in biblical and theological studies at Bethany College in Hepburn, Sask.

TRANSFORMED LIVES TRANSFORMED LIVES No greater reward than sharing God’s love

A

little girl changed my life. I met her during a short-term mission trip to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where she attended one of our Bible camps.

After our speaker gave his message, we encouraged everyone to pray. She started weeping, crying out to God. Following the prayer time, we handed out gifts to everyone and I went to her first.

I had toys, a beautiful pencil case, cute t-shirts, etc., in my hands. Thinking to cheer her up, I offered her to pick what she wanted.

I have been serving the Lord in ministry since then.

God used this eightyear-old girl to open my heart and gave me a vision for what my life was meant to be. I saw that there was no greater reward in life than to share God’s love with those who do not know him and watch them transform to love God themselves.

PHOTO: COURTESY CHARLIE CHUN

Charlie Chun is an ethnic Korean. He responded to God’s call to serve in the English ministry of South Vancouver Pacific Grace MB Church four and a half years ago. This article is based on the speech he made at his ordination service, Oct. 19, 2014.

Charlie Chun

Charlie Chun with Naomi and their family.

Nurtured in community

healthy differences and bring positive changes to our spirituality. I want to not only carry on the legacy of the past but move forward to envision the future with you. We will do this slowly but surely because that’s the way we do it in our community.

It has been over 20 years since my ministry journey began. The Lord has used many different groups of people to help me to grow and become more mature.

Instead, she pointed at a young boy standing in the corner. That was her brother, she said. Could I pray so that he could come to know Jesus the way she had come to know him? Curious, I asked why she was crying so desperately during our prayer time. She told me she understood God’s love for her and felt so ashamed of her sinfulness.

I had never been away from Korean church and culture, but about four and half years ago, I filled out an application for English Ministry pastoral duties with South Vancouver Pacific Grace Church.

I believe the Lord wants me to be with the Chinese congregation to learn and grow through experiencing Christianity through a new perspective.

What could she have done at age eight that could make her so painfully aware and mourn for her sinfulness? Had I ever been aware of my sinfulness and brokenness as she was?

I see premium emphasis on learning and understanding Scripture. I experience gentleness in our dealings with each other, including in board meetings.

As a second-generation congregation, we are expected to take up the torch from the first, making their ceiling our floor, and continue to fight the good fight so the name of Jesus may be known and worshipped in our community and beyond.

I’m also learning with great gratitude how patient you are in giving pastors every opportunity to overcome their shortcomings and grow. I am treated as a brother, not as a boss nor an employee.

I pray that, like the little girl I met in the former Soviet Union, we would truly hear God’s truth speaking to our hearts, and that the flame of our love for God would ignite those around us.

At first, the cultural difference was difficult to adapt to, but over time, through encouragement, love and guidance, I am settling in and growing as a Christian leader. And the church has helped raise my children, including one with a disability.

This ordination is just as much for my family as it is for me. In closing, I want to thank my wife Naomi. The more we grow old with each other, the more I become astounded by how God knew precisely what kind of person I was for him to provide exactly the wife I need. Our home is my sanctuary and refuge from all that happens in life and ministry.

God convicted me through this young girl and opened my heart.

For the first time since I believed, I felt deeply concerned for the well-being of another person. I was compelled to say in tears, “God please listen to her prayer and grant her wish. Please take all the blessings you have planned for me and give them to her.”

I could not cease praying for this girl and her brother even after my return.

Months later, I heard God’s call to go and help. I went to Russia to assist a missionary couple who had planted a church.

My goal for our church is to fulfill Jesus’ mandate to make disciples. I hope to empower our church members to engage in important ministries in the spirit of the priesthood of all believers.

Following into the future My hope as we head toward the future is that we would grow more in trust of one another that we may embrace each other’s

And thank you, everyone in the church, for being my spiritual family.

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A driving quarter beat on the kick and a solid bass line were hard to resist. I cast a sideways glance at my staid and suited companion, and saw the toes of his left foot tapping surreptitiously, seemingly frustrated that the rest of the foot was refusing to get involved. Around me others were clapping, even swaying to the celebratory worship song. “Shall we dance?” I asked.

“What? No!” Aghast, the rebellious foot was stilled. “I could never do that. It’s not what I am!”

Really? I mused silently, pondering the chasm between what is, and what can be.

The joyful ones Grieving what they believed to be the stagnancy of orthodoxy, and inspired by Pietist leaders such as Eduard Wuest and Wilhelm Bartel, Mennonite colonists in 19th-century South Russia found themselves jumping and dancing, even beating upon “boxes and chests on which they placed pots and cutlery to increase the noise.” Repentance from worldiness and a lukewarm spirituality had led to demonstrative joy, and then to widespread renewal.

Due to their loud, exuberant worship, these renewalists (who became the Mennonite Brethren) were first referred to as Munteren, or “joyful ones.” Later epithets, such as Huepfer (“leapers” or “jumpers”) were far less flattering.

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Their meetings became a manifestation of glorious, chaotic joy as Psalm 47:1 was taken literally: “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

The Mennonite mother church, cautiously aloof, frustrated the fervour of the renewalists. Such exuberance was contrary to the historical roots of the traditionalists; they were known for a conservative and restrained biblicism: Mennonites did not dance. John B. Toews writes, “The Old Church...in effect said: ‘This is what we are, so let’s make the best of it,’ to which the Brethren retorted, ‘this is what we can be, let us strive to attain it.’”

The dancing king The story seems, in some ways, to parallel an incident in the Old Testament involving King David. Like David, the renewalists were driven by a passion to celebrate their salvation, dancing before the Lord “with all their might.” Like David, they unfortunately gave free reign to this passion without much humility or forethought, and the consequences were dire in both cases.

When David first sought to bring the ark to Jerusalem, he was either uninformed or dismissive of the directions Moses had given regarding the reverent handling of this holy relic. It was not to come into contact with human hands, but be carried by Levites using poles inserted through rings attached to the wooden sides; only the poles were to

be touched (Numbers 4). Instead, David placed the ark on a cart.

In this procession, surrounded by a military escort of 30 thousand men, there was no lack of sincere religious and emotional fervour. David and all Israel danced “with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals” (2 Samuel 6:5).

Sincerity and joy, however, did not atone for careless irreverence. When the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, Uzzah put out his hand to prevent the ark from falling.

Then, “The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God” (v. 7). One can imagine the sudden, deafening silence that ensued. The dancing abruptly stopped.

The oxen stumble The Brethren were likewise to be interrupted in their dance. At an impasse of mutual suspicion and resentment, they seceded from the Mennonite mother church on January 6, 1860, forming the Mennonite Brethren church. For a time the dancers whirled on, defiantly independent and devoid of wise leadership.

Then their oxen stumbled, as it were.

Some of the impetuous group of “jumpers” crossed the line into immorality and sensuality with the “sisterly kiss” and the notion of “free grace,” which claimed their exuberant state made them immune from sin. The results were disastrous.

When they came to their senses, there was both shock and shame. Shaken,

the Mennonite Brethren stopped and took stock of the situation, much as King David did for the three months following the death of Uzzah. Meetings were held to draft a policy statement (the so-called June Reforms of 1865) that established parameters and an authority structure for the movement.

Although sporadic manifestations of exuberant worship continued, the Mennonite Brethren for the most part chose instead to separate themselves from the European renewalism of the 19th century.

The believers church tradition evolved to include the restraint or suppression of pneumatic expression. In the ensuing conflict, the mother church began active, hostile persecution of the Brethren.

The “joyful ones” became hesitant to rise and dance. The Mennonite Brethren, following the June Reforms, hung their heads: the drum silent, the voices muted, the dancers apologetic.

Did it need to be so? What might they have learned from the chastened king?

Spirit and word Although harshly disciplined for his irreverence, King David danced on. In fact, his recovery was almost immediate and showed even more fervour than before. Demonstrative passion in both repentance and worship became the hallmark of the Davidic kingdom.

However, he was indeed the wiser; David now worked in respectful cooperation with the Levitical leaders and according to biblical mandate, adding a deeper reverence, humility and discipline to his unbridled passion.

In contrast, the MB renewal movement broke into two camps; those who stridently maintained that they must follow direct, personal revelation by the Spirit of God and value relational subjectivity, and those who argued for a careful suppression of the pneumatic and a community discernment of the whole of Scripture.

“Seek the Spirit!” met with the equally ardent cry of “Search the Scriptures!”

The “Spirit/letter” controversy was in part addressed by the reforms of 1865, but for many the issue remains unresolved to this day.

Perhaps, as with King David, we need not be forced to choose between the two extremes of subjective emotionalism or dry orthodoxy. The Spirit and the Word do not oppose one another; there is still a call for those “after God’s own heart” to rise and dance, both metaphorically and literally, and to lead the throng in reverent yet passionate procession.

Perhaps, too, it is essential that they do so. Who, better than this disciplined king, to lead a nation with humility and reverence? Who, better than a chastened and humble people, to pastor revival, whether in 1860 or in the 21st century? The Mennonite Brethren could indeed be just such a people, if we do not allow our history to hold us hostage.

Shouldering the ark We are meant to desire God and to pursue him; seeking and loving him with all our heart, mind, strength

and soul.

How we choose to pursue him is, obviously, of vital importance.

Structure, submission and reverence are crucial, yet not as an end in themselves, but as a means to an end. The ark must be carefully transported so that we might dance – fearlessly, glorifying God without causing harm to ourselves or others.

Undeniably, to carry too casually the holy burden of subjective spirituality is to choose a cart that is often unsteady, unsafe. Yet, as with those early, discontent colonists of Russia, there is for many a growing urge to be vulnerable and expressive in our worship; to weep, laugh, perhaps even to dance.

Indeed, postmodernism and the 21st-century resurgence of global Pentecostalism shows acceptance, if not outright appetite, for the exuberant and experiential aspect of worship. Subjective emotions and experiences are a necessary and vibrant component of any relationship; surely it must be so with our relationship with God. Shall we dance?

Nikki White is a writer, musician and “Contextual Charismatic” who attends North Langley (B.C.) Community Church, where she oversees curriculum development and training of prayer ministry teams.

Their training resources can be viewed at www.l2lnet.org.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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TEXT MESSAGE I’m going fishing!

Denis Federau

JOHN 21 We can’t follow Jesus if we drag our past commitments with us.

I love fishing. Some of my fondest fishing memories are with my dad, enjoying the tranquility on the river as we chat about life. Even if we came home emptyhanded, those trips were successful because I had been with my dad.

Maybe it’s those fond memories that make John 21 one of my favourite narratives in the New Testament. In this case, though, Peter goes fishing not because he loves it, but because of the memory of failing his Lord.

The bitter disappointment of denying his Master three times during Jesus’ trial (Matthew 26:69–75) must have weighed heavily on Peter’s heart. After hearing of Jesus’ resurrection and seeing the empty tomb for himself (Luke 24:12), how should Peter act when he sees Jesus? The rest of the disciples are excited when Jesus suddenly appears in the upper room (John 20:19–20), but I wonder if Peter stays back, not knowing what to say.

Following Jesus’ command to go to Galilee where the disciples will meet him again (Matthew 28:7), Peter announces, “I’m going out to fish” (John 21:3).

I don’t think Peter is bored or hungry. I think he is pondering his last three years as a disciple and concluding he doesn’t have what it takes to be Jesus’ disciple.

In desperation, he decides to do the one thing he’s good at: fishing.

Don’t give up…

I can relate to Peter’s feelings of doubt and overwhelming sense of failure as he sits on the shoreline waiting for Jesus.

After working almost 20 years in the construction industry and taking several years of schooling to prepare for full-time ministry, I can see myself in Peter. I wish I could say I let go of my stable career willingly. Instead, Jesus had to pry open my hands, one finger at a time, until I was

JOHN 21:15

face-to-face with the choice of either trusting him or trusting myself.

There are still times when the comfortable is so inviting: I want to be in a place where I know who I am and what I’m supposed to do, where I almost don’t need Jesus because I’m so in control.

But it didn’t help Peter. After spending all night on the sea and not catching anything, I wonder if Peter felt even more dejected. Maybe he thought, “The one thing I thought I knew how to do, I mess up too!” And just at that moment, Jesus appears on the scene.

Because Jesus doesn’t!

In true Jesus fashion, he cuts right to the heart and asks Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15).

Jesus asks Peter three times, and three times Peter replies, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (vs. 15, 16, 17).

The first two times, Jesus uses the word agape, which indicates sacrificial love.

However, Peter answers using phileo, meaning brotherly love. The third time, Jesus uses the word Peter had been using, “Peter, do you phileo me?” (v. 17).

“Peter is hurt” (v. 17). The three questions echo Peter’s three denials, but there may be another reason why Peter is sad.

When Jesus asks Peter if he loves him sacrificially, all Peter can give is a

“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

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brotherly kind of love. When Jesus comes to Peter’s level, Peter has to recognize his own lack of commitment.

Rely on him But Jesus doesn’t give up on Peter.

The question isn’t how Jesus will come to terms with Peter’s denial, but how Peter will come to terms with his own shortcomings.

Failures in our lives present us with opportunities to learn to rely more on Jesus, less on ourselves. I have come to understand that God’s calling me away from construction into vocational ministry was not to present me with a more meaningful way to serve him, but to teach how much I need him, regardless of what I do for a living.

God asks all of us to let go of whatever we’re holding on to, be it dreams and aspirations, relationships or job security.

I started to let go when I allowed God to speak to me in a new way. When this journey started, I had no idea where he was leading or how I would end up serving him. But that’s how God operates.

He stands on the shore of our lives and points to the things we have in our nets and asks, “Do you love me more than these...?”

Jesus has a plan for Peter: “Feed my sheep” (v. 17). But it requires letting go of his net. We can’t follow Jesus if we drag our past commitments with us.

Jesus tells Peter to focus on following him and nothing else (v. 20–22). Where’s your focus?

Denis Federau is the lead pastor at Nechako Community Church, Vanderhoof, B.C.

Experience the Mennonite Story with Your Children & Grandchildren

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My grandkids splashed in the Dnieper River where my mother and siblings played.

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multiply

Church Multiplication Conference

May 12 & 13, 2015 | Toronto Ontario C2C Network - “Helping Churches Multiply”

C2C is actively planting new churches but is committed to helping existing churches realize their vision for multiplication. “Multiply” Conference will practically assist church leaders who are praying and dreaming about multiplication in its many different forms.

$159/person

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604-746-2238 / info@c2cnetwork.ca Starting another service?

Location People’s Church 374 Sheppard Ave

Then “Multiply” is for you. Come be MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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ICOMB: International Community of W i eb e ’s Witn es s

Drawing from his travels to visit MB churches around the world, ICOMB executive director David Wiebe offers insights on faith.

Power of the Cross(es): Hope and faith in Lithuania David Wiebe The first time I visited Lithuania, pastor Valdas picked me up from the Šiauliai (pronounced “show-lie”) train station and asked, “You want to see something unique? We have a little time before our meeting.”

Of course! I was in a new country, eager to learn as much as I can about the new potential ICOMB member, Lithuania Free Christian Church.

What I saw was indeed exceptional. I’m not sure anything like this exists anywhere else. It’s Lithuania’s “Hill of Crosses,” a combination sacred site, folk art exhibit and monument located about 12 km from Šiauliai.

In 1831, the story goes, the first crosses were erected by the next of kin of rebels who fell in a rebellion against Russian czarist rule. Family members weren’t allowed to pay respects at the graves, so they planted crosses on this hill. After another rebellion in 1863, more crosses appeared and a tradition began to form.

The Hill of Crosses became a place to take vows. Stories of an appearance of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus led to many more cross placements in the 1890s. More than 150 crosses were counted in 1900.

The hill became a location for services and feasts, and many people visited. The number of crosses dropped during World War I, but in 1938, the count reached 400.

Crosses were erected by the sick or in memory of the dead, missing or exiled. By 1960, one count estimates 2,500 large crosses – besides many smaller ones.

The Soviet authorities post-World War II did 20

April 2015 www.mbherald.com

not approve. A demolition period began.

In April 1961, thousands of crosses were destroyed: wooden ones were burned, metal ones taken for scrap and stone or concrete crosses were crushed and used to build roads.

But people began to repopulate the hill at night. Guards were placed on the road to the hill – to no avail.

More demolitions took place in the 1970s.

The last was on Mar. 15, 1985. Sometimes the authorities gave the excuse that they were removing crosses “of no artistic value.”

No matter; the Hill of Crosses continued to spring back to life. It became an expression of sorrow, hope, unshakeable faith and yearning for Lithuanian independence.

Today there are an estimated 100,000 crosses – and some guess it’s even higher.

That’s quite remarkable since the whole collection was wiped out as recently as 1985.

As I walked through the paths, I could see clumps of small crosses hanging among dozens of rosaries. Gold and silver, acrylic and metal. Crucifixes and empty crosses.

Large and small. Old and new.

By now, it’s a tradition for couples getting married to head to the hill and deposit a cross together for good luck. Pilgrims come to express and increase their faith.

Even Pope John Paul II visited in 1993.

At Easter, we talk about the power of the cross. In evangelical parlance, that refers to Christ’s authority through his death to save us from sin.

The Hill of Crosses conveys some added ideas of power.

It represents resistance to godless authority and subversion of oppression.

In Jesus’ day, the cross was the Roman symbol of domination. The threat of crucifixion kept many a rebel in check. Jesus not only embraced that form of death, he turned it on its head to become a gateway to salvation and liberty.

The Hill of Crosses demonstrates the power of the people.

One person would never have put up a cross in the Soviet era. But collectively, they were irresistible.

Jesus empowers us to do justice,

Mennonite Brethren

PHOTO: DAVID WIEBE

Lithuania’s folk monument/ pilgrimage site, the Hill of Crosses, is covered in 1000s of crosses placed by ordinary citizens.

did you kno w?

The name of the Mennonite Brethren conference of Lithuania is “Free Christian Church” (Laisvujų krikščionių bažnyčia – LKB in Lithuanian).

LKB’s first churches were established in 1994–1997, but people had been meeting underground in the Soviet area.

LKB is comprised of 7 churches, with a total membership of about 200.

Arturas Rulinskas is the bishop, one of three elders who comprise leadership as equals in joint authority and responsibility.

love mercy and walk humbly before God (Micah 6:8). He especially does this collectively as his body the church has demonstrated through the millennia.

Many of our fellow Mennonite Brethren face terrorists, government oppression or neglect or criminal threats of violence. But we stand together – and with a billion other Christians. This unified force makes the church something the “gates of hell cannot withstand” (Matthew 16:18).

That’s the power of the cross, too.

David Wiebe has been a member of a Christian rock band, a pastor, and an MB conference executive. Since 2011, he has served the International Community of Mennonite Brethren as executive director.

LKB churches have been planted through the work of MB Mission, Eastern Mennonite Mission of Lancaster, Pa., and Kontakt Mission of Germany. LKB accepted and translated the ICOMB International Confession of Faith in 2012–13 and became a member of ICOMB in 2014.

Non-traditional churches are viewed with suspicion in Lithuanian society which struggles with a post-Soviet mindset, alcohol and drug abuse and a very high suicide rate.

LCC International University was begun as a Western-style English language college in 1991. Art DeFehr of Winnipeg led the way, with Johannes Reimer of Germany (who was concerned for Christian education in the newly independent Lithuania), and Otonas Balciunas, a local Christian minister. LCC is the only Christian university serving Eastern Europe and is both a mission and educational enterprise.

The story of LCC can be found in Lithuania Christian College: A Work in Progress, Sarah Klassen, ed., published 2001.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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NE WS P O R T M O O D Y, B . C .

P

ort Moody (B.C.) Pacific Grace MB Church celebrated a miracle Nov. 23, 2014, with the dedication of the New Blessed House adjacent to their church building.

Acquired with the main church building in 1995, historic arts and crafts Moisio Residence had gone from white elephant to millstone around the neck for PMPGMBC. The one-and-a-half storey house built in 1912 is a designated heritage building, which meant very few alterations could be made to adapt it to the church’s growing ministry needs.

In 2000, PMPGMBC purchased a building on Clarke Street to serve as administration offices.

In December 2009, PMPGMBC received notice from B.C. TransLink that the Clarke Street office would be acquired for construction of the SkyTrain’s Evergreen Line. The good news was receiving guaranteed market value for a building routinely shaken by passing trains. The bad news was the need to find new office space on a limited time frame.

Then, a 2010 fire inspection determined the Moisio Residence (called Blessed House by the church) failed to meet safety standards and could not be used unless the building was upgraded. However, its heritage house status complicated any renovations.

While the church was still at a crossroads regarding their space issues, an unexpected opportunity emerged in November 2011. A buyer was interested in purchasing and relocating the Moisio Residence. Seeing it as God’s greater plan for the current situation, the church called a special general meeting where the decision to sell the house and erect a new building on the land received 96 percent approval.

Though the church did not have any savings or a building fund at the time, the

congregation began to give wholeheartedly to the New Blessed House building project, under the theme “Giving to Glorify, Building to Bless.” At press time, 100 percent of the $500,000 fundraising goal had been reached.

Through 2013, The New Blessed House is “a lighthouse in this community.”

“God granted us open doors for all the steps and stages, from rezoning to build- see the church being a lighthouse in this community. May the building be what it was ing permits to construction,” says children’s named: a blessed house…where all who are ministry pastor Fiona Wu. The house was relocated on Oct. 26, 2013, and construction thirsty can come and drink from the springs on a new three-storey multipurpose Blessed of water through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

—submitted by Reverend Tom Cheung, House began before the end of the year. interim lead pastor at Port Moody Pacific “It was truly the hands of God moving Grace MB Church this building project from start to completion,” says Wu. “It is our hope and vision to Dedication service, Nov. 23, 2014.

PHOTO: MATTHEW SAWATZKY, MCC

Through MDS, love awakens hope

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April 2015 www.mbherald.com

“I am overcome with a sense of gratitude for all of you who are making my future with my husband and my son, and for Frances and her children, well, a future,” says High River, Alta., resident Pauline Claydon, pictured with MDS Region V director Janet Plenert at the annual All-Unit Meeting in Hartville, Ohio, Feb. 13–14, 2015. Mennonite Disaster Service is assisting the Claydons to build a duplex to replace the house they lost due to the 2013 flood and provide a home for a single mother whose home was expropriated for flooding infrastructure.

PHOTOS: COURTESY CHINESE MB HERALD

Building to bless

Experience the Bible up close Unique historical collection opens at Columbia

I

“

t’s like a walk through a Bible encyclopedia,” said B.C. conference minister Rob Thiessen after his tour of the The Metzger Historical Collection.

The display, which contains more than 1,200 museum-quality replicas of archaeological artifacts and works of art, is housed in a newly-designed space in Columbia Bible College’s Resource Centre.

Items of note include a replica of the Rosetta Stone (original displayed in the British Museum, famous for providing the key to unlock Egyptian hieroglyphs) and a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the first massproduced book in Europe.

Thiessen’s response is in line with the vision of Rev. Dr. Frederick Metzger, who amassed and curated the Collection over several decades.

Inspired by a 1967 trip to Israel, Metzger began to collect artifacts to help the Greater

Vancouver community engage with the biblical past in a more meaningful way.

A Christian minister and missionary, Metzger has been honoured for his efforts to rescue Jews in Nazi-era Germany and later to help more than 4,000 Hungarian refugees immigrate to Canada.

A Feb. 13, 2015, private showing of the collection was attended by Abbotsford mayor Henry Braun, friends of the Metzger family and members of the Columbia community.

“These replicas bring us as close as possible to the real thing,” said Hans Kouwenberg. “You’d have to travel all over the world to see them in museums.”

Kouwenberg, board member of the Biblical

Museum of Canada Foundation responsible for transferring the Collection to its new setting at Columbia, is enthusiastic about its potential for enhancing the knowledge and faith of the local community.

Columbia Bible College inherited the collection after Metzger’s death in 2011, renaming it in his honour. The displays opened to the public Mar. 14, 2015.— Stephanie Jantzen, marketing & communications manager, Columbia Bible College CBC student Jason Thomassen guides special guests in an advance viewing of the Metzger exhibit.

PHOTO: STEPHANIE JANTZEN

ABBOTSFO R D, B.C .

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD April 2015

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Christian universities foster belonging The top 4 schools fostering a sense of belonging in 2014 were Christian universities, according to the student satisfaction survey by the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC). Some 41–54 percent of respondents at King’s (Edmonton), Redeemer (Hamilton, Ont.), Trinity Western (Langley, B.C.) and Canadian Mennonite (Winnipeg) strongly agreed with the statement, “I feel as if I belong at this university.”

CMU also received the top score for “Most of my professors treat students as individuals, not just numbers” (with 81 percent strongly agreeing) and “Generally, I’m satisfied with the quality of education I have received” (58 percent strongly agree). More than 22,500 students from 28 schools participated.

—Macleans.ca

CANADIAN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY

cmu.ca

Arts • Science • Business • Music

Global Family moves close to home

Mennonite Central Committee’s Global Family education program, which supports community-based education in 40 countries, launched projects in Canada and the U.S. In Saskatoon, Global Family supports tutoring and nutrition education, and a Global Family partnership is set to launch in the Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario in 2015. Like all Global Family partners, these projects seek to identify and meet community educational needs by empowering local leaders.—mcc.org

Food crisis in South Sudan

Millions of displaced people in South Sudan are on the brink of a major food crisis as the country’s violent conflict continues.

According to UNICEF, some 229,000 South Sudanese children are suffering acute malnutrition, a number that has doubled since the conflict began little more than a year ago. Due to missed crop cycles, Canadian Foodgrains Bank expects “household food stocks in the worst-affected counties will be depleted by March.”

CFGB is responding through its partners in both peaceful and conflict-ridden areas with projects worth $2.4 million.—CFGB release

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FAMILY news TRANSITIONS

Church, Winnipeg (2008–2012). Kathy also works part-time as an occupational therapist.

Dave Lunn began as youth pastor at Westside Community Church, Morden, Man., Feb. 9, 2015. An MTS graduate of ACTS Seminaries, Langley, B.C., he served as pastor of youth and young adults at River East MB Church, Winnipeg, 2013–2014. Dave is also pursuing a PhD at the University of Manchester (through the Nazarene Theological College). He is married to Nicole. Jordan Janzen, who served Westside as youth pastor 2009–2014 is now pursuing a full-time career in music with his band, The Color.

Aaron Thiessen began as pastor for youth and young adults at River East MB Church, Winnipeg, Mar. 3, 2015. He graduated from Canadian Mennonite University with a BA with Honours in biblical theological studies and philosophy, and has previously served as a pastoral intern and youth leader at McIvor Avenue MB Church, Winnipeg. Aaron is married to Simone.

Kathy McCamis began as part-time community pastor with House Blend Ministries, Winnipeg, Feb. 1, 2015. Currently completing an MA in theological studies from MB Biblical Seminary Canada at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, she previously served as junior high youth pastor at Fort Garry MB

Cory and Masami Giesbrecht departed for long-term ministry as church capacity builders with MB Mission in Osaka, Japan, in March 2015. They have volunteered with

International Student Ministries in Winnipeg.

Cory previously taught English in Japan, and Masami has worked for Mennonite Central Committee in Winnipeg. They both served as lay leaders at Winnipeg Japanese Alliance Church. Cory and Masami have 3 sons, Joshua, Noah, Sola.

Effective May 1, 2015, Kate Reid takes over as head of Camp Likely, in the Cariboo area of B.C. The appointment starts Reid’s seventh consecutive year at the camp; she began attending Likely as a volunteer. Last year, she acted as codirector, coping with the reality of cancelling all water activities during hot weather when Quesnel Lake was threatened by the mine tailings disaster at nearby Lake Polley. The camp season finished successfully and Reid now looks forward to an entire summer of water activities. Reid graduates this year from Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C. Living Hope Church of Saskatoon accepted the resignation of their pastor, Dan Harder.

Dan served for 5 years.

Historian honoured Sam Steiner received the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada Award of Excellent at the MHSC annual general meeting Jan. 16–17, 2015, in Waterloo, Ont. Director of the Mennonite Archives of Ontario for 3 decades, Steiner was founding editor of Mennogespräch (now Ontario Mennonite History) and the visionary behind the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. For its 50th anniversary in 2018, MHSC is planning a project on “Mennonite newcomers in Canada.”

—MHSC release

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FAMILY news BIRTHS BETTESS – to Jason & Amanda (Marsch) of Winnipeg, a daughter, Camryn Alexa, Dec. 11, 2014.

FOTH – to Robert & Laura of Winnipeg, a daughter, Johanna Noelle, Oct. 17, 2014.

FREEMAN – to Ben & Noelle of Fort St. John, B.C., a son, Josiah Nathan Joseph, Jan. 11, 2015.

KALOMBO – to Jonathan & Sandra Ngalula Kabalu of Île-des-Chênes, Man., a daughter, Victoria Ngalula, Feb. 21, 2015.

KLASSEN – to Jeremy & Mary (Dick) of La Salle, Man., a son, Ryan Alexander, Jan. 9, 2015.

NEUFELD – to Jordan & Laura of Steinbach, Man., a son, Conner Gearalt, Dec. 30, 2014.

NEUFELD – to Matthew & Elise (Dyck) of Winnipeg, a son, Alexander Matthew, Jan. 21, 2015.

PICHÉ – to Travis & Alinea (Groening) of Winnipeg, a daughter, Josephine Isla, Feb. 22, 2015.

VELLEKOOP – to Jon & Rachel (Green) of Thorold, Ont., a daughter, Juliette Esmee, Dec. 15, 2014.

Spring Titles from Herald Press In Search of Promised Lands A Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario Ontario Mennonites and Amish are among the most diverse in the world—in their historical migrations and cultural roots, in their theological responses to the world around them, and in the various ways they have pursued their personal and communal salvation. In Search of Promised Lands: A Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario chronicles the emergence and evolution of Mennonites and Amish in Ontario, Canada.

Volume 48 Studies of Anabaptist and Mennonite History series.

Galatians Galatians holds both world-changing and personally transforming power for the contemporary church. Accessible to lay readers, useful in preaching and pastoral care, helpful for Bible study groups and Sunday school teachers, while academically sound, this commentary foregrounds an Anabaptist reading of Scripture. Volume 28 in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series.

My Calling to Fulfill The Orie. O. Miller Story My Calling to Fulfill is a comprehensive biography of Orie O. Miller, a primary leader and architect of North American Mennonite identity, mission, and witness in the twentieth century. In a century marked by two world wars, theological fracture, and growing diversity in the church, Miller helped to lead Mennonites from rural isolation to global engagement.

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WILLMS – to Kevin & Michelle of Vineland, Ont., a daughter, Esme Marie, Feb. 4, 2015.

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WEDDINGS en KIDD & Emily HAMONIC, both of B Winnipeg, Feb. 14, 2015. yan MANN & Deanna LOEWEN, both of R Waterloo, Ont., Oct. 11, 2014.

ANNIVERSARY DOERKSEN: Henry & Kay (Siemens) Doerksen of Coaldale, Alta., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2015 with family and friends. Their children presented a program, and pastor Gary Burke gave a devotional. The Doerksens’ wedding motto was Colossians 1:18b.

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CHURCH STA FF Lead Pastor La Salle (Man.) C o m m u n i t y Fellowship is a vibrant, growing congregation just minutes south of Winnipeg. We are currently looking for a new, full-time lead pastor. Our current pastor has been leading the congregation for 10 years and is retiring. Our church also employs a full-time youth pastor and a half-time worship pastor. Our vision is to establish a community of believers who are committed to God and to sharing the gospel and our lives with the people around us. We strive to be a part of our community and run programs such as youth groups and vacation Bible school that are well attended by the community as well as our church members. We are looking for an individual who has a heart for God and a heart for reaching the people of La Salle and the surrounding area. If you feel God is leading you to our church family, please apply with cover letter and resume to walther@mymts.net.

Director of Children’s Ministry

Westside Community Church, Morden, Man., is seeking a director of children’s ministry. We are looking for a passionate and creative leader for this .45 position. Key areas of this role will include team building, equipping the children’s ministry teams as well as integrating the children of Westside into the vision of WCC: Love Jesus, Love People - Lives Transformed. Please send resumes or inquiries to office@wcchurch.ca. (Check out our website, wcchurch.ca.)

Student Ministries Pastor

Meadow Brook Church is prayerfully seeking an energetic and gifted individual to partner with our existing pastoral team in guiding people into the Christ-centred life! Our church serves the community of Leamington, a town in the heart of Southern Ontario, with a population of nearly 30,000 people. Leamington is known for its sunny climate, large agricultural sector and cultural diversity. Meadow Brook is a multigenerational church of about 300, with many young families. We are looking for a leader with a passion for junior high and senior high students, as well as a heart for relationship-building. This will be a full-time position, with the majority of the focus being on student ministries. In addition, the candidate will also have the opportunity to serve in other areas of ministry that align with their gifting and passion. To learn more about Meadow Brook Church, please visit us online at www.meadowbrook.ca! For those interested, resumes (with references) can be emailed to us at search@meadowbrook.ca.

CLASSIFIEDS CAMP POSITIONS Camp Arnes will hold its 66th annual general meeting on April 15 from 6:30-9:00 p.m.

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Finish lines

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.—2 Timothy 4:7 Frank Warkentin Aug. 12, 1929–May 7, 2014

Ruth Warkentin

Rudy Jacob Dyck Aug. 9, 1937–May 6, 2014

Mar. 6, 1932–Oct. 2, 2014

Frank

BIRTHPLACE: Lustigastal, Crimea, Russia PARENTS: Franz & Katharina Warkentin MARRIAGE: Ruth Hajer, July 26, 1952 BAPTISM: Molotschna River, Russia, 1942 CHURCH: Newton, Man.; Portage Avenue, Winnipeg FAMILY: Ruth; children Loraine (David [d.]) Toews, Esther (Willie) Klassen, Julianne (Brad) Dick, Frankie [d.]; 8 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren

Frank grew up in a loving Christian family. He and his mother fled Crimea via Poland and Germany, arriving in Canada in 1948. Frank worked in Winkler, Man., then in Winnipeg, where he met Ruth. In 1953, Frank and Ruth moved to Newton, Man. They jointly owned Newton Enterprises, invested in their church and community and enjoyed their family. In retirement, they lived in Portage la Prairie, Man., and Winnipeg. Ruth was Frank’s soulmate until his last days. Their love left an imprint on their daughters. Frank adored his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was known for his kind heart, gentle spirit and steadfast faith, which he shared openly. Frank never complained about living in a care home, but expressed thankfulness for Ruth, his family and caregivers.

Ruth

BIRTHPLACE: Wymishle, Poland PARENTS: Wilhelm & Bertha Hajer MARRIAGE: Frank Warkentin, July 26, 1952 [d. May 7, 2014] BAPTISM: Gronau Westfalen, Germany, 1948 CHURCH: Newton, Man.; Portage Avenue, Winnipeg FAMILY: children Loraine (David [d.]) Toews, Esther (Willie) Klassen, Julianne (Brad) Dick, Frankie [d.]; 8 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren

After immigrating to Canada in 1948, Ruth worked on a sugar beet farm in Newton, Man., before joining Great West Life in Winnipeg, where she met Frank. They moved to Newton and partnered in Newton Enterprises for 4 decades. They retired in Portage la Prairie, Man., and Winnipeg. Ruth loved to cook. She always took time to play with her children and grandchildren. Fun-loving and determined, she didn’t allow multiple sclerosis to slow her down. She found encouragement in Isaiah 41:10. Ruth is remembered for her faithfulness to Frank and her family. In their final days together at Concordia Place, Winnipeg, Frank and Ruth’s affection was obvious.

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April 2015 www.mbherald.com

in 1994. Raymond didn’t find material things important; his true loves were God, his family, church and friends.

George Wiens Apr. 16, 1935–July 30, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Coaldale, Alta.

PARENTS: David & Agnes Dyck MARRIAGE: Anne Petkau, Sept. 14, 1958 BAPTISM: as a teen CHURCH: Forest Grove, Saskatoon FAMILY: Anne; children Cheryl (Warren) Boldt, Alvin (Betty); 11 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; 4 siblings

Rudy enjoyed skiing and riding and working on motorcycles. He was a man of action. As a child he made the decision to follow Jesus, and his faith guided him all his life. Rudy and Anne settled in Grassy Lake, Alta. In 1971, they felt God’s call to Bethany Bible College, Hepburn, Sask. Rudy served as business manager, retiring in 1997 for health reasons. His priorities were clear: God, family and service to others.

Diagnosed with cancer Easter Sunday, Rudy was sorry to leave his family but ready for heaven.

Raymond Charles Rusk Dec. 10, 1920–July 29, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Woodrow, Sask.

PARENTS: Charlie & Elena Rusk MARRIAGE: June Chisholm, Apr. 11, 1942 [d. Nov. 1, 2005] CHURCH: Woodrow (Sask.) Gospel; Dominion Road Baptist, Assiniboia, Sask.

FAMILY: children Clifford [d.] (Sharon), Donna Fortnum, Joan (Leonard) Johnson, Bob (Deldeen); 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren

In his early years, Raymond learned to milk cows and water the garden with a horse and stone boat. He enjoyed ball games, track and field, skating and hockey. He learned early to respect family, neighbours and his elders. In 1941, Raymond became manager of Woodrow Co-op, where he worked during the day and farmed at night. Raymond and June married and moved to his family’s farm. He was a tireless worker who cherished his land, horses and cattle. He loved reading, fishing, playing guitar, and making mischief. Raymond was a deacon at Woodrow Gospel, a councillor and reeve for the RM of Wood River Division 3 and a member of the Gideons. He showered his grandchildren with affection. Raymond and June filled their home with warm hospitality. They moved into Woodrow, Sask., in 1973, and to Assiniboia, Sask.,

BIRTHPLACE: Drumheller, Alta.

PARENTS: David & Anna Wiens MARRIAGE: Ruth Siemens, Aug. 22, 1959 BAPTISM: Gem, Alta.

CHURCH: Crestwood MB, Medicine Hat, Alta.

FAMILY: Ruth; children Audrey (Darrel) Thiessen, Lois (Reg) Fast, Andrew (Violet); 9 grandchildren; 6 siblings

George spent his first 7 years in the coal mining community of East Coulee, Alta. At 14, he accepted Jesus as Saviour while stooking wheat with his brother John. George loved Jesus and treasured God’s Word. He was a gentleman of integrity and virtue who cared deeply about his wife, family and friends. He delighted in singing with his parents, siblings and children. Teaching music and conducting choirs was his life-long passion. During his 8-month journey with cancer, George rejoiced in God’s grace together with loved ones and medical personnel. He had assurance he would soon celebrate in God’s house, forever enjoying the beauty of the Lord.

Erika Koop Oct. 3, 1919–Oct. 27, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Rosenthal, Ukraine PARENTS: Johannes & Anna (Zacharias) Epp MARRIAGE: John Koop, 1948 [d. 1987] CHURCH: Elmwood MB, Winnipeg FAMILY: daughters Elvira (Harry) Finnigan, Wanda (Steve Hunter), Kathy (Bruce Spielman), Charlotte (Don) Livingston, Dorothy (David) Ryzebol, Carla (Craig) Oliphant; 12 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren

Erika immigrated to Canada in 1922, travelling to Montreal on the Empress of Scotland, then to Rosthern, Sask. She wore a pair of shoes her father made, which she treasured all her life. Her family moved to Winnipeg in 1938.

Waiting at a bus stop, Erika met John. After they married, they moved to Vancouver, returning to Winnipeg 6 years later. A true artist, Erika could make anything from nothing. She supported her girls’ creative aspirations. She cooked, sewed and created together with John

and their daughters. She especially enjoyed her work outfitting the Winnipeg Mennonite Children’s Choir and teaching the first home economics classes at MB Collegiate Institute, Winnipeg. Erika supported community efforts in Elmwood and was active in Elmwood MB Church. She enjoyed leading tours at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and chairing committees for Women’s World Day of Prayer and Fellowship of the Least Coin. After John’s death, grandchildren filled her days with joy. Erika showed kind, considerate love and appreciation to others. She inspired beauty all around her.

Peter Henry Penner Oct. 4, 1927–Nov. 20, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Waldheim, Sask.

PARENTS: Peter & Margaret (Unger) Penner MARRIAGE: Lydia Martha Hooge, Apr. 25, 1957 [d. 2008] CHURCH: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Beverly, Daniel; 6 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild

Peter’s early life was difficult: his father, who had health problems, worked hard on the farm, and his mother struggled with an injury sustained as a nurse during WWII in Russia. Peter loved farm animals. His family moved to Coaldale, Alta., hoping for an easier life. Finally, meat and potatoes were on the table, and occasionally, pie. They saved for a move to the milder climate of Sumas, B.C., where Peter met Lydia.

They started life together on a dairy farm, then a raspberry farm. Peter introduced his children to riding miniature horses and hunting skunks.

As a second job, in 1974, Peter worked at the Vancouver Zoo, where he stayed for 17 years.

Tina the elephant became his special friend; he was the only one who could handle her.

Peter’s rheumatism led him and Lydia to a condo in Abbotsford, B.C., where he enjoyed playing Chinese checkers and teaching it to others. He called these “the best years of their lives.” Peter and Lydia enjoyed picnics and treating grandchildren to KFC. Shortly after Lydia’s death, Peter moved to Menno Hospital, where he became known as “the gentle giant.” He accepted everyone. In Peter’s last weeks, he had difficulty breathing. He confirmed his faith in Jesus to the chaplain hours before his death.

Liese Friesen Feb. 6, 1915–Nov. 28, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Lavarov, Russia PARENTS: Kornelius & Nellie (Friesen) Dueck

MARRIAGE: Heinrich Friesen, Jan. 18, 1942 [d. Dec. 4, 1988] BAPTISM: Russia, Mar. 5, 1939 CHURCH: Culloden, Vancouver; King Road MB, Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Horst & Hugo [d. in infancy], Horst (Elli), Inge [d.] (Phillip Fast), Irene (Ed) Boschmann, Kurt [d.], Ervin (Johanna), Hugo, Lotte [d.]; 10 grandchildren including Leonard [d.]; 12 great-grandchildren; 1 sister

Liese’s father was conscripted into the Russian army; she was 3 before she saw him for the first time. As she grew, she felt God speaking to her.

With her parents’ help, she asked Jesus into her heart. In 1929, her family fled to Germany, then moved to Stolz Plateau, Brazil, where they worked hard to survive. Liese worked as a seamstress for Hering Textile Company in Blumenau, where she met Heinrich. In 1948, they moved to Curitiba and worked in an orphanage. They farmed in Bagé.

Because their children’s future didn’t look promising, Liese and Heinrich immigrated to Vancouver in 1969. Liese became a housekeeper, loved and trusted by the families she served. After retiring to Abbotsford, B.C., Liese loved to garden, crochet and spend time with grandchildren. After Heinrich’s death, she volunteered at the MCC store. At 90, Liese moved to Tabor Home. She prayed tirelessly for her family to follow God. Liese’s final 5 years were difficult; though she was unaware, her family was still blessed by their regular visits with her.

Jacob Epp Mar. 1, 1918–Dec. 2, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Gruenfeld, Ukraine PARENTS: Cornelius & Anna Epp MARRIAGE: Mary Toews, Aug. 5, 1944 [d. Mar. 31, 1981]; Helen Block, 1982 BAPTISM: age 17 CHURCH: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: Helen; son Dennis; step-daughter Jacqueline (Jerry) Andres; 7 grandchildren; 4 greatgrandchildren

he moved to Abbotsford to be close to Jacqui.

Jacob’s love of music kept him going through hard times. Into his 90s, he continued to play violin and sing. He grew tomatoes, watermelons and peaches at Tabor Court. In 2014, he moved to Tabor Home for more care; once adjusted, he spread humour and sweetness to all around him.

Katherine Allert Jan. 25, 1931–Dec. 12, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Wembley, Alta.

PARENTS: Cornelius & Aganetha Allert CHURCH: Bakerview, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: 2 siblings

1 John 1:9 was Katherine’s assurance that God forgave her because of her faith in Jesus.

Katherine’s father had to give up farming because of illness. At 15, Katherine was required to leave school to support the family. She was devastated, but found peace in the promise of Proverbs 3:5–6. She later attended Elim Bible School, Yarrow, B.C., and MBBI (now Columbia Bible College), Abbotsford, B.C. She moved to Vancouver at 16 and cleaned house for wealthy families. She found factory work at Blue Ribbon Tea and Coffee a welcome change. A year of secretarial courses at Pitman’s Business School qualified her to work for a large insurance company. She enjoyed office work for many companies. Katherine served Mennonite Central Committee in Esopus, N.Y., in 1960, helping troubled teens. She worked for a Canadian Christian TV ministry for 7 years. At 48 and 60, Katherine had surgery for cancer; both times, she returned to work after 1 month, thanking God for healing. In 2001, she recovered fully from open heart surgery, but a stroke in 2009 damaged her vocal cords and left side. Through times of doubt, God always brought her back.

Abram Ernie Isaak

Jacob’s family immigrated to Canada in 1923, settling near Herbert, Sask. His family read the Bible every meal. At 15, Jacob received Christ at a country home church. He worked on the farm until attending Herbert Bible School and Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills, Alta. After Jacob returned home, his father urged him to find a mate; Jacob began writing to former classmate Mary, and they married the next summer. Jacob and Mary settled on a farm in Swift Current, Sask. They made a loving home for adopted son Dennis, of whom Jacob was very proud. After 37 years together, Mary died. Jacob met Helen, a widow, and began a new life with her and her 13-year-old daughter. Jacqui and Jacob became best friends in time. Jacob and Helen moved to Vernon, B.C., in 1983. After Helen’s death,

May 9, 1934–Dec. 24, 2014

BIRTHPLACE: Yarrow, B.C. PARENTS: Henry & Anna Isaak MARRIAGE: Marianne Toews, May 7, 1960 [d. Sept. 9, 2013] CHURCH: Yarrow MB; Yarrow Alliance FAMILY: children Glen (Rita), Diane; 4 grandsons; 3 siblings

Ernie grew up in the Yarrow MB Church. He ran a trucking and bobcat business in Sumas Prairie, B.C. He loved to sing solos, in quartets and with the Abbotsford male chorus. Ernie lived with Alzheimer’s disease.

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CURRENT resource

Netflix for the church Right Now Media “We’ve lost most of our Christian bookstores, and it was getting hard to view good Bible study resources,” says Fran Browne, SunWest Christian Fellowship, Calgary, executive assistant.

Right Now Media, the “Netflix for the church,” filled the gap for SunWest.

RNM offers three libraries: Bible studies, customizable training posts and leadership events. Content can be streamed through a phone, tablet, Smart TV, Apple TV, Roku or computer.

Developed by Dallas filmmaker and church elder Brian Mosley in 2000, RNM has 8,000 affiliated churches.

Some 2,000 Bible study videos are searchable by channel, including outreach, finances, parenting, and books of the Bible. “I like the variety,” says Browne. The site lists companion books available for free download or

purchase. As with any material, leaders need to be discerning.

“If I look at my curriculum and wonder how I’m going to grab the children’s attention, videos will do that better than I can,” says Janet Janz, children’s ministry pastor at King Road MB, Abbotsford, B.C. In her lessons on Paul’s journeys, video clips of an airplane flying from place to place “added interest to what could have been a dry story.”

“Discussion with kids is tough,” says Janz; videos get them talking. Parents tell her they watch “Paws and Tales” or “Adventures in Odyssey” on RNM for family devotions.

A big reason Westwood Church, Prince George, B.C., signed up for RNM was the customizable training library. Adult ministries pastor Craig Reimer explains: “We find content on RNM or YouTube, write our own questions and email the post to staff or life group participants. We can track who has finished the training and then schedule a meeting to discuss it.” Pastors also access RNM’s leadership events library – easier and more affordable than travelling to a conference from northern B.C. Westwood’s Sunday school uses “What’s in the Bible,” by Veggie Tales

N EW BOOK NEW FROM KATIE FUNK WIEBE Step into the life of Aganeta Janzen Block and her family through personal letters and narration describing life after the Second World War, when thousands of Mennonites were sent to Stalin’s forced labor camps.

$18.99 CAD/US Kindred Productions 1-800-545-7322 www.kindredproductions.com 32

April 2015 www.mbherald.com

creator Phil Vischer. “We value kids working through all the major stories of the Bible, and this series does that well,” says Reimer. Parents can watch the videos at home to “keep up to date with what their kids are learning.”

Reimer assigns couples videos from RNM as premarital counselling homework.

And a men’s mentorship group with no time for prep watches videos together at the coffee shop.

All Westwood ministries agreed to stop buying DVDs and dedicate that portion of their budget to RNM. Subscriptions are priced by average attendance (e.g., $150/ month for churches under 100, $350 for churches of 251–500) and allow congregations to offer unlimited free access.

“People have come to church for the first time, learned we offered this resource and signed up right away,” says Reimer.

“It’s deepened their engagement with the church.”

Many Westwood members, including shift workers who can’t attend regularly, use RNM for devotions. “There’s something for wherever they’re at,” says Reimer.

However, some say they aren’t in a life group because RNM meets their perceived need for spiritual fulfillment. “There’s always the danger with technology that people may separate themselves from community and still call it Christian living.”

“A definite strength of RNM is that it puts practical tools in the hands of leaders for their small-groups and/or their personal development,” says L2L’s Daniel Beutler. “But it doesn’t do away with the challenge to wrestle together with how we come alongside each other to discern God’s purpose and mission.”—Angeline Schellenberg

WEB note Interfaithconversation.ca An Evangelical Fellowship of Canada partner has launched a new website.

Canadian Interfaith Conversation, founded in connection with the G8 summit of 2010, advocates for freedom of religion and human rights in Canadian public life. The site blog “Deep Dialogue” is open to contributions from dozens of partner organizations, which include the Canadian Council of Churches and Canadian Foodgrains Bank, on topics such as “Are there limits to expressive rights?” and “Is religion the source of all conflict in the world?”

Intersection

of faith & life

People of the Book?

PHIL WAG LER

I

stopped for a morning coffee and saw an elderly gentleman sitting alone, his Bible open to Jeremiah beside a steaming cup. All around, his peers were boisterous about a hockey game, their grandkids and local politics.

Why avoid your peers for time with a reluctant and seemingly depressed ancient prophet? Isn’t that living in the past? Aren’t there more missional things to be engaged in?

Of course, people of faith know the Word is more than historic ramblings, and the One who is revealed there is the source of our missional motivation.

Scripture sheds light on our politics and relationships, though I’m not sure Jeremiah ever anticipated hockey – except, perhaps, for the human tendency to create idols.

drop was in the 55-plus category.

Alarmingly, the generation transitioning into the 55-plus category over the past two decades stopped reading more than any other!

In other words, we actually have a greater problem in weekly Scripture engagement in the generation that ought to be most influential in passing on the faith.

• Be in the Word with others. The Word of God digested privately and enjoyed communally brings growth.

The individual is a dangerous theologian. The Spirit brings light through the gifts of others as we humbly live in and out of the Word together. Merely reading solo will stunt your own spiritual growth.

• Beware: the Word is power and life!

The Word of God digested privately and enjoyed communally brings growth.

The elders among us, however, are not alone in brandishing this sword of the Spirit. I know a young man who reads his Bible on transit simply to awaken conversations. It works. The soil of his life, seeded by the Word publicly, bears fruit.

Are these two people typical of 21st-century Christians? Are we a people of the Book?

The statistics are telling. The 2014 Canadian Bible Engagement Study found that, of those identifying with the Anabaptist-evangelical traditions, 50 percent read the Bible at least once a week (yes, once a week!), down from 63 percent twenty years previous.

So, no, we are not really people of the Book. We are, it appears, increasingly in the world and of it (what might the percentage be if we were asked if we watch TV once a week?).

But, there is a “yes” to our question as well.

That same survey discovered that, when comparing 18–34 year-olds, 35–54 year-olds and those 55-plus, there was little difference in weekly reading. In fact, the largest 20-year

So, may I humbly offer a few more words on the Word?

• Live in the Word and live the Word to change the world. If we are not people of the Book, we may be religious, but we will not be revolutionary.

• Have a Bible when the church is gathered. Every preacher worthy of a pulpit or PowerPoint will tell you this. To only hear about the Bible is risky and out of step with our evangelical-Anabaptist heritage.

One of the sharpest challenges our spiritual ancestors brought to the Reformation period was that the Bible was to be studied by all, not merely received from “experts.” Our rampant celebrity-preacher church culture is unhealthy and perhaps a sign of biblical illiteracy (see 1 Corinthians 3:4).

When the words are received as God’s Word, kingdom fruit mysteriously happens. The Book reveals Jesus Christ, is confirmed by the work of the Spirit, and contains a power and authority for obedient faith that brings remarkable and sometimes upsetting transformation to lives and communities.

So, when we percolate in the Word, it engages and changes us, even in a coffee shop.

Phil Wagler is Training & Team Health Leader with MB Mission. He and his family live in Surrey, B.C., and are members of Gracepoint Community Church.

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HOPE FOR THE SHADOW PEOPLE

CAROL PENNER

We are the shadow people who dance with death,

Jesus cracks open the darkness like a nut.

that great shade, our whole life long.

The tomb’s gloom exposed, extinguished.

We try to run from its darkness,

And this is the sign, that we have found him,

we avoid it, we try to elude it.

not swaddled in grave clothes and lying in a tomb,

But in the end we are always the shadow people,

but alive, amidst us, dynamic, speaking, directing, loving.

hopelessly connected to death.

Jesus dawns in our lives like the bright morning star,

The darkness of death eclipses us.

growing in intensity, enveloping, absorbing,

Death hems us in, stifles us, stunts our growth,

a light in which there is no darkness at all.

it wants to kill us.

This Easter morning Jesus Christ,

Crippled and cramped by this grave story

who himself danced with death,

we long for a saviour

who himself lay three days in darkness,

who sees our crooked shadows, our bent-over-ness.

who himself was crippled and clamped on a cross, stands straight and tall before us!

God of now-done darkness, we thank you for our Saviour, the Light of the world who has brought death to death, and life to life.

Carol Penner is senior pastor at Lendrum MB Church, Edmonton.

She hosts a blog of worship resources at www.leadinginworship.com, where this poem first appeared.

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GOD, SEX & CHURCH A THEOLOGY OF HEALTHY SEXUALITY

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1–2

October 21–23, 2015 Study Conference starts Wednesday, October 21 at 1:30 pm and concludes Friday, October 23 at 5:00 pm

Westwood Community Church 401 Westwood Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba

YOU ARE INVITED! We are living at a unique time in Canadian history. While some attempt to undermine the veracity of God’s word and the plausibility of the gospel, other Canadians are searching for answers to the deeper questions of life. It is at this crucial time in history that we need great theological clarity along with a robust pastoral application of our beliefs. While sexuality is the issue of the day, it is the deeper matters of biblical authority, identity in Christ and authentic discipleship that are critical to both the church and our world. At Study Conference 2015, we are gathering to revel in the wonder of the gospel and to work together to apply its transforming reality to our understanding of human sexuality and God’s transforming work in our world. Join fellow Christ followers as we gather to seek the Spirit’s leading as we study God’s Word and seek God’s leading as a faith community.

Willy Reimer, Executive Director CCMBC’s Annual General Meeting will take place as part of Study Conference. This is a significant part of our time together as we will be presenting the 2016 budget for dialogue and approval. The Executive Board will also provide additional progress updates and initial plans for Gathering 2016.

Harold Froese, Conference Moderator Seldom has it been more difficult for Canadian Christians to talk about Christian discipleship with those who do not share Christian faith. Not only do our Christian priorities often conflict with social values, we are asking different questions about what is ultimately important. This is especially true in conversations about human sexuality. How do Christians build connections when even wellintentioned convictions are viewed with suspicion? What are our expectations of what it means to be transformed according to the pattern of Romans 12:1–2? Join us as we gather to discern how to clearly and lovingly incarnate godly sexuality in a sexualized culture.

Brian Cooper, Chair, Board of Faith & Life Registration fees include all conference materials, refreshment at breaks, Thursday lunch and supper, and Friday lunch.

ACCOMMODATIONS Delegates are responsible to make their own hotel reservations directly with the Hampton Inn by Hilton Airport/Polo Park, 730 Berry Street, Winnipeg.

TRANSPORTATION Complimentary airport shuttle is available between the Winnipeg International Airport and the hotel. Please contact the hotel to arrange times.

The deadline for hotel reservations is September 20, 2015.

Carpooling between church and hotel will be coordinated for hotel guests.

ROOM RATES $119 plus taxes per night (double or single occupancy).

Deadline for registration is October 6, 2015!

REGISTER BY: ONLINE:

studyconference.mennonitebrethren.ca

Hampton Inn by Hilton Airport/Polo Park 730 Berry Street, Winnipeg, MB

FAX:

RATE: $119 (single or double occ.)

• Complimentary Parking • Complimentary Wi-Fi • 16 minute drive from church

PHONE:

1-204-654-1865

Study Conference, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3M 3Z6 MAIL:

1-888-669-6575

RESERVATIONS By phone: 204-772-3000

REGISTRATION FEES: $149 (MB rate) or $189 (other denominations) per person prior to June 30, 2015

Group Name: Study Conference; Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

$189 (MB rate) or $239 (other denominations) per person after June 30, 2015

Cancellation Policy – Refunds less administrative fee of $75 will be granted to requests received by email at michelle.penner@ mbchurches.ca or in writing to Canadian Conference offices prior to October 6, 2015.

No refunds will be granted after October 6, 2015, due to binding commitments between the Canadian conference and caterers. If you are unable to attend, substitutions are allowed.

FINANCIAL REPORTS All delegates will receive a summary of the financial reports. For those interested, complete financial reports will be available on-site.

For more information visit studyconference.mennonitebrethren.ca

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GOD, SEX & CHURCH A THEOLOGY OF HEALTHY SEXUALITY

October 21-23, 2015 Westwood Community Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba Join us in Winnipeg where we’ll gather as Canadian Mennonite Brethren to gain a clearer vision of God’s design for human sexuality and of the church’s role in bearing witness to that vision.

STUDYCONFERENCE.MENNONITEBRETHREN.CA

1.888.669.6575

Study Conference & Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches

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