Vol. 42 No. 19 November 3, 2004 - Evangelical Mennonite Conference

Messenger
The
EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE
VOLUME 42 NUMBER 19 NOVEMBER 3, 2004
page 6
Fish Creek
has a
passion
and a
vision!
Though it sounds intolerant
Are the heathen still heathen
and are they still lost?
Terrance L. Tiessen
T
OLERANCE appears to be the
supreme Canadian value these
days, and relativism is a popular
philosophy.
In this postmodern context, many
Christians may be attracted to the
proposal of some Christian theologians
that we need not bother other people
with our evangelistic message, because
there are many roads to God. If these
people are correct, it would certainly
make things easier for the Christians
who are risking their lives to tell others
the good news of what God has done in
Jesus Christ.
I presume that this is why I was
asked to speak to the question: Are the
heathen still heathen and are they still
lost? First, we need some definitions. My
Oxford dictionary defines heathen as “a
person who does not belong to a widelyheld religion (esp. who is not Christian,
Jew, or Muslim) as regarded by those
that do.” Since we are Christians, I will
use the term to refer to non-Christians.
When we speak of the lost, we mean
those who are alienated from God, who
live under God’s condemnation until they
are “found” and reconciled to God. From
the standpoint of the relativistic pluralists,
I would expect the following answer to
our question: “Non-Christians should not
be called ‘heathen’ because that wrongly
assumes that Christianity is intrinsically
superior to other religions, and they are
not necessarily ‘lost’ because all of the
religions are means by which people can
come into relationship with the ultimate
Being whom Christians call God. As long
as people are following the demands of
their own religion, their destiny is as good
as ours.”
This relativistic path is not one that
the New Testament will allow us to follow.
However intolerant we may sound to
other Canadians, those of us who take
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THE MESSENGER
the Bible seriously must insist that there
is only one true and living God, the
Triune God who has most fully revealed
himself to us in Jesus Christ and gives his
Spirit to those who believe in him.
Jesus presented himself as “the way,
the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6) and the
apostle Paul wrote: “There is one God;
there is also one mediator between God
and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself
human, who gave himself a ransom for
all” (1 Tim. 2:5–6). Sin came into the
world through the disobedience of one
man (Adam), but life came into the world
through another man, Jesus Christ, so
that all who are “in Christ” are made
alive (Rom. 5:12–19).
Although this sort of exclusivism
seems scandalous in contemporary
Canadian society, we must continue to
insist that people are alienated from
God by sin and that the only way they
can be reconciled to God is through the
grace of God, by means of the salvation
accomplished by Jesus. This has always
been true, even before the Word became
flesh in history.
Anyone who has ever been in
right relationship with God has been
saved because of the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God
incarnate. This was true for Adam, Abel,
Noah, Job and Abraham and it is true of
anyone who is now reconciled to God.
Jesus Christ is the world’s only Saviour.
By definition, the heathen are still
heathen; that is to say, non-Christians
are still non-Christians. But does
the New Testament teach us that all
non-Christians are also lost? Not all
evangelicals or all Mennonites agree
about the answer to that question.
My own study of the Bible has led
me to conclude that God’s saving work
is not restricted to the confines of the
Christian church. On the one hand, it
is sobering to remember that many
“Christians,” even though they are not
heathen, are lost, because they do not
have the faith that justifies. They have
the faith without works that is dead
(James 2:14–18).
On the other hand, Scripture does not
teach that only those who are Christians
are saved. Salvation has always been by
the grace of God, through faith, because
of Jesus, but the content of that faith
varies, depending on the knowledge
that God has given people concerning
himself.
November 3, 2004
Hebrews 11:6 gives us the bottom line: “Without faith it is
impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
But notice how the
means of expressing
or demonstrating that
faith varied, depending
on the ways in which
God made himself
known to people. Noah
“built an ark” (11:7);
Abraham “set out, not
knowing where he was
going” and he “offered
up Isaac” (11:8, 17, 19);
Moses’ parents hid
him for three months
and Moses “considered
abuse suffered for the
Christ to be greater
wealth than the
treasures of Egypt”
(11:26), and Rahab
“received the spies in
peace” (11:31).
A person’s
relationship with
God is a matter
of the heart and
only God knows
people’s hearts.
T
he principle is
clearly stated in
Romans 2:12–16. We are judged according to the revelation
we receive; those who have the law (the Bible) are judged by it, but
“when Gentiles (that is, heathen), who do not possess the law, do
instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the
law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires
is written on their hearts, to which their conscience also bears
witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps
excuse them on the day when…God, through Jesus Christ, will
judge the secrets of all.”
Unfortunately, people often ignore the context of New Testament
texts which speak about people who reject Jesus. For instance, John
3:18 states that “those who believe in [Jesus] are not condemned;
but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they
have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Reading this, some have assumed that Jesus was asserting that
only those who know the name of Jesus can be saved by him. That
takes the text out of its context, which is all about the Son of God
having come into the world and having been rejected by people
who knew him. The point being clearly made is that everyone who
receives Jesus is saved and that everyone who rejects him remains
under God’s condemnation. At the most, these texts are silent about
people who do not hear about Jesus, and so we must listen to the
whole New Testament teaching to obtain the full picture.
Later in John 3, Jesus said: “For all who do evil hate the light and
do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.
But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be
clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God” (3:20–21).
What we see here is that God is doing a saving work in the lives of
some people before they learn of Jesus.
The evidence of God’s grace in their lives is seen in the way they
live, and when the good news reaches them, they accept it, and it
becomes clear that the good lives they had lived before were the
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fruit of God’s grace. They are not saved
by their works, but their works give
evidence of their faith. As Paul says,
God “will repay according to each one’s
deeds: to those who by patiently doing
good seek for glory and honor and
immortality, he will give eternal life”
(Rom. 2:6–7).
A person’s relationship with God is a
matter of the heart and only God knows
people’s hearts. Only he knows the ways
in which he has been revealing himself
to a person and only he knows whether
their response to that revelation is of the
kind which pleases him or not.
I think, for instance, of the words of a
young man in an Irian Jayan village who
received joyfully the gospel brought by
missionaries and led a people movement
to follow Christ.
Speaking of his stepfather,
Mugumende, who had died before the
missionaries arrived, the young man said:
“If Mugumende had been here when the
gospel came to our valley, he would have
been the first Christian (instead of me).”
This young man had seen in the life of his
stepfather an attitude toward God which
led him to conclude that God was at work
in his life.
H
owever rare such people may
be, it seems very unlikely to
me that people who clearly
would have believed had they heard
the gospel will be damned because
they did not hear. This is not because
such people are saved on the ground
of what they would have done but
because the attitude observed in a
man like Mugumende may demonstrate
the quality of the faith that is
instrumental in justification.
Not all Christians have the sort of
faith that pleases God. Some who are
not heathen are still lost. But some
of the heathen, by God’s grace, have
the faith of an Abel, a Rahab, a Noah,
an Abimelech, a Ruth, a Rahab or a
Naaman, and they will finally gather
with us around the throne of the Lamb
and rejoice that by his blood, Christ
“ransomed for God saints from every
tribe and language and people and
nation” (Rev. 5:9).
People sometimes fear that the
church’s missionary zeal will be sapped
if Christians come to believe that God is
able graciously to save some whom we
do not reach with the gospel. This need
4
not be so; in fact, no New Testament writer ever cited the idea that
the unevangelized cannot be saved as a motivation to evangelism.
Our job is to be faithful to Christ’s commission. Knowing that
the gospel is God’s powerful means of bringing people to salvation,
we take the good news concerning Jesus to the ends of the earth,
in obedience to our Lord. But we must remember the wonderful
blessings that we have experienced because we know God in the
fullness of his revelation in Christ.
We have the joy that comes from knowing our sins forgiven and
we have experienced the blessing of the church as a community
united in Christ as his body. God does not simply want people to
be saved in the next life, he wants them to enjoy in this life the full
benefits of salvation which come
only when the gospel is known and
lived out within a community of
believers.
God has given us the privilege
of being his witnesses, and it is
exciting to realize that God is
already at work in people’s lives
before we meet them but that
God wants to use our witness to
bring people into new or fuller
T
knowledge of himself. M
Terrance L. Thiessen, Ph.D., is
professor of systematic theology at
Providence Theological Seminary in Otterburne, Man., and a member
of Kleefeld EMC.
Moderator writes Prime Minister
about missile defence program
In a letter dated September 21, 2004, the moderator of the EMC
has written Canada’s prime minister Paul Martin to “respectfully
caution you against” involvement in the Ballistic Missile Defence
program at the invitation of the United States government.
The “technology is both unproven and highly speculative”
and its pursuit “increases both nuclear arms tension and the
wider arms race,” said Ron Penner.
He went on to say that Canada’s involvement would
“compromise our role as a middle power with a strong reputation
for peacemaking” and be “seen simply by many nations as a
matter of support America in all it does—because it is our closest
neighbour and largest trading partner.”
“For the past nearly 480 years as part of the Mennonite
Church, we have lived with the conviction that Christ calls us
to take radical, non-violent steps in peacemaking. Out of that
conviction we have approached you.”
The moderator said, “Thank you for taking the time to hear our
concerns. Rest assured of our prayers for the peace of Canada
and within the wider international community. May more of the
Lord’s kingdom come, and more of his will be done on earth as it
is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).”
Copies of the letter were forwarded to the ministers of
national defence and foreign affairs and to the leader of the
Official Opposition. The complete text of the letter is available
upon request from the national office.
THE MESSENGER
editorials
D
Douglas Robert Smith
OUGLAS Robert Smith took over a
farm before he was old enough to
have it be legally registered in his
name. He married young and had children
young, and both acts allowed us to have
him with us longer.
My older sister describes him as a man
who was private, caring, and gentle; Dad
was all of this. He was also a hard worker
and a good provider.
As his obituary notes, he had mostly
hogs for many years and later switched to
fish farming. He was a pioneer in the aqua
culture field in Alberta; in March 2004 he
was given a special award of recognition
by his peers.
Dad was a conservationist who turned a
beautiful piece of country into a sanctuary for
deer and rabbits; it was a place where a child
and a senior citizen could catch their first trout.
Anglers came from across Canada—even the
S
U.S., England, Scotland, and China. For his
conservation efforts, he was recognized by
Alberta’s Order of the Bighorn.
Few people who met my father at the
fishponds would be aware of a health
condition that had kept him on medication
for decades and hospitalized him
occasionally. On one level, that’s fine.
But knowing his condition makes Dad’s
achievements all the more remarkable.
Though he sometimes struggled in his
relationships, he never shirked his duty to
provide for his family as it grew up.
Dad died on September 25, 2004, at the
age of 66 years. Douglas Robert Smith was
a remarkable man.
Often people don’t know what to say
to those who are grieving. Here’s one
suggestion: “Tell me about your Dad.” And
T
our story is only one. M
Terry M. Smith
masthead
information
The need for faithful change
INCE August 2004 The Messenger has
made further changes.
A four-colour August cover was the
only one since 1985, and the four-colour
back-page was a first. We anticipate more
use of colour in 2005.
Assistant editor Becky Buhler designed
the August issue’s 20 pages on computer—
a major advance from my cut-and-paste
and Marvin Toews’ computer design at
Derksen Printers.
Since then, Becky has designed the
layout—except for the Tri-Conference
issue of Oct. 20, which was a broader
collaboration. For that, she deserves
recognition and thanks.
In seven years the magazine has moved
through the word processing programs of
WordPerfect and Microsoft Word to the
layout design program of PageMaker; now
we are moving to InDesign. A digital camera
was purchased this year. Technological
changes are happening, pushed partly by
changes where the magazine is published
and by our readers’ needs.
Though our budget remains modest, we
strive to produce a magazine that connects
EMCers with Christ, with each other, and
November 3, 2004
with the wider Church. We seek to do
so in an increasingly attractive way—of
which, Becky’s cover design featuring
Albert Martens (Oct. 6, 2004) was, to me,
a highlight. Your suggestions on design
changes are welcome.
Equally, our churches need to change
to effectively reach out to Canadians in
a shifting society. While the Good News
doesn’t change, our way must of relating it to
life. Too often, we are pushed by influences
around us more than internal choices.
How pastors preach, leaders teach, and
churches organize reflects not only the
Good News, but structural and cultural
expectations that have developed over
time. Such expectations, as many Christian
thinkers remind us, are sometimes not
well suited to respond to people who are
not in the Church. By so doing, the Church
limits its influence.
May we study both Scripture and
society and rely on Christ’s Spirit. Why?
So that change, which is inevitable, will be
more in line with how are we to live and
teach the message of our Lord and Saviour
T
Jesus Christ. M
Terry M. Smith
5
Fish Creek Christian Fellowship
A passion and a vision—even some details
W
AITING at the till in Ricky’s restaurant, Conroy
Koop chats with a young girl he recognizes from his
children’s school.
Then the pastor moves to his truck to head to the next
appointment. Except that the vehicle won’t start; the lights
were left on. But stranded in a mall parking lot, Conroy isn’t
stopped for long. He phones CAA and then walks to Staples to
replace a defective laptop computer.
Pausing at a crosswalk, Conroy is greeted by a driver
stopped at the intersection—a contact from his six years of
ministering in southwest Calgary. The pastor explains that
it’s a benefit of longevity; it took a couple of years of ministry
before he began to occasionally run into people that he
knows.
The service person from CAA arrives, soon the truck is
boosted, and Conroy is back on the go.
Having moved from the small community of Chortitz, Sask.,
six years ago, the 37-year-old pastor seems to have adapted
well to urban life—though he admits his family found it lonely
at first.
And while Conroy appears to be a go-getter unconcerned
with details, his use of a laptop computer, a palm pilot, a cell
phone, and a master’s degree in counselling suggests other
possibilities.
There’s a passion, a vision that drives both Fish Creek
Christian Fellowship (EMC) and Pastor Conroy Koop.
Previous to this, while seated in Ricky’s, Conroy had
patiently answered queries about the congregation. Then
comes, “What question do you wish I would ask you?” He
responds: “What are you passionate about?”
Conroy goes on to say his passion is to “see people come
to a revelation of who Jesus is and who they are…we’re
struggling people whom the Lord has desired to dwell with.”
He’s unsure of Anabaptism—he’s never taken a course on
6
it, he says—but he’s sure of people’s need for the Lord. That
shows in a breakfast meeting: He’d arranged for two newer
members of Fish Creek to tell their stories.
Donna Gould, who says she orders from the seniors’
menu, was raised Roman Catholic. Urged by a granddaughter
Michelle Fehr to attend Fish Creek, she first came about a year
ago. She “felt very welcome” and has gotten heavily involved.
Having lost many family members in the past 15 years, “my
church family is becoming more and more important all the
time, and I crave to be with them,” she says. She was baptized
on July 4, 2004. Her husband John attends services.
Time for devotions is difficult to find, but Donna appreciates
Wednesday Bible study and the safety to ask questions
in Sunday school. She feeds people well at potlucks and
Alpha—“that’s what Italian mamas do,” she says—and bakes
communion bread.
Trish Isaac and Donna Gould are newer members who have found Fish Creek
to be a caring community of believers.
THE MESSENGER
Trish Isaac, 28, became involved about a year ago. A parent
struggled after painful experiences, and Trish wasn’t raised
within a congregation.
A casual meeting with Conroy’s wife Sheila at an Usborne
Books sale (a series of children’s books from the United
Kingdom) resulted in her attending a Fish Creek service.
People hugged her, Trish remembers. She was baptized
with her husband Lincoln Isaac in May 2004. They have two
children, Starlene and Kristopher.
Conroy Koop with children Savannah, Joseph, and Mitchell. Sheila was away
for the moment.
Trish is excited to now be a Sunday school teacher from
kindergarten to grade two. Scripture and “…the fellowship
every Sunday has made a huge difference in my life,” she says.
She considers Sheila Koop to be a second mother.
Both Donna and Trish see Fish Creek as a caring, imperfect
body where they can be nurtured in Christ. What can other
pastors learn from Conroy? “Well, I believe that they can learn
that they really need to be down, you know, in the pews with
their parishioners,” says Donna, “and not hold themselves
up a little bit higher than their parishioners. Like, he’s our
pastor, but he’s a very good friend.”
Does he have any imperfections? “Oh, many,” Donna
exclaims, but “just the fact you can say that about him…
points to the fact that he is not perfect, but…he’s perfect
enough for us.”
Fish Creek Christian Fellowship meets at 464 Woodbine Blvd.,
in two sections of a strip-mall, sandwiched between Wing’s
fine food to go and Hot
Spot Pizza and Restaurant.
Rounding out Woodbine
Plaza are an Esso with a
7/11, Natalie Esthetic Salon,
and Reflections Hair Design.
On
Fish
Creek’s
storefront window, there
are seven invitations to
the introductory Alpha
program—each
saying
Everyone Welcome—and
three invitations to Sunday
school. Phone numbers are
given to contact Conroy.
Conroy was serving as
Mitchell and Joseph challenge Dad to
a few shots on net. Even the editor got a youth/associate pastor
at Wymark EMC when he
involved.
November 3, 2004
was approached to lead
a church plant in Calgary.
He and Sheila arrived
in Calgary on October
30, 1998; the church
was chartered with 17
members on March 14,
1999; and it was received
as an EMC member
congregation on July 4,
1999 (Messenger reports).
The congregation met
initially in one unit in the
mall, then retained the
space as an office and
moved its meetings for
two years to a gym at St.
Jude’s Catholic School.
When the school’s rental Pastor Conroy Koop with coffee cup at
cost increased, the church Ricky’s. A restaurant tends to be his
moved back to the mall unofficial office.
and expanded into a
second unit. The units are rented and a For Sale is posted in a front
window, but no one has followed through on purchasing the units.
With building funds available, in early September the
congregation began renovating the mall space. Five thousand
dollars and many volunteer hours later, there have been
major changes. The sanctuary is brighter and now seats 75.
New rug was installed and painting done. Walls, bathroom
and storage areas were moved. On September 26, two days
after the editor arrived, the congregation celebrated the
renovations with a potluck.
On September 25 when Conroy stops at the mall, members
are working hard. Trish and Linc Isaac are there with their
children. Lincoln is a drywaller, Darrel Penner is a carpenter,
Chris Doty (Coach) is an automotive service technician, and
Ryan Schapansky is a garage door technician. Conroy is
handy himself; he has a small construction business during
the warmer months.
The owner of a neighbouring mall unit stops by to chat.
The members and Conroy hang the music screen, install
plug-ins, place ceiling tiles, install the sound system, set up
chairs, and clean. About 3 p.m. Conroy goes for a light lunch
at Dairy Queen, then he drives home for a nap and a bit of
street hockey with his sons Joseph and Mitchell; daughter
Savannah is content to work with the new laptop.
The Board of Elders met on Saturday night with Peter and Trudy Dueck, codirectors of church planting in Canada, to build toward the congregation’s
positive future.
7
After six o’clock, Conroy is off to a restaurant meeting with
Peter and Trudy Dueck, co-directors of church planting in
Canada, and FCCF board members. But en route two phone
calls redirect him instead to Foothills Hospital, where he
cares for a family in crisis; he excuses himself to get a person’s
belongings and returns to the hospital to stay until late in the
evening.
The supper meeting and next day’s plans are disrupted,
but Conroy is calm. The Lord knows what the plans are “and
he hasn’t told me yet,” is all he says. His caring shows.
The dream of a second EMC church in Calgary goes back
at least 1995, says Garry Kornelsen, board of elders chairman
and adult Sunday school teacher, in a phone interview. He
moved to Calgary that year. By then a research organization
and Canadian Secretary Don Thiessen had identified a need
for a church in south Calgary, and Garry responded to a
request for church planters in the city.
He confirmed that people began to meet for services about
a month before Koops arrived; early participants came from
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship—members and non-members.
Les Martens moved from Manitoba to assist in the plant;
minister-in-training Dave Funk helped for six months, though
his plans were frustrated by Alberta’s high insurance rates.
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship remains a source of
fellowship. The churches join in Easter services, share
informal functions, and Abbeydale has assisted with funds
for special projects, Garry said.
There is talk of buying land and constructing a building, but
it’s an expensive act in the expanding city, Garry confirmed.
Fish Creek’s current attendance is about 50. It is drawn
from across Calgary and outside (Airdrie and Okotoks, for
instance). One challenge is to draw in more people from Fish
Creek area itself (named after a local waterway and park);
another is to have the scattered congregation connect with
each other beyond Sunday, Conroy said.
The board of elders meets each second month;
congregational meetings are held on alternate months. There
are three Sunday school classes for children and one adult
class. A pastoral intern is to begin serving soon.
The congregation tries to not be over-involved on
weeknights. Alpha is held one night and another
is held for a membership meeting or a prayer
meeting, Conroy said.
The church is named after the local area of Fish Creek, which
boasts a provincial park with eye-catching scenery.
8
Darrel Penner, Ryan Schapansky, and Chris Doty work at renovations.
In a follow-up phone interview, Conroy said that on
September 26 the 9:30 a.m. Sunday school and the 11 a.m.
worship service went well, with coffee and fellowship held in
between.
During the service Dean and Kaylene Buhler gave their
testimonies, Conroy spoke, and communion was held. A
potluck followed.
The congregation was pleased with the renovations
and excited to be together. The church is enthusiastic and
reaching out, Conroy confirmed. And while he basically
missed the meeting on Saturday evening with the Fish Creek
board and church planting directors Peter and Trudy Dueck,
he met with Duecks on Monday to plan for the congregation’s
positive future.
Presenting details might not be necessary. After all, it’s
possible to ease up on minor matters when you can sense
T
both the hearts of a church and of its pastoral couple. M
Terry M. Smith
Editor
(Most Saturday photos by editor; Sunday photos by FCCFers.)
THE MESSENGER
with our missionaries
Winnipeg, Man.
Be prepared to give an answer
It had been a long night at the drop-in
centre. All that was left for the evening was
for us to pray with the children in small
groups before eating a snack together.
Other groups were faring better than
mine. My children were squirming; it felt
more like I was guarding their energy lest
they interrupt some other more “spiritual”
group’s prayer time.
Frustrated, I raised my voice to
be heard, demanding any last prayer
requests. I caught two: that one girl’s
cat would get better, and that one boy
wouldn’t go to hell. I’m ashamed to say,
in my rush to “get this over with,” I didn’t
catch the plea in the requests. I just
grabbed the hands closest to be me in the
circle and began to pray. But God speaks
amidst the chaos and even in my not-soheartfelt prayer I suddenly understood
what I had just missed.
I quickly wrapped up the prayer and
let the group run to get their snacks as I
scooted over to the boy who had asked that
I pray he not go to hell. In the space of three
minutes, his eternity was changed forever
as he eagerly grasped the truths of the
Bible: of God’s love, his own sin, and Jesus’
redemption and complete forgiveness.
I asked if he wanted me to pray for
him—he said he wanted to do it himself
and I was completely humbled as this
eight-year-old boy, who knew so little
about our Lord, unashamedly cried out to
God in his own words and was changed.
To see him so excited after he was
finished, with the complete assurance
that God had indeed kept his promise to
him, was beautiful. But God wasn’t done.
Another boy scooted over beside us
and quietly whispered, “Me, too!” I wasn’t
sure what he meant—did he also want
to know about God? He assured me that
wasn’t the case. He had listened when I
had explained the gospel to his friend,
and when his friend had prayed, he also
did. He had also given his life to Christ!
This experience happened over a
month ago, but I continually go back to it
in my thoughts. I was so close to missing
a life-changing opportunity for two young
men, even though it was as obvious a cry
for God as I am ever likely to hear. How
often do I miss other, more subtle pleas?
Peter’s words are becoming a constant
reminder to me to “always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope that you
have” (1 Peter 3:15). People all around
us are crying out for the kind of hope we
have in Christ. I pray that I will have my
spiritual eyes open and be prepared to
seize any opportunity I may have to share
that hope.
Kirsten Sandland
Kirsten Sandland (Abbeydale) is coordinator of The Bridge drop-in centre,
Inner City Youth Alive.
Mexico
Hillside Gospel Church is blessed with new members
The September 12 morning service
at Hillside Gospel Church in Campo 306,
Los Jagueyes, Chihuahua, Mexico, was
a happy occasion. Nine couples took up
membership. This brings us to 30 active
members.
Many guests attended this special
service and were blessed especially
as these people shared their powerful
testimonies of victory in Christ. The people
are from different backgrounds and had
different struggles, but they gave glory to
God as they shared how the Word of God
had transformed their lives.
Pastor Wiebe’s message was taken from
selected verses in John 9. God is raising up
Hillside Gospel Church as a strong witness
for Jesus. He challenged us that everyone
can share what God has done in their life:
“One thing I know, I was blind and now I
see.”
So often our fear in witnessing is,
“What if I don’t have all the answers to the
question people might ask?” At times the
healed man in John 9 had to simply say, “I
don’t know.” But he knew what Jesus had
November 3, 2004
done for him: “I was blind and now I can
see.” No one can deny what God has done
in your life.
We have a weekly Bible study with two
couples in Campo 73, a German Mennonite
village. These people are so happy to learn
new Bible truths, and it is so exciting to see
how they apply these truths in their daily
lives, recently one man had gone to invite
several neighbors to come and join us in
this study; one couple came last week.
These couples are having a tremendous
impact for Jesus in their village.
We want to take this opportunity to
thank all the people who have been so
faithful in praying for us. God is faithful in
answering your prayers. We are seeing the
fruit.
Peter and Anne Wiebe
Ralph and Elisabeth Dueck, their daughter Marcella Dueck, Peter and Anne Wiebe and Maria Reddekop, were active
members in the Campo 77 church and were welcome in the Hillside Gospel Church.
Pictured are (back) Peter Wiebe, Marcella Dueck, Ricky and Lisa Kornelsen, Ben and Tina Peters, Elisabeth and
Ralph Dueck (middle) Anne Wiebe, Cornie and Anita Dueck, Henry and Eva Froese, Tina and Henry Peters, (front) Maria
Reddekop, Lisbeth and Peter Zacharias, Annie and Norman Loewen, Justina and Jacob Kornelsen, Maria and Wilhelm
Reimer.
9
Mexico
Staff ponders indigenous church planting
Are we really planting indigenous
churches? How can we strengthen
national leadership? What is being done
to work deliberately at phase-out? These
are questions that we struggled with at
our annual staff retreat. This year the
EMC Mexico missionary team met from
August 16–20 at the Bible Institute in
Steinreich, about 50 kilometers from
Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua state.
As in other years, we enjoyed each
other’s company—prodding one another
to think, play, eat, and pray together. We
relaxed in the valley of Sainapuchi, while
the clink of horseshoes accompanied the
conversation that flowed on all sides. The
four days were suddenly over, signalling
the end of our summer activity.
We were privileged to have Lester and
Darlene Olfert with us. Lester capably
served as our speaker on the topic of
Planting Indigenous Churches. Passing the
Baton, the subject of the last session,
was especially relevant—several of our
team are retiring shortly.
Maybe we came away with more
questions and doubts than answers,
somewhat
overwhelmed
by
the
complexity of our task, but it was good
to emphasize once more our purpose
for being in Mexico. In an article, Tom
Steffen states, “It takes wise and unselfish
missionaries to keep from destroying a
church-planting movement. It also takes
a nucleus of nationals who desire to be
obedient to God’s Word.” Our desire is
to be those wise and unselfish
missionaries, building the church
and investing our lives in those
around us.
During the week, we welcomed
Arnold and Tina Thiessen from
Braeside into our team. The
guesthouse in El Paso will be
their ministry involvement. We
said good-bye to Elma Janzen who
left for La Crete, Alta., after the
memorial service for her husband
George in Juarez on Friday night.
Sunday noon saw all of us return
Missionaries enjoyed each other’s company, participating in
home. Fall ministries awaited.
Alvira Friesen recreational activities as well as sessions.
Mexico missionaries gathered to discuss Planting Indigenous Churches.
Youth leaders’ retreat
Ordinary people, an extraordinary God
October 16, 2004, was a day of heavy snowfall and difficult
travelling in some parts of Manitoba. Meanwhile, at Pinawa,
whitetail deer grazed on bare green grass or lay on the lawn
outside the Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Centre.
Perhaps they could hear music coming from inside the
building.
Inside, 129 youth pastors and leaders from 27 of EMC’s 52
churches were holding a national retreat. The retreat, held
each second year, ran from Friday evening through early
Sunday afternoon.
“Thank you for choosing us,” Mo Friesen prayed on
Saturday morning. We are “lacking in so many other ways,
and yet You choose to work through us, and You called us
to…an amazing task of guiding young people towards You.”
Mo is a National Youth Committee member and associate
pastor at Steinbach EFC.
Jim Harms, director of Youth for Christ Steinbach and
10
former youth pastor of
Steinbach EMC, spoke on
Consistent Ministry in Changing
Community.
Asked to summarize his
messages, Jim said that on
Friday evening he “started out
with Joshua and Caleb, just in
their faith in God, just how that
presented the opportunity for
them to fearlessly move ahead
in the face of adversity, and do
great things for God.
“And then they were just
ordinary things in an ordinary
day, but turned out to be
amazing things for God.” This
Speaker Jim Harms
THE MESSENGER
Youth leaders gathered for worship and teaching.
led him to say that “way too many people…waste their lives
waiting for the spectacular in life,” and they miss both the
day-to-day and the spectacular opportunities.
On Saturday evening he would speak on “Joseph and how
he put his heart into his service long before he ever got the
assignment, and how he moved on and in his…advancement
still kept that same heart for God. He wore his coat, told his
dream, and just again achieved great things in God’s plan.”
On Sunday morning his focus would shift to “Peter the
fisherman, who couldn’t decide what he wanted to be, and
how God used him and turned a reed blown by every wind…
into a rock. And when Jesus left this earth he was kind of left
in charge. He wasn’t left in charge; he just kind of picked up
because there was a vacancy. Somebody’s got to fill the gap.
How does that relate? It’s because of how Jim wants
the leaders to see themselves and their work: “Just very
ordinary youth ministers impacting others and expanding
the kingdom.”
“And so that’s…my heart cry,” Harms said, “to see these
youth leaders help other kids share the life-changing message
of Christ with every Canadian young person, to give them the
opportunity to come to Christ.”
There
were
four
seminars held three times
each and three bear pit
forums,
according
to
Gerald Reimer, Conference
Youth Minister.
Tim
Gibbons
of
Braeside EMC and Mo
Friesen led a seminar on
Contemplative
Worship.
Tim said that young people
will remember a leader’s
relationship more than
a Bible study, and they
sometimes need help to
know how to pray. Mo Rest was one goal of the event, Beth
Friesen led participants in Braun said.
meditative Scripture reading, and said such reading prepared
him to preach on short notice. Handouts were given out on
spiritual disciplines such as centering prayer.
Awln Davison, pastor at St. Vital EMC, spoke on Homosexual
Issues. Jim Harms had a workshop on Volunteer Training. Irma
Janzen, of Fort Garry EMC and MCC Canada, led a seminar on
Kids and Depression. She emphasized that society and the
church need to view mental illness as “normal,” just as some
people have other conditions.
Participants discussed signs of depression. Three role
plays illustrated how Christians can hinder or help people
struggling with depression. MCC has pamphlets dealing
with youth and depression and youth and suicide, and study
resources such as Honest Talk About Serious Mental Illness
(Presbyterian Church USA) are available, Janzen said.
She encouraged leaders to invite resource people to
educate in Sunday school about depression or the pastor
could preach on the topic.
“The sessions were truly challenging,” said Nathan Dueck,
a leader from Pleasant Valley EMC.
Beth Braun, National Youth Committee chairperson and
Crestview Fellowship’s youth director, said by phone, “I’m
really pleased with how this turned out.”
She said that the committee had two main goals: To
provide for leaders a time of teaching and training, and “a
time of Sabbath” (a time of rest). “And I think we
really accomplished both of those goals.”
Terry M. Smith
Editor
(photos by editor)
Mo Friesen and Tim Gibbons (top left)
led a seminar on Contemplative Worship.
Awln Davison (top right) spoke on
Homosexual Issues. Irma Janzen (right)
encouraged churches to understand
mental illness in Kids and Depression.
November 3, 2004
Joan and Doug Driedger, and Elaine and Sheldon Wiebe are youth
leaders at Burns Lake, B.C.
11
with our churches
Family and day camps held
Treesbank, Man.: On August 6–8 the
Treesbank Community Church held our
Annual Family Camp at Spruce Woods
Provincial Park. A rain shower on Sunday
morning made for close fellowship under
the picnic shelter. Erna Plett, who grew
up in this church, shared about her many
years of experience with EMC missions
in Paraguay.
Thirty-six children registered for Day
Camp on August 9. It was held in the
evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the
church. Each evening included singing,
a humourous skit, Bible story, crafts,
woodworking and a snack. On Thursday
evening we held the closing program and
Children and helpers work on a craft at Day Camp.
a wiener roast to which all the family and
friends were invited.
On September 13 the ladies held our
annual birthday party. This year we
spent the evening at the home of Janet
Hamilton. The ladies enjoyed games led
by Janet and Allison Dresen. The ladies
received goody bags and relived some of
their childhood by decorating their own
cupcake.
In September we started the ALPHA
course in evenings at two different
homes.
Lucille Penner
VBS and pastoral
changes
Anola, Man.: The week of July 4 we hosted
Vacation Bible School, titled Adventure
Week with Uncle Harold. Harold Field
presented the gospel clearly through
puppet shows, flannel graph, chalk-talks,
and ventriloquism. Children and adults
alike found Willy to be hilarious.
An average of 63 children came every
night, of which less than half attend our
regular Sunday school program. What
a mission field God has given us! All
praise to Him and many thanks to the
volunteers—over 30 of them—who made
this adventure week possible.
On a different note, Pastor Jack (John)
Cosens is taking a sabbatical from pastoral
work. He has served our congregation
in Anola for 15 and a half years and is
looking forward to new opportunities
ahead. At our Sunday school picnic we
presented Pastor Jack and Brenda with
a thank-you gift: A beautiful set of wicker
furniture. Pastor Mel Koop of Steinbach
is currently serving as interim pastor.
Jessica Wichers
Erna Plett shared about her experiences as a
missionary in Paraguay during Treesbank’s
Family Camp held August 6–8.
Youth and leaders, mark your calendars!
The “watering trough” has always been well-used
at VBS.
Peter Hall demonstrates Uncle Harold and Willy were
the use of his pottery wheel special guests at VBS.
during craft time.
12
THE MESSENGER
VBS at Swan Plain and Pelly
Pelly, Sask.: Pelly Fellowship Chapel
sponsored VBS programs in the Swan
Plain area August 9–13, and in Pelly
August 16–20.
Connie Hamm was director for the
Swan Plain program with 14 students,
all eager to learn and participate. Being
part of the teaching team was a pleasure.
There was time for singing, snacks, games
and learning memory verses. Friday at 1
p.m. was the closing program with a good
number of parents and grandparents
who came out to hear what the children
had to present. Time was spent visiting
over refreshments.
Twyla Hamm was director for Pelly.
With 31 children enrolled and 29 that
attended regularly, the staff was kept
Twyla Hamm led VBS in Pelly (left photo) and Connie Hamm directed efforts in Swan Plain (left photo).
busy. The snack and craft time each
related to the theme of the day. There was
lots of lively singing and many children
were eager to say the memory verse. A
video was shown each day and story
time was sometimes done as a drama.
Friday at noon the closing program was
presented, followed by a hot dog lunch
for all those attending.
Twyla and Connie each did a super
job directing and were very appreciative
of all the helpers.
On Sunday, August 22, Murray Vader,
a former pastor in our church, presented
the work of Avant Ministries. Murray and
his family are currently living in St.Paul,
Alta., where they are preparing to go to
Spain as church planters. Following the
Sunday morning service we gathered at
the Pelly Park for a noon lunch and a picnic.
Many of the families whose children had
attended VBS were there. The rain stayed
away, so it was a good day.
Vivian Anfinson
Crestview hears sheep stories
Mission Aviation Fellowship in Lesotho.
It was an eye-opening report as
Melvin shared of his flight experiences
to remote places and of getting to know
the customs of a foreign country. He
came dressed in traditional herdsman
attire: blanket, rubber boots, straw hat
and carrying a whip. Thank you, Melvin,
for sharing of your story. May we be
reminded to follow God’s leading as we
“tend to the flock” that God has placed
each of us in.
Vacation Bible School has come and
gone again for another summer. Wow,
what an incredible opportunity
for ministry to young “sheep.”
Lots of volunteers from the
church came together to
help make SonGames 2004
happen. Then, kids came, had
a great time and, hopefully,
went back home and told
their experiences to family
and friends. May the Good
News of salvation continue to
spread as these kids and so
many others around the world
participating in VBS ministries
hear of the Shepherd who
invites us to His fold.
Darlene Wiebe
On June 27 four new members were added to our congregation:
Crestview (Winnipeg, Man.): The last
Sunday of June was a day of celebration as
four sheep were added to the fold of our
church. Mother and daughter, Chantale
Dallaire and Jamye Beaudin were
baptized and received into membership.
Jeff and Sharon Doerksen transferred in
their membership. New life added to the
congregation is always exciting.
Melvin and Kari Peters, former
attendees of Crestview, were scheduled
to report of their ministry in Africa on
July 18. (Kari was not able to make it.
We missed you.) Melvin is a pilot with
Chantale Dallaire and Jamye Beaudin through baptism, and Sharon
and Jeff Doerksen through transfer.
November 3, 2004
Melvin Peters gave a presentation in traditional
Lesotho attire.
13
ABRAM A. REDEKOPP
1917–2004
Abram A. Redekopp passed away at 5:30
p.m. on June 20, 2004. He had reached the
age of 87 years. We will miss him, but we
know this was an answer to his prayers.
Abram was born at Hopefield, Sask.,
on January 6, 1917. He grew up there and
attended school there. In the Depression
years, he moved to Alberta and worked
on various farms. Later, he returned
to Saskatchewan and began farming
by renting land. He worked long hours
with small equipment, including custom
work, so he could buy land and larger
implements. By 1943 he felt well enough
established that he could marry. He
married his beautiful bride, Sarah Olfert of
Reinfeld, on April 26.
After living and farming for several
years near Neidpath, Sask., Abe and Sarah,
along with their two children moved to the
Olfert farm in Reinfeld, where two more
children were born. There they lived until
1977, when they moved to Swift Current.
Abe continued to farm until his early
eighties.
Abe enjoyed the farm, but he was also
very active in church work. For many
years he taught Sunday school and led
congregational singing. He enjoyed his
children and grandchildren, and played
many games of crokinole and scrabble
with them.
Shortly after Sarah’s passing in
September 2000, Abe moved into the
Bentley Residence, but his stay was brief.
Within seven months he was hospitalized
and resided at the Swift Current Care
Centre for one and a half more years, until
the time of his passing.
Abram leaves to cherish his memory
his children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren:
son
Walter
(Lena)
Redekopp and their sons, Brian, Dwayne
and Scott; daughter Sally (Jake) Knelsen
and their children, Chrys (Kim) Knelsen,
Corinne (Greg) Miller and their sons, Noah
and Jake, Kevin (Marnie) Knelsen and
their daughter, Micah; son Frank (Shirley)
Redekopp and their sons, Daren (Renae)
Redekopp, Jared (Gudrun) Redekopp, and
Randy Redekopp; son Leonard Redekopp
and his sons, Rob Ryan and Darcy
14
Redekopp, and Darcy’s children, Destiny
and Danielle Drinkwater.
He is also remembered by his sisters,
Katherine Friesen and Anne Schmidt;
his brothers-in-law, Abe X. Olfert, Jacob
(Esther) Olfert, and Jake Teichrib; sistersin-law, Annie Fast, Helen (George) Driedger,
Mary (Marlon) Hanson, Neta Spetzer, Mary
Olfert, Mary Redekopp; and by numerous
nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his wife, Sarah,
September 30, 2000; his parents, Abraham
and Margaretha Redekopp; two brothers
in childhood; sisters, Mary Heppner,
Margaret Friesen and Susan Olfert;
brother, John Redekopp; his parents-inlaw, Franz and Elizabeth Olfert; a grandson,
Kenneth Knelsen; and by a great-grandson,
Emmanuel Redekopp.
The Funeral Service was held on
Thursday, June 24, 2004 at 2:00 p.m. at
the Cornerstone Fellowship Church, Swift
Current, Sask., with Rev. Bryon Bezanson
and Rev. Randall Krahn officiating. The
pianist for the service was Faith Krahn
with special music brought by Corinne
Miller, singing Amazing Grace. A tribute
to Abe Redekopp was presented by Frank
Redekopp with Rev. Randall Krahn reading
the life history. My Savior’s Love, In the
Sweet By and By, He Leadeth Me and When
We All Get To Heaven were sung by the
congregation under the direction of Rev.
Bryon Bezanson. The ushers in the church
were Jake Driedger, Ken Dyck and Bill
Neustaeter.
The interment service was held at the
Hillcrest Cemetery, Swift Current, Sask.,
with the following serving as pallbearers:
Jared Redekopp, Darcy Redekopp, Kevin
Knelsen, Chrys Knelsen, Greg Miller and
Peter Wiebe.
In memory of Abe Redekopp, donations
made to the Gideons International or
to the Cornerstone Fellowship Church
Building Fund would be appreciated by
the family. Funeral arrangements were in
care of Swift Current Funeral Home, Swift
Current, Sask.
His Family
Women’s EMC Hockey
Saturday, January 22, 2005
All players must be EMC members or regular
attenders!
Come and have a great time! Register by
November 15, 2004. Call Laura Thiessen at
204-475-1419 or e-mail cl_thiessen@excite.
com.
*This year, there will be no playoffs
ABRAM REIMER
1938–2004
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who
are weary and carry heavy burdens, and
I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Abram Reimer, husband, father,
and grandfather, entered eternity on
September 11, 2004, around 1:30 in the
afternoon, after a lengthy illness. The
last few days he spent in the Tillsonburg
hospital again where he peacefully left
this world, to go and meet his heavenly
Father.
He was born on June 1, 1938 in Durango,
Mexico, to Martin and Katharina Reimer.
He reached the age of 66 years, three
months and 10 days.
He was baptized in the Old Colony
Church in the spring of 1960 by Bishop
Johan Wiebe.
Abram married me, Margaret Peters,
on September 25, 1960. We have shared
joy and sorrow for 44 years, minus 14
days.
We left the Old Colony church in 1987,
and moved to Ontario, Canada, in 1988,
where we still lived.
He has often been sick during his
lifetime, which caused him to be in and
out of the hospital many times. Eleven
years ago he was diagnosed with cancer,
of which he later got healed again.
Abram is survived by me, his wife,
Margaret; our children, Katharina and
Jacob Dyck, Ontario; John and Trudy
Reimer, Ontario; Susanna and Cornelius
Redecop, Durango, Mexico; Margaret
and Abe Thiessen, Ontario; Lisa, Ontario;
Helen, Ontario; and Abe and Katharine
Reimer, Ontario; plus 15 grandchildren
and five sisters.
He was predeceased by his parents,
four children in their infancy, three
brothers and two sisters.
We do not grieve as those who have
no hope, but are looking forward to
the day when we will be reunited in the
Lord’s presence.
The funeral was held at Straffordville EMC.
His wife and family
THE MESSENGER
shoulder tapping
Mennville EMC, a rural church near Riverton, Man.,
seeks a half-time youth leader/pastor to give
spiritual leadership and be a program director for
a youth group of approximately 25 to 30. Call for
information or send resume to Kenton Barkman, Box
576, Riverton, MB R0C 2R0. Phone 204-378-5623 or email [email protected].
The Archives Committee, under the EMC Board of
Church Ministries, seeks a part-time volunteer
archivist to work out of the Steinbach, Man., office.
Tasks involve the organizing, filing and tracking of
historical materials within the vault and over-flow areas
in the building. Assets are an interest in history and a
skill or willingness to operate a computer database; an
exceptional asset would be the ability to read German.
For information, contact executive secretary Terry
Smith at 204-326-6401 or [email protected].
Endeavour Fellowship Chapel (EMC), a warm, friendly
congregation with 50 to 60 in attendance on Sunday
morning, seeks a pastor. It is located in a small town/
rural part of east-central Saskatchewan, between
Yorkton and Hudson Bay.
The church is flexible in standards for both candidate
education and experience. As an evangelical church
in town, it serves a wide range of people. Contact
chairman of elders Neil Fenske at 306-547-4738 or Box
263, Endeavour, SK S0A 0W0.
Pelly Fellowship Chapel (EMC) is looking for a fulltime lead pastor. Pelly is a small rural community
(300 people) in east-central Saskatchewan. The
congregation averages 40 on Sunday mornings and
is the only evangelical church in the community.
Please forward your resume or questions to
the search committee by mail at Box 70, Pelly, SK
S0A 2Z0 or phone Eugene Prokott at 306-5952287, Lewis Anfinson at 306-594-2151, or e-mail
[email protected].
MDS workers are needed! Canadian volunteers,
remember to connect with the MDS office in Winnipeg
prior to making service arrangements directly with an
MDS project. This will ensure that you receive a border
crossing letter, travel assistance/receipting details and
other important MDS information. Extension office:
866-261-1274.
Braeside EMC in Winnipeg, Man., is seeking a fulltime associate pastor of Spanish ministries. The
applicant should be familiar with the Anabaptist
perspective and willing to be guided by the EMC
statement of faith. Responsibilities to include:
pastoral care, teaching, and outreach. The Spanish
part of the Braeside congregation has an average
attendance of 60 people.
Please forward your resume and references
to Braeside Evangelical Mennonite Church, Attn:
Spanish Ministry Search Committee, 1011 Munroe
Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2K 1J7.
Inner City Youth Alive is an organization in the North
End of Winnipeg, Man., that reaches youth and
their families in the community. It seeks a program
director that should possess pastoral gifts and be
ready to support and encourage the staff team.
Phone: 204-582-8779. E-mail: [email protected]. Website:
www.innercityyouthalive.org.
Riverton Gospel Chapel (EMC), a small rural town
in Manitoba’s Interlake, seeks a loving leading
pastor. Housing is included in the salary package.
This friendly and loving congregation has an average
November 3, 2004
attendance of 75–100, with a high percentage of
young families. The area has good schools.
Contact Paul Peters, board chair, by mail: Box
356, Riverton, MB R0C 2R0, by e-mail: paul@vidir.
com, or by phone: 204-378-2740 (home), 204-3642442 (work).
La Crete Christian Fellowship seeks a full-time
youth pastor, an energetic leader with vision who
has a geniune love and passion to reach out to
young people and the ability to be a partner with us
to build a strong ministry with the young people in
our congregation and community.
Join dedicated parents and adults eager to be
led and students ready to grow and learn. This
person will work primarily with high school and
junior youth, and also with children’s ministry.
We’re eager to incorporate new ideas and capitalize
on the gifts and talents of our youth pastor.
This person should have some understanding and
respect for EMC theology, diversity, and traditions.
There is a generous salary, health insurance, and a
new house to live in. La Crete is located in beautiful
northern Alberta, eight hours north of Edmonton.
To find out more about La Crete and the church, see
www.lacretechamber.com; www.telusplanet.net/
public/lccfc; e-mail: [email protected] or lfem@telus.
net; phone: Frank Winsor at LCCF, 780-928-3783.
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship (ACF) Church of
Calgary is seeking a lead pastor with strengths
in preaching, teaching and pastoral care. Duties
would also include mentoring lay leadership. ACF
is a medium sized congregation (170-200) in east
Calgary seeking to disciple members and attendees,
encourage their gifts and involvement in the church,
and reach out to the neighbourhood and families of
church adherents. ACF is part of the EM Conference.
Please submit resumes in confidence to SearchCommi
[email protected] by December 1, 2004.
Executive foreign secretary for the EMC Board
of Missions. Responsibilities: Administration,
visiting Latin American mission fields, recruitment,
promoting EMC missions, and reporting to
the board. Qualifications that are important
considerations: A ministry degree, a working
knowledge of Spanish, and missions/ministry
experience. Some training may be provided. Starting
date: Mid-2005 (negotiable). Send inquiries and
resumes to: Chairman, EMC Board of Missions,
440 Main St., Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5, or e-mail:
[email protected].
Head cook sought for year-round employment at Red
Rock Bible Camp in southeast Manitoba. Must work
well with people, be service oriented, be a team player,
agree with the camp’s mission and statement of faith,
and have experience and training in the food service
industry or be willing to be trained. Cook is responsible
to the food services director. Housing, partial board,
salary, medical and dental benefits provided. Send
resume to RRBC, 204-320 Main St., Steinbach, MB R5G
1Z1; Email:[email protected].
MCC Manitoba seeks support workers for a new
fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program. They
will work as a team to provide one-on-one support
for an adult living with FASD, have excellent
communication skills and at least one year of
relevant social services experience or education.
Full- or part-time, morning and evening hours are
available. Contact program manager Jewel Reimer
at 204-783-0897 or e-mail [email protected].
BLF Canada, a non-denominational evangelical
mission that publishes and distributes Christian
literature for the French-speaking world, seeks a
director. If you feel that God has equipped you for
this position with Biblical Literature Fellowship, see
our website at www.blfusa. Send your resume to BLF
Canada, Box 42145, RPO Ferry Road, Winnipeg, MB R3J
3X7.
MCC Manitoba seeks a full-time program team
leader. A member of the MCCM management team,
this person supports the work of program staff and
coordinate overall goals and objectives of the team.
Contact Janelle Siemens at jms@mennonitecc.
ca or Sol Janzen at [email protected] or 204261-6381 for information. Application deadline is
December 10, 2004. Women and members of visible
minorities are encouraged to apply. MCC workers
are to exhibit a commitment to a personal Christian
faith and discipleship, active church membership
and non-violent peacemaking.
Convention Offerings for 2004
Steinbach Bible College $5,360.00
Convention Expenses $5,879.00
Ladies Session
$801.00
Missions
$12,544.00
Total
$24,584.00
coming events
December 3
EMC Ministerial
MacGregor EMC
MacGregor, Man.
204-326-6401
December 4
EMC Conference Council
Portage Evangelical Church
Portage la Prairie, Man.
204-326-6401
March 19–21, 2005
EMC Ministerial Retreat
Wilderness Edge Retreat Centre
Pinawa, Man.
204-326-6401
July 1–3, 2005
2005 EMC Convention
Peace River Bible Institute
Sexsmith, Alta.
204-326-6401
Available!
The 2004 issue of
The Journal of Mennonite Studies
Return of the Kanadier
Royden Loewen, [email protected]
515 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9
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included.
15
I
God in the Yukon
n the summer of 1898,
about a hundred thousand
people trekked from
all over North America,
facing formidable odds and
elements, up to the Yukon
frontier. They were driven, or
called, by the lure of gold.
In the summer of 2004, a family of six in a mini-van
trekked from Morris, Man., up to the Yukon. They were
called by God to undertake a short, family mission
trip. We had the opportunity to help at Marsh Lake
Bible Camp, which is nestled in the mountains south of
Whitehorse.
I was asked to direct the three weeks of camp, while
my wife Janine served alternately as program director and
camp nurse. Our older two children, Kyle and Mandie,
served as junior counsellors the second two weeks.
As I reflect on our little adventure, some things
stand out in my mind. First, if you get an opportunity
to do something different—out of the routine—go for
it. While it took some planning and some sacrifices
(being away from home and church for six weeks), it
was invigorating to embark on something completely
different, going to a place we’d never been. We trusted
that God had led us to the Yukon, and He would go
before us.
Second, we were blessed to see how God
orchestrates things in His kingdom. There, in a
somewhat remote corner of creation, He brought
together believers from all sorts of places (even
Europe) and all sorts of backgrounds to work
together in camp ministry with one purpose:
To serve God and see people meet Jesus. It was
humbling to be part of His plan in this specific
way.
Third, it was gratifying to be involved in a
ministry project that our children could join in
on. We trust that their experiences will remain
as lifelong memories, and that the Yukon will
always remind them of when they saw God at
work.
Fourth, we did indeed see Him work. Each
of the three weeks of camp ministry saw kids
PAGE 16
Our family with SEND International summer interns (Jessica, Ljuba, Serge,
Rhiannon, and Scott) in Whitehorse. Four on far right: Kyle, Janine, Rachel
and Ward. Far left: Mandie and James (behind Ljuba).
come to know Jesus. Many of these young lives have
seen more than their share of trouble and heartache
already, coming from broken or abusive homes. Pray
that the seeds planted at camp will grow to full fruitbearing plants. Each of the three weeks of camp also
saw staff members and counselors grow in their faith
and delight in His service. God stretches us to refine
us, like gold.
While we did include a trip up to the Klondike, and
even hunted for gold on Bonanza Creek, the real gold
we came away with far outshines any shiny nugget this
world could offer.
Ward Parkinson
Canoeing on the Yukon River through Miles Canyon.
THE MESSENGER
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