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Message from the Director Canada has a rich heritage of global engagement. In the midst of our present global realities, we must not succumb to the temptation to retrench and pull back our resources. Signs of hope abound. A new generation of Canadian twenty- and thirty-somethings are eager to engage in the mission of God. New approaches to working together as a global church are increasing. Churches in the global south are sending out personnel in significant numbers and new ways of training people for global service are being developed. Learning to navigate our increasingly interconnected world, in concert with our global church family, is one of the primary challenges for our resourcerich Canadian church. Increasingly, Christians from the global south are seeking to become evangelists to Christendom and so the missions enterprise has come full-circle — the “missionized” are themselves becoming “missionaries.” The result is that missions in the 21st century is no longer primarily a western enterprise but a collaborative global effort. Missions is now, as Samuel Escobar observes in The New Global Mission, from “everywhere to everyone.” Non-Christian faiths are also on the move, carried to Canada by the currents of technological advances and the immigration policies of the late 20th century. The continual flow of new Canadians with their diversity of
cultures and religious perspectives is forcing Canadian Christians to developer deeper understanding of their faith. We are called to a renewed commitment to a life in Christ that is authentic, with the skills and knowledge needed to articulate the claims of Christ in meaningful ways to a culturally and religiously diverse population right in our own neighborhoods. In response to this new global context, the Jaffray Center for Global Initiatives brings together interested Canadian and international partners to generate innovative, collaborative new initiatives: initiatives that integrate research and reflection in a way that leads to action and implementation. We provide formal and informal educational opportunities for our constituents in various regions in Canada and around the globe, we partner with our stakeholders in the task of developing globally oriented and locally engaged disciples, and we model kingdom values in the context of collaborative initiatives that integrate the Christian community in its local social context. Join us in this exciting journey to bring honor to God as we intentionally engage these new global realities. u Charles Cook is Professor of Global Studies and Missions and Director of the Jaffray Center for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University.
Perspectives is published twice a year for the Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University January 2017 IN THIS ISSUE The AngExchange Supporting the Friends of Jaffray REBOOT Helping young adults transition to Canadian life Coffee, Comfort and Community Business as Mission The Jaffray Centre Engaging the world in new and meaningful ways Friends of Jaffray Thich Truong Diaspora Missiology with Sadiri Joy Tira @JaffrayCentre @jaffraycentreglobal jaffrayglobal.com
The angExchange... friends of Jaffray The Jaffray Centre is grateful to you, the “friends of Jaffray” who have come alongside us over the years to fund numerous initiatives. Initiatives that continue to connect Ambrose University with it long storied history of global engagement. The angExchange, is one such initiative generated through the generosity of Michael and Rosario Ang. The Ang endowment honors Michael and Rosario Ang for their years of transnational engagement and provides Ambrose University with opportunities to globalize its faculty and students by providing opportunities to teach, research and collaborate with institutions of higher education in the Philippines. The Ang family were some of the early “friends of Jaffray,” who came along side Jaffray in support of our vision to provide new ways of engaging the mission of God through education. Over the past half century, this new Canadian, Chinese-Filipino couple from Davao City, Philippines who settled for a season in Vancouver and Calgary, faithfully carried out a unique transnational ministry of stewarding their calling in business on both sides of the Pacific. The Ang family story is perhaps, on one level, similar to many new Canadians’ sojourns. Michael and Rosario and their five children left the Philippines in the early 70s to settle in Canada. Disheartened by the increasing challenges in their homeland generated by the Marcos regime, the Ang’s left their fledgling business in Davao to eventually settle in Calgary, Canada. Needing to provide for his family, Michael defaulted to the business he was familiar with and began to build a foundry. The Ang’s
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Rosario (L) and Michael Ang.
resolve was regularly tested having launched their business at the height of the 80s economic downturn that gripped the city. Tenacity, born out of much prayer and hard work, enabled them to stick with the business and eventually experience a measure of success in the years that followed. Rosario is quick to acknowledge that any success over the years can only be attributed to prayer and hard work. Characteristics no doubt shaped on the anvil of the cruel edges of their early lives. Subjected to the horrors of WWII and the occupation of the Japanese; Rosario recalls it was only through God’s miraculous intervention that she and four siblings narrowly escaped with their lives, but in the process they tragically lost both their parents and five of the ten siblings. For Michael the scarcity and difficulties of that era fueled within him a strong resolve to make something of himself. Following the war, he graduated with honors in engineering at Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila. While still a freshman, an unassuming
The Ang family were early “friends of Jaffray” who came alongside Jaffray in support of its vision to provide new ways of engaging the mission of God through education. (recently evacuated) pastor from China shared the gospel with him and his journey of faith began. Rosario and Michael married soon thereafter, and a dynamic business partnership evolved. Rosario’s inner resolve coupled with Michael’s entrepreneurship set the stage for a 61 year partnership that enabled them to launch several businesses, engage in numerous ministries, and effectively raise five children: Michael, Isidro, Carlos, Lourdes and Sonia. As new Canadians, the Ang family quickly settled into life in western Canada. First Alliance became their church home and Wendell Grout their pastor. All of their children attended Canadian Universities and over time Canada became home. In time, their JAFFRAY CENTRE PERSPECTIVES
businesses both in Canada and the Philippines began to thrive. A fact that Michael and Rosario readily attributes to God’s grace and their willingness to trust Him as they invested their time and hard work. Throughout their time in Canada, the Ang’s never forgot their homeland and their humble beginnings. And so it comes as no surprise that as God blessed them they continued to find ways to share that blessing with others in their homeland. In the mid-90s Michael and Rosario left Calgary and once again took up residence in Davao City, Philippines. Back in Davao City and well into their 60s, Michael and Rosario began formulating plans to fulfill a dream of creating a Christian College as a way of investing in future generations of Filipino leaders. Their dream was eventually realized in 2004 with the successful launch of the Christian Colleges of Southeast Asia (CCSA). The College along with its sister elementary and secondary schools provide an alternative faith based education in Davao City. Today the College offers nine bachelor’s degrees and has an enrollment of 860 students. CCSA and its 307 graduates stand as a testimony to Michael and Rosario’s vision to invest in the future of the Philippines by providing a values based Christian College opportunity for many young adults. Scholarships over the years have provided opportunities for many indigenous people to avail themselves of a College education where they are able to contribute to Filipino society through a variety of vocations.
foundation that coordinated the granting of resources for a variety of ministries in Davao and throughout the Philippines. Over the years OHFI has been instrumental in the development of numerous church ministries and in the support of rural pastors and their families called to minister hard and out-of-the-way places. Quarterly, the pastors and their families meet for mutual encouragement and spiritual enrichment.
Welcome
A visit to Davao City would not be complete without dropping in on the Wednesday night dinner and bible study in the Ang’s home. For over 25 years now, every Wednesday night (when in Davao), Rosario oversees the preparation of a meal for friends and family (some 70-90 guests) where the evening revolves around friendship, fellowship, food and a bible study. “Wednesday nights at the Angs” is a regular fixture in the lives of many of “Mama Ang’s” friends, family and business associates and is one way that Rosario has found to bless others and express her faith. u
South America. She has worked
The Jaffray Centre is pleased to welcome our newest convener Jennifer Singh. Jen has recently joined Ambrose University as the Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies. Jen’s cross-cultural awareness began in the diverse city of Toronto where she grew-up in a nominally Hindu household as a first-generation Canadian, born to immigrant parents from Guyana, and lived overseas in Asia and Africa, and has recently returned from Ethiopia where she was working with a local organization helping women out of prostitution. She is currently working on her doctorate in the area of the role and response of the evangelical church to prostitution in Ethiopia. We are glad to have Jen as a part of Ambrose and the Jaffray Centre.
In this edition of Perspectives, the Jaffray Center is delighted to be able to honor the Michael and Rosario Ang family, early “friends of Jaffray”. A family whose transnational vocational calling enabled them to use their skills as entrepreneurs and business leaders to engage creatively in ministry on both sides of the Pacific.
In time other initiatives followed generated by the Outreach Helper Foundation Inc. (OHFI). OHFI was created as an innovative interdenominational
FRESH WAYS OF LOOKING AT GOD’S GLOBAL MISSION
Jennifer Singh (left) with her close friend in Ethiopia.
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Transition to life in Canada
ReBoot is a re-entry camp for young Canadian adults who have grown up in a different culture and are making the huge transition to life in Canada.
Being with a group of 20-25 teenagers 24/7 for a solid week is not exactly part of a restful summer vacation, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! ReBoot is a re-entry camp for young Canadian adults who have grown up in a different culture and are making the huge transition to life in Canada. Some of them are heading to university while others will work, but all of them come with questions, some fears, and lots of energy to discover what it will be like to live here. Along with a staff of a dozen amazing and skilled volunteers, it is a privilege to lead ReBoot each summer at Ambrose University, in partnership with the Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives and the Canadian MK Network. The MKs (Missionary Kids, aka TCKs - Third Culture Kids) quickly bond as they realize that this group of people “gets” them — they understand the shared experience of living as an expatriate, where you don’t completely belong — and then coming “home” to Canada to discover that you don’t completely belong here either! They are all in a transition phase, having left behind their adopted country, their friends, family, pets and home, so part of our focus at ReBoot is to help them process their losses, retain their unique identity and move forward with tools to enter this next phase. And in the midst of this week, transformation occurs! This is what motivates me and my staff to be part of ReBoot — we see God at work in the honest processing that happens, and we see love, acceptance and encouragement between each ReBoot MK and staff member. Some of the MKs return as staff in subsequent years, and we have opportunities to engage in ongoing mentoring and leadership development. It is an amazing week with impact that continues on! u Cyndy Ingram
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Coffee, comfort and community I’ve always liked coffee shops. Not only do I like coffee, but I love the potential for impact on the lives of those coffee shops bring together — the coffee farmers, the staff, the customers, and the neighbourhood. Life happens over coffee, and in a world that is always on the go — increasingly disconnected from people and community — coffee shops provide a place of comfort and familiarity. Whether it’s a business meeting over a cappuccino, friends catching up over chai tea, or an Americano on the run, a good café can become an important part of your week. With so many points of connection and interaction with the community, coffee shops can be a wonderful platform for Business as Mission (BAM), and that has captured my heart. When traveling through Asia I always kept an eye out for the unique coffee shops along the way, and it was while sitting in a Vietnamese coffee shop which employed disabled staff that I felt God’s call and began the journey which led me to Ambrose Seminary to get a master’s degree in intercultural ministry. After doing an internship in a coffee shop in Laos through the inSight program at Ambrose, I was fortunate enough to be able to return to Southeast Asia and once again work in a café. For the past three years, I managed two cafes with over forty staff members. I loved working with my staff, many of whom were under twenty years old and wouldn’t have been able to get good jobs elsewhere because of lack of education or family circumstances. I also enjoyed interacting with the customers who came from all over the world. Managing a western style café in a developing country has it’s challenges — dealing with poor electricity and plumbing; sourcing ingredients; and navigating different cultural understandings of service and work ethic to name a few — but it also has so much potential for God to shine through. Being successful in BAM requires intentionality; it requires you give attention to both the business and the ministry.
There are so many opportunities in business to also be missional — it just requires paying attention and letting God lead the way.
But done well, it opens up opportunities for relationships to develop and question to be asked: members of the business community take notice and ask how you can pay your taxes, treat your staff well, and still be profitable; staff members notice that the boss cares about them, and customers appreciate the listening ear as they share about the challenges of their day. There are so many opportunities in business to also be missional — it just requires paying attention and letting God lead the way. Now, having finished my time in Asia and recently moved back to Canada, I’m starting a new chapter working with the Jaffray Centre. I’m excited to be working with this great group of people, and being a part of the work the Jaffray Centre is doing both in Calgary and around the world. There will still be coffee shops in my day to day, but this time I’ll be on the other side of the counter. u Lauren Goldbeck FRESH WAYS OF LOOKING AT GOD’S GLOBAL MISSION
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Engaging the world in new and meaningful ways
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Education, Training and Global Awareness globaLearning worldView mLearning firstPeoples onMission transForm
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What is the Jaffray Centre? We often refer to the Jaffray Centre as a combination incubator/greenhouse where new ideas, collaborative initiatives, and fresh ways of looking at God’s global mission are nurtured, developed and then launched into service in the church and in the world. Each of the four hubs (Research Projects and Publishing; Educations, Training and Global Awareness; Global projects and partnerships; and Church in Mission Events and Services) houses the different initiatives we’re working on, and we’re always adding more. The Jaffray Centre is made up of people like you and me who want to engage the world around them in new and meaningful ways. Through collaborative project development, training, and research projects, the Jaffray Centre seeks to rekindle and ignite a passion for God’s unending concern for people. Interested in any of our current initiatives or have ideas for new ones? We’d love to hear from you.
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Friends of Jaffray - The Truongs Thich Truong graduated from Ambrose Seminary in 2012 and since then has pastored in churches in Calgary and Ottawa. Thich is married to Alyssa, also an alumni of Ambrose Seminary, and have a delightful four-year-old son, Elliott. In Calgary, Thich helped to setup an English Conversation Café for a local church and was involved in creating relational connections between the church and neighbourhood agencies. While in Ottawa, Thich and his family helped to create pathways for a local church to reach into their neighbourhood and participate in intercultural relationships and ministries. The Truongs participated in a vibrant online community in Ottawa that led to in-home relationships. They created a meal-swapping network for busy families and culinary enthusiasts and also taught individuals and families how to make Vietnamese cuisine as a community-building exercise. These relational community initiatives developed into deep friendships and opportunities to discuss spirituality and faith in a secular city. Thich has been interviewed on the Global Missions Podcast in 2015 about how to develop relationships through online communities and translating them into faceto-face communities. (http://globalmissionspodcast.com/005/)
EVENT
CALENDAR Signing of the Tyndale MOU January 17, 2017 Cultural Intelligence Training Session with Dr. Bradley D. Friesen February 4, 2017 Cultural Fluency Workshops Millbourne Community Life Centre, Edmonton Spring 2017 firstPeoples Davao, Philippines May 2017 Mission Huddle Red Deer, Alberta March 2, 2017 Mission Leaders Think Tank April 2017 Kairos Course Ambrose University May 15-20, 2017 reBoot Alberta 2017 Ambrose University August 5-12, 2017 Fruitful Practice Muslim Diaspora Research Ongoing Missions is as Missions Does Research - Ongoing
In 2016, the Truongs moved back to Calgary as they felt this was where God was calling them to. Currently Thich is working in the business world and pursuing a chaplaincy appointment with the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves to serve one of the least-reached people segments in Canada. This developed out of the relationships that the Truongs had with itinerant military families in Ottawa who expressed a spiritual and relational loneliness that existed in their lives. This past August, Thich attended the Lausanne Younger Leaders’ Gathering in Jakarta, Indonesia, a global gathering of missions practitioners. Returning with a renewed passion for intercultural ministry, Thich is now prayerfully dreaming about what team-based bi-vocational church planting can look like in Calgary. u
FRESH WAYS OF LOOKING AT GOD’S GLOBAL MISSION
Global Missions Podcast (globalmissionspodcast.com) Bi-weekly
Know of an event, conference or workshop that might be of interest? Contact Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose Seminary jaffray@ambrose.edu 403-410-2000
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Diaspora Missiology
An essential concept for 21st Century Missions Migration is a global reality so pervasive that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) dubbed 2015, “The Year of the Migrant.” It is a complex issues that is increasingly changing societies, cultures, economies, and global demographies. In the last decade, research on and response to migration has become a priority for nations and communities. Global migration movements are being monitored closely and studied by scholars across disciplines, as well as by government agencies, and local community institutions (e.g. school boards, medical networks). Christian missiologists (as well as other nonChristian religious groups) are also watching population movements. The integration of migration research and theory with missiological study has resulted in practical diaspora missiology — a new strategy for missions. Diaspora missions is a providential and strategic way to minister to the nations. Evangelical missiologists such as Dr. Samuel Escobar, Dr. Ted Yamamori, and the late Dr. Ralph Winter (before his home-going) were informed about the development of diaspora missiology. It is meaningful to quote Winter: [Diaspora] may well be the most important undigested reality in mission thinking today. We simply have not caught up with the fact that most of the world’s people can no longer be defined geographically. Ralph Winter, in an endorsement of the book Scattered: The Filipino Global Presence.
Diaspora missiology was initially defined as “a missiological study of the phenomena of diaspora groups being scattered geographically and the strategy of gathering for the Kingdom” (Scattered), but the term has evolved. At the November 2009 8
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ABOUT THE
DIRECTOR Sadiri Joy Tira
Ambrose was one of the first academic institutions in Canada to offer courses on Diaspora Missiology
Charles Cook is Professor of Global Studies and Missions and Director of the Jaffray Center for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University. Dr. Cook
Lausanne Diaspora Educators Consultation held in Seoul, South Korea, and attended by various missiologists and missions educators, participants produced an enhanced definition: “diaspora missiology is a missiological framework for understanding and participating in God’s redemptive mission among people living outside their place of origin.”
holds a Doctor of Philosophy
There are now emerging missiologists who are focusing the lens of missions on the phenomenon of diaspora missiology in order to assist the Evangelical community in understanding it. Though currently modest, the body of literature for diaspora missiology is growing. There remains a vital need for continuous research, as well as a synthesis of developing theories with pragmatic training for Kingdom Workers (i.e. training at both informal and formal levels). As human migration shapes experiences and presents challenges and opportunities, the Evangelical Church must prepare workers who are aware of diaspora and are capable of engaging with the community’s ever-changing face. u
raised in Colombia, Ecuador
Sadiri Joy Tira (DMiss, Western Seminary; DMin, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Lausanne Movement’s Catalyst for Diasporas and Vice President of Diaspora Missions for Advancing Indigenous Missions (AIM). He also serves as Diaspora Convener at the Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
degree in Intercultural Studies from Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois. Prior to teaching at Ambrose, Dr. Cook served with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Bolivia, Mexico and Argentina. Born to Canadian C&MA missionaries he was and Peru. When he is not teaching he can be found involved in kingdom ministries that foster innovation and enhance collaboration in various corners of the world. Among some of the organization he has helped develop are ReGen Community Development Foundation, Onesimus Global Foundation, the Cambodian Christian Embassy, Church Partnership Evangelism, and the onSite Study Abroad program at Ambrose University.
Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University jaffray@ambrose.edu jaffrayglobal.com 403-410-2000
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