CBM Responding Fall 2022

Expanding Our Reach

Jennifer Lau, Executive Director

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

As we approach this new season, we do so remembering that God’s spirit has never stopped working, even in times of challenge. We give thanks for his faithful provision to CBM over these past few years and the protection he has given our global church partners and Field Staff who have remained steadfast through difficult times. Together, let us also remember and give thanks for the courageous men and women whom we lost during the pandemic and for their inspiring example of faithful service to God even amidst great risk.

Every day God calls us to come alongside him in his work of transforming lives and communities. We at CBM want to seize new opportunities to expand our reach and widen our partnership circle wherever we are needed and invited. Currently, we find ourselves collectively discerning the places and people he has called us to serve in this next phase of our work.

This past July, I was privileged to attend the Annual Gathering of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), with whom I serve as a volunteer Vice-President. This gathering at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama was the first one held by the BWA in over two years. It was inspiring to renew and make new connections with church leaders from around the globe and hear the stories of God at work in their local communities over these past years. It was clear to me that the Spirit has been actively at work,

moving the Global Church to make an impact on some of the most significant issues of our time, including racial justice, displacement of people, environmental degradation, poverty and gender equity. Though global insecurity remains at an all-time high, we hold firm in the knowledge that Christ’s hope can transform even the darkest places through the witness of local churches on the ground.

It is with great excitement that we look to a future that deepens the impact of Canadian Baptists who have never abandoned their commitment to global mission. Stay tuned for more details on new partnerships and projects in the coming months, including new work in Togo, Egypt, and several other places. Thank you for journeying with us as your mission partner as we embrace our broken world through word and deed.

What’s inside this Issue...

• Re-igniting Passionate Ministry Leaders - How You can Help Build the Church

• Meet Rob Sellitto - New Staff Spotlight

• The Power of Ordinary Work - Vennture’s Formation Pillar

• Shared Hopeful Gifts Campaign - How Your Church can Embody Hope

• Prayerline & International Days

• SENT & Active in Mission Updates

• Forced Displacement on the Rise - Supporting Those Marginalized by Conflict

7185 Millcreek Drive Mississauga, ON L5N 5R4 Tel: 905.821.3533 communications@cbmin.org cbmin.org

CBM Responding is published four times a year by Canadian Baptist Ministries. Copies are distributed free of charge. Bulk quantities available by request.

Re-igniting Passionate Ministry Leaders

An Invitation to Support Our Global Partners

One of CBM’s key causes is to Build the Church around the world. We believe that God brings healing to a broken world through local churches. That’s why we aim to equip and empower congregations to share the gospel and proclaim God’s love in their communities.

Church leaders are uniquely positioned to respond to the needs of their communities, but many don’t know how to reach out to people outside of their churches.

Byron Velasquez, National Field Staff in Guatemala, shared the following in a recent report. “José’s church used to be focused on their work within the four walls of their building. They never interacted with their community members or formed collaborative networks with local organizations and leaders.”

After enrolling in the Church Coaching and Leadership Development program, José was taught how to walk alongside his community members, acknowledge their needs and get involved in the solutions.

“Today, the changes are palpable,” noted Byron. “We see a church with open doors, a church that looks after its community, serves its community, and a pastor who is known by the community - a pastor with a different mentality. Community leaders have also changed. Now they sit with the church members, listen to one another, and work together on planning, organizing, and serving their community. It is great what God is doing right now. The pandemic has accelerated the relationship between church and community, which is a great blessing.”

Before, the community did not know about the church, even though the church had been there for years. Now the church is well known due to its involvement and commitment to the community. People are more receptive to experiencing the gospel through the services.

José shared the following testimony of what he has learned through the program: “My understanding of being a pastor has dramatically changed. Now my vision is to

look after the integral needs of my community. This mindset allows me to be much more effective in how I serve. The church has to embody its community and should respond to the call to serve its neighbourhood. I want to see the people around me grow and develop while the gospel continues to transform and impact their lives in a holistic way.”

Through the enclosed letter, you can empower more local pastors such as José.

We have seen time and time again how the work of local church leaders can unite communities, promote discipleship and encourage congregations to show the love of God to their neighbours in times of need. Please read the enclosed letter from Adrian Gardner, Director of Canadian Partnerships. Will you stand with us? Support CBM as we respond to the call to strengthen and build up the body of Christ.

Not on the mailing list? Contact communications@cbmin.org to get on it today.

BUILDING THE CHURCH FALL APPEAL

Rob Sellitto

Regional Representative, Central Canada

Rob lives in Ottawa with his wife Jill, son Isaac, daughter Nevaeh and two dogs. They moved to Ottawa so that Rob could serve as the pastor of Bromley Road Baptist Church.

Previously, Rob served at Heart Lake Baptist Church in Brampton as their associate pastor, West Edge Community Church as their youth pastor, and at Yonge Street Missions Evergreen Youth Center.

Rob completed his undergrad at Tyndale University College and received a master’s degree from Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto and another master’s degree from Tyndale Seminary. He also went through the Arrow Leadership Program a few years ago, which was a transformational experience. Rob is currently a student at Acadia Divinity College in their Doctor of Ministry program.

INTERVIEW

Q: How did you navigate the decision to work for CBM?

The decision to join the team at CBM came as a bit of a surprise to me! I have served at Bromley Road Baptist Church for nine years and have loved being part of this church. I was not looking to leave, but when I received an email from CBM about the vacant position, I thought it would be a great one to apply to, but maybe in a year or two if it’s open. After a few days of thinking, I emailed Adrian Gardner to ask a little about the role. This got me more excited about the opportunity, and I shared the idea with some trusted friends and mentors to see what they thought about it. Through conversations and prayer, they encouraged me to take a chance and apply. I did, and as the interviews progressed, God seemed to make it clearer to me that CBM is somewhere I want to be.

I am looking forward to seeing how I can come alongside pastors and leaders and help them live out Christ’s mission as the church. I look forward to building relationships with people and seeing how we can serve the church globally together.

Q: What unique skills do you bring to CBM?

One of the ways that God has gifted me is in building relationships. I am genuinely curious about people and want to help them as best I can. I look forward to getting to know our partners and hearing their stories. In addition, I am strong in my teaching ability. As a child, I had wanted to become a high school teacher, and while that never materialized, God has used this gift of teaching and love for people to help those around me grow in their relationship with Christ.

It may not be a unique skill, but having grown up in Montreal, I speak and understand French. While it is a bit rusty, as I have not used it much in the past few years, I look forward to improving that skill so I can connect with some of our partners and churches in Quebec.

PRAYER POINTS

Pray for me as I transition to this new role. Pray that God will guide me in how I can best serve church leaders in Ontario and Quebec and adjust to not living in the rhythms of pastoral ministry. Pray that my family will adapt well to this shift in my work. I will be away from home more, so it will change our family rhythms and responsibilities at home.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

Are you interested in joining CBM as Global Field Staff?

Are there other people you know who might?

cbmin.org/about-us/staff/

rsellitto@cbmin.org

If you are passionate about how God’s love transforms people’s

call

. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you.

For more details, visit cbmin.org/job-opportunities

Shared Hopeful Gifts Campaign 2022

Creative Ways to Be Generous

At Christmas, churches around the world celebrate God’s gift to us - the Word become flesh. This Christmas, CBM wants to help your church community offer this gift of hope to others through our local church partners around the world.

As the world emerges from the global COVID-19 pandemic and faces new difficulties such as food insecurity, inflation and changing weather patterns, we are reminded that we live in a broken world. Yet as Christians, we have the privilege of sharing the hope we have in Jesus. You may have wondered what you and your church can do or how you can respond to the growing needs around the world. Our local church partners have identified what needs are present in their areas and what projects can be done to help. Through Shared Hopeful Gifts, your church can choose a project and give a gift that is “just right” - exactly what, and where it is needed most.

Through Shared Hopeful Gifts 2022, your whole congregation can come together in mission and join with churches across Canada to make a significant impact in the lives of the most vulnerable around the world, and witness to your local community concerning what it looks like to love like Jesus.

CBM is providing resources to help your church with this:

• First, we’ll provide you with a Church web page that will help explain your project and which can collect donations for it. We will build this for you, and you can also customize it, if you wish. We at CBM will look after all of the logistics and details for you: donation processing, tracking, and charitable receipts. The website even makes it easy for individuals in your church to promote your project on their own, with a Peer-to-Peer Option.

• Second, we’ll provide two videos that you can use during online or in-person services. One of these will be an overview of your project and the other will tell a story of its personal impact.

• Third, we’ll provide Printable Bulletin Inserts focused on your project.

• We’ll even provide related Advent Readings.

All of these resources will be available for you by November 1st to make it as easy as possible for your church to plan to be involved.

Thank you for considering joining Shared Hopeful Gifts 2022 as we embrace a broken world in word and deed. Together, we can give a gift of hope.

Your CBM Regional Representative can help make YOUR goals happen!

If your church has an idea for a fundraiser and wants support using this new platform, your Regional Representative is here to answer your questions.

Dennis Shierman dshierman@cbmin.org

Rob

rsellitto@cbmin.org

Randy

rstanton@cbmin.org

The Power of Ordinary Work

Brenda Halk, Senior Associate, Vennture & Strategic Projects

We hear a lot about the value of hard work. Our parents, grandparents, and teachers all promote the message. My husband’s grandfather always asked only one question: “Are you getting enough work?”

My paternal grandfather was a teacher, boatbuilder and pattern maker who worked into his mid 80’s, still building boats. Both men lived through two world wars and the Great Depression. They both had a deep-rooted faith and knew that living it out through their work and in all aspects of life was integral and essential to life itself.

But somehow this has gone astray, and our lives reflect the unbiblical sacred/secular dualism where what happens at Church on Sunday is ministry, and Monday to Saturday are for secular activities.

Vennture aims to help break down the sacred/secular dualism in the church, redirect Sunday toward Monday, and empower the whole people of God for service and ministry in the world.

Let me introduce you to someone who many would say had a boring, meaningless job. He was a kitchen aide, and spent his days cooking, cleaning, and doing chores. Yet no matter how mundane the routine, he found God’s love and presence with him. This man became known as Brother Lawrence, who was born in 1614 and worked as a monk in France.

Brother Lawrence modelled to those around him how to find God while doing what he called ‘common business’. For him, the issue was not the sacredness or worldly status of the task, but the motivation behind it. For Brother Lawrence, he simply needed to ‘bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence.’ The size of the task mattered little, and he shared the following wisdom: “We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness

of the work, but the love with which it is performed.” The most effective way Brother Lawrence had for communicating with God was to simply do his ordinary work.

Do you wish you could find meaning in the mundane? Do you desire to find purpose through your work? At Vennture, we are teaching God’s people to ‘do little things with great love.’ Through our key pillar of Formation, we offer foundational and practical teaching, training, coaching and mentoring in order to help equip people of faith to transform every square inch of the world through their daily work.

Understanding the Theology of Work helps Christians to integrate their faith with their work. Learning this theology helps us apply God’s truth, purpose, and passion to our everyday lives. Whether we’re a student, businessperson, teacher, missionary, or have a different vocation, all of our lives are affected by what we believe about God and work. An understanding of workplace theology is foundational because our work is the most significant mission field in the world!

Several of our global partners are already reshaping their previous views of work and worship and are integrating a more holistic understanding of a theology of work.

Teaching, training, coaching, and mentoring helps our partners, churches, and individuals grow in their understanding of marketplace theology and practice the integration of faith and work in their daily lives.

Our partnership with the Institute for Marketplace Transformation (IMT) has provided opportunities for our global teams to study and learn about the biblical theology of work and how they can integrate their faith with their work seven days a week. Both the Africa and Latin America teams are pursuing a Certificate in Marketplace Transformation through IMT.

Gato Munyamasoko, CBM’s Peace and Reconciliation Specialist in Rwanda shared the following: “My understanding of the theology of Faith and Work has grown in the sense that I came to realize that God is not only in the church but everywhere that work is done for the wellbeing of his people and creation. Secondly, I came to understand that there is a gathered church on Sunday and a scattered church the rest of the week (Monday to Saturday) and every believer is a minister when he does everything by Faith, Hope and Love.”

The Africa team recognized from the very first course they took that contextualization for their specific culture was needed. That course is now in its final edit phase as they prepare to meet with denominational leaders in Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Together, they will learn and discuss how best to introduce this theology of whole life discipleship to pastors, workers, leaders and church members.

“The things that we have studied and learned over the past couple of years regarding faith and work have not just been something new that I have added to what I already knew,” said Darrell Bustin, CBM Field Staff in Rwanda. “It was deeper than that. It was more of a paradigm shift. I have grown up in the church and have been reading the Bible my whole life. But suddenly it is like I have new lenses on. I am reading verses that I have always been very familiar with, but now I am seeing them in a whole new way. It has deepened my understanding of the integral mission to which God has called us.”

In Latin America, as the team also studies in the certificate program, materials are being taught weekly to groups of pastors in Guatemala and Bolivia as quickly as they can be translated. The growth and enthusiasm in the field is exciting.

IMT also offers a free video series, “Doing God’s Business”, that is ideal for an introduction to workplace theology for individuals and small groups, and comes with discussion questions and a study guide.

“IMT courses have given me an understanding that God cares for me in every single aspect of my life (including my work) and reinforces the fact that God loves me and can use my whole being for his kingdom,” said Patty Nacho, CBM’s Program Officer in Bolivia.

In Canada, formation is also taking place in several

“Kingdom work unifies everything we do in the home, marketplace, or educational institution into a sacrament, a means of bringing grace into the world and to people for the common good and that through down-to-earth work—the kingdom of God in working clothes.”

R. Paul Stevens, The Kingdom of God in Working Clothes p.65

ways. Conferences, workshops, small group studies, and webinars all help individuals and churches to understand their faith and work as a part of whole life discipleship.

As a mission organization, CBM, through Vennture, recognizes Formation as a key step in equipping the scattered church to make a kingdom impact at their work.

Formation Opportunities for you and Your Church

SUNDAY SERVICE RESOURCES

This service resource package will help you unpack a theology of faith and work, and help you understand how you can join God’s mission and live out your faith, seven days a week. Resources include sermon notes, music, scripture readings, liturgies and prayers.

UPCOMING CONFERENCE

Resources

CBM, through Vennture, is excited to be partnering with Crandall University to provide a two day conference early in 2023. Dr. R. Paul Stevens, the former Academic dean at Regent College, prolific writer in the realm of Faith and Work, and founder of IMT is a key input speaker. Crandall University, as an educational institution “transforming lives through quality university education firmly rooted in the Christian faith”, is in a unique position to prepare students for whole life discipleship, regardless of the path of life and career they choose upon graduation.

STAY IN TOUCH

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Get Ready to Be Sent

Relaunching SENT in 2023

For over 40 years CBM has sent individuals and teams from Canada to visit our global partners. These experiences were put on hold in March 2020 due to the pandemic. However, we are excited to be planning SENT experiences again for 2023.

SENT is CBM’s short-term mission program, renamed SENT to better reflect the unique way CBM engages with our global partners. We believe that we are sent as God’s people, living up to and into the call to be disciples in a world of disparity and injustice. We are sent cross-culturally to serve and learn and sent back to advocate and put faith into action in our local communities. There is nothing “short term” about it.

We send teams to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Bolivia, El Salvador, Lebanon, India, Rwanda, Kenya, Thailand, Germany and the Philippines.

Most trips are between 10-14 days, but longer experiences are also available, including up to 1 year.

No two SENT trips are the same, but you can expect to visit CBM’s partner churches and field staff and join God in the work being done through the local church. You’ll learn about faithfully living out the gospel in a different culture and have your eyes opened as you worship and read scripture in a new context. Your way of thinking will be challenged, and you’ll leave with more questions than answers. Your sense of wonder will be expanded, and you’ll have unforgettable experiences as you enjoy life with God’s people in a new culture!

Helping Kids Get Back to School

Active in Mission Results

The ads for back-to-school shopping were everywhere, and while I tried to ignore them in the middle of summer, my daughters were thrilled with the idea of picking out their school supplies in early August!

We travelled up and down the aisles with the oldest holding the supply lists and the younger attempting to steer the oversized cart. I will admit, I was not thrilled to be reading the fine print on the packages of scribblers looking for the ones with specifically 80 pages or searching to find duotangs in 6 different colours; however, I did find much joy watching my kids’ enthusiasm as they talked about the start of a new school year.

For over 1.6 billion children globally, the ability to purchase school supplies and attend school is out of reach. Access to education is a human right and, as followers of Jesus, we are called to join God in bringing dignity and justice to those in need. That’s why we started our annual Active in Mission event to raise awareness and funds to help provide educational opportunities for children in 9 countries where CBM partners. We are grateful for the 26 teams and 19 churches across the country that have raised over $51,000! Churches hosted prayer walk events, field games and BBQs while others walked, jogged, ran, or biked and were sponsored and cheered on by friends and family.

As a result, children and youth in Bolivia, India, Rwanda, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and the Philippines will have greater access to education.

Some of these children will be able to attend school and receive the required school supplies and uniforms, while others will receive tutoring or skills training. These projects are rooted in the local church, where God’s love is shown in tangible ways as we partner together to give this generation hope for a brighter future.

As the children in your life begin a new school year, we ask that you continue to pray for children around the world experiencing the effects of the pandemic, which has contributed to the worst educational crisis on record. We are so grateful for your partnership in helping children around the world reach their full God-given potential.

For more information, please contact Louise Hannem at lhannem@cbmin.org or visit www.besent.ca

Active in Mission is coming back in 2023! From June to August, churches, individuals and groups will take the pledge to walk, bike, run and get active while raising funds to support education for children! Will you join us?

www.activeinmission.ca

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL DAYS

Praying Together

Support God’s Work Around the World Through Prayer

WHAT IS PRAYERLINE?

At CBM, we believe prayer is vital to our work.

Prayerline is a free, weekly prayer resource in print and video, which you can use to guide your prayer individually or together as a church.

Join us as different CBM Office and Field Staff members lead us in prayer each week.

about upcoming shared prayers and reflections delivered to your inbox, visit cbmin.org/prayerline Sign-up

OCTOBER 11 · International Day of the Girl Child

Pray for the unique needs and challenges of the girl child. Pray for CBM’s programs that help uplift girls and young women through education and literacy classes as well as through skills development training.

OCTOBER 15 · International Day of Rural Women

Pray for equality in gender norms and for the fulfillment of rural women’s rights and basic needs. Pray for CBM programs that help equip rural women and break down barriers brought on by cultural and societal gender discrimination.

OCTOBER 16 · World Food Day

Pray for awareness and action around food insecurity and world hunger and CBM food security initiatives in partnership with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

OCTOBER 17 · International Day of the Eradication of Poverty

Pray for persons living in poverty, that doors to better opportunities may open so that they can live a safe and secure life. Pray for CBM’s programs and projects that help end poverty.

NOVEMBER 19 · World Toilet Day

Pray for CBM’s Latrines for Life program in El Salvador, which provides safely managed sanitation so that those in the community can have a dignified, safe and clean way to answer the call of nature.

NOVEMBER 20 · World Children’s Day

Pray for the protection and fulfilment of children’s rights across the globe, especially those who are most vulnerable and in the margins. Pray for CBM programs that serve kids at risk.

NOVEMBER

25

· National Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Pray for protection for women who are victims of violence and for CBM programs and local partners that assist them.

DECEMBER

10

· Human Rights Day

Pray for the fulfilment of human rights for all peoples – especially those who are more vulnerable – people of colour, marginalized women and children, and persons with disabilities and special needs.

Forced Displacement on the Rise

Supporting Those Marginalized by Conflict

Ongoing and newly developed conflicts have driven displacement across the globe. According to the UNHCR, 89.3 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide. Sixty-nine percent of refugees and displaced people originated from just five countries (Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar). Children, who account for 30 percent of the world’s population, account for 41 percent of all forcibly displaced people.

After the military coup in 2021, the number of internally displaced people in Myanmar has dramatically increased. CBM is working with our partners to provide housing, food, medical care and personal items to those in need.

Kong Zao Yaw and his family live in a refugee camp in Kachin state. Before the civil war broke out, Kong farmed and his daughter worked as a chef. Now they have lost their income and rely on aid from the camp. Our partner, Pastor Lai, visits the camp regularly to bring aid and share the gospel. Kong Yaw shared the following

with Pastor Lai during a visit: “I am so touched that there are still people who care for us amid the pandemic and the ongoing conflict. We have lost our home, our land and our jobs. We have nothing, but you still see us and care for us. It is very encouraging.”

The Kakuma Refugee Camp is located in northwest Kenya bordering South Sudan. The camp is home to almost 200,000 refugees from South Sudan, as well as Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Congo. Living in an overcrowded refugee camp with few resources can lead people to fighting and conflict and, over the past several years, clashes have flared among the South Sudanese Refugees from different ethnic groups. This fighting has often led to deaths of refugees inside the camp. Through our church partner FEBAC, CBM trains participants to be active peacebuilders in their community and encourages them to promote peaceful coexistence and reconciliation. The workshop also deals with healing trauma from past events.

Abraham Garang, a workshop participant shared the following: “The peace training workshop equipped me with peacebuilding and promotion skills. I am already an active peace builder and promoter and I will continue using the skills I acquired for the purpose of bringing ethnic communities together to live in harmony.”

In Romania, our partner All4Aid recently renovated the loft space in one of their refugee homes. The team converted the space into an apartment so that more Ukrainian guests can stay.

In July, the loft apartment was completed. A special part of the remodelling process was that All4Aid received feedback from their guests throughout the process. For example, the double beds were purchased and placed at the request of many moms whose children were too frightened to sleep alone.

Scan the QR code for more updates, prayer requests and the opportunity to give.

Ukraine Update

Hopeful Gifts Catalogue

Looking to make a lasting impact this Christmas season? We invite you to explore our gift catalogue, Hopeful Gifts for Change. From education to justice to poverty reduction to building the church, you’ll find a gift that ignites your passion. You’ll also find the ideal gift for justice-loving coffee drinkers, and the perfect thank you for the teachers in your life.

As we work to mitigate the devastating effects of COVID-19, we invite you to find the people, places and causes that resonate with you. We thank you for your faithful generosity as you answer God’s mission call.

Visit the pages from our website or directly at hopefulgifts.ca

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