Alliance Connection Fall 2016 by The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada

Fall/Winter 2016

Breaking Through

A Moment with Dave

Breaking Through: We’re on our Way!

Alliance Connection magazine is a publication of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada (C&MA). The Alliance family is a mosaic of ages, cultures, and perspectives. The purpose of the magazine is to inspire and motivate everyone to live on mission.

Founder A.B. Simpson President David Hearn Director of Communications Carol Roycroft Assistant Director of Communications Denise Lodge Editor and Graphic Design Gladys Thompson Copy Editor Katie McNamara Web Coordinator Matthew Caldwell

You will find the theme of “breaking through” in the articles of this issue of Alliance Connection.

All articles are copyrighted by The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada except where indicated. Permission is given for up to 1,000 photocopies for use in a local church or classroom. Reprints must include the credit line indicating Alliance Connection as the source and the date of the publication.

ur philosophy in missions is about access to the Gospel. The atmosphere in the world and within The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada is changing. God has ordained these unique times for us. He is opening up barriers that we could not pass before, and we are now breaking through them with His strength!

From our past, C&MA archivist Sandy Ayer gives an account of how radio technology broke the ground in the Canadian Prairies to plant numerous Alliance churches in the early twentieth century. Digital technology, today, is giving rural Tibetans access to the Gospel through their smartphones, as told by one of our international workers. In the present, Donna Frentz reports that our leaders are passionately working to organize our structures to remove the boulders that keep information from freely flowing within our Alliance family. Gordon T. Smith explains how Ambrose University is changing the way people think of business in the context of living on mission. Looking towards the future, we are excited for the chance to intentionally focus on three new people groups: the Fulani and Wolof in Senegal and the Yazidis in Northern Iraq. We praise God for the opportunities He has provided for us to bring the Gospel to these people for the first time. Like the pioneers who came before us, we are breaking through on many missional levels both at home and overseas. We cannot be stopped by the fears we have about the dangerous activities happening in our world right now. We must boldly risk all to bring the Gospel to the least-reached. Hang on, we’re on our way! Dave Hearn, President

On mission. Everyone. Everywhere. All the time.

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Submissions For Writer’s Guidelines and our Advertising Policy, please go to cmacan.org/magazine Disclaimer Alliance Connection does not endorse every opinion or event reported or every product advertised. Alliance Connection does not endorse any advertiser nor does it take responsibility for the accuracy of any claims made in the advertisements. To subscribe or for more information, contact: Alliance Connection The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada 30 Carrier Dr, Ste 100 Toronto ON M9W 5T7 Phone: (416) 674-7878 ext. 202 Email: magazine@cmacan.org Canada Post Agreement No. 40064689 ISSN 2369-9469 ISSN 2369-9477 (online)

Contents F E AT U R E S

7 Standing in the Gap

24 10

Alliance Connection - Spring 2016

Summing it Up

Highlights of the President’s Report

Standing in the Gap

What are They Doing?

How prayer restored the land Investigating the methods of flourishing churches

PLUS 12 Reminiscing 16 Counselling Commanders, Guiding Generals 17 Books, Brochures, Banners, and More! 20 On Mission: 9 to 5 29 Vision Prayer 30 From the Pew to the Desert 32 Five “S” Regions 40 Breaking Through the Darkness 41 A Future in Missions 46 Equipping the Saints 56 Making a “180” 57 Returning to our Roots 59 You Can’t Out-Give God 60 Helping God’s People Manage God’s Assets

D E PA R T M E N T S 2 A Moment with Dave • Breaking Through: We’re On Our Way! 4 Readers Write 6 On Mission Together • Updates from Around the World 14 Perspectives • Becoming More Effective 17 Alliance-Generated Resources 22 Reflections • Live From... 27 Prayer • Momentum Builds 34 Silk Road Region • Loving Iraq 37 Desert Sand Region • Senegal Bound 43 Asian Spice Region • Going Digital in a Rural Land 48 Impressions • A Man of Knowledge and Passion 54 Sea to Sea Region • A Fresh Anointing 62 Now You Know • Your Financial Future

These articles are also available online at cmacan.org/stories. Add your comments or join the conversation on Facebook.com/ CMAllianceinCanada and on Twitter at #liveonmission.

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Readers Write Comments are taken from letters, Twitter, Facebook, and cmacan.org/stories. Messages may be edited for space, clarity, and style. We’d love to hear from you! Email your thoughts to magazine@cmacan.org or write to: Alliance Connection The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada • 30 Carrier Dr, Ste 100 • Toronto ON M9W 5T7

In the Loop I was excited to see the Alliance magazine arrive…I am always pleased to read what the churches of the C&MA are doing. Thanks for the magazine to keep us in the loop and together, as well as challenged. - Bob R.

Clear about Changes

I would like to copy the article Past and Past and Present Present on page 5 ways missions has changed 55 of the recent Alliance Connection H magazine to the back of a missions memo that I am going to place in approx. 200 mailboxes at Erindale Alliance (Saskatoon)…I found the article to be very clear about the changes in missions that most people don’t recognize, especially in the creative access world.

1 5 2 3

aving grown up in South America with missionary parents, and now having spent several years in the Silk Road region, I have seen five significant changes to the face of missions since my parents’ day.

Today’s workers must meet visa requirements related to their work and must seek ways to integrate Kingdom-building into that work, whether that be in the business world or in compassion work.

1. Identity: In the past, the words “missionary” and “church planter” were not only job descriptions, but also enough to receive a religious visa in most countries.

5. Response: As we go to the ends of the earth, we are seeking the least-reached to see response in hostile environments with deeply resistant groups. My father can recount experiences of thousands coming to Christ during his time in Peru. He was bringing in the sheaves, but we feel like we are jackhammering the concrete to get to the soil to see seeds planted.

The current reality for most of our international workers (IWs) is that receiving a visa requires a professional job. Teachers, dentists, IT specialists, and business people are all redefining what it looks like to live in the most challenging of places.

Read and Enjoy I cannot say thank you enough for the size of print of the present issue. It permits my 82-year-old mom to read and enjoy!

- Faith M.

Home and Foreign Missions

My copy of the “Connections” arrived yesterday. I immediately did a quick tour of the articles and read the ones that “grabbed” me. I finished reading it today. I want to commend you for the good work you have done and for Extraordinary such an informative magazine. So well done and such a broad scope of articles. I like the balance that you have struck between home “missions” and foreign missions. Spring/Summer 2016

- Don D.

2. Globalization: The world is getting smaller. When my parents left Canada more than fifty years ago, they shipped their belongings in barrels. Mail was of the snail variety, and phone calls to family were nonexistent. Now, IWs have the blessing and the curse of being extremely connected. This is great for keeping in touch with supporters and family and keeping up with news, but it can sometimes be a hindrance to being wholly present in the adopted culture.

3. Teams: The reality for missionaries in the twentieth century was working in large groups, with the goal of planting churches. Today’s paradigm also focuses on church-planting; however, teams are smaller and often work with other organizations to reach the same goal.

4. Schedule: Missionaries of previous generations had large blocks of time dedicated solely to the goal of church-planting. Discipleship, prayer meetings, and leadership training filled their schedule.

Keep it up :)

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

For every individual who goes, hundreds are also called to give and to pray to make that going possible.

There are always those who break up the soil, those who plant and water the seeds, and those who reap the harvest. My dad and I found ourselves on different ends of that cycle.

Looking at these five aspects, external elements of missions differ from generations past; however, the heart of missions remains the same. Mankind is desperately and hopelessly lost (Ephesians 2:1-5). We are commanded to go and tell (Matthew 28:16-20) by incarnational living among different cultures (Romans 10:14-17). For every individual who goes, hundreds are also called to give and to pray to make that going possible.

While much has changed, the commandment to be senders and goers, and their interdependence, has not changed in the least. God loved the world my parents were sent into and He equally longs to redeem our current war-torn, fractious reality using ordinary people like you and me. •

This international worker has served alongside his wife in the Silk Road Region since 2004

cmacan.org/magazine

I appreciate all the work you are doing on the magazine. Great job! - Liz M.

Blessed and Challenged It’s a great magazine. I was greatly blessed and challenged as I read through the entire magazine. - Alvin W.

Excellent magazine Last Sunday I picked up a copy of the latest Alliance Connection. I commend you for this excellent magazine. Well done. - Joy T.

On Mission Together

Updates from Around the World Praise and prayer items from our workers

Heather Hahn and Rebecca Ross; Mexico

Many families leave their villages to sell their handmade jewellery. Distributing these items through Brave Heart Collective will decrease the necessity for families to travel far from home. Currently, we are working with two people groups: the Otomi and Huichol. To get involved, church groups are invited to buy a box that comes with various products such

as change purses, rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, amate paper art, and key chains. For more information, contact Brave Heart Collective at braveheartcollective@gmail.com and like their Facebook page, Brave Heart Collective. Regional Developers’ Update BridgeWay North American School in Mexico City, a dream for many years, has been delayed for yet another year due to zoning issues. Pray for the new staff, who were hired to work at the school, as they find new work for the year. Pray for new zoning. In Venezuela, Chinese have been won for Christ and baptized by Manjohn and Christina, two of our newest workers to the region. Curtis and Linda report the dynamic healing touch of God upon the lives of Marcos and Gustavo through their compassion ministries.

Doug and Denise Cameron; Niger Tammy is very open about her faith, and after an onset of surprising rains, people were complaining that the local sorcerer had sent the rains. Tammy told them, “No, God sends us the rains. He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He is all powerful.” The next day, the sorcerer stopped in at Tammy’s shop with her dead cell phone and asked, “Will you plug this in for me? I don’t have electricity at my house.” Tammy was tickled that the sorcerer had to come to a woman of God to get “power”! Paul and Janelle I gathered disgruntled nurses for our teaching time on teamwork. Each nurse had a cmacan.org/magazine

piece of paper with her name at the top, which was then passed around the circle for each nurse to write words of affirmation and encouragement. Most of them had never done anything like this—they had grown up with criticism, not encouragement. Once they all received their paper full of encouraging words, I saw a little glimmer of God’s light and hope. If my co-workers had the real love of Christ break through into their lives—it would change everything!

job tricky. Please pray for boldness and protection for all the people involved in this program so that more people can hear about Jesus.

Regional Developers’ Update BT, a Fulani man, is now seeking Jesus as his Saviour. Harold, a believer in Niger, appears to be on his way to becoming a chief. Imagine the impact he can have on his people! Several men have come to faith out of Islam through Michel’s home Bible study in Guinea. Another Fulani has come to faith in Guinea through Collette’s radio ministry.

Our newly launched Persian Catalytic Network has empowered Sam to be used by God through evangelism with Persian people coming to faith in the Arabian Peninsula as well as in Canada.

K and S A lot of hard work was done to facilitate a film shoot of people giving their testimonies after coming out of the local religion. The silhouette style of filming gives our people freedom to speak. Whenever we shoot a program with great potential, the Enemy seeks to destroy the good. Equipment breaks, people get sick, and language barriers make the 6

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Regional Developers’ Update Gus and Annie, new workers in our London international church partnership report several new baptisms of detainees. One writes that since the Ankara suicide bombing, “God…is still doing a work in the nations that would astound us if we saw the whole picture.”

Darren and Naomi Herbold; Thailand We are supporting a local partner in building a safe house for at-risk children. Due to poverty and a lack of education, and often through family members, children are forced into difficult situations. Your donations to this project are helping to make a difference against the terrors of global trafficking. The children are given an opportunity to experience freedom and to hear about Jesus Christ. The tentative opening date for the safe house is late 2016. Regional Developers’ Update A growing Tibetan congregation in Nepal recently dedicated a new building after the previous facility

was destroyed in an earthquake. In our international church in Bali, we rejoice for several new believers and baptisms. We also celebrate God in Phuket where people are being impacted for Christ in the red light district, and for the All Nations Church where several in this relatively new start-up have come to faith and are being baptized. In a Spice country, at an international church, many contract labourers are being engaged from various Muslim people groups, resulting in decisions and baptisms.

Keith Taylor, Beulah Alliance Church The Arabic Fellowship has been funding a part-time staff member to focus on reaching out to new refugees in Edmonton. It’s a significant way to be the “face of Jesus” to those settling in the city. Six refugee families recently attended an Arabic worship night, and over 200 people attended a welcome service. Beulah Alliance also allowed the displaced people of Fort City Alliance to hold their own service while they were away from their homes in Fort McMurray. Matt Boda, RockPointe Church A group of our people sacrifice their time to provide people in another part of the world access to the Scriptures. Most Mondays, a team of RockPointers hang out in a room at our Bearspaw site where they are steadily making the Bible accessible to people in other parts of the world.

Summing it Up Highlights of the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report By Gladys Thompson

God is calling us to not be satisfied with human accomplishment and call it ministry, but to be men and women who have encountered the manifest presence of Jesus and are set ablaze by His life.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

ith his characteristic vigour, Dave Hearn gave his President’s Report at General Assembly 2016, crying out to the C&MA to arise, to stand as a vast army, storm the gates of hell, and reach people who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. When he first introduced the idea of a “Christcentered, Spirit-empowered, and mission-focused” movement four years ago, our president’s hope was not to simply articulate an inspiring slogan, but to reposition the heart of the C&MA. The atmosphere is changing “I see hunger emerging in our church family,” stated the president, “and the passion for a deeper work of God is growing. In John 20, Jesus declared, ‘As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you’ and then He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ He dynamically linked the call to

reach the nations of the world with the desperate need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Mission is not optional for the follower of Jesus.” “Mission without deeper life leads to humanitarianism. Deeper life without mission leads to fanaticism. But deeper life with mission leads to revolution. God is calling us to not be satisfied with human accomplishment and call it ministry, but to be men and women who have encountered the manifest presence of Jesus and are set ablaze by His life.” Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” This seems to appropriately describe our world today. There is a trend toward further marginalization of the evangelical influence in Canada, as reflected in the thinking and behaviour of society. But at the

Niger:

Defend Dignity

GAZA –relief ministry

forums held across Canada

for

1,000

Rebuilt

burned-out school

Syrian Refugee Relief: 21 former Muslims baptized on one Sunday

families

125 churches

participating in refugee sponsorship an additional 51 churches from other denominations

Philippines:

• 23 New Churches (9 since June 5, 2014)

• 52 New Ventures

• 27 Apprenticeships

GLOBAL IMPACT

& Regeneration projects

new IWs sent since July, 2014

Since July 1, 2012:

(24 since June 5, 2014)

Reconstruction

Nepal:

Relief & Reconstruction projects

Guinea: Assisting

100 women

and 300 orphans after Ebola

Haiti:

Church building projects (4th of 8 planned) These are a very small sample of the projects in which we participate. For more stories, go to cmacan.org/stories

“This movement stands for a commitment to reach the most-neglected field, to avoid the beaten tracks of other laborers, to press on to the regions beyond and instead of building upon another man’s foundation, to preach the Gospel where Christ has not been named.” A.B. Simpson

Christ-centred Spirit-empowered Mission-focused

Imagine a C&MA culture where every person knows that they are an active torchbearer for our missionary movement among the least-reached peoples of the world.

On Mission

Together

Pray, Give, Go!

If we focused on The Great Commandment and The Greatest Commission, imagine the impact the C&MA would have!

same time, nations are coming to Canada as never before, and doors are opening in countries that had previously been barred. Four Innovative Initiatives To meet these current trends, Alliance leaders have embraced four initiatives and are seeking to implement them on a regional, national, and international basis. 1. Culture: Relational and Spiritual Vitality In the past several months, more people have been coming forward to receive a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we are seeing more supernatural healings than we’ve seen in years. Over 1,200 pastors and church leaders have experienced a Holy Spirit Encounter event. There is a whole new wave of intercessory prayer being unleashed in our Alliance family (see pages 24—31). Adam Ane is part of a New Venture at Christian Motel Ministries in Niagara Falls. He shared

c m a ca n . o rg

On mission. Everyone. Everywhere. All the time. Magazine - Tagline 8.25 x 10.75

the story of Cathy who, for the past year, was paralyzed from the waist down. Adam asked if he could pray for her, and after much prayer, he told her to get up and walk. She walked out of c m acan.o rg the room! A few years ago, the Airdrie Alliance Church leadership had a time of deep soul-searching, asking God to meet them,Magazine as a- Slogan church, 8.25 x 10.75 in a fresh way. They equipped their people in teaching and training through Holy Spirit Encounters and other conferences. The staff and elders surrendered to God in this whole time of change. In the past two years, they have seen at least 18 people physically healed after prayer, and 11 people stood up at a Holy Spirit Encounter to say they had been physically healed over the weekend. One member was healed of inner ear distibula and could not walk without shaking. She was healed one night after prayer and was able to do pirouettes. A young man with a broken collarbone did one arm push-ups on it following prayer.

cmacan.org/magazine

They have seen the gift of prophecy released in several people, and many have been set free from demonic strongholds in their lives. Pastor Sandy Isfeld, admits, “We’re just newbies at all of this. We don’t feel adequate or good at it, or even like we have it all figured out.” Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). 2. Structure: Organizational Effectiveness Renewing, revitalizing, and renovating structures is the hardest challenge for any leader. Generally, the word “structure” evokes a negative response for organizations that want to embrace a fresh movement of God. But structures help guide and define the energy of movement so the greatest impact can be experienced. We are still in the process of evaluating our current systems to make them more effective, and Donna Frentz has written about this on page 14. Jesus doesn’t call us to make disciples, but to make disciple-making disciples. Our schools, Ambrose and ETEQ (IBVIE and Mennonite Brethren Theological School have joined together into the School of Evangelical Theology in Quebec), are passionate about raising up disciples and equipping them in every discipline to impact the world for Christ. Mélodie St-Pierre, from Quebec, says that attending Ambrose offered her the opportunity to “travel outside of my cultural and theological myopia so that I may become a ‘globally sensitive Christian’ invested in God’s Kingdom in a way that is truly relevant.” Mathurin Boignan was both a student and a teacher at IBVIE. The Lord called him to serve in Quebec, a province where less than one per cent of the total population are evangelical Christians. It’s thrilling to see more young leaders excited about our movement. They are passionate, brave, and willing to risk it all for the sake of reaching others for Christ. It is vital that we provide clear 10

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

ways for them to be embraced, encouraged, and nurtured in their call and skills. 3. Nurture: Leader Development We are an aging denomination, with a median age of 53 among our leaders. Now is the time to identify, engage, and equip the next generation of workers for the C&MA. Over the next two years, Envision Canada, under the leadership of Ryan Graham, will be launching transformational sites that will offer opportunities for people to explore and experience ministry and to develop the next generation of leaders. This will take place through group trips, internships, apprenticeships, GiveBack, and eventually, a gap year ministry called the Pilgrimage. Over the next couple of years, there will be sites in South East Asia, Latin America, West Africa, Europe, Mexico City, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The Global Ministries Leadership Team has also identified the need to review and improve our home assignment system, providing greater training for our international workers as co-mobilizers for missions among our churches through training and resources from Envision Canada. 4. Venture: Multiplication and Mobilization We want to not only make disciples who make disciples, we want to plant churches that plant churches. In every district across Canada, we are seeing new expressions of this wave of multiplication and mobilization. One amazing picture of God on the move is being expressed in Ontario and Quebec through “New Ventures.” David Enns and Greg Langman are leading the charge and have been catalytic in inspiring new and innovative approaches to church multiplication. They say that the starting point of implementation is to draw out what God is already doing. New Ventures gives permission to try new models and to take risks in developing new churches. One place where God is breaking through with hope and healing is Montreal, one of the most secularized cities in Canada.

All of our new international workers are going with a focus on people groups where less than two per cent (and often far less) of the population have access to Jesus. We are currently actively engaged with about 50 people groups across 39 countries. Senegal is a global “new venture” story. This key nation bridges Central Africa to North Africa and a Christian presence to a predominant Islamic presence (see page 37). Northern Iraq is another global “new venture” (see page 34). Two million refugees have seen and heard how the global Church is helping people like them. Some 750,000 internally displaced people seek assistance in Erbil alone. Many other refugees are being helped in Dahuk. A door that had been firmly closed has now been opened. The time is ripe for dynamic breakthrough. This is the heartbeat of the Alliance. Conclusion Today, the C&MA in Canada is filled with leaders who have not lost the passion for our purpose. Globally, we are focused on bringing the Gospel to people groups that would otherwise have no access. Domestically, we are a movement of churches with the unified goal of building disciples rooted in the deeper life and missions. May we not be churches that camp around the music, the programs, and the sermons, but rather, like the early Old Testament believers, may we camp around the Presence of God. May we be an Alliance “on its feet,” daring to believe God for the impossible. • Gladys Thompson, communications coordinator at the C&MA’s National Ministry Centre, is editor of Alliance Connection

cmacan.org/magazine

Reminiscing A personal glimpse at General Assembly 2016 By Rodrigo Felomino

anada is a multicultural country. While diversity is invoked, cultural “separateness” is evident. In this way, The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada is a miniature version of Canada, except we believe in Jesus and are citizens of the Kingdom. Meeting together at General Assembly 2016 was like a family reunion and Canada Day combined; we bonded and celebrated the work of the Kingdom. Awakened Passion The call to arise by President Dave Hearn was timely, touching both the heart and mind. The passion for praying was at the core of Assembly. “Thank you” is not enough for the professionalism and Spirit-filled direction of the worship team. Reports from international workers reminded us of who we are—people who should be passionate to reach the least-reached people.

General Assembly by the Numbers 807 accredited delegates 175 33

Renewed Direction and Intentional Actions The president set a clear direction for the denomination using his four innovative initiatives. The pathway has been mapped out for us to build on. The national and district leaders had been reminding us about church planting. It took Filipino Alliance Church almost 22 years to heed this call. We officially launched our first New Venture initiative on July 9, 2016. Spirit-led Decisions When I was asked to lead one of the groups during the discernment process, I almost refused the invitation because the process was new; I accepted after seeing the various materials and videos designed to guide this process (cmacan.org/ discernment). When we allow the Holy Spirit to direct and guide us, discussions are tempered by the fact that He will not lead us into a decision that is dishonouring to God. Whatever we decide, we can accept with an open heart knowing that the whole proceeding has been bathed in prayer.

lay delegates (included in no. above) intercessors at Assembly

1,015 total registration 36

international workers billeted

other delegates billeted

260

Roundtable discussions, General Assembly 2016

volunteers

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Equipped Ministers Many leaders will be retiring within the next five years, but seeing the younger pastors standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the "veterans" and not flinching at the myriad of difficult proceedings made me see that The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada is in good hands. • Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Felomino, Jr. is senior pastor of Filipino Alliance Church of Toronto

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Perspectives

Becoming More Effective Overcoming barriers to fulfill the Great Commission By Donna Frentz

n order to be an organization fulfilling the Great Commission, we need to recognize the barriers that prevent us from being efficient. The image of a free-flowing river depicts the vision we have for ourselves at The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada. Our desire is that this river will flow without restriction, while staying within the banks of dynamic structures. Our river, our organization, has some obstacles that we are working towards removing. We have identified three specific boulders in our river: isolation, complication, and limitation.

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Disrupting the flow of our river is a boulder of isolation. We could use a word like â&#x20AC;&#x153;silos,â&#x20AC;? but we need to recognize that there are groups within our structure that feel disconnected, excluded, or alone. While we may not like to admit this, it is a reality and it restricts us from moving forward. A second boulder we found is one of complication. Our systems are often restrictive and not easily accessible. Some of our lingo may even be described as cryptic! For people new to the Alliance family, it can be a challenge to understand how our organization works.

The third boulder is identified as limitation. This blockage is often a result of fear or pride. How do people speak into our structure? Are we locked into tradition and an environment of restriction? It takes a lot of heavy lifting to remove rocks from a flowing river. Like an iceberg, you can only see the piece of the rock that is above the water, but it goes much deeper. Over the last two years, there has been a committed effort to address these obstacles and do some heavy lifting. The tools we need to break down these boulders are

collaboration, open access, and creative genius. The rock of isolation can be removed by collaboration. I see this in a network like the Persian Catalytic Network that was introduced in Assembly 2014, involving a church, a district, and the Global Ministries department. This network of people have worked in dynamic ways over these last two years to see that efforts to reach Persians actually happen. There has been energy expended to have important dialogue with district superintendents, DEXCOMS, and Global Ministries on how we can

become an Acts 1:8 missional movement and what is needed to accomplish this together. To crush the boulder of complication, we are committed to creating open access. This becomes evident as we strive to communicate more openly, especially regarding our global efforts. We want the Alliance family to know our international workers and be able to pray for them by name. A common language is emerging; we are sharing our stories, and we are trying to ensure that greater levels of transparency and equal access is happening across the organization.

Finally, the boulder of limitation is being swept away by creative genius. There is a new risk-taking posture; we are embracing innovation and looking for places where ideas will bubble up. This is happening as a global, online prayer movement continually grows. Our river is not yet freely flowing. Through discernment, dedicated effort, and engagement, we endeavour to move these boulders so that we can serve fully in the flow of the Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power to efficiently fulfill the Great Commission together. â&#x20AC;˘ Donna Frentz is associate vice president of the Global Ministries department at the C&MAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Ministry Centre

cmacan.org/magazine

Photo courtesy Mike Adamczyk

Counselling Commanders Guiding Generals Spreading Christ’s fragrance at NORAD By Mike Adamczyk

Mike Adamcyzk

“T

his is a no-fail mission and the most important mission of NORAD,” said the commander of North American Air Defense (NORAD) and United States Northern Command, tongue in cheek. What mission was he referring to? NORAD Tracks Santa mission! You can follow Santa every year at the NORAD Tracks Santa website. It is a big event here and a lot of fun. We are all about missions in the military. The most important mission of NORAD is the defence of North America. As a chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), my mission has two areas of focus. First, I deliver spiritual resilience and care in order to strengthen CAF members and their families for the missions laid upon them by the nation of Canada. Secondly, I highlight faith as a key element of individual health and wellness, strong communities, and international peace and security. This mission at NORAD in Colorado Springs was accomplished just like every other posting I have had, through the ministry of presence. My U.S. counterpart, Chaplain Jay Johns, and I attend many high-level meetings each day, rubbing shoulders with generals/admirals and their staff members. As special staff, we are to provide the commander with strategic and operational guidance on

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

chaplaincy matters. This ministry of presence provides us with the opportunity to develop relationships in which the “fragrance of Christ” has room to work in the lives of the U.S. and Canadian leadership of NORAD. When not attending meetings and reviewing NORAD plans, the ministry of presence takes me to the halls, cubicles, and detachments where Canadian members are working. These connections develop into pastoral counselling sessions over coffee, and the “fragrance of Christ” is released. Other more public responsibilities are offering prayers at promotion, retirement, award ceremonies, annual military ceremonies such as the Battle of Britain and Veterans Day/Remembrance Day, and last, but not least, all the military service birthday cake cuttings! • Padre Mike Adamczyk is an alumnus of Canadian Theological Seminary (Regina, SK) and former pastor of Bonnyville Fellowship Alliance Church, in northern AB

Are you interested in learning more about becoming an Alliance chaplain? Contact the chaplain representative for your district. More information can be found at cmacan.org/contact-alliance-chaplains.

Alliance-Generated Resources

O n ion ss Mi gether

Books, Brochures, Banners, and More! An overview of newly developed resources By Carol Roycroft

e’ve been developing new materials for you and your church. If you go to cmacan.org/ resources, you’ll find material such as church announcements, prayer resources, a letter from the president, and ordering information for the following: Book The God You May Not Know is a compilation of stories from the first 100 years of Canadians being sent by the C&MA to live on mission internationally.

Brochures • C&MA in Canada is a tri-fold colour brochure with a brief summary about the Alliance in Canada. • On Mission Together is a pocket-sized colourful piece with infographics, statistics, and facts about the C&MA in Canada. • Global Ministries on Mission will help educate and inspire you about what

we do, where we go, and why. It includes lists of our international workers, designated funds (approved specials), and the people groups we serve now or potentially in the future. • Who We Are is a blackand-white material you can either order (or print yourself), which includes in-depth information about the C&MA in Canada and our beliefs. cmacan.org/magazine

cmacan.org/stories

The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada

Wall Decals, Posters, and Pull-up Banners • Our Five “S” Regions map and icons have an updated look (see the centrespread on pages 32-33). The map is available as a wall decal, poster, and a pull-up banner. • Our recently updated Vision Prayer (see page 29), a few tag lines, and Matthew 28:19-20 are available as wall decals and posters.

On mission. Everyone. We are also in the process of translating much of this material into French and Chinese. Everywhere. All the Time. We believe that you have a story to tell! Share your stories: cmacan.org/stories/submit We’d love to hear from you! 416.674.7878

communications@cmacan.org

/CMAllianceinCanada @CMAinCanada August 2016

Learn More Get inspiration, news, information, and invitations to your inbox or mailbox! Sign up for free subscriptions to the resources you want. cmacan.org/subscribe

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Updated Website We are always making improvements on our website. Aside from adding new stories every week, we have developed new mega menus that provide a sneak peek of the popular materials that can supplement your ministry and inform newcomers about the C&MA.

… go and make disciples of all nations ...

Other resources are being developed, and your church office will hear about them through our monthly mailings. They will also be posted to our online ordering system as soon as they are available for purchase.

Matthew 28:19

We would love to know if the materials mentioned here have been useful to you. Please let us know what other resources you would like us to develop by emailing us at communications@cmacan.org.

cmacan.org

Envision Move people. Shape culture. Help people come alive as they follow Jesus. You can learn about this new opportunity at envisioncanada.org/about-us.

We’re on mission together! It is our joy and privilege to develop these resources for you and your church. • Carol Roycroft is the director of Communications at the C&MA’s National Ministry Centre

The Great Carp Escape Revival Preaching: With 12 Lessons from the Preaching of Jonathan Edwards During the First Great Awakening By Ernie Klassen

resident David Hearn states, “There was a time when revival preaching was very common. People were hungry for a fresh work of God and actually anticipated His supernatural transformation in their lives, churches and communities. Using the backdrop of Jonathan Edwards’ powerful preaching ministry, we are invited into a rich theological journey flavoured with real life experiences.” The author provides lessons that leaders in churches can take from the experiences and writings of Jonathan Edwards, the 18thcentury theologian, preacher, revivalist, and missionary.

Professionally Religious: The Spiritual Poverty of Spiritual Leaders By Dave Blundell

his easy-to-read book is for pastors, directors, CEO’s, boards, elders, teachers, managers, parents, and anyone concerned about spiritual influence. The author invites his readers to examine their ministry life, philosophy, and theology.

He also gives a biblical invitation to rediscover a spiritual vibrancy that will refuel them and transform their organizations to have a world-changing impact. He challenges them to see spiritual leadership as a reflection of their relationship with Christ instead of fulfilling the demands and expectations of others.

Ernie Klassen is an international worker currently serving in Spain.

Dave Blundell is an official worker with the C&MA, leading a church plant in B.C., and working with Hungry for Life International.

Available in print or as an e-book from amazon.ca, barnesandnoble. com, and your local bookstore.

Available from amazon.ca, professionallyreligious.com, and your local bookstore.

By Irish Beth Maddock

or siblings Beth and Paul, growing up on a lake and exploring aquatic life is fun, until they encounter a startling find. When the kids discover the moustached, scaly blue carp that lives in the marsh near their home, they become afraid. Seasons pass and they avoid the swampy reeds– until a natural occurrence brings about a life-or-death situation for the creepy looking carp, right in their own backyard! With guidance from their father, will Beth and Paul overcome their apprehensions about the carp and help save them before it’s too late? This award-winning, inspirational children’s book is based on the author’s youth growing up in British Columbia. It’s available as a fundraiser for schools, churches, charities, and ministries in need. Irish Beth Maddock and her family attend Foothills Alliance Church in Calgary, AB. Available from Chapters/ Indigo/Coles, select Christian bookstores, or online.

cmacan.org/magazine

On Mission: 9 to 5 Doing business in the name of Christ By Gordon T. Smith

t is a fundamental principle of life and ministry— something pivotal to the mission of God—that God is calling women and men into every sphere and sector of society: the arts, education, business, trades, law, medicine, and the domestic arts. Even though many of us grew up within religious communities that prioritized international ministry, one of the great principles of the Reformation was the affirmation of the sacredness of all callings, including the arts, education, and business. But on the whole, it would seem that we struggle the most with business, wondering if this work, the production of goods and services, is truly good, sacred work. Do we believe that business is

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

a sacred calling, integral to the purposes of God in His mission: to make disciples of all nations? Some will affirm business as long as it funds or makes possible what they see to be “real mission”— as long as those in business support the work of pioneer missionaries or church planters, or as long as a business visa provides entry into a creative access country. Do we believe that business is a sacred calling in its own right? Increasingly, I wonder if we need to go further and see business not merely as one of many callings, but as cutting edge. I wonder if we can affirm that the in-breaking of the Kingdom

is happening not so much on Sunday morning but rather on Monday morning, as women and men engage the marketplace in the name of Christ, as witnesses to His reign. The Holy Spirit is uniquely gifting people to start and lead business ventures, and to do so as an expression of the call of God on their lives. This is why we need business programs in Christian universities, where emerging business leaders are taught the basics of good business, entrepreneurial innovation, and social enterprises. This is why we need business programs that provide a theological vision for the purposes of God in a world that can equip future business types to function on the international stage. This is why we need to find ways for senior business leaders to mentor young people who might be called into the world of business. We need churches that get it, churches where pastors know there are a whole host of women and men who are doing business to the glory of God. Some run smaller businesses with twenty employees or less; others are working in stores, factories, and banks, each day engaged in the challenges and

opportunities of the economy and the vicissitudes of the marketplace. We need pastors who understand this, pastors who know that in their prayers, they pray for the world of business. They may highlight the work of those who are working internationally in church planting and pioneer evangelism; I suggest that they also pray for, and celebrate the work of, those called into business. Simply put, the transformation of a people, a society, a nation, will not come until there is an economic transformation. There is no justice until there is economic justice (Isaiah 58). There is no flourishing of a people until and unless we are able to cultivate a vision for doing business well—with excellence, compassion, and courage—in the name of Christ. That is why it is promising to see churches encouraging young people to consider the calling into business and to see Christian universities developing quality business programs, partnering with churches in equipping women and men for this important work. • Rev. Dr. Gordon T. Smith is president of Ambrose University in Calgary, AB

“…we need to find ways for senior business leaders to mentor young people…”

Reflections

Live From… Establishing churches through radio By Sandy Ayer

n 1923, J. H. Woodward, the first pastor of Beulah Tabernacle in Edmonton, preached a message entitled “The Radio—Lighthouse of God.” His interest in radio was shared by Reuben Pearson, a radio technician. Their combined

efforts led to the establishment of CHMA (CHristian and Missionary Alliance), which made its first broadcast on Easter Sunday 1927. The Alliance was not the first religious group to take advantage of this new technology. William

“Bible Bill” Aberhart and the Jehovah’s Witnesses had begun their broadcasts around November 1925. It was the revocation of the Witnesses’ broadcasting licence that opened up a spot for CHMA among the four Edmonton stations. Beulah’s radio ministry began to expand in 1931, when it became possible to broadcast services live. They invited other local churches to take turns broadcasting morning services, and before long, 18 had set up the necessary telephone line connections to the church’s studio. Beulah’s weekly radio offerings also included children’s programs, Sunday school classes, and a hymn sing called Fireside Hour, where listeners phoned in their requests during the week, and the musical group of the evening sang them. Once, in the Saturday edition of the Edmonton Journal, CHMA advertised a communion service: listeners were to have their bread and grape juice at the ready. Most rural Albertans had bought radios during the prosperous 1920s, and for many, CHMA was their only link to the Church and the Gospel.

Rev. A.H. Orthner, Pastor Alliance Tabernacle, Moose Jaw, SK, Director Tabernacle Tidings, CHAB, 9:30 a.m. daily except Saturday, 1950s

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Photos courtesy C&MA

W. H . Br Have ooks, (far n of H rig ope C ht) and th hoir, c e a. 193 9

Stations were few, and religious programming was often the only programming available at a given time. Despite the station’s relatively weak signal (250 watts), broadcasts could be heard all over Alberta, and, if the atmospheric conditions were right, far beyond that. Beulah even received a letter from a sailor who had tuned in while his ship was crossing the equator. Mail came from listeners in five provinces, 28 states, and even Yukon and Alaska. Things took a turn in 1934, when the federal government began requiring all stations to upgrade their equipment. The cost was beyond the denomination’s means, so they ended up selling their broadcasting rights to the newlyminted CFRN in exchange for five free hours of broadcasting per week for five years. CFRN’s stronger signal gave the Tabernacle’s programs increased exposure; however, CHMA lost its separate identity in 1936, when CFRN began to require all programming to use the call letters of the parent station.

and J. D.

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Beulah’s radio ministry prospered during the first pastorate of J. D. Carlson (1939— 1944). A gifted musician and entertainer, Carlson “had been saved from a life as a nightclub entertainer.” Having established a solid reputation as a radio evangelist, Carlson began holding meetings in community halls in the towns around Edmonton. A number of Alliance churches were established as a result. Other Alliance pastors also made effective use of radio. For example, in 1938, W. H. Brooks, pastor of Regina’s Alliance Tabernacle, began broadcasting as many as eight messages a week over CJRM, backed up by the popular Haven of Hope Choir. Letters poured in from all over western North America, and soon the Alliance Tabernacle had to add a second evening service. In 1941, Brooks helped found Canadian Bible Institute so that the new converts could have trained pastors to lead them.

archives

Roy and Evelyn M cIntyre, 1943

CHAB in the early 1940s, which contributed to the rapid growth of the Moose Jaw Tabernacle. This radio ministry continued well into the 1950s. How did the Alliance manage to use the new medium so successfully? According to one Prairie historian, the appeal came from the “simple, informal, homespun manner of [the radio evangelists], their showmanship, and their use of popular hymns.” The Christian and Missionary Alliance’s radio ministries declined after the advent of television in the late 1950s, but they had already made a vital and lasting contribution to the establishment and expansion of the Alliance throughout Western Canada. • Sandy Ayer is the director of Library Services, Ambrose University and C&MA archivist

In Moose Jaw, SK, Roy McIntyre began broadcasting the Rock of Refuge program over cmacan.org/magazine

Standing in the Gap How prayer restored the land By Linda Gould

n January 2014, prior to going on a short-term trip, God gave me a dream. I was standing in the middle of a dry, grassy field surrounded by trees and mountains. I remember thinking, “How could anything grow on this land?” I sounded a small shofar with nine loud blasts, which dissipated the darkness. I heard 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” [emphasis added].

The shofar (ram’s horn) is often used as an instrument of spiritual warfare.

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

In September 2014, I was part of an intercessory prayer ministry team that travelled to Papua, Indonesia, to visit an international worker. I was amazed by God’s heart for the people and the land. What is Intercessory Prayer? Intercessory prayer is praying to God on behalf of other people. It is being moved by God’s heart to stand in the gap for an individual, a group, a city, or nation to see His will done on Earth as it is in Heaven. God has complete authority over creation, yet God says in Ezekiel 22:30, “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” God is looking for intercessors who will pray His will into being. Ephesians 6:12 says that when it comes to doing spiritual battle, “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but…against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Intercessory prayer invites God’s presence to dark places to shift the spiritual atmosphere for His glory. With the Holy Spirit as our guide, God equips us with His presence and His Word to give us direction on how to pray. What does it Look Like? Intercessory prayer takes the posture of sitting, kneeling, or standing in reverence to God in asking Him to change the circumstances of an individual or community. It may involve walking, marching, or even running as spiritual revival is declared over a street or city. It takes the posture of bowing face-down in the presence of God, pleading for His mercy over a government, a crisis, or a nation. We pray alone or with other people who have been given the burden in asking God to bring His Kingdom to Earth.

Answers to Online Prayers Every week, I meet a group of intercessors from across Canada online to pray for the Desert Sand region. We spend the first 30 minutes in a time of thanks, adoration, and confession through the use of the Scripture; the second 30 minutes is spent in focused intercession. Through quieting our hearts and minds in that first half hour, we hear more clearly how the Holy Spirit would have us pray. Richard and Merinda Enns, regional developers of Desert Sand, say, “Gathering with intercessors to pray on behalf of Africa had been on our hearts for a few years. The last two years…have been like Aaron and Hur holding up the hands of Moses. God is at work, and He is answering in ways we could never imagine!” We are looking for ways to expand this form of online prayer. If you are interested in further information, please contact me at lorileej@bell.net. Lorilee Jespersen is the Seamless Link Advisor

What does it Sound Like? Intercessory prayer has various sounds. It can sound like talking to God quietly, but it can also

in the St. Lawrence District

cmacan.org/magazine

Keep the Channels Clear Doug Gerrard, executive vice president, was driving under some massive hydro wires one day when the signal from the radio station he was listening to suffered intense interference. He could only hear static and began to wonder if the signals—listening for God’s voice—that direct the work at the National Ministry Centre might also be suffering interference. There are major centres of non-Christian religions surrounding our office that might cause such static. He suggested organizing a band of committed people dedicated to keeping the channels clear. Since the spring of 2014, about 15 intercessors have been praying for the National Ministry Centre (NMC) staff, as well as regional and international leaders who connect with them. This group would like to share its joy and multiply its efforts by expanding the team. If you live nearby, you could join them once a month at the NMC, 30 Carrier Drive in Toronto. For those who live far away, you could join the 20 intercessors who have prayer requests emailed each month.

What happens at the NMC has a ripple effect around the world—literally!

What happens at the NMC has a ripple effect around the world—literally! Would you consider joining this team of prayer warriors? Help spread the Good News of Jesus by praying for these people who are doing the important work of ministry, behind the scenes. To inquire about joining the team, or to sign up for the monthly email prayer list, contact us at intercessors@cmacan.org.

Photo courtesy Mary McElhone

sound like worship, the declaring of Scripture, a cry of the heart, travail, laughter in the Spirit, or sounding the shofar. As we receive Scripture, we are also given visions, dreams, pictures, and blueprints from the Lord. In Papua, our team witnessed God fulfill 2 Chronicles 7:14. Six months after our trip, the international worker visited the villages where we had ministered and inquired about all that God had done, including the condition and production of food. They let her know that God had blessed them abundantly and their gardens were flourishing! What person, city, people group, or nation has God placed on your heart? Intercessory prayer yields Kingdom dividends that we may or may not know of on this side of Heaven. • Linda Gould leads the prayer ministry team and teaches prophetic ministry at Burlington Alliance Church in ON, where her husband, Shane, is the lead pastor

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Prayer

Momentum Builds Encountering God’s presence and power By Kathy Klassen

any of us have experienced the “wave” at a baseball game. Usually, the full wave starts out with a few excited individuals, then gradually more people catch the momentum. Prayer in Motion (PIM) is a call to join with others in a fresh wave of entering God’s presence. It was birthed during a gathering of intercessors from across Canada in Vernon, BC, for a one-time strategic meeting to talk about how to increase prayer in churches. Intercessors, pastors, national leaders, international workers, and members from the Alliance Pray Team attended. It became clear that God’s agenda was not to strategize, but rather to be present with us. He was calling us to make room for Him. A few of the individuals had read Peter Grieg’s book Red Moon Rising, outlining how God had ignited a 24/7 prayer movement in Europe in the late 1990s, and how in that, the younger generation in particular had experienced a fresh awakening, encountering God’s presence and His power.

An idea was seeded in one pastor’s heart: What if our Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) family of churches were to carry an “Olympic flame” of 24/7 prayer across our nation in preparation for Assembly? Our president and his lead team loved the idea, and Prayer in Motion began. Each district was allocated their month to cover, and 58 churches took up the challenge. This is Just the Beginning Last fall, First Alliance Toronto called the church family to a week of 24/7 prayer. A sense of expectation rose as a group gathered to transform the present youth room into a prayer room. Various stations where people could enter God’s presence with others or on their own were made available. Testimonies of people experiencing a fresh touch from God, and prayers being answered, including conversion, started to flow. People of all ages participated. We also joined our district in the month of February for another week of prayer.

What is 24/7 Prayer? 24/7 prayer is a gathering of a group in a specific place to pray around the clock. It helps to set up the designated place with various stations to motivate people to pray. Stations can be as simple or ornate as you desire. There is something holy about God’s people gathering in the night watch—giving up sleep—to meet together in His name. A great place to start is by reading Red Moon Rising, which outlines the rebirth of this movement in the twentieth century (1994). It is an anointed invitation to prayer.

cmacan.org/magazine

…all were greatly encouraged as they experienced God’s presence and power through prayer…

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Subsequently, the church leadership decided to implement a 24-hour prayer time the first Friday of every month and continue to do so. Arthur Wong, lead pastor of the English service at Toronto Jaffray Alliance, shared how 24/7 prayer led to a week of prayer while their pastors were at Assembly. They texted back and forth concerning prayer needs, and all were greatly encouraged as they experienced God’s presence and power through prayer. As I chatted with Ian Knight, lead elder at Newmarket Alliance, he shared, “We realized that Prayer in Motion needs to be not just another event, but an ongoing attitude that incorporates all our prayer tactics and continues to build momentum as we keep the invitation and the events occurring on a regular basis….” As we gathered in Calgary for General Assembly, people repeatedly commented about the power of prayer fueling the unity that we experienced. It was powerful to have Alliance Pray’s 30 intercessors praying full-time and onsite throughout the week. I also believe that we were riding on the Prayer in Motion wave that God had begun across Canada.

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Our prayer is that this wave will keep on going, not just across the country, but also taking us deeper into the heart of God and His Kingdom purposes. Like the disciples in the upper room, our heart’s cry is not so much that we gather to pray, but rather that as we gather in our Lord’s name, our churches will experience a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit, propelling us forward with zeal into the daunting task of taking the love of Jesus to leastreached people. Have you joined the wave yet? • Kathy Klassen is the Prayer in Motion coordinator for the Eastern Canadian District

O God, with all our hearts, we long for You. Come, transform us to be Christ-centred, Spirit-empowered, Mission-focused people, multiplying disciples everywhere.

c ma ca n.o rg

One year earlier, Macky had made the bold and challenging decision to follow Christ, having counted the costs as well as the blessings. True enough, the trials came. His wife took away his young son and went back to her parents. Then he got an infection and became deathly ill. These circumstances tested him to the limits of his faith, but God miraculously brought him back to full health. I tell this story to show the remarkable and mysterious working of God through the prayers of His people. Gateway to Africa In 1990, my pastor, Rev. Sunder Krishnan at Rexdale Alliance Church, started a weekly prayer initiative for global missions. He gathered materials from a variety of sources including missions organizations, research resources, and missionary prayer letters.

From the Pew to the Desert

We learned of the concept of gateway peoples, who, if evangelized, will open the way to other people Photo courtesy Lisa Rohrick groups. Seven gateway peoples were identified, and among them was a large Muslim group, the Fulani, of over forty million stretching over twenty countries in the sub-Sahara region.

How intercessory prayer led me to missions By Ken Hassanally

n December 2015, I was attending a conference of Fulani believers in Linguere, Senegal. One highlight for me was the baptism of my Fulani friend, Macky. As he was baptized, a flood of images from over fifteen years swept over me.

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

As we prayed fervently for these key peoples, God was doing another work in our own hearts. He was rekindling a fire to go to the mission field. God did this by sending my wife and I to North Africa in 1997. Our first Fulani friend was a recent convert. We embraced him into our missionary training team, and over the next five years God captivated his mind, his faith, and his vision for the lost. When God finally provided him the opportunity to return to Senegal, his missionary call to reach his own people was complete. God continued to reveal the answers to our earlier prayers by bringing another Fulani man into

…I have seen and continue to see the increasing fruit of our early prayers. our missions school in North Africa, and under the teaching he began to understand the concepts of Christianity. Today, he is involved in the massive task of translating the Scriptures into the Fulani language.

prayers. At a recent conference for Fulani believers in West Africa, I asked how many had come to Christ after 1990. I was not surprised that all but one raised their hands. Through them, the Fulani church is growing.

Today’s Fruit This brings me back to Macky. He was also a taga-long in our Christian gatherings but showed no interest in the Good News; he was only there for the ride. Today, still separated from his family, he is being equipped to serve God and to lead others to Him.

In addition, it is the Fulani believers who are calling conferences and planning growth strategies for not only their own people, but for all of the tribes.

During my past three visits to Senegal, I have seen and continue to see the increasing fruit of our early

I have told this story to illustrate that God's answers may not be immediate, but they are often much bigger than anticipated. • Ken Hassanally is a former international worker

Key lessons on prayer: • Strategic prayer helps to focus our efforts on the matters that are important to God and to identify the ways to bring down strongholds that hold people groups in bondage. This is done through observation and research. • Confrontational prayers acknowledge that we are in battle with unseen forces and that the battle is the Lord's. A key component of this is prayer walking or location prayers. Because of the territorial nature of strongholds, this helps to enable God's armies to do battle onsite. • Up-to-date prayers are fueled by prayer letters and world news. Photo courtesy Lisa Rohrick

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stands for a commitment to reach the most-neglected Tfield,histomovement avoid the beaten tracks of other labourers, to press on to the

regions beyond and instead of building upon another person’s foundation, to preach the Gospel where Christ has not been named.

A.B.Simpson

From coast to coast to coast

Central and South America and the Caribbean

West Africa and North Africa

“… go and make disciples of all nations …” Matthew 28:19-20

Europe, Middle East and Central Asia

FIVE “S” REGIONS

South East Asia to East Asia

Silk Road Region

Loving Iraq Exchanging terror for peace

People fled their region with looks of terror on their faces.

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

n August 2014, the world was shocked as news agencies reported the brutal onslaught by the Islamic State (ISIS) on the Yazidi people of northern Iraq. People fled their region with looks of terror on their faces.

Today, the C&MA is in the process of raising a team and developing the strategy that will enable us to work among this formerly hidden people group, where there are only a few known believers.

Then came the desperate rescue of these same people as they were airlifted off Sinjar Mountain, the holy mountain of the Yazidis. Previous to this, hardly anyone had even heard of the Yazidis.

Our goal is to develop an indigenous movement of Christ-following communities among the Yazidis so that they, in turn, can continue to love their own people, their Kurdish cousins, and the Arabic speakers of Northern Iraq and beyond.

Up to this point, the Yazidis had been a “hidden” people group. Few knew that they existed until August 2014. Being followers of a religion that mixed Islam and Christianity, they worked to keep themselves hidden to escape persecution from the Muslim majority. Hated by the Muslims because they were considered Satan worshippers, and largely ignored by the Christian communities of Iraq, they blended in with the Kurdish people of Northern Iraq. In this manner, they survived as a distinct people group; that is, until ISIS caught up with them and tried to annihilate them. It was at this time that President David Hearn was invited by Samaritan’s Purse Canada to see the massive human crisis that had developed. As he saw the plight of the internally displaced Yazidis in the UN refugee camps, Hearn heard God’s clear call for The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada (C&MA) to love these people and to bring them the light of the Gospel.

We can’t achieve this unless we work with the local churches in Northern Iraq. This means that we need to encourage and support them so that they can remain healthy, viable, and strong. To accomplish all of this, we recognize that we have to start with prayer, so we are recruiting at least 10,000 people who will cover and support this whole endeavor with prayer. Our desire is to place international workers (IWs) in Northern Iraq. Until we are able to do this, one IW couple has been going there multiple times a year to serve the churches, to lead short-term teams, and to provide practical care to the Yazidis. Since the beginning of 2015, this couple has gone to Northern Iraq at least five times. In one of these trips, they brought a medical team who provided healing to the Yazidis and opened the door to also hear the Gospel. But we need to do more! Yes, the task before us is daunting, but as some of the Yazidis themselves have said, “Everyone has left

If you are interested in becoming part of this prayer movement, please email prayingforiraq@ gmail.com, and they will send you regular If you would like to prayer requests.

Go to cmacan.org/ resources to find more information about the Yazidis.

support this ministry to the Yazidi people, please go to cmacan.org/fall-2016, or use the enclosed envelope and mark your donation under “Other” for Loving Iraq.

us! But you Christians really understand us, because just like us, you have been persecuted for the last 2,000 years. And yet, you still love us, stand with us, and are willing to help us!” We need to be in Northern Iraq not just because of the great physical need, but especially because there is still no church among the Yazidis. We need your help to accomplish this. Would you consider praying, giving, and going so that the Yazidis may hear, and so that they too may become part of the Bride of Christ whom He will bring home with Him to eternity? May we all continue to say “yes” to Jesus until all have heard, so that He may return. • The author is an international worker living in this area

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...our Faculty of Arts & Science, School of Ministry and Seminary form one vibrant community

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Desert Sand Region

Gary and Sharon Howell

Senegal Bound A strategic move to the tension line By Katie McNamara

enegal, West Africa, has been called “a graveyard of missions.” The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) first entered the country in 1933, but like other mission organizations, they left in 1936 due to the difficulty that the field presented. After an eighty year hiatus, the Canadian C&MA is returning to Senegal, unafraid to take on a challenge. Gary and Sharon Howell have been international workers (IWs) in Central Africa for over 25 years. They will be making a strategic move to Senegal after a year-long discernment process, which began when they were approached by leadership within the Alliance. After the initial conversation, Sharon recalls, “We immediately felt at peace.” Their plans were confirmed by God while on a trip to Israel with the Global Youth Initiative, which develops young leaders. Their tour of the Holy Land focused on

The Jaffray Offering is a giving opportunity dedicated to the new places the C&MA is going, such as Senegal. For more information, see page 40, or to support this fund, please go to cmacan.org/give, or use the envelope enclosed.

cmacan.org/magazine

“We believe God is calling some of you to

the bold geographical moves in the life of Christ. The tour leaders called Jesus’ move from his hometown of Nazareth to Capernaum “strategic” because “a lot of the disciples came from that area.” When Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to get to Decapolis, He was expanding the disciple’s vision to “the other side,” to have the disciples think about the people who didn’t have the opportunity to hear the Gospel because their location didn’t give them access to hear the Good News. For the Howells, moving to “the other side” meant moving from one religious group to another, from animistic to Muslim. The leaders then proclaimed, “We believe God is calling some of you to make a strategic move, a change in geography.” The Howells report that they were so convicted in that moment that they couldn’t take notes or look at each other. The Howells will be ministering to the Wolof and Fulani people groups, who make up nearly half of Senegal’s population of 13 million. They entered the country in September 2016, and will evaluate the work of other organizations and discern how God wants to use the C&MA. They will also study Wolof (the trade language), host prayer teams, and determine what personnel is needed for the work God has for them. This is a strategic time to move to Senegal because no visa is required to live in Dakar, the nation’s capital. Dakar is also a strategic location because it is a central point of the “tension line” dividing the continent in two, north from

Fulani People Group Pronunciation: foo-LAH-nee Location: Found in 20 African nations; mainly in Nigeria, Senegal, and Guinea Population: More than 6 million Language: Fulfulde (pronounced full-FULL-day); Arabic; French; English Religion: Islam The population of 1.1 million is split into four groups. There are only a handful of believers. For more information on the Fulani, check out cmacan.org/resources. Photo courtesy Lisa Rohrick

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

make a strategic move, a change in geography.”

south, Islam from Christianity. This line is moving more south as Islam migrates. When the Howells announced their move to Senegal, Owen Sound Alliance Church, with which they have a Seamless Link Agreement, answered with, “We’re here for you.” Pastor Jeff Sensenstein and his wife, Fiona, went on a vision trip to Senegal with the Howells to discern God’s will and see how they can further support the Howells in their ministry. What the Howells need most at this time is prayer support. Please pray for them in the following ways: • Looking for a new home • Language learning • Finding partners and teammates Please pray for the people of Senegal in the following ways: • Open hearts to the Gospel • Open eyes to see the difference in the way the Howells live • Fearlessness in pursuing and following Jesus If you are interested in joining a prayer team for Senegal, please send an email to senegalinitiative@gmail.com. • Katie McNamara is the copy editor/copywriter at the C&MA’s National Ministry Centre

Wolof People Group Pronunciation: WOE-loff Location: Mainly Senegal; about 40% of the population Population: Over 6 million Language: Wolof Religion: Islam (Sunni Muslim) There are only 200 known believers; this LRPG is 99.9% Muslim. For more information on the Wolof, check out cmacan.org/resources. Photo courtesy Stan Walker

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Breaking Through the Darkness Jaffray with a group of the Indonesians he loved, 1936

Bringing the Gospel to least-reached people groups By Gladys Thompson

e read in the book The God You May Not Know that the term trailblazer is defined as “one who blazes a trail for others to follow through unsettled and wilderness country” (thefreedictionary.com). It’s a pioneer, innovator, groundbreaker, mentor, messenger, entrepreneur, and a mover and shaker. By the time Dr. Robert A. Jaffray died at the age of seventy-one, he was known for all of the above. As a teenager, Robert Alexander Jaffray (18731945) fell in love with Jesus and decided to follow Him, no matter what the cost. His father was an influential Canadian politician who owned what is presently The Globe and Mail. His high hopes for his son were dashed when Robert left behind all his wealth to serve the Lord in China. He joined a small team of missionaries already serving there and became widely known for his publication of a Chinese Bible magazine. The walls of Jaffray’s office were covered with maps. He poured over them, and became God’s trailblazer in Vietnam. He also mobilized the Chinese National Church to blaze the trail in the islands of the South Seas. Within ten years, Chinese and North American missionaries and their Indonesian co-workers were operating on every major island of Indonesia. Humanly speaking, Jaffray should never have left his home or his country. Not only was his financial future secure in Canada, but in his teens he had a heart condition and diabetes. Yet he knew that God was calling him to go to the people who did not know Christ and were living in spiritual darkness. Because he followed God’s call on his life,

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

thousands of people in Asia came to know the love of our Saviour. This fall the C&MA in Canada is launching the annual Jaffray Offering to break through the darkness by sending workers to least-reached people groups who may NEVER have heard of the hope and freedom they can have in Jesus Christ. Monies raised will become part of our Global Advance Fund. This year, we are sending people to share the Good News with three least-reached people groups, the Wolof and Fulani in Senegal as well as the Yazidis in Northern Iraq. Can we count on your prayerful support and generous giving? • Gladys Thompson, communications coordinator at the C&MA’s National Ministry Centre, is editor of Alliance Connection

cmacan.org/jaffray-offering Please give through your local Alliance church, go to cmacan.org/give, or use the enclosed envelope.

A Future in Missions New workers follow God’s leading into global ministries

Desert Sand/Guinea Kathy Johnson As a single mom for 25 years and widowed for the past 15, Kathy had several international workers (IWs) stay in her home. She became fascinated with their stories. After a short-term trip to Ecuador, God gave her a vision and told her to wait as He prepared her for living on mission. That process took ten years.

Silk Road/Spain Anne Hodgkinson Anne grew up as a third culture kid in the Philippines and Ecuador. She accepted Christ at the age of 10, but didn’t have full assurance until seven years later when God gave her the passage of Isaiah 43:1-3.

Kathy will be serving alongside Lizette Lavoie at the Shalom Home in Guinea. As a registered respiratory therapist, she will also be equipping Kissi, Toma, and Kpelle women in hopes that they will reach out to their Muslim neighbours.

After teaching for two years, Anne felt God calling her to work in Spain, but there were no openings. She went to Egypt instead and felt that her decision was against God’s will. He found her in Egypt by His grace, and is now using the experience for good.

Desert Sand

Anne will be working as a part-time elementary art teacher at Evangelical Christian Academy in Madrid.

Rachel Rachel grew up as a third culture kid in Indonesia and Cambodia. After high school, Rachel went to Capernwray in Austria. It was during that time that she seriously took her faith on as her own. At Capernwray, she discovered who she was in Christ—a beloved daughter. God led Rachel into nursing. It was in 2012 when God called her into long-term missions. Rachel will be helping to start a nursing school at a local hospital. Her ministry will be among her students, the patients she serves, and her community.

Silk Road

Asian Spice/Japan Christal

Henry and Wendy Chuang

Christal was born in Saskatoon, SK. She and her sister grew up learning three languages, and are proud to be trilingual. After moving to Ottawa, ON, with her family, she attended Ottawa Chinese Alliance Church, where she was surrounded by international workers and their stories.

Henry and Wendy are both from Taiwan and met in Canada at their home church in the late 1990s. They were married in 2002. Together, they have two sons: Timothy and Theodore.

After attending Urbana 2003 and 2009, God moved Christalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart to international mission.

In 2010, the Chuangs encountered a family crisis; Henry was diagnosed with a severe liver condition. Feeling powerless, he asked God to use his remaining time on earth for the glory of His Kingdom.

Christal will be serving in the Silk Road region, where she has previously completed an internship. She will be serving as a high school teacher at an international school.

In Japan, the Chuangs will be discipling local Japanese friends and international students that they meet. Their first two years will focus on acquiring the language and understanding the culture.

On Mission Globally: Trends 2014-2015 257

international workers (IWs)

103

in Creative Access Countries (CACs)*

181

are fully-funded

61% in church-planting ministry 14% in compassion ministry 13% in marketplace ministry 12% in support ministry 49 average age 55% are women Includes C&MA non-licensed Global Alliance professionals and self-funded IWs who live overseas and work in defined partnershhip with our teams as valuable contributors. * Creative Access Countries are not open to the spread of the Gospel

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Asian Spice Region

Going Digital in a Rural Land A smart way to share the Gospel

ixty years ago, most Tibetans lived as farmers, nomads, or monks. Increasingly, they are moving to the more populated towns to find work as tour guides, shop clerks, truck drivers, or day labourers. But many still live as farmers, working the land for food. We work with Tibetans in small villages outside of town. They are subsistence farmers and work the land by hand or with the help of a yak. They grow barley, some garden vegetables, and raise a few animals. Because they live far from town, they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t earn money by selling their excess crops in the markets. With little cash, these farmers work together to

build their homes out of rammed earth and huge timbers cut from the nearby hills. Few homes have outhouses and none have showers or indoor plumbing; however, they do have electricity to power a few lights, a rice cooker, and a TV. In contrast to their relative poverty, most Tibetans have smart phones. Even those who are completely illiterate have learned how to use a smart phone. Children are required to attend school until grade six. They attend boarding schools in nearby towns at no cost, but many villagers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have cmacan.org/magazine

enough money to pay the transportation costs, for the school supplies, and for weekend meals not provided by the government. We run a small business that brings employment to some of the women in the villages. Rather than the women moving to town, we bring employment to them, allowing them to live with their families and farm the land. They are able to earn money to send their children to school and pay medical expenses. The business does more than help these ladies earn money. It gives us the opportunity to live among the Tibetans and earn the right to speak and to be heard. As we respect them in how we run our business, as we listen to their struggles, pray for their sicknesses, and tell them about Jesus, we pray that they will come to know Him as we do. Language is a huge obstacle in sharing the Gospel with the Tibetans. Different villages speak different dialects. Even the Tibetans themselves have a difficult time communicating with people from another village. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t learn all of the dialects and need to use translators.

You can read about the early Alliance workers in Tibet in the book, The God You May Not Know (extraordinarystories.ca).

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

From the past, one lesson is crystal clear. Never has there been a gain on the Kansu-Tibetan border that was not won by hours of agonizing prayer. Robert Ekvall Most of the Tibetans are illiterate. Translators are working on audio recordings of Bible passages to help overcome these obstacles. A Bible story is read and studied by one of the few Tibetan believers and then is orally translated into one of the dialects. These recordings are then made available for sharing on websites and smart phones. Language isn’t the only obstacle. Most Tibetans follow a form of Buddhism filled with gods and demons. Monks are paid to bless the construction of a new house, determine the best date for a marriage, or curse a troublesome neighbour. The authority that the monasteries and monks wield, along with the demonic activity they encourage, makes the spiritual darkness heavy in Tibetan areas. But in the midst of this darkness, we have prayed and seen God work. Demons have fled and monks have moved on from their rituals.

We serve a God who sent Jesus to live among us, to be “a light in the darkness.” He has sent the Church to live among the lost so that they might know Him. We can’t wait until the Tibetan ladies we work with come to know Jesus and worship Him alone. • The author and his wife have served as international workers for more than a decade

If you would like to support this community development, please go to cmacan.org/fall-2016, or use the enclosed envelope and mark your donation under “Other” for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.

Equipping the Saints Holistic care for our international workers By Joan Carter

od gives good gifts to His church. One of these gifts comes in the person of Judith (Judy) Wiebe. In this year of her retirement, we want to thank God for her, honour her, and bless her. Judy has a heart of compassion that God uses in many ways. Judy has lived her life to the glory of God, living out her call of “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12) by being the director of Member Care. Member Care is not a new concept; it has been around since Biblical times. ''Member Care'' is a rich and loaded term that is used in missions to refer to care given to international workers (IWs) throughout their ministry. This includes caring for the whole person. Judy started her career with The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada in 1998. The newlyformed Global Ministries department included Dr. Arnold Cook and his administrative assistant, Judy Milne. Judy says she was an unlikely candidate since she was a new Christian and a single parent. Despite her own misgivings, she was a perfect fit, as seen by her touch and influence in the development of the department. Director of Member Care After listening and caring for international workers, as well as reading, praying, and discerning God’s direction, Global Ministries moved towards strengthening care for IWs in order to make them more effective in their personal lives and in their ministry. It was at this time that Judy was given the title director of Member Care.

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Joan Carter and Judy Wiebe, 2001 Photo courtesy Joan Carter

I was called to informally join the Member Care team with Judy to research several areas of ministry including stress, stressors, and implications for care. My professional relationship with Judy quickly developed into a deep soul friendship. The Member Care program we developed continues to grow and expand. What an amazing gift of God’s grace! Through this, Judy spearheaded two major ongoing programs: Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO), for first-time IWs about to be deployed to their region of service, and Home Ministry Seminar (HMS), for IWs on home assignment. These two programs have played important and positive roles in many IWs’ lives. Wellness Plan Another area where Judy exceeded is in addressing our excellent health care provision. We have outstanding medical, emotional, and spiritual care accessible to our workers. Judy has worked

Judy has a heart of compassion that God uses in many ways. with Dr. Ken Gamble and Dr. Duncan Westwood in physical, emotional, and spiritual debriefings. They also provide medical consultation while on the field. Judy is not only a role model for lifelong learning, but she also facilitates and demonstrates this for others. She has read much, taken courses, and has attended Mental Health and Mission conferences. In recent years, her focus has been drawn increasingly towards spiritual formation and spiritual direction. Her own spiritual health has impacted many. Her colleagues have seen her grow in spiritual discernment and have asked for her involvement in many decisions made in leadership.

daughters, and nine grandchildren. They previously lived in Winnipeg, MB, where Doug pastored a church. They now live in Calgary, AB. Judy lives a life that reflects Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care, joy, and love. Her career achievements give evidence that she has indeed equipped many saints for the work of the ministry. Her hard work will continue to equip many others in the future as more IWs are sent out to least-reached people groups. â&#x20AC;˘ Dr. Joan Carter taught at Canadian Theological Seminary (CTS) from 1982-2004, and worked with Judy in developing a wellness plan for international workers.

Judy and Doug Wiebe celebrated their wedding on August 4, 2001, when Doug was district superintendent for the Eastern Central District. Their blended family includes two sons, two

The baton of Member Care has been passed on to John and Beth Cook, former international workers in the Silk Road region.

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Impressions

Sunder and Shyamala Krishnan Photo courtesy Rexdale Alliance Church

A Man of Knowledge and Passion Celebrating the impact of Rev. Krishnan By Ruth Yavtucovich

e was one of India’s brightest and most talented young men, excelling in sports and academia. His orthodox Hindu family had great hopes for his budding career as a nuclear physicist with The Atomic Energy of Canada. By all human standards, no one could have imagined that such a brilliant, accomplished man would one day leave his successful career to serve Jesus. God’s plan for Sunder Krishnan was different from his family’s, and he joyfully and willfully answered God’s call.

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

Rev. Dr. Sunder Krishnan has served faithfully at Rexdale Alliance Church (RAC) for 36 consecutive years. Under his leadership, RAC • birthed four new churches in the Greater Toronto Area; • launched Solemn Assembly in 1993, a week-long congregational prayer gathering focusing on praise, repentance, and local and global needs;

• became an intentional global impact community with a focus to become world Christians; • launched the annual Global Poverty Program, a month-long campaign each December to financially support the poor; and • sponsored several refugee families from Vietnam, Cambodia, and most recently from Syria.

“Krishnan’s excellence in service for Jesus is an expression of 1 Timothy 5:17…” Krishnan has personally mentored over 20 young pastors and international workers (IWs). He has spoken at several C&MA field forums, encouraging and ministering to IWs. His latest book, Highjacked by Glory, is a must read for every Christfollower on how to move from the pew to the nations. Krishnan has also been a keynote speaker in several countries at missions’ conferences, college campuses, General Assemblies (U.S.A. and Canada), Urbana, and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) events.

On Sunday, June 19, 2016, RAC celebrated the retirement of Pastor Sunder and Shyamala after 36 years of faithful service. It was truly a celebration of God’s goodness, drawing a record crowd of over 1,000, including the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and MP of Etobicoke North, who commended Sunder and Shyamala on their incredible service to the Rexdale community.

In April 2000, Krishnan received an honorary doctorate from what is now Ambrose University in Calgary, AB.

During the celebration, RAC’s board of elders conferred on Krishnan the title of “pastor emeritus.” Krishnan’s excellence in service for Jesus is an expression of 1 Timothy 5:17, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching."

God blessed Krishnan with the most wonderful, loving helpmate, his wife, Shyamala, who helped to shape him into the man of God he is today. Together, they raised two beautiful children, Sheila and Vijay. Vijay is lead pastor of Upper Room Community Church in Vaughan, ON.

A Festschrift book (collection of writings published in honour of a scholar) entitled Illuminations— Essays in Honour of Sunder Krishnan was produced by three longtime friends and adherents of RAC. The list of contributors is most impressive, with a forward by President David Hearn and a dedication from Krishnan’s

lifelong friend and brother-inlaw, Ravi Zacharias, founder and president of RZIM. In his forward, David Hearn writes, “His impact on my life has been deep and lasting. Over the years I watched and studied his approach to expounding the Bible and shepherding his church. The consistency of his calling and his lifelong enthusiasm for learning deeply affected me and shaped my approach to ministry.” In his dedication, Ravi Zacharias writes, “Sunder’s commitment to truth has manifest itself in all aspects of his life….If every Christian were as disciplined as Sunder, the church would be very different today. I am and will be, ever grateful for a life so magnificently lived. Congratulations to my dear, lifelong friend of over six decades. May his kind multiply. The world needs more men like Sunder.” We bless Pastor Sunder and Shyamala as they move into a new phase of ministry and continue to be used of God wherever and however He calls them to serve. • Ruth Yavtucovich is director of Communications and Operations, Rexdale Alliance Church in Toronto, ON

Books Available Illuminations—Essays in Honour of Sunder Krishnan, Edited by Sandy Reimer and Lisa Oppitz Catching the Wind of the Spirit, Hijacked By Glory, and Loving God with All You’ve Got, by Sunder Krishnan Check out the resource page on the Rexdale Alliance Church website for more information (rexdalealliance.ca). These books can be purchased from Chapters Indigo (chapters.indigo.ca/books) or most other online book retailers. cmacan.org/magazine

God is in control and on mission! Be inspired by these eye-witness accounts of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power through people like you. Order copies of this inspiring book, published by the C&MA in Canada.

extraordinarystories.ca

What are They Doing? Investigating the methods of flourishing churches By Joel Thiessen

hen you think of a flourishing organization—a school, a humanitarian agency, or a technology company—what comes to mind? What emerges when you think of a flourishing congregation? In what ways, if any, does your response change between the first and second question? Questions about flourishing organizations in general, and flourishing congregations in particular, are at the heart of the newly formed Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, led by myself and my colleagues, Drs. Arch Wong, Bill McAlpine, and Keith Walker. Our task is to explore what is working well in Canadian congregations, including Catholic, mainline, and conservative Protestant settings. Over the next three years, we will facilitate one-on-one interviews and expert panel gatherings with church and denominational leaders across the country, conduct in-depth case studies on some of those flourishing congregations, and circulate a national survey to leaders and attenders of these congregations. Far be it from us to pronounce “do these five things and your church will flourish.” Still, there

are some best practices and learnings that emerge from existing literature as well as our initial data collection. I want to focus on a handful of things that pertain to organizational culture. In an article in Faith Today’s January/February 2016 issue, we summarized five traits that emerge in the literature on healthy and vibrant churches: a clear selfidentity, strong and committed leadership, a culture that desires growth (numeric as well as spiritual), a hospitable community, and vibrant spiritual life. From our initial interviews and expert panel gatherings, church leaders strongly affirm the necessity to clearly articulate their church’s vision, to “get the right people on the bus,” and above all, to anchor the congregation in longstanding spiritual practices, goals, and activities. At the same time, these individuals are keen to offer additional insights that help to account for flourishing in their context. Risk Takers—Leaders and congregations are willing to take risks and try new things, to live cmacan.org/magazine

138,500 members in

435

Alliance churches across

CANADA

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

“near the edges” in their approach to finances, buildings (or no buildings), programmatic initiatives, and so forth. Discipleship—A word that has come up several times across denominational lines, leaders insist that a clear discipleship plan is integral to their congregation’s ability to flourish. Part of what we want to explore is what discipleship looks like, in concrete terms. Stewardship—They take seriously the impact that their decisions today—regarding finances, property and land, the environment, partnerships, and programs—will have on their congregation in the future and the next generation. Diverse Communities—Demographically, congregations reflect the communities that they reside in, including age, socioeconomic, ethnic, and interest group diversity. Outward Focused—While embracing a hospitable community towards those who come to their churches, they are evermore anchored in a “missional” and “sent” narrative to actively engage and contribute to the surrounding community. Urgency—In all of the above, there is an acute awareness that Christianity is on the periphery of

Flourishing organizations strike a good balance between organizational structure and flexibility. Canadian social life, where congregations cannot operate under the “build it and they will come” refrain; thus, these congregations function with a desperation to think and act creatively, to study Canadian religious and cultural trends, and to orient their focus to those beyond the walls of their congregation. Flourishing organizations strike a good balance between organizational structure and flexibility. Too much structure or flexibility can be catastrophic to an organization’s ability to survive or thrive. More data will be offered in the coming months and years. We welcome your input and involvement in this collective endeavor. Check out our website, flourishingcongregations.org, sign up to receive regular updates and findings, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, tell others about this project, and let us know about flourishing congregations in your sphere who may participate in this research. In the end, we hope that along with contributing in meaningful ways to academic discussions about congregations and organizations, this research can help to equip, empower, encourage and spur Canadian congregations towards flourishing in ways that honour, respect, and build on your congregation’s strengths to maximally fulfill God’s calling on your group at this juncture in your organization’s life. • Dr. Joel Thiessen is associate professor of Sociology, Ambrose University in Calgary, AB; co-author of The Sociology of Religion: A Canadian Perspective and author of The Meaning of Sunday: The Practice of Belief in a Secular Age joelthiessen.ca

1/3 of our churches are proactive or have a plan to equip believers to explain their hope in Christ

4/5 of our churches have developed or are developing a strategy for identifying and developing leaders who show evidence of gifts and/or calling as elders

1/4 of our churches consider compassion to be a vibrant feature of congregational life; an additional 1/3 have started some compassion initiatives

3/4 of our churches schedule Alliance international workers to speak on a Sunday * From the 267 churches that completed the C&MA Transformation Tracker in 2015

cmacan.org/magazine

Sea to Sea Region

A Fresh Anointing If you never search for more, you will never find it By Bruce Adams

couple of years ago, President’s Choice food company released a commercial that ended with the statement, “If you never search for more, you will never find it.” Kilcona Park Alliance Church in Winnipeg, MB is searching for more! We have been on a journey to seek more, to find more, and to experience more of God’s manifest presence among us, His people. This hunger in my life as a pastor started six years ago. After a couple of decades of doing pastoral ministry, I was skilled in the mechanics of “doing church,” but inside, there was a hunger for more. I longed to encounter God’s Spirit in dynamic ways that could not be understood by my previous experiences.

God has given me a fresh anointing of His Spirit, which has manifested new spiritual gifts in my life. I have begun to see things prophetically in people’s lives while praying for them in ministry. I have also encountered the gift of tongues, which has expanded my worship and prayer life. On our retreats, our elder team began to explore a simple activity that looked like something from Acts 13. We set aside a few hours on the Sunday mornings of our retreats just to worship and be intimate with the Lord. I can still see the images of our elders laying prostate on the floor, yearning to experience a greater sense of God’s presence. God did not disappoint! Through those times of lingering, we received clear direction in ministry partnerships, hiring of future staff, and personal words of encouragement and equipping for our leaders.

Photo courtesy Kilcona Park Alliance Church

Pastors I know from outside our denomination had a spiritual life that quickened something inside of me. I knew there was more of God’s power and indwelling presence for my church to experience.

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We walked away with an increased desire and commitment to see our congregation experience this deep move of God’s Spirit. We were hungry for a widespread spiritual vitality among our people, which we believed would translate into active evangelism, multiplication of Kingdom servants, and an expansion of our church’s ministry. We see signs that God is on the move beyond our leadership.

This past year, we held a nine-week teaching series on the Spirit-empowered life. God uniquely moved, and we saw numbers of people freely seeking a fresh anointing from God.

80%

of our churches report that evidence of the Spirit-filled life is common or growing *

At a special Holy Spirit Encounter event, we saw over 100 people gather for six hours to be taught on walking in the Spirit. For some, this was their first experience of hearing God speak personally to them. Others received prophetic pictures that spoke of God’s destiny for them in future ministry. We started a prophetic team of eight to ten people who possess the gifts of prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, and discernment. Prior to our morning services, we meet together to pray and to listen for any final instructions and words of knowledge or prophecy. We test each of these words among ourselves, and when we sense unity that God wants to share something in our service as a team, we bring it to the congregation during the morning worship experience.

This prayer ministry has been instrumental in seeing people healed of diseases, released from emotional burdens, and delivered from demonic strongholds. Right now, we are in the middle of celebrating our fortieth anniversary as a church. We believe God has given us a prophetic picture, like that of the Israelites of old, and we are about to cross over into a new Promise Land. We are eager and expectant to experience more. • Rev. Bruce Adams is lead pastor, Kilcona Park Alliance Church in Winnipeg, MB

It has been amazing to watch how God has directly applied some of these prophetic words to the lives of our people in such a way that 1 Corinthians 14:3 is fulfilled, “Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.” I am humbled as a pastor when these prophetic words leave a deeper impact on someone’s life in ways that my messages cannot. We operate a prayer room after each service, where those impacted through the service are encouraged to go for post-service ministry.

Photo courtesy Kilcona Park Alliance Church

* From the 267 churches that completed the Transformation Tracker (a non-statistical report to capture progress toward personal, church, and world transformation) in 2015.

cmacan.org/magazine

Making a “180” Turning to a new way of life By Denise Lodge

lbert B. Simpson, our founder, described the C&MA as a movement that “aims to reach the most neglected fields….” One of the most-neglected fields in Canada, our Sea to Sea region, is in Québec. In this province, 0.8% of the population is evangelical, whereas Canada’s evangelical population is nearly eight times that, at 7.69% (joshuaproject.net). In summer 2015, Pastor Domenic Ruso and his wife Beverley (Children’s Ministry coordinator) returned to their home province with a deep sense of God's calling to plant a new church. “The180” is a new church community that worships Jesus, who alone has the power to turn our lives around as He invites us to do a "180." This church community is a new gathering of people learning to leave guilt, shame, and regrets behind for a new way of life filled with hope, grace, and forgiveness. The church meets in a warehouse in Laval. The first half of their Sunday gatherings involve singing together and learning about what is going on in the community through announcements, videos, or hearing a story from someone in the community. Then, there’s a break halfway through their time, where people are encouraged to grab a

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

coffee and make new friends. In the second half of the gathering, they open the Bible together and listen to a message that seeks to take the important truths of the Bible and apply them to a contemporary context. Part of the180 is a culture of leader development. Leading up to the official launch on September 18, 2016, every other Sunday morning, the180 held Leadership Sundays one hour before their service began, where everyone was invited to join in conversation about the church’s growing culture of leadership. Through moments of prayer and learning, leaders helped shape the language of the180’s vision and values. Beginning as a youth pastor, Dom learned how important it is to create room for the next generation. He expresses creative approach to visionary leadership and is focused on developing and cultivating a healthy culture at the180. It is Dom and Beverley’s prayer to see the180 flourish as a healthy church, re-engaging people with Jesus as He invites them into a new way of life. • Denise Lodge is the assistant director of Communications at the C&MA’s National Ministry Centre

Photos courtesy Dom Ruso

Tenth Church staff at prayer Photo courtesy Tenth Church

Returning to our Roots Connected and growing in Christ By Milissa Ewing

t’s 9:00 am on a typical Wednesday at Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC. The church staff, who serve over 2,000 congregants, are all on-site. You would expect a bustle of activity and conversation, but you are greeted by silence. Every Wednesday, the staff, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Ken Shigematsu, begin the day with 5-10 minutes of centering prayer. Think of it as reclining back on Jesus, much like John the disciple does in John 13. After an additional 20 minutes of contemplative or intercessory prayer, the group is finally ready to attend to church business. Although centering prayer appears to be a Catholic or Eastern-inspired practice, Tenth Church is clearly connected to the early Alliance movement under the leadership of A.B. Simpson in this regard. Consider Simpson’s words in Power from on High:

…God was waiting in the depth of my being to talk with me if I would only get still enough to hear Him….[G]od said, “Be still and know that I am God….” As I listened and slowly learned to obey, and shut my ears to every sound, I found that after a while when the other voices ceased, or I ceased to hear them, there was a still small voice in the depth of my spirit. As I listened, it became to me the power of prayer, the voice of wisdom, and call of duty; and I did not need to think so hard, or pray so hard, or trust so hard, but that the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit in my heart was God’s prayer in my secret soul, and God’s answer to all my questions. Shigematsu may list Catholic writers such as Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, or Teresa of Avila as major influences, but he is also following the footsteps of Simpson, avowing that the cmacan.org/magazine

Elements for a Strong Mission Culture

After 20 years of ministry and spending time with many kinds of congregations, I know that nobody ever thinks they have “arrived” when it comes to reminding disciples of their part in advancing the Gospel. It’s not a sprint—it’s a long run. But be encouraged! I have noticed that churches with a strong mission culture tend to focus on three specific elements.

They regularly communicate and refresh the vision of missions by teaching or giving testimony at every age level. The direct tie is made between the biblical calling of missions and the expression of it by the church and their international workers.

They create opportunities for people to respond in action through prayer meetings for least-reached peoples and our international workers, giving opportunities, enrolling in Global Update, Kairos course, local outreach steps, adopting a least-reached people group, and more.

They regularly take time to hear reports of God at work and celebrate (and at times grieve) with our international workers. This atmosphere of worship, of paying attention to the work of the Spirit, of hearing the stories of lives being changed by the power of the Gospel becomes a fertile environment for a refreshed understanding of missions, of initiating new believers into missions involvement, and it also builds an unbelievably strong sense of love and community. Mike Linnen is Director of Seamless Link

Tenth Church is clearly connected to the early Alliance movement under the leadership of A.B. Simpson…. purpose of the deeper life is not for our own edification and enjoyment, but rather to engage in an active life marked by hospitality and social justice in Jesus’ name. In his book, God in My Everything, Shigematsu writes, “The goal of any rhythm or spiritual practice is to immerse ourselves in the bottomless depth of God’s love and from that place become people who truly love God and others.” George Pardington, a key figure in the early Alliance movement, wrote in a similar vein in his book Crisis of the Deeper Life, “…sanctification, while a blessed experience, is not an end in itself….Indeed, we are saved to serve; we are sanctified to minister the riches of Divine grace to the sinful and needy.” Simpson’s ministry included rescue homes for women, orphanages, rest homes, medical missions, famine relief, and outreach to immigrants; Tenth Church is known for its shelter and meal program for the homeless, social justice work with vulnerable children and refugees, and advocacy and action to end human trafficking. Whatever you call it—sanctification, the deeper life, centering prayer, listening prayer—the purpose is the same: to remain connected to and continually grow in Christ, naturally resulting in good works. After all, it is Jesus who tells us this in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” • Milissa Ewing is pastor of Family Ministries, Mount Pleasant in Vancouver, BC

You Can’t Out-Give God Generosity does not come at the risk of future poverty By Genghis Chan

“All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:4).

n November 2014, God gave our church an opportunity to practise sacrificial giving as seen in Luke 21:4. We had a $70,000 operating deficit at the time, but the Global Advance Fund (GAF) deficit was much higher. Prayerfully in response, our elders decided to set aside one Sunday’s offering to send to the National Ministry Centre. That Sunday, we collected $51,000. A couple of weeks later, we received a large cheque from Heartland Alliance Church. We found out later that Heartland had sold some investments and made a profit. God put our church’s community centre on their heart (Millbourne Community Life Centre), so they shared their blessings. We never expected that and are so grateful. Later in December, our church received a call from a local furnace company who offered to clean our furnaces for free. What’s the catch? The company had an apprenticeship program with a college in town and needed a place for the students to practise furnace cleaning. Not only that, but this company also has a division for carpet cleaning, so they also cleaned our carpet. And that’s not all!

We reluctantly asked them if they would give us a discount for cleaning the community centre as well. They said they couldn’t give us a discount, but they would clean the furnaces, carpet, and pews for free. Sixteen furnaces, 125 vents, 600 seats, and 45,000 square feet later, we were given the gift of keeping the $20,000 the cleaning would have cost. They even steam-cleaned the sofas in the lobby for us! Nobody can out-give God. We have experienced this first-hand! In 2014 and 2015, our fiscal years ended with a surplus. God’s promises are real! Most recently, we collected a special offering to support three families from Syria. Our goal is to give half of our church-wide offering to missions, and we are taking baby steps toward that goal. Giving is how we acknowledge God’s ownership in our resources. It is how we experience God’s provision in our lives. • Rev. Genghis Chan is senior pastor at South Edmonton Alliance Church and Millbourne Community Life Centre in Edmonton, AB

Helping God’s People Manage God’s Assets Rethinking our funding streams By Brian Thom

he Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada strives to be an organization that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. We want to lay our current organizational structures at the feet of Jesus and ask, “Are these still working for You?” For the last number of years, although our leadership team has felt a strong calling to do more internationally, our regular donation streams have remained stagnant. Sustainable funding is a holistic approach of raising money, and moves away from obtaining funds from wealthy corporations or personal

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

patrons, which over the last few years became our saving grace in challenging financial times. With that in mind, the question then ultimately centres on sustainable funding and the desire that, by 2020, income will be consistently equal or exceed the amount needed to fund all of our ministries here in Canada and around the world. For there to be sustainable funding we first need to address our current funding streams, further enhancing those that are working well and need to be continued or tweaked slightly, while others need to be concluded.

…our regular donation streams have remained stagnant. In addition to our own funding streams, it has come to our attention that a staggering 60 per cent of all Canadians lack a current, up-to-date will, or do not have one at all. If our will is our last statement, it is important that it be a meaningful one and that it reflect our faith and values. For the most part, until now, we have appealed primarily to the mid-aged and older segments of our Alliance family. This needs to change! We are looking into new funding mechanisms that will appeal to all ages.

Now what? What areas are being addressed within the C&MA? What might the future look like? The following suggestions are some of our initial responses: • Evaluating our multiple “funds” with the goal of streamlining them • Looking into partnership arrangements with those that can assist us with new funding • Working with individual churches and what works for them, rather than cookie cutter appeals • Figuring out how to say “thank you” to each congregant who donates

We have recently changed from multiple Planned Giving Consultants to a partnership with ADVISORS with Purpose™ (AWP), a non-denominational Christian ministry organization committed to serving donors, charities, and ministries to release more resources for God's Kingdom.

• Assisting churches who desire to leverage their church asset for a significant cash infusion and ongoing income

This partnership works much like an outsourcing arrangement where we now have Christian specialists working for you, helping you through your estateplanning process. This service is provided at no cost to our members, there are never any obligations, and the estate planners will never sell any product.

• Improving online giving

We know that the help received from them will further your desire to be found a faithful steward of all that God has entrusted to you. Does your will incorporate your faith and your values? Will the legacy you leave behind reflect the life you lived?

• Developing a partnership with the Gideons and looking into other significant partnerships

• Partnering with our churches and what they see as being the solution that they can partner in toward sustainable funding • Vision trips overseas If you have suggestions, we welcome your comments. Please let me hear from you. • Rev. Brian Thom is director of Development for The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada

For more information • please call 416-674-7878 ext. 355 • email donations@cmacan.org • write Brian Thom at 30 Carrier Dr., Ste. 100, Toronto ON M9W 5T7

cmacan.org/magazine

Now You Know

Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer… (Proverbs 30:25)

Your Financial Future Taking inspiration from the ants By Paul Lorimer

oney. What’s to be done with it? There are three basic choices: give it, save it, or spend it. Some people suggest a “10-1080” approach, where you give 10 per cent, save 10 per cent, and spend up to 80 per cent. A 10 per cent savings goal can be challenging, especially for workers who don’t have a company retirement savings plan. Canadian C&MA employees contribute 5 per cent of salary to the C&MA pension plan, and their employer also contributes 5 per cent. That adds up to 10 per cent. The retirement savings plan for international workers is structured differently, but is similarly generous. I remember many years ago when money was tight. My wife

Alliance Connection - Fall 2016

and I started saving five dollars a week towards our children’s future education needs. This amount was small, it hardly seemed worthwhile. As time went by, monthly contributions increased and some annual top-ups were added. Within a few years, the education fund went from humble beginnings to a helpful provision. If you’re not presently saving for future needs, I’d encourage you to start, even in tiny amounts. Once you’re saving, how should you invest the funds? Here are three investment principles that I’ve found helpful. 1. Compound Returns Let’s say you’re 25 years old and put $1,000 in a safety deposit box for retirement at age 65. Forty years later, you’d have $1,000, but it likely wouldn’t buy much. Instead, if you had invested the funds at 3 per cent each year, your $1,000 would “compound” to $3,262. A 6 per cent annual return would grow to $10,286, and a 7 per cent return would compound to $14,974. How you invest is more important than that you invest. That you invested provided $1,000. How you invested made the difference of whether you ended up with $3,000, $10,000 or $15,000. Small differences in returns can provide huge differences in financial provisions.

Is 6 per cent a realistic long run rate of return? C&MA pension plan members would say yes. They averaged 6.4 per cent return during the last ten years, and averaged 7.6 per cent over the last 25 years (i.e., compound average annual returns to December 31, 2015). Of course, future returns can be quite different from past returns. Plan to earn more than a 2 per cent GIC return, and seek investment advice. 2. Diversification Another investment principle is diversification (i.e., don’t put all your eggs in one basket). A simple example would be to invest in both (a) fixed income products like GICs or bonds and (b) stocks, such as shares in a major Canadian bank. Even small investors can diversify by investing in good mutual funds, segregated funds or index funds and participate in Canadian and global stocks and bonds. 3. Understanding Risk and Return There’s a significant relationship between investment risk and investment return. Google “efficient frontier” to check further into this relationship. May the Holy Spirit empower you to be a good steward of your savings and investments as you manage a 10-10-80 financial plan or whatever plan the Lord affirms in your heart. • Paul Lorimer is vice president of Finance and Operations at the C&MA’s National Ministry Centre

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