The Messenger
50 years of informing the EMC!
Also inside: Which way are we running today? p. 9 BICENTENNIAL FEATURE
The Spirit of the Lord: power to face the world p. 12
ion eat
p. 6
n o i i s t m a rc e
to the cr
Fro m
Volume 50 No. 2 February 2012
Editorials
Discipleship more than ‘a handful of water’
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“
be lived out more widely—though certainly f you are a genuine Christian born of God, marked by baptism. To believe means to identithen why do you draw back from baptism, fy, to participate, and to be accountable: to conwhich is the least that God has commanded fess Christ “with possessions, houses and lands… you?” asked Menno Simons in 1558. before lords and princes…by words and deeds “It is a weighty and important command to unto death.” love your enemy…to do good to Today, in holding up disthose who hate you…to crucify cipleship, we need to beware your wicked and ungodly flesh of separating commitment with its impure lusts and desires... from baptism and baptism to serve your neighbour in sincere from membership. Baptism and unfeigned love with all your is an act of membership to be powers, with possessions, houses, lived out in visible ways both and lands…to confess Christ belocally and wider (1 Corinthifore lords and princes, in prison ans 12:13, Romans 16:1–27). and bonds, by words and deeds In 2010 the EMC General unto death.” Board expressed its concern when local church“…It seems to me that these and like comes separate “baptism and membership” or mands are more painful and difficult…than to be the recipient of a handful of water” (Founda- “membership and covenanting.” They are together to “reflect the rich commitment, accountabiltion of Christian Doctrine). ity, and identification intended by koinonia.” Was Menno Simons minimizing baptism’s importance? Only to say discipleship is to – Terry M. Smith
Baptism is an act of membership to be lived out in visible ways both locally and wider.
••
Not just one line among many!
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onsider your church’s financial statement. Under missions or EM Conference, it might list its giving to the wider EMC program on a single line and then list other ministries. The wider program of the EM Conference might be viewed as just one ministry among others and the Conference as one charity among others. However, if our Conference’s efforts are treated in this way, it is inaccurate and unhelpful. Within our local churches there is giving that, beyond the EMC national-international budget, goes to people in ministries in specific settings. To fairly compare, then, it is necessary for EMC’s programs to be broken into a line by line listing of its many workers and ministries. To reflect a cross-cultural force of more than one hundred people in many ministries in about 24 countries, be prepared to use more paper!
2 The Messenger • February 2012
The EMC national-international budget dwarfs any local church’s listings of efforts beyond its local community. And isn’t this the point? We are in this together. Keeping aware of how EM Conference programs contain a multitude of ministries would spare local churches the error of treating our joint efforts as only one line among many. This “line” is worthy of more examination and financial support. Thank you, indeed, for the gracious giving in 2011 toward the many varied ministries of the EM Conference in Canada and around the world! When national staff members advocate for EM Conference programs, we are not involved in a conflict of interest. We are properly engaged in exactly what the Conference’s churches, regions, and delegates have called on us to do. – Terry M. Smith
Table of Contents Features
Departments
6
2
Editorials
3
Pontius’ Puddle
My journey from creationism to the creation Filled with reverence for His Name – Ray Hill
9
Which way are we running today? Bicentennial feature – Darryl Klassen
12 The Spirit of the Lord: power to face the world
The Spirit of God cares deeply for all of creation – Pierre Gilbert
Poll
17 With Our Missionaries 21 With Our Churches 23 Births 23 Weddings 26 News
Do you think the EMC Statement of Care Values (identified on p. 25) accurately reflects the EMC?
Yes, exactly
Mostly
Somewhat
Not at all
Place your vote at www. emconference.ca, then add your comments and suggestions at emcvalues.blogspot.com.
32 Calendar 33 Shoulder Tapping
Columns 4
Writings Shared
Teatime in Mogadishu: My Journey as a Peace Ambassador in the World of Islam (reviewed by Paul Thiessen) and Widening the Circle: Experiments in Christian Discipleship (reviewed by Michael Zwaagstra)
15 Archives Alcove
Earlier Anabaptists and atonement – Terry M. Smith
page
22 page
17
16 Window on Missions
Project Builders engages with BAM – Len Barkman
25 Focus On
Looking in the mirror – Ward Parkinson
page
27
page
32
34 Pictures of God Healing justice – Joanna Enns
35 Stewardship Today
Contentment: what comes to mind? – Harold Penner
36 Kids’ Corner
An extra day – Loreena Thiessen
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 3
The Messenger
Columns • writings shared
Volume 50, No. 1 January 2012
EDITOR TERRY M. Smith
ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA Roman
SUBMISSIONS to The Messenger should be sent to messenger@emconf.ca. The Messenger is the monthly publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. It is available to the general public. Its purpose is to inform concerning events and activities in the denomination, instruct in godliness and victorious living, inspire to earnestly contend for the faith. Letters, articles, photos and poems are welcomed. Unpublished material is not returned except by request. Views and opinions of writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Conference or the editors. Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement. The Messenger is published by the EMC Board of Church Ministries, 440 Main St, Steinbach, Man., and is a member of Meetinghouse and Canadian Church Press. Subscription rates 1 year $24 ($30 U.S., $45 foreign) 2 years $44 ($55 U.S., $85 foreign) 3 years $65 ($82 U.S., $125 foreign) Manitoba residents add 7% PST. Digital only subscriptions: $15 per year. Single copy price: $2 Subscriptions are voluntary and optional to people within or outside of the EMC. Subscriptions are purchased by the Conference for members and adherents.
Teatime in Mogadishu: My Journey as a Peace Ambassador in the World of Islam, by Ahmed Ali Haile as told to David W. Shenk (Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2011), 144 pp. $14.99. ISBN 9780836195576. Reviewed by Paul Thiessen (Blumenort), who divides his time between Burkina Faso and Canada.
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hmed Ali Haile says that his Muslim heritage prepared him to hear and believe the Gospel. Growing up in a Muslim home in Somalia, he memorized the Qur’an. In Islam he observed an emphasis on retribution, but his African peacemaking tradition said “give your enemy fresh milk.” Following a two-year journey toward faith in Jesus his Saviour, Ahmed concluded that the mosque and the church do not mix. Marxism did not mix with his faith in Christ either.
According to Ahmed, Christ’s suffering on the cross is central to Christian faith and to peacemaking. When faced with the option of success or Christ, he rejected an East German scholarship and followed Christ. Ahmed left Somalia as a youth, and eventually went to study in the USA, but God called him to
Change of address and subscriptions Undelivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions should be addressed to: 440 Main St, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5 Phone: 204-326-6401 Fax: 204-326-1613 E-mail: messenger@emconf.ca www.emconference.ca/messenger Second-class postage paid at Steinbach, Manitoba. ISSN: 0701-3299 Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40017362 We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage for our publishing activities. Advertising The Messenger does not sell advertising, but provides free space (classified and display) to enhance our Conference, its churches, boards, and ministries; inter-Mennonite agencies and educational institutions; and the wider church. Ads and inquiries should be sent to messenger@emconf.ca. THE Messenger schedule: NO. 4 – April 2012 issue (copy due March 17)
4 The Messenger • February 2012
SBC’s 75th Celebrations CelebraƟons will include complimentary dinner or dessert, sharing of SBC stories and raising funds for addiƟonal dorms. Friday, March 9, Riverton, MB Friday, April 27, Aylmer, ON Saturday, March 10, Winnipeg, MB Saturday, April 28, Leamington, ON Sunday, March 11, Altona, MB
For more details, contact Steinbach Bible College at 1‐800‐230‐8478
Columns • writings shared
return to his native country to become an ambassador of the Gospel of Peace. As an advocate for non-violence in a violent land, he countered hostility with hospitality, and promoted peace through prayer. A rocket attack that severed his leg did not stop him from continuing his mission for the Kingdom of God. There is a theme of suffering in this book. According to Ahmed, Christ’s suffering on the cross is central to Christian faith and to peacemaking.
Through His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus breaks the cycles of retributive justice. Forgiveness and reconciliation follow. God called Ahmed to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ in order to offer others His healing peace. You will hear echoes of our Anabaptist heritage as you consider Ahmed’s message that invites you to reflect on the intersection of the Gospel, suffering and peace.
Widening the Circle: Experiments in Christian Discipleship, ed. Joanna Shenk (Herald Press, 2011), 225 pp. $14.99 USD. ISBN 9780836195583. Reviewed by Michael Zwaagstra (EFC Steinbach), adult Sunday School teacher.
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ome Christians in the Anabaptist tradition believe it is time for a more radical and intentional approach to discipleship. That certainly reflects the perspective of Widening the Circle. Edited by Joanna Shenk, an employee of Mennonite Church USA, this book contains 20 distinct chapters, each with its own author(s). Each chapter tells the story of a group of believers who seek to live out their faith by directly confronting social problems such as inequality, poverty, and violence. A number of them go so far as to live communally in urban villages as a way of emphasizing their commitment to social justice.
While the stories contain some interesting anecdotes, the authors appear to have an unhealthy fixation with living on the fringe of society.
While the stories contain some interesting anecdotes, the authors appear to have an unhealthy fixation with living on the fringe of society. In one of the chapters, the authors identify themselves as “Anabaptists in Babylon” because they live in Colorado Springs, the headquarters of Christian organizations such as Focus on the Family and home to five military bases. With that sort of attitude, it is not surprising that they often find themselves on the outside looking in. The book’s treatment of evangelicalism is a major point of concern. By placing all of their emphasis on the Anabaptist lifestyle, the authors give the impression that the historic doctrines of the Christian faith must take a back seat to Anabaptist distinctives. This is unacceptable. As Christians, we need to be actively engaged in society and sometimes this means challenging the status quo. However, Widening the Circle does not provide us with the biblical basis we need in order to do this properly.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 5
Part 1 of 2
My journey from creationism to the creation by Ray Hill
6 The Messenger • February 2012
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he issue of Creation versus Evolution is a polarizing issue among evangelicals. Compounding it is the reluctance of Bible believers to critically evaluate the literalist argument. We are told that we are not true believers if we do not accept the biblical record “as it is written.” Many Christians accept a position they have never critically looked at. I see youth entering university ill-prepared. I watched several close friends in university abandon their faith partly because they could not defend their position on creation.
I yearn to help, but am concerned about backlash. A friend suggested I tell how I moved to my present understanding of what the Bible and science say together. People can accept or reject it, but the story stands on its own. I grew up in the 1950s and early ’60s, when geology was in its teen years. Alfred Wegener’s one-continent theory was challenging older ideas about the formation of the earth’s surface. Where Wegener said that mountains formed when continents collided, schools taught mountains were formed when the Earth cooled, much like the wrinkling skin of a drying apple. Wegener’s ideas had not made it into school textbooks, but were being accepted by the scientific community. The discovery of paleomagnetism (the magnetic record in minerals) in the spreading ocean floor provided a mechanism through continental drift. I tried to understand the consequences of the evidence. In the spring of 1959, at age 11, I became a Christian at a CSSM Sunday School run at our elementary school. I approached the Bible with determination, regularly spending an hour or more each night examining and cross-examining the truths of God’s Word. I was also interested in what it said about the Earth’s creation.
However, I found that answered questions showed God to be faithful and His Word to be true, though I was sometimes startled by answers not matching preconceived notions. Unanswered questions could wait. Meanwhile, I was confident they would not shake my faith’s foundations, which were wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ. Contentious areas were in astronomy and geology. Though these were not my areas of expertise, I had gained research tools and language to allow me to study almost any scientific question. Gradually over decades I accumulated the knowledge and experience to develop my ideas on the universe’s origins. In the early 1960s I became aware of Biblical Creationists. Their ideas coincided with much I had already gleaned.
Being committed to inquiry both scientific and biblical, I waited for information. It is good to know what you don’t know!
Early ideas
My early ideas matched Creationist theories. I had creation’s date worked out to 4000 BC before I heard of Bishop Ussher. I knew that preNoahic ancestors who lived for centuries had died at the Flood. I theorized that the pre-flood Earth may have accounted for people’s earlier longevity, dinosaurs, rains that caused the flood and the rainbow’s appearance only after the flood. As I studied scientific literature and the Bible, discrepancies appeared between what I believed the Bible said about creation and what scientists were saying. Being committed to inquiry both scientific and biblical, I waited for information. It is good to know what you don’t know! From high school I enrolled in the University of Manitoba and eventually received a Master’s degree in Chemistry with minors in Mathematics and Physics and went on to a high school teaching career. I faced questions, mostly in my philosophy and astronomy classes, but also around university coffee discussions and in the teachers’ staff room.
They were anti-evolution or, more correctly, anti-natural selection. They could not conceive of a God who would create a world by evolution involving destruction of living things unfit for their environment. They also believed in a young Earth—not more than 10,000 years. To favour a young universe, some Creationists denied the speed of light or that strong and weak nuclear forces are constant with time, despite the evidence. Yet they used scientific evidence such as carbon dating to support their theories. I noted the discrepancy.
A firm belief
As a teenager, I was aware of the idea that God could create Adam to appear to be a mature man. Stars could appear to be 10 billionplus light years distant because God created the light make it “appear” they were there. God could create the Earth with fossils to make it seem animals were alive hundreds of millions of years ago.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 7
Genealogies are not well used to define creation’s date or when people lived. The Bible, it seems, is not concerned so much with the age of rocks as the Rock of Ages.
However, the notion that God made the universe so that it only appears to be billions of years old raised fundamental questions: Is there any need for God to make anything if He can make it “appear” that it exists when it doesn’t? Why would He mislead us? Can we then trust any other observations of the natural world? Such questions lead me to categorically deny this line of thinking. It is my firm belief that the world is physically what it appears to be and that God does not subvert the truth. As my understanding grew of physics, chemistry, geology and astronomy, I became aware that the universe’s age is not 10,000 years or even 100,000 or more years as many Creationists now assert. The age was 12 billion years or more. The life cycle of stars and galaxies, the radioactive decay of elements, and fossil background radiation point consistently to the same age. Asteroids and meteorites point to an age of 4.5 billion years for the solar system. There is evidence that life on Earth has existed over 3 billion years, not only from the rocks that contain them, but also by molecules produced by that life. People have existed much longer than 6,000 years. God, it seemed to me, was not bound by our small concept of time and simplistic understanding of His Word. I was filled with reverence for His Name.
Genealogies
At the same time, my understanding of Scripture was growing. The ages described in the Bible are not necessarily the same as modern western thinkers might believe. Genealogies in Scripture are not always straightforward lists of consecutive generations. There can be gaps and sometimes people listed were selected to make a point. Genealogies are not well used to define creation’s date or when people lived. The Bible, it seems, is not concerned so much with the age of rocks as the Rock of Ages.
8 The Messenger • February 2012
I was slowly led to conclude that much of what I believed as a teen was uninformed. It has been a tortuous journey from early creationist ideas to now see the Earth as billions of years old. Each step was taken with caution and thought, and I am not cowed by anyone who claims my views are not biblical. I see no problem with anyone who accepts Creationist views. Because of my journey, I appreciate their reasons. I could argue for them as strongly as any Creationist. It is important to hear both sides, allowing for differences and leaving room for personal understanding and changes of position. In the 1980s, Owen Gingerich, renowned Christian astronomer and writer, gave a lecture on CBC’s program Ideas entitled “Let There Be Light.” He described the development of scientific theory as a tapestry, woven over time, which has taken on a recognizable, elegant pattern that points unmistakably to the Designer of the Universe. Parts of the tapestry might not be complete, but the pattern is set. I am confident in my journey. Each step has been taken carefully. Not every conclusion I have reached is correct, yet the general direction is right. I still have more questions than answers and am wary of those who say they know all the answers. Ray Hill, BEd, MSc., is a retired senior high school teacher, and since 1987 has served as assistant pastor in MacGregor EMC (Man.). He is a member of the EMC Board of Church Ministries, where he serves on its Education Committee.
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emc 1812 ~ 2012
Which way are we running today? by Darryl Klassen
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t is easy to look back on historical events and judge people from our own cultural and philosophical standpoint. It is not so easy to put ourselves in the shoes of the historical figures to try to understand their context and the reasons they made decisions as they did. We have so much information today and are so much “wiser” that we have a difficult time getting into the minds of our forebears. This is what makes reflecting on our EMC history so challenging for us. www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 9
As we begin to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Kleine Gemeinde (KG), now the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, we have to ask critical questions: Were the reasons for the founding of the KG/EMC based on legitimate issues? Did Klaas Reimer and his group in 1812 have good cause for leaving the “big” church? To answer this, we must look at Klaas Reimer (1770-1837) briefly and the events leading up to the KG’s founding. Then we need to examine the reasons for leaving the “big” church (Grosze Gemeinde) and ask some searching questions.
Reimer’s history
Reimer was born and raised among Germanspeaking Mennonites of West Prussia. As a young man he was susceptible to the influences of the world around him as are most young men. While working in road construction, some men sat down at lunch break to play cards. Reimer would have joined them had an older man not interjected that it was an evil practice. This convicted him greatly and he never did engage in card playing. With his eyes open to this evil he began to notice other practices that ought not to be engaged in by Christians: vanity, smoking and other personal pleasures. As his hunger for spiritual truth grew, Reimer was recognized as a leader among people and the Danzig church elected him, in his thirties, to the ministry. It soon became apparent to him how spiritually corrupt the Danzig church had become. In various letters Reimer criticized the church for allowing “everything that was not prohibited by the law of the land.” Leaders were allowing sin to “desecrate the temple,” he wrote. Among these sins were cases of adultery and incest. The situation had so deteriorated that Reimer’s father-in-law, Elder (Aeltester) Peter Epp, said on his deathbed, “Children, you must go to Russia as the Mennonites are doomed.” In 1803 Reimer and a group of families left “the sinful Babylon” and eventually settled in
In various letters Reimer criticized the church for allowing “everything that was not prohibited by the law of the land.”
10 The Messenger • February 2012
the new Molotschna colony, Russia. Here again, Reimer found the church in trouble. The leading elder of the church, Jacob Enns, was a man given to temper and even violence, something Reimer found unsuitable for ministry. Reimer and Enns were in conflict several times over various issues. One issue was the apparent vacillation of Enns over collecting material and money for the Russian war effort against Napoleon. At one point Enns had rejected the Russian request; the next he quietly gave approval for a donation book to be passed around the colony. As Mennonites were nonresistant Christians, Reimer could not abide by this subterfuge. Another incident involved a Mennonite man beating his servant for some minor transgression. Reimer was horrified and responded from Scripture and the writings of former leading elders of the Mennonite church, admonishing against the use of violence of any kind. Enns and other elders appear to have opposed Reimer and justified the beating. One man even wanted to show off the stick with which he had beaten his servant. So intense was the struggle that Enns even threatened Reimer with excommunication (removal from church fellowship) and banishment to Siberia. To the tiny group that Reimer led and who sought reform in the church, this was a sign of how corrupt the “big” church had become. Stooping to use secular punishment to enforce church discipline was a sign to the future KG that the “big” church had truly left the teachings of Scripture. Knowing that purity and unity did not exist within the church, Reimer and the reform group did not give themselves to the hypocrisy of attending its communion service. It was then that the Kleine Gemeinde fellowship began meeting in homes as a separate church seeking holiness and a return to the values and vision of the original Anabaptists.
Hard questions
As I read several histories explaining this event, I found myself asking some hard questions. Klaas Reimer seemed to have a history of finding fault with church leadership. Was
Reimer self-righteous when it came to the abuses he thought he saw? What would Reimer say about EMC members today? Our view of holiness allows us to play cards and engage in a variety of personal pleasures. Was Reimer legalistic while we journey under grace? Or are we licentious and too permissive while Reimer envisioned true purity for the church? On the point of corporal punishment, we would agree with Reimer: if a boss hit his employee, such physical discipline would meet with lawsuits. Mennonites abhor violence and Canadian society would not permit this kind of discipline. Philosophically, however, we allow ourselves to permit violence in such forms as Halo video games, paintball wars, and even hockey. Would Reimer grimace at how the KG has progressed? Better question: What does Jesus think of our philosophy of violence? Was the matter of laxity in church discipline a valid reason for the leaving the larger church? What about the possibility of reform from within? Reimer himself never wanted to leave the main church. It caused him much soul searching and agony, he felt weak and ignorant, and he did not know what the result would be of leaving. To be gracious to the KG, we would have to admit that in their position, and with the conviction they felt from God, they could do nothing but separate from a body that was unconcerned about holiness as they perceived it. Or was the larger church completely unconcerned about their spiritual state? Did the KG have an Elijah mentality that they were the only ones desiring holiness? Surely there were others among the larger church who felt that holiness mattered.
Perspectives on testimonies
Two perspectives on witness and testimony come out of this assessment. On the one hand, the world would have observed a church divided and in conflict with itself. A church split does not proclaim the unity of Christ to a world already much divided. On the other hand, a church united in its acceptance of worldly values or ungodly principles
Philosophically, however, we allow ourselves to permit violence in such forms as Halo video games, paintball wars, and even hockey. Would Reimer grimace at how the KG has progressed? Better question: What does Jesus think of our philosophy of violence? is no proper testimony either. To be joined to such a body is to be complicit and guilty by association. At what point does a body of like-minded sojourners depart from the darkened mass, to come apart for the sake of holiness, to save their own souls? Sometimes Mennonites cry “peace” when conflict arises and then bury their feelings and stifle their arguments. If we are honest with our view of history, we will admit that we can find flaws with the formation of the KG. But if we read the letters and records of their experience, we find a humble little group of pilgrims following Jesus and seeking to be faithful. They may not have gotten everything right, but at least they tried. We are the heirs of a heritage of chasing after God when others start to run the other way. Which way are we running today? Darryl G. Klassen, BRS, MA, is the senior pastor of Kleefeld EMC and editor of Theodidaktos: Journal for EMC theology and education. He is the great-great grandson of David Klassen (1813-1900), a delegate sent from Russia to Canada to investigate moving here. Darryl is “humble husband and father” to Sharon, Katy, and Ethan. Sources: Delbert Plett’s titles: The Golden Years (Crossway Publications, 1985), Pioneers and Pilgrims (CP, 1990), Leaders of the Mennonite Kleine Gemeinde (CP, 1993). Harvey Plett, Seeking to be Faithful (EMC, 1996).
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 11
12 The Messenger • February 2012
The
Spirit
power to face the world
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he German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche made a surprising observation towards the end of the 19th Century: he announced that God was dead. This, of course, had nothing to do with whether God was actually dead or not. Nietzsche’s observation was more akin to a state of the union address. It was a dramatic way to note that, as far as the educated class was concerned, belief in the Judeo-Christian God had essentially vanished. Nietzsche had pronounced the eulogy. For the philosopher, this was not necessarily a bad thing, for the death of God would provide an opportunity for the rise of a new kind of man whose horizon would no longer be limited by the constraints of divine law. Those who can’t quite appreciate the significance of this declaration and its consequences need look no further than Hitler.
Ideas matter!
of the Lord:
Why am I dusting off the old philosopher? Simply to make the point that ideas matter. They define who we are and determine the kind of world in which we will live. Nietzsche knew exactly where the death of God would lead. He predicted, rightly may I add, that the 20th century would be characterized by a kind of brutality and violence never seen before. The 21st century would be worse! (Canadian journalist Mark Steyn eloquently examines the implications of Nietzsche’s observation in After America, Regnery, 2011, 323-324.) So here we are on the doorsteps of a new century that shows every promise to be as barbaric, if not more so, than its earlier sibling. Destructive forces have and continue to reshape the Middle East. The West has secularized to an extent few would have thought possible 25 years ago. The
by Pierre Gilbert
welfare state, once touted as the paragon of social evolution, is now bankrupt. People will take to the end of the welfare state as gracefully as a two-year-old whose candy is suddenly taken away. As the renowned quantitative historian Pierre Chaunu predicted in the mid-seventies, the catastrophic birth rates witnessed in much of the western world will bring the West to the brink of an economic and social death spiral few of us can even begin to imagine. The 21st century will make the 20th look like a walk in the park.
A brutal century
This century will prove to be especially brutal for Christians who will continue to be fodder for the totalitarian regimes that will spring up as vigorously as crab grass in the spring. Why all the doomsday talk? First, there is nothing quite as sobering as staring reality in the face. Even if those dire predictions were not to fully materialize, human existence remains challenging under the best of circumstances. We might as well face up to it. So what are we to do? Pretend everything will be fine? Invest in precious metals? Build a nuclear bunker? Roll over and die? For Christians, none of these options are acceptable. Millions of Christians throughout history have had exceedingly difficult lives. In the Middle East and China, hundreds of thousands of Christians are facing existential threats. There is no reason to believe that the cup from which so many Christians have deeply drunk will not be placed on our table. Time will tell. In the face of what may well turn out to be a dismal future, how should Christians respond? Followers of Jesus Christ should be the first to call a spade a spade, for we worship the God
In the face of what may well turn out to be a dismal future, how should Christians respond?
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 13
of truth. Christians should face an uncertain
The key to living a life that honours our Lord resides in the power that is available through the Spirit of God.
future with resolve and grit, joy and unbridled hope. They should view ominous times as opportunities to trust God and to tell others about the Good News. Even when Christians are denounced as intolerant, the very scum of the earth, they should firmly stand on the unique claims of Christ and unashamedly proclaim them whenever they are asked about the hope that is in them. But let’s face it. How can we expect to live up to such high expectations when most of us have a hard time keeping it together when simply confronted by a flat tire?
Help will be given
First, keep in mind that no one ever receives on Sunday the strength to face Monday. In Matthew 10:19–20, Jesus echoes this principle and provides the rationale. He exhorts his followers not to worry about what to say when they will be arrested, for special assistance will be given at that very moment through the “Spirit of your father.” The key to living a life that honours our Lord resides in the power that is available through the Spirit of God. Genesis 1:2 is the first allusion to the Spirit in the Old Testament. The formulation is as unexpected as it is pregnant with meaning: “The spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (NIV). This text is addressed to a people who had come out of a brutal period of slavery under the iron fist of the Egyptian pharaoh. They were facing an uncertain future filled with terrors, imagined and real. To these anxious souls, Moses offers them what they need the most: an insight into ultimate reality. The word Spirit (Hebrew ruach) can, depending on context, be translated by Spirit or wind. Here, the reference is likely to both. Ancient people believed that the wind was the primordial force of the universe. It symbolized the power of destruction. By alluding to the spirit, Moses restructures the very matrix of the universe.
14 The Messenger • February 2012
The primordial power at the helm of the universe is not some anonymous force bent upon humanity’s destruction. It is the ruach elohim, the Spirit of the Lord. At the pinpoint origin of the universe, there is a person.
The Spirit hovers!
Moreover, this Spirit is said to be hovering over the waters. The idea of anything hovering is not particularly comforting. To some extent, popular culture has taught us to associate anything that hovers with either angry ghosts or flying saucers filled with belligerent aliens. None of that here. While there is no exact equivalent in English, the overall meaning of the verb is clear. When we first brought our firstborn from the hospital, we eventually laid him in a crib we had set up in our bedroom. For a long time, we simply stood there observing him, watching his every move. Had an intruder come in the house with the intent to harm the baby, we would, as is only right, have protected him even at the cost of our lives. We hovered above him. And so the Spirit of God hovers above the world. The primordial power of the universe is not only endowed with reason and power, He cares deeply for all of creation and particularly so for men and women. In this conviction, there is hope enough to face all and joy enough to laugh at evil, even death, knowing that the God who created the universe is also the one who through his Spirit lovingly watches over us. Dr. Pierre Gilbert, a Mennonite Brethren minister, will address Can These Dead Bones Live Again? A Biblical Theology of the Spirit at SBC’s Leadership Conference on March 16–17, 2012. He is associate professor of the Bible and theology at Canadian Mennonite University and the coordinator of the Winnipeg Centre for Ministry Studies.
Columns • archives alcove
Earlier Anabaptists and atonement
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hat did Christ’s death on the cross mean for earlier Anabaptists? Dr. Archie Penner studied 10 sermons preached by Kleine Gemeinde ministers from 1829 to 1882, including three by early leader Klaas Reimer. He concluded they “not only see the atonement of Christ as substitution and propitiation, they also portray Christ as overcoming the Principalities and Powers, and thus redeeming man from slavery to Satan, by His atonement.” Klaas Reimer preached that Christ “accepted all our sins and suffered and paid them with His blood, so as to make us acceptable to God. God’s absolute righteousness must be meted out in regard to our guilt” (Delbert Plett, ed., Leaders of the Mennonite Kleine Gemeinde In Russia, 1812–1874, 1993, 100–103). In 1527 Balthasar Hubmaier said Jesus suffered “for the sake of my sins, that you might release and redeem me from the eternal cross, torture, suffering and death through your cross, suffering, anxiety and distress, torture and bitter dying, and through the shedding of your rose-red blood.” Through the cross “your greatest and highest love toward us poor humans is made known therein” (Pipkin and Yoder, eds., Balthasar Hubmaier, 1989, 235–236, updated). Dr. Thomas Finger says, “While most Anabaptists [1525–1575] employed some substitutionary language, Menno Simons and Dirk Philips used it quite often. They frequently described God’s righteousness as a legal standard and Jesus’ work as fulfilling the law.” He says Menno and Dirk saw “Jesus’ sacrifice as cosmic,” payment, cleansing, sanctifying, and showing “divine love.” Finger says “Christus Victor can be called historic Anabaptism’s primary expression of Jesus’ work—providing we add that they experienced this as more present and participatory, and more specifically shaped by Jesus’ life than most” (A Contemporary Anabaptist Theology, 2004, 346–347, 350).
Looking at key Dutch Mennonite confessions of the 1600s, Dr. Karl Koop says they “held to the classic views of atonement” but it is unclear which view “emerged most prominently.” However, they distinctively linked Christ’s “atonement with a call to a life of non-violence” (Anabaptist-Mennonite Confessions of Faith, 98–99, 145). In 1954 the EMC’s Historic Articles of Faith said, “He has taken upon himself our burden of sin and paid for it…Through his bitter suffering
by Terry M. Smith
Dr. Thomas Finger says, “While most Anabaptists [1525–1575] employed some substitutionary language, Menno Simons and Dirk Philips used it quite often.” and death on the cross he has reconciled us to God.” In 1960 the Statement of Faith of the Conference said Jesus was the “divinely appointed substitute and representative of sinful man, paying the penalty for man’s sins by His death on the cross, making the only adequate atonement for sin by the shedding of His blood, thus reconciling man to God.” In 1973 our Statement of Faith said “that by His death He provided the only atonement for sin by the shedding of His blood, the divinely appointed substitute; thus reconciling man to God.” Now (since 1994) it says, “We believe that Jesus Christ, the divinely appointed Substitute, provided the only atonement for sin by shedding his blood. Through his death he defeated the Devil, enabling people to be set free and to be reconciled to God.”
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 15
Columns • window on missions
Project Builders engages with BAM
C by Len Barkman
ommitment to global missions has been a hallmark of the EMC for over 60 years. Where most conferences put exclusive or primary priority on its own mission fields, EMC has developed and supported more than 20 partnership arrangements with evangelical mission agencies. Project Builders, an arm of EMC Missions, fosters a support role for all our workers, including those with associate missions agencies. Project Builders promotes new approaches to how we do ministry, particularly in countries closed to a gospel witness. Our membership is being challenged to consider how best we can support our workers in difficult access countries; it has branched from exclusive support of capital building projects to helping our workers be Christ’s ambassadors through creative strategies. Several years ago workers serving in Central Asia challenged us to consider the role of microfinance in helping families out of poverty. Small loans would allow them to purchase basic agricultural supplies or equipment for a marketable service. These low-interest loans, ranging from $200 to $500, not only gave subsistence levels of income, but also exposed recipients to believers who gave business training as a pre-requisite to the loans. Without this connection these people would have no opportunity to hear of Christ’s love.
Developing Profitable Christian Business as a Means of Communicating Christ at Home and Globally
Craig Shugart
Presenter: Craig Shugart Winnipeg on Friday, April 13, 12 noon at Smitty’s Restaurant, 150 Meadowood Drive Rosenort on Friday, April 13,, 6 p.m. at C.K. Cafe Blumenort on Saturday, April 14, 8:30 a.m. at Blumenort EMC RSVP to the EM Conference office (204-326-6401 or dpeters@ emconf.ca) or Len Barkman (204-355-4854 or lfbarkman@ gmail.com). Meals are provided at each presentation.
16 The Messenger • February 2012
Today we are working through several agencies with expertise in micro-finance and who have a clear strategy for using this ministry to God’s glory. Project Builders is also engaging in a relatively new strategy known as Business for Transformation (b4t) or Business as Missions (BAM). Many countries in the 10/40 Window strictly regulate and restrict any form of Christian activity. These same countries, though, welcome western business ventures and training programs. Project Builders currently has two initiatives supporting our workers in BAM, in Asia and in North Africa/Central Asia. Project Builders is providing funding to our EMC workers as they develop a business plan and assists them with administrative costs associated with establishing a business in these countries. There are several essential principles for BAM: 1. The business must address a legitimate need in the community, and not simply be a cover to be in the country. 2. The business is intended to be profitable and succeed over the long-term; however, God’s purpose and Kingdom building are served above profit. 3. The business must be transformational. It is to communicate the gospel through daily life, help local people economically, improve the community’s social and ethical life, and not harm the environment. BAM becomes particularly relevant as our EMC workers lead the way with their passion to make Christ known to people groups who otherwise remain unreached. The BAM strategy works well with Project Builders’ objectives. For this reason we are planning a series of seminars on April 13 and 14 featuring Craig Shugart, a veteran leader in this area. Details of times and venues are at left and will also be distributed by church bulletins and posters. For information contact the conference office or email lfbarkman@gmail.com.
With Our Missionaries
Sports, games, and God’s mission MEXICO
“What are the needs of this community?” How is Jesus leading us to meet a need, feed a hunger, and intentionally disciple? It isn’t always easy, it’s often quite messy and ambiguous, but it’s really quite rewarding. Slacklining is something I learned to do this summer while in Canada. I just can’t get enough of it. My friends probably think I’m crazy. It’s a combination of balance and tricks as you move along a two-inch
strap ratcheted tightly between two trees. It draws a lot of attention, and I thought it might be something we could integrate into KidsGames, which we ran here in the park during the PanAm Games. It drew in a bunch of kids and one day a few college kids set up their line close to ours. I was frustrated because they seemed to be attracting the same kids that we were working with. It turns out they were just there to have fun. Visiting and slacklining with them, I found out about a park, known by the locals as Red Park, where they slackline three times a week. The park evokes feelings of sadness, as we see people smoking, sniffing, and drinking. Riding the bus there and back, and the park itself, has been quite the experience. Omar Villanueva, an Ascend missions intern, and myself have had the opportunity to share the gospel on a number of occasions. These are incredible experiences! Where will God lead us through this? I don’t know. So the question remains, do I slackline for fun or as intentional ministry? Yes. – LeRoy Siemens
As we look to be Jesus’ hands and feet in our communities, it is necessary to assess their needs, values, and habits and then creatively engage people in meaningful relationships. Mexican pastor Victor Pedroza challenged his congregation to reach out to their community through teaching kids to play a musical instrument, saying as Anabaptists we are to be peacemakers, not just peacekeepers, and it is a proven statistic that a child who takes up an instrument will most likely never take up arms. The benefits of being part of a sports team has also been well documented. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, there are also mental and social benefits. Being part of a healthy team is more effective than the True Love Waits campaign when it comes to abstinence. Right now, we are beginning a three month pilot project called KidsGames, and are also looking into running a sports initiative called Ubabalo whose “objective is to transform youth through whole life coaching.” One of the buzzwords in the Christian community in the past years has been missional. Much has been written about it, but often there is a lack of ideas and creativity in implementing these ideas. And, ultimately, “Mission devoid of discipleship equals failure” (Mike Breen). My question to my LeRoy Siemens engages in slacklining, a sport that requires moving community, and to you, is
Being part of a healthy team is more effective than the True Love Waits campaign when it comes to abstinence.
LeRoy and Faith Siemens (EFC Steinbach) serve under the EMC Board of Missions.
along a two-inch strap ratcheted between two trees.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 17
With Our Missionaries
A chaplain for travelers LESOTHO
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by my family, my village and could even be killed for not worshipping the Balimo [ancestors]. Please pray I will be strong in my village and be faithful to my commitment to Jesus.” Sefiri shared about a man in a mountain village who praises God for sending MAF to save his life. As a last resort, his family brought him to the health post. When the health worker called for the airplane to medivac him to Maseru they did not expect to see him alive again. The man told Sefiri his fear as he got in that plane and how he prayed to God to save him. During the flight the pilot looked back to see how he was doing and gave a thumbs-up sign as a question. The man took that as a sign from God
that, yes, he was going to make it. Later he asked Serafi how he could know this God who saved his life. Melvin vaguely remembers that flight, but would never have known how significant was that thumbs-up sign. When we allow God to use us, he weaves our stories into a beautiful tapestry. You are a part of that tapestry as you give to the ministry of MAF and pray for us and people we serve. We thank God for you and pray that He blesses you for your faithfulness. – Kari Peters Kari and Melvin Peters (La Crete) serve in Lesotho under Mission Aviation Fellowship.
Evangelical Mennonite Conference
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Quarterly Financial Report
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18 The Messenger • February 2012
Chaplain Seferi with pilot Melvin Peters
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About a year ago, MAF Lesotho hired a national chaplain, Seferi, to better serve medical patients being transported to and from Lesotho’s main medical facility in Maseru, the capital city where we are based. While we can get by with English for most communication, Sesotho is the primary language for the Basotho (people of Lesotho), particularly those living in mountainous areas. Most of us can greet in Sesotho and carry on a broken conversation. Sharing the Good News is another matter, and for many of patients this might be their only opportunity to hear the Gospel. Sefiri meets the patients when they arrive in Maseru and often goes with them to the hospital and stays until they are settled. He visits them, telling them about Christ and his love. To receive care from a stranger is a testimony of God’s love, and many people are ready to receive his words as life-giving truth. Because of Sefiri’s ministry we know that MAF is having a greater impact on lives. Sefiri shared recently about a lady who came to Maseru with an eye infection. He visited with her while she waited for a ride to the hospital, and told her he would pray for her and see her soon. She was surprised to see him the next day, but was happy to talk. Sefiri asked if she knew Jesus. After thinking, she said she wanted to worship the one true God and prayed to give her heart to Jesus. There was a joy in her face! A few days later she was to fly to her village and told Sefiri, “I want to honor my promise, but I face rejection
emc 1812 ~ 2012
Receipts and Transfers Disbursements Excess/Shortfall
Jan–Dec 2011 1,949,242 1,893,375 55,867
Jan–Dec 2010 2,027,722 1,799,388 228,334 – Board of Trustees
With Our Missionaries
Evacuees housed at CINAG NICARAGUA
Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you. And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice: How blessed are all those who long for Him (Isaiah 30:18). What a wonderful promise! Having experienced his gracious presence with us all these years and through many situations, joy and trials, that promise still stands strong, true and inviting. He longs to interact with us, His children. On February 2 we returned to Nicaragua to volunteer at CINAG (Gethsemane Centre for Children at Risk) for two months. Even though we did not recruit a volunteer team, four couples joined us for up to three or four weeks. Besides maintenance and community work we are helping with the children’s programs. It is easy to interact with the children even though there is a language barrier. CINAG is actively involved in changing lives, one child at a time. In October the community around CINAG was adversely affected by tropical storms. Some neighbours living on the hillside adjacent to CINAG were evacuated by the government because of heavy runoff and erosion. There was extensive damage and at least one house collapsed. This created an opportunity and challenge for the staff at CINAG. Thirty-two evacuees were temporarily housed in the dorm. More children were included in the nutrition program subsidized by NATRAS (Youth Working to Serve.) That is when we put out the call to many of you for help to buy grains,
warm clothing and blankets. Like God’s people do in times of crisis, you responded generously. Thank you to all who gave and the many who prayed. Since October, director Elizabeth Vado and members of the community renewed efforts to get the City of Diriamba to stabilize the properties of Darlene Olfert helps children with crafts. vulnerable families. The project was accepted, with We know the children are overthe city and other government officials providing materials and finances joyed to see us again. This in itself motivates us to follow God’s comfor about 60 per cent of the project. mand to help orphans and widows in The rest will be funded by donations their distress (James 1:23). through Action International Minis– Lester and Darlene Olfert tries. Work began January 16. Please pray for us as we work alongside of the dedicated staff at Lester and Darlene Olfert (EFC Steinbach) began serving in Nicaragua CINAG. Our desire is to see God’s in 1970. They serve part-time curKingdom grow through the work rently under Action International and influence of His Word and His Ministries. servants.
••
World AIDS Day PARAGUAY
Thirty years have passed since the first AIDS case was diagnosed in the year 1981. During this time many efforts have been made to try to put an end to this pandemic that has claimed millions of lives in the world, but the challenge just keeps on growing. To draw attention to the realities we are facing, the first of December has been declared World AIDS Day. AMAR, the centre we serve within, also prepared special activities for this special day. For Dulce Refugio, the children’s
department of AMAR, there was a street collection. This was done during the morning on the streets of downtown Asuncion with the help of enthusiastic young people. Over $750 Can. was collected. May the Lord bless those who made this tremendous effort to help us! Together with other Exposition Stand organizations, we also set up our stand at the annual Fair in the downtown area of Asuncion, organized by the National AIDS Program. There were special presentations. The National Director spoke
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 19
With Our Missionaries
of the challenges we are still facing
to reverse the growing number of AIDS infections and to put an end to discrimination. Finally, a meeting was planned to express our gratitude that God has helped us until now and to call on Him for the challenges we continue to face with this pandemic. It took place in the afternoon at AMAR, with praise and worship and a short devotional presented by Pastor Alvin Neufeld. Most of our volunteers and some visitors were present to share this time with us. We are grateful to be allowed to be used by God to accomplish His plan for every person in our country. Please keep us in your prayers. – Dave Schmidt
New Year’s Eve in Paraguay PARAGUAY
The Mission X team from Steinbach Bible College arrived on December 31, 2011, and started their time here with a bang. Anyone who has spent New Year’s Eve in Paraguay knows that there were literally a few thousand bangs that night. From January 2 to 4 we held Vacation Bible School in Guavira Poty, about two kms from where we live. This is neighborhood where we are starting to get to know some people and we would like to begin to study the Bible with those who are interested. This was a great way to make some contacts and start sharing the message of God’s love for us. We had up to 70 kids participating with us.
We already feel like we have so much to do, but there are other activities we would like to do also. Dave and Judy Schmidt (Rosenort) serve in HIV/AIDS-related ministries under Alto Refugio.
Subscribe to The Messenger electronically Prefer e-copy to hard copy? Issues of The Messenger are available electronically. You can sign up on-line at www.emconference.ca/ messenger or e-mail messenger@emconf. ca. Provide your name, mailing address, and e-mail address, and indicate whether you wish to continue receiving the print version or not. For those who are not members or adherents of an EMC church, there will be a $15 annual subscription fee to receive the electronic version only; no additional fee applies if the full print subscription rate is paid.
20 The Messenger • February 2012
From January 6 to 8 we were at the CEMP youth camp. For an event that almost didn’t happen because of a lack of finances and people to plan, the event was great. More than 60 campers participated and many shared that they learned a lot and grew spiritually through this camp. For us, this event was proof that God doesn’t need expensive, high comfort, every detail-planned events to speak to his children. It was fun, tiring and encouraging. From camp we took the SBC group to Asunción to relax, shop, and work at Alto Refugio (a Christian organization that works with people living with HIV/AIDS). We took advantage of being nearby and left the group for a day to visit our friends in Ytororo.
On Wednesday we left the college students with their Paraguayan billet families for five days in Caaguazú and Camp 9. We’ve done the bare minimum with our work in Minga Guazú for a few weeks and now it was time to visit some people here. We opened Conexión (the youth drop-in centre) again last night after having been closed last weekend and we’ll be there tonight again. Tomorrow we have church and then a birthday party in the afternoon. On Monday evening the Mission X team joins us again for a trip to the Iguazú Falls on Tuesday and a day of debriefing on Wednesday before they fly out on Thursday. Please keep us in your prayers. We already feel like we have so much to do and so many people we would like to visit, but there are other activities we would like to do also. Rosey and coworker Joanne Martens would like to start a ladies’ Bible study in the neighborhood where we held the DVBS. Travis would like learn to teach a financial management course based on biblical principles. Travis and Joanne would also like to begin teaching in two junior high classes beginning in March. – Travis and Rosey Zacharias
Rosey and Travis Zacharias (Kleefeld) serve under the EMC Board of Missions.
With Our Missionaries
It is an exciting time indeed! MIDDLE EAST
What is really happening in the Middle East these days? Is there more than demonstrations, reform in governments, and wars going on? I can testify that, yes, there is a whole lot more than that going on. God is moving in the Middle East in a powerful way! When I first went to the Middle East in 2004, I had little knowledge of where I was going or what to expect, except from what I’d seen on TV. Despite that, I felt excited. These were a people that God too dearly loved. As I set foot in my destination country, I was surprised by the kindness, hospitality and welcome we received. I had never experienced anything like it. How sad I felt that for so long I had had such a tainted image of Arabs! In the five and a half years that I’ve spent in the Middle East, I have learned so much about the Arab people and grown to really love them. I work primarily among Muslims, although there are a few local Christians as well. The organization runs an English Centre for people between the ages of 17 and up to 80 (or older, if they desire to study). We have about 400 to 500 students registered in every eight-week course. The majority of them are university students or young professionals. We also run a small cafe where students hang out before and after their classes or on days when they don’t have class. It’s a busy, great place for us to build relationships with students. Although there are many restrictions, we have seen God do so much to show His love and glory. We have seen Him do healings, give
life-changing dreams and change hearts in amazing ways. A hunger for truth is rising up across the region. It is an exciting time indeed! It doesn’t seem to matter what country you live in these days, there are opportunities to reach out to our neighbours. And although the media often makes our neighbours out to be
the enemy, we need to remember our neighbour is not the enemy. As believers, we have such a great opportunity to step outside of any fears or false stereotypes we might be carrying and, in turn, reach out with His love and see lives changed (theirs and ours) for His Kingdom. – A follower of Jesus
•• With Our Churches Fish Creek Christian Fellowship
Celebration abounds at Fish Creek Calgary, Alta. — Recently the faith community at Fish Creek Christian Fellowship had reasons for celebrating: new members and a parent-child dedication. – Joyce Landis
On Oct. 30, 2011, Owen Eggerston (son of Melissa and Dean Eggerston) and Brennan Koop (son of Angela and Scott Koop) were both dedicated to the Lord.
On Oct. 30, 2011, five new members become part of the church family. Those who joined the fellowship were Jeff and Kathy Reimer, Charles and Lorraine Koop, and Wade Bernacki. Standing in support of the new members are pastoral couple Angela and Scott Koop. Also shown on the picture is Hallie Bernacki, daughter of Wade.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 21
With Our Churches Hillside Christian Fellowship
Where’s the line to see Jesus? La Crete, Alta. — Back in August 2011 we spent time learning more about Jesus as a boy in our Hometown Nazareth, Where Jesus Was a Kid VBS program. In our tribes we visited Mary’s house to hear stories of Jesus’ life as a boy, we visited shops like the Food Market, Dye Shop, Rock Quarry, Carpenter Shop and Synagogue School at the Nazareth Marketplace. We learned a little of how life must have been so many years ago when Jesus was a child and we spent time in our huddles with object lessons to bring our hearts closer to Jesus and His great love for us. Our missions project this year included Bible backpacks, which we dyed at the Dye Shop and each backpack included an easy read NIV Bible with a bookmark. The backpacks were dyed in blues, greens, pinks and purples and these have since been delivered to orphanages in Haiti through
Mission Haiti Helping Kids. On September 18, 2011, we were honoured to have visitors: Abe Janzen (MCC Alberta executive director), Jim Shantz Vacation Bible School participants prepared Bible backpacks for (MCC Edmonton delivery to children in Haitian orphanages. refugee sponsorship coordinamachine is fascinating to watch—altor), Mugasa (MCC Calgary refugee most more exciting than the Veggie sponsorship coordinator) and Kevin Tales Little Drummer Boy movie. Davidson (Mennonite Foundation Healthy candy and pop went very well of Canada consultant). We enjoyed with the movie too. receiving special updates on MCC A few weeks ago I heard the story projects, including the Haiti Relief behind the writing of a beautiful song project. sung by Becky Kelley Where’s the Line The Fellowship Committee sched- to See Jesus? Reflecting on the words uled a movie night on December 2, of the song helped me to put my holi2011, and it was a great evening with day season into the proper perspecfresh popcorn served in true poptive, beginning with our annual Suncorn paper bags. The retro popcorn day School Christmas Program on December 18. On the Sunday prior to the program the children dressed as angels, shepherds, Joseph, Mary, sheep and wise men and pictures were taken of each scene in the Christmas story. During the program, which consisted of poems, readings and songs, these pictures were displayed on the wall. It gave the feeling that one had entered the manger scene of so many years ago, standing in line at the manger door to see the baby born in a stable! May your 2012 see you standing in line to see Jesus! – Joyce Wieler
Children dressed for photos on the Sunday prior to the Sunday School Christmas program.
22 The Messenger • February 2012
With Our Churches Mennville EMC
Five baptized at Mennville Mennville, Man. — As we seek God and grow in our relationship with, we will find ourselves growing in faith. We will discover God wants to do more than we ever imagined, not because of anything we do but simply because of who He is. Sarah Barkman writes of her summer: “I had the opportunity to spend four months of my summer at Red Rock Bible Camp as the Program Assistant. My job was to help the directors (Ben Dueck and Allan Mailloux) plan for the summer program and fine tune some of the details involved with skills, lead games and mentor some of the younger female staff. Watching the younger staff grow and mature over the summer was one of my highlights. “Even though all this good stuff was going on, I spent a lot of the summer wrestling through a lot of questions in my own mind about God’s plan for my life, where my heart and passions are and what I was supposed
to learn from my time at camp. “This made my summer seem more difficult. Yet I know God never left me. I couldn’t always see him or feel him but as I look back I can see He was carrying me through. “I can also see that God worked through my failures and weakness, building other people up and encouraging them this summer.” On September 18 we all headed out to Beaver Creek Bible Camp for our bapNear the cake, celebrating their baptism, are Brianne Brandt, Caleb Plett, Andrew Barkman, Nathaniel Plett, tismal service. Five young and Jared Barkman. people braved the frigid waters of Lake Winnipeg and were baptized on the confession of their faith. We all enjoyed Celebration cake and ice cream before headDU PLOOY – to Warren and Susanne Du Plooy ing home. of Winnipeg, Man., a son, Lucas Warren, on – Luella Brandt Jan. 11, 2012.
Births
Counselling Youth with HighRisk Behaviours taught by Corey Herlevsen Many youth are having a love affair with risk and danger. High-risk behaviours may involve drugs, alcohol, sexuality, skateboarding, dangerous driving, theft, arson, and more. What lies behind high-risk behaviours? How can families, friends, and youth workers respond biblically and meaningfully to youth engaged in dangerous activities? March 8–10, 2012 Thursday 7:00–9:54 p.m., Friday 7:00–9:45 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Visit www.SBCollege.ca for more info or to register.
KORNELSON – to Brad and Kellie Kornelson of Calgary, Alta., a daughter, Savannah Karen, on Dec. 3, 2011. ZACHARIAS – to Nathan and Janet Zacharias of Calgary, Alta., a daughter, Alicia Noelle, on Oct. 29, 2011. KRAHN – to Andrew and Melissa Krahn of Winnipeg, Man., a son, Judah Levi, on Dec. 30, 2011. PETERS – to Herman and Maria Peters of Nobleford, Alta., a daughter, Michelle, on Oct. 26, 2011.
•• Weddings BARTCH – ENNS: Henry, son of Jacob and Susana Bartch of Leamington, Ont., and Samantha, daughter of Peter and Justina Enns of Picture Butte, Alta., were married on Oct. 21, 2011 at Picture Butte Mennonite Church with Pastor Abe Bueckert officiating.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 23
With Our Churches Rosenort EMC
Busy, fulfilling, and challenging Rosenort, Man. — This past year at Rosenort EMC has been busy, fulfilling and challenging in many ways. We are pleased the Lord has blessed us through a baptism, a mission trip, and the calling of a youth pastoral couple. On May 29, 2911, seven young men and three young ladies joined the church through baptism and membership. Their testimonies of Christ’s continuing work were thrilling. The summer holidays began with an amazing 10-day inner city youth mission trip to Chicago led by Kevin and Becky Friesen, along with sponsors Cody and Rachel Reimer, Karissa Waldner, Todd Reimer, and Scott and Debbie Dick. The youth group later shared exciting moments. The long distance travel and devotional times unified the group. They served breakfast to the community at a church consisting of Spanish-speaking immigrants, renovated a former bar to better serve as a church sanctuary, hosted afternoon children’s events, and went on walks to look for opportunities to share their faith with folks on the street. As a church we pray this has opened their eyes to urban and cross-cultural
mission opportunities in the future. Our church called, affirmed, and commissioned Scott and Debbie Dick to serve as our youth pastoral couple on September 11, 2011. Pastor Scott and Debbie are recent graduates of Steinbach Bible College. Scott served as a pastoral intern in Winkler EMM Church while Debbie served as our interim junior youth coordinator. As we welcomed a pastoral couple, we said farewell to another. A wellattended special service and lunch were held for Pastor George and Carla Toews on October 30, 2011. Many shared encouraging thoughts and memories. Toews was our first lead pastor from outside of the local area and he served for over 10 years. For part of that time he also served as EMC vice moderator. A church highlight was sending Pastor Toews to Paraguay to encourage our missionaries together with our former pastor and missionary Frank Kroeker. Carla contributed greatly as choir director of lively Christmas cantatas, while families were touched by George’s ministry during times of sickness and grieving. Pastor Toews enjoyed writing and
Youth ready to travel to Chicago on their inner city mission trip.
24 The Messenger • February 2012
Youth pastoral couple Debbie and Scott Dick
preaching sermons and was instrumental in creating a church website. He has made an interesting complete circle in ministry, having accepted the position of lead pastor in Portage Avenue Church (Mennonite Brethren) where he was ordained to ministry. George and Carla have moved to Winnipeg and were given a tree to grace their yard and a caricature by artist Ron Kroeker. We wish them all the best. Rev. Larry Eidse has graciously accepted being interim pastor, with Don Dueck serving as assistant, while we search for a lead minister. As we begin a New Year, knowing changes lie ahead, we pray that as a church we will commit to the following Scripture: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). – Lorilee Scharfenberg
Baptized members: (back) Nathan Hildebrandt, Stefan Kroeker, Jordan Friesen, Riley Scharfenberg, Derek Hildebrandt (front) Tony Friesen, Stephanie Hildebrand, Lindi Dueck, Crista Waldner, Jonathon Peters
Columns • focus on
Looking in the mirror
L
ast year I turned 50. That’s a daunting number. It’s a realization that my “best before” date is imminent. (My kids would say that train left the station long ago.) As many my age can testify, I certainly still feel young and in my prime, no different than twenty years ago. But my times on the treadmill tell a different tale and it really hits me when I look in the mirror: Who is this guy? Where did that young-looking guy in the pictures go? Alas, as James reminds us, looking in the mirror means facing (literally) reality and responding accordingly. In 2012, the EMC turns 200. That’s an impressive number. What do we see as we look in the mirror? Back in March 2011, with our Bicentennial on the horizon, the General Board launched a season of Strategic Planning for our Conference. This began with numerous discussions across the country about Core Values. Our team visited every region, asking what is most important to you as a Conference. The interaction was lively and provocative. At Conference Council in November 2011,
held at Fort Garry EMC in Winnipeg, we presented our findings in a draft statement of six core values (see sidebar). We now invite you to use this draft like a mirror. Do you see yourselves in this listing? Have we heard you correctly? We invite your interaction with these values. You can submit your comments at emcvalues.blogspot.com. Before you respond, let me say two things about this draft statement. First, it is not a statement of faith. These are not articulated doctrinal positions, but reflections of who we are and what we hold dear, based on our Christian convictions. Second, it is not an exhaustive list. You will easily think of other things that could be included (and we do want to hear from you on that). But these are values that consistently came to the top in our discussions in each region. They are at the core. Please visit the values blog and join the conversation. There is also a direct link from our website. Go now! Don’t delay! We’re not getting any younger.
by Ward Parkinson
EMC Statement of Core Values The Core Values listed below are the principles that identify who we are as a Conference of Churches. These values speak to our enduring convictions about what is most important to us. All of our ministries are guided by these basic values:
in Scripture. We hold biblical doctrine to be of primary importance, and seek to interpret the Scriptures together. We value the theological approach of the early Anabaptists who read Scripture through the lens of Christ. 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Josh. 1:8; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39.
1. We Value Relationships and Christian Community As a family of churches we affirm that, in Christ, we are part of a shared faith story, historically and theologically, and this fellowship builds us up. In offering mutual support, we learn from one another and are enriched together. We value the cooperation this relationship affords, realizing we can do more together than we can individually. Eph. 4:3-6; Gal. 3:26-29; 6:1-2; Rom. 12:4-5; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Thess. 5:11.
3. We Value All People Human beings are created in God’s image, and His desire is for all people to be reconciled to Himself through Christ. That is our desire, too. With compassion we seek to carry the good news of salvation in Christ to people near and far, serving them in a spirit of humility. John 3:16; Luke 2:10-11; 2 Cor. 5:20; Matt. 18:14.
2. We Value the Truth Jesus is the Truth, and He is faithfully revealed
4. We Value Obedience We believe that to love Jesus is to walk in reverent obedience to him. He calls us to a life of love. Within this calling we are to obey the commission of Christ to make disciples of all nations.
John 14:15,21,23; Rom. 13:8-10; 1 John 5:1-3; Matt. 28:18-20; Prov. 1:7; Josh. 24:14. 5. We Value Discipleship We value mature followers of Christ, as expressed in a life of worship, prayer, and deepening faith. We want our faith to be seen in a life of integrity and authenticity. We want to discern God’s leading for our lives, individually and corporately. Mark 8:34-35; Rom. 12:1-2; James 2:17; Matt. 28:18-20. 6. We Value Families and Youth We consider it vital that faith in Christ is passed from one generation to the next. We want to see families and youth supported and equipped among our churches. We consider this of great importance in the present and for the future. Deut. 6:4-9; Eph. 6:1-4.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 25
News
CHEC to hold national forum ‘Seeking to serve Christ and His Church and Kingdom’ Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC), a partnership of education institutions formed on the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada platform, is holding its first national forum for leaders in Christian higher education in Edmonton, Alta., on May 28–30, 2012, at The Kings University College. Its theme For Christ and His Kingdom: Inspiring a New Generation “points us back to the basis and focus of our mission as institutions of Christian higher education.” It is “seeking to serve Christ and His Church and Kingdom by equipping a new generation of Christian leaders with a deeper knowledge of Christ and a Christ-centred worldview, so they can be effective ambassadors of the Good News of his reconciling power and work to all peoples and in every sphere of life.” EMC is a part of EFC, and SBC is a part of CHEC. CHEC has 33 member institutions.
– EFC, CHEC, and EMC
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emc 1812 ~ 2012
Join our celebration of 200 years! The EMC is celebrating 200 years! Each EMC congregation is encouraged to plan a Bicentennial Weekend during May or June, including a special worship service. We support community outreach! To help your church celebrate through 2012: • Four short historical segments can be used in services (DVD). • Six short lessons are available for small groups or Sunday School. The DVD and Sunday School lessons are planned to be available for early March; more information to come. – Bicentennial Committee
26 The Messenger • February 2012
Member sought for BCM
The EMC General Board, and the Nominating Committee, invites submissions of names of people to serve on the EMC Board of Church Ministries. The board is currently one member short on its sevenmember board. The BCM has a wide mandate in the areas of education, publication, youth, and archives. It oversees The Messenger and the National Youth Committee. The BCM meets for an evening every other month. Members are also to take on a committee role: Youth, Archives, Education, Inter-Mennonite Chaplaincy Association, or Worship/Music (currently part of the Education Committee). Names of educators, historians, worship leaders, and youth workers (and others interested in these areas) can be submitted to Tim Dyck, EMC General Secretary. Between council meetings, the General Board makes appointments. – Board of Church Ministries
EMC Archives Committee members sought! The EMC national Archives Committee welcomes new members to serve on it. The committee meets four to six times (evenings) per year and is a working committee entrusted to promote an understanding of EMC history and of preserving historical documents. Meetings are usually held at Steinbach, Man., but new members could also assist by phone or Skype. Terms can be one to three years. Local committee travel costs are covered. Contact executive secretary Terry Smith at tsmith@emconf.ca or 204-326-6401.
Assembly 16 to be in Harrisburg, PA MWC has announced that its General Assembly 16, July 21-26, 2015, will be held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. – MWC
News
CFGB staffer takes work home for a good cause Conservation farming methods used to raise corn, money WINNIPEG, Man. — They say you shouldn’t take your work home with you. But can you take it to your garden? That’s what Alden Braul did. The Capacity Development and Food Security Coordinator at the Canadian Foodgrains Bank works to help farmers in the developing world grow more food using conservation agriculture—a way of farming that requires no tilling, minimizes inputs, and preserves moisture. Through his work, Braul has seen how conservation agriculture has helped poor farmers in places like Honduras and Zimbabwe increase yields. But would it also work in Manitoba? He decided to find out. Together with three other families from Winnipeg’s Aberdeen EMC, Braul and his wife, Aida Vidal Vega, started the Mulch and Hoe growing project in southeast Winnipeg.
The result? Over 55 dozen ears of corn were grown and sold, providing $600 for the MCC account in the Foodgrains Bank. Together with an additional $3,100 donated by others to project, a total of $3,700 was raised to help people who don’t have enough to eat in the developing world. “It was really quite successful,” says Braul, noting that not only was it a growing project, but it was also an educational tool. “It showed that conservation agriculture is viable for garden plots in Canada—it’s a simple technique that works in the developing world, but also works here.” And not only that, he adds the small project showed that “you don’t need to be a big farmer to do a project for the Foodgrains Bank.” – CFGB
“You don’t need to be a big farmer to do a project for the Foodgrains Bank.”
– Alden Braul
Working on a tenth of an acre of rented land on a Manitoba Hydro right-of-way, they first killed the grass, then punched holes into the ground and dropped in corn seeds. After covering the seeds with soil, they then put a protective layer of grass—mulch—over top of the field.
Rudy Niebuhr and Alden Braul get cobs ready for delivery—most of which was done by bicycle.
Discover the Difference! Steinbach Bible College
Discovery Days 2012 March 29-30
5:oo pm Mar. 29- Noon Mar. 30
Free for students Grade 11 & up
800-230-8478 email: info@SBCollege.ca visit www.SBCollege.ca
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 27
News
The theology of remembering: 75 years in the making Steinbach Bible College reflects on 75th anniversary
28 The Messenger • February 2012
opportunity to remember God’s blessings in the past and to acknowledge that He will continue to provide for us in the future. We invite you to join us as we celebrate God’s faithfulness! Celebrations are planned for Riverton, Winnipeg and Altona, Man., in March and in Aylmer and Leamington, Ont., in late April. Please contact the SBC office for details at 204-326-6451. – President Rob Reimer, SBC
PHOTOS COURTESY SBC
STEINBACH, Man. — Steinbach Bible College has been celebrating our 75th Anniversary during this academic year. It is an exciting time of reflecting on the past, rejoicing in God’s faithfulness and provision, and renewing a commitment to equip servant leaders for church ministry. A highlight of our first regional celebrations has been hearing alumni reflect on their days at SBC, with funny stories shared and testimonies of God’s leading and guiding. Many former students leave a celebration remembering a special time in their past. Time and again I am struck with the Bible’s theology of remembering. Throughout Scripture we see examples of God remembering his people: Noah while he is in the ark, Abraham as he waits for God to fulfill his promise of a son, and Moses as he leads the people out of Egypt. This continues with David, Solomon and others throughout the Book of Psalms, and is carried through the Major and Minor Prophets. It is picked up in the New Testament as people remember the promise of a Messiah and wait for His coming; and as Jesus tells his followers to remember (celebrate) his death and resurrection. We are told to remember that He is coming again. The theology of remembering includes our own personal and corporate times of reflection. As we remember God’s sustenance through times of trials and tribulations, we are reminded of God’s faithfulness. We remember our short-comings and sinfulness and God’s provision of mercy and grace. As we remember God’s blessings in our life, be they spiritual or material, we are reminded of God’s outpouring of love and generosity. The essence of the theology of remembering places the focus on God and all that His love entails. It is designed to help us remember that God is in control and that He is the Almighty. Through remembering we come to an acknowledgement that God provides, blesses, sustains, heals, disciplines, judges, and is merciful and gracious. In my mind, Deuteronomy 8 epitomizes this theology of remembering. The first five verses remind the Israelites that God provided and that they were to put their trust in Him: “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years…He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:2–3). SBC’s 75th Anniversary provides us with the
SBC’s current faculty and staff members
SBC’s Board of Directors 1954–61: (standing) Archie Penner, Abe F. Penner, Peter J. B. Reimer, Peter K. Bartel, (seated) Ed Loewen, Ben L. Reimer, George K. Reimer, Ben D. Reimer.
News
MCC’s Haiti earthquake disaster response focuses long-term Two years later MCC continues to use donations
PHOTO: SILAS CREWS, MCC
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Two years after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, about $9 million of MCC Haiti facts: MCC’s $16 million disaster response • $16 million earthquake response funds have been spent and allocated budget, including $9 million comon projects to revitalize Haitians’ mitted to projects so far lives. • $3.6 million for shelter; $1.6 for The remaining $7 million, includfood; $1.2 million for educaing funding from the Canadian govtion; $435,000 for human rights; ernment, will be dispersed over the $204,000 for trauma healing; $1.15 next three years. Canadian Internamillion for emergency response; tional Development Agency funding $265,000 for health initiatives will be used to develop an agriculture • 741 homes being repaired or contrade school in Desarmes and a vilstructed, including those for about lage and livelihoods co-op for 100 dis200 people with disabilities living placed families in Caberet. in tent camps Susanne Brown, MCC Haiti disas• 680 buildings such as schools, ter response team coordinator, said medical clinics, churches, orphanthe initial country-wide response foages and some homes inspected by cused on material relief and stimulatteams of MCC structural engineers ing the economy through cash trans• 1,000 water filters distributed to fers, cash-for-work programs and prevent illness recapitalization of small businesses. • 130 masons, 60 engineers and 516 “In the very beginning, we spent business people received training about $1.6 million on food, water and • 12 students supported for their uniElumene Charles stands in her newly repaired home made possible by MCC material aid, more than almost anyversity education partner ACCESS with funding from MCC’s thing else, but now have shifted to • One community centre built for earthquake response effort. The $180,000 projects that are more sustainable,” youth engaged in peacebuilding project allowed ACCESS to repair 45 homes she said. “Underlying our entire re• Thousands of people participated in trauma healing programs sponse, though, has been advocacy for and build five new latrines in the Boulard neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. At least • 355 latrines are being built the Haitian people.” five people live in each home. About half of MCC’s 50 initial di• 34,072 relief kits, 39,026 comfortsaster response projects are completers/sheets, 14,896 school kits, 4,017 ed. Only 8 percent of total expenses tarps distributed • Two meals a day distributed to neighborhood tent have been for local operations. communities for three months; 1,029 people received As the disaster response continues, MCC continues to work with Haitian partners, Haitian and international food for eight weeks. • 1,709 people employed in MCC-funded, cash-for-work policymakers, and global constituents. projects in Desarmes, Port-au-Prince, Grand Goave – Sheldon C. Good, Meetinghouse and Leogane. Sheldon C. Good is assistant editor and web editor for • 125 students in Desarmes trained in agriculture and Mennonite Weekly Review. These stories were written for building trades Meetinghouse, a Mennonite editors group.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 29
News
Food crisis looms in world’s newest country Millions in South Sudan at risk difficult, says Siggi Holzhaeuer, a Foodgrains Bank program officer, though small improvements are being made. Since October 2010, over 350,000 have returned to South Sudan, with over 87,000 returning to Unity State. Many of these people are coming from the North, where they went after being displaced during years of civil war. – CFGB
PHOTO COURTESY CFGB
A year after South Sudan voted to become the world’s newest country, the United Nations (UN) is calling the food security situation in that country “alarming.” According to the UN, conflict, poor infrastructure, large numbers of returnees and high food prices are contributing to food insecurity for millions of South Sudanese. The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS Net)—an organization that identifies future trouble areas—estimates that as many as 3 million people will be affected by food shortages in that country this year. Unity State, which borders Sudan and has seen violence clashes over the past year, is one of the states at particular risk. For the past two years, Canadian Foodgrains Bank and World Relief Canada have been supporting food security projects in the region, helping farmers produce more food for themselves and their communities through seed and tool distribution and agricultural training. Unfortunately, conflict has made working there
Siggi Holzhaeuer visits with project participants in Unity State.
Mennonite Church in India celebrates 100 years DHAMTARI, India — The Mennonite Church in India celebrated its 100th anniversary Oct. 27-30, 2011, with a gathering of about 1,000 people at Sunderganj Mennonite Church. The MCI is one of eight MWC member churches in India. Its origins are traced to a 1912 meeting in Balodgahan convened by Mennonite mission workers and visiting representatives of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, who together drafted a constitution. MCI moderator and bishop C.F. Nath said it is important to remember the “foundation stones” of the past. “We
PHOTO: MYRON AND ESTHER AUGSBURGER
Worshipers gather at Sunderganj Mennonite Church for the centennial celebration of the Mennonite Church in India.
30 The Messenger • February 2012
have to develop them for our future and keep them active according to our constitution,” he said. “These 100 years are full of experiences and information. We have to learn from them and go ahead with new ideas, new energy, new assurance and new vision, so that we may glorify our almighty God and our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.” Myron S. Augsburger of Harrisonburg, Va., who attended the festivities with his wife Esther, noted that Westerners have stepped aside over time, allowing leadership to emerge from the Indian community of faith. “I am impressed with the work of the Spirit in creating greater unity, resolving conflicts, enhancing the sense of community in the love of Christ and developing a stronger sense of mission as a people sharing God’s reconciling grace,” he said. The focus of the conference came from Rev. 3:3: “Remember therefore what you have received and heard. Obey it and repent.” – MWR staff/MWC
News
Somali refugees in Ethiopia not going home any time soon Refugees fled famine and political instability
PHOTO: DAN LEONARD, MCC
AKRON, Pa. — When MCC representative Dan Leonard visited Dollo Ado refugee camp, Ethiopia, in late December, he was struck by the reality that the 150,000 Somali refugees who found safety and food in Ethiopia were not going home any time soon.
Halima (last name unknown) uses water from an MCC-supported water project. She and her family once lived in Mogadishu, Somalia, but left to avoid conflict and violence.
Somalis are finding refuge in neighbouring Kenya and Ethiopia, which are struggling with their own drought and rising food prices.
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in the world...can you vo ere lun h W tee rw it
Somali refugees have been streaming out of their country in large numbers since last summer to escape famine and political instability, commonly attributed to a weak government and the Islamist militant group, al Shabaab, which refuses to allow humanitarian assistance in southern Somalia. Somalis are finding refuge in neighbouring Kenya and Ethiopia, which are struggling with their own drought and rising food prices. Hunger and malnutrition are growing problems in sections of both host countries. MCC has committed $5.5 million to date in response to the drought and food crisis that has been gradually growing in East Africa since 2010 as two poor rainy seasons left subsistence farmers and pastoralists with little food, livestock or money. In Dollo Ado, located in the southeastern tip of Ethiopia, Leonard said, the refugees “can’t go back to Somalia, not just because they have no livestock or land, but because of the violence and instability. At this point, they can’t leave the camps for other cities in Ethiopia, either.” – MCC
DS ?
photo by Duane Steiner
Copies now available free!
These Canadian volunteers are helping their neighbours in Minot, ND. The experience is out of this world.
To order your copies (mailing extra) contact Rebecca Roman, rroman@ emconf.ca or 204-326-6401.
Call or write 1-866-261-1274 mdscn@mds.mennonite.net to discover what is needed where and when.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 31
News
Ontario church harnessing sun’s power Follows biblical mandate to ‘be good neighbours’
Calendar British Columbia no events currently
Ontario’s power grid in February 2011 and is the first Anabaptist church in Ontario to invest in a solar energy system. The system does not reduce the church’s hydro bill, but is expected to generate about $13,500 in income per year. When the project is paid off in nine to 10 years, Yost said the congregation plans to invest the income to maintain the solar system and undertake other green initiatives, to help MCC support renewable energy projects in other countries, and the church’s general fund. To help congregations, MCC Ontario has resources such as the Guide for Going Solar and a DVD Sunday School series called Handle with Care (ontario. mcc.org/creationcare). – Gladys Terichow, Rob Yost, of Hillcrest Mennonite Church, is an advocate of congregations investing in solar energy projects. MCC Canada
Alberta
Rob Yost, who helped the congregation take this $80,000 project from an idea to reality. In partnership with MCC Ontario, the Hillcrest church held information sessions and organized activities focused on creation care issues. Starting an energy audit, insulating the water heater and switching to more energy efficient lights and programmable thermostats, the congregation was receptive to investing $80,000 in a solar system—assisted by Ontario’s feed-in-tariff program. The program, announced in 2009, offers green energy producers stable prices under long-term contracts. The HMC’s solar project plugged into
Spring concert for Eden Foundation Winkler Community Male Choir and Eastman Male Choir, 7: 30 p.m. Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church
PHOTO: NINA LINTON, MCC
NEW HAMBURG, Ont. — A groundmounted tracking solar array on the Hillcrest Mennonite Church parking lot soaks up the sun’s power to generate electricity. Action against global warming follows the biblical mandate to “be good neighbours” and “better caretakers of God’s creation,” said HMC’s
32 The Messenger • February 2012
no events currently
Saskatchewan no events currently
Manitoba Mar. 10 MCC Manitoba annual spring banquet Douglas Mennonite Church 1517 Rothesay Ave, Winnipeg 888-622-6337 for tickets (no cost)
Mar. 16–17 SBC Leadership Conference: Can These Dead Bones Live Again? Speaker: Dr. Pierre Gilbert Steinbach Bible College 204-326-6451 www.sbcollege.ca
Apr. 29
July 6–8 EMC Bicentennial Convention Providence University College 204-326-6401 www.emconference.ca
Ontario no events currently
Shoulder Tapping Pastoral positions La Crete Christian Fellowship Church (EMC) is looking for a full-time associate pastor to be an integral part of the pastoral team. La Crete, located in the northwest corner of Alberta, offers a blend of a friendly rural lifestyle and a progressive outlook. The town offers a range of family-oriented amenities, including an excellent educational system, opportunities for sports and recreation, variety and affordability in shopping, and healthcare services. La Crete is a great place to raise a family, even if we are on the top edge of most Alberta maps! LCCF’s service to God is based on the core values of a commitment to worship, discipleship, teaching of God’s Word, and reaching our community and world with life-changing Good News. We are a vibrant church of approximately 500 regular attendees who desire to spread the Word through a variety of ministries designed to help us fulfill the church’s mission. The associate pastor will provide direction to our care giving and out-reach ministries as well as work closely with the pastoral team to strengthen the parishioners’ personal connection and commitment to Jesus Christ. The applicant should be committed to a personal Christian faith, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a willing and teachable leader, and a person whose love for the Lord is reflected in their ability to work well with others. If the Holy Spirit seems to be inviting you to pursue this further, please contact Isaac Dyck at 780-926-9455, idyck@mmiab.ca, or www.lccfc.ca.
The EMC Church Planting Task Force with the Board of Leadership and Outreach is beginning the process of calling a Canadian Church Planting Coordinator. Job description and qualifications can be found at www.emconference.ca/serve. To speak to someone about this role, contact the search committee: Peter Dueck (204-364-2442 or peter.dueck@vidir.com), Stephanie Unger (204-779-2888 or sunger@ shaw.ca), or Randy Fehr (519-773-9021 or tpmconglomorate@gmail.com). Resumes can be submitted to CPC Search Committee, 440 Main St, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5 or to any search committee member.
Rosenort EMC seeks a full-time senior pastor to begin immediately. Rosenort EMC is a rural church with regular church attendance of approximately 250 people. Rosenort is situated in southern Manitoba with agribusiness as the main industry. Our church is a multi-generational church with strong family ties. To submit a letter of application or request information, contact Arlin Scharfenberg, ascharfenberg@xplornet.ca; 204-746-6154; Box 106, RR 1, Morris, MB R0G 1K0.
Youth work Mennville EMC and Riverton Gospel Chapel (EMC), in Manitoba’s Interlake region, seek a full-time youth pastor for a joint youth group. Candidate should have strengths in relationship building and have an ability to plan a comprehensive youth program. Contact Paul Peters at 204-378-2740 or paulhecla@yahoo.com.
Other opportunities Horsemanship instructor and summer barn staff needed for Christian camp operating summer programs for underprivileged kids. Also needed are summer staff members: counselors, kitchen staff, maintenance, nurse, secretary and program directors. The camp is located near Edmonton, Alta. Email bright.wood@hopemission.com or website: www.brightwoodranchcamps.com. Police checks are needed. Steinbach Bible College invites applications for position of Faculty in Biblical Studies and a related ministry focus. The candidate will teach and provide direction for mentoring women at the college. The successful candidate will have a minimum of an M.A., experience, and skills in church-related ministry, as well as a commitment to participate in the CMC, EMC, and EMMC conferences. The candidate will be committed to the mission of SBC as an evangelical Anabaptist college equipping servant leaders for church ministry, and our core values of the Bible as the foundation, Discipleship as the process, Community as the context, and Mission as the purpose for learning. Teaching responsibilities include Biblical studies and a ministry focus such as worship, spiritual formation, family ministries, or others. Other responsibilities include guiding student ministries as well as mentoring women as leaders, academic advising, resourcing churches and conferences, and teaching in alternative formats. Preference will be given to candidates with an MA degree or higher in biblical and ministry studies. Candidates will possess proven teaching skills and a passion for discipling young adults. Candidates
desiring to continue post-graduate studies are encouraged to apply. Applicants will be committed to fully integrating classroom learning and church ministry, as well as supporting the mission, core values, lifestyle expectations and statement of faith of the college. See www.SBCollege.ca for information about the college. Review of applications will begin March 1, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates for interviews will be contacted. The position starts August 1, 2012 with salary based on qualifications and experience. Applications should be made by sending a resume with a cover letter, and three references submitted to: Dr. Terry Hiebert, Academic Dean, Steinbach Bible College, 50 PTH 12 N, Steinbach MB R5G 1T4, or thiebert@sbcollege.ca. Inner City Youth Alive is hiring a full-time work skills coordinator. This individual will possess skills in the trades such as renovation, carpentry and flooring in order to provide hands-on job training for young adults in the North End, and will desire to mentor them in their daily life. If this is you, please contact James at 204-528-8779 ext.205 or james@ icya.ca, or visit www.icya.ca for more information on the position. Camp Cedarwood, with Youth for Christ, seeks a full-time director of operations. The year-round camp facilitates ministry retreats, youth group events, and outdoor educational experiences in our 31,450 sq. ft. lodge and 35 acres of forest and lake front property. Our site and facilities are located 90 minutes northwest of Winnipeg, Man., in the pristine Canadian Shield territory. The director is responsible for the management of maintenance, hosting, kitchen and office staff. They will work with supervisors in each area to coach and develop staff professionally while providing a solid level of spiritual care and accountability. We are looking for a person with strong leadership abilities, ministry experience, a high standard of excellence, and a strong love for people. If you feel God calling you into this position of ministry leadership, please contact Brennan Cattani, director, 204-669-4205 or brennan@yfcwinnipeg.ca.
The Messenger does not sell advertising, but provides free space (classified and display) to enhance our Conference, its churches, boards and ministries; interMennonite agencies and educational institutions; and the wider church. Ads are not to be for monetary benefit. To place an ad, e-mail messenger@emconf. ca or call 204-326-6401 and ask for Rebecca Roman.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 33
Columns • pictures of god
Healing justice
by Joanna Enns
Instead of approaching sin on a personal “sin-apologize” basis, we should seek to address it in community. 34 The Messenger • February 2012
justice” model closely mirrors the reconciliation and relational healing Jesus taught and modeled. Jesus’ death was “healing justice.” I easily focus on the “justice” aspect of his death that paid the punishment for our sins and balanced the scales of justice. I more easily forget the “healing” aspect of his death that brought us back into relationship and community with God. This, I believe, is at the heart of the Gospel. Stories are at the heart of redemption, and relationships are at the heart of stories. Both the fictional and historical stories embedded in the Bible are a grand narrative of God reconciling people to himself and to each other. Finding healing in community is central. In the aboriginal context, dealing with crime in community helps parties understand the relational nature of crime and of healing. It reveals the broader impact of crime on the victim’s family and friends, but it also shows how the crime itself is a product of ruptured relationships. Healing and forgiveness, then, go far beyond individual justice. Sin often flows out of broken relationships and leads to new relational ruptures. Instead of approaching sin on a personal “sin-apologize” basis, we should seek to address it in community. This can be done by creating a safe place to confess, confront and vent, by being willing to go beyond the facts of the crime—as heinous as it may be—to the broken relationships that made it possible. Open communication in a safe community not only facilitates healing, but also allows people to bring the skeletons out of their closets before they become skeletons.
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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f the major justifications for punishment in the study of law, the theory of retribution most naturally resonates with my instincts. This theory focuses on punishment as balancing the scales of justice. Retribution theory claims that justice is served when a person who chooses to break the law is punished in proportion to the gravity of the crime. Spiritually, this reflects the law-centred response to sin and translates easily into my legalistic default. I expect condemnation from God and community when I sin. At times, I have waited for that condemnation and punishment to relieve me from the weight of my sin. In this model, judgment and redemption are focused on balancing the scales of justice. A legal article recently challenged me to think beyond the spiritual “justice model.” Rupert Ross, a veteran criminal prosecutor in Aboriginal communities in northwestern Ontario, encountered there a process called “healing justice” used to address certain criminal offenses. Instead of rebalancing the scales of crime and punishment, this process focuses on healing ruptured relationships. The “healing justice” model brings the victim and offender together along with their respective family or community members. They seek to understand the broken relationships that led to the crime and the broken relationships that resulted from the crime. Although this program has its challenges in the criminal justice system, the article deeply challenged me. The classic criminal justice model is familiar to me personally and spiritually, but the “healing
Columns • stewardship today
Contentment: what comes to mind?
Are we worshipping the false gods of consumerism and materialism in our search for wholeness?
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wants need to be satisfied before I can meet the needs of others. It is strongly connected with entitlement. Materialism is about wanting stuff in itself. The drive for stuff causes people to spend beyond their means, leading to financial stress that destroys contentment. As people who claim to follow Christ, our challenge is to do an honest evaluation of the scorecard we are using to find contentment. Are we succumbing to the marketing messages around us? Are we worshipping the false gods of consumerism and materialism in our search for wholeness? Or are we truly seeking transcendence, significance, and community? If we get it wrong, we not only lose out on contentment, we are tempted to use similar marketing strategies to try to create a sense of need in otherwise content people to get them to enter our churches and perhaps seek God. If we get it right, we will experience true contentment, and others will be drawn to us and to the kingdom of God through us at the same time.
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ontentment. What thought comes to your mind when you reflect on the word? Paul, the first-century evangelist and church planter, wrote about contentment, connecting it with the ability to effectively extend the kingdom of God. In thanking the Philippians for their gifts, Paul mentioned he had learned to be content whether he had little or much (Philippians 4:10– 13). The amount of his possessions did not affect his mission. According to Tom Clegg and Warren Bird in their book Lost in America, people need transcendence, significance, and community. We need a connection with the Creator, to have a purpose in life with an opportunity to do something meaningful, and to connect with others in deeply satisfying relationships. How these three needs are met may vary. However, when people sense that these needs are met, they feel complete and others are drawn to them because they see something different in their lives. The marketing industry has, instead, a model of moving people from contentment to discontentment. It creates a sense of perceived need where no true need exists in order to sell a product that promises to satisfy it. Contemporary evangelists and church planters Hugh Halter and Matt Smay draw upon the thoughts of Clegg and Bird in their book The Tangible Kingdom. They say that consumerism and materialism both prevent churches from influencing others to seek God’s kingdom. Consumerism is the belief I can’t help others until I help myself first; my needs and
by Harold Penner
Harold Penner is a stewardship consultant at the Winnipeg, Man., office of Mennonite Foundation of Canada (MFC). For stewardship education and estate and charitable gift planning, contact your nearest MFC office or visit Mennofoundation.ca.
www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 35
Columns • kids’ corner
D by Loreena Thiessen
o you ever want to stay up a bit later? A few more minutes to read an extra chapter? Do you ever watch a movie that goes past your bedtime? Or you may need more time to work on homework to get it done. What if you got a whole extra day? What would you do with it? Well, now you do! February has 29 days in 2012. The extra day is like a gift of time, 24 more hours. So how will you use it? You get this extra day because in actual time the earth takes more than the 365 days in one year to travel around the sun. The journey takes 365.242 days to complete. So in four years there are 23.232 extra hours in the earth’s journey. We have to collect them
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In actual time the earth takes more than the 365 days in one year to travel around the sun. The journey takes 365.242 days to complete.
36 The Messenger • February 2012
• Watch a special movie with your family or friend • Cook a special dish, cookies or cake with your family or friend • Decorate the house or your room with a banner or balloons • Visit a park to hike, or skate or ski • Take the dog for an extra walk • Spend extra time with a grandparent, uncle, aunt or friend • Draw a picture that shows what you did on Feb. 29, 2012 • Take photos to remember Feb. 29, 2112.
so an extra day is created. If you like doing math, it looks like this: .242 x 24 = 5.8 x 4 = 23.232 .242 = extra time each day 24 = hours in each day 5.8 = total time per year 4 = how long it takes to get a whole day 23.232 hours = the extra day Time has been measured and recorded since ancient days, long before clocks were invented. Ice-age hunters scratched lines and gouged holes in sticks and bones to count the days between moon phases. In a year there would be 12 complete cycles—each cycle is a month long so there are 12 months in a year. This was also important for planting time. Plants grew better during certain phases of the moon when the rivers had flooded the field. Farmers began to mark and count the moon’s phases to be ready for the next best time. At first the months were shorter. To include the extra days an extra month was added to every second year. Then extra days were added to each month for a total of 365 days and one more day was given to February every four years. That day is your gift. Will you make it a special day? Read Psalm 118:24. Give thanks for this day.
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An extra day
Activity: Celebrate February 29, 2012