The Messenger
New year, still me
But with a few tweaks
WHILE THE START of the new year is now a couple of weeks in the rearview mirror, statistics say that most people will have already “failed” at their New Year’s resolutions. That’s why, this year, I decided to focus on small changes that I’m more likely to stick with.
One change I wanted to make was writing consistently in my one-sentence daily journal. While I’ve been keeping such a journal for about seven years, I’ve struggled to keep up with it. This year, to set myself up for success, I put it (together with a pen) on my pillow when I make the bed. Then, as part of my nightly routine, I take two minutes to write. So far, I’ve skipped one day, but just caught up the following evening. With (nearly) daily consistency, the task keeps from becoming overwhelming—as it does when I skip several days—or weeks.
Another item I’ve had on my wish list for a couple of years is to memorize Romans 8. Last year, I made it a goal. However, I spent about three-quarters of the year paralyzed on the “how” and only made it through the first five verses or so. This year, rather than focusing on memorization as the goal, I decided to make reading those verses (preferably aloud), a daily practice. This aligns more closely with my real goal—not rote memorization, but internalization of the truths laid out in those verses.
The desire to change, to “better” oneself, isn’t foreign to Christians. After all, what else is the process of sanctification? However, while our culture focuses on self-betterment, our reliance is on the One “who began a good work in you [and] will
This process of sanctification is often achingly, agonizingly slow.
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Or, as Jen Pollock Michel says in her feature in this issue, “Fruit is produced not by [our] heroic, individualist efforts … but by abiding … in the one whose Spirit generates the fruit of his abundant life.”
This process of sanctification is often achingly, agonizingly slow—a series of small tweaks, rather than overnight transformation: “A long obedience in the same direction,” as Eugene Peterson puts it in his book by that title. A small tweak for me, lately, looks like noticing when I’ve said something unnecessary or unhelpful, particularly to my husband or children. While I wish I hadn’t said it in the first place, the act of noticing is a small tweak in the right direction—and a necessary first step in the process of sanctification.
In the spirit of small tweaks, you may notice a few as you read this issue. First, in 2025 we have chosen to highlight the work of EMC artists. Dani Caldeira kicks us off with several photos and a description of her role in using music and theatre to build God’s kingdom. Second, we’ve changed the titles of two of our departments. Rather than “With Our Missionaries” and “With Our Churches,” we have shifted to “Global Focus” and “Local Focus.” Third, the column title “Inviting Faith” is now “Inspiring Faith,” and will be regularly written by Director of Next Generation Mo Friesen. He preferred “inspiring” over “inviting” because it points to our responsibility to have a continuing and growing relationship with Jesus Christ as we seek to inspire it in others.
We pray this year that you are able to trust the Holy Spirit as he works in your life and the life of the ones you love.
– Rebecca Roman, Editor
On not getting things done: a new measure of time
By Jen Pollock Michel
Fruitfulness in God’s economy.
Art and the kingdom
By Dani Caldeira
A pastor and artist describes how she uses art to build God’s kingdom.
Where is your next pastor now?
By Layton Friesen
An introduction to the Barnabas bursary.
Rediscovering gentle persuasion
By Rick Langer
A call to engagement in polarized times.
How are we connecting?
By Emery Plett
A summary of the November 2024 Council round table discussions.
Global impact Shared accountability in missions
By Gerald Reimer
His light to my path From pantry darkness to marvelous light By
Karla Hein
Further in and higher up Believe in the Trinity and you shall be saved By Layton Friesen
Inspiring faith What are we inspiring? By
Mo Friesen
Editorial
Letters and Notices Global Focus Local Focus
Books & More
Shoulder Tapping
Letters and Notices
MANAGING EDITOR
ERICA FEHR
EDITOR
ROMAN
PUBLICATION AND PURPOSE
The Messenger is the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 440 Main Street, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5. 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.
Phone: 204-326-6401 messenger@emconference.ca www.emcmessenger.ca
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The articles printed in The Messenger are owned by The Messenger or by the author and may not be reprinted without permission. Unless noted, Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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A hearty thank you for the
Sept/Oct 2024 issue
I read the Sept/Oct 2024 issue at one sitting. From the early articles’ discouragement to the last three pages of inspiration, I felt I concluded on a high note.
Having been in an employer type conflict, having the absence of support (if not outright persecution), having left work due to illness, having signed a non-disclosure, I can identify with the MCC workers in your article.
My anger, my sense of my legal rights, my willingness to dismantle the organization if need be to publicize my story, my trauma with repeated assaults, and my powerlessness to affect any justice were real.
In all of the drama, over a period of years, I returned, again and again, to Layton’s description of the reality of God in me. I rejoiced that God declares vengeance to be his (after lamenting his lack of confidence in me participating in it—just a bit).
Lawyers and servants of the gospel have little in common, as we saw with
the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Jesus. I was offered to hire lawyers, by wellmeaning Christian advisors. After all, I was in the right!
I choose to follow Jesus. Costly, humiliating, frustrating, yet exhilarating. I lay my rights at the foot of the cross, and take up his yoke. Freedom! I obviously cannot provide my name (non-disclosure and all)
– Name withheld
Guidelines for letters
Letters (250 words or less) are generally to comment on issues raised in The Messenger. The magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length, style, legality, and taste. It can refuse publication.
The writer’s name and general address are to be published. In sensitive matters, names may be withheld.
From the web
www.emcmessenger.ca
“The untold stories of returned missionaries” p. 12, Sept/Oct 2024 issue
The cost to building something is always more than we imagined it would be. The losses and griefs we experience can’t be measured when we walk with Christ. We will never fully know the outcomes until eternity. We do not know God’s mysteries; we just know what we have to do in Christ. Exposure to pain and hurt is part of trials and tribulations that come with life and are promised by Christ. We are refined in this life by him for a good reason to bring glory and honour to Almighty God according to his wisdom and within the heavens.
– Julie Nordstrom
“A morning on the train tracks” p. 16, Nov/Dec 2024 issue
Thank you for sharing your perspective and ministry focus on the most vulnerable. Your compassion is the heart of God.
– Brigitte Toews
Heppner hired as EMC Director of Canadian Outreach
The Personnel Committee is pleased to announce the hiring of Carl Heppner as Director of Canadian Outreach. Heppner is currently the lead pastor at Fort Garry MB Church and has served there since 2013. His previous experience had him working with Mennonite Central Committee in human resources and on the field in Bolivia. Some may remember Heppner from his time as lead pastor at Braeside EMC (Winnipeg, Man.) in the early 2000s.
Heppner has a master’s degree from MBBS in Fresno and completed his bachelor’s degree at Steinbach Bible College.
Heppner will be joining the team starting mid-April. We look forward to welcoming him to our staff.
– EMC Personnel Committee
Carl Heppner (right) with wife Kathy
ON NOT GETTING THINGS DONE a new measure of time
By Jen Pollock Michel
EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE my children look forward to my purple plum torte. Along with roasted turkey and Walter C. Scott’s A Christmas Carol, the simple yellow cake crowned with plums and sprinkled in cinnamon sugar is tradition. Every year the challenge remains the same—in December plums are not grown in northern climes.
December plums illustrate what I learned in the global shutdown of 2020 about the difference between productivity and fruitfulness. Before the pandemic I held to unyielding expectations of my productivity. I wanted plums year-round, and believed I could find them with hard work and time savvy. But when forced inside and threatened by crisis, I was not as productive as I’d once been despite my efforts. Pandemic time slowed. It mocked ambition. I began to learn plums could be flown from Spain in December—but they couldn’t be harvested from frozen ground.
In 2020 I understood in new ways that time was not mine to control, productivity not mine to guarantee. I began glimpsing why the Bible insists on organic metaphors of vines and branches, fruit and trees to figure the flourishing human life under the reign of God.
Fruitfulness, in God’s economy, wasn’t the same thing as year-round plums.
as good, never questioning some of the darker assumptions related to time management. I did not question the assumptions that time was something to harness and control—and that I was time’s master.
GREATER PRODUCTIVITY, PEOPLE THOUGHT, WAS THE HOPE OF DEMOCRACY.
Time (and its scarcity) has become a real cultural obsession. Beginning with stopwatches in factories in the early 20th century, Frederick Winslow Taylor—father of scientific management—advocated timing workers in how quickly they completed tasks. Others like Frank and Lillian Gilbreth developed time-and-motion studies, photographing workers to analyze the micro gestures of movement. The goal was always efficiency and greater productivity. Greater productivity, people thought, was the hope of democracy.
For three decades I’ve read the bestselling timemanagement books. This compulsion – to turn time into material output – is owed partly to temperament. I’m a Type A achiever. Personality hasn’t been the only source of my time compulsivity, however. Along with many modern Christians, I’ve also interpreted the spiritual imperative to “redeem the time” as a command to make use of every minute.
If I was getting things done for the kingdom, taking seriously my stewardship of hours and days, wouldn’t I want to work faster and more efficiently? For decades time management was baptized as an unqualified kingdom good. As the mother of five, a writer and church volunteer, I valued systems of organization, task management, prioritization, and I baptized these systems
Early 20th-century economists certainly predicted a utopian future. We would work less and produce more—excess leisure the new human crisis. But productivity has not delivered us to the promised land. In fact, what seems increasingly self-evident is the way the demands of productivity have assumed a mechanized view of the human person. From the Amazon employee to the modern gig worker, today we are expected to work like machines, turning less and less time into more and more profit.
If there is anything the pandemic taught us, it’s that the human body does not work like a machine. Sickness slows us, fear paralyzes us, grief hollows us, boredom distracts us. Try as we might, we can’t summon our own vigour at will. Our bodies are limited, our time contingent. Pandemic time gave many of us a taste of what disability scholars call “crip time,” a shorthand way to describe the hours and days lived by differently abled people generally out of sync with clock time. (See Ellen Samuels, “Six Ways of Looking at Crip Time,” Disability Studies Quarterly, summer 2017.)
Pandemic time gave me reasons to suspect time management’s inhuman ideals of relentless productivity—and embrace the Bible’s saner vision of seasonal fruitfulness.
“I am the vine; you are the branches,” Jesus told his disciples on their final night together before his arrest and crucifixion (John 15:5). Likely those 12 men had horticultural knowledge we lack. The disciples probably understood that for three years after a vine is planted, fruit must not be allowed to grow. Those early years are needed for deepening the plant’s roots if it is to survive future winters.
The disciples probably also understood vines required not just water, but drought. Too much water weakens the root systems by keeping them shallow. Jesus’ followers would have embraced the necessary violence involved in pruning healthy branches to produce greater harvests.
These disciples would have trusted in the seasonality of fruit-bearing. They would never have believed grapes (or plums) could be produced year-round.
THESE DISCIPLES WOULD HAVE TRUSTED IN THE SEASONALITY OF FRUIT-BEARING. THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED GRAPES (OR PLUMS) COULD BE PRODUCED YEAR-ROUND.
There are many lessons to be taken from Jesus as vine, his followers as branches, this picture which displaces modern ideals of constant productivity. For one, fruit is produced not by the kinds of heroic, individualist efforts goaded by the time-management gurus, but by abiding. By resting, remaining, enduring and persevering in the one whose Spirit generates the fruit of his abundant life—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23).
A branch can’t decide for fruit, as time-management experts say who insist on our powers to subdue time and wrestle its output. A branch must simply stay connected to the vine that knows when to reach for the sky, when to burrow in the dark. The vine keeps time—and the branch keeps time with it.
A vine’s health is dependent on all kinds of favourable conditions—rainfall and temperate weather, plentiful sunshine and fertile soil. These conditions, of course, change from season to season, illustrating why fruitfulness is far different from productivity.
In productivity culture every minute is standardized, valued for the muscles it flexes. If we’re getting things done, we grow self-congratulatory. There is never time to waste because the clock is always ticking.
But a vision of health and human flourishing that admits winter’s dormancy, that grants God’s invisible work—in seasons of grief, depression, sickness, emotional exhaustion—allows for more patient time. Fruitfulness expands a vision of unhurried, unworried time that takes seriously the gentle invitation of Jesus to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It reminds us that though we see no visible fruit now, it’s being prepared.
The promise of fruit is sure—because plums glorify the Father (see John 15:8).
I had no vision for seasonal fruitfulness in my younger adult years. I did not rest when my father collapsed and unexpectedly died when I was a first-year university student. I flew home for a week, then returned to my syllabi, disappearing in the library to study harder. I never got better marks than I did that term of swift and sudden loss.
Neither did I rest when my brother committed suicide four years later. I was a newly hired high school teacher—and anxious to secure a more permanent position. I said yes to every administrative demand, even if it meant a throbbing
headache most nights. Plums were on order, and I had to produce them. I believed God expected me to get things done, no matter the weather.
But the pandemic taught me something about being human—being limited, contingent, frail. Did every minute, every season count for material production? Or had I been malformed by all those time-management books? Could I admit time
I WAS
PREPARED TO DO SOMETHING
I WOULD HAVE PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT UNTHINKABLE AS WE MADE THE DIFFICULT TRANSITION.
I QUIT SOME THINGS.
was not simply a resource to manage, but a gift to receive? Could I receive even the harsh beauty of winter when waiting seems our only task?
In the summer of 2021, I realized my mother was suffering cognitive decline and that, after 11 years in Toronto, we needed to return to the States to care for her. Having lived the pandemic’s disruption of time, I was prepared to do something I would have previously thought unthinkable as we made the difficult transition.
I quit some things.
I took a leave of absence from graduate school. I refused writing assignments. I gave up volunteer responsibilities. I told people I needed help—and
Am I choosing busy? Or is busy choosing me?
when they offered it, took it without apology. I finally admitted the “when” of my life, as James K. A. Smith describes in How to Inhabit Time, and it was a severe mercy.
Living close to my mother now, who has been officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I’m realizing how much more I must cultivate the value of fruitfulness over productivity. This new work, as my spiritual director has recently called it, does not afford me any illusions of productivity. In my mother’s case I can’t solve a problem permanently. There is only constant improvisation.
As her memory grows frail, there is never work that is once and done, but only effort that is rinse and repeat. It reminds me of an earlier season of my life when I was a young mother and had lots of children underfoot. In that season too I didn’t have much to show for a “productive” day – but that wasn’t the point.
Because love, a fruit of the Spirit, is more than to-dos.
A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Jen Pollock Michel is an award-winning author and speaker living in Cincinnati with her family. Her most recent book is In Good Time: Eight Habits for Reimagining Productivity, Resisting Hurry, and Practicing Peace. She holds a B.A. in French from Wheaton College, an M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University, and an M.F.A from Seattle Pacific University.
What limits to my time and energy should I realistically acknowledge?
What are life-giving ways I can cultivate connection to God? What faithful work can I persevere in?
What distractions must I renounce?
What rhythms of rest are non-negotiable?
Art and the KINGDOM
By Dani Caldeira
Two of the nine characters in The Door, a production by Grupo Sopro in Brazil.
WHO CREATED ART?
I always begin my lectures with this question. Perhaps you already have an answer in mind. However, the truth is that the question is not so simple to address.
Throughout my life as a professional artist and art teacher, I’ve often heard and studied the idea that art is innate to human beings. Indeed, if you observe a baby in their earliest stages, you’ll notice their adorable antics: dancing to music, clapping hands, or even humming. Hand a small child a piece of paper and a crayon, and they’ll eagerly begin creating scribbles and even naming their drawings.
Let’s not forget dramatic symbolic play, where children act as mommy/daddy or teachers to their stuffed animals—an early form of theatrical creation. From this, we can conclude that art is a human activity born with us. So, does that mean we created it?
Let’s leave this question unanswered for now and dive deeper into the essence of art.
I define art as a human activity requiring a specific skill—whether innate (a gift) or developed through training (talent)—and of an aesthetic nature, as it involves the appreciation of others. Art serves to express ideas, perceptions, concepts, and emotions, aiming to lead the audience to reflection, awareness, and emotional catharsis.
There are countless artistic languages capable of fostering this exchange: dance, music, theater, visual arts, literature, cinema, photography, and more. The person who creates art—whether professionally or as a form of self-expression—is called an artist.
In my experience practicing art professionally in Brazil—a country rich in artistic and cultural expression—art has not always been well-regarded within Christian ecclesiastical environments. Some of the arguments against it are not without basis.
Art can, for example, foster vanity, as applause may inflate an artist’s sense of self-worth. Studies show that artists are sometimes elevated to near-divine status, feeding into their pride. Furthermore, art may open the door to lifestyles of
Art serves to express ideas, perceptions, concepts, and emotions, aiming to lead the audience to reflection, awareness, and emotional catharsis.
libertinism, hedonism, and behaviours contrary to Christian principles.
As I delved deeper into my studies, particularly in art history, I noticed that—especially in the performing arts, where the artist becomes the work itself (such as music, dance, and theatre)—there were recurring moments of conflict with the church around the world.
Inevitably, a chasm emerged. On the one hand, the church, in general, had reservations about some artistic languages, while, on the other hand, art expanded into the outside world, touching hearts and dictating precepts.
It was in this context that I, as both an artist and a pastor, revisited the question: Who really created art?
The answer became clear: the only one capable of true creation—the Creator, whose artistry surrounds us daily. God is the source of a powerful tool that stirs emotions, fosters connection, transforms lives, teaches, encourages, and even heals.
Thus, I resolved to dedicate my gifts and talents to building and expanding God’s kingdom through art—not only within church walls but also by “going out” through art to seek and rescue lives. I achieved this by teaching music and theatre (my academic background) and presenting songs and plays that touch people’s hearts, leading them to encounter Jesus.
In Brazil, I directed a professional Christian theatre group, Grupo Sopro, which performed in the secular cultural circuit for two consecutive years. Through our work, we witnessed lives being deeply touched and transformed.
One of our plays, The Door —written by me— takes place in a medical clinic where nine people
Dani Caldeira (front left) poses with the cast of the Wizard of Oz production held in Arborg, Man.
gather after receiving mysterious invitations. Believing they are in a doctor’s waiting room; they begin to reveal their innermost struggles. The titular “Door” becomes an allegory for encountering Jesus: “I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9 EHV). One by one, their lives are transformed.
This musical weaves its narrative with songs designed to move the audience and convey its message.
Additionally, I had the privilege of founding and directing Trupe Rodapé, the first theatre group in Brazil comprised of actors with severe cerebral palsy. Over 13 years, our productions inspired reflections on overcoming challenges, acceptance, and the value of all lives.
Together with my husband, Isabeh, we founded our School of Singing and Theatre, which has been operating since 2013, teaching arts and welcoming students from diverse social, cultural and religious backgrounds. Our school functioned as a “barn” for the kingdom, where many artists found faith and became Christians.
Here in Arborg, Man., we have begun a quiet movement in this direction. We have started a singing project in nursing homes and hospitals. I have offered music workshops for people with special needs, given guitar lessons to teenagers, and directed a theatre production with teenage girls.
This is what continues to fascinate me about art: it doesn’t require directly speaking about Jesus. Wherever a follower of Jesus creates art, there is evangelistic power because art uniquely keeps the soul alight. In times when people’s hearts grow cold, art becomes invaluable for warming them again.
I believe that here in Canada there is great potential for us to be a leading church, producing Christian artists who excel at what they do. I believe that my husband and I, both artists, were brought here to contribute to this movement.
An artist exists to serve others with their craft, a tool that touches the soul. I encourage you to put your gifts and talents to work for the kingdom and wait for the finished work that Jesus will paint.
Dani Caldeira has served as a pastor at The Connexion in Arborg, Man., since October 2023, having served previously as a pastor in Brazil. In addition to her pastoral work, Dani is an actress, singer, educator and theatre director, with a career in the arts and education that has spanned from 1992 to the present and complemented her ministry.
PHOTOS
Where is your next pastor now?
By Layton Friesen
AN ERA IS ending. For the last several generations, when our churches needed a new pastor, we assumed there was a group of moveable pastors “out there” looking for a church. “Out there” were unknown pastors trained, experienced, and ready to move their families across the continent to pastor our church. These moveable pastors were deeply committed servants of God who provided excellent service across our churches. It was wonderful to bring all their previous experience into a church hoping for fresh air. But when the moveable pastor was finished, they moved on and we brought in another.
But the number of moveable pastorfamilies “out there” has now grown very small. Fewer pastors today are willing to live that life. One reason is that many pastors’ spouses now have their own careers. It’s not only the pastor in the family who is called and trained by God for a vocation. Another reason is that pastors have become more cautious about what they demand of their children. Not all pastor’s kids who moved across the country to multiple churches throughout their childhood thought it was great. It’s also the case that today we don’t have as many lifelong pastors. Someone may only begin pastoring at age 50 when their family is firmly ensconced in a local community.
What does this mean for churches? Rarely can churches now find a pastor simply by posting an ad “out there.” Calling a pastor now demands more creativity. Most likely, the next pastor is living locally and needs convincing and educating to be a pastor. Often, the next pastor is someone already in the
congregation or a next-door congregation who has been a lay-minister, elder or youth leader and will soon be ready for a pastoral role.
Every congregation should ask: have we identified and are we training our next pastors? Have we chosen anyone in our midst who has maturity and giftedness and who with the right mentoring, education, and experience could join our pastoral team in five years? How much are we spending this year on next-pastor training? Does our church have steppingstones, smaller ministry positions that provide doable apprenticeships for someday pastors? If not, what makes us think we will find a pastor when our present pastors resign? The day our pastor resigns may be five years too late to begin seeking our next pastor.
Abe Dyck (shown here with his family) was identified and called from within his home church, then sent to study at Steinbach Bible College.
The EMC has developed a partnership with Steinbach Bible College to fund a bursary for people chosen by their own churches for present or future pastoral leadership.
Bible colleges and seminaries can help with this, but they cannot conjure pastors out of thin air. They can partner with churches who are intent on calling and training people from within their midst to be pastors.
The EMC has developed a partnership with Steinbach Bible College to help churches with this reality. Together we developed the Barnabas Bursary that can pay the tuition for people chosen by their own churches for present or future pastoral leadership. These are people who are gifted but do not yet have the skill-level of Bible reading, shepherding, cultural engagement and leadership they need. This training can be in-person or online. It can be done part-time. Talk to Conference Pastor Andy Woodworth about this possibility.
Some of the most satisfying moments in church life I have seen are occasions where a congregation commissions a pastor they themselves have raised, mentored and trained. It starts in the nursery Sunday school—and it completes when the church has trained their next pastor. Let’s do this together.
Layton Friesen is the academic dean at Steinbach Bible College.
Rediscovering gentle persuasion
A biblical call in polarized times
By Rick Langer
A RECENT ARTICLE by James Wood recounts his evolution from a fanboy of Tim Keller to a critic (www.firstthings.com, May 6, 2022). His argument sparked a flurry of responses, both positive and negative (from David French at frenchpress. thedispatch.com and Rod Dreher at www.theamericanconservative.com, for example). Though I think enough has been said about Wood’s general argument, there is a particular line of thought found in his article that demands further attention.
Wood states that for years he loved Keller’s approach to politics which was winsome, missional and gospel-centred. But Wood is concerned that the time for winsomeness has passed. Not long ago, we lived in a “neutral world” that viewed Christianity as an idiosyncratic lifestyle option. Now, however, we are in a “negative world” where Christianity is perceived as immoral and undermining the social good. Wood feels that Keller’s
model was well suited to the “neutral world” but that it is no longer viable in the “negative world” that now dominates our culture. He worries that winsomeness, when it meets with hostility, tends toward self-doubt, weakness of conviction, and succumbing to accommodationist temptations. These are hardly the qualities that our cultural moment demands of faithful Christians.
Wood is offering a pragmatic argument against winsomeness. He is not opposed to it in theory. At times it can be a very good approach. He just believes that this is not such a time.
As a person who has written books titled Winsome Persuasion and Winsome Conviction, this is the sort of argument I should care about. Although I’m tempted to take up the gauntlet and argue that winsomeness is more pragmatic than some think, such an argument would miss my primary concern—which is that gentleness and respect are clearly taught, modelled, and commanded in
ISTOCK
Scripture. We can’t opt out for pragmatic reasons. The real question we should be asking ourselves is, “Have we become moral relativists when it comes to biblical teaching about gentleness?”
Moral relativism doesn’t reject biblical teaching out of hand. It just rejects it when it is inconvenient or unhelpful in reaching a desired outcome. A moral relativist on biblical sexual ethics, for example, may happily follow biblical teaching as long it agrees with what they want to do anyhow. I see this sort of relativism regarding biblical teaching on gentleness. Gentleness is fine for small talk about small matters, but when the stakes are high, the battle must be won by any means necessary. Outrageous times demand outraged responses. It happens across the political spectrum.
For progressives, it looks like this: You can’t invoke gentleness and respect when someone’s knee is on your throat. In fact, the real reason people appeal to gentleness and respect is that they don’t want to confront the structures of oppression. Civility is a tool that is used to silence the voice of the disenfranchised.
Conservatives have a similar line of thought: When elections are stolen, there is no time for gentleness. The time for civility is past. We aren’t going to bow to the cultural elite any longer. We have to “own the libs,” and boldly speak conservative thought in ways that are infuriating, flummoxing or otherwise distressing to liberals.
The middle has its own problem with gentleness. It is not that the middle refuses to speak with gentleness, it is that they don’t speak at all. They see strife and animosity permeating our conversations and they simply opt out. They choose to
Gentleness and respect are clearly taught, modelled, and commanded in Scripture. We can’t opt out for pragmatic reasons.
be silent. Unfortunately, that leaves only the most polarized and disdainful voices to be heard.
If we quit thinking pragmatically about gentleness, and lean into thinking biblically about it, here are a few things we discover:
Jesus models gentleness. In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus describes himself as gentle and lowly in spirit, and he does this in a context where he is asking us to follow his example and take on this yoke.
Jesus’ gentleness is a fulfillment of prophecy. One might think that gentleness was just a personality trait Jesus happened to find on his StrengthsFinder test. But just a few verses after Jesus describes his gentle yoke, we discover that his gentleness was actually a fulfillment of a prophecy:
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: …I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope” (Matthew 12:17–21, emphasis added).
In our current circumstances, what is most shocking in this passage is not that gentleness was prophesied of the Messiah, but that it was Jesus’s favoured way to advocate for social justice.
Gentleness is also the plea of the apostles for the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1–3). Paul urges us to walk in a manner worthy of Christ. In light of what we have just said about Christ, it is unsurprising that Paul characterizes a Christ-like manner by humility and gentleness.
Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–26). Gentleness, and a host of other gentlelike virtues such as patience and kindness, are fruit that proves that the root of the Holy Spirit has taken hold in our hearts.
The list goes on and on. Gentleness is a necessary qualification for Christian leadership (1 Timothy 3:3). Gentleness is essential for our response to non-believers (1 Peter 3:15). Gentleness is essential for restoration from sin and failure (Galatians 6:1). Perhaps most relevant for our times, Paul even suggests gentleness be applied to even the most extreme cases, cases where people have been snared by the devil and captured to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24–26).
Finally, in James 3:13–18 gentleness is a central difference between divine and earthly wisdom. Divine wisdom is peaceable, gentle and open to reason. Earthly wisdom is false to the truth, unspiritual and demonic. James denounces earthly wisdom with terms normally reserved for heresy or apostasy. He suggests that persistently and unrepentantly refusing to practice gentleness and respect toward others is a mark of a person who follows an earthly wisdom that is false to the truth, unspiritual and demonic. James didn’t appear to be a moral relativist when it comes to gentleness.
Having spoken about this publicly in many settings, I have discovered that there is a dropthe-mic rebuttal to this line of thought: “Jesus turned over the tables in the temple!” But let me pick up the mic and offer a few words in defence of gentleness even in the wake of overturned tables.
Yes, Jesus did say and do some hard things that don’t appear to be gentle. Paul did likewise (Galatians 5:12, Acts 23:3) and so did James (James 5:1–6). But this is a tension for all of us. If Jesus turned over the tables, we all have a problem with his teaching of gentleness; if Jesus was gentle and lowly in spirit, then we all have a problem with his
Gentleness is not about whether or not we say hard words, it is about how we say hard words. Gentleness is not a refusal to engage, but a posture of engagement.
turning over the tables. This is only a drop-themic argument if we are content to cut something out of Scripture. If we want to take all of Scripture seriously, we all have to think about this a little more deeply.
Here are a few thoughts to get us started. First, gentleness does not mean—it cannot mean—a lack of discernment and an absence of moral conviction. It cannot mean a denial of final judgment, or even a refusal to speak hard words of temporal judgment. Perry Glanzer helpfully defines gentleness as the sensitivity and willingness to forgo power for the sake or benefit of another. It is a caring, calm, humility that allows one to see others as God sees them (“The Demise of Gentleness,” Christian Scholar’s Review blog). In short, gentleness is not about whether or not we say hard words, it is about how we say hard words. Gentleness is not a refusal to engage, but a posture of engagement. What does gentle engagement look like? Honestly, one of the best places I could point you to, is to Tim Keller’s track record of over 40 years of public ministry.
Furthermore, if one appeals to Jesus as an example of jettisoning gentleness because of extreme circumstances, it would be good to attend carefully to the circumstances. Who was he responding to in his apparently ungentle moments like cleansing the temple and speaking woes to the Pharisees? Matthew describes these people as “shutting the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces” and who “do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (Matthew 23:13–14). To put it simply, what is at stake is a matter of eternal destiny, not a mask mandate.
The gospels are also fond of noting that Jesus “knew what was in their hearts.” Jesus knew
when someone was resisting the Holy Spirit or on the verge of committing an unpardonable sin. He wasn’t just angry; he was making a considered moral judgment based on real knowledge. This does not mean that we must have divine knowledge to speak a word of judgment, but we should at least make a concerted effort to know and understand the other person before calling them a white-washed sepulchre or turning over their tables.
But doesn’t any failure to show gentleness imply that we have become moral relativists regarding gentleness? I don’t think so. We commonly consider lying to be forbidden by Scripture, but we realize that if the Nazis come to the door and a Jew is hiding in the basement, we might deceive or dissemble to save the life of an innocent person. Not all would agree; some might tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. But the point is that for those who might lie in such circumstances, a substantial justification needs to be given. We are pitting two moral obligations against each other; we cannot just demote one obligation to a mere preference, strategy or personality type. One can see the analogy to Jesus and gentleness. If turning over the tables violates gentleness commands, we must remember that it was done knowing the most extreme matters of (eternal) life and death were truly at stake.
In short, I suggest we take Jesus’ yoke upon us— the yoke of a gentle and lowly spirit. In so doing, we will find rest for our souls. And a community of souls who have found rest is the surest road to becoming a community of peace.
Rick Langer is professor emeritus at Biola University, where he served for almost 20 years. He continues to work part-time as the co-director of the Winsome Conviction Project, launched in 2020 to help depolarize our discourse in the church, in Christian universities, and in the public square. He also teaches the DMin program at Talbot School of Theology. He has written several books, including Winsome Persuasion (2017) and Winsome Conviction (2020).
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2025
Disagreeing Without Dividing the Church
March 14-15, 2025
with Rick Langer, PhD
SESSION 1
Differing without Dividing: The Power of Well-formed Convictions
SESSION 2
Romans 14: The Conviction Spectrum
SESSION 3
Convictions: The Key to Active Faith
SESSION 4
Communicating Our Convictions in the church and public square
TO REGISTER:
sbcollege.ca/event/sbc-leadership-conference
How are we connecting?
November 2024 Conference Council round table discussions
By Emery Plett
EACH CONFERENCE COUNCIL is an opportunity for delegates to speak—on behalf of their churches about the items on the agenda, and especially after lunch during roundtable discussions. This year the discussion focus was on connecting. How are churches connecting with their communities? How are they connecting with the conference office?
The topic came out of a conference staff discussion In September, as we considered what our priorities were going to be for this ministry year. As the conversation continued, it converged on the idea of connection: connecting with church leaders—to have them engage in meaningful ways; with congregations—so that they know we are a valuable resource; and with the next generation—to support them as they look for areas to serve.
The council round table questions were developed based on this context. The questions were:
1. What are some examples of the way your church is engaging your community?
2. What are some ideas of the EMC office that could build better connections with your church leadership?
3. What hindrances do you see getting in the way of a strong connection between your church and the EM Conference?
It was encouraging to see how churches are engaging their communities. The list was extensive and included things like offering new Canadians English classes, having floor hockey nights, hosting community barbeques, running camps, offering daycare, setting up senior home visits, doing “pick-up and walks,” and many other truly great ways of connecting with communities. For a full list, be sure to check out the EMC
website, which has a summary of the round table conversations. I hope this list inspires you.
To connect with these segments of our faith community is a lofty, maybe even aspirational goal, but we already have some concrete ways we want to do this. We hope to connect with our leaders, laypeople, and the next generation through the events we are planning. Abundant Springs is coming this May. Our first regional leadership forum is planned for this winter. Finally, we are excited as we begin to prepare for our first EMC Equip event coming this October. It will be a regional event to equip lay leaders for the work they are doing in their churches. We also want to give an opportunity at this event to run our Discover Your Ministry Potential program for those seeking to find out where God wants to use them.
As we reviewed the answers to questions two and three, it was evident that Conference staff need to continue to work on building relationships. Phone calls and Zoom calls are needed because our conference covers a vast geography— but we also need to get out to churches in person. This will help people understand what the conference does and why. One comment that spoke to this was that we “need to know the value of being a part of something bigger.”
With our final round table question we wanted to get a sense of what was important to churches and where they could use resourcing. Delegates ranked a list of 16 topic areas we provided into their top five. They were:
1. Evangelism/missional
2. Small groups/care ministry
3. Cultural trends
4. Men’s ministry
5. Gift assessments
It is clear that churches want to reach their communities and serve the needs of those in their congregations. The office staff will look closely at how we can help churches become more effective in these areas.
What now? What will we do with this information? As I mentioned earlier, we want to make
It is clear that churches want to reach their communities and serve the needs of those in their congregations.
our EMC Equip events useful for our churches, so we will take the information we have gleaned from these questions and use it to help shape the sessions.
As in all good relationships, your relationship to the conference needs to be a two-way street. Please give us a call when you have questions. Whether those are financial questions from church treasurers or organizational questions from church chairpersons. Maybe you have a desire for a church plant that we can help facilitate with your church. We are here and want to help your church be successful.
As I look at 2025, I am excited about what our small collection of nearly 60 churches can do for the kingdom of God. I hope you are also excited as you think of all that God can do as we work together to live, reach, gather, and teach.
Emery Plett is EMC’s executive director.
EMC
PHOTOS
Global
impact • By
Gerald Reimer
Shared accountability in missions
TO WHOM IS the church accountable in terms of evangelism, outreach, social justice, discipleship, and leadership development? Clearly, it is primarily accountable to God in obedience to the instructions of Scripture. Do conference boards and leadership have a right to speak into this area of the life of the church? My answer is yes, as we cherish the value of the community of faith, and the wisdom that comes with it. What about the nearly 100 mission workers and church planters who are employed by the conference…who are they accountable to? I believe that if the relationship between the sending church and the conference is strong, then the work of accountability can be shared between everyone.
Accountability often brings up thoughts of intimidation and defensiveness, but it doesn’t have to if done purposefully. Ellen Livingood, who leads Catalyst Services, a resource for churches around mission work, says that accountability is to “give a reckoning, to furnish a report.” It includes the idea of keeping others informed, which is followed by holding people to their commitments. This obviously involves an element of evaluation. She writes that missions-related accountability has three goals: 1) stimulate worshipful
celebration, 2) maximize results, and 3) confirm wise stewardship. These goals lead us to focus on God and fulfilling his kingdom purposes.
Back to the question of accountability in the church, I believe the responsibility of obeying the Great Commission lies not only with individuals who feel called to go out, but with the church which identifies, equips and sends its workers into Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. It is God the Father who will call the church to give a reckoning, and to furnish a report
I believe the responsibility of obeying the Great Commission lies not only with individuals who feel called to go out, but with the church which identifies, equips and sends its workers into Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
As EMC Director of Global Outreach, Gerald Reimer supports EMC missionaries all over the world.
on how faithfully we have held to our commitments of being ambassadors to the world around us. This includes, of course, areas of responsibility in how we support our cross-cultural workers.
Livingood goes on to write that while the mission worker needs to be held accountable for the ministries they are doing as they represent their church from far away, the local church must also take their responsibility seriously. She includes things such as clarifying expectations between the sender and the one sent, clarifying what is considered success, learning about the country or culture that your worker is serving, requiring and using helpful reporting mechanisms, investing in the growth of the one sent, and being flexible in changing dynamics on the ground.
In the EMC, our model is to support missions in partnership with churches, and the Board of Missions is keenly aware that we are accountable to the church. This includes the three goals Livingood expresses above, as we resource the workers you send our way, before, during and after their service. It also includes resourcing individual churches in practical ways such as teaching and reporting from workers and staff on engaging cross-culturally, creatively fulfilling the Great Commission, understanding church planting models, the importance of partnership and collaboration, how to equip the called, the value of prayer, and contextualization.
May this continue to be the mark of our churches and our conference 500 years from now!
When helping is actually hurting
By Teah Goossen
GORDON AND SHARON Skopnik have been serving South Sudanese refugees for 21 years and have seen for themselves that helping can end up hurting.
When they first began serving in South Sudan, they built orphanages and schools. With over 50 years of civil war and tribal conflict raging throughout the country, the need for shelter and care for the most vulnerable was evident. The intent was noble, the finances for the project were properly used, and God’s call for Christians to care for the orphans and destitute was being carried out.
“Yet, I came to realize that our model was not working,” Gord says, “especially in that context. I would come back to visit and they would say, ‘Gordon, your school is broken.’ I’d ask what’s wrong. ‘Well, your roof is leaking.’ I would say it’s not my school, it’s your school. Their response was, ‘Well, you built it.’”
It was a gift with strings attached. Each brick laid was also unintentionally building dependency on foreigners. It was clear there was a need for humanitarian aid, but not at the expense of a people’s ability to labour and proudly reap their reward.
“So, we changed what we did. We poured our resources into human beings: human resources. We taught them how to sustain themselves: how to build their own schools, how to farm and do business, and plant churches.”
A new motto came into being: Never do for the poor what the poor can do for themselves.
“If the poor can paint, they should paint. If they can build, they should
Sharon and Gordon Skopnik
build. Whatever they can do and have access to do, they should be able to do it. And that reduces dependence on the West.”
Does this human resource model actually work?
Even within the refugee camps of Uganda, the answer is an emphatic yes! In these countries riddled with handout dependency and extreme poverty, there are teams of South Sudanese and Ugandans who tirelessly do ministry and teach others, as volunteers!
“Normally when people do something here, they expect to be paid, especially when living in extreme poverty, so that’s pretty significant not to be paid,” says Gord. “But it’s because the material we use is investing in people’s lives … they so strongly believe in the impact [of furthering the kingdom of God] that they themselves are willing to do the work without payment.”
An example of this is education about the biblical principles of work. Generally, work in South Sudanese culture is seen negatively. On the contrary, the Bible teaches about the work of God’s hands, the profit of honest labour, and the consequences of idleness. Educating on these principles has been transformative.
God has transformed lives through training and there has been a mindset change. The people now realize that “they can do something.” They have started small businesses—and families, and even the new churches, have benefitted. There are no longer requests from the ministry to help build a church or purchase a sound system; instead a new congregation will slowly and very simply fund and construct their church on their own. Many students are excited about what they have learned and put into practice, so they pass it on and train others!
Sometimes we hurt people by trying to do things for them; a change in how we help can break the cycle of dependency. When you teach and empower people, rather than just giving a handout, they regain their dignity and, though first steps may be small, they can move forward toward self-sustainability with the Lord’s help.
Teah Goossen is on a mission to live purposely and authentically for the kingdom. Teah has recently returned from slowly cruising across North America in her Honda Odyssey while gathering stories, painting pictures, and fellowshipping with nomadic folk.
Global Focus
They call me Abd al-Haqq
By an EMC worker North Africa
IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD they call me Abd al-Haqq.
It started because some of my friends couldn’t remember my name; others couldn’t pronounce it. One guy was calling me “Android” and another was calling me “Mustafa.” It was finally settled one morning when the guard from my son’s preschool definitively stated that I should be called “Abd al-Haqq.”
Abd al-Haqq means “servant of the Truth.” That is who I am.
“But Abd al-Haqq, I can never be a Christian like you.”
Dabir sighed, slightly exasperated, after expressing the fullness of his heart. He loves Jesus, but he is a North African, a Muslim.
“Who said you need to be a Christian, like me, in order to follow Jesus?” I responded.
Our community was praying together over six weeks through the story of Peter and Cornelius, Acts 10–11. Herein God reveals the great mystery that we Gentiles have direct access to God through Jesus. We need not go through the socio-cultural gate of Judaism to access the Almighty. We need not first become Jews. We believe the same to be true for our neighbours here—they need not enter through the socio-cultural gate of Christianity to access God through Jesus. They need not become cultural Christians. (Hamdullah—praise be to God!)
This conversation with Dabir reopened his years-long journey to discover the truth about Jesus and
follow him. Our community began to pray for others to come alongside Dabir in his desire, so that we could study the Good Book together in a group.
I met Dabir for a coffee one afternoon and was surprised to find his housemate joining us. After some initial chatter, the conversation turned to spiritual things.
“But did Jesus ever call himself God?” asked Samir, the housemate. Both of us were stunned to learn that Samir was already reading the Good Book on his own.
From that time, we agreed to meet weekly to read the book of Luke together, seeking to answer Samir’s question and many others still lingering in the minds of my friends. Regardless of their questions, they were both thirsty to know more about Jesus.
The summer months saw us diving into the stories of Jesus each Friday. Months passed and circumstances changed. Samir, though eager to know about Jesus, faced personal struggles due to poor choices, both past and present. But Dabir and I continued to meet, and I saw him maturing in his journey with Jesus.
When we came to Luke 8:16, the parable of the lamp, Dabir wrestled deeply. That next week he called me to check in.
“Abd al-Haqq, I met a guy that I think would benefit from studying with us,” Dabir shared on the phone.
“Wonderful! Let’s talk more at the coffee shop.”
Before meeting, I knew I wanted to encourage Dabir to begin studying with his new friend on his own. This
Arabic “kahwa” (coffee), the vehicle for many God-conversations I am privileged to have here.
is our greatest desire: that our North African brothers and sisters would be the ones to share the Truth with their own communities. Would he be willing?
I remembered his early words to me: “Abd al-Haqq, I am where I am because of so many who have poured into me over many years.”
Over coffee, I gently reminded him of these words and asserted: “Dabir, I am not the one with all the answers. You know the answers are in the Good Book, and you’ve found many of them already. Will you search for answers alongside your new friend?”
“Yes, I will.” (Hamdullah—praise be to God!)
This worker is unidentified due to security concerns.
Fair’s Fehr…or is it?
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship Calgary, Alberta
IN EVERY CHURCH family, there are a variety of surnames. Some of them at ACF are Fehr, Fair, Steele, Pitta, Unger, Friesen, Corder, Enns, Hughes, Plett, Carpenter, Young, Leal, Cameron, Cure and of course many more which can be referred to in humorous ways.
Also at ACF, there is a fun(ny) sort of camaraderie which surfaces not infrequently on the church family’s WhatsApp channel. A recent 12-hourlong, entertaining exchange of wit challenged the contributors to create punny humorous twists to the surnames of families in the church. The
...may want to stay Unger the radar on this one.
I’d show you a pic, but I didn’t have my Cameron... I’m busy enjoying my Pitta for dinner.
It’s going to take nerves of Steele to see the Enns of this, I think.
Can’t quit yet ... my 11 year Olson wants to get in this, too.
I’d better Coville my coffee mug ... or maybe I need something Harder like a Martinez! This is so Ennstertaining.
following snippets are random samplings of that enjoyable and uniquely (and somehow unifying) “conversation” which began as an unintentional misspelling of G. Fair’s surname to Fehr in a weekly newsletter.
“It’s unFair to have this conversation without her input”
“If she would respond, we could have a Fairly quick resolution to this.”
“Yes, in all Fehrness to her.”
“Well at least it is a Fehrly lively conversation.”
“I’m certain she will take a Fairly Fehr approach to the situation.”
“…unLeal how easy it is to chat about someone…”
“OK, time to cut the commentary…I’m on the Verge of calling a Carpenter.”
“That’s an unLeal expectation. It’ll be Leal’ly hard.”
“…such a Pletthora of comments!”
“I’m sorry to have missed out on this Hughes conversation.”
“I wonder if Esau it.”
“We didn’t Block you, so the Enns not in sight, yet!”
“My daughter says she only understands a Corder of this conversation.”
“J and J, Arguenta going to jump in here?”
“…may want to stay Unger the radar on this one.”
“I’m busy enjoying my Pitta for dinner.”
“I’d show you a pic, but I didn’t have my Cameron…”
“It’s going to take nerves of Steele to see the Enns of this, I think.”
“Can’t quit yet … my 11 year Olson wants to get in on this, too.”
“I’d better Coville my coffee mug … or maybe I need something Harder like a Martinez! This is so Ennstertaining.”
…and then the exchange slowly Peters out. Although the witty ones had enough material to work with, there was no poetry, likely due to the fact that there were no Reimers! Even so, we are unexplainably encouraged and drawn closer together in shared family humour. As the song so aptly states, “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God.”
It also wasn’t Fair that the Christ of Christmas had to endure the smell and stink of a stable to begin his life on earth and the cruel cross to end it. He did nothing to deserve it, Diede? It is also unFair that humankind receives the ultimate and undeserved Cure for sin and becomes part of the family of God through his sacrifice. Through it, our new name is Christian. Christ (meaning Messiah) certainly did live up to his name. Do we?
ACF recently celebrated 50 years of blessings. For any readers who would like to witness a little more of ACF’s bent towards having a good time and enjoying times with the family, the anniversary celebration service on September 22, 2024, can be viewed on the Abbeydale Christian Fellowship YouTube channel.
– Ivy Plett
Sensory room provides welcoming space for neurodivergent children
MacGregor EMC MacGregor, Manitoba
MY DAUGHTER, NOELLE, is a wonderful seven-year-old who loves Pokemon, drawing, and hockey. Noelle is also autistic, and like many people who are autistic, church when done “as regular” can seem overwhelming or even at times unwelcoming.
What many of us consider to be a good Sunday service is often bright, flashy, loud, and filled with many different people all doing many different things. As we do church in Canada, it engages the senses—while for many this is wonderful, for neurodivergent children like Noelle, it can quickly become overstimulating. Conversely, if Noelle is feeling unregulated, and needs to run and shout, this is often behaviour that, if unexpected, can be seen as taboo.
It is important for us as a congregation to show Noelle that she has a place here. But the question as to how we should do this was one best answered by experts. On this, we were fortunate, as our congregation has long had a good relationship with our local elementary school. The excellent staff of MacGregor Elementary, a number of whom attend our church and a number more of whom are close friends of those who do, have a lot of experience working with autistic children, including Noelle. As such, they were an obvious place to start. One of their big suggestions was to make a sensory room.
A sensory room, as the name implies, is an area that is set up to engage as many of the senses as possible, but in a way that puts the person using the room in control. A sensory room will typically have muted lighting and will be in a quiet area. In a sensory room, there are objects of differing colours and textures. They will also often have a cuddle swing, which is like a hammock, if you string both sides from a central point on the ceiling, causing it to lightly squish you if you climb in. While there are no set lists of what goes into a sensory room, if the items engage several different senses in different ways, all at the control of the user, they are likely good to be included.
The sensory room is simple enough to use. If Noelle is feeling overwhelmed, she can retreat into her own space where she can self-regulate by engaging the amenities at her own pace. Then, once she is feeling more regulated, she can rejoin the rest of the group as she is ready. We also included some over-ear hearing protectors for her to use in the sanctuary if she feels the need.
All in, the cost for the room was around $600, plus some steel that a congregant used to build a mount for the cuddle swing given the height of our roof. The area we chose was a quiet
storage room in the back corner of our building, to help limit sound if Noelle needed quiet. After it was emptied, the swing hung, and the new sensory room items moved in, it was time to give it a try. Noelle loves this space.
The room has also found use apart from Sunday. We have a nursery school that operates in the building and makes frequent use of it. It has also been a draw for family gatherings where there has been need.
One Christmas when we were away on vacation, as a show of love for Noelle, one of our young adults hand-painted a beautiful tree branch as a surprise. Noelle loved it, and it brought tears of joy to our eyes as well.
– Russell Doerksen
Celebrating 150 years of Mennonites in Kleefeld
Kleefeld EMC Kleefeld, Manitoba
ON OCTOBER 6, 2024, Kleefeld EMC (KEMC) celebrated the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Mennonite immigrants in 1874 to Kleefeld—the same year the Kleine Gemeinde started in Canada.
Our Sunday morning church service started with an historical overview of the Mennonite journey, presented by Pastor Greg Klassen.
This was followed by a singing demonstration/participation highlighting various singing styles in the church: from the early decades (without the benefit of song books) of singing in unison, on a phrase-by-phrase style led by an ordained song leader, to the decades where harmony singing was first accepted, then encouraged, to the 1960s acceptance of musical instruments and amplifications, to the current group-styled leadership used to worship our King. Thanks to Wilbert Friesen, Dennis Friesen, Pastor Lyndol and singing teams for leading us in this.
Heather Dirks and Mel Dueck, respectively, showed us the progression through the decades of corporate prayer styles and Scripture reading styles. Abe Bergen read a translated copy of a sermon originally written and presented by Rev. Henry R. Dueck, one of the main early ministers of the church.
Ron Dueck, a former minister at KEMC, held the rapt attention of the youngsters as he told them the story of the Mennonite migration from
Pastor Greg showed us the styles of message presentations in the past, before noting that the only truly important thing is God’s faithfulness to us over these 150 years.
Ukraine and subsequent settlement in the village of Gruenfeld.
Pastor Greg then showed us the styles of message presentations in the past, before noting that the only truly important thing is God’s faithfulness to us over these 150 years.
The special celebration was followed by a typical faspa lunch of
zwieback buns, ham and sausage, cheese, pickles and preserves, which was enjoyed by all.
Tables set up in the foyer held fascinating displays of historical books and records, pioneer clothing and household items, artifacts, as well as many other vintage articles. A very informative attraction was a model of the original Gruenfeld village which had been meticulously designed and built by Isaac Wiens in 1957 with the purpose of showing future generations about the rigours endured by our forefathers and demonstrating their faith in God. The 16-foot-long model village is currently in the safekeeping of Lorne Peters and was also set up at the Kleefeld Honey Festival in August as part of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of our Mennonite ancestors in Manitoba and Gruenfeld.
– Dennis and Louella Friesen
Model of the original Gruenfeld village, designed and built by Isaac Wiens in 1957.
December is a busy month for Straffordville EMC!
Straffordville EMC
Straffordville, Ontario
WE STARTED THE month with a baptism/membership reception on the 1st. What a blessing to hear the testimonies of how God has worked and continues to work in all the candidates.
We also put a float in the Straffordville Christmas parade every year and this year, despite the cold, we had a decent amount of youth and adults come out to participate.
Then come the banquets and programs. A lot of work gets put into it all, but it’s so worth it! We are blessed with so many willing volunteers who give of their time to make all these events happen!
– Margaret Berg
EFC Fort Frances seniors’ monthly connection
Evangelical Fellowship Church
Fort Frances, Ontario
At the December 2024 monthly seniors meal, our pastor Alain Reimer (second from right) shares about Joseph and the Christmas story. Some ladies also blessed the group with very nice flute and accordion music.
–
Mark Gerber
Membership candidates: Sarah Froese, Christina Funk, Sara Peters, Pete Peters, Margaret Fehr, Veronica Thiessen, Diedrich Thiessen, Henry Harder, Cindy Harder; baptism candidates: Aggie Harder, Lisa Braun, Trudy Peters.
Straffordville EMC’s float in the Christmas parade.
Ministerial meeting aims to take ‘tribal knowledge’ beyond assumptions
“THERE’S A LEVEL of tribal knowledge that we assume people have about being a minister,” said Conference Pastor Andy Woodworth as he began the first session of the Ministerial Meeting on November 22, 2024.
Woodworth was explaining the Board of Leadership and Outreach (BLO) choice to devote the day to the final sessions of the minister credentialing program. New ministers, he said—and even people who’ve been around a while—don’t necessarily know how EMC practically functions.
Many attendees were youth leaders or new to pastoral ministry, but even experienced ministers like Abe Berg (Straffordville EMC) found it valuable: “Presentations … were relevant and refreshing and served as a great reminder of the call to servant leadership.”
Woodworth reflected on his first pastorate and the desperation he felt then, adding that, exactly because of that desperation, he got these seven things right:
1. He met with mentors—he found people who knew more and then listened;
2. He networked with other local pastors;
3. He trusted local leaders, adding that local culture can be very strange and local guides are important;
4. He connected with Christian groups and events;
5. He subscribed to pastor resources and received training in this way;
6. He knew he didn’t know but could learn;
7. He kept his Ministers’ Manual close by.
After explaining what the EMC ministerial is and does he added that the ministerial wants to get better at addressing important issues, being proactive rather than reactive.
EMC Executive Director Emery Plett and Moderator Abe Bergen reviewed EMC mission, vision, values and organizational structure, explaining how EMC’s congregational governance differs from denominational structures.
BLO chairman Cameron McKenzie led the third session on “Everything you already know, but probably needs to be said again.” The heart of the ministry, he said, is love, care and emotional depth. Heart is developed through unceasing prayer and study— including elements of repetition, attentiveness, understanding and contemplation, and through Sabbath rest.
In the discussion that followed, pastors wondered how to make time for Sabbath rest, indicating a common struggle. One attendee asked how to accept pastoral care after being hurt by a former pastor.
The final session by Director of Next Generation Mo Friesen featured the top ten things for youth ministry.
1. Prioritize ministry for all generations—we need a vibrant church for healthy youth ministry;
2. Create multi-generational interactions—don’t silo into age groups;
3. Make safety a high priority. There are many successes, but failure is loud;
4. Reverse the ratio—instead of one leader for every five students,
Pastors wondered how to make time for Sabbath rest, indicating a common struggle.
consider how many people connect with each student;
5. Provide an opportunity to serve with adults in appropriate ways;
6. Give jobs like photography to students to build competence and confidence;
7. Teach the Bible in relationship— taking an interest in students;
8. Be culturally aware and informed—this is not the primary thing, but it is important. And be curious rather than afraid. A good resource is www.axis.org;
9. Support parents – they need to know they are cared for;
10. Don’t lose hope. God has given us everything we need. Share encouragements before you share complaints. The world has always been a mess.
Comments from the floor praised churches that had supported and empowered young pastors.
Two questions were left open for further study: How do congregations and pastors have healthy conversations? And where is the on-ramp into a pastoral role when youth ministry is a long-term career choice?
– Erica Fehr
Council approves first over-$2M budget in 10 years
ON NOVEMBER 23, 2024, Conference Council members approved a budget of nearly $2.1M for 2025—the first budget over $2M since 2015. Delegates gathered at Evangelical Fellowship Church (EFC) in Steinbach, Man., and virtually over Zoom.
EFC’s lead pastor Ernie Koop gave the opening devotional based on 1 Peter 2:9ff. “When Christians engage in angry attacks on their political enemies, or when they give themselves over to fear and anxiety about their future, they demonstrate that their hope is misplaced,” he said. “Our hope is King Jesus and nowhere else.”
EMC Executive Director Emery Plett reported, saying engagement is a priority for the Conference in the years to come. Plett listed four key areas of engagement: church leaders, church members, the next generation and events.
Moderator Abe Bergen introduced a proposal from the General Board on how external partnerships will be handled. “The practice in the past” of filling board positions for other agencies “is no longer as effective as it once was,” Bergen said. The proposed policy on external partnerships includes “a matrix … that will help EMC boards vet current and future partnerships” (External Partnerships Criteria document). The policy goes on to lay out three levels of engagement based on scope (national or more local) and affiliation (how doctrinally and missionally aligned the organization may be). Delegates voted to approve the policy.
Plett then returned to the podium to provide the financial update for
2024. With typically 25 percent of EMC donations coming in the last two months of the year, the postal strike has created an obstacle for EMC and other organizations that rely on year-end giving, Plett said. While “we’re not in an emergency situation,” he requested churches and individual donors consider giving in a way “that isn’t sitting in a mail slot somewhere.”
Plett went on to introduce the 2025 budget, explaining the reason for the nine percent, or $171,000, increase. More than half of the increase ($96,000) is due to salary increases of 1.5 percent for existing staff and a full-time salary for the director of Canadian outreach that is to begin in 2025, he said. The proposed budget also includes an increase in financial support for EMC associate missionaries which “had not [been] touched … in about 15 years or so,” Plett said. Delegates approved the proposed budget.
Board of Missions vice-chairman Art Koop said the board has recently spent “considerable time with the Board of Missions Handbook update.” He also listed several volunteer opportunities for 2025. Prayer teams are planned to Guadalajara and Spain, and work teams are planned for Nicaragua and Paraguay. “If any of you are interested in some of that,” Koop said, “Gerald [Reimer, at the EMC national office] will be the person to talk to.”
Reporting continued from the Board of Church Ministries (working on an AI policy and child protection policy, recently hosted a writer’s conference), The Armchair Anabaptist podcast (introduced new host Geralyn
Wichers, who will join Jesse Penner and Andrew Dyck for season three on the theme of faith/works), the National Youth Committee (shifting their overseeing board from the Board of Church Ministries to the Board of Leadership and Outreach, preparing for Abundant Springs in May 2025).
After lunch, delegates connected with one another through a round
table discussion on the topic of engagement (see article on p. 18 by Emery Plett). Delegates then returned to the church sanctuary to hear further reports from Mennonite World Conference (introduced new EMC representative Jen Kornelsen), the Board of Leadership and Outreach (adopted a Pastoral and Congregational Covenant) and Church Planting Task Force (anticipating the hiring of a director of Canadian outreach).
The meeting closed with an outline of the new events schedule, with delegates encouraged to attend events where possible.
– Rebecca Roman
Diana Peters, chair, reports on behalf of the Board of Church Ministries.
EMC PHOTO
Steinbach Bible College goes on—at a new location
FOR 88 YEARS, Steinbach Bible College has been empowering servant leaders to follow Jesus, serve the church, and engage the world. We send students back to their churches and into the world to serve there.
There are two things that make me passionate about the mission of SBC. One is my ongoing conversation with denominational leaders, the world I come from. The church is going to need a lot of new leaders in the next 10 years; there has to be a place to train servant leaders for the strength of the church. The other is my personal discipleship experience. My experience at SBC opened my eyes to the hugeness of what God has done for me in Christ Jesus. It stirred in me a passion that drives me to this day—and I have seen that same experience lived out in so many SBC alumni.
For the future of the church, SBC must go on.
Five years ago, the combined board of SBC and SCS (K–12) divided the schools into two separate organizations. They agreed that when growth necessitated it, SCS would move into SBC spaces, and SBC would move out of the campus building. That time has come; SBC will be moving into a new building in September 2026!
Early in 2024, the former Steinbach Family Medical building became available to us through a generous donor
and an owner who wanted the mission of Christ to happen in that building.
The location is marvelous. It allows us a distinct identity from Steinbach Christian School. It moves us into the heart of Steinbach. It puts us right on the beautiful walking path into Steinbach’s beautiful green spaces and parks. It puts us closer to the churches we serve and some of their spaces we can use. It puts us close to Red River College where we have a program partnership. It puts us close to a number of service learning opportunities like Steinbach Community Outreach, Bridgepark Manor, and Bethesda personal care home and hospital.
We are excited about how the building design is taking shape. The
administration offices will go in the east wing. The northeast corner with the 25-foot ceiling, balcony, and skylight will be our common meeting and dining area. That area is going to be beautiful. Community will happen there. The current west wing will be rebuilt to house classrooms on the main floor and the chapel and library on the second floor. Two floors of dorms will be added to the west end of the building to give our students free access to the whole campus. Superior Projects has been contracted to build it with us.
We are seeing this as an exciting opportunity that will strengthen the mission of SBC and the churches we serve. Please consider how you can partner with SBC to build a new campus and train up servant leaders to follow Jesus, serve the church, and engage the world. We appreciate your generosity and your prayers.
– Dave Reimer, SBC President
Dave Reimer (front of line, pointing) shares the build vision with current SBC students.
Front view drawing of the future SBC building.
MCC Peace and Justice office celebrates advocacy wins in 2024
THIS YEAR WE saw a few concrete examples of the success of the government responding to you and the issues you care about. For example:
2,411 letters sent to the government
In 2024, you sent 2,411 letters to the government! Advocates from across Canada used MCC’s letter tools to write to their elected officials about issues that concern them, like the effects of climate change, forced migration, and Canada’s role in the ongoing crisis in Gaza, among other issues.
28 meetings with MPs
The Peace & Justice Office met with 28 MPs and 1 Senator this year! We met with MPs representing each of Canada’s five parties, including a meeting with the Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development. We discussed a wide variety of topics, and we shared stories from both domestic programs and around the world. Many of our meetings this year focused on conflict in Palestine and Israel, and Canada’s role in upholding
international law. We also discussed the impacts that climate change is having on our partners, including issues of environmental injustice in Canada. With expanded staff capacity in our team, we are continuing to build new relationships and meet with new MPs, growing MCC’s presence in Ottawa. In 2024 we met with significantly more policymakers than we did in 2023!
30 letters and submissions
In 2024, MCC participated in 30 official communications with the government. This included 4 submissions to government consultations, 10 letters directed to government ministers, and 16 coalition letters.
Each of these methods allows us to express our priorities and viewpoints to the government. For instance, in the spring, MCC submitted a prebudget consultation brief outlining an alternative approach for Canada to prioritize its spending. Additionally, we reached out to the Minister of Housing to convey MCC’s support for policies that promote more equitable housing access in Canada. By collaborating with various coalitions, MCC amplifies its voice alongside other humanitarian, faith-based, and development organizations to address a broader range of issues, such as corporate accountability, restorative justice practices, and the application of international humanitarian law.
Other advocacy work from 2024
Much of our work goes beyond
sending letters and having meetings with elected officials. This year we also:
• Participated in a ceasefire pilgrimage in May, joining with thousands of other Canadians to call for peace in Gaza.
• The Executive Directors from each Canadian provincial MCC came to Ottawa to meet with MPs to discuss our work.
• Hosted a group of advocates in Ottawa for an advocacy training workshop.
• Wrote stories and made videos about the issues we work on.
• Hosted MCC’s Palestine and Israel representatives in Ottawa and arranged meetings with several MPs and bureaucrats so they could share firsthand about our work in Palestine and Israel and the barriers our partners are facing in Gaza.
• Produced a climate postcard for Canadians to send to the Prime Minister — for free.
• Participated in many conferences, symposiums, and other coalition events to learn, network and highlight MCCs experiences.
• Grew our team to increase our capacity and the areas we work on, including more domestic policy advocacy.
Thanks for a great year of advocacy for peace and justice! We are looking forward to all the challenges and opportunities in store in 2025 and exploring them together.
– MCC Peace and Justice office
AS I READ Brad Roth’s book Flyover Church, written by a fellow pastor who is serving in a rural context as I am, I found myself highlighting much of the book and nodding in agreement with much (though not all) of what Brad writes about.
What I appreciated most is that he understands the life of a pastor in a rural context. I was constantly thinking “he gets it!” throughout this book. He emphasizes the fact that rural churches are viable. He understands the challenges of low attendance, the shrinking population, and the shift of the younger generation relocating to urban centers in many parts of North America. These are real struggles! He does not shrug them off, but addresses them in a hope-filled way.
Roth takes time to write about the context of a rural community and what shapes it. He points out that rural churches aren’t simply “urban church suburbs.” They are just as much churches as the urban churches are. He takes time to emphasize that rural churches must never be seen/used as stepping-stones by people in leadership (especially pastoral roles).
Roth takes time in this book to use Jesus (rightly so) as the example of what ministry looks like—or should
points. I could usually see where he was going, but his use of the passage wasn’t always true to what the passage was saying.
look like—if we’re truly carrying out the mission of God.
Roth also explains the importance of relationship-building and presence in the rural ministry context. Jesus went to the people when he ministered. Many rural communities are tight knit with an abundance of history, and it takes time to understand the context.
There were times in this book where it seemed as though Roth was reaching with some of the scriptural evidence he used to try to prove his
Roth takes time in this book to use Jesus (rightly so) as the example of what ministry looks like—or should look like—if we’re truly carrying out the mission of God.
Roth also wrote a chapter on failures and how God can use them in ministry (not only in rural ministry). However, at one point he writes, “But sometimes, it’s precisely into failure and unspeakable disaster that Jesus launches us” (p.86). I had a hard time comprehending Jesus launching me into failure and disaster. Does Jesus allow us to walk through times like this? Yes. However, I have a hard time thinking Jesus launches us into failures when we are trying to serve him. In my time in ministry, I’ve found a lot of joyous and blessed situations that God has placed me in. He has led me through valleys, but I’ve seen the mountaintops too! I had a hard time digesting this quote and would invite other people’s feedback.
Finally, Roth emphasizes the need to plant more rural churches. This particularly struck me, as he had previously mentioned declining attendance in rural churches. But it challenged me to think: How big is my expectation and view of God’s ability to grow his church? Am I too narrow-minded in this regard?
There is much to chew on and discuss in regard to this book. I would definitely recommend it (especially to those serving in a rural context). I found it to be a breath of fresh air and an encouragement. God is on the move, brothers and sisters! What a privilege and honour it is to proclaim this to the world together!
Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places is Good News Everywhere by Brad Roth
Reviewed by Mike Vanderzwaag, Mennville EMC (Mennville, Man.)
Shoulder Tapping
Please send all position ads (150 words or less), including pastoral search ads, to messenger@emconference.ca. Ads may be edited. Please advise us when it is no longer needed.
Additional EMC Openings
Often there are more churches looking for staff than are identified on this page. For information on additional openings, contact Conference Pastor Andy Woodworth (awoodworth@emconference.ca or phone 204-326-6401).
EMC Positions
Lead Pastor: St. Vital EMC (Winnipeg, Man.)
St. Vital EMC is looking for a lead pastor beginning summer of 2024. Our church is located at 2005 St. Mary’s Rd in Winnipeg, Man., with an average Sunday attendance of 100. We are looking for a leader who is guided by the Holy Spirit and exhibits the qualities in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9. Our church works as a team where the board and pastor(s) set the agenda, but major decisions are made by members. The lead pastor does most of the preaching but shares the pulpit with other leaders. The lead pastor would be part of a paid team with the associate pastor and secretary. Job ministry descriptions are available upon request. Education, experience and agreement to the EMC Statement of Faith will be considered. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Mike Hopcraft at pastoralsearch@svemc.org in addition to submitting your cover letter and resume.
Pastor: Morris (Man.) Fellowship Chapel
Morris Fellowship Chapel is a Christfollowing, Bible-believing, family-friendly
church of around 130 people in the small rural town of Morris, Manitoba. People of all ages are a part of Morris Fellowship, including children, young adults, adults and seniors. We are looking for a pastor to help with preaching, teaching, and building community in our church. This would include preaching on Sundays, teaching midweek Bible studies, personal visits and church community events. Contact Cliff Reimer, Pastoral Search Committee Chairman: cliff0955@gmail.com.
Youth Pastor: La Crete (Alta.) Christian Fellowship Church
La Crete Christian Fellowship (LCCF) is looking for a youth pastor to join our team. LCCF is located in the hamlet of La Crete, a community in northern Alberta. We are a growing multi-generational congregation with an average Sunday attendance of 650, and an average mid-week attendance of 40 senior youth and 80 junior youth. We are looking for:
An energetic and passionate individual growing in relationship with Jesus Christ. Someone able to connect with youth and youth leaders and equip them for serving and following Jesus.
Experience in youth ministry is preferred; formal biblical education is an asset.
Candidates must agree with the EMC Statement of Faith and Church Practices.
The youth pastor will lead the youth ministry team, teach Bible studies, organize youth events, and help in other areas as needed.
For a fuller job description and more information, go to www.lccfc.ca. Contact Dale Driedger at daledriedger@yahoo.com
Other Positions General Director: Northern Canada Evangelical Mission
The Board of Governors of the Northern Canada Evangelical Mission is inviting qualified applications for the position of general director. To commence ministry in 2025, they are to give executive leadership for NCEM’s vision to build the Body of Christ in Northern and Indigenous communities where it does not yet thrive; and be capable of organising and implementing specific plans of faith to see this accomplished.
This role demands experience including: pastoral work, field service, several years of cross-cultural immersion, a diploma in Christian theology, and being well-read in missiology.
As an interdenominational society, NCEM requires each of its members to depend fully for their salary support upon their sending church(es), denomination, and/or individuals.
Letters of inquiry may be sent to Ed Peters boardchair@ncem.ca
Lead Pastor: Gospel Fellowship Church, (Steinbach, Man.)
Gospel Fellowship Church is seeking a fulltime lead pastor. We are a congregation with an average attendance of 75; our church is a part of the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference (EMMC). GFC is a faith community in a broken world, sharing the hope of freedom in Christ. We are searching for an individual who passionately loves God and loves people, one who is able to provide vision and direction for our church, and willing to compassionately lead our congregation with sound biblical teaching.
For a full position description, please visit our website (www.gospelfellowshipchurch.ca) or contact us at applications@ gopselfellowshipchurch.ca
Principal: Morweena Christian School (Arborg, Man.)
Morweena Christian School is a K–12 school with approximately 200 students located near Arborg in the Interlake region of Manitoba. We are searching for a candidate to apply for the principal position. Job opening is for the 2025–26 school year. A Bachelor of Education is required as well as a minimum of five years of teaching experience. Preference is given for a master’s level of education. Please forward inquiries and resumes to James Plett, board chair, at boardchair@morweenaschool.ca
Welcome to recently hired pastors
INTERIM PASTOR
JEFF PLETT and his wife Laural Ann Morris Fellowship Chapel
ADMINISTRATIVE
PASTOR JORDAN
DOERKSEN and his wife Valean La Crete Christian Fellowship Church
LEADERSHIP LABS
His light to my path • By
Karla Hein
From pantry darkness to marvelous light
EITHER MY PANTRY is shrinking or my kids are growing. I’m not referring to their caloric intake (though that does involve a pantry shrinkage of a different sort). I’m talking about the tiny pantry space itself, which multi-tasks as our official glow-in-the-dark testing station.
The pantry is the guaranteed, darkest spot in our house for testing glow-in-the-dark items like LEGO pieces and glowing pajama shirts. This time, however; we crammed into the small space for a science activity. The light was off, and we stared into the darkness. Then, with a click of a button, the flashlight’s beam illuminated the canned goods and cardboard labels. This activity marked the start of our unit about light. A basic, elementary concept. We have existed with light since Genesis 1:2. We expect its continual arrival each new day, showcasing God’s tender mercies on his creation. Yet, today, the simple explanation of light overwhelmed me. “You couldn’t see anything when you were in the dark room, because there was no light. When the lights were turned on, suddenly there was light streaming from its source. Some of that light started hitting the people and objects in the room. It then reflected off those
We have existed with light since Genesis 1:2. We expect its continual arrival each new day, showcasing God’s tender mercies on his creation. Yet, today, the simple explanation of light overwhelmed me.
people and objects and went into your eyes. Your eyes then sent information about the people and objects to your brain, and that allowed you to see them” (Wile, Science in the Beginning, p. 2).
The Holy Spirit reminded me of David’s beautiful statement: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word is precious to me because it provides discernment, conviction, and direction in this world of sin and confusion—in a word, light! What is the opposite of light? Darkness. Isaiah described the people as “living in the land of deep darkness” (Isaiah 9:2)—a darkness much deeper than my humble pantry. A darkness of the soul; the ignorance of the Saviour as a gentle guide and friend. John describes Jesus as the Word who existed with God from the
beginning. The Word who created. The Word who has life and light in him (John 1:1–5).
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Aren’t you glad that the “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6)?
Paul goes on to say that we hold this glorious truth in weak and broken vessels. John says we need confession to return to the pure light of fellowship with God and with each other (1 John 1:5–7). Ephesians 5:8 states the Christian’s reality: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
Forget the past darkness you lived in. Forget the darkness that tries to assault and lure you. Fix your eyes on the Light. Rejoice that he has not left you defenseless and clueless. His Word is with you and can dwell richly within you (Colossians 3:16). Then, rise and walk in his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)!
Karla Hein (Westpointe, Grande Prairie) is the wife of one and mother of two.
Further in and higher up • By
Layton Friesen
Believe in the Trinity and you shall be saved
DO I HAVE to believe in the Trinity to be saved, really? Listen to the thunder of the Athanasian Creed from the early church: “Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic [historic Christian] faith. Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally. Now this is the catholic faith: That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity.”
Christians today might cringe at this ancient audacity. Surely salvation cannot depend on believing a specific doctrine; it’s just about trusting in God, isn’t it? But is that quite right?
Trudy: “Pull over now; I’m getting out.”
Salvation is like entering a marriage with God. Being Father, Son and Spirit in unity is infinitely more vital to who God is than Trudy’s birthday is to her. It’s the most personal thing we can know or say about God. Trinity is God breathing and thinking and acting. It’s what God believes is wonderful about God.
Salvation is the opportunity we are given to live in the Trinity. To be careless here has the same buffoonery about it that our suddenly-single George displayed. Salvation is not just
Being Father, Son and Spirit in unity is infinitely more vital to who God is than Trudy’s birthday is to her. It’s the most personal thing we can know or say about God.
I agree with the Creed. Let me explain what I mean by believing in the Trinity to be saved. Salvation is like marriage: What are the chances of George ever marrying Trudy after this exchange on the way home after a date?
Trudy: “There’s something you need to know about me. My birthday is an important part of who I am. My mother died giving birth to me, and so it’s a sacred day of the year for me.”
George: “Well, that’s how you see it. The way I see it, your birthday is just a date on the calendar. I don’t remember mere facts like that, I just want a woman in my life, for sex and to do woman things.”
about having a “god” in our life to do godlike things for us; it’s being taken up into the life of the Father through the atoning work of the Son and the wooing of the Spirit. If I act as though Trinity is some optional ornament to add to faith later, God has every right to say, “pull over, I’m walking home.”
But back to our couple. Say George responds differently and instead vows to take that birthday off work for the rest of his life. Marriage follows. Now, would he ever fully know what that birthday means to Trudy in the depths of her heart? No, probably not. And if one year he mistakenly forgot the birthday, would she instantly divorce him? No, probably not. And if later in life he got dementia and never remembered it again, would Trudy leave him for a clear-minded man? No, probably not. Likewise, God has abundant grace for hapless sinners who struggle to grasp him and cast themselves on his mercy.
But God has at least as much selfrespect as Trudy and knows when he is being used. Just like George cannot expect marriage to Trudy if he only loves “women,” so we cannot have a relationship with God if we treat him like some vague “higher power.”
Believing in the Trinity involves repenting, turning away from our general notions of god and embracing the real shape of the One who calls us into his life.
If you desire to know God as Trinity do a Bible study with your pastor. It could save your soul.
Layton Friesen is academic dean at Steinbach Bible College. He lives in Winnipeg, Man.
Inspiring faith • Mo Friesen
What are we inspiring?
DIRECT YOUR CHILDREN onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it (Proverbs 22:6 NLT).
The conversation surrounding passing on our Christian faith to the next generations can become quite heated these days. On the one hand, some feel that parents, family members and especially church leaders should sit back and let the next generation choose their beliefs without any interference or coercion. On another side, there are Christian parents who expect their children to accept their beliefs without dialogue, questions or opportunity to explore their faith. I land somewhere in the middle.
I’m confident that, in the younger years, it is appropriate to maintain a family faith rhythm; our family believes in Jesus and attends a Christian church. When questions arise about
why we do this, why do we attend that, as parents we can answer, “because this is what our family does.”
As children mature, parents’ answers become more reasoned, like “reading the Bible, praying, and attending church are important because we love Jesus” or “following and trusting Jesus has given our lives meaning, and we want you to experience that too.” Children’s questions can be answered with growing nuance and deeper explanations in proportion to their growing maturity.
Questions can, at times, be seen as acts of rebellion, but most questions are indicators of growing interest, a desire to understand the difficult parts of our faith and explore boundaries. If the answers that the next generations are given don’t line up with the life that they see their parents and leaders living, the incongruency makes it difficult to accept the truth being taught.
RESO URCE COR NER
Culture Translator
https://axis.org/resourcecategory/culture-translator/
Each week, the Axis Team researches culture to help keep Christian parents up to date on the music, movies, TV shows, and social media trends impacting the lives of young people.
(Scan the QR code to explore past editions of the email newsletter and sign up.) Also available as a podcast.
What if we, as adults, lived our lives with passion, love for Jesus, an overwhelming commitment to Scripture, and a boundless love for each other and our neighbours? What if we demonstrated integrity and consistency in our actions, and lived with an unwavering hope for the future? What if we modelled a faith in Jesus that elevated being a disciple of Jesus above our happiness?
If we want to inspire a growing and vibrant faith, we need to have a faith worth aspiring to. Younger generations are looking for authenticity: “Is Jesus really
important to my parents or is Jesus just there to give them a good feeling on Sunday?” The good news is that, according to Barna’s “The Open Generation” research, parents are still the most influential people in the faith formation of younger people. But we cannot pass on what we do not possess.
As this column moves forward, I would like to focus on ways that we as parents, extended family and church ministries can inspire our next generation to embrace the greatest news ever—that Christ has made a way for us to experience the fullness of God and that it is worth giving all our life in response to that great news. We will focus on some practices we can invite them to participate in with us.
Faith is easier caught than taught; let’s live an inspiring faith.
Mo Friesen is EMC’s Director of Next Generation.