Kickball and Peacemaking

Kickball and Peacemaking ISTOCK

Istill remember today what recess felt like when I was in the third grade. That year the game was kickball.

More pointedly, I remember the awesome red ball we used. It was the kind of ball which was somewhat solid, yet spongy enough that when it hit that sweet spot on your foot, it seemed to soar in the air for a mile. I also vividly remember the classmate who never thought he was out. (You probably remember this guy too. Every class had one.)

The play didn’t even have to be close, but, regardless, he would dispute the call if he was out. After weeks of this behavior, another classmate and I decided that it was time for us to become the teachers, so we made up our own lesson plan to teach this guy a lesson. Thus, the push technique was applied. The push technique was done very quickly, succinctly and successfully.

I engaged the whiner in a conversation while my buddy slowly walked behind him and proceeded to get down on all fours. Once he was in place, I gave a quick push and watched as he tumbled backward over my accomplice’s back and onto the ground. We had a good laugh—until he started writhing around on the ground in pain.

His cries and groans caught the attention of the teacher on duty and our laughs quickly turned to concern and to that “Oh, no” feeling deep in the pit of one’s stomach. As we weren’t able to go out to recess for a while after this, we realized very quickly that our reactive, aggressive behavior certainly didn’t solve the problem. A peaceful solution wasn’t tried and things only got worse. A Peace Church The Mennonite church is a historic peace church. One of our doctrines states that we do not go to war. We believe that the way of Jesus is the way of peace. In our past, when a military draft has been enacted, many have chosen to give of their time and service in what we would consider to be possible “life giving” ways, rather than possible “life taking” ways.

We grieve the reality that in the past Christians have killed each other in war in the name of Civil Religion. We would see the entire world as the potential “Kingdom of God,” one that can’t be divided by national, human-made boundaries. by Bruce Hamsher We grieve the reality that in the past Christians have killed each other in war in the name of Civil Religion.

‘What Would You Do?’ Obvious questions arise when statements like these are made. One I’ve heard often is, “What would you do then if someone was about to harm your wife and children?” To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what I would do in that situation, but I can’t imagine that I would passively sit back and do nothing. Another question I’ve heard is, “Shouldn’t Hitler have been wiped out?” One thing is for certain: he should’ve been intensely prayed for.

The point here is that too often, both nationally and personally, we take matters into our own hands first and then beg and plead with God to bless our efforts. We can go back and forth on these things, but the one thing we can all agree on is that Jesus modeled for us a “ministry of reconciliation” and a “peace-giving lifestyle.”

What About Our Wars? This then poses another question. If we are a historic peace church, then why are we no different from other denominations when it comes to our internal “warring” and squabbles, our church splits and our inability to, as Paul says, “Live at peace with everyone?” (Rom. 12:18) Why is it easier to agree with this in doctrine than in practice?

I do believe that the way of Jesus is the way of Peace. Jesus tells us it is a blessed thing to be a “peacemaker” (Matt. 5:9). In other words, we will experience a deep sense of satisfaction and joy if we are peacemakers and we’ll be labeled as “children of God.” I wonder then, when will we live out this lifestyle of peace in all of life, not just in convenient, isolated segments?

Facing a Robber In his book Just in Time, Lynn Miller tells the story of the time he and his wife were doing Voluntary Service in Chicago. As they were walking toward their church, they were held up at gunpoint with the robber yelling, “Give me your money or I’ll shoot!”

Lynn quickly told him he didn’t have any money and then asked the man if he would want to come to the church with them. He said maybe they could find something there for him. The robber shouted again, “Give me the money!” His wife then told him they needed to visit a woman whose mother had just died. They then turned and started to walk down a narrow alley that led to the back of the church.

Halfway down the alley, Lynn turned around and said, “Come on” and motioned the gunman to follow them. The gunman just stood there, confused. He then turned and ran away. It was later revealed that this couple regularly prays ahead of time for nonviolent responses to potential violent acts committed against them.

Paul says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). He also states, “Let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification” (Rom. 14:19). We must be willing to share the peace we have with Christ with others in loving and creative ways.

An Indonesian Pastor I listened to an Indonesian pastor tell of the time when his church was unjustly shut down by the local Muslim officials. This would now cause a huge problem as the only water well in that small community was located on the church property. What would be their response?

If they would withhold water from the other villagers, chaos would erupt. It would be tough, but they decided that even though they were unjustly shut down, they would continue to let the local Muslims freely use their water supply. After eight months the Muslim officials peacefully let them reopen their church.

It’s an Activity I’m coming to realize more and more that peacemaking is not merely a concept or a doctrine, it’s an activity. It’s not passive; it’s active. It’s not so much something we are; it’s something we do in our homes, in our work and in all of life!

A myth abounds about peacemakers which needs to be clarified. Peacemakers love peace, but they do not passively accept trouble. They are persons who are strong in the Lord and who do not remove themselves from conflict and adversity. Think about this verbally and how it’s so much easier to shoot someone down with your words, than to deal with the situation at hand.

However, if you’re seeking a “peaceful” solution, you will assume the hard work of conflict resolution. You will be proactive, will stand strong in the face of the adversity and will not run away from the problem. You will face it and address it in a bold and righteous way.

The Example of Christ As we look into the purpose of His ministry, we see that Christ sought to bring peace to a hurting and needy world. He saw us trapped in our sin, with no way out. He saw the warring and the pain within our souls. He saw us in our war and in His compassion, He longed to bring us His Peace. These verses from Isaiah 53:5-6 sum it up well: “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His Wounds we are healed.” Hallelujah and amen.

Oh, and the next time your “classmate” is insistent about being safe at first base, let them be safe and keep on playing the game.

And at that moment when they do stumble, remember that helping them up is always better than causing them to fall. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

Bruce Hamsher, DMin., resides in Sugarcreek, Ohio, with his wife Jocelyn. He is the CEO of Toward the Goal Ministries (www.towardthegoal.net), the Director of Leadership Development at ProVia, and an ordained pastor in the MCUSA.

All That Really Matters is Securely Held

As we look back upon Good Friday and Easter, in spite of the changes in our world nothing essential is at stake: all that really matters is securely held in heaven for us beyond the reach of decay, devaluation, or theft. And this is true because of the Gospel, the epic story whose climax we remember: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth and died in our place to reconcile us to God and make us ambassadors of the King of Kings, the only true God! As we remember His death in our place and His powerful resurrection, may we be both steadied in the changes and reminded of our calling.

Safety Seminar: Moody’s Aviation’s Safety Seminar and audit contained many answers to prayer. Those days gathering, learning, and evaluating were truly a blessing for us at Moody Aviation. God brought us great presenters for the Safety Seminar, men and women who are invested in our success as well as experts in their respective fields. We had a lot of great interaction during breaks and great questions for the presenters from attenders. Thank God with us. We asked Him for a profitable time, and He answered! The week after Safety Seminar we at Moody Aviation were audited by another team of experts. The audit team worked hard, digging into all areas of our program. They offered a lot of commendations as well as helpful critique and suggestions; things we as a team are talking through these days. As we work from home, we are taking time to reflect on the findings as well as explore creative solutions.

Moody Aviation and COVID-19: As we reflect on friends around the world we are curious how each of you are doing. Drop us a line and let us know how to pray and praise with you. At Moody Aviation we are doing our best to provide what we can for our students in this time while still adhering to the instructions given by the local, state, and federal government. With a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order in effect, we are able to provide classes online, but our maintenance labs and flights are suspended at least until May 4. We are praying for all our students and asking God for effective strategies moving forward.

Pray that we would model well what we have learned about God’s faithfulness and love as we interact with students and staff. Pray for profs who are forced to learn quickly as they provide online classes to students. Pray specifically for our seniors as they seek God in these unexpected turns at a critical time in their education. Pray for positive connections for students and staff during this WASHINGTON

time of social distancing. Pray for all those making decisions regarding the future: for wisdom and faith as we walk through this quarantine time and ask God how to best serve our students once we can resume labs and flights. Pray that we would be thankful for and take advantage of the good things this time brings us: such as more time to reflect, more time to spend with family.

The people of Venezuela are facing this pandemic with a very shaky infrastructure. Medical resources are almost non-existent and clean water is scarce. Many parts of the country are without electricity much of the time.

Family: Garry, Kaleb, and I are getting a lot of family time these days as we follow the governor’s orders to “Stay Home, Stay Safe.” It’s been good to make some fun memories, share meals, and enjoy longer conversations. We miss Kevin, but are so thankful that he is in Manitoba. One of Kevin's good friends came down with COVID-19 and a few of the kids he was coaching let him know that neighbours had contracted the virus, so we are particularly thankful that he is healthy.

Thank you for standing with us in this challenging time, a time so like and so unlike many times in our past. We are thankful to be sons and daughters of the Most High and to be walking this path with you, our brothers and sisters. Truly, we are excited to see how God unfolds His plans to spread His Good News and to grow each of us in our knowledge of Him through this time.

Garry and Cynthia Barkman (Blumenort) serve with Ethnos360 and Moody Aviation. Venezuela has a special place in their hearts.

EMC Prayer Team Sees Need for Ministry

On Jan. 9, 2020, an EMC prayer team of 10 people from across Canada met in Toronto with the purpose of traveling to Bolivia to meet and pray with each EMC and MEM missionary, listening to their heart for the ministries with which they are involved.

We arrived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, around 10 p.m. on Friday evening and were met by Bill Kehler, the field director of MEM. As we stepped out of the airport we knew we were no longer in Canada; the variety of sounds and smells and the heat and humidity at that time of day was astonishing.

We loaded our luggage onto a 20-passenger bus that was rented for our entire stay in Bolivia, driven by Solomon. After a night at the Hotel Continental we had a time of orientation and prayer with Bill Kehler.

We learned immediately that flexibility would be key to our time in Bolivia. Rain changed our plans for the day, but we enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant and headed to Villa Nueva and booked in at the Bed and Breakfast for our first part of the week. We quickly came to love and appreciate the missionaries and local church leadership team in Villa Nueva.

Sunday morning was a baptismal service for a young man, and some of us from the prayer team were able to contribute to the service with singing and a children’s story while Ken Zacharias did the sermon in Spanish. While in the area we toured Guia de Paz (a recovery program), as well as La Roca (a children’s camp), and saw where Casa Mariposa (a home for abused women) had been in BOLIVIA

operation earlier. “Just as many people are struggling and needing help in Canada as here in Bolivia,” said one missionary, “but we feel the resources are less here in Bolivia so we plan to stay here another two years.”

Nancy Friesen, from Picture Butte Mennonite Church, gave us a tour of the school in Villa Nueva where she is very involved both with administration and teaching. We enjoyed a visit in her home and listening to the many stories of what she has already experienced in Bolivia.

We visited a radio station that has programming in Low German; it was just a small room above their home, yet many people can hear the Word of God in their language; and, although radio ministry can be lonely at times, we know it is a way of planting the seed and someday there will be a harvest.

Tuesday afternoon we left Villa Nueva and headed to San Jose and checked in at the Casa de la Amsted for the rest of our time in Bolivia. Hacienda Verde is a newer community, yet already has around 50 families living there. Benny and Ester Fehr from Mount Salem Community Church have come here, along with their children, to operate the radio station and they have many other opportunities to touch the lives of Low German-speaking people. We spent some time with Benny and Ester, doing some sightseeing in San Jose as well as visiting homes on the Colony. We heard many stories. Some were heartbreaking, yet God is definitely working with them and through them. In Hacienda Verde the teachers were also gearing up for another school year. Classes are taught in Spanish, Low

German and English. On Sunday morning our team was able to bless them with testimonies, children’s story, singing and a devotional.

Our ten days spent in Bolivia were a very rich time, and we thank God for the opportunity we had to meet the missionaries, see how God is providing for them, and to pray together for their ministries.

EMC Missions began ministering in Bolivia in 2013 after joining MEM (Mision Evangelica Menonita), a ministry to Low German Mennonites administrated by the EMMC and the La Crete Bergthaler Conference. – Trudy Loewen

Trudy Loewen is from Morweena EMC.

Discipleship and Opportunities for Ministry

This winter we built on the momentum from the youth Discipleship Group in fall by doing another eight-week series. This time the theme was “Sharing the Life” and focused on how we can serve others and share our faith. We talked about it but we also found ways to put it into practice. One week we decided to go for a walk in our neighbourhood with a thermos of hot chocolate and cups offering a warm drink to those we met. The guys really enjoyed serving people in this way and did a great job of being both bold and kind in approaching people; they want to do it again. Please pray both for the youth who have been part of the Discipleship Group and for the families. For months I have been planning a staff training event led by Bob and Gracie Ekblad who lead a ministry called Tierra Nueva in Washington State and offer ministry training all over the world through The People’s Seminary. They have been working for decades among people who have been rejected and written off: people in addictions, jail inmates, gang members and undocumented immigrants. The Ekblads model humble solidarity combined with a confidence that Jesus makes his presence and power available to marginalized people. They have a unique way of bringing together Word (biblical scholarship and study), Spirit (openness to the work of the Holy Spirit) and Street (focus on social justice and people on the margins). My faith and ministry have been greatly impacted by what I’ve learned from Bob’s books and the training I took at the People’s Seminary a few years back, so I was excited that our team would have this opportunity to spend three days in training with the Ekblads.

From March 10 to 12 around 30 ICYA staff, volunteers and spouses gathered at ICYA to attend this training. Themes included God’s humble ways of coming near to people submerged in darkness and God’s shepherd heart to seek, find and care for lost and vulnerable sheep. We learned about finding our identity and authority in Christ rather than other allegiances or cultural or social markers. We learned how to pray for healing and deliverance and how to lead contextual Bible studies for personal and social transformation. There were also times of prayer ministry and receiving from God. We were inspired, equipped and challenged in our faith and ministry. I have observed in our team a growing hunger for God. Please pray that God’s purposes for this training would be accomplished in our staff team and that it would lead to transformation in our lives and in our community. WINNIPEG BOM

While the Ekblads were in Winnipeg we also held a couple of events for the wider community. We held a public evening event at CMU with Bob speaking about “The Meth Crisis and the Church: How Should We Respond?” There was a lot of interest in this event and we had a full house with at least 150 people from all over Winnipeg and Southern Manitoba in attendance. We also hosted a Community Outreach night at ICYA called “Hope and a Future in the North End” where we invited our friends in the neighbourhood to come for an evening of music, stories and a message of hope with Howard and Joel Jolly singing and Bob speaking. It was a great evening where many people were open to receiving prayer.

As I write this, we are one week into the Coronavirus crisis. As a ministry, we have had to put many of our normal programs on hold and are coming up with new and creative ways to connect with youth and families in this time of social distancing. Please pray that we as a ministry would have courage, creativity and awareness of God’s leading. We believe there are opportunities for vital Christian service and witness at this time. Remember all the children and youth we connect with who will be stuck at home and for their parents. Pray for the vulnerable in our community: not only are there many whose bodies are vulnerable to illness, but for many in our community who live on the edge of joblessness, homelessness and hunger, the shutdowns and economic effects will impact them in major ways. I would also appreciate your prayers for me and Amie and our daughters during this time.

We know that all of you are also being affected in huge ways by this crisis and we will be praying for you as well. Please let us know if there are ways you would like us to pray for you.

Andrew Reimer (Steinbach EMC) serves as a community minister and within leadership development at Inner City Youth Alive in Winnipeg’s north end.

Evangelical Fellowship Church

Seven Children Dedicated

Fort Frances, Ont.—On the last Sunday in February 2020, we took some time out in the morning church service to especially dedicate our youngest ones and to bless them

ROSENORT, Man.—This past fall included two special services in the life of Rosenort EMC. On October 20, 2019, we celebrated with four couples as they dedicated themselves and their children to the Lord. Families are God’s creation and as a church we stand together to support one another in the raising of our children. Shown are Jared and Jill Dueck with Rylan, Chris and Melanie Siemens with Amelia (and Connor), Alex and Melanie Loewen with Cole (and Thomas), Tim and Rachel Loewen with Emily. Pastor Ward Parkinson officiated. REMC

Rosenort EMC

Dedication and Ordination

in the name of the Lord. There are seven of them with the parents. On the far right are our pastor Alain Reimer, his wife Emily, and their son Micah. – Mark Gerber

And in November we witnessed the formal ordination of Scott Dick into the ministry. Scott and Debbie have been part of our congregation for several years, including serving on staff as youth pastor. Now they are following God’s leading into church planting in the neighbouring community of Ste. Agathe, Man. Conference Pastor Layton Friesen and Director of Church Planting Gerald Reimer were special guests for the ordination service. – Ward Parkinson

MacGregor EMC

Coping with COVID-19

MACGREGOR, Man.— The rapid worldwide spread of the new deadly coronavirus has quickly shaken up civilization as we know it. Drastic measures are being taken to slow its spread, while staff in medical labs are scrambling to develop a vaccine to provide immunization against this silent threat. Meanwhile, the public is warned to practice self-isolation and social distancing.

At MacGregor EMC the ministerial and church board have initiated measures to comply with the new regulations to help stop the spread of COVID-19. As of mid-March Sunday services have been cancelled, as well as meetings and events during the week. To compensate for the lack of interpersonal connections, a weekly audio service has been developed to provide the congregation with a measure of spiritual nurture and encouragement.

Toward each weekend a group of seven to ten people meet in the sanctuary to record a service. Lengthy microphone cords allow for ample interpersonal distancing between the participants, which include a director, three or four members of one of four worship teams, two Scripture readers, and a speaker. The service follows a customary sequence: several songs, a call to worship, Scripture reading, a sermon, and a closing song and benediction.

After the recording session the service is transferred to the church’s website, ready for people to listen in their homes. CD copies are made and delivered to people who do not have website access. We are blessed as we listen, and no one notices if anyone should fall asleep.

In addition to the recorded service, other means of interaction are developed, such as a phone care network, ensuring that everyone receives at least one weekly call. As well, twice a week informative and inspirational blogs are posted to the church’s website. In these ways we are inspired to maintain our daily relationship and walk with our Lord. – Menno Hamm The team recording on March 29: Scripture readers Diana Wright and Davis Wright; worship group Dan Sawatzky, Margaret Thiessen, and David Kruse; and speaker Jeff Thiessen (deacon). Sandra Sawatzky was in charge of recording. MACGREGOR

Together we’re celebrating 100 years of relief, development and peace in the name of Christ.

Thank you for your support of MCC. Join the centennial celebrations!

mcccanada.ca/centennial