Summer 2014 by Free Methodist Church In Canada

The Free Methodist Church in Canada | Summer 2014 | Volume 11, issue 2

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family.

CONTENT COVER Is it time for a new Free Methodist denomination in Canada? by Bishop Keith Elford

Is it time for a new Free Methodist denomination in Canada? | BISHOP KEITH ELFORD

PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk Four reasons going to General Conference is a great way to spend a long weekend by Jared Siebert PAGE 3 We have everything we need by Kim Henderson PAGE 4-6 General Conference attendees share their thoughts PAGES 7 FMCIC advocates on Nordic Model of Prostitution Law Reform by Grant Sigsworth PAGES 8-9 General Conference Photo Gallery PAGE 10 Passages Living in the aftermath of General Conference 2014 by Sandy Crozier PAGE 11 Signs of Health at General Conference by Marc McAlister My General Conference Experience by Alison McKinnon PAGE 12 Global Ministry Partnerships by Dan Sheffield

DID YOU KNOW?

The MOSAIC is produced using environmentally responsible processes. The paper is acid-free, contains 10% post-consumer waste material, and is treated with a non-chlorine whitening process. Vegetable-based inks were used throughout the publication and it is 100% recyclable.

MOSAIC is a publication of The Free Methodist Church in Canada 4315 Village Centre Court Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1S2 T. 905.848.2600 F. 905.848.2603 E. lisa.howden@fmcic.ca www.fmcic.ca For submissions: lisa.howden@fmcic.ca Dan Sheffield, Editor-in-Chief Lisa Howden, Managing Editor and Production Mailed under publication agreement #40008369  Return postage guaranteed

“BISHOP, WHAT WERE THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS FOR YOU AT THE 2014 GENERAL CONFERENCE?”

t’s a good question and I would say that there were three memorable moments for me: my confession of the affair that I have been involved in while serving as a pastor and bishop, the Saturday morning corporate prayers of confession, repentance and calling upon God for the help of His Spirit, and the approval of a revised statement on Self Discipline (Paragraph 630.2.2) for The Manual of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.

I had to come clean about my affair with the Bride of Christ. She has regularly seduced me away from the first love of the Great Commandment (Mt 22:37-40) and I have done a lot of thinking about how this affair started and developed. It actually started quite young – when I was motivated to show up to Sunday school in order to get another bar for my attendance badge … and to invite others to come with me so that I could win a contest. In my years as a pastor, I embraced ways to build the Sunday School through bus ministries, to enlarge my congregation through Church Growth techniques with respectable sermons and robed choirs housed in attractive facilities, and later on through Seeker Targeted strategies and cool worship bands. As a Bishop, I enthusiastically supported the FMCiC being a Church Planting movement and building Local-Global connections so that our denomination could grow. Pausing to look back now over 41 years of ministry as an ordained minister, I wish that we (especially me) had paid more attention to thinking through how these ministry strategies would more intentionally serve the Great Commission to not just make contacts … or converts … or even disciples, but to make disciple-making disciples. As a consequence, in many places, we have anemic Christians who worship at the base of the cross on “convenient” Sundays and then wear ourselves out at the multifaceted altar of pleasure and materialism the rest of the time. We are a long way from communities of joyful, obedient Jesusfollowers being the norm among us. This is why for me, the acceptance of the prophetic call to revise the statement on Self-Discipline was so important. If one really reads this portion of the statement carefully, one quickly senses the spiritual fight that we are in. Its four questions (listed in bold) take us to the realities with which every maturing Jesusfollower in Canadian culture must personally grapple. “One attribute of the Spirit’s indwelling presence is self-control (Galatians 5:22-23.) As Christians we believe that life is full, abundant, and free in Jesus Christ ( John 8:36; 10:10.) We take

seriously the words of Jesus to love God, our neighbours and ourselves (Mark 12:30-31.) We also heed the Apostle Paul, when

he writes, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body” (I Corinthians 6:19-20.) Therefore, we commit ourselves to be free from anything that challenges Jesus’ lordship over our lives, that distracts us from joyful participation in His mission in the world and that damages, destroys, or distorts His life within us. What God has created is good and was created for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11.) He created humans with a capacity for enjoying His good creation. But as a consequence of the fall, sinful selfcenteredness and intemperance (even with respect to various forms of godly pleasure) became part of the human reality.

“Spirit-led self-examination surrounded by loving mutual accountability is essential to growing in holiness.” Undisciplined seeking after pleasure is a form of idolatry that weakens the will, distracts from participation in the mission of God and models selfishness to others under our influence (Philippians 3:19; Colossians 3:5.) Instead, we seek to experience the fullness of life in Christ, which includes enjoying what God has made in ways that honour God and are compatible with His mission in the world. We seek to enjoy a godly, balanced relationship with pleasure that allows us to be free to enjoy them in moderation or to abstain from them out of authentic conviction rooted in past experiences or out of love for a “weaker brother” (Romans 14:13-23.) We accept that, though all things may be allowed, not all things are beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12;10:23-24.) Spirit-led self-examination surrounded by loving mutual accountability is essential to growing in holiness. Therefore, we regularly ask ourselves honestly: (1) Do I exercise godly self-control with respect to pleasure? (2) How does what I invest in various forms of pleasure compare to what I give of my life resources to reach people with the gospel and to alleviate suffering? (3) Does this form of pleasure restore or fatigue me, arouse a craving for more that I then must struggle to master? (4) Is it inherently evil because it exploits or causes unnecessary suffering? Some pleasures (e.g. that which we ingest, the forms of recreation/relaxation that we pursue, etc.) if used with self-control, restore us. Some of the same pleasures can ultimately destroy us if used selfishly. On the one hand we can CONTINUED - BOTTOM OF PAGE 2

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

JARED SIEBERT Director of Churc rch Planting

Lisa Howden Managing Editor

The view from my seat

I guess I have to acknowledge that my perspective is different. Ministry Centre person I know what we are trying to accomplish and communicate We keep moving forward . . . Live stream Translation and French integration Online registration and documentation (saving time and trees) While there are always challenges in hosting an event that is both “live” and “online,” I’m proud of the way it all came together. The evaluations are overwhelmingly positive and confirm my thoughts on our progress forward.

FOUR REASONS GOING TO GENERAL CONFERENCE IS A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A LONG WEEKEND… | BY JARED SIEBERT

I’

ve only been a part of the National Leadership Team for a handful of General Conferences. Since I’ve been part of the team not a General Conference has gone by without someone asking “Why do we have to have General Conference on a long weekend?” The answer is pretty simple: most of our delegates and some of our pastors have day jobs. Taking time off to go to General Conference would be extremely costly and would probably require taking vacation time. We know that there is a lot of sacrifice that goes along with participating in a General Conference and we’re grateful to everyone for all the effort they put in to joining us every three years. All that being said, are there any other reasons why going to General Conference is great way to spend a long weekend? I came up with four …

3. The chance to help shape our movement.

As the General Conference weekend unfolds there are all kinds of deep questions that must be answered. Questions whose answers will shape the ministries of our local churches over the next number of years and even decades. If you come you have the privilege of being a part of that. This time round we dealt with serious issues like: a collective response to prostitution laws in Canada, how we reach people who are different than ourselves, how we think about the role of pleasure in our lives, what we need in order to see revival in our churches, how we pattern our lives in order to see ourselves and others more closely follow Jesus, what we do about our declining “stats”, and countless others. We talked together in formal settings, in hallways, in meeting rooms, and over meals. We prayed. We listened. And many of us went home with a new sense of calling and mission. If you ask me that’s a pretty great way to spend a long weekend.

1. A great way to meet with God.

Our FM photo gallery is hosted by Take a look at www.flickr.com/photos/fmc-gallery

It never ceases to amaze me the way that God shows up for us in the middle of our conferences. Whether it’s in the prayer room, in one of the sessions by the speaker, in a hallway conversation, during a meal together, or even during the business meetings (there have been some really notable examples of that – the last two General Conferences) God seems to be in the habit of meeting with His people in a special way EVERY time. Now I know God can meet you while you’re over-seeding your lawn, or as you’re opening up your cottage, or taking a road trip to see family – but there really is something about meeting God together in a large group with other Canadian Free Methodists.

4. The Hotel is probably nicer than where you planned to stay anyway.

2. The feeling of being connected to something bigger.

Ok, all kidding aside. If you’ve been to conference before you know that this is a powerful and important event. While we can’t please everyone with the weekend we choose, most who do find a way to be there usually walk away having felt like they were a part of something important. I want to encourage you to talk to your delegate and ask them what their conference experience was like. Who knows maybe you’ll be inspired to join us on long weekend three years from now.

Whether this is your first conference or your 30th, many people often remark on their sense of feeling connected to something bigger. Bigger than your own personal walk with God. Bigger than your local church experience. Even bigger than your sense of mission in your wider region. General Conference is a chance to connect to the story of God’s people in Canada and beyond. I don’t know about you, but very few of my May long weekend plans do that in quite the same way General Conference does.

I don’t know how you plan your long weekends – but for me they usually include one of two things… yard work or sleeping in a tent. There is something really great about reconnecting to nature in either of those ways but there is also something really great about 700 thread count sheets, down duvets and pillows. There is something nice about having someone else cook amazing food for you and having someone else clean up after you. Ok maybe not the most serious reason to go to conference but still true. Marriott hotel rooms sure beat sleeping on the ground!

Jared Siebert is the Director of Church Planting for The Free Methodist Church in Canada | jared.siebert@fmcic.ca

The Free Methodist Church in Canada Our Facebook page is a great way to connect to the larger Free Methodist body. Read and post encouraging stories, local FM church events. We also link to articles on the FMCIC website - so you’ll always be in the know!

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A NEW FREE METHODIST DENOMINATION? | CONTINUED FROM COVER become obsessively distracted, even addicted to them. On the other hand, because some legitimate pleasures tempt us to excess, we can react by becoming overly scrupulous and, out of fear, seek to limit the liberty of others by imposing our control-based convictions on them. With respect to this, the Apostle Paul wrote: “Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (Colossians 2:20-23) …”

So, what’s the way forward? Is it a return to austere asceticism? Read the last sentence above. Is it time for a new Free Methodist Church in Canada? I’m guessing you know what I think. I’d be interested to know what you think. Rev. Keith Elford is Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada | keith.elford@fmcic.ca

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Kim Henderson Director of Personnel

WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED – 2 PETER 1:3 | BY KIM HENDERSON

was chatting with Jeremy McDonald on the Monday of General Conference. Jeremy is a Ministerial Candidate attending his first conference and was serving as a teller. He told me that he was having a wonderful experience but somehow it felt as if two weeks of time had been crammed into four days! Once again we’re looking at General Conference from the rear view mirror.

The National Ministerial Education and Guidance (NMEGaP) Committee serves as the standing committee for the Developing Godly and Competent Leaders for Today and Tomorrow study team. I am going to share a few highlights both from the presentation and report to Conference.

to pastors every other year, in the spring. While there are a number of things this survey will reveal to us, there are two main purposes. The first is self-awareness. By reading and answering the questions we as pastors have to think about whether we embody the question and whether we actually practice what the question is asking. This should prompt some reflection from us, answering the question: why or why not? The second purpose is to identify national trends. If as pastors we consistently rate ourselves low in specific areas then I know those are areas in which we would benefit from specific training and resourcing. NMEGaP may need to adjust the tracking questions again to be proactive in these areas and be active in developing effective resources.

Formation of Godly and Competent Pastoral Leaders – Tracking

A significant part of the role of NMEGaP is to facilitate and encourage the formation of Godly and competent pastoral leaders. This credentialing process is referred to as ‘tracking’. At Conference, I asked all the pastors who now had some level of credentialing, since General Conference 2011, as a result of the tracking process and NMEGaP’s recommendation to stand. Forty-six people responded. Some were Ministerial Candidates, some were commissioned Ministers, some were new Ordained Ministers and some were Ordained Ministers who transferred credentials. It was a significant moment. Every once in a while I’m asked how the recruiting is going for the next generation of pastors. I do have relationships with a number of Bible colleges and seminaries and we do have pastors with us as a result of those relationships. Yet I believe that the first place we should look for the next generation of pastoral leadership is our own churches. We have everything we need. Are we praying that God will identify those in our churches that we should be developing as pastoral leaders? Are we expecting God to answer that prayer? Are we prepared to diligently disciple these people and then release them when the time comes? We have everything we need. God is always speaking… are we listening? MEGaP has made some changes to the tracking process, particularly in the area of selfawareness. We have also revisited the roles that spouses play in pastoral leadership and how critical spousal support is. A spousal support interview has been implemented, where appropriate, and takes place prior to a Ministerial Candidate interview. Spouses are now invited to be part of all of the interviews if they wish, at any level of interviewing. We have experienced the first use of these additional self-awareness tools, during interviews this spring, and the feedback has been extremely positive. Based on recommendations and concerns that emerged from the two previous conferences, candidates in the tracking process can expect to be asked questions particularly in the following areas: conflict management, practice of the Wesleyan Means of Grace (piety and mercy), how they have been discipled and how they are discipling people to be disciple makers. Pastoral Health – Bishop Keith and Donna Elford

During the presentation, Bishop Keith and Donna came to the stage and shared very openly about many of the factors that resulted in Bishop Keith’s medical leave in January 2013. As I asked each of them questions, they were honest and transparent about how both of them felt, what they struggled with, what worked, what didn’t and how thankful they were for the prayer support they received (and felt) especially during those five weeks. They provided support for the truth that if we want different results, we have to do thing differently, as Bishop Keith shared how he has adjusted his practices and behaviours so that he actively working toward good health. I know from many people that both the message and the vulnerability of Bishop Keith and Donna was well received and highly valued. The conference room was extremely quiet while Bishop and Donna were sharing. You could have heard a pin drop.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

At GC2011 I introduced the development of resources by NMEGaP to assist pastors in discerning if it was time to leave their current appointment at a local church. At some point this is a question that all of us will need to answer, when it comes to retirement. All of us will experience transition as we move from one situation into a new one. For the sake of both pastoral and church health, we as pastors need to develop the discipline of asking this question not just as we approach retirement, but regularly. All of us have different passions, gifts and skills. We’re not all equally good at everything and there will be times when the church needs someone with a different gift and skill set. Fear is very real and often prevents us from asking God the hard questions because we are afraid of the answer and what it may mean. Yet God says that we have all that we need. Do we believe that in the face of wanting answers to very real concerns like: I have no appointment to go to so what am I going to do? How am I going to support my family? What if I never have another church appointment? God says that we have all that we need. The resources for ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ include articles written by respected Ministers that contain ‘look-fors’ in terms of attitudes and behaviours as well as guidance. It also includes a Scripture-soaked reflection exercise with a questionnaire that asks pertinent experienced based questions such as: • • •

Are you falling out of love with your congregation? How many times in the last 6 months have you thought about quitting? Have you written your resignation letter recently?

I have sent these resources to some pastors over the past 3 years and for those who have worked through them (with their spouses) the feedback has been that they have been very helpful. Engaging in this process doesn’t automatically mean that it’s time to go. It does mean that this is becoming a discipline so that we are regularly taking stock of our own health as pastors and the health of the church. As leaders we directly affect those God has entrusted to our care. In terms of appointing pastors, we don’t function as we did fifty years ago, when the decisions of who went where was made by the stationing committees, often with no communication with either the pastor or the church. As a result of changes over the years we function in partnership together, seeking God for the pastor who will be a good fit for the local church AND a good fit for the FMCiC. While we do favour longer tenures we are slipping into longer tenures with no communication and there are times when pastors have stayed too long. This needs to be addressed. I don’t know exactly what the process for doing this will be or look like – it may be a comprehensive check-in with the pastoral and lay leadership at the church from a church and pastoral health view every five years. It might be every seven years. This will be on the agenda for NMEGaP in January as we work together to figure this out. After all – we have everything we need.

Pastoral Health Survey

I’ve shared that I developed a pastoral health survey that was sent out to our pastors earlier this spring. The survey has two parts: the first set of questions deal with pastoral leadership health and the second set deals with personal health. This survey will be sent

Kim Henderson is the Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada kim.henderson@fmcic.ca

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(above) Sunday morning Communion Service (below) General Conference Worship band, Dan Sheffield NLT Report, Bishop Keith Elford & Greg Ford, the Chair of the Board of Administration

Conference in two words

Cathleen Getchell is pastoring (supply) at Kingscourt Free Methodist Church in Kingston, ON

Prophetic and pastoral are the two words I would use to describe General Conference 2014. I was incredibly encouraged by the corporate worship, times of personal reflection and fellowship with colleagues. I was genuinely spurred on toward greater love and good deeds. Dr. Will Willimon’s witty and wise messages were both pastoral and prophetic in nature. I particularly appreciated the manner in which he concluded his sermons, with a moving story of God’s power and goodness in the lives of His children that left me inspired and challenged. This prophetic and pastoral theme was most evident to me in the way Bishop Keith led, addressed and spoke to us as a body and individually. Whether it was his prophetic voice when speaking of the idolatry of pleasure plaguing the church, his Sunday morning message or his pastoral voice in dealing with the tension of differing opinions, he balanced truth with grace. If it was at all possible, my level of respect and admiration for our Bishop went up at this conference. Bishop Keith & and his wife Donna, bravely demonstrated what it means to be authentic and transparent servant leaders and in doing so set an example for all. Finally, I was impressed with the way difficult matters of the denomination were handled. In coming to General Conference, I was aware of a couple of issues that were to

be addressed, that had the potential to either leave us more united, moving forward in God’s mission of redemption and reconciliation or could cause discontent and division. Thankfully, the power of prayer; the democratic way in which each and every person was afforded a voice; the prophetic, pastoral and servant hearts that represent our churches; and the preparation and hard work of our National Leadership Team successfully led us through the whole weekend, solidifying and strengthening us as a family. Sunday evening’s session Love is an Orientation revealed the beautiful pastoral hearts of our leaders and the earnest desire to minister well to all God’s children. This display of intimate, honest conversation left me uplifted and optimistic of our future. I went home exceedingly proud to be part of the Free Methodist Church in Canada. It is good to gather together

Darrin Lindsay is the Interim Pastor at Kingsview Free Methodist Church in Toronto, ON

Although I’ve been to several Conferences since coming back to the Free Methodist Church in Canada in the late 90’s, this was my first as a voting member of Conference. Attending with Kingsview’s two Delegates and Board Chair allowed for meaningful interaction over the four days together. It was a real privilege for me to co-host the Memorial Service with my colleague and network member, Sabrina

D’Rosario. As we shared the tributes of these dedicated saints of the Lord, I was moved by the stories of their sacrificial and lifelong ministries. For both Sabrina and I it was extra special that we were able to share the tributes to former pastors from our formative years. Coming out of the Fall Minister’s Conferences, where we identified key issues to discuss together as a movement, I looked forward to the Saturday afternoon workshops covering these topics. Much to my surprise, several months before the Conference, Dan Sheffield asked me to facilitate the Engaging our Communities workshop and I jumped at the opportunity. With help from Dan, Greg Elford and Keitha Ogbogu a large, lively group participated in an interactive discussion on the principles of community engagement. Stories were shared about the homework help ministry of Kingsview FMC in Toronto, the Hope Centre’s ministry to the poor & marginalized, in Mission, B.C., and Hampton FMC’s relocation to a multi-cultural neighbourhood in Saskatoon. Personally, it was an inspiring and fantastic time of connection. Another of the highlights for me was the Sunday morning worship celebration. Kingsview FMC cancelled our regular Sunday morning worship gathering and invited everyone in our congregation to travel a few minutes down the road to join together at General Conference with 800 other believers to praise Jesus. We really, do have everything we need in Christ!

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Positive experiences - open, honest, connecting comment from the General Conference evaluations

Many parts but one body

co-written by Betty Armstrong, Mary Martinson, Jane Trivers and Diane Clifford from Church of the Holy Spirit, Fort Frances, ON

For three of the four of us, this was our first time attending General Conference. We were fed spiritually, physically, intellectually and emotionally through worship, prayer, music, our speaker Dr. Will Willimon, reports, business of the conference, workshops, Love is an Orientation discussion, sharing, networking, honesty, respect, integrity, love and genuine affection. We are truly blessed with great leadership who challenge and dare us to mature and take risks in our faith journey because God really does provide us with everything we need! We are grateful to those who planned, prepared and worked hard to ensure that this time together was so meaningful and to those at home who supported and ensured that we could be completely present at conference. Our hotel was ideally situated with many eating places within walking distance. Some of these places were more formal, others relaxed, some were busy, others slower, some were noisy, others quiet, some provided great service, others okay service, some were friendly, others more reserved but the food in all of them was great. Our FMCiC faith communities are like this too. We are all different but the food is great when our family life is centred on Jesus! Being part of the larger FMCiC family is wonderful. There are no cookie-cutter congregations. We have the freedom to follow the Holy Spirit in our life as a faith community. We can celebrate our differences, embrace our unity in Jesus and be inspired to live out God’s mission in the world!

Let’s keep going

Jason Johnson is lead pastor at West Spring Free Methodist Church in Calgary, AB

One of my favorite scenes from the movie Spaceballs is obviously too subtle to get noticed so if you search for it on YouTube you won’t find it. It’s one of the opening scenes and King Roland is getting ready to walk his daughter, Princess Vespa down the aisle. The usher comes joyfully into the room and declares melodically, “It’s magic time!” The dialogue that follows: King Roland: Alright everyone, starting on the left foot! Princess Vespa: Daddy that’s your right foot! King Roland: It’s too late! Keep going! Situational humour needs no explanation so let me explain: it’s such a ludicrous comment because it’s not too late! No one in the audience saw King Roland start off on the right foot and he only took one step so he easily could have started again. But he didn’t. He panicked and endeavored to make the best of his social blunder. King Roland’s heart was in the right place. It is important to start off on the right foot or in this case the left. The beginning is so important to the outcome because it sets the tone and trajectory for what will follow. You can finish well even if you start poorly but how much easier is it to finish well when you start well? When I think of General Conference 2014 I think predominantly of our Sunday evening experience. We engaged in starting a conversation about reaching differentfrom-me people, more specifically, reaching out to the lesbian, gay, bi, transgendered and queer community. I believe this conversation started off on the left, er, right foot. I know this is a difficult subject for some to talk about

so I was blessed by what I sensed that night - honesty, openness and willingness to talk and work through some real-life situations through the case scenarios presented to us. Perhaps some of us are even willing to have our minds changed? The position papers that were presented were very helpful. It’s my hope that our congregations would be known as inclusive, grace-oriented and welcoming to any who dare enter. Everyone deserves access to Christian community and to the proclamation of the Gospel. How else are we able to get saved and begin the journey of transformation? FMCiC family, we began something good that night and my encouragement to all of us is to keep the conversation going. Maybe we’ll have to read some books or articles, befriend a member of the LGBTQ community or work through some of the texts in the scripture with some new eyes. Whatever we do, let’s endeavour to keep going. Alright everyone, starting on the left foot… Strong ties

Jean Mercer attends First Free Methodist Church in Moose Jaw, SK. She is also the editor of Upwords.

I attended General Conference as an observer but my keen anticipation stemmed from happy past conference experiences and 2014 didn’t disappoint. I love to be with so many Free Methodists in one place. I appreciate the sharp minds and earnest spirits of the pastors and delegates who represent the churches across Canada. It’s bound to be inspiring singing, “O, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise!” with hundreds CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

[below] Bishop Keith & Donna Elford at Newcomer’s Orientation; (bottom) Name placecard in the conference room; Thomas Eng, Pastor at Pineview FMC in Cloyne, ON and his son; Jason Tripp at Valleyview Community Church in Blezard, ON giving report

MOSAIC 6 of kindred spirits in a worship service Sunday morning. It’s heartening to see a core of eager young men and women in ministry or preparing for ministry. Their ideas and energy are contagious. In the sessions, the church was forthright about tackling difficult issues and the background study and information provided was impressive. A strong message promoted a healthy, balanced lifestyle among clergy and lay people. Good mental, physical and spiritual health will make us better kingdom representatives. This observer couldn’t help noticing how many Aldersgate alumni are employed as clergy and lay workers with some now at the point of retirement. There’s no doubt that this institution played a significant role in the Canadian Church. Other strong educational institutions represented at the conference displayed the exciting opportunities available to our young people today. East and West met one afternoon to compare notes regarding our considerable collection of archives and artifacts. Some energy is going into amalgamating our records and making this rich resource of historical information from both the Free Methodist and Holiness Movement denominations accessible. Digitized records and photos could be accessed by anyone anywhere in the world. The challenges include the technical aspects of digitizing, housing the collections and communicating the message that all church publications and records are valuable in preserving our story. This work is being done. There’ll be strength in working together. Using your talents for the kingdom Lindsay Noël attends Eglise in Rosemont, QC

When asked to write about my General Conference 2014 experience I decided to write about it the through the lens of a translator. General Conference is an important event for me. I wait for it every three years and I am sad when it’s over because there is so much love shared in such a short time. I also take it very seriously because I know that the quality of the experience for whom I’m translating for will depend on me. The quality of my translation (including the written documents) and understanding of the information that is given throughout the conference will affect their appreciation of the conference. I view it as a mission given to me by God. It takes a lot of energy and concentration to translate simultaneously but I love it. I enjoy the challenge that it brings and the huge smiles of those I am translating for when they can participate and understand everything that is going on. For the past ten years I have been translating for all kinds of events and activities for the FMCiC and I realize that it is a gift from God and it’s also a way for me to serve Him that will bring Him glory. Thank you for this wonderful and spiritual experience we all live at General Conference. From our worship conference leader

Ryan Young is the Associate Pastor at TheStory in Sarnia, ON

I want to start by saying what a privilege it was to lead a team that helped us to worship at General Conference. There were some songs that we sang that shook the place because people were engaged heart and soul in worshiping

(top) Dr. Will Willimon, General Conference speaker; (bottom) Jared Siebert, Director of Church Planting; Chris Lewis, our Conference Coordinator; Joe Schaefer, ordained minister and Jim Kesselring, retired pastor.

God. It was a taste of heaven to have us united together in one place as people who love, serve and follow Jesus. I had a chance to read the evaluations from conference this past week and they reminded me of the beautiful diversity that we have among us as the Free Methodist Church in Canada. Some people loved certain things about conference and others really didn’t like the exact same things. Our preferences come from diversity in culture, tradition, age, experience, socioeconomic background, language, geography and a few other things but it was neat to have all of us under one roof. It’s easy to look at diversity and be threatened by it because it’s different than “us” but I was reminded of something as I read the feedback. The reason that the early church had the mobility that it had was due to its complexity and diversity. I have to imagine that there were days for the Apostles that they marveled and perhaps experienced some discomfort at the influx of diversity that occurred in those early days. Diversity is messy at times, if it’s real, and there do need to be some guidelines along the way (some of the things that we voted about on Monday reminded me of the intent of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15). But the extraordinary effect of diversity is that others can go with Jesus’ message to places that I wouldn’t be received and vice-versa. I see God forming that same kind of complexity and diversity in our movement. Our conference feedback makes me excited because it’s proof that God has chosen a diverse people to love, serve and grow the church. When we disagree on something, it’s an opportunity to remember something that Jesus’ friend Peter said, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

is good and right when delivering a tough message. With deep conviction and boldness he confronted the reality of how we allow idolatry or anything that takes the rightful place of God and His Lordship in our lives. He spoke about how our discipline of following Him and learning to adjust our lives around Him can and does falter and he emphasized the importance of relationship and discipleship – the willingness to go deep with those in our community to help keep us accountable. I listened to a leadership team that wants to challenge us to be real and completely invested into our relationship with Christ. Throughout the weekend I heard a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit to help us hear, speak and move mightily in our lives – that our relationship with Christ is so dynamic not static or shallow. Some changes to wording in the FMCiC the manual were voted on with careful attention to intent and detail. Others proposed changes were taken away to have a team study and prayerfully consider the proposed changes. I was really encouraged that one church had taken the time to look at a proposed wording change and submitted their own suggestions to the committee who listened and decided to use much of what this church proposed. It feels like our denomination is encouraging ownership of our faith in our lives and they are challenging us to be real, live it out!

“Really appreciated the French integration that was done throughout the conference.”

Run the good race

Tam Goller attends Mewassin FMC in Duffield, AB

So what did I learn from conference? I gained a better understanding of what the FMCiC is and how it operates. For me the denomination now has names and faces and I understand that they are more than ready to help and minister to local churches. I also saw Bishop Keith display a passionate heart for what

“Having the prayer room during the conference was a great idea.” comments from the General Conference evaluations

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FMCIC Advocates on Nordic Model of Prostitution Law Reform by Grant Signworth

rostitution is around all of us. Visible evidence is on the downtown streets of our towns and in classified ads in local newspapers for massage parlours, escort agencies and strip clubs. More hidden evidence is in the trafficking of persons from smaller communities (like some of yours) to join the urban sex trade. Canada is at a crossroads in its laws on prostitution. I knew that when five of us at Whitby FMC gathered to chat on skype last February with Rev Kevin Austin, director of the Set Free Movement, an abolitionist initiative of FMCUSA to combat entrapment in bondage labour and the sex trade at home and abroad. In Canada the sale and purchase of sexual services have always been legal. But last December the Supreme Court struck down the laws against activities surrounding prostitution: operating a common bawdy house (brothel), living on the avails, and communicating for the purposes. Legalizing these three activities was ruled to be consistent with the constitutional right of sex workers to personal security. But what about the large majority of sex workers -unwilling, unhappy – who generally start at ages 14 to 20? Many have been sexually exploited as children. Over 90% enter the trade out of victimization and control as vulnerable persons or lack of choices for self-support. “Happy hooker” is an abysmal misnomer for their misery, substance abuse, violence and emotional distress. Those of us skyping with Kevin had been awakened in 2013 to the broader issue of contemporary human slavery when the VP of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) spoke at our church. Now we were concerned about newspaper reports of sex trafficking through our area along highway 401 into Toronto. As well, we realized that Canada’s crossroads were at hand -- our Supreme Court had called for new prostitution legislation to be in place by end of 2014. We agreed that it was time for our parliamentarians to hear from Christians on the subject, and be reminded that in 1979 Canada signed the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women including prostitution. “The FMC in Canada needs to take a public position,” Kevin admonished, “and support the EFC recommendation for a Canadianized version of the ‘Nordic Model’ of prostitution law which some European countries have adopted.” (The model focuses on criminalizing the purchase of sexual services by “johns,” not the sale.) I had an ahah moment. “Our General Conference (GC) is coming. I could submit a RESOLUTION supporting the EFC recommendation.” But would the GC’s assembly want to openly address such nasty business? Hmm. Why not? Human bodies are not commodities. Hasn’t the FREE Methodist movement historically

committed to the deep worth of all persons, and stood for freedom from human slavery and exploitation in all of its forms, everywhere? And doesn’t our FMCiC Manual (¶630.2.1) pledge us to active concern whenever persons are demeaned, abused, and depersonalized? Mental note to myself: “Make those the first two WHEREAS of the Resolution!” It was encouraging when pastors Cliff Fletcher and Vic Stonehouse read my draft Resolution and agreed to sponsor it. Then Bishop Elford and our Study Commission on Doctrine proposed additional practical recommendations to strengthen the document. What did the General Conference approve?

Within weeks the GC took a stand for dignity for those caught in the sex trade who need our love, acceptance and healing. The assembly voted to approve the Resolution and re-committed us to broadly combat human slavery and trafficking. What has happened since General Conference?

Within two weeks of GC, Bishop Elford communicated the Resolution to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Justice Minister Peter Mackay, endorsed the Nordic Model, and prayed that God will give our parliamentarians “deep, authentic compassion for those who are suffering from the effects of exploitation at the hands of others and wisdom to know how to act justly on their behalf.” Now four weeks after GC as I write, the Government has tabled its proposed law reform and happily it is consistent with our Resolution. Bill C-36 would criminalize the purchasers of sexual services who fuel the demand; continue to criminalize those who financially benefit from exploiting others such as “pimps;” prohibit ads in print or online for the sale of other peoples’ sexual services; increase existing penalties relating to child prostitution; prohibit sale of services where minors are present; and provide an initial $20 million for restorative assistance to sex workers wanting to exit the trade and needing encouragement, guidance and support to do so. The next day Bishop Elford sent to Pastors and Delegates in all FM churches a template for use in writing their respective Members of Parliament. The letter contains the Resolution and requests that the MP affirm the legislation when it comes to vote. In the meantime, media commentators and willing sex workers are largely opposing the proposed law reform, instead wanting to legalize and regulate all activities related to prostitution (as some countries have done). To read a thoughtful article supporting the legislative reform and Nordic Model, go to http://fullcomment. nationalpost.com/2014/06/09/benjamin-perrin-theright-way-to-fight-prostitution.

Ideas for Follow-up ahead

1. Advocacy: Check with your church office that a letter was sent to your MP … and to your local police, municipal officials, and media as the Bishop also requested. If not, maybe offer to help. Also email a personal letter to your MP, asking him/her to support the legislation. 2. Educate your congregation: Work with your pastor to raise your congregation’s awareness (if not already) about the Resolution, prostitution law, and freedom from slavery and trafficking in our society. (a) Publicity — Inform your congregation about the proposed legislation, and advocacy by denominational and local church leadership. At church, post a copy of this article and the FMC Resolution and its website address [http://fmcic.ca/general-conference-2014resources/]. Ensure that parishioners understand that this Resolution is consistent with the historic stand of the FMC against slavery in all of its forms, everywhere. (b) Resources and Action Ideas — Start with the EFC’s submission Out of Business: Prostitution in Canada – Putting an End to Demand at www.theEFC.ca/ OutOfBusiness and another EFC webpage at www. evangelicalfellowship.ca/prostitutionlawreform. Two of many other websites are FMC’s www. Setfreemovement.com and www.Freetheslave.net. 3. Prayer: Encourage your congregation to pray for the passage of the proposed legislation; for courage among those victimized into the sex trade and wanting to leave it; for wisdom and grace for those who are helping to restore the lives of persons leaving the trade; and for God’s convicting power in the lives of “johns and pimps” who are sustaining the trade. 4. Identify your church’s point person: Grant Sigsworth who drafted the Resolution is preparing a longer list of resources and action ideas for local congregations. Are you someone, or do you know someone, willing to serve as the point person in your congregation for further communications on slavery in the sex trade and in forced labour? Tell your pastor and let Grant know ASAP! Grant Sigsworth attends Freeway Free Methodist Church in Oshawa, ON | grant.sigsworth@gmail.com or call 905.666.0029 Pictures below (left to right) • Alan Hyndman, retired minister, serves communion during the Sunday morning worship service at General Conference • Dave Moriarity, Associate Pastor at Freeway FMC in Oshawa, ON • Bishop Keith and Donnal Elford

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9 MOSAIC

Photo legend page 8 (left to right) •

• • • • • • •

Praying over Bishop Keith and Donna Elford and the other members of the National Leadership Team; Marc McAlister, Mark Molczansky, Dan Sheffield, Kim Henderson. Jenn Wagar, Barrie Free Methodist Church Gary Landers, retired minister serves communion during Sunday morning service at General Conference. Retirees Banquet Helping Harvest Hands Workshop with Jared Siebert Canadian Armed Forces Chaplains: Stephen Suk Joo An, Robert Lay, Andrew Klinger, Michael Allen, Stephen Merriman Pierre Zidor capturing a moment Marc McAlister during the NLT Presentation

page 9 (left to right) • • • • • • •

Retirees presented during the Sunday morning service Vinola Pakkianathen & Davika Dotson, Ministry Centre Staff Leaders praying before ‘Love is an Orientation’ discussion Newcomer’s Orientation Worship band on Sunday morning Jason Johnson giving the Complimentary Resolutions Q&A Session with the Bishop

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PASSAGES APPOINTMENTS Doug Griffin, Associate Pastor – the Story, effective February 26, 2014 Beverly Kay, Associate Pastor – Prince Edward FMC effective, March 26, 2014 Seth Freeman, Lead Pastor – Eyebrow FMC, effective April 24, 2014 James Brackpool, Assocate Pastor – Weyburn FMC, effective April 12, 2014 Ian Isaak, Assocate Pastor – Weyburn FMC April 12, 2014 Patty Perry, Associate Pastor – First Free Methodist Church, effective May 12, 2014 Rachel Runnalls, Associate Pastor – First Free Methodist Church, effective May 12, 2014 Velma Shewfelt, Associate Pastor – Barrie FMC, effective May 1, 2014 Brent Steeves, Lead Pastor – New Horizons Community Church, effective July 6, 2014 David Greene, Associate Pastor – Arlington Woods FMC, effective June 13, 2014

NETWORK LEADER APPROVED Ken Dryden, BC Network – January 6, 2014

Mike Hogeboom, Central ON Larger Network – June 1, 2014

LIVING IN THE AFTERMATH OF GENERAL CONFERENCE 2014|BY SANDY CROZIER One of the core values of the Free Methodist Church is connections. In General Conference 2014, we saw the need to connect with God and His promises (we do have everything we need for godly living!) We also saw the need to connect with each other and with our communities – no matter how different they may appear to be from us.

Debt Coach Ministry | A 1-day training for individuals in

In the reality of 2 Peter 1:3, the generous stewardship ministry aims at helping people (and churches) discover the joy in living generously. But this usually involves helping them develop the capacity to be generous in the first place. We have to understand that a stewardship ministry is not about raising funds. It is about raising disciples. It is about discovering how to guard and tend all that God has given us and then to use it to be rich towards God and not just ourselves. It is about connecting. This happens when we connect to give and not just to get something.

Love + Money | This 10-video series will introduce

Derek Spink, Quinte Network – July 3, 2014

ORDINATIONS APPROVED & SERVICES HELD OR SCHEDULED Cameron Montgomery – Ecclesiax – June 8, 2014 (ordination) Kathy Doornekamp – Westport FMC - October 5, 2014 (Commissioning) Luke Haggett – Chapel Ridge FMC – August 17, 2014 (ordination) Brian Keyzers – Barrie FMC – May 1, 2014 (Transfer in) Brian Bell – Trull’s Road – May 1, 2014 (Transfer in)

MINISTERIAL CANDIDATES APPROVED Seth Freeman, Lead Pastor – Eyebrow FMC, effective April 24, 2014 James Brackpool, Associate Pastor – Weyburn FMC, effective April 12, 2014 Ian Isaak, Associate Pastor – Weyburn FMC, effective April 12, 2014 Patty Perry, Associate Pastor – First Free Methodist Church, effective May 12, 2014 Rachel Runnalls, Associate Pastor – First Free Methodist Church – May 12, 2014 Velma Shewfelt, Associate Pastor – Barrie FMC, effective May 1, 2014

RELEASED FOR SERVICE BEYOND THE DENOMINATION Andrew Klinger – Chaplain, The Canadian Armed Forces – June 14, 2014 Dean Babcock - Missionary to Malawi with Adventive Cross Cultural Initiatives (ACCI) in partnerships with The Missionary Society

A stewardship ministry truly beings to happen when we connect to give and not just to get. It’s not about what we can get from our people, but rather what we want for our people. We want for them to thrive in: • • • • • • •

A Christ-centred worldview Living generously in all areas of life Being able to live below their income (budget) Being able to save Being debt-free (or have a plan to become debt-free) Having margin in their time, talents and treasures Having an eternal perspective

As we connect, we must help disciple people in walking with two legs, not walking as little children but as mature people of faith. The first leg being stewardship – helping people to wisely manage what God has already given them; the second leg being generosity which is what helps us conform to the image of Christ. Standing on these two legs, we discover the joy of living rich towards God and not just ourselves. We may only be able to take baby steps at first, but as we mature in grace we are, as Peter says, able to add on our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. With these things in every increasing measure, we cannot be ineffective or unproductive (2 Peter 1:5-8). In our efforts to disciple people in walking the generous stewardship life, it helps if you can identify which of the following financial categories you have in your church: • • • •

Struggling (In crisis; needs assistance) Stable (1-2 paychecks from financial challenge; needs tools/teaching on budgeting) Solid (OK financially but needing teaching/ discipleship in theology of stewardship) Surplus (Living with excess, needs discipleship in generous living)

Churches in transition Bramalea FMC, Brampton, ON Campbellford FMC, Campbellford, ON Cole Lake FMC, Godfrey, ON Cordova Mines FM Fellowship, Cordova Mines, ON Cornerstone Community Church, Almonte, ON (Gary Landers, Transition Pastor) Crestview Park FMC, Winnipeg, MB (Kevin Kay, Transition Pastor) First FMC, New Westminster, BC Port Rowan FMC, Port Rowan, ON Surrey FMC, Surrey, BC Uxbridge FMC, Uxbridge, ON Wawota FMC, Wawota, SK

Each of these financial categories requires a different approach. Both the first and the last require the most resources, skills and time. But the middle two categories can be helped with good teaching and training. We have developed a number of resources designed to help you disciple people as generous stewards. They are offered online and in person. Some are designed for church use and some for the community and/or individual use. All are free. Faithandfinance.ca | This site is a database of hundreds of videos plus books and links to help you connect faith and finance in everyday life in Canada. A great resource for pastors, leaders, coaches and individuals. COST: FREE

your church to sensitively and confidentially ‘coach’ others on how to get out of debt using biblical and financial principles. For information on starting a Debt Coach Ministry at your church, please contact sandy.crozier@ fmcic.ca. COST: FREE and cover 9 principles to help newlyweds and engaged couples create a joyful, successful financial future together. Designed for either live workshop or viewing as online videos this can be used in premarital counselling or individual use (available at courses.fmcic.ca) COST: FREE GAIN, SAVE, GIVE (3 Videos & Discussion Guides)

Communicating John Wesley’s Sermon on Money – Gain all you can, Save all you can and Give all you can into today’s language. These three short videos are available for download along with an accompanying Discussion Guide for each video (available at courses.fmcic.ca) COST: FREE Planned Giving | This seminar is designed to help you

discover what the right questions are as you considering planning your estate/will. It available as both a live presentation as well as online seminar (available at courses. fmcic.ca) COST: FREE Planning for Later Life | This seminar is designed to help you start preparing for your later life so that you can faithfully steward all that God provides both now and in retirement. It is available both as a live presentation or online seminar (available at courses.fmcic.ca) COST: FREE Creating a Culture of Generous Stewardship | This seminar will help define what is a culture of generous stewardship and covers 10 steps in creating this culture in your local church. It is available as a live presentation with an online video for support (available at courses.fmcic.ca) COST: FREE

The Steward Leader | This seminar is based on R. Scott Rodin’s book, ‘The Steward Leader: Transforming People, Organizations and Communities.’ It is designed to help church leaders discover how to steward their leadership and ministry. It is available both as a live presentation and online video seminar (available at courses.fmcic.ca) COST: FREE

Church Stewardship | These 12-videos are for both new and old board members to help understand what is involved in stewarding a local church within the FMCiC. They can be used as new board member training (available at courses.fmcic.ca) COST: FREE Messages on Generous Stewardship | We are always passionate about speaking on the message of generous stewardship in the local church. If you would like to arrange for someone to come to your church, please contact sandy. crozier@fmcic.ca. COST: FREE Stewardship Resources | There are a number of

downloadable resources and tools available on our website under the resources/stewardship resources section. (available at fmcic.ca) COST: FREE We know that only God promises and provides us with everything we need to do what God has called us to do – but our hope is that these resources will help you disciple and teach about generous stewardship and raise wellformed disciples able to live and give in any circumstance.

FMCIC Calendar

Debt Free + Financially Fit Seminar | A 2-hour

If you have any questions, please contact Sandy Crozier, Stewardship Development Director. We are here to serve.

To view upcoming events visit the website at: www.fmcic.ca to to see the online calendar

seminar that combines basic financial methods and biblical principles to help you become debt free and financially fit. Designed as a live presentation with an online video as a refresher (available at : courses.fmcic.ca) COST: FREE

Sandy Crozier is the Stewardship Ministries Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada | sandy.crozier@ fmcic.ca

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SIGNS OF HEALTH AT GENERAL CONFERENCE | BY MARC MCALISTER

was given a task of telling a story at this past General Conference. Using some statistics, I got to tell a story about the context we find ourselves in as a movement. Part of that story involved the Canadian context we minister in. So I talked about declining church attendance and the growth of those who identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated (or as some call them “the nones”). The other part of that story involved us – the FMCIC. So I talked about declines in attendance and baptisms and membership. It wasn’t the most uplifting speech I have ever given. And it’s that last sentence I want to follow up on. While the story I told was true, it isn’t the whole story. And we need to be reminded of that. We need to know that there are other stories being written by God that need to be told. (By the way, that doesn’t make the story I told any less true. It simply makes it incomplete. And the fact that other stories exist will hopefully serve to give us all hope as we seek to build towards becoming healthy churches.) What kind of “other” stories? Let me use Saturday afternoon as an example. If you attended any of the Discussions of Issues Emerging from Regional Gatherings sessions, you got to hear some of these stories. Some quick examples: •

If you attended the Ministry to Children and Youth conversation, you heard stories from all kinds of churches ministering in all kinds of contexts. And the stories were about how these congregations were effectively engaged in disciple making with kids, their families and those called to work with these groups. So you heard that it is possible to do this, despite some other stories that you may have heard.

•

If you attended the Engaging with Our Communities conversation, you again heard stories from different churches in different contexts. You heard stories about churches who have chosen to love and serve those around them in Jesus’ name. You heard about what God is doing in the lives of people and the lives of congregations. You heard stories of inspiration and transformation. And you heard that it is possible to engage the folks in our neighborhoods in conversations about God and His love for them, despite some other stories that you may have heard.

•

If you attended the Building Spiritual Passion conversation, you also heard from different churches in different contexts (seeing a theme yet?). And you heard stories from churches who have taken the call to make disciples seriously and who have engaged in intentional action around spiritual practices. So you heard stories of churches who have responded to the call to pray more (prayer); stories from churches who have decided to reach out to their neighbor (evangelism and mission), stories from churches who have started talking more about what God is up to in their midst and who have encouraged real fellowship, not just nice small talk (fellowship and Christian conference); and stories from churches who have taken seriously the call to engage in word and worship more than just one hour a week (worship). Most of all you heard about God changing lives, which still happens despite some other stories you may have heard.

Of course there were lots of other great stories shared, both formally and informally. I guess that is my point. We do have good stories to tell, and we need to know

that. And even if our story isn’t great right now, the fact that there are good stories being written by God should encourage us and perhaps even cause us to take action.

“If you are a church with a good story

to tell, share it with the rest of us. Share your stories at camps and regional gatherings and pastors conferences and in your network groups.”

I said it at General Conference and it bears repeating. “What do we do (in light of the story I told – the one of decline and disinterest)? Do we just throw up our hands and say, ’Well that’s the way it is and there is nothing we can do about it?’ I don’t think that is an option for us. Not in light of our vision as a movement and not in light of the commission given to us by Jesus Himself… We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work.” And if I had been thinking, I would have said, we need to tell other stories and join God as He leads in the writing of new and better stories for us, for our churches and for our neighbors and our communities. Those stories are possible (despite other stories you have heard or read.) They are being written. They are being told. We need to seek God’s help in making sure we are a part of those stories.

So what do we do? Well, if you are a church with a good story to tell, share it with the rest of us. Share your stories at camps and regional gatherings and pastors conferences and in your network groups. If you don’t have access to those (or they are too far off ) share your story through my friend Alison McKinnon (who is our lead story teller and sharer on the FMCIC website and Facebook page.) And if you are a church whose story isn’t so good right now, let me echo the words of my NLT colleague Mark Molczanski, who spoke my favorite challenge at General Conference (and which I may be paraphrasing here a bit.) “Ask for help.” Bishop Keith and the NLT stand ready to help as much as we can. And God has given us each other as a movement/family. Find a church with a good story and listen to it and learn from it. One of the best things I saw happen at General Conference was leaders from one church sitting down with leaders from another church that they wanted to learn from and asking all kinds of good questions. That’s something we can all do. God is not done writing amazing stories. And we (our movement, our local churches, and us as individuals) have been invited to be a part of those stories. He has given us everything we need. I look forward to hearing the stories that we have as we obediently follow Him into this next chapter. Marc McAlister is the Director of Church Health for The Free Methodist Church in Canada | marc.mcalister@fmcic.ca

MY GENERAL CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE | BY ALISON MCKINNON

ost of my first General Conference experience was seen through the lens of my camera or from behind my laptop screen. While I was running around taking photos, updating the FMCiC website, Facebook page and Twitter account it was challenging to absorb all of what was happening at conference. So I am thankful for the General Conference videos, power point presentations and audio recordings that have been uploaded to our fancy new FMCiC website and are available for those of us who missed stuff the first go around but more importantly to use as resources and tools. The people part of General Conference was awesome for me and not just because I’m an extrovert! I work part-time from home so having the opportunity to work side by side with the Ministry Centre team over the course of four days gave us the chance to get to know one another better and share some laughs along the way. I was also able to meet many of the people I had interviewed over the phone or through emails exchanges. Not only was it great to put a face to a name and voice but I got updates on many of the stories I have shared over the past year and got some new story leads and a couple of video interviews. Stay tuned! On a personal note, I liked what I heard at General Conference. I came to know Jesus six years ago when I was 40 years old. I spent many years ineffectively trying to find Him on my own so I know first-hand the importance and beauty of discipleship and I’m thankful that it’s a denominational focus. The “Love is an Orientation – Starting a Conversation about Reaching Different-From-Me People” was an interesting session for me because for most of my life I viewed Christians as “different-from-me people.” I didn’t know anything about Christian history, rituals, values, language or behaviors but I fought my nerves and discomfort because I wanted to learn about this Jesus guy. I guess some nerves or discomfort aren’t such a big deal when talking about a person’s salvation. Anyway, I think this discipleship focus and having differentfrom-me people conversations fit together in a pretty cool way.

Alison McKinnon is the Social Media Journalist for The Free Methodist Church in Canada. If you have a local church story that needs to be shared you can contact her at alison.fmcic@gmail.com

PAST STORIES . . . Elevate – If you were in Sudbury, Ontario on Saturday, June 8th you would have seen groups of people throughout the city planting community gardens, cleaning up highways or restoring parks. Sergio – The following is the story of Sergio told in three acts and written by Doug Dawson (Open Arms FMC in Tillsonberg, ON) and Barb Peterson (Iglesia del Buen Samaritano in Sarnia, ON.) Sergio Act One The story begins in Tillsonburg, ON in 2006 . . . Skate Park Dreamer – Evan Fiorito, son of Pastor Chris Fiorito at O’Connor FMC in Kakabeka Falls, ON, is a grade nine student with a love for skateboarding and a dream to build a skate park in the Township of Conmee.

To read the rest of these stories and many others, please visit the website at www.fmcic.ca and click on “News & Stories.”

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Global Ministries thinking globally, working locally

Dan Shefﬁeld Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries

GLOBAL MINISTRY PARTNERSHIPS | BY DAN SHEFFIELD

Source: Global Church Planting Network http://www.gcpn.info/needs/To_Fill_the_earth_w_faith.pdf

t our recent General Conference I asked the question, why, in light of our own “challenged” ministry setting here in Canada, should we be concerned about ministries beyond our own borders? Our vision statement is the answer, of course. “We want to see a healthy church within the reach of all peoples in Canada and beyond.” That statement points us toward God’s intentions for the healing of the nations – healthy communities of Jesus-followers reaching out to people in need of meeting Jesus. As the Holy Spirit directs us here in Canada, and beyond. In Matthew 24 and 28 and Acts 1 Jesus points his disciples outward in their understanding – he was sending them out to the nations, to people unlike themselves. We want to pay attention to the direction of Jesus’ words, here, that all peoples should have access to the Kingdom story and to a healthy Christian community – within their reach. This image (above) is built on current research regarding the spread of the Gospel. It identifies the most unreached locations in the world (the green ones) – where pioneer mission work from outsiders is still required. That means there are not enough national Christians to effectively share the Jesus story, make disciples, and form congregations. The work that David and Jennifer Wright are doing in Niger is this kind of pioneer church planting ministry.

“It is current research, like this, on the spread of

General Conference Sunday afternoon workshop Global Ministry Partnerships with Dan Sheffield

In the orange countries, national Christians are doing fine, really, but appreciate the contribution of those who want to help them accomplish their goals. You’ll note that Canada is orange – we would be challenged to reach certain groupings of the Canadian population without participation from “outsiders” like Michael Tesema, Philippe Reichenbach, Sritharan Jeyerajah, Felix Chow, and Nathan Umazekabiri, who have become long-term partners in ministry with us.

Christianity that helps FMCIC leaders think through our global involvements. Where, and how many, missionaries should we be sending internationally? Where are strategic local-church-based partnerships more appropriate than long-term workers?”

Kenya is an orange country, where national leaders welcome Debbie Hogeboom’s specific contribution toward developing their pastoral leadership team. Linda Stryker’s medical facilitation work in war-torn Congo has been a welcomed contribution on the part of the General Conference there. Ghana is an orange country where Barrie Free Methodist Church has been significantly invested in ministry for almost 10 years. You will find our International Child Care Ministries is involved in ministry in each of these colours.

The map identifies another grouping (blue) where Christian testimony is at such a fledgling state that outside missionaries are required to work, partnered together with national Christians. Places like Thailand (where New Heights Church in Mission, BC has been working for many years), Cambodia (where Rev. Sok & Savy Em are working) and Sri Lanka (where a number of our churches have been involved since 2003).

It is current research, like this, on the spread of Christianity that helps FMCIC leaders think through our global involvements. Where, and how many, missionaries should we be sending internationally? Where are strategic local-church-based partnerships more appropriate than long-term workers? In light of substantial need, right here in Canada, are we being good stewards of both the workers and the financial resources that God’s people make available to us?

The purple countries are where national Christians are taking the initiative, with strength, but they value input and alongside-kind-of supportive involvement from outsiders. The FMC in India has welcomed the supportive work of New Horizons, Trulls Road and Crossroads churches, for more than a decade.

Dan Sheffield is the Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries for The Free Methodist Church in Canada | dan.sheffield@fmcic.ca

Visit Dan’s blog Culture and the Mission sheffield.typepad.com