Winter 2012 by Free Methodist Church In Canada

The Free Methodist Church in Canada | Winter 2012 | Volume 9, Issue 1

CONTENT COVER Is Joyful Obedience Possible? by Bishop Keith Elford PAGE 2 Editor’s Desk OUR HISTORY: Learning From The Past Canadian Missionary Pioneers: Rev Herbert E Randall by Dan Sheffield PAGE 3 Doing Our Part by Kim Henderson PAGES 4 & 5 Lessons to be learned from Hezekiah by Jared Siebert PAGE 6 Passages Does Anyone Want To Be Like You? by Sandy Crozier Giving Streams PAGE 7 Living Simply by Paula Moriarity Upcoming events PAGE 8 Canadian Ministry In South-East Asia by Dan Sheffield HISTORY VIDEO - ON THE WEBSITE Have you viewed the video celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Free Methodist ministry? You may find it a useful resource as an intro to our history or to use in membership classes. ::: www.fmcic.ca ::: [home page - last menu item on the left]

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.

IS JOYFUL OBEDIENCE POSSIBLE? BISHOP KEITH ELFORD

few Sundays ago when I worshipped at the church where I spoke, I was seated on the front row. During the singing time, I became aware of the person sitting behind me because of the enthusiasm with which he sang. It was obvious that he was unfamiliar with the tunes because he struggled to anticipate where the melodies went, but this wasn’t slowing him down. He sang with joyful enthusiasm anyway…and boy did he sing!

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“The goal is joyful obedience – where our hearts are tuned to sing with praise and to be receptive to the word of God when we gather to worship and our head and heart and hands-and-feet are eager to go out to serve others with grace and truth.”

During the greeting time, I was glad for the opportunity to see who it was. When I turned around, there was this young guy in his 20s (let’s call him Bill), with one of those big, joyful smiles that one can’t miss. Later, he caught up with me as I was walking to the fellowship area and excitedly told me that he had just recently accepted the Lord Jesus into his life, that he couldn’t get enough of Bible study (he was attending three) and that in a few weeks, he was going to be baptized! I’m still thinking about Bill several weeks later. There he was—right in the second row. His enthusiasm was evident. The question occurs to me: “Where will Bill be sitting five years from now? Fifteen or twenty years from now?” You may be wondering why I am wondering where he will be sitting in the future? Over the years, I have noticed that there is often (not always, but often) a correlation between where people sit in worship and the level of joy in their hearts. During my 24 years as a pastor, I have watched warmhearted, new (or renewed) Christians enter the worship area with enthusiasm and try to get a seat as close as they could to the front. Sadly, over time, I noticed as the fervor of some cooled, they moved farther back and were less engaged. Even more sadly, I saw the trend of sporadic attendance set in and then, some were no longer there. Others parked in a pew somewhere in “the back third,” and, with crossed arms, endured the service, so no one could say they didn’t “attend church.” In another church I attended, all the board members sat in “the back third” and the pastor was even back there for part of the service! The first four pews were empty. It Bishop’s Notes

MOSAIC

Reflecting the diversity of ministry expression within the Free Methodist family

Sent out weekly (normally on a Monday) via the listserv. You can access these and past Bishop Notes from the homepage of our website www.fmcic. ca or at: fmcic.ca/en/who-we-are/ bishop-notes

New SCOD Blog

FMCiC’s Study Commission on Doctrine (SCOD) has launched a new blog called “conneXion” to promote theological reflection and dialogue about topics that impact the Free Methodist Church in Canada and/or the Church in general. On it, you’ll find articles, reflections, book reviews and other written pieces posted with this goal in mind. http://fmcictheology.blogspot.com

was both bizarre and sad. Clearly, no one was going to bodily identify with what was front and center in the worship service. But I digress… Of course, it was on purpose! Got you thinking about where you sit, didn’t I?

in The Free Methodist Church in Canada through a rediscovering of the Wesleyan Means of Grace. There is a lot about Rodin’s book that points us in the right direction. He wrote it for leaders; we took his concepts and adapted them to discipleship. (To

Of course, my concern is not about seating patterns. It’s about heart transformation; the Lord Jesus desires that those who follow Him do so with joyful obedience. Earlier this year, I introduced the Network Leaders and Mentors to R. Scott Rodin’s book, The Servant Leader (Transforming People, Organizations and Communities) because of its value as a leadership book, and also for its central thesis - that the Lord Jesus is looking for leaders who will influence people to follow Him with joyful obedience.

understand what follows, see the accompanying chart below.)

You may remember that the 2011 General Conference assigned the Network Leaders, Mentors, and National Leadership Team (NLT) the task of renewing discipleship

The notion that was put forward at General Conference was that every disciple needs

Here is our working thesis: Every disciple has a relationship on four key levels: with God, with him/herself, with neighbours (both believing and not-yet believing), and with creation (i.e. with possessions like time, talent, and treasure, and with ecological concerns related to stewarding the Lord’s earth). Don’t you agree that this is a list of the essentials? But, read on...there’s more.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES ON PAGE 3 “JOYFUL OBEDIENCE”

Disciples Living in Joyful Obedience

MOSAIC 2

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Lisa Howden Managing Editor

Discipleship and other not-so-fun words

OUR HISTORY | LEARNING FROM THE PAST

I am very excited to announce that we are including a new feature column to the MOSAIC. “Our History; Learning from the past” will highlight stories about key figures who played a role in the formation and growth of the Free Methodist Church.

oot canals, personal income tax audits, flat tires, traffic jams and DISCIPLESHIP . . . well okay, maybe discipleship does not inspire the same bone-chilling fear as having holes drilled into your mouth or being audited – but it does share some similarities with my “not-so-fun” list of things above. Real discipleship, although spoken about readily enough, is not often practised. Why is that? When it is so clearly outlined in Jesus’ teachings? Here are some of my thoughts on the subject . . .

New to the MOSAIC!

We live in a world that is hurtling forward at break-neck speed (at least it feels like it at times!). Why do we need to look back? Who has the time to look back? But I think it is imperative that we take the time to reflect on where we have come from, how our identity

REV. HERBERT EDWARD RANDALL — (1865-1938) served as the founding missionary of the Holiness Movement Church in Egypt (1899-1906), participated in the early stages of the Pentecostal movement in Canada (1907-1911), and then returned to Egypt as a Pentecostal missionary (1912-1938). [For an in-depth

Tax Audits and Discipleship – you are vulnerable. Opening the books for someone to rifle through your financial life (even when you have nothing to hide) can leave you feeling exposed. Similarly, real discipleship requires you to form meaningful relationships. They have to be allowed “in” to your life – you have to be willing to expose your faults and failures. It requires humility and trust.

The first record of Randall’s missionary inclination is found in the minutes of a “Special Conference of The Holiness Movement (or Church)” held in Ottawa, Canada, April 28, 1896. Randall was 30 years old and unmarried. The record indicates, “Brother Randall feels called to foreign work.” It was at this conference of the fledgling Holiness Movement Church that a Missionary Committee was initially formed to send him.

Flat tires and Discipleship – you will be inconvenienced. There is never a “good” time to get a flat tire and likewise there are times when you will be called upon when it is not at all convenient, in fact, it will seem that your help is needed at the most inopportune time. I have found that God uses untimely situations to expose areas in my life that need to be adjusted. How I choose to react when faced with these conditions are often excellent indicators of my maturity level.

From this simple beginning, Herbert Randall’s life proceeds through a series of uniquely inter-connecting occurrences on the international stage. From rural eastern Ontario in the newly-minted Dominion of Canada (1867), to the churning spiritual environment within the worldwide holiness/higher-life/Keswick movement (1870s-1920s), the triumphalistic period of the British Empire following the Second Anglo-Sudan War (189698), and then eight years of pioneering village ministry during the British occupation of Ottoman Egypt (18991906).

Traffic jams and Discipleship – you will have to be patient. You sit and wait and wait ... and wait! You can’t see what the problem is up ahead and it can feel that nothing is changing. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tell us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” You can no more hurry along discipleship than you can ignore the cars stopped ahead of you on the road. Some lessons can only be learned while waiting uncomplainingly for God. Learning to endure even when the delay does not make sense requires patience. We have been commissioned – that’s all of us. God is calling us all to be disciplers – sometimes I believe that we think only those that “have it all together” and are spiritually mature are required to respond. But in Matthew 28 Jesus commissions all of us to make disciples, to experience first-hand the joy that comes from giving of ourselves to others and the incredible gift of partnering with Christ in kingdom building.

I hope that you will be inspired and challenged by these stories as we explore our past. Lisa Howden, Managing Editor | lisa.howden@fmcic.ca

CANADIAN MISSIONARY PIONEERS: REV HERBERT E. RANDALL, HOLINESS MOVEMENT CHURCH MISSIONARY TO EGYPT (1899-1906)*

Root Canals and Discipleship – they are painful. No one looks forward to the pain of having oral surgery, but unchecked the problems that seem minor now will eventually grow and become unmanageable. There is a cost to discipleship, it is inevitable that you will be hurt at some point during this process, people are fallible and will disappoint you. The amazing truth is that God will use pain, if we are willing, to mould us and make us more Christ-like.

Another aspect of changing tires is that it is hard work, the circumstances are rarely ideal . . . by the side of the road, in bad weather, watching for other vehicles, on an incline ... it takes effort and dedication to see it through as is the case with discipleship – it requires commitment.

has been shaped by those who have influenced our movement, what trends were present at the time and can they help us interpret anything about the current trends we are experiencing in society today? There is much we can learn about our Free Methodist identity from the past if we take the time to look.

examination of his life and ministry please see Dan Sheffield’s article in Canadian Journal of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, 2011]

Randall and his later HMC missionary colleagues were simply educated, with limited worldviews, but with a profound belief in the power of God to bring lives ‘from darkness to light,’ and of the Holy Spirit to provide the resources to sustain that light. It was Randall’s own quest for a greater ‘portion’ of the Holy Spirit that eventually led him back to Canada in 1906 where, in early 1907, he received a Pentecostal ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ at the Hebden Mission in Toronto, Ontario. Leaving behind the Holiness Movement Church, Randall went on to play, firstly, an instrumental role in the ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ of Aimee Kennedy (1907) [later, Aimee Semple McPherson, flamboyant founder of the International Foursquare Church], secondly, serving as a ministry colleague alongside the founders of Canadian Pentecostalism and finally, returning to Egypt to serve out his ministry life as one of the founders of the Pentecostal movement in that country. Randall came to recognize, very quickly, that “the country is open, as it has never been before, the people are ready to hear … everything points to the greatest opportunity that has ever been offered to the Church of God to seize this citadel of Mohammedism for Christ.” After two weeks on the ground in Egypt (1899), he was also convinced that the only kind of workers who will be successful here are those who are living in the experience of full salvation as Moslems will not readily give up their religion in which they have great confidence and veneration. They ask the question: ‘Have you anything to offer us better than what we have?’ Answer: ‘We offer a salvation from all sin, outward and inward – the very destruction of sin from the

Randall and his later HMC missionary colleagues were simply educated, with limited worldviews, but with a profound belief in the power of God to bring lives ‘from darkness to light,’ and of the Holy Spirit to provide the resources to sustain that light. heart, to be engaged in this present world, through Christ Jesus. And, of course, Randall says: “To this purity must be added the experience of Pentecostal power through the blessed Holy Ghost, and then we shall see signs and wonders in the name of Jesus.” The precise moment of Randall’s departure for Egypt was certainly precipitated by the results of the Anglo-Sudan War; in his mind, however, this was not an imperialistic impulse, but a heart conviction. This is the experience and the message that he had to offer to Coptic Christians in Egypt. Perhaps lacking real theological and missiological resources for engaging with Muslims, he quickly moved to focus his ministry among those who were Christian ‘in name only.’ This, in fact, was the preparation he had received in the Holiness Movement work back in rural Canada; the ability to communicate a conversion and holiness message to people with some degree of Christian literacy and cultural frame. At the same time Randall’s continual seeking for ‘more,’ appears to have been realized in his 1907 Pentecostal experience of ‘baptism in the Spirit with speaking in other tongues.’ This took him on a completely new life trajectory, leaving behind the now ‘limited’ experience of the Holiness Movement message. Eventually, however, Randall’s experience and motivation to ministry took him back to Egypt where he contributed to the growth of evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity for the rest of his life. In Egypt today the Holiness Movement/Free Methodist churches number roughly 130 congregations as does the Pentecostal Church. Dan Sheffield, Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries | dan.sheffield@fmcic.ca Note: The Holiness Movement Church merged with the Free Methodist Church in Canada in 1959; their work in Egypt became part of the Free Methodist family at that time.

3 MOSAIC

Kim Henderson Director of Personnel

DOING OUR PART

esus commissioned all of us to be disciple-makers: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20; NIV)

In the NIV, these verses appear under the subtitle of The Great Commission. Being equipped to work with Jesus in this is great. I do wonder, though, if we see the word ‘great’ and think that only the ‘great’ people can and should do this. That’s not what Jesus is saying. Perhaps we should think of this as The Everyday Commission – something all of us can and should do. The National Student Ministries Leadership Team* continues to do our part in making and developing disciples. We meet three or four times a year for connection, support, resource sharing, accountability and planning. Through prayer and experience, this team has decided upon two different week-end formats where we can partner in discipleship with leaders and parents. The first is STRONGER TOGETHER for pastors and leaders in youth ministry. The second is the SOURCE for students in grades 7-12 and leaders. The first offering of the SOURCE occurred in November 2011. The SOURCE will happen again in the fall of 2012 and STRONGER TOGETHER in the fall of 2013. The SOURCE happened as a result of listening when we were asked if there were going to be events specifically for Free Methodist youth, and prayer. One hundred youth and leaders from nine different Free Methodist churches gathered at Muskoka Bible Centre in Ontario November 11-13 to learn more of God’s story and how God’s story connects with their own stories. For some kids this was an introduction to God’s story. For others it was a deepening of how their story and God’s story intertwine. There were some significant breakthrough moments that moved us to tears.

JOYFUL OBEDIENCE continued from cover

to be discipled and to also have influence on others as a discipler. In his/her own life, everyone needs to be in ongoing discipleship that focuses them on their own relationship with God, with themselves, with others and with creation. (Column 1) Additionally, they need to influence the lives of those with whom they have discipleship relationships (perhaps mutually) on “head, heart and hands-and-feet” life commitments related to the four levels of discipleship relationships. (Column 2)

The guiding Scripture and theme for the SOURCE is John 15:4 ‘remain in me and I’ll remain in you’ and the tree was symbolic of that relationship: strong roots, fruit, seeds for reproduction and the need for pruning (see diagram bottom first column). The times we spent together for corporate worship and learning involved a variety of activities where everyone could examine, explore and express their understanding of their relationship with God. As Darrin and Wes taught, they unpacked the acronym ACTS in terms of relationship with God through prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Everyone then spent some time in prayer and participated in completing another tree. Cut-outs of leaves, fruit, nuts/ seeds and white stickers were available and everyone wrote at least one prayer on the appropriate cutout: • • • •

Leaves – Adoration Fruit – Thanksgiving Nuts/Seeds – Supplication (sometimes we need to wait on God for answers to our requests) White stickers – Confession

‘how do we really know that Jesus is real?’ Many of the questions were answered but like a few of the questions and requests written on the acorns on the tree, some questions are still ‘in wait’. I want to thank the Leadership Team once again for their excellent work in making this weekend happen (teaching, games, music, tuck, etc.) especially when many were there with their own youth groups. The feedback from youth and leaders alike was overwhelmingly positive (and we do have more ideas to make the event even more effective next time) and so the SOURCE will happen again. Please mark your calendars: Nov. 9-11 2012 at Muskoka Bible Centre near Huntsville, ON. We are reserving space for 120 – let’s see if we can max out! We know that event is a small aspect of discipleship in the lives of youth and leaders, but in this we are able to work alongside parents (the key disciplers in the lives of our youth), pastors and leaders for this generation to learn to be mature disciples who make disciples. That is The Everyday Commission. *Team members: Annette Smith, Trulls Road FMCCourtice, ON; Darrin Lindsay, Kingsview FMC – Toronto, ON; Kris Gowdy, Lakeview FMC – Saskatoon, SK; Luke Haggett, Smiths Falls FMC- Smiths Falls, ON; Todd Mollohan, Peterborough FMC – Peterborough, ON; Rick Hancock, Barrie FMC – Barrie, ON; Ryan Young, New Horizons Community Church – Sarnia ON; Susan Zerf, Whitby FMC – Whitby, ON; Wes Wood, Whitby FMC – Whitby, ON Rev. Kim Henderson is the Director of Personnel for The Free Methodist Church in Canada | kim.henderson@fmcic.ca

Then we filled the tree (see above diagram). Some of the prayers on that tree were really deep and profound. I still have the tree – I felt compelled to bring it back to Mississauga with me. The confessions on the white stickers were put on twigs and pieces of wood – representing the pruning that needs to happen. On Saturday evening Ryan led us in a time of release and forgiveness as we burned that wood with the stickers in a big bonfire. Another way to interact that spoke to a lot of leaders and kids was the chance to ask questions in a time facilitated by Ryan and Luke – and they asked real questions like

Leadership Scholarship Plan Deadline to submit your application for LSP is February 15 - visit the website for more information www.fmcic.ca Visit Pastoral Resources on the website For information on Clergy Care, Pastors Retreat Network, FMCiC Sabbatical Guidance and Application and New Lead Pastor Orientation Handbook

“...obedience is hard with little or no gratification… obedience is costly… requires follow through… insists that I give up control… requires resistance to the pull of the world and our bent to sinning.” obedient disciples. So, what are the hindrances? This is the foundational question that we asked before we considered the chart. I wanted our discussion to be grounded in reality – not abstraction. So we honestly asked ourselves: “What hinders me from being obedient?”

Finally, every disciple needs to be part of a congregation and Column 3 anticipates that they will have a positive influence on the congregation’s expression of its relationship to God, to the community within the church walls, to the community outside the church walls, and toward that which God has created and made available to humanity.

Here’s what we came up with: obedience is hard with little or no gratification… obedience is costly… requires follow through… insists that I give up control… requires resistance to the pull of the world and our bent to sinning. I will not be obedient if I have a rebellious spirit or if I lack love. I cannot obey if I am afraid to risk, if I lack commitment, or if I have paralyzing doubt. What do you think of this list? What would you add to it?

We’ve started discussing how each of these dimensions will be addressed, but it’s only a start as we are up against some formidable, God-sized challenges. Let me explain what I mean by asking the question this way: “What forces are at play in church culture and in Canadian culture that work to pull my passionate, new Christian friend Bill out of ‘second-row enthusiasm’ and, if possible, to distract him all the way back to the life from which he has been and is being saved?” The Network Leaders and Mentors are committed to finding ways to populate Christ’s kingdom with joyful,

We all know that it is one thing to be obedient, but it is another thing to be joyfully obedient. “So what” we asked ourselves, “are the hindrances to joyful obedience?” Here’s the list: Joy is hindered when there is a lack of forgiveness; legalism; sin; negativity; worry; fatigue; unhealthy expectations; constant time pressure; doubt; crippling from past failures; busyness; sickness and disease; confusion; lack of vision; a distorted perception of God, self and others; a lack of understanding of truth; a lack of

encouragement; a crisis of faith; a guilty conscience; lack of focus on God. What would you add to that list? Of course, we do not wrestle only against issues of humanity; there are also demonic principalities and powers that the Scriptures tell us are out to hinder and, if possible, destroy the work that God is doing in the world. Do you really think that it is possible to be a joyful, obedient Christian in Canada? The Network Leaders, Mentors and NLT would say: “We do!” We are on a journey to get a clear picture of what full-orbed discipleship looks like and we can already see how the practice of all the Wesleyan Means of Grace will help with this. By the way, the goal is not to get everyone sitting in the second row. You guessed that didn’t you. The goal is joyful obedience – where our hearts are tuned to sing with praise and to be receptive to the word of God when we gather to worship and our head and heart and hands-and-feet are eager to go out to serve others with grace and truth. By this, all will know that we are the Lord Jesus’ disciples.

Rev. Keith Elford is the Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada | keith.elford@fmcic.ca

MOSAIC 4

Lessons to be learned from

Hezekiah

Jared Siebert Director of Growth Ministries

AVE YOU EVER FELT A LITTLE RUSTY? You know you have the skills, but it’s been awhile... Tentative first steps – a few stumbles – remembering – and then

you’re finally back at it. No skill or discipline is immune from this phenomenon. “Use it or lose it” as the saying goes. Believe it or not our spiritual lives are also

not immune. In fact, several times in Israel’s history we see moments just like this; moments when core practices and disciplines fell into disuse and then needed to be recovered. In some cases the disuse was so deep they had forgotten entirely! For instance, during the reign of King Josiah the book of the law was re-discovered. Rediscovered?! How is it that a “people of the book,” a people of the law, could lose track of something so fundamental to their peoplehood that it was literally lost and then found again? Didn’t God say that the law was to be bound to their minds and hearts and shared with their children at every opportunity (Deuteronomy 11:18-21)? Didn’t God appoint priests and scribes so that they would preserve the law for each new generation? How then could they lose the law for so long that it had to be rediscovered? A few generations before that event Israel almost lost the Passover. The Passover!? You know, that yearly feast designed to remind Israel of their identity and destiny as a people. During the reign of King Hezekiah the Passover had to be reinstated because it had not been celebrated in many years. Even generations! Israel had to relearn the Passover. We are going to take a look at how it is that practices can be forgotten or lost and, through studying closely the story of King Hezekiah, learn what it takes to recover practices once they are lost.

So how is it that a spiritual practice can be lost? For the answer let’s turn to Israel’s history. What was going on in Israel that made it possible to lose the book of the law or the practice of the Passover? The big story to that point was this: Israel was called out of Egypt, they wandered the desert where they formed their national identity through covenants with God, they entered and took over the Promised Land, and once they were established immediately began falling away from God. The Bible describes this falling away period as time when “everyone did what was right in their own eyes” ( Judges 17:6). Into this situation God sent the judges who, for generations, attempted to bring God’s people back to himself. After a time Israel began looking for a king. Saul, the first king of Israel, did not return the people to God. He was replaced by David, who not only united the people of Israel into one Kingdom, but also united the religious life of all 12 tribes. Jerusalem became the centre both politically and spiritually. Jerusalem remained the centre through Solomon’s reign. However, Israel was divided the first few years of Solomon’s successor. From then on there were two kingdoms: Judah in the south and the Israel in the North. From then on it seemed like bad kings were followed by worse kings until finally the political and spiritual life of Israel was in shambles. Pagan practices quickly replaced the way of God. Just like their first king, Saul, Israel seemed determined to follow any other voice than that of God. With this as their collective compass heading generation after generation drifted farther and farther from the practices that made Israel Israel. Their drift was a combination of direct disobedience and basic neglect. So, once these practices are lost can they ever be recovered? Thankfully the answer seems to be yes. If we take a look at the account of King Hezekiah’s reforms we begin to see the steps necessary for recovering what went missing. Step 1 Intentionally Setting Ourselves to the Task King Hezekiah wasted no time. 2 Chronicles 29:3 says that “In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired

them.” Right out of the gate this king’s heart was to see Israel return to God. What shape his reforms would need to take was unclear. How far they would need to go. All that they would need to remember. All that they would need to change. All of that would emerge later. For now, the first step was to take the first step. King Hezekiah began with himself and the priests. They consecrated themselves and began cleaning house. A shift this large begins with leadership. Step 2 Make a Conscious Decision for This Present Generation Hezekiah’s second step was to instruct the leadership that they were to make a break from the practices of the past. Hezekiah knew that Israel’s troubles were at heart spiritual troubles. The fact that Israel had experienced war, invasion, and captivity was not merely a shift in the political balance of power in the region. Israel’s problems were at heart spiritual and not simply which nation carried the biggest stick. If Israel was to overcome her political problems she would first need to address her spiritual ones. Hezekiah knew that the mistakes of the generations that had gone on before could only be corrected if this generation decided to follow in God’s way. Each generation is responsible for making their own decision about following God. Step 3 Making a Public Call for a Response Hezekiah had laid the ground work with his priests. Through their efforts they quickly re-established

religious life in the temple. They were once again open for business. These early and resounding successes gave shape to what Hezekiah would do next. Hezekiah

A Methodist movement that struggles with discipleship and small groups! It’s almost like a hockey team that doesn’t remember how to skate! would make an appeal to the entire nation of Israel to return to God. His call to the Passover was made not only in the southern kingdom of Judah but also to all the other tribes of Israel. Hezekiah knew that he had only succeeded locally. Restoration, if it was to be a real restoration at all, was needed well outside the confines of Judah. So Hezekiah sent messengers out to all the twelve tribes. The invitation was met with two basic responses. The first, and perhaps most frequent, was scorn and mockery. The second response, though perhaps smaller in number, was genuine excitement. A large crowd from all over Israel gathered in Jerusalem and the Passover was a go. Step 4 Get Over Your Lack of Co-ordination Hezekiah’s priests were prepared. The people came. The party started. And like a skater after a long summer’s break things began to wobble. Yes, they were celebrating the Passover, but it was the wrong time of the year! Yes, they were excited to be there, but no one had properly prepared or consecrated themselves. Yes, things were off to a good start, but the elders who were required to offer sacrifices hadn’t shown up. The priests had to stand in for them. It wasn’t pretty, but it was happening. They were sincere in their efforts. God, as always, was incredibly gracious. In the end the party was a raving success and nobody got hurt. In fact, the energy was so high that the party lasted twice as long as it should have. Step 5 Courageously Following Through From this moment yet another, much more deeply

5 MOSAIC political and spiritual, reform followed. It was a reform so grand and sweeping that if a King of Judah had ever decided to do it on his own he would have risked open civil war. Those that left the Passover returned home and immediately set to work destroying the idols and shrines in their towns and villages. This was a deep clean. Areas of idol worship that had survived previous generation’s attempts at reform were finally destroyed. And that’s not all. The people’s generosity grew. They began giving regularly to the temple. Quickly the priests were overwhelmed with it all and had to make room for all that the people brought to the temple. Sometimes the most important things a people needs cannot be forced by leadership. Deep cleans require voluntary, even joyful, obedience. Step 6 Remaining Vigilant You might expect that the passage ends here with a “and they lived happily ever after!” It doesn’t. This is, after all, a real story about real people and not simply a fairy tale. Hot on the heels of the Israel’s spiritual deep clean Sennacherib began his attack on Israel. His successful assault called into question whether it had all been worth while. However, God was with His people and enabled Hezekiah and His people to stand firm. And it all ended there? Well not quite. Hezekiah, in his later life, after reminiscing about all that God did in and through him, let pride creep in. He very nearly lost it all. A repentant heart saved himself and Israel from certain disaster. When it comes to following God we can never let our guard down. The temptations away from God surround us. Rust is always waiting to crust over any well meaning practice. So what does all of this have to do with Free Methodists in Canada? Why should we care about something that happened thousands of years ago? Oddly enough it has everything to do with us. Believe it or not we have become a little rusty in some areas. Don’t believe me? Think about this… Awhile ago I was approached by someone from another denomination that was looking to deepen their small group practices. He came to me because he figured that if any denomination has it all figured out in the small group and discipleship department it would be us. After all it was our methodical approach to discipleship, done in small groups, that made our denomination the powerhouse it was in the 1700s and 1800s. It’s what we are known for. Surely we must be the go-to people for small group how-tos. Right? He was more than a little disappointed with the answer. Most of our churches struggle to have even half of their people in small groups. Those of us that are in small groups do not see the life transformation we had come to expect in the past. Imagine that! A Methodist movement that struggles with discipleship and small groups! It’s almost like a hockey team that doesn’t remember how to skate! Like an Israel that doesn’t remember how to do the Passover! Take note Alanis – this is ironic.

A repentant heart saved Hezekiah and Israel from certain disaster. When it comes to following God we can never let our guard down. The temptations away from God surround us. Rust is always waiting to crust over any well meaning practice.

Over the past number of years, leaders of our movement have come together to ponder our life together. We called it the Systems Analysis Task Team. I know , catchy title, right? Our leaders are concerned. They are concerned that our lives together as a church are not producing the kind of disciples we want to be producing. When we watch our churches in conflict we see Christians fighting bitterly and at times needlessly. In some cases we are watching Christians walk away from the church entirely. The kingdom, through us, once grew explosively 100 years ago and now it seems a trickle. The quality of our love for each other, the depth of our prayer, the evidence of Bible-shaped/Spirit-led lives, the earnestness of our faith, all leave something to be desired. In short, we need to pay attention before this becomes a full-fledged drift away from God. Practices that historically kept our game sharp are showing signs of rusting over. We need to pay attention.

We are inviting all Free Methodists to participate in the practices that have helped shape us in the past. That’s why the Hezekiah story is for us. While things might not be as bad for the FMCiC as they were in the days of Hezekiah we can still take a pointer or two. For instance, it would be comforting to blame our church situation on the secularization of Canada or some other external force - but we won’t. We need to start with ourselves. We need to see the spiritual challenges that we ourselves are creating. Because of this our leaders are taking it upon themselves to get ready. The Bishop, the National Leadership Team, the Board of Administration, the Network leaders, the Pastors, etc… We are all committed to seeing FM return to God in our generation. We are in the process of making a public call for a response through our last general conference, through Board focus, through our communication channels, through Regional Gatherings, and through our Pastor’s Networks. We are inviting all Free Methodists to participate in the practices that have helped shaped us in the past. This may not be totally coordinated and beautiful but we are sincere. After all, we know that God is gracious. We also know that what must follow is a voluntary, even joyful, obedience to the life God calls us to. This is all going to require follow through! Leadership can only create the environment. It is up to the people to carry this to their own towns and neighbourhoods. And in the end we will need to remain vigilant and not let up for even a second. We are going to have to sharpen up and stay sharp. God being our helper. Stay tuned to the rest of this issue of the MOSAIC to hear what others are saying about our plan for deepening discipleship. Rev. Jared Siebert is the Director of Church Development for The Free Methodist Church in Canada | jared.siebert@fmcic.ca

JOIN THE 100 Church Challenge! As a movement we are putting out a call to 100 churches to support church planting across our country by giving $3700/year – that`s $308/month; or $10.15 a day to the Church Development Giving Stream. Church Planting is vital to the ongoing health and sustainability of our movement. Can we count you in? Contact the Growth Ministries department davika.dotson@fmcic.ca or by calling 905.848.2600 ext 205 to donate.

SEABASS TRAVELCAST

Follow Jared as he chats with church planters and leaders about their stories www.youtube.com/user/SeabassTravelcast

JARED’S TWITTER FEED jaredsiebert

WESLEYAN MEANS OF GRACE NEW TO CHURCH DEVELOPMENT SECTION OF WEBSITE

www.fmcic.ca/en/church-development We have added a new heading under the “Church Development” section entitled Discipleship Resources. You will find the newly developed God’s Grace Channels, a study guide for introducing the Wesleyan Means of Grace.

SUGGESTED READS FROM JARED Go Make Learners: A new model for discipleship in the church by Robert Brow

A Model for Making Disciples: John Wesley’s Class Meeting by D. Michael Henderson

MOSAIC 6

PASSAGES APPOINTMENTS Alan Adams – Interim Executive Director of Maple Grove Christian Retreat Centre, effective November 3, 2011 Geoffrey Holt – Assistant Pastor, London FMC, London, ON, effective November 28, 2011 Joe Jobin – Lead Pastor, Church on the Hill, Orillia, ON, effective November 1, 2011 Will Keller – Interim Pastor, Marmora FMC, Marmora, ON, effective December 1, 2011 Craig MacInnis – Associate Pastor, The FreeWay, Oshawa, ON, effective January 1, 2012 Kevan Sears – Lead Pastor, Wawota FMC, Wawota, SK, effective December 1, 2011 Jane Trivers – Assistant Pastor, Church of the Holy Spirit, Fort Frances, ON, effective November 15, 2011

TRANSFER-IN AS ORDAINED MINISTER APPROVED Rony Brumaire (Pastor-EML Tabernacle de la Grace, Montreal) from World Wide Church of God, effective December 22, 2011

NEW MEGAP COMMITTEE MEMBERS Tom Gurnick (Pastor, Queensway FMC, Niagara Falls, replacing Barry Taylor, effective October 20, 2011) Edrice Clermy (Pastor, l’Eglise Evangelique des Mille-Iles in Laval, Quebec, replacing Raynal JeanCharles, effective December 16, 2011)

CHURCHES IN TRANSITION Avonlea FMC, Avonlea, SK Barrie FMC, Barrie, ON Campbellford FMC, Campbellford, ON Cornerstone Community Church, Almonte, ON Harrowsmith FMC, Harrowsmith ON

Sandy Crozier Stewardship Development Director

DOES ANYONE WANT TO BE LIKE YOU?

HIS IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION – especially since the theme of this MOSAIC issue is Discipleship. Christian discipleship is part of the journey by which we conform to the Image of our Christ. Discipleship is wanting to be like Jesus – and living it out in everyday life and relationships – including how we steward our time, talents and treasures.

“D

oes anyone want to be like you in your Debt?”

The Canadian household debt hit 1.4 trillion dollars in 2010. In a report issued by the Vanier Institute, that is an average accumulated debt per household of over $100,000. According to the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, if the debt were spread across all Canadians, each person would owe $41,740 (that’s two-and-a-half times more than two decades ago). Our culture has been encouraging us to live well beyond our means – and turning to debt in order to pay for it. But the Bible says that debt is like slavery. And Christ calls us to be free from all bondages – so that we can become His bondservants. When you look at the amount of debt we may be carrying (whether as an individual, family or church) – and the stress, fear, and bondage it brings – you wonder why anyone would want to be like us. There is no lasting joy in this type of bondage.

Lakeview FMC, Saskatoon, SK

No matter what you think of the “Occupy” movement going on, it is a response to the way we are living and the choices we are making. I read that in Occupy Calgary there was a banner at the site:

Marmora FMC, Marmora, ON Pine Grove FMC, Seeley’s Bay, ON Prince Edward County FMC, Picton, ON Rosemont FMC, Montreal, QC Wesley Chapel, Toronto, ON

“Stop Spending. Start Living.” What strikes me about these words is that they echo words spoken thousands of years earlier – stop coveting what your neighbour has and live thankfully with what your God has provided (paraphrased by me).

They say a picture is worth a thousand words . . . so check out the FMC Photo Gallery and see what we’re saying . . .

1. Network Leaders training session at Mount Carmel in Niagara Falls, ON 2. Shiloh Community Church in Seeley’s Bay, ON 3. Aid arrives after a devastating flood in the Philippines

www.flickr.com/ photos/fmc-gallery/

Giving Streams ... how it works

Acting upon our connectional value, Free Methodist churches in Canada – together – support a number of ministry areas that maximize our impact beyond our local churches. Each church, at the local level, decides what contributions will be made and where those funds will be directed. These “together” ministries allow our influence to expand throughout Canada and beyond. Please visit the website for more information or contact the Ministry Centre at info@fmcic.ca

Living beyond our means is about being dissatisfied with what God has given us. It is about greed, envy, dissatisfaction. There is a reason it is part of the Ten Commandments and therefore summed up in the greatest commands of “Loving God with all our heart, mind, strength and soul, and loving our neighbour as ourselves.” And it is one of the biggest obstacles in our Christian discipleship. Even John Wesley disciples us to ‘stop spending and start living’. Wesley’s message of hope for transformation to a poverty-stricken working class, was to: “Save all you can, by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire; and waste nothing on sin or folly, whether for yourself or your children.” But this message is not just for those in bondage to debt. You can have no debt at all – but still be in bondage to materialism and consumerism – to your stuff. The need to have not just more but better stuff than your neighbour devalues them and holds your heart captive to selfishness. When you stop spending and start living – living rich towards God – you are now free to be generous. “Does anyone want to be like you in your Generosity?” This might be the more important question to ask about our discipleship.

When we give is it with conditions? Do we only give when the church is doing the ministry we think is important? Or do we give out of our left-overs – when all the bills and toys are paid?

We do not give in order to be blessed by God – but rather because we already are so blessed by God. The reason why generosity is so important in our discipleship is because it is what God uses to root out selfishness from our hearts. We may first give as a discipline (training wheels), but as our hearts are freed from selfishness, we start to give from a blessed heart. We do not give in order to be blessed by God – but rather because we already are so blessed by God. Generosity is a critical part of our spiritual formation. It is how we are conformed into the image of His Son. So, I ask the question again…. Does anyone want to be like you in your generosity? Sandy Crozier, Stewardship Development Director for The Free Methodist Church in Canada| sandy.crozier@fmcic.ca

PERSONAL STEWARDSHIP DOWNLOADS

Visit the website to access great resources like: Biblical Principles on Stewardship of Money, Budgeting Workbook, Monthly Cash Flow Plan, 6 Questions Every Smart Borrower Asks and John Wesley’s Sermon 50 - The Use of Money ::: www.fmcic.ca > Stewardship Ministries” > Resources

7 MOSAIC THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES FROM PAGE 8

UPCOMING EVENTS

“SOUTH-EAST ASIA”

Mark your calendar

Cambodia, a largely Buddhist country of 15 million people, is still one of the most unreached countries in SE Asia with only 1.6% evangelical Christians

Paula Moriarity International Child Care Ministries Director

LIVING SIMPLY Who’s invited • • • • •

Ministers (ordained, commissioned) Delegates, Board chairs Ministerial Candidates Retired Ministers Lay Ministers

Purposes • To introduce local church leaders to one another so that they can build relationships and potentially give assistance to one another • To vision-cast to lay leaders and pastors between General Conferences • To increase missional momentum, and counter-act feelings of isolation • To facilitate the formation of partnerships through which local churches in a region might respond to the possibility of planting a church in Canada or sending out a cross-cultural worker to a ministry beyond Canada or helping one another (e.g. work teams to help one another with construction projects) in other ways

2012 Regional Gatherings Theme: Conflict Resolution March 17

Quebec – Rosemont, Montreal

March 24

South/Southwest Ontario – Brantford

March 31

Eastern Ontario – Smiths Falls

April 14

Central Ontario – Wesley Chapel

April 21

Saskatchewan/Manitoba – Arlington Beach Camp

May 5

Northwestern Ontario/Winnipeg – Dryden

May 12

Northern Ontario – Sault Ste Marie

May 26

British Columbia – Merritt, Nicola Valley Evangelical Free Church

June 2

Alberta – Ellice

2012 Ministers Conference Theme: The Missional Church September 25 - 27 Wesley Acres, Bloomfield, ON October 2 – 4 Entheos Retreat Centre, Calgary, AB

Video blog This is one of the ways in which we communicate what’s been taking place - you can access current and past video blogs from our homepage www.fmcic.ca or at: www.fmcic.ca/en/who-we-are/fm-video-blog

Pastor’s and Delegates Listserv

Pastors Listserv – The Free Methodist Church in Canada’s e-mail forum is our primary, front-line communication tool. We are all responsible to read Ministry Centre announcements that are made to us through this means. All ministerial members of the General Conference, all appointed pastors and all ministerial candidates are automatically enrolled on the Pastors’ Listserv. If you have changed your email address or are currently not receiving any correspondence from the listserv please contact Marcia Goldstein | marcia.goldstein@fmcic.ca

am not sure about your life’s experience this past year, but for me the theme can be summed up in two words - living simply. Conferences, sermons, books and conversations have revolved around living simply. As I travel to our global ICCM offices, I am bombarded with examples of living simply. When I walk into a child’s home, my eyes see one sitting room where all people are welcome. We are given simple meals of butter and bread and a cup of tea. We sit in a simple home with only a few pieces of furniture while the host family huddles together on wooden chairs – a simple home that pours out Christ’s love and hospitality.

Cambodia, a largely Buddhist country of 15 million people, is

We walk across the dirt road to an ICCM school. As I look inside I see wooden tables, benches and a blackboard – a simple learning environment for the children. When I visit a church, I experience authentic worship where followers come to be fed spiritually – their faith is simple. I see plastic chairs, a few musical instruments that I recognize and some I don’t. Many people travel great distances by taking the bus or walking. I recognize that their hearts are joined in unity – a simple church with authentic worship who are followers of Jesus. And then I come home – I walk through Pearson airport, get into my car and drive home on Highway 401. I quickly realize that there is nothing simple about this. So many things have already distorted my view of simplicity – to do lists, email messages, phone calls, meetings… I am far from that living simply mantra and yearn to be back there. So perhaps there is something I can learn from my brothers and sisters abroad. Maybe I need to make some personal decisions about living simply. I have been motivated by my role here at ICCM and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Every time I travel to one of our countries, I lose a piece of me and come back changed. Whether in the Kibera slums listening to the children recite scripture verses or playing cricket with the boys in the Bangalore Hostel in India or talking to teens in Sri Lanka whose parents are pastors and because of how they have experienced servanthood from their parents, they have also decided to serve in the church. The ministry of ICCM has shown God’s love by educating, feeding and clothing children in dark places around the world; such simple things that we would take for granted. Imagine if we began to think about living simply and how we, as a catalytic movement, could impact the future generation of leaders in the world. For further information about how you or your church can partner with child please contact ICCM | iccm@ fmcic.ca or www.childcareministries.net

What’s Paula reading?

Delegate Listserv – If you are a delegate of a Free Methodist Church in Canada we ask that you sign up for this list (if you have not already). This helps us ensure that information is being received by our local churches. You will receive a copy of the Bishop’s weekly notes as well as any communication from the Ministry Centre. The delegate list is our primary, front-line communication tool. It is important that you read Ministry Centre announcements that are made through this means.

years in Cambodia as church planters, team leaders and pastoral trainers – sent out by the Philippines General Conference, but financially supported by the Hong Kong FM churches. Recently that funding has fallen away and the Margins have had to return to The Philippines. But that isn’t the end of the story!!

Living Mission The vision and voices of new friars Scott Bessenecker

Make poverty personal: Taking the poor as seriously as the Bible does Ash Barker

CAMBODIA: Phillipine Missionaries Joel and Grace Margin

still one of the most unreached countries in SE Asia with only 1.6% evangelical Christians, although the growth rate is 8.8%/ year (compare with Canada, 0.8%). Cambodian Christian leaders identify the development of mature Christian leaders as the greatest challenge for the growing church in their country. Interestingly, this is exactly the challenge that Canadian FM missionaries to Cambodia, Rev Sok and Savy Em, have been focusing on. The Tahas Bible Institute in Kampong Chhnang, led by Sok Em, is a modular program that brings local church leaders (lay leaders, in the absence of trained pastors) together for two weeks of instruction a number of times a year, and then Sok visits them in-between to provide on-site coaching and development. And it is to this work at Tahas that Sok has invited Joel and Grace Margin. The Margins have previously taught courses at Tahas, where Cambodian FM lay leaders and pastors have been trained, and Sok would like them to return full-time as leadership partners in this ministry. This was the purpose of my visit with the Bishop of The Philippines General Conference and the Margins. Since several Canadian churches have been involved in supporting the work of Sok & Savy, and in the course of these partnerships, have also been graciously served by Joel and Grace, The Philippines General Conference is inviting Canadian FM churches to join with them in supporting and sending the Margins back to Cambodia. As I reflect on this trip to SE Asia, I am constantly reminded that the call to mission engagement in our world is no longer a Westerndominated task. In each of the settings where I visited Canadians (of Euro-background and Asian-background), they are engaged in inter-dependent relationships with national Christians who are part of our international Free Methodist family. In each case the ministry partnership is led by national Christians, with Canadians just ‘joining in.’

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

MOSAIC 8

Global Ministries thinking globally, working locally

Dan Sheffield Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries

CANADIAN MINISTRY IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA | DAN SHEFFIELD

TAPEI, TAIWAN

IN NOVEMBER I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TRAVELLING IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA TO VISIT SEVERAL WORKERS WHO ARE SENT OUT AND SUPPORTED BY CANADIAN FM CHURCHES.

Adam and Ashley have been working closely with Pastor Jonny in the Bucana neighbourhood of Davao, a typical urban barrio. Alongside a team of young adults from the congregation they have been conducting primary healthcare ministry in a combination of discipleship, healthcare training and house to house visitation.

irst stop was Taipei, Taiwan where Chris and Terri Payk (plus Kent & Anna!) have been living for the past two and a half years. They have been sent there by their local church – Rice Road Community Church in Welland, ON – as well as a small group of other churches in southern Ontario who are supportive of their ministry. Rice Road CC has been involved in a partnership with Muzha FMC in Taipei since 2006, when they first sent a small team to explore ministry opportunities. Taiwan is a country dominated by a unique religious blend of Buddhism, Daoism and Taiwanese folk religion. Almost 90% of the population practice some combination of these elements. Evangelicals represent only 2.8% of the population, although Christian leaders are reporting new growth, unprecedented in the last several decades. One of the most significant needs for the evangelical church in Taiwan is the development and deployment of pastors. Many existing congregations, particularly outside the largest urban areas, do not have a pastor and the present growth of Christian congregations will require trained leaders into the foreseeable future. Chris and Terri have a vision for developing these needed Christian leaders. Following two years of committed language and culture acquisition at a university, just a 10 minute walk away from the Muzha church (I know – I walked it!), Chris is now serving as an associate pastor, alongside Pastor Daniel Luo.

Taiwan is a country dominated by a unique religious blend of Buddhism, Daoism and Taiwanese folk religion. Almost 90% of the population practice some combination of these elements. In my conversation with Chris he indicated that “I can’t participate in training pastors for ministry in the Taiwanese context, if I don’t understand the challenges of communicating the Christian faith to Taiwanese people, and the rigours of ministry in the intense urban world of Taipei (a city of almost 3 million people).”

A highlight of the trip to the Philippines was to spend a few hours with Bishop Jim Tuan and his wife Ruth, as well as veteran missionaries to Cambodia, Pastors Joel and Grace Margin. Joel and Grace have served for ten

TAIWAN: Chris and Terri Payk with their son, Kent and Pastor Daniel Lo

The Payks will return to Canada briefly this summer and then head back to Taipei in the fall where they anticipate another stage in their understanding of the Taiwanese context. Chris and Terri previously taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in South Korea, and intend to take up employment in Taipei in this field. Like many other people in the Muzha church they will live busy lives all day long – sharing their faith in the marketplace – as well as seeking to make a contribution to the ministry life of their local church. But now they will do this with an in-depth understanding of the language and culture, a piece missing from most people who take ESL teaching jobs. Next stop was Davao City, The Philippines where Adam and Ashley Curtis have been living since March 2011. Sent by the Peterborough FMC and a small group of other supportive churches, they have been working alongside veteran American FM missionaries, Fred and Barb Adams. The Adams’ have been long-time friends of the Peterborough FMC and Pastor Lloyd Eyre. Ashley previously served a 3-month rotation at a Davao hospital as part of her nursing training program. The Philippines has a unique place in the Asian context. Long a colony of Spain (1565-1898), that occupation was replaced by the United States (1898-1946). At this time more than 92% of Filipinos identify as Christians of some sort, mostly Catholic, with evangelicals at 12.3% (compare with Canada, 7.7%). But another 25% of Filipinos identify with some kind of CharismaticPentecostal grouping, many of which are a combination of Catholic, Protestant or Independent worldviews.

PHILIPPINES: (left to right) Pastor and Mrs. Jonny Campos with Adam and Ashley Curtis THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES ON PAGE 7 “SOUTH-EAST ASIA”

The Evangelical Missiological Society recently published a book in which Dan’s article, “Can Multicultural Social Theory help us in leading Multicultural faith communities?” was the first chapter featured. Reflecting God’s Glory Together Diversity in Evangelical Mission download Dan’s article

http://sheffield.typepad.com/files/canmulticultural-social-theory-ems.pdf

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