live A Baptist resource for women on a mission March - April 2021 · $3.50
INSPIRING GOOD
live
in this issue
cONNECTING
COLUMNS 2 CONNECTING BIBLE STUDY 7 Inspired Good Choices 23 A History Moment 23 We Remember
features CONNECT TO GOD 3 God is in the Room Always. Now. 5 A Pebble in My Shoe Beginning to talk with God connect to mission 10 A Firm Foundation Anchoring the journey to racial justice 12 Lavish Hospitality Drawn into redemption’s drama 13 A Window on Latin America 14 Christmas Cards, Drive-By Visits and Cards Inspired good during pandemic- shaped days 16 God’s Good Expanding our understanding of community 17 Sunday, Before Dawn 18 Sparking Hope Through Literacy Charlotte’s Story RESOURCES 20 Encourage Love | Inspire Good Program for Baptist Women’s Spring Conference 21 Acting on God’s promises together Expressing our theme through art 22 Global Conference of Baptist Women Online Conference Cover photo credit: Pixabay.com/MarinaPershina
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When I work on an issue of live magazine, I feel like I’ve been to church. I’ve worshipped, listened to amazing testimonies and been convicted. Most of all, I remember that I’m not alone in my pursuit or my calling—I travel in the company of sisters. This issue was no different. May I offer you some nuggets? The inspiration to do God’s good—inspired good—emerges out of a life attentive to His presence. Kathy Gust’s feature and Linda Ellsworth’s Bible study remind me of this truth. When I spoke with women missionaries from the Women’s Missionary Auxillary of the Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association, I was struck by how these women all have roots that grow deep in their respective churches and towns. God’s good comes out of lives committed to a specific place and to a specific community—for the long haul. Holding this long view on a community and its history shapes the space within which God’s good flourishes. Finally, my ability to offer inspired good requires me to read the Word and choose to learn the Way of Jesus. What good do I actually offer or inspire if I’m not grounded in the Bible? Rev. Denise Gillard, Susan Plumridge and Victoria Mok highlight my need to slow down and become open to what offering inspired good, and inspiring good, really means. Truly God’s ways are not my ways nor are His thoughts my thoughts. Am I humble enough? Are you? RJ
VOLUME 94, NUMBER 2
live (formerly The Link & Visitor) began as The Canadian Missionary Link (1878) and Baptist Visitor (1890). Published bi-monthly by Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec 5 International Blvd., Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 416-620-2954 Fax 416-622-2308 bwoq@baptist.ca baptistwomen.com Executive director Rev. Diane McBeth Editor and communications director Renée James 416-651-8967 rsejames@gmail.com Art director Donna Lee Pancorvo of GEPM Group Inc. (gepmgroup.com) Contributors Linda Ellsworth, Rev. Denise Gillard, Kathy Gust, Alicia Jung, Victoria Mok, Christine Pennylegion, Susan Plumridge, Rev. Tina Rae, Morgan Wolf Circulation and subscriptions Subscriptions 416-620-2954 live@baptist.ca Subscriptions Individual: $20* (direct or through promoters) US & overseas: $39 All currency in $C unless otherwise noted. The publication of comments, opinions or advertising does not necessarily imply CBWOQ agreement or endorsement. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in print or on websites without permission. Advertising inquiries and freelance submissions should be addressed to the editor. Member, Canadian Church Press. ISSN 2293-5096. Canada Post Customer Number 1008592. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada for our publishing activities. *includes HST
CONNECT TO GOD
God is in the Room Always. Now.
It begins with desire.
Wherever you are, there is a gentle, kind, loving, compassionate, peaceful Presence with you. A Presence who longs for you to experience love, hope, peace, freedom, joy. One who is even better than the best you can imagine Him to be. Our Helper, Deliverer, Friend, Saviour . . . Lord. It sounds amazing, doesn’t it? To have One with us who is so good? Is there a way to become more aware of God’s presence? To increasingly allow His presence to inform and guide us in our daily lives? To more closely align with the Way of Jesus in paying attention to God and then responding to His invitation, presence and action? It begins with desire Do you want to notice and be led by God? Why? Why not? As you explore your motivations, consider if you are: • Feeling uninspired Practicing the art of noticing God (discernment) is intriguing and can spark incredible creativity as we perceive the ultimate Creator.
by Kathy Gust A spiritual director, Kathy led a workshop on different types of prayer at our 2020 Women’s Conference. You’ll find the video on Baptist Women’s YouTube channel.
Unsplash.com/StephanieHarvey
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• Wanting to experience more vibrancy of life. God is the source of all life and the more we spend time with and know Him, the more fullness of life we experience. • Wondering how to discover one’s authentic self. Connecting with the One who created you helps you to understand who you are and gives you courage to release the things that don’t belong. • Ready to see more of God’s kingdom. We are invited to partner with God through noticing and responding to His presence and action in daily life. • Wanting to follow the Way of Jesus. Jesus lived a life of consistent connection with the living God. • Desiring a healthy relationship with God. Healthy relationships require noticing, listening, responding, and spending time with each other. • Wanting a life marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. This is the result of a life lived with the Holy Spirit. There are barriers It’s important to be aware that there are barriers that work against our motivation to experience more of God’s presence. As you explore what might be a barrier for you, consider:
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• Does your attention span have room to notice God’s often subtle presence or are you too busy with other things? • How do you respond to the unknown? Fear of the unknown can make us purposefully close our eyes to God’s action in our lives. • Are you concerned that if you try to notice God in your everyday life you’ll end up believing things that aren’t true and live in delusion? • Do you struggle with making decisions? Sometimes we don’t want to hear from God because we’re afraid He’ll ask us to do something we don’t want and then we’ll need to make a difficult decision. • Do you struggle with believing that God is real, good, or able to guide you? • Do you fear disappointment? Sometimes we don’t risk taking God up on His Word for fear of being disappointed. • Do you struggle with perfectionism? Noticing God’s presence is a skill like anything else . . . it takes practice, mistakes happen, and we risk feeling foolish in the process. Noticing His presence The good news is that the better we know God, the easier it is to notice His presence. In human relationships, the more we know
someone, the easier it is to pick out their voice in a crowd, to recognize them when we’re walking down the street, to find them when we need them. Healthy relationships foster love and trust. Deep relationships give us a sense of satisfaction and safety in being together. It is the same with God. You are not abandoned. Being able to live a life connected with God is a promise of the Gospel that is freely offered and requires your response. If we want to say “yes” to living the Way Jesus lived, we’ll need courage, faith, discernment, humility and trust that God will lead and guide us into all truth. Something I love about Jesus is that He meets us exactly where we are. Do you need more courage, faith, discernment, trust? Do you desire a greater capacity to notice and connect with God? Seek and ask God for these things. Do some of the barriers seem insurmountable? Share your concerns with Him. Pay attention to what happens next as you live your life with an increased awareness of your desire to notice and respond to God. Remember that not only are you longing for more of God in your life . . . He is longing for more of you in His.
CONNECT TO GOD
A Pebble in My Shoe Beginning to talk with God
My pen hovered over the blank page in trepidation for a moment before I wrote the words in the scrawl of an inconsistent ballpoint pen. “Lord, is there anything You want to say to me?” The question stared back at me blankly. I tapped the end of the pen on the miles of empty page and waited. A seemingly random word or two came to my mind—the beginning of a sentence— not even a complete thought. I hesitated, unsure if I should write it down. Was that God? It seemed so incredibly presumptuous to assume. What if I was wrong? What if I wasn’t? The words came piecemeal. As though the Holy Spirit were giving dictation to a slow typist or perhaps just a slow listener . . . He waits for me to write down what He’s given, before He says anything more. I used to be jealous of Christians who had a clear sense of what God was saying to them personally. Not just a timely Bible verse that came to mind—nothing against that, of course—but
God was speaking to me already.
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some people really seemed to talk with God instead of at Him, as I did. They would say confidently, “The Lord showed me . . . ” “The Lord said—not audibly—,” they’d carefully caveat, before sharing a testimony of their personal relationship with Jesus. It made me jealous. After all, I was a Christian, too. I prayed. I talked to God. Why did they have such a clear sense of Him while I usually felt like I was leaving a voicemail? Little did I know that this niggling dissatisfaction with the status quo of my prayer life—and my hunger to have what others did—was God speaking to me already, though I couldn’t discern it. The unresolved disquiet wasn’t my soul crying out, but rather the Spirit speaking to one who wasn’t used to listening, and couldn’t discern the language. My hearing has gotten a little better over time, and I’ve come to recognize that God’s voice is like
by Morgan Wolf Morgan is a writer from Calgary. She blogs about her faith and writing at anothergratuitousmdash.blogspot. ca. Morgan has just published her book, Altruism in Gophers. Unsplash.com/AlvisTaurens
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a pebble in my shoe. A tiny distracting thought that looms larger and larger until I fully consider it. Sometimes it is a pebble of conviction that cuts, or a warning to pause and examine. Other times it is a comforting reminder to take off my shoes because the ground I’ve wandered onto is holy. This type of listening is unfamiliar territory particularly for those of us in the evangelical tradition. We want clear direction, well-enunciated, (preferably with a Scripture reference), so that we won’t make a mistake. We don’t want to have to guess. We don’t want to have to practice discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit if practicing involves the risk of getting it wrong. We don’t want others to think we’ve wandered off into questionable realms. We want everything we hear from God to be obvious to all and approved by the majority. But, the thing of it is, no one else
can feel a pebble in your shoe. No one else can feel the unyielding sharp stone of conviction that brings about repentance. No one else can have your personal relationship with Jesus for you. God is like an untameable continent upon whose shores we arrive after passing from death to life. Certainly, one could stay on the soft sand looking backwards over the uncrossable distance by which she has come, rather than venturing into the undiscovered country. And yet, some irresistible magnetism beckons in a language we’ve yet to learn . . . to adventure into the Unknown. The Deep calls out to the deep places within us until we resolve to become pilgrims in the Wilderness of God, discerning the language of heaven. And so, I scrawl the words of the question day after day. “Lord, is there anything that you want to say to me?”
BIBLE STUDY
Inspired Good Choices Encourage Love | Inspire Good Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. ~ Hebrews 10:23-24 (ESV
Within a lifetime, we make millions of decisions. Typically, we base our decisions on a variety of factors: the societal norms and family into which we are born; our up-bringing; our moral, ethical and religious beliefs; our career/employment and standard of living; our health; the influence of church, friends and family; our reading material and social media interactions and our leisure activities, to name but a few. As followers of Christ, how do we discern good from evil; justice from injustice; a godly decision from a humanly “good” decision? What governs our choices? To which voices do we listen? READ I Corinthians 2 In verses 1-4 Paul describes his demeanour and approach when he first came to speak to the new believers at Corinth. Name the approaches he did NOT use in speaking to the church: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Verses 4b and 5 describe Paul’s discernment of the approach needed in speaking to the church: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ In verses 6-11 Paul lays out a clear delineation between “the wisdom by Linda Ellsworth
Storyblocks.com
Linda is the member care coordinator for Christian Camping International, Canada. live • March - April 2021
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of man” and “the wisdom of God.” What do you grasp from the reading of these verses? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Why is it crucial for us, in our dayto-day decision-making, to understand the distinction between the two sources of wisdom? (verses 10-11) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ In verses 12-16, Paul clearly lays out the source of and basis for all Christian thought. Explain what God is telling you through Paul’s words: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ How do we make Godly decisions? The Scriptures relate two excellent examples of a) an example of wise spiritual growth and b) a lack of spiritual discernment that led to
disastrous outcomes . . . all based on what I call Present Principles. a) LYDIA The woman who was diligent READ Acts 16:12-15,40 and Philippians 1:1-10 (Note: The following condensed summaries on Lydia are excerpts from Bible Gateway; Resources All the Women of the Bible Chapter 2. Alphabetical Exposition of Named Bible Women; © 1988 Zondervan and have been edited for brevity.) Lydia, one of the prominent women of Thyatira, is presented to us in various ways, namely— As a business woman Lydia was a well-known seller of (brilliantly dyed scarlet cloth) (Acts 16:14), and typified a successful businesswoman in a prosperous city. Ability, enthusiasm, singleness of purpose and mental acumen were hers, and she prospered greatly in an honorable
Present Principles Present with God: Living daily in God’s presence, reading His Word, listening to the Spirit, worshipping Him with our life, carrying on constant conversation through an attitude of prayer Present In God’s Circumstances: Recognizing His placement of us in life’s circumstances moment by moment, and trusting the why of His will Present with God’s People: Surrounding ourselves with the people of God…fellowshipping together to hear and share wise counsel
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and extensive calling of “selling purple.” That she became prosperous in business is seen in that she owned a spacious home, and had servants to care for her. As a devout woman “She worshipped God,” we are told. Lydia, in spite of all her secular obligations, found time to worship according to the Jewish faith. Daily she made her way to the riverside where prayer was wont to be made. At that riverside prayer meeting perhaps she met other Jewish dyers, and with them eagerly waited upon the ministry of Paul and his companions. As a seeking woman Although sincerely religious, Lydia was not a Christian. She did, however, have a hunger for a deeper spiritual experience. As she attended to the truth of Christ, which Paul spoke of in conversational style in that small seated Jewish gathering, the light dawned, and her heart opened to receive that Christ as her Saviour. As a Christian woman As evidence of her surrender to the claims of Christ she was baptized. Her conversion was declared by a public confession, and such was her enthusiasm, that she immediately told her household. All within it likewise believed and were baptized as disciples of the same Saviour. Thus Lydia had the honour of being Paul’s first European convert.
BIBLE STUDY
As a hospitable woman Lydia’s transformation of life was evidenced by her eagerness to give missionaries the hospitality of her fine home. First came Lydia’s faith, then the winning of her servants to Christ, then her love in gracious hospitality, and finally her reception of Paul and Silas into her home after their discharge from prison. (see 1 Timothy 5:10; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9) As a consecrated woman Lydia always had “open house” for the saints of God and her home became a centre of Christian fellowship in Philippi with perhaps the first Christian church being formed therein. When Paul came to write his letter to the Philippians, we can rest assured that Lydia was included in all the saints at Philippi to whom he sent his salutations (Philippians 1:1-7). How did Lydia’s life choices exemplify the Present Principles? Present With God: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Present in God’s Circumstances: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Present With God’s People: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________
READ 2 Samuel 11 and 12 (Note: Excerpts in italics are taken from The Story of King David and Bathsheba, the Wife of Uriah; https://www.biblestudytools.com)
do you think he lived so close to the palace? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________
“The events begin with King David choosing to stay home in Jerusalem while he sent the rest of the Israelite army to fight other nations and kings.” (11:1) Already we see a lack of discretion and obedience on the part of David in the process of godly decision-making. What is the initial problem? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________
Ignoring his Spirit-driven conscience, and the information brought to him by his people, David’s poor decision-making led to some hugely impactful consequences: (11:4-12) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________
In verse 2 we discover the following: “David is relaxing and walking on the palace roof when he sees a beautiful woman bathing on her roof. David was immediately drawn to her . . . ” Issue? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ “(He) called and sent messengers to find out who she was. The messengers returned and told David that her name was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah.”
Think of a time when you made a choice that led you away from the presence of God. Which of the three principles was absent from your decision-making process? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ What was the result? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________
What major decisions are you facing today regarding family, career, community, and future? Record just one decision that needs to be made, and apply the three Present Principles to it: _________________________ _________________________ ________________________
Who was Uriah to David, and why b) David and Bathsheba
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A Firm Foundation Anchoring the journey to racial justice
BIBLICAL KEYS FOR SOLUTIONS To Deal With The Fear, Hurt, Anger And Hopelessness Exposed By Racial Unrest WHILE MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT IN YOUR CHURCH
KEY #1: THEY WERE CRUSHED
Peter's Pentecost Message helped his listeners understand their personal role in crucifying Jesus. 3000 of them willingly admitted their complicity. Acts 2: 37a The Passion Translation (TPT)
KEY #2: THEY WERE DEEPLY MOVED
Once admitting the part they played (directly or indirectly), the people allowed themselves to feel the full spectrum of emotions: Guilt, Sorrow, Compassion... Acts 2: 37b The Passion Translation (TPT)
KEY #3: THEY BUILT THEIR AWARENESS
Asking "What do we need to do?" is the first step toward real change. Awareness is where education and repentance intersect and true transformation begins. Acts 2: 37c The Passion Translation (TPT) KEY #4 THEY TOOK HOLD OF THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is one thing to be offered a gift and another thing to receive it. Once the people accepted the facts of Peter's sermon, in response they also needed make a change and demonstrate true commitment. Acts 2: 38 - 41 The Passion Translation (TPT) KEY #5 THEY BUILT RELATIONSHIPS
With soul, heart, mind, spirit, and body engaged, the believers grew in true community marked by mutuality, shared experience and Divine favour. Acts 2: 42 - 47 The Passion Translation (TPT) Pentecost is Not an Event...It is a Lifestyle! www.mydivineappointment.ca
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Since the unprecedented international response triggered by George Floyd’s murder in the United States, Canadian eyes are opening to the anti-Black racism that’s alive and well in our own communities and churches. It has been especially unnerving for white mainstream Christians, many of whom have little or no knowledge of the historical Black experience in the Canadian Church, never mind its impact on “lay empowerment, leadership development and the spiritual dignity essential to those who unite together as the Body of Christ.”1 In the current climate, the Canadian Church’s response has varied. We’ve noted the flurry of catch-up activity seen on denominational levels, demonstrated by the issuing of statements and making of quick tweaks to policies that have sustained white privilege for centuries. On the other hand, many local churches tiptoe around the pain of Black congregants in order to maintain a level of silence that is deafening and yet familiar. (Martin Luther King Jr. identified the complicity of collective white Christian silence when he said: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”) The weight of “white guilt” has bubbled up and many Christians of all racial backgrounds are defaulting to a posture that shelves the hard conversations we need to have about the sin of racism, opting instead for a watered-down brand of chats on racial reconciliation.
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In the end, what prevails is a posture of flight, fight or freeze that’s damaging to our Gospel witness in a world that so desperately needs the answer to all things that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, what is the way forward for the people of God as we seek to deal with the fear, hurt, anger and hopelessness exposed by racial unrest? We start the journey by looking racism squarely in the face and then in the power of the Spirit, laying the foundation for a growth journey. Here are some pointers as we move forward. First, call out racism for what it is. “Racism = Racial Prejudice (Unfounded Beliefs + Irrational Fear) + Institutional Power.”2 Racial Equity Tools says it clearly: “Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred or discrimination. Racism involves one group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the institutional policies and practices of the society, and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices.”3 Ontario’s Human Rights Commission states, “Despite the fact that Canada has made much progress, unfortunately racism and racial discrimination remain a persistent reality in Canadian society.”4 Second, be vigilant. Racism can be intentional, clear and direct, or it can be expressed in more subtle ways so that even the one expressing it may not be aware. It operates at many levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural. Whether covert or overt, racism harms everyone and outrages God (Deuteronomy 10:17-19). So thirdly, wrestle against the principalities, powers, rulers, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Seek Spirit-filled solutions on a personal level so that you can be used of God to dismantle the structures that have been created within our churches to maintain anti-Black racism and other
kinds of oppression. Once you are able to embrace a working definition of racism and confess the ways in which you’ve benefitted from racist structures, you can start the real work. As with all things, the Word of God serves as a guide. Through the precious Holy Spirit, we have all we need in Christ Jesus to push back the enemy. I choose to believe that if we make a decision to really live together as sisters and brothers in the Lord, we can work together for change. This is not a dream; it is a Gospel demand! Quoted from, The Black Church in Canada, https://www. mcmaster.ca/mjtm/1-5.htm 2 This definition is adapted from Terry Keleher, Applied Research Center, and Racial Equity Tools by OneTILT For more information see https://racc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/AnIntroduction-to-Racial-Equity-Assessment-Tools.pdf 3 https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary 4 http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/racial-discrimination-race-andracism-fact-sheet 1
by Rev. Denise Gillard, MDiv First ordained with the CBOQ, Denise leads Partners in Missions and Outreach International, and is senior pastor at Kingdom City Church. As part of Baptist Women’s commitment to the ongoing work of racial justice in Canada, we sat down with Denise in January to listen and learn—all part of our Conversations About Race program. Go to our Facebook group to watch that chat. Denise welcomes further conversation and is ready to work with your group or church on how to pursue racial justice and equity. Contact her at dgillard@mydivineappointment.ca. Learn more at mydivineappointment.ca. live • March - April 2021
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Lavish Hospitality Drawn into redemption’s drama
God has been up to something breathtaking in the Muslim world. Research by David Garrison, author of A Wind in the House of Islam, reveals that more Muslims have come to faith in Jesus Christ in the last three decades than in all of history. Living in Mississauga, when I dared to knock on my neighbour’s door for the first time, I had the privilege of being drawn into this beautiful unfolding drama. When the door opened, I met incredibly generous Arab Muslim neighbours who, without hesitation, invited my housemates and me inside their home and even shared their lunch with us the very first time we dropped by. I was blown away. Arab hospitality feels so lavish, and knowing that Jesus Himself grew up in a similar culture as my neighbours, their generosity felt akin to God’s own love. Through my neighbours’ hospitality, God planted a desire in me to spend more time with them so that I could love them back. With free evenings, I went and sipped sweet tea with my neighbours, wanting to know their hearts and to share my heart with them too. Between us lay a language barrier and different cultures, but we got to know each other anyway. I came to enjoy our long evenings together, and wished, in the tired mornings after, that these after-hours visits were my nine-to-five work. by Victoria Mok
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Victoria continues to learn how to love her Muslim fiends. She worships at Mississauga Chinese Baptist Church.
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As the friendships grew, the impulse to share the gospel lurked closely. So many of us who grew up in church were taught to treat gospel sharing as an urgent task to check off rather than as a natural part of a growing relationship. Yet it felt out of place to use such a tactic among my Muslim neighbours who have gently shown their love to me through our daily lives. With a deep desire to honour them, I chose to share life first, and surrendered the urge to check off my own evangelism to-do list. Through choosing friendship first, I began to trust that taking one neighbour coat shopping or learning to make baklava from another neighbour were God’s creative ways to soften the fertile soil in my neighbours’ hearts. I admit that this slow process isn’t easy, and the doubts of me not doing the “right Christian thing” still linger. It’s in this tension that I came to rely on praying regularly for my neighbours and the Muslim world. The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World prayer movement (https://www.30daysprayer.com) has taken place every year since 1993. It encourages believers to pray for Muslims during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Garrison attributes this prayer movement as a key reason why record numbers of Muslims are now turning to Christ. I had heard about this prayer initiative before, but not until God introduced me to my neighbours did I come to rely on prayer as the key strategy for God to open
doors of faith among Muslims. Participating in this prayer movement has given me the hope to believe that God hears our collective prayers and is working to draw my neighbours to Himself as part of His greater redemptive story. Every time I pray, the doubts fade and I choose again to trust that God is invested in the lives of my neighbours much more than I am. While I still haven’t had a chance to share the gospel with my neighbours yet, I have made friends with whom pre COVID-19, I watched movies, celebrated birthday parties, and foraged at the local park. Being friends with my neighbours allows me a place in their lives to continue sharing my faith through love and conversation. As I listen to their hearts, they can listen to mine too. As well, prayer has become an essential activity in my little corner of this unfolding drama, especially during the pandemic when I can’t visit them as I used to. Besides praying for my neighbours by name locally, and praying for the Muslim world to experience breakthrough globally, prayer also girds me with strength to trust that God will show up in my neighbours’ lives and call them home to Himself. Ramadan will take place from April 13 to May 12, 2021. God invites us to take part in His story of redemption in the Muslim world through dedicated prayer. Will you join in?
A WINDOW ON latin america For the next five years, the Baptist Women’s Union of Latin America is our prayer partner. This spring we invite you to pray the Lord’s Prayer as often as you are able for our Latin American sisters in Christ. Here is one version you may pray.
God, who is in us here on earth, holy is Your Name in the hungry who share their bread and their song. Your Kingdom come, which is a land flowing with milk and honey. Let us do Your will, raising our voice when all are silent. You are giving us our daily bread in the song of the bird and the miracle of the corn. Forgive us for keeping silent in the face of injustice. Don’t let us fall into the temptation of taking up the same arms as the enemy. But deliver us from evil. Give us the perseverance to look for love, even if we fail; so we shall have known Your Kingdom which is being built forever and ever. Amen. Adapted from a Latin-American Lord’s Prayer, credited to numerous sources. Sourced from Sojourners (sojo.net) live • March - April 2021
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Christmas Carols, Drive-by Visits and Cards Inspired good during pandemic-shaped days Through 2020, as lockdowns and social distancing shaped how our churches and women’s groups gathered, women in the missionary circles from the Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association (ARMBA) shifted their community outreach. “We can get wound up about what we can’t do,” says Brenda Lambkin, past president of CBWOQ and current president of the circle at First Baptist Church, Chatham. “But there’s so much we can do.” And so ARMBA women did. Cards While they still organized clothing drop-ins (Windsor), donated to schools that continued to offer breakfasts for hungry children (Chatham) and raised funds through their annual walkathon (Association event), the card ministry of several circles ramped up. Canada Post delivered over 200 cards in 2020, all from ARMBA missionary women, to families in Puce, Chatham, Union, Dresden and Windsor. Valentines, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Welcoming new babies or expressing sympathy on a loved one’s passing. As a replacement for the Mother’s and Father’s Day acknowledgements given out at those Sunday morning services. These missionary women regularly sent cards that, more often than not, included handwritten Scripture verses, pens or gift cards. They were sent to the families and individuals on the missionary circle lists—past missionary women, seniors and shut-ins. These were modest lists, plumped out to between 20 to 30 names per church with the addition of families who lived in proximity to their churches. These families lived with the economic 14 live • March - April 2021
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effects of the pandemic: reduced work hours or no hours at all. In November, one member of Chatham’s missionary circle felt God’s prompt to create little gift bags each filled with a mask, Tim Horton’s gift card and a donut. An avid walker, she began to give out her bags to the homeless on the streets as she walked by. Drive-bys, food baskets and carolling Not all cards were mailed. Women from Union Baptist Church’s women’s missionary circle dropped off Mother’s and Father’s Day cards and tokens, surprising recipients. “We found that people were feeling disconnected and some were experiencing loneliness and anxiety,” remembers Sarah Tewkesbury, circle president. “People really enjoyed the chance
to see someone at their door, socially distanced of course. They enjoyed the chance to reconnect on a personal basis.” Women in Windsor’s missionary circle appealed to the church to bring donations for Christmas food packages. For the seven years previous, the church had joined these missionary circle women in preparing and serving a hot meal once a month to 100 people in the community. With social distancing rules in place, the pivot to Christmas food baskets made sense. “I was overwhelmed,” says president Madge Walker as she shares about the basket drive. “People dropped off so much— bags of rice, cans, sausages and bacon, turkeys . . . We were all shocked.” Eleven food baskets were dropped off to families who
lived in the church neighbourhood and needed assistance. “We were used in a powerful way,” says Madge. Christmas also saw Union women pivoting to singing Christmas carols outside long-term care residences and the homes of 17 seniors and shut-ins from their church family. Inspired good arrives in the humblest of gestures—a card; a little gift bag; food baskets, carols sung outside windows. Little things perhaps, yet all offered in love and with intelligence: These women missionaries were invested in their communities to the degree that they quickly knew which families needed help. “The bottom line is we keep meeting and praying and doing what we can,” says Brenda Lambkin. Indeed. Photos courtesy ARMBA women missionaries
Community Engagement Please visit our website at baptistwomen.com/causes and dive into our new community engagement page. We’ve built this resource to share all of the community outreach that women in our Baptist churches have done through 2020 and into this year and beyond. We hope you’ll be stirred up to love and good deeds.
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God’s Good Expanding our understanding of community Community at First Baptist Church, London. Photo courtesy of Susan Plumridge (back row, left) “But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. (Malachi 1:11 NLT) God’s Church includes people from around the world. In 2006, God brought a Sgaw Karen Baptist community to our church—First Baptist Church in London, Ontario. A people from halfway around the world arrived in this city and joined with our church community. Over the years though, our communities drifted apart. We by Susan Plumridge Susan is the moderator of the deacon’s board at First Baptist Church in London. She is a haiku poet and author of the children’s book At Your Feet, Lord (a story of Mary of Bethany).. 16 live live •• March March -- April April 2021 2021
assumed that joining meant the Sgaw Karen Baptist community would become like us as they absorbed Canadian culture. However God is creative, all His people are creative and we need to work together to build a unity that allows our diversity, our differences, to be used to our advantage as together we honour and worship God— Father, Son and Holy Spirit. First Baptist Church, London, has been at this threshold before—when we combined two of our three worship services into one experience. Led by Rev. Alan Roberts, we blended our traditional worship service and the contemporary worship service into a time that we hoped would honour both the style and creativity that each genre brought to our worship. Our goal was to create something new that allowed honest input from both traditions. Unity and creativity would lead the way toward us keeping our
diversity. We stand on the threshold of inspired good today. In one sense the lessons we’ve learned from our commitment to offering a blended worship service will stand us in good stead. We will need to grapple with hard questions: Is a truly united English and Sgaw Karen worship service possible? How will we incorporate English and Karen languages into the service? How will we provide choir and band rehearsal so that we learn each other’s music? How do we become a safe space so that all our children can learn to participate? And beyond Sunday worship services: How will we structure meetings so that everyone can speak and be heard? But God calls His people to unity. And perhaps He’s calling us to be inspired; to become First London International Baptist Church. Susan Plumridge
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Sunday, Before Dawn Friday’s work was finally done: every detail accounted for, the grave tidy, and the stone put in place to tuck away the carpenter’s poor stepson. All Saturday they stood there, yawning in the Sabbath peace; if his ex-followers wept at their candlelit tables it made no difference now. No one heard him disappear. The grave’s stillness was perfect even as Hell’s gates crashed down and the angel chorus cried out Glory, Glory, Glory. Somewhere near Jerusalem a bored Roman soldier spat in the dust, shifted his weight from foot to foot, while heaven laughed in anticipation.
by Christine Pennylegion Christine Pennylegion was raised in a Baptist church in Toronto and currently lives with her husband and three children in Windsor, Ontario. She writes at inthisordinarytime. wordpress.com
StoryBlocks.com
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Sparking Hope Through Literacy Charlotte’s Story In the mountainous volcanic Musanze district in the Northern Province of Rwanda lives a community of farmers experiencing a transformation that only God could orchestrate. It’s all because of a literacy program operated by Canadian Baptist Ministries’ (CBM) local church partner, the Association of Baptist Churches of Rwanda (AEBR). Within this community lives Charlotte, 35, married and mother to four children. Charlotte’s family are potato farmers—one of Rwanda’s most important cash crops for local business and for exporting to neighbouring countries. Charlotte and her husband are also illiterate, which contributed to their poverty. Not being able to read and write made other livelihood opportunities difficult to pursue. “Being illiterate was not only frustrating, but it made me feel ashamed too. That made me isolated and feel inconsiderable in society. My sociability with others was limited,” Charlotte shares. “I had a thirst to know how to read, write and count . . . I was young—35 years old—but felt worthless. I was thinking many times to start a business but those barriers were there to make me feel incapable. I wanted to help in Sunday school ministry in my church
by Alicia Jung, Canadian Baptist Ministries Proud graduates from the literacy program. Photo courtesy CBM
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but I didn’t try . . . as I was considering myself incapable.” Education was not a priority in the region when Rwanda was reeling from the impacts of the 1994 genocide. The aftermath of the violence eroded family relationships, societal relationships, and fuelled civil conflict. Illiteracy is often handed down generationally as well. Illiterate parents often need their children to stay home from school to help in the home and on the fields, and this is largely skewed toward girls and women. For girls living in poverty, the situation is particularly difficult. Their families rely on them to care for siblings, to earn money as domestic workers, or to do chores around the home while parents look for work daily. School is often out of the picture.
Having survived a countrywide genocide and living amidst ongoing conflict and fighting, Charlotte and her family did what they could —selling potatoes to make a living, putting food on the table and a roof over their heads. After years of hard labour, Charlotte was able to pay off their debts and eventually own the house and land they lived on. But God had even bigger plans. Imagine Charlotte’s excitement and that of the other women and men like her in the community, when the AEBR introduced the Nyange literacy class in Musanze. Charlotte’s internal motivation to become literate may have been her fuel, but once she began classes, she was as inspired by the content as she was by those who taught it. The local leaders, pastor
inspired good Strategic Giving 2021 Baptist Women invites you to step into the stories of women like Charlotte through raising funds to support this literacy project—the first of our strategic giving projects for 2021. Women like Charlotte dream of one day learning a trade, getting a better job, even reading the Bible and teaching others to read. Because of initiatives like these, they are each closer to realizing their dreams. And upon the successful completion of their literacy classes, each student receives a Bible and is mentored by leaders who help them read the Word. The potential for literate women to take leadership roles in their churches and communities continues to grow as the program also teaches topics such as governance of savings and loan groups, and the development of effective self-help groups. Do join us in raising funds and in prayer support for all of CBM’s ongoing literacy projects in Rwanda through the AEBR—that many more like Charlotte can achieve literacy, and that the essential need for literacy programs globally will be met with generosity and enthusiasm.
and project manager would visit the class, encouraging those who were learning to read and write for the first time. The possibility of becoming literate was a dream that Charlotte never could have imagined, but she was even more touched by the commitment, love and prayers she received from the teachers of her class. With encouragement, regular attendance and hard work, Charlotte achieved her life-long goal of reading, writing and even counting. Today, she is a proud graduate of the Nyange literacy class. “Today, I no longer feel ashamed. I’m excited when people say that I’m no longer illiterate. I’m ready now to start some of the things that I feared in the past. I used to feel more limited and isolated due to my illiteracy, but becoming literate is the best thing that I’m happy about. I feel open now to be used in any community and church activity. I will work hard to help my children to be educated. Myself, I dream to be an entrepreneur. Knowing how to read, write and count will open more doors in the future which will make my family’s life and mine to be better.” Charlotte is an inspiration to her family, church and community, and is among the wave of individuals that are leading a hopeful transformation towards a better life for the community in Musanze.
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ENCOURAGE LOVE INSPIRE GOOD
acting on God’s promises together Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is
faithful. And let us consider how to stire up one another to love and good works Hebrews 10:23-24 (ESV)
Mark the dates for our Virtual Baptist Women’s Spring Conference Join us from the comfort of your home to worship, live chat and hear from two amazing leaders. Each session starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and all sessions are free. All women are invited. We’ll post links to our YouTube Channel on the day of each session. To join, just click on that link. It’s that simple! Tue, Apr 20
Wed, Apr 21
Thu, Apr 22
Fri, Apr 23
We kick off our Conference with a celebration of how God used Year in Review a celebration of God’s you as His instrument of faithfulness to bring stability into the faithfulness to us during lives of so many through your generous gifts. We’ll welcome our new board president, review finances and 2020 most of all - worship. Plenary Session 1 Extravagant Love: Speaker Karen Wilson, president of Baptist World Alliance Women, unpacks the first part of our theme. The dynamic Jenna Cowans leads worship. Discernment is primarily about our relationship with God and Workshop Steps to Practicing Group about living out this relationship in our everyday life. In this workshop, spiritual director Mee Kim will help us look Discernment at how we can nurture our small groups to better discern God’s movements by teaching us how to connect with each other, with ourselves and with God. Plenary Session 2 Made to Make a Difference: Karen Wilson returns to speak on our theme while Jenna Cowans leads worship.
While registration is free, we do invite you to make a donation to the work of Baptist Women. 20 live • March - April 2021
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Acting on God’s promises together Expressing our theme through art
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:23-24 (ESV)
Artwork: Tina Rae
by Rev. Tina Rae Tina is the Christian Education pastor at Westview Baptist Church in London, Ontario. She is also an artist. Meet her in our August book club as we explore her first book, Devotions for the Artist at Heart.
Rev. Tina Rae offers a wonderful art project based on our theme and theme verses for 2021. Here are Tina’s step-by-step instructions.
How to begin When creating artwork from Scripture, I take time to meditate on the passage by reading and rereading the verses. I often use varying translations and consider what words and themes come to mind and I think about what images might represent them well. I encourage you to take the time to read Hebrews 10:23-24 in the same way, and consider what God brings to your heart before you begin creating. When I looked at this passage and Baptist Women’s theme, I was drawn toward the topic of encouraging love and how we do that through our faith. Images of an outstretched hand, a heart, and the cross came to mind and helped me form the framework for this artwork. Supplies • 9”x12” canvas or canvas board • old magazines or pages of printed-out words (printed from your printer) • mod podge or white glue • paints, paint brushes, and water • paper or cardstock • white tissue paper (crumpled for texture) STEP 1 - Prepare the Canvas 1. Look through your magazines and choose up to five words that suit the theme. Tear them out and glue them randomly onto the canvas. 2. Use a paintbrush to glue the surface of the canvas and adhere one or two layers of the textured tissue paper to cover the entire surface including the words. Add another layer of glue on top of the tissue paper live • March - April 2021
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with your paintbrush to firmly adhere the tissue paper to the canvas. 3. Add a watered-down layer of paint to the entire canvas for a coloured background. The pale layer should still allow you to faintly see the words you first placed on your canvas. 4. To create a hand and a heart on this canvas, outline a hand shape and a heart shape where you would like to place them. Use faint pencil marks to make the outlines. The hand outline needs to be the size of your hand. STEP 2 - Create the Hand 1. Trace your hand on some thick paper, then look through old magazines for words that represent the theme and Scripture. The words can then be glued on the tracing of your hand. 2. When you have filled the hand outline, cut it out. (You may need to retrace your hand if you lost the edges when gluing on your words.)
2. Tear these pieces into small square shapes approximately one to two cm in size. 3. Glue the red squares in the area where you outlined your heart on your canvas to fill in the heart shape. To get a good seal, use your paintbrush and spread a thin layer of glue on top of the squares as well. STEP 4 – Finishing Touches 1. Glue the hand onto the canvas. 2. Using small amounts of paint, lightly apply shadows under the heart and hand. (This is called drybrush technique.) 3. To create the antiqued look, continue using a drybrush technique around the edges of the painting and over the higher ridges left by your tissue paper. Enjoy!
STEP 3 - Make the Heart 1. Look for red tones (or a colour of your choice) in the old magazines that you will use to fill in the heart you outlined on your canvas.
Have an art party online! Prior to our April Conference: 1. Set a date with your friends and family who’d love to meet on Zoom or another platform and paint together. 2. Share these pages with them so they’ll gather supplies well ahead of time. 3. When you meet, remember to ask women to take some selfies and photos of their artwork . . . and share with you. 4. Share photos with Baptist Women’s Facebook group or Instagram community. Or email live magazine at live@baptist.ca. You’ll have a chance to meet Tina in our August book club as we explore her first book, Devotions for the Artist at Heart. 22 live • March - April 2021
Global Conference of Baptist Women will now be online Wednesday, July 7, 2021 Registration $20 USD per woman (includes plenary sessions and workshop) This is a great opportunity to enjoy worship, powerful speakers, relevant workshops and conversations with your sisters around the world . . . all from the comfort of your home. Theme speakers include Karen Wilson, president of Baptist World Alliance Women and Asha Sanchu from Nagaland, India. Visit bwawd.org to register.
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a history moment “The clouds over our world are heavy. . . But there is no cause for fear or despair. We know that, through Christ, there is hope and healing for our broken world. But if we cannot reveal him in all of his tenderness, compassion, love and majesty to the world now, then we shall have failed him, failed in our stewardship and our responsibility . . . Let us live in what the New Testament calls ‘patient continuance,’ every thought and deed informed and undergirded by prayer. So, and only so, will we speed the work of sending the Good News of God to every nation—now—giving the answer to ‘Why Christianity?’”
Bernice’s Picks . . . Through the Fire: A Chronicle of Pergamum by David Phillips, former CBM missionary $20
How Great is Our God: 100 indescribable devotions about God & science by Louie Giglio $15
Book Clubs - Don’t Forget!
Excerpts from “To Every Nation—Now.” the message by Marion Bates, president of the BWA Women’s Department, to the 1966 Baptist women’s Convention.
Zoom links, meeting IDs and passcodes posted to Facebook and our website the night before each event.
From Our Heritage Becomes Our Challenge—A Scrapbook History of the Baptist Women’s Movement in Ontario and Quebec by Esther Barnes, page 256.
Why Would Anyone Go To Church? by Kevin Makin $15 TBD @ 7 p.m.
We REMEMBER Each generation has the opportunity to fuel mission for the next. We are thankful for the following gifts: In Memory of Ruth LaFlair, Sarnia Alma McKenzie, London Yvonne Moyer Pat Sedore, Niagara Falls (Charter member Kiselo MC) IN HONOUR OF Helen Hales, Belleville (102nd birthday) Lois Lohnes, Cobourg (90th birthday) Dorie McLean, Guelph (COVID work)
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram Kendi $26 Wednesday, June 23 @ 7 p.m.
ReadOn Bookstore is open online. Order online, call or email. All titles available from ReadOn Bookstore 5 International Blvd. Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 Tel: 416-620-2934 Fax: 416-234-8840 E-mail: books@readon.ca readon.ca
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God is in the Room What’s my reaction? My response? Loving? Waiting? Open? Hiding? Confused? Noticing? Unbelieving? Overwhelmed? Feeling awe? Much too tired? Show me where! All of the above? Something more? God is in the room. by Kathy Gust
Unsplash.com/StephanieHarvey
How we connect with each other has had to change, but live magazine keeps our bonds lively and strong. Let a woman in your community know about live magazine. A subscription costs just $20. Pay at baptistwomen.com or call the editor, Renée James. Choose from three formats: print, audio (CD) or online.
Has your address changed?
Send your old mailing label and your new address to: live Magazine Circulation Dept., 5 International Blvd., Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 40007159 REGISTRATION NUMBER R9703 RETURN UNDEliverABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: live MAGAZINE CIRCULATION DEPT. 5 INTERNATIONAL BLVD ETOBICOKE, ON M9W 6H3 live@baptist.ca
