Light & Life Magazine by Light & Life Communications

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M A R 20 13

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1 [openers]

Known for Service

veryone is known for something. Sometimes we even get nicknames. As a sports nut, I love the unique names given to players. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was dubbed “The Great One.” Pro football’s Anthony McFarland was “Booger.” In the Bible, John was known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23, 21:7, 21:20). God called David “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22). I’m known as an idea guy. I’m generally not known as a detail person. What are you known for? Are you known for a great crossover dribble or for knitting ability? Are you “the encouraging card lady” or “the grouchy usher”? According to Scripture and Free Methodist history, we should be known as servants.

Last month’s Vision Cast (fmcusa.org/vision-cast) featured people who embody service. Dr. Mark Brown of Edgewood FMC shared how a lay-led community service movement is changing the greater Rochester, N.Y., area. This month you’ll read about Lamb’s Fellowship, nicknamed “the church that helps people” by Lake Elsinore, Calif., residents. Wouldn’t you like to be known like that? What would happen to you or your church if you took on that reputation? As you serve, would you consider sharing your story at fmcusa.org/yourstory? And for the record, I do have a Archer i Jason few nicknames, but I’m not revealing Executive Director of Communications them! [LLM]

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read more about service at llcomm.org 1] Do you use QR codes? Scan this box with your smartphone to read more articles on this issue’s theme. 2] Suffering Servant

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” — John 1:4

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Spanish Translation

Tamra Balzer and Martha Evans Sparks share reflections for Good Friday and Easter.

week in March.

Ezequiel Alvarez Janeth Bustamante Joe Castillo Jennifer Flores Guillermo Flores

Jeff Finley Erin Eckberg Michael Metts Dawn McIlvain Stahl Andrea Anibal Julie Innes Jason Archer Ben Weesies Jazmin Angulo Carmen Hosea Karen Kabandama Samuel Lopez Rodrigo Lozano, Coordinator

To receive Light & Life in Spanish, please contact our office: (800) 342-5531 or ben.weesies@fmcusa.org.

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Website: www.llcomm.org Email us: www.llcomm.org/staff News and submissions: jeff.finley@fmcusa.org Advertising: ben.weesies@fmcusa.org Address all correspondence to: Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214 (317) 244-3660 LLM: Light & Life Magazine (ISSN 0024-3299) was established in 1868 by the Free Methodist Church. Published monthly by Light & Life Communications. © 2013 Free Methodist Church – USA, 770 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214. Views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent the official position of the Free Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations, no portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

Whole No. 5249, Vol. 146, No. 3 Printed in U.S.A. Member: Evangelical Press Association, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, IN, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster, send address changes to: Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214

BY SUSAN AGEL

o you remember this conversation from the movie “A League of Their Own”? Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard. Jimmy Dugan: It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great. uuu

3 [feature] What about this Bible passage? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food

LLM | Mar 2013

with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 58:6–8). American culture emphasizes comfort. Movie theaters, automobile manufacturers and homebuilders all focus on comfort. We are overwhelmed with options when we search for furniture. Have you looked for a mattress lately? It is easy to become sucked into the assumption that our level of success corresponds with our level of comfort. According to Isaiah 58, however, God’s measurement of success includes one of the most uncomfortable experiences — fasting. He makes fasting even harder than just a time-limited experience focused on ourselves. He asks us to continually “fast” by focusing on serving others sacrificially. To quote alcoholic, washed-up baseball coach Jimmy Dugan, “The hard is what makes it great.” Jesus went so far as to identify His service as “to give his life as a ransom

for many” (Mark 10:45). It’s a challenging thought for Christians today. We think we understand service; we believe in it, but we also equate it with volunteering to be an usher, teaching Sunday school or being nice to the counter help at McDonald’s. In her book, “Interrupted: An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith,” Jen Hatmaker describes this conversation with God in which He challenged her love for Him: “You do feed souls, but 24,000 of my sheep will die today because no one fed their bellies. … If you truly love Me, you will feed My lambs. My people are crumbling and dying and starving, and you’re blessing blessed people and dreaming about your next house.” Our culture’s focus on comfort helps us feel OK about comfortable service. But Scripture makes it clear that real service is difficult, focusing on people we would never meet or things we would never do without God.

STRETCHING OUR FAITH I grew up in a traditional Free Methodist home and a rural, working-class congregation back in the ’60s. I never went to a school dance and only saw a couple of movies by the time I was in college. We didn’t go to restau-

[feature] 4 rants that sold beer. I was part of the Christian subculture. I remember the first homeless person I ever met. During a tour of a local homeless shelter, I was introduced to one of the clients. He shook my hand and was friendly and open. I came away from that encounter convicted, pondering how he was very much like me except he was an alcoholic living in a homeless shelter while I drank too much coffee and lived in a middle-class suburban home. Our churches include people like me who grew up in Christian families, live a middle-class lifestyle and stay separated from worldly culture. We don’t testify much because we don’t have much of a testimony. Could it be that our testimony is weak because we have failed to stretch our faith to the level where service is really hard? In “What Every Church Member Should Know About Poverty,” authors Ruby K. Payne and Bill Ehlig blame the affluence of the last 50 years for middle-class Christians’ surprise at deep poverty in our cities: “The flight of churches from inner cities has only exacerbated the difficulties. Many Christians are not only too far away from the problems to help, they are also too far to easily understand what is going on.”

Do we love and serve any homosexuals? Have we picked lice out of a homeless child’s hair? Have we held a Bible study in a Section 8 apartment complex complete with gang graffiti and unemployed men passing time on the sidewalk? We rail against sin, but do we know any sinners? We are called to take risks and experience discomfort in our service to others. In the parable of the talents, the servant who took no risks and buried his talents displeased his master the most. Reluctance to leave our comfort zone is based on fear of the unknown, antithetical to God’s expectations.

MERCY’S COST The truth of the matter is that true service is difficult and painful. As Hatmaker says, “We are the body of Christ, broken and poured out, just as He was. Mercy has a cost: Someone must be broken for someone else to be fed.” Not only will we sacrifice our time and money while facing fear and opposition, we will also experience what looks and feels like failure. Individuals

who have grown up in generational poverty will disappoint us by making bad choices. A homeless person will take our food and laugh at our earnestness. We will be reviled and cursed. Sound familiar? There are many joys in my work with homeless children. At the same time, I see traumatized little ones who live in horrendous circumstances. People often ask me how I am able to cope with the sorrow, and I admit it can be difficult. In my devotions one day, as I prayed about that very topic, God said to me clearly, “The pain is part of the LLM | Mar 2013

5 [feature] calling.” Basically, He told me to suck it up and get back to work. Pouring ourselves out for God does not mean being nice and helpful. It means tears and sorrow, exhaustion and pain, uncertainty and sacrifice. The concept of taking up our cross means just that — taking up our cross. But we have no choice. Scripture is clear. The Holy Spirit’s role as

Comforter presupposes that we will need comforting, not that we will be comfortable. If He has not comforted us lately because we have not expended ourselves in ministry, we are missing the mark. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Matthew 25:45). [LLM]

Susan Agel, the president of Positive Tomorrows (positivetomorrows.org) and a recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, serves as the Free Methodist Church – USA Board of Administration vice chair and as a Central Christian College of Kansas trustee.

Connect to the Free Methodist Church on iPhone, iPad, or Android. Use your phone or tablet to search the Apple App Store or Google Play.

[bishops] 6

Unwitting Service

have heard it said that the person who is conscious of his or her humility does not possess humility. Humble people rarely recognize their humility. In fact, they are often the ones most aware of their need to become less filled with themselves and more filled with Christ. Those who think they are most humble generally are not. Similarly, with all of the talk these days about service and servanthood, I find the best servants are those least aware of their service. Those who believe they fully understand service exercise it least. Servanthood is a heart orientation. It is not a particular practice or set of practices. It is done best by people who are aware of the needs of others and actively strive to meet those needs. Service is best done by those who cannot stand to see people in need without doing something. Those who organize a committee to serve are rarely oriented toward service. They may be motivated by guilt, the desire to achieve results or the belief that many can accomplish more than few. But, from my experience, real servants get a little frustrated with committees that organize service efforts and projects. True servants simply desire to eliminate suffering in others and help those who need help most. That is what they do. It is part of their daily exercise. It is about helping, not planning. So, if you want to be a servant, start serving. Don’t form a committee or build a program. That will kill it. If you need to enlist others to serve with you, OK, but a committee has never made a servant. The churches that serve their community best are the ones filled with people who see needs and meet them. They just cannot walk by someone in need. They have Good Samaritan written all over them. They are likely the ones who think they don’t serve enough. They just cannot separate the love-act link (1 John 3:16–18). So think about five tangible needs that you see right now, and make service a lifestyle. [LLM]

If you want to be a servant, start serving. Don’t form a committee or build a program.

Bishop Matthew Thomas

To read more from Bishop Thomas, visit fmcusa.org/ matthewthomas.

7 [foundation]

S C RI P T U R E :

Doing What I Can

Mark 14:8 Luke 19:10 Matthew 28:18–20 John 12:3

“S

12-week-old model fetus

Matthew 22:8–10

he did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial” (Mark 14:8). During World War II, many Germans heard screams from passing railway cars, watched the billowy smoke from nearby concentration camp ovens and somehow continued with life. Less than a mile from our Free Methodist church, a clinic has performed at least 160,000 abortions (many of them late-term). Our church earnestly intercedes for the employees and clients. The innocent blood demanded a greater response. I visited the clinic and offered my services as a chaplain. We joined hands. I prayed over employees’ needs and asked the blood of Jesus to cover every inch of the clinic. An ongoing relationship began that allows me to serve as the employees’ prayer support and friend. I imagine the great cloud of witnesses, the blood of the never born and the blood of Christ — the firstborn of all creation — joining in a symphony of unconquerable intercession. God has answered prayer beyond what we could ask or think. Abortion clinic workers and I share the need to know Jesus Christ. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus’ command to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18–20) includes concentration camps and abortion clinics. The woman in Mark 14 (identified as Mary in John 12:3) did what she could with a valuable item available to her. What do we have of value? Though we will not have the honor of preparing Jesus’ body for burial, we can prepare for His return. There are prayers to pray and invitations to deliver. May we lavish on Him what we value. May we invite everyone to the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:8–10). In every venue, let’s do what we can! [LLM]

LLM | Mar 2013

The author’s name has been withheld to protect the ministry.

[history] 8

Consecration of Service BY B.T. ROBERTS

great deal is said about consecration. Sermons and hymns pledge us to a full consecration of our all to God. In the baptismal vow, we promise to devote ourselves to the service of the Lord. Many say they give their hearts to God, but still love the things that God hates. To the work of making preparations for building the temple, David devoted all his energies. He made ready a vast amount of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and precious stones. Having thus set the example, he asked the congregation: Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? You may have given your heart to God, but does He have your service? What are you doing for Him? In what enterprises that have His glory and the advancement of His cause in view are you heartily engaged? He has work to be done, and He calls for laborers. To be a Christian implies something more than giving the assent to a system of doctrines, leading a decently moral life and going to church on Sundays. To serve God is to work for Him. If you cannot preach, but This is a condensed can work or do business, you may serve God just as faithfully version of an article and effectually as if you had the gift of tongues and could speak that Roberts, a principal founder of from the sacred desk. Your service is called for. You have not the Free Methodlong to live and what you do must be done quickly. ist Church, wrote for the August God is a good master. He takes the best of care of His 1864 issue of The servants here and gives them crowns of glory in the world to Earnest Christian. To download the full come. Will you set yourself apart to work for God in whatever text, visit fmchr.ch/ way He shall direct? [LLM] btrservice.

Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? LLM | Mar 2013

BY MICHAEL J. METTS

hen strangers offered to help Lake Elsinore, Calif., resident Alasdair McAulay clean up his property, he was overwhelmed. “It made me cry,” he said. McAulay’s property was one of the many projects members of the Lamb’s Fellowship Lake Elsinore accomplished during a Serving the City event. Twice a year, the church cancels its Sunday morning worship service and works on a variety of service projects in the city. uuu LLM | Mar 2013

[action] 10 “It has just become part of our DNA as a church, that this is as important as a service in [the church building] on a Sunday morning,” said Gary Enniss (pictured left), the senior pastor of the Lamb’s Fellowship and one of the superintendents of the Free Methodist Church in Southern California. “It’s just as important for us to go out and to love our neighbor and to minister to them.”

Photos by Michael J. Metts

partnerships The people of Lake Elsinore — 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles — have warmly welcomed the church’s help. “This is one of the best things that can ever come out of the city,” said Rick De Santiago, the public works superintendent for the city of Lake Elsinore. “The religious groups and other organizations got together to clean up this city, and people are really excited about this.” The church partnered with the l ocal government for a recent initiative to improve neglected properties. “The Lamb’s Fellowship played a big part in helping out,” De Santiago said. “They did a really good job of bringing out all the people.” The Lamb’s Fellowship members

are energized by Enniss’ vision to serve the community in such practical ways. “I’ve been in church my whole life, but I really got excited when I came here and saw that opportunity,” said Ted Jones, a board member who has attended the Lamb’s Fellowship for more than four years. “One of the reasons why Left to right: Nadia Hinton, Ina Kurtz and Alasdair McAulay have all received help from the church during Lamb’s Fellowship’s Serving the City events. I really got involved in this church is that it’s a church that really loves the just found a sense of purpose,” people in this community and wants Diebolt said. “This church is called to to serve them.” restoring this community.” Enniss has found that consistently purpose serving the community results in Jeremy Diebolt has led five teams spiritual growth for his congregation. for Serving the City days and has “We believe that been amazed at how God provides people are really going the right people for every project. to put feet to the gospel At one house, the team was faced if they can apply what with an overgrown yard in need of they’re learning,” Enniss heavy trimming. His team for the day said. [LLM] Learn more about included people who owned a lawnthe Lamb’s Fellowship in a Light & Life mowing business and had brought Communications their own equipment. video at fmchr.ch/ lambsfellowship. “It’s amazing how everyone has LLM | Mar 2013

11 [news]

WMI to Host Women’s Leadership Summit BY JEFF FINLEY

he Women’s Leadership Summit will offer new opportunities to learn from inspirational people responsible for global service efforts. “The Women’s Ministries International (WMI) General Board decided that it would be a great thing to offer women in particular — but men as well — a leadership summit in which we had women who had faced life and made a difference,” WMI President LaWanda Bullock said about the firsttime event that will be held June 7–9 on the campus of Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Mich. The summit’s theme is “Released … Into My World.” Bullock said the summit will feature women who “have overcome the challenges that were before them, and instead of seeing impossibilities, they saw opportunities.” Speakers will include Linda Adams, International Register for Child Care Ministries directhe summit tor; Susy Fajardo, missionand learn more ary to Spain; Delia Nüeschabout WMI at fmwmi.com. Olver, Free Methodist World LLM | Mar 2013

Missions’ Latin America area director; former U.S. Rep. Linda Smith, founder of Shared Hope International and War Against Trafficking Alliance; Carla Sunberg, Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy president; and Brenda Young, Cornerstone Church lead pastor and Clear Blue Global Water Project director. Bullock said the speakers were chosen because they “are outstanding in their personal lives, in their mission and in their global work.” Exhibits will include representatives of global service organizations. The event will also include workshops, swimming, Zumba and fellowship. Free Methodist conferences are encouraged to raise money to help people attend the summit. Bullock emphasized that everyone is welcome to attend. “It’s a leadership summit, but we are all leaders,” she said. “Some are

on the platform, but every woman is a leader in her own right.” Costs for the summit vary depending on lodging, meals and the time of registration. Complete cost details are available online at fmchr.ch/ wmisummit. Registration is available by calling 800-342-5531, ext. 306, or by clicking “SUMMIT” and “Register” on fmwmi.com. [LLM]

[news] 12 CITY HONORS PASTOR FOR VOLUNTEERING Marysville, Wash.

Mayor Jon Nehring (right) honored Greg Kanehen, the pastor of family ministries at Marysville FMC, Jan. 14. Kanehen was named Marysville’s Volunteer of the Month for his coordination and leadership of the Chaplain Crisis Support Team and other community involvement. Find the North County Outlook’s coverage of the honor at fmchr.ch/marysvillefmc.

CONGREGATION CELEBRATES 100 YEARS Barstow, Calif.

In January, the Barstow FMC kicked off a yearlong celebration of its 100th year. The drama team created a presentation featuring Mrs. D.C. Henderson (pictured at left with her husband) who, in 1913, gave the congregation the use of a hall she owned. The Desert Dispatch’s coverage of the celebration is available at fmchr.ch/barstowfmc.

FORMER BISHOP’S WIFE DIES Centennial, Colo.

Joy Lee Foster, 83, wife of former FM Bishop David M. Foster and mother-in-law of River Conference Superintendent Dennis Jeffery, died Jan. 2 in Centennial, Colo. A memorial service was held Jan. 11 at the Lawrence (Kan.) FMC. Bishop Foster preceded her in death in 2005. The couple married in 1952. Visit fmchr.ch/joyleefoster for the full obituary.

STUDENT’S VIDEO PRAISED Greenville, Ill.

Arley Cornell, a Greenville College digital media major, has attracted attention with his “Sustainable Projects” animated video. World Vision Vice President Steve Haas said the video “may be the best thing I have ever watched on transformational development.” To read more, visit fmchr.ch/gccornell. To view the video, visit fmchr.ch/gcsustain.

The Rest of the Story Want to find indepth stories of remarkable Free Methodists? Visit fmcusa.org.

We want to hear from you! Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the United States and around the world. Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory. LLM | Mar 2013

13 [world]

VISA Volunteers Blessed While Serving BY JEFF FINLEY

irdena Pridey traded Kansas for Kenya while serving in January on a team through Volunteers In Service Abroad (VISA) Ministries. “We went to be of service to the Kenyan children and the Karen Church in Nairobi, and we ourselves were blessed,” Pridey said. “Our lives will never be the same. We saw people who had nothing, worshipping God and praising Him.” VISA Ministries has provided short-term missions opportunities for more than 20,000 people since 1964. Nearly 770 people served on VISA teams in 2012. Their work connected U.S. volunteers with Free Methodist ministry efforts in more than two dozen nations. Teams served in a variety of ways such as construction, medical assistance, evangelism, children’s ministry and classes for English as a second language (ESL). “To maximize a project’s effectiveness, we ask our national leaders and area directors to provide us with each country’s needs so we can match them with qualified teams,” said Amy Bither, VISA team and Fast Track coordinator. “This strategy has flourished, and we have seen fruitful results for both team members and national churches.” Pridey and Bither agreed that VISA service can provide a mutually beneficial relationship that blesses both volunteers and the people they desire to serve. “We encourage our volunteers to prepare To learn more both mentally and spiritually before they parabout VISA ticipate in international service in order to be opportunities, visit visaministries.org. culturally sensitive and spiritually healthy,” Bither LLM | Mar 2013

A VISA team assists in the construction of a building for Sunday school classes in Kenya. (Photo courtesy of Birdena Pridey)

said. “This kind of preparation and attitude can substantially change a person’s experience on a mission trip, as well as the experience of those around them.” Involvement in VISA is not limited to trips. The annual Team Leader Training shares the latest developments in short-term missions, trains future leaders who may not be able to travel internationally at this time, and helps people incorporate missions into their lives. This year’s event is scheduled for May 9–11 at Cedarway FMC in Lansing, Mich. VISA also appreciates prayer and financial partnerships. [LLM]

[discipleship] 14

Made to Serve BY BRENDA YOUNG

ongwriters eloquently affirm that humans were made to worship. True, but we were clearly created for another high purpose. Deep in every believer’s DNA is the need to serve. Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We do not serve God by serving others — doing good works — because God needs employees to get His work done. The urge to serve is a gift to us. Serving triggers at least four personal benefits: Stimulated Mind. Figuring out how our abilities and resources can intersect with the needs of others helps transform our minds to think like Christ. Effective service always renews and stimulates my mind. Edified Emotions. Because we are emotional beings, managing our emotions is a skill of maturity. Though Christians should be characterized by positive emotions, often Christians are just as fearful, depressed and self-involved as the rest of the world. The fruits of the Spirit are the antidotes to negative emotions. Selfless service is the premier way of cultivating these fruits. Enhanced Relationships. We have a relationship with God because Jesus selflessly left heaven “to serve, and to give his life” (Mark 10:45). The gospel is relational. When we serve as Jesus did, the served and the servers grow and deepen relationships. Transformed Behavior. I believe consistent service contributes more to rapid, deep and sustained spiritual growth than any other component, even Bible studies. Transformation, not information, is the goal. Serving gets us there, because it is what God created us to do. [LLM]

Brenda Young is lead pastor at Cornerstone Church (cornerstonefmc.org) in Akron, Ohio, and director of Clear Blue Global Water Project (clearblueproject.com).

GROUP DISCUSSION: [1] Does Jesus’ response to (server) Martha’s frustration with (worshipper) Mary downplay service (Luke 10:38–42), or do we need both servers and worshippers?

[2] Why would service transform more than knowledge?

Did you know a new discipleship article is posted to our website each week? The four monthly articles are perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study. LLM | Mar 2013

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[resources] “BAREFOOT CHURCH” Pastor Brandon Hatmaker shares how to serve the “least of these” in a consumer culture: fmchr.ch/bhatmaker.

“GOD’S CALL TO BE LIKE JESUS” Bishop David Kendall offers advice on living a holy life like the ultimate servant: fmchr.ch/belikejesus.

“ONE-WAY TICKET” Jerry Coleman shares how his family traded U.S. suburbia for Budapest, Hungary: fmchr.ch/jcticket.

“GIVE TO LIVE” Stan Toler shares the freedom of living generously and trusting God: fmchr.ch/ stoler.

Read more about how to live a life of service in these books available from our partner, Wesleyan Publishing House.

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