Mennonite Brethren Herald October 2013

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disabilities & CHURCH SPEAKING of JESUS GRATITUDE: hard work Volume 52, No. 10 Publications mail registration number: 09648; Agreement number: 40009297

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circ. Dept., MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6

Marissa’s best birthday: Canadian girls model generosity

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ike most 10-year-old girls, my daughter Marissa spent several months planning her upcoming birthday party. Who would she invite? What games would the guests play? What would her theme be?

As I was tucking her into bed one night, I noticed her eyes scanning her room, taking in the books on her shelf, craft supplies and knick-knacks on her desk and dressers, and dozens of stuffed animals scattered everywhere.

“Mom,” she said, “I really don’t need any more things. Why don’t I ask my friends to bring money to donate instead of a gift, and we can give the money to a good cause?”

I was touched by her suggestion, but wondered if she’d change her mind before the date rolled around. However, in the weeks leading up to the big day, she continued to seek suggestions for a charity. We decided to pray and ask God to direct us to the right cause.

One day, Marissa’s grandfather reminded her that he was preparing to go on a short-term mission trip with Chilliwack’s River of Life Church to Piçarras, Brazil. If she wanted to send her money along with him, he offered, he would look for a project she and her friends could support.

Marissa was so excited about that! Since the money would be sent halfway across the globe, she chose “All Around the World” as her party’s theme.

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When the day finally arrived, 10 girls showed up wearing beautiful ethnic garments. Looking around the table, I was overwhelmed by the number of cultures and languages represented: English, Punjabi, Thai, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili! And although not every girl’s home ascribes to Christian faith, each girl donated generously to the mission trip! Marissa was overwhelmed.

A week later, Opa left for Brazil with an envelope containing the money from Marissa and her friends. It wasn’t long before he found a use for the funds: buying beds for four-year-old twin girls Aissa and Laissa.

Since the day they were born, Aissa and Laissa’s bed was a piece of foam. It had grown damp and dirty; both girls were fighting a fever and one had a cough that wasn’t going away. The gift of a bed from 11 girls in Canada made a difference to these two girls in Brazil!

Instead of marking another year by collecting more toys and focusing on herself, Marissa celebrated her birthday with a lesson about using her gifts to bless others. It certainly blessed her mother!

Lorraine Gross is a member of King Road MB Church, Abbotsford, B.C. This story first appeared on the church blog, June 27, 2013.

Marissa

FEATURES 10 Can I give you a hug?

Including people with disabilities in the church –Angeline Schellenberg

14 Sowing seeds or tossing nutshells?

Speaking of Jesus –Andrew Dyck

18 The converted life 20 One congregation’s journey to freedom –Phil Wagler

COLUMNS 4 Editorial Family or team?

–Laura Kalmar

8 Text message Ephesians 2:8–10 Created to do good –Brent Hudson CONFERENCE NEWS

9 Outfront “You do not belong to yourself” –Willy Reimer

17 Viewpoint The hard work of gratitude –Shelaine Strom

35 Intersection of faith and life The aroma of Jesus at the omelette grill –Sabrina Wiens

DEPARTMENTS 5 Letters 6 Homepage

CONNECT WITH US ONLINE DIGITAL EDITION issuu.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/MBHerald TWITTER twitter.com/MB_Herald WEBSITE mbherald.com JOBS jobs.mbherald.com PDF SUBSCRIPTION Email kbraun@mbconf.ca to subscribe via email

21 News in story 28 Church anniversaries 29 Transitions, births, weddings 30 Finish lines [Obituaries] 32 Crosscurrents

CORRECTION: Re “News in Brief: Writers get the Word” Peter Penner was pastor of Crooked Creek (Alta.) MB Church, later Gospel Light Church, Debolt, Alta., not Coaldale MB. Cover photo: Michaud family, by Tony Schellenberg MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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Editorial Family or team?

L AUR A K ALMAR

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t’s Jets hockey season in our house again. I’ll admit we were part of the excitement two years ago when the team returned to Winnipeg after more than a decade.

We proudly wore our blue and white jerseys. We signed up for NHL Centre Ice with our cable provider.

We partnered with friends to buy season tickets.

It was incredible to watch the transformation the Jets brought to Winnipeg. It felt like the whole city had renewed purpose and passion.

Perhaps that’s why the church loves to use the metaphor of

goal, our mission. Not controversy.

Not criticism. Not even temporary victories.

I think of Westside Church, who recently purchased The Ford Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Vancouver (see page 24).

Despite the exciting news of having access to such a grandiose meeting space, pastor Norm Funk says “our hope isn’t in this building – it’s not why we exist.

“Jesus is our hope. This is just a room – a beautiful room, yes – but it’s not the hope of this ministry.

This is just a building. Jesus is Jesus.”

This is our team’s ultimate goal: to know Jesus and make him known.

This goal keeps our eyes focused outward and onward. “team.” It gives us purpose and passion. Like a team, we train regularly, grow stronger together, and function as one unit. Our coaches (pastors and leaders) spur us on to excellence. Everyone has an important role to play within the larger group.

And our goal as MBs is clear: to reach Canada with the good news of Jesus. This is the great commission rephrased for our day – the call, as we go, to make disciples.

As a team, our rally cry is Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” It’s enthusiastic, compelling, visionary.

As a team, we don’t allow anything to distract us from our 4

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So this is our team’s ultimate goal: to know Jesus and make him known. This goal keeps our eyes focused outward and onward.

Family portrait But life isn’t all about team.

It’s also about building family ties, attending reunions, hosting Thanksgiving celebrations, making memories – all while trying to make amends when feelings get hurt or toes get stepped on. It’s fun but messy.

The church is family, too.

This domestic metaphor takes us broader and deeper. It leads us to places in everyday life that might make us feel a bit uncomfortable.

Families stop and sit together every once in a while. They

embrace everyone in the clan – even those whose performance might not be as outstanding as others’ – and find ways to include them. Families listen to the wisdom of elders and make room for the youngsters. They invite the arrogant uncle to the dinner table and set a place for the stranger.

Sometimes, families don’t function as smoothly as we would like, causing us to turn inward for a brief period.

As a family, our rally cry is Galatians 6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” It’s inclusive, nurturing, close to home.

This metaphor was the driving force behind this months’ feature, “’Can I give you a hug?’” Including people with disabilities in the church” (page 10). Karis, whose son has autism, often finds herself in the church foyer, weeping, because she’s had to leave the service.

What does Karis long for? “Just a touch.” That’s what family can provide. A loving embrace. A helping hand. A place to belong.

Family and team aren’t duelling metaphors. They’re both ways to envision the fullness of our call as Christ followers. Sometimes we take part in passionate pep rallies, as we look forward with hope and anticipation. And sometimes we find ourselves around a Thanksgiving table, deep in conversation with a cornucopia of oddly matched relatives, sharing the reality of everyday life together.

LETTERS Transformation is possible Re “It’s a new day” (Editorial, September). In regard to Laura Kalmar’s editorial on reparative therapy, I believe another side of the story needs to be told.

It’s true the American Psychological Association has made statements against reparative therapy.

However, former APA president Nicholas Cummings has gone on record saying the current APA statement on these issues is based more on ideology than science. He says the view that all homosexuality is “hard-wired” and same-sex attraction can never be changed is simply “not supported by scientific evidence.”

It’s true that Exodus, under the leadership of Alan Chambers, issued an apology and closed its doors. But many former Exodus members left the organization a year ago over concerns about Mr. Chambers’ leadership. They are now ministering as part of the Restored Hope Network, whose board issued this statement in response to the closing of Exodus: “Although the timing of the news was a surprise to many, the shutting down of Exodus is the not-unexpected outcome of a cheap grace theology that severs the confession of Christ as Saviour from the confession of Christ as Lord. While some falsely proclaim that a transformed life is optional for Christians, the united witness of Jesus and the writers of Scripture are clear: In God’s grace, true saving faith results in a life of holiness and sexual purity. Thankfully, God does not leave his people without a witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ.”

The shift away from the possibility of change in the culture and in the church is not, in my view, a new day dawning, but rather the dusk of a new, dark night. I don’t think we need to abandon reparative therapy merely because it has become politically unpopular. It should be retained as one tool of many in the discipleship of Christ followers who have same-sex attraction.

I suspect it will be on this point that the church will begin to experience open persecution in the West. But, as attributed to Martin Luther, “If I profess, with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christianity.”

I share Ms. Kalmar’s desire that the October study conference will be a defining moment in our church. But I differ from her in that my desire is

that we would reaffirm our commitment to offer the hope of transformation found in the gospel to all those struggling with any form of sexual brokenness.

MARK H. FRIESEN WINNIPEG

50+ and still in church Re “Why don’t young adults go to church?”

(Viewpoint, August). I’m 54 years old and my generation isn’t far behind the 30-somethings as far as church attendance goes. I would add to the reasons why we don’t go: the hypocrisy and abuse of power we’ve seen through the years. I resonate with Peter Epp’s reasons for still attending, but my main reason for still going to church is that, even with its faults (for which I’m partly to blame), I’m convinced from Scripture that God’s plan to reach the world is through the church. My biggest fear in avoiding church is that my kids and grandkids (which I don’t have yet) will not know the love of God. HARV DICK KELOWNA, B.C.

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Not everyone has clenched fists Re “Why don’t young adults go to church?” (Viewpoint, August). This is an open letter to Kate Baer, who was quoted in Peter Epp’s article: I’m writing to assure you that in all my adult years, I’ve never encountered a church full of people with clenched fists. On the contrary, I have encountered many, many people of all ages who are authentically openhearted, welcoming, and caring. I have interacted with scores of people who desire community, and do what it takes to make it happen. People who desire deep and lasting friendships. People who talk openly about issues that really matter in the here and now. I am sincerely sorry about whatever you experienced that was problematic; it is for this reason I’ve chosen to share with you the truth of my own experience and observation.

JANICE JOHNSON SURREY, B.C.

Superman and Moses Re “Does the church need Superman?” (Crosscurrents, August). I enjoyed this insightful article. I saw parallels between Superman and Christ more than 40 years ago and (being young then) thought I was the first to notice. Recently, my perspective was broadened by an article in the Jerusalem Post entitled “Is Superman Circumcised?” It explained that the real parallel is between Superman and Moses.

This shouldn’t be a surprise, since Superman was continued on page 34

Letters to the editor Mennonite Brethren Herald welcomes your letters of 150–200 words on issues relevant to the Mennonite Brethren church, especially in response to material published in the Herald. Please include name, address and phone number, and keep your letters courteous and about one subject only. We will edit letters for length and clarity. We will not publish letters sent anonymously, although we may withhold names from publication at the request of the letter writer and at our discretion. Publication is subject to space limitations. Letters also appear online. Because the Letters column is a free forum for discussion, it should be understood that letters represent the position of the letter writer, not necessarily the position of the Herald or the Mennonite Brethren church. Send letters to: Letters, MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6, or by email to mbherald@mbconf.ca.

OCTOBER 2013 Mennonite Brethren Herald is published monthly by the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, primarily for the use of its members, to build a Canadian MB community of faith. We seek to 1) share the life and story of the church by nurturing relationships among members and engaging in dialogue and reflection; 2) teach and equip for ministry by reflecting MB theology, values and heritage, and by sharing the good news; 3) enable communication by serving conference ministries and informing our members about the church and the world. However, the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the church as a whole.

Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement.

Winner of Canadian Church Press and Evangelical Press Association awards for Writing, Design, and Illustration: 1996–2012.

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Copyright The articles printed in the Herald are owned by the Herald or by the author and may not be reprinted without permission. Unless noted, Scriptural quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Staff Laura Kalmar editor Karla Braun associate editor Audrey Plew designer Helga Kasdorf circulation + advertising Angeline Schellenberg copy editor Barrie McMaster B.C. regional correspondent CANADIAN CONFERAdvisory Council: Helen Rose Pauls, B.C. Brad Sumner, B.C. Gil Dueck, Sask.

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PHOTO: MCC, JUDITH SNOWDON

Pray for Egypt

The Cave Church, Mokattam, seats thousands.

“Give us today our daily bread…”

Canadian Foodgrains Bank A Christian Response to Hunger

Pray.

Give.

Advocate.

World Food Day – Oct. 16

And God saw that it was good….

World Food Day was founded by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Quebec City in 1945 to raise awareness about hunger.

Worship Resources for World Food Day

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ccording to the FAO, some 852 million people in developing countries (14.9 percent of the population) were undernourished in 2010–2012.

Food insecurity – insufficient access to safe and nutritious food that meets dietary needs for a healthy life – also exists in Canada, affecting 1 in 8 households. Nunavut has the highest rate (36 percent of households) of food insecurity. In general, Canadians are most likely to experience food insecurity in households including children under 18, headed by a lone woman.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank – a Christian response to hunger – provides a worship resource for World Food Day including prayers, songs, and a children’s feature.

Download from foodgrainsbank.ca.

Photo: flickr/treyratcliff

Visit mennonitebrethren.ca and sign up to receive a monthly e-bulletin from the Canadian conference highlighting prayer requests from CCMBC ministries, members of ICOMB, and MB ministries partners (e.g. camps and schools).

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(October 16)

coming events

Art In Focus

Conference events: Oct. 6–8: SKMB pastoral retreat, Dallas Valley Ranch Camp, Sask.

Oct. 6–8: ABMB pastor & spouse retreat, Best Western Pocaterra Inn, Canmore, Alta.

Oct. 7–9: Camp director’s gathering, Vancouver.

Oct. 16–18: BFL study conference, River West Christian Church, Edmonton.

Oct. 22–24: C2C Assessment Centre, People’s Church, Toronto.

Nov. 4–7: National church planters retreat, Ottawa.

Nov. 8–10: Fort Garry MB Church 50th anniversary weekend, Winnipeg.

We have many talented artists within the MB community, and we like to highlight what they’re up to! Here are two creations

by Port Rowan, Ont., artists, giving expression to God’s kingdom.

“Passing By” by Krista Reimer.

48 x 32. Oil on Canvas

Jan. 28–30, 2014: C2C assessment centre, Vancouver.

Feb 21–22: ONMB convention.

Mar. 7–8, 2014: Assembly 2014, MBCM convention, Eastview Community Church, Winnipeg.

Mar. 14–15, 2014: SKMB convention, Forest Grove Community Church, Saskatoon.

Mar. 21–22, 2014: ABMB convention, River West Christian Church, Edmonton.

Apr. 1–2, 2014: C2C church multiplication conference, Calgary.

May 2–3, 2014: BCMB convention.

June 2014: PCO, ACTS Seminaries, Langley, B.C. June 2014: Gathering 2014, Vancouver Partner events: Oct. 5: ETEM-IBVIE graduation, Montreal.

Nov. 1–2: Fall Theatre “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” Bethany College.

Nov. 19–21: Momentum: Start.Build.Sustain, Church Planting Congress, The Meeting House, Oakville, Ont.

Guest worship leader Brian Doerksen.

“This isn’t about a church building or a bunch of pews. It’s about God’s work in people’s lives. God is the hero of our story!” said pastor Phillip Vallelly at Winkler MB Church’s 125th anniversary celebration, Sept. 8.

During the two-hour long service, Winkler announced its adoption (financial and prayer support) of Beacon Communities (church) in James Bay, B.C. “We thought it would be cool for Canada’s oldest MB church to partner with Canada’s newest MB church plant,” said Vallelly.

“I do not want to die until I see his kingdom built in Manitoba, and see how it will become fully established. This is a matter of life and death,” wrote Winkler MB founder Heinrich Voth in 1887. Voth and his wife Sarah never gave up on their mission - even when Heinrich had to sleep in a haystack in the middle of winter after the doors of hospitality were closed to him.

This is the type of passion and fortitude we should all desire, said Canadian conference executive director and guest speaker Willy Reimer. “Be inspired by their heart, not by their activity. It was their heart for God that drove their activity.”—LK

PHOTO: LAURA KALMAR

“Grandpa’s Cattle” by Ian Kutz. 16 x 20. Acrylic on canvas. The frame is made from reclaimed wood from an old barn door.

Jul. 17–19, 2015: Mennonite World Conference Global Youth Summit, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Pa. July 21–26, 2015: Assembly 16 Mennonite World Conference, Harrisburg, Penn.

View more events from churches, schools, and agencies at www.mbherald.com/coming-events.

On the go: MB Herald digital edition now available on

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Text message Created to do good EPHESIANS 2:8–10 BRENT HUDSON

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ecently, a story circulated on Facebook about pastor Steepek who allegedly went to his new church dressed as a homeless man. It told how everyone was unwelcoming and ignored him. After a church elder revealed the man was their pastor, Steepek got up and quoted Matthew 25:34–43. He spoke about his morning experience and went on: Today I see a gathering of people… not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples.... When will you decide to become disciples? Being a Christian is more than something you claim. It’s something you live by and share with others.

We know this was just another internet hoax. But many have commented that, although untrue, the story made a good point.

Personally, I was glad to hear the story was untrue. Stories like these are often rooted in shame and moralism.

They inform us of sin but are powerless to change us.

The tension between God’s unconditional love and our obedience has always been difficult to manage theologically. But a good starting point is found in Ephesians 2:8–10.

Living with tension Unfortunately, verses 8–9 are often separated from verse 10, creating a

divide between grace and works. (The word “for” in verse 10 connects the three verses and their ideas). In this passage, the phrase “created in Christ Jesus” (v. 10) parallels “you have been saved” (v. 8). Christians are saved in order to do good works – we are a new creation with a corresponding new purpose. Regardless of our individual purpose in life, our primary purpose is to do good works.

Just like the fictional pastor Steepek, we often have difficulty managing the tension between grace and works. The danger for us is to unwittingly create our own gospel: one that either favours moralism (as the Galatians did) or libertarianism (as Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians); either diminishing the cross or diminishing the work of the indwelling Spirit.

An example from Corinth In 1 Corinthians, we see the Apostle Paul faced with a situation similar to Pastor Steepek – a congregation not living up to its calling (Ephesians 4:1).

Unlike the fictional pastor who declared that his congregation wasn’t the church but just a gathering of people, Paul challenged his wayward congregation to change their behaviour precisely because they were the church!

Paul repeatedly challenges his churches to live up to the new life God had given them (Philippians 1:27). When encouraging generosity, he wants believers to think about Jesus, who was rich but

Ephesians 2:8–10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

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became poor for us (2 Corinthians 8:9).

When encouraging holiness, he urges believers to consider “the great mercies of God” (Romans 12:1). In 1 Corinthians, we see a church that was divided in its loyalties to leadership; we see men visiting temple prostitutes; we see class divisions at the Lord’s table. All of this was a demonstration of the reign of the status quo rather than the reign of God. If pastor Steepek declared his congregation “not a church” because they were unwelcoming, I can hardly imagine what he would say to this group!

Surprisingly, Paul calls his wayward group “the church of God in Corinth” (1 Corinthians 1:2). And more, he says they have been made holy, giving prominence to God’s declaration above human obedience.

Paul is consistent in his theology of salvation (Ephesians 2:8) and this consistency leads him to challenge the churches to live according to their new nature rather than the status quo (i.e., Greco-Roman cultural expectations) in Ephesians 2:10.

Emphasizing God’s grace doesn’t mean being soft on sin. It means we must think in terms of God’s love and mercy rather than human judgment (which tends to discard people rather than reclaim them).

The gospel compels us to love as God loves and to obey – not from a place of guilt or shame, but as an expression of our new nature created by God’s grace through faith.

Brent Hudson is pastor of River of Life Mennonite Brethren Church, Moncton, N.B.

Outfront “You do not belong to yourself” W I L LY R E I M E R

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’m sure the presentations, workshops, and hallway discussions generated at this month’s study conference on human sexuality will be multiplied through many more conversations over the coming months. There are at least two competing realities we need to be aware of as we engage in dialogue around difficult and very personal topics. One is the trajectory of society and the second is the worldview held by those who claim the name of Jesus.

Two key forces have shaped our thinking in Canadian society over the past decades. The first is postmodern-

driven by individual passion, rather than by a shared understanding of character or virtue. Eternity is nothing more than the quality of our current lives.

And so, our pursuit of freedom is endless. Freedom from nature: birth control, abortion, and the morning after pill provide liberty from natural processes.

Freedom from authority: we believe no one has the right to tell us what to do with our bodies. Freedom from want: we get whatever we desire to satiate ourselves.

With individual freedom and pleasure as the highest goals, it’s easy to see why anything or anyone who seeks to

“another” source of information, rather than the final authority.

Stackhouse reminds us that “Once we give up on serious Bible study and resort instead to ‘the basic thrust’ of the Bible, or ‘the main message of the gospel,’ or some other convenient generalization, we have no place to stand against that tide, and nothing to offer our society that our society is not already saying to itself.”

Framing the conversation around Scripture doesn’t mean we need to feel completely stifled. Jesus’ mission wasn’t focused on what he wanted to stop, but what he wanted to start – he came preaching the kingdom of God. Jesus didn’t come so we could have a shared set of rules or behaviours; he came so we could live in the rule and reign of God, placing our identity in him, living filled with the Holy Spirit, and focusing on his mission in the world.

Jesus invited people to lose their lives in order to gain life (Luke 9:24). Paul’s message to the Corinthians echoed Jesus’ words. Paul was teaching sexual wholeness in a sexually confused church. He said, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NLT).

The question at the end of the day isn’t behaviour but ownership. Do we see our lives – our bodies – as ours to do with as we please, or do we acknowledge what Paul said to the Corinthians – that we do not belong to ourselves? Paul’s call is to recognize and live under the lordship of Christ regardless of the topic we’re discussing.

Encouraging Christ-centred stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.

Sex has become an act of (self) worship, rather than a reflection of the One we worship.

(Psalm 24:1 NIV)

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

constrain or inhibit sexual expression is viewed as evil. If sex is the ultimate form of self-gratification, it drives our identity and behaviour. Sex has become an act of (self) worship, rather than a reflection of the One we worship who created sex as an expression of the intimacy we share with him.

So, as Tyson reminds us, the church’s challenge is to cultivate the lordship of Christ among people who have been carefully crafted and conditioned to worship themselves.

Reframing the conversation It can be discouraging to discuss these issues with fellow Christ followers due to the lack of biblical reflection being done in regard to human sexuality. Often, conversation around this topic is framed with the personal pronoun, “I.” I think. I believe. I, I, I…with little or no regard for biblical thinking. Personal opinion and experience is king. Scripture is simply

Stewardship Ministries

ism, the ruling mindset of our age.

John Stackhouse’s article in the July/ August 2013 Faith Today reminds us that “Postmodernism properly taught us to be skeptical about final claims to absolute truth proclaimed by authorities who in fact sought to keep the rest of us under control. But this attitude has been fuzzified into a license to believe whatever you like, without feeling any obligation to conform your views to what is actually the case.”

The second force is the sexualization of North American culture – a result of the 1960s sexual revolution coupled with hyperindividualism. When you fuse this with postmodernism, you find a culture focused on self-gratification through sexual expression, without any thought to consequence.

Our culture is on a quest for liberation from God, says church planter Jon Tyson, resulting in what he calls “self-defining autonomy.” The self becomes god. We’re

Willy Reimer is CCMBC executive director and lives in Calgary with his family.

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“can i give you

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“We’d just learned our unborn child has Down syndrome.

As we walked into a new church, a man with Down’s welcomed us warmly and led us to the visitor centre. God used this greeter to tell us everything we needed to know.”

a hug?”

One in seven Canadians has a disability, and one in 50 children is diagnosed with autism alone: individuals and caregivers need support. Parents and leaders learned about fostering inclusion in the church and shared their personal stories of hits and misses at Hope Centre Ministries’ “IN” conference in Winnipeg, April 2013.

Evan

Including people

When Karis and her husband came to the adoption question “Would you consider a child with disabilities?” they checked “Yes.” Then they got pregnant. “God saw it was in our hearts.

Reynold and I feel God has chosen us to be Evan’s parents, a task we couldn’t do without him.”

A lot goes into getting their 10-year-old son Evan, who has autism, ready for services at McIvor Avenue MB Church. Karis consults the Sunday school teacher and church calendar so she can talk through the morning’s events with Evan ahead of time; she packs a book, fidget toy, and snack. Following along in the bulletin helps: Evan finds it comforting to know what’s coming next.

But he sometimes talks or giggles during the sermon, and has a meltdown when asked to be quiet. When Karis takes him out, he screams, “But I want to see Jesus!” If they were Pentecostals, she laughs, he’d fit right in!

More must be done to affirm parents, she says. “I’m weeping in the foyer because we’ve had to leave the service,” and as people walk past, Karis’s wish is for “just a touch.” “If Jesus were walking around today, he would be waiting at those front doors, asking what he could do to make it easier for us and for Evan,” says Karis.

Without the support of “an amazing women’s ministry group who have laughed and cried with me over Evan, I would feel alone and unconnected.”

Numerous volunteers have acted like Jesus by staying with Evan during Sunday school, freeing Karis and Reynold to attend an adult class or enjoy a coffee. One volunteer experienced with autism taught the Sunday school teachers how to adapt for Evan.

Her wish for Evan is that “he will grow up in the church to feel included, needed, cared for, accepted, encouraged, understood, and loved.” People often quip, “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle,” but Karis says, “God gave us more than we could handle because he wants us to rely on him” – and his church.

with disabilities in the church ANGELINE SCHELLENBERG

Jeannette Thiessen & Donovan Thiessen

PHOTO: TONY SCHELLENBERG

Kiana & Malachi

“Church is where you should be safe, but you’re not always – because we’re all human,” says Mona Scott, who has two teenagers with autism. “Kiana has come home crying, ‘If I weren’t so weird, people would like me.’” For Malachi, the noise and crowds at North Kildonan MB Church can be overwhelming. Mona and Malachi often watch the service on a TV in the foyer.

Despite the ongoing challenges, Mona is grateful for people at church who help Kiana and Malachi feel like they belong. Sunday MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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mornings, Malachi runs at youth leader Ben Harapiak for a hug. When Mona posts about a bad day on Facebook, Ben texts her to see how things are going. And since Kiana can’t tolerate the noise of the Bomber games, a family friend (a diehard Bomber fan like Kiana) takes her to watch the football team practise.

“That’s what inclusion looks like: people taking an interest and wanting to know my kids for who they are!” says Mona.

Mona says it’s urgent that churches find “a different way” to reach all learning styles. “Give my kids a Bible and ask them to read along, and they’ll become ‘distracting,’” but “put it to music, and you’ve got them hooked!” Kiana has been impressing judges at vocal competitions since she was 4 and plans to join a worship team. “With autism, once they get it, they put their heart and soul into it.”

Kiana doesn’t understand theology and can’t memorize Scripture, but the first person she turns to is God. “I used to think Kiana was just talking to herself, and then I stopped and listened: wow, 80 percent of the time she’s talking, she’s praying!”

Donovan

“What meant a lot to me, when we came into McIvor Avenue MB Church for the first time, was seeing a banner of the world with people holding hands – and one had a wheelchair,” says Jeannette Thiessen.

In Africa, her son Donovan, who was born with an unlisted genetic disorder, was included by the small group of missionary kids. When Donovan’s cancer (which put him in a wheelchair), forced the family to return to Canada for treatment, “people would say hi to us and our other kids, but not always to Donovan. It was as though he didn’t exist.”

Despite youth pastor Denver Wilson’s best efforts, “Donovan stayed on periphery [at youth events]. If youth group is going to work, kids with special needs need one-to-one mentoring.”

“The piece that’s missing in many of our churches is awareness” from the front, says Jeannette. She applauds the pastor in a story IN speaker Barbara Neuman told: when a girl screamed during his message, he said, “I’d like to introduce you to a new family. Their daughter is sensitive to noises and the seams in her clothes, and

sometimes gets so uncomfortable that she has to say something.” The next time the girl screamed, no one stared.

Before Donovan attended Serve (a weeklong service opportunity for people with disabilities, similar to MB Mission’s SOAR), Hope Centre asked Denver to commission Donovan. “After the commissioning service, so many people came to talk to Donovan!” says Jeannette.

Donovan – now 29, in remission from cancer, walking again, living on his own, and driving himself to his full-time janitorial job – has his own story to share: when he had cancer, he heard Jesus say, “I’m not taking you to heaven now. I have you here for a purpose.” Part of that purpose is serving as an usher at McIvor; another is paving the way for others with special needs.

Jeannette and her husband Elmer “hope to create a safe place in our home for families” – not a “sob fest,” but a support group to talk about where God is, and how he sees their children, and to make a game plan for school, respite, employment, housing – and next steps.

For example, “If the child qualified for funding, they can stay in school till age 21, but then what?”

Kiana Scott & Malachi Scott

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Justin

Lucie Michaud’s 20-year-old son Justin can build a gazebo, so when he struggles with everyday tasks and decisions, some assume he’s lazy. “People thought I was just a bad parent,” says Lucie. Justin was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at 17.

With growing independence, and without the structure of adapted high school, six-foot-six Justin’s behaviour became more challenging. Once, Lucie had to leave work because Justin felt ill, panicked, and called an ambulance. He was refused provincial housing, employment, and support services because his IQ is too high in some quadrants – even though his

adaptability skills meet criteria. One organization denied the family support because Justin hasn’t been in trouble with the law.

Exhausted, Lucie’s husband Mitch stepped down from the volunteer worship leader position he’d held at Église Communautaire de la Rivière Rouge (ECRR) for 11 years. Church friends ask how they can support them, but Lucie says she’s too tired to come up with lists, and it’s awkward to say, “Please clean my house, take my son for a hamburger, take him to Home Depot.” She recommends people help however they’re gifted, and tears up as she recalls a friend who dropped off a homemade meal.

For the past year, Justin’s had a “God-given” boss who drives him to work and makes sure he has lunch, and Lucie acts as Justin’s social worker, taking him grocery shopping and checking his finances. Until their building was sold, ECRR rented Justin living space in the church. Now, he’s in an apartment five minutes from Lucie and Mitch.

Lucie takes Isaiah 42:6 (“I will take hold of your hand”) as a personal promise. “God allowed us to go through this journey, so we can say, ‘This is how this affects my child, our family, and church life.’ I feel like God wants to do something new by making people aware.”

“People want to give me solutions and Scriptures. I know God is there, but my heart is hurting,” says Lucie.

“Would you cry with me? Please love me and love my child.”

Benjamin & Isaiah

Worship singer/songwriter Brian Doerksen took the stage at Hope Centre’s conference, not as a performer, but as a father. When Brian’s third child was three, Benjamin was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic condition causing a range of developmental delays. Brian and Joyce’s future children had a 50/50 chance of having it.

“There’s a season where it settles into your soul. Then you realize: it means the rest of my life,” says Brian.

September 1998, Brian felt a stirring: “Take a risk, now that you have all the genetic data, and have another child.” People angrily ask, “Why?” He has two reasons: to model to his daughters, who are carriers, to take the risk. And second: “We believed we’d have a child without Fragile X.” During Joyce’s pregnancy, Brian composed these lyrics, amid overwhelming fear: “I don’t know what tomorrow holds. Still I know I can trust your faithfulness.”

“What people fasted and prayed with us for didn’t happen,” says Brian.

He considered giving up his ministry to help raise two special needs sons, but “I sensed God wants me to keep going – a little more broken, a little more trusting.… A little later, I had the picture of Joshua asking the people to choose, and the phrase ‘As for me and my house’ (Joshua 24:15). You don’t choose your household; you take what God gives.”

Isaiah, now 13, is a living love message from God. “When he wakes he’s on a single mission: to hug as many people as possible,” says Brian. Everywhere they go, Brian’s family of eight has to think WWID: “What would Isaiah do?” Will there be food that fits his dietary restrictions? Will there be sounds that overwhelm him?

Brian doesn’t set out to write worship hits; these are his own “survival songs.” Even though his “Come, Now is the Time to Worship” and “Faithful One” are heard around the world, like other parents of children with disabilities, Brian’s heart’s cry is that the church would “truly see my children.”

A pastor responds

“I was overwhelmed and felt the need to apologize on behalf of the church,” says FaithWorks pastor Mary Reimer about hearing parents’ roundtable stories at IN. “I saw how poorly equipped the churches are to enter their situation.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like for parents to navigate the turbulent water of disapproval with their kids,” she says. “We have no desire to hurt or be exclusive. We do it out of fear; rather

than get it wrong, we do nothing, which hurts more than anything.”

“People tend to back away from disruptive behaviour, and label the child as a nuisance instead of getting information,” says Mary. She latched onto a tip from Neuman’s G.L.U.E. Training Manual workshop: rather than asking, “Does your child have ADHD?” ask, “Does your child have difficulties with reading, using scissors, staying focused?” Then visit each family and discuss how to make the child more successful and safe.

The church must create a safe place for conversation. Mary understands parents’ desire not to label their child, but when they’re silent about their child’s needs, “it leaves untrained volunteers to figure it out for themselves, and by that time, it’s beyond them and they’ve quit.”

At FaithWorks’ Mother’s Day service, using one of Neuman’s activities, Mary distributed two-coloured puzzle pieces, asking everyone to write their strengths on one colour and weaknesses on the other, to reinforce that “we are all both sides.” The person whose weaknesses irritate us may be exactly the one God wants to use to shape us.

“I believe the most important attribute we have is that we’re loved by God,” says Mary. “And that’s one we all share.”

What you can do: 3 Listen without giving advice.

3 Welcome families to speak from the pulpit, at a membership meeting, or in a Sunday school session about their diagnosis. Or invite a ministry like Hope Centre to do a needs evaluation or presentation in your church. [See what Northview has done, page 23.]

3 Invite someone with disabilities to come with you to their favourite shop, restaurant, or sports game.

3 Support a housing project for adults with disabilities.

3 Put your hand on the shoulder of a parent who’s helping a frustrated child.

Let them know you care. more ideas at www.mbherald.com MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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Sowing seeds tossing nutshells?

SPEAKING of JESUS

ANDR E W DYCK

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s a teenager, I followed the encouragement of a Pentecostal classmate and took a training course in the Four Spiritual Laws (FSL). In the basement of Yarrow MB Church, I learned how to use FSL so I could participate in an evangelistic media blitz.

That summer, while on a city work crew, I took advantage of a coffee break to share FSL with another teenaged employee. After I’d read the booklet to him, I was taken aback when he asked a question about one phrase in the booklet: “What’s the door of my life?” No matter how I tried, I couldn’t explain to him what that door was, let alone how he could open it to Jesus.

More recently, when I was a pastor, people asked me for help sharing the gospel. A longstanding believer, for instance, said, “Please teach us how to talk about the gospel; we don’t know how to answer the questions people are asking us.” This woman could talk at length about Jesus and salvation with her children and church care group, but struggled to speak up with her unbelieving neighbours and relatives.

As I watch Jesus’ apprentices share the gospel, I see some of them go through life speaking about the gospel as if they were sowing grass seed all around them – and 14

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a carpet of verdant growth emerges in their trail. Others, like my teenaged self, are just as devoted to Jesus; but when they speak about the gospel, nothing seems to happen, as if they were tossing out empty walnut shells.

What makes the difference? What’s really happening? More importantly: what does God expect Jesus’ followers to do with the good news of Jesus Christ?

What does the Bible say?

In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus offers an answer to my question. He instructs his followers (who circulate throughout the entire world because Jesus is their Lord) to make apprentices (disciples) of every ethnicity: baptizing them in the name of the Trinity and teaching them to keep all Jesus’ commands.

Acts 1:8 provides another version of Jesus’ answer: once his messengers (apostles) have been empowered by the Holy Spirit, they will be his witnesses everywhere.

Both these answers, however, were addressed to a limited group of disciples.

What does God expect of all believers?

What about those who aren’t gifted to be apostles, evangelists, apologists, or

teachers? What does God expect of people who are tongue-tied or shy?

Very few passages in the epistles teach believers how to speak about the good news of Jesus – how to witness. Peter writes to dispersed people who are learning to obey Jesus Christ: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15–16).

Paul offers similar words to faithful brothers and sisters in Asia: “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5–6 NRSV).

John exemplifies this respectful, gracious approach when he introduces Jesus, the eternal Word of life: “We’re announcing what we heard, saw with our eyes, looked at, and touched with our hands, so that we will all have fellowship with each other and with God, and so that we can

have complete joy” (1 John 1:1–4 paraphrased).

Living according to the Bible From these Scriptures, there are several things we can say about witnessing.

Witnessing is letting others know how we’ve experienced Jesus. Like John, we tell our own experiences and those of our faith community, rather than the experiences of others.

Both Peter and Paul emphasize that we speak in response to what other people are actually asking. In other words, witnessing is a genuine conversation, not a onesided sales pitch that pushes for a deal.

We salt every conversation with gentleness, kindness, and wisdom – without a hint of anxiety or stridency. We respect the other person’s convictions, customs, community – even religion – by listening carefully and seeking to understand him or her. We can be this patient because God is (2 Peter 3:9).

We always couple our conversations about Jesus with living in the way that Jesus taught. And we witness with the expectation of discovering joy.

We don’t need to know everything about the gospel – in fact, we can’t. No single book of the Bible and no single author in Scripture offers everything that can be known about the gospel.

Even if we could know the entire Bible, we would never finish searching and tracing out God’s wise and wonderful ways (Romans 11:33). We always need

the help of other believers, churches, and denominations to communicate the gospel’s fullness, so that every household on earth can truly grasp how broad and high and long and deep is Christ’s love (Ephesians 3:18–19).

By sharing our own experiences of the risen Jesus, we renounce two temptations. We avoid the temptation to distil what God has revealed about the gospel into a pre-packaged or lowest-commondenominator summary. That’s like offering people a dry empty nutshell instead of a living seed. Rather, we are to be as lively as God’s birthing Spirit, who comes and goes like the wind (John 3:8).

Also, we refuse the temptation to feel that “it’s all up to me.” God stitches each individual’s witness – however incomplete – with the witness of the church in every place, creating a multicoloured tapestry that reveals Jesus with everincreasing beauty to our neighbours and our enemies, to the world, and even the cosmos (Ephesians 3:10).

Bearing witness Journalists speak about a moral obligation to “bear witness” to the extreme poverty, atrocities of war, or devastating effects of human trafficking they have seen firsthand. Having discovered people and events hidden from their viewers, these communicators feel compelled to respond to the world’s pain by letting their audiences know “the rest of the story.”

As Jesus’ apprentices, we are to be spiritual journalists, bearing witness to what we have experienced.

We’re not spiritual detectives who sniff out evil, spiritual police who collar sinners, prosecuting attorneys, parole officers who ensure consequences, or judges who assign eternal punishment. We’re also not God’s sheriffs, bailiffs, or prison guards; instead, we are his witnesses.

Like the first believers, we who know Christ aren’t content to tell only the facts about the gospel. We want others to know our experiences of Jesus so that their and our joy may be complete. This is bearing witness.

And it’s possible for all Jesus’ brothers and sisters: children and grownups, introverts and extroverts, beginners and veterans. Bearing witness is possible for everyone who has begun to know Christ, and who relies on the Holy Spirit to call, convict, and convert.

Four Spirit-ed impulses Here are four practices that can help us learn to bear witness as people birthed by the Spirit.

1

Be attentive to our own conversions.

A witness’s testimony is only valid if it speaks to the witness’s own experience.

What has Jesus changed in your life? How are you becoming more alive because of Jesus? How is your relationship with Jesus reshaping your values, self-image, other MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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relationships, hobbies, finances, desires, and more? Who makes the gospel real or believable for you?

2

Let our own experiences shape what we promise on Jesus’ behalf.

Jesus doesn’t change all the circumstances of our lives. Can we promise he will heal my friend’s depression, crippled arm, or even his marriage? Will Jesus give her a job? We can’t know. But Jesus does offer eternally abundant life that begins here and now (John 10:10). The signs of this life include reconciliation, healing, recovery from addictions, and other changes – both quiet and dramatic. By looking at our own initial and ongoing conversions, we can learn what eternal life looks like in the lives of real people today.

3

Be attentive to what people are already discussing before we join their conversations.

To be heard when we speak of Jesus, we first need to be attentive to what people around us are actually asking. Paul listened before he preached (Acts 17:23).

Where do people talk about Jesus, God, Christians, religion, or faith? Ponder carefully what they say and consider the desires that hide beneath their comments.

Shame, guilt, fear, or greed: Jesus and the gospel address all human possibilities, conditions, and cultures. Notice and draw attention to the ways people are unknowingly experiencing the Holy Spirit’s witness to God’s goodness through this incredible planet, productive work, happy mealtimes, and more (see Acts 14:17 for a model).

4

Live hospitably with our neighbours.

Offering and receiving hospitality as a lifestyle prepare the soil for sowing the seeds of the gospel (Luke 10:7). When Paul wrote to immature Greek believers, he clearly expected Christians to associate 16

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with people who do not believe in Jesus – even people considered immoral, greedy, robbers, and idolaters (1 Corinthians 5:9–10). Jesus, our role model, not only served but also asked to be served (John 4:7). In the same way, we need to exchange hospitality with our neighbours and associates; we can share garden tools, parenting woes and joys, vacations, and even food. When my neighbour knows me well enough to see my fear of heights and my outburst at a broken lawnmower, he will hopefully be close enough to also see Jesus shining out of the cracked vessel that I am.

Opening doors Nearly 10 years ago, Denise* suffered a broken hip. She was elderly, and with her weak and stiff leg was unable to manage her household or her little dog. Her neighbours Henry and Liz visited Denise in the hospital; they loved Jesus and had experienced hardships themselves. When Denise came home, she asked Liz and Henry to assist her for a while. They began coming to her house twice a day to prepare her meals, help her get out of bed, and take care of her dog.

One year into her recovery, Denise realized that her neighbours weren’t showing any signs of stopping their helpful visits. Finally, she asked, “If you had known how long it would take, would you still have agreed to help me?” Liz answered, “We’ll help you no matter how long it takes.” Noticing that Denise had books about various religions on her shelves, they readily gave her a large-print Bible when she asked for one. Quite naturally, Liz and Henry also spoke about Jesus and his love.

One day, Denise said, “I want what you have.” Several months later – sitting in her wheelchair – Denise was baptized upon

confessing her faith in Jesus, whom she served by expressing care for the members of her home fellowship group.

The seed of the gospel sprouted in part because Denise’s neighbours – regular disciples of Jesus – bore witness to their experiences with Christ.

May his Spirit help us to go and sow likewise.

*Not her real name.

Andrew Dyck is assistant professor of ministry studies for Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Canada and Canadian Mennonite University.

Andrew and Martha are enjoying getting to know their neighbours in Winnipeg.

Andrew recommends Evangelism for “Normal” People: Good News for Those Looking for a Fresh Approach by John P. Bowen. Chapter 15, for instance, offers three biblically rich examples of introducing people to Jesus in a way that is conversational and open-handed instead of formulaic.

How does Scripture give different messages of hope for different situations in life? How have mistakes and influences from our history as Mennonite Brethren shaped the way we understand and share the gospel today? Read more at mbherald.com.

Viewpoint The hard work of gratitude SHELAINE STROM

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t’s so easy to complain.

Last January, as I sat in Phoenix, Ariz., away from the damp B.C. coast, I had an opportunity to rest, read, and write. My husband and I soaked in the beauty of desert life and relished local culture and events. We shared a sabbatical, a luxury not taken for granted.

Yet I recall being aware of the nature that resides within, the part of me that’s constantly threatening to turn my head away from the Gift, toward the self.

Unseasonably cold temperatures distracted from the sun-filled, expansive blue skies, and I caught myself grumbling at the need to change clothes three or four times a day. The mornings were cool and required jackets, even mitts. Around noon, I would sit on the deck in full sun, wearing a tank top and shorts, aware that I ought to be careful not to burn. A walk around the lake midafternoon proved too chilly for the shorts. Then, evening demanded an ensemble much like early morning.

First World problems, my children would chide.

One night, my husband and I watched comedian Ron James on TV. Our lives aren’t too difficult, James said, they’re too comfortable. The audience laughed at the irony of the statement, but his words gave me pause. When my world is too comfortable, I dwell on what’s missing and forget what I have. Often, a sense of entitlement surfaces.

Choosing a different posture A few months ago, a friend and I had a conversation about suffering and pain and growth. She told me I had developed the spiritual discipline of gratitude, noting how I continually choose a posture of thankfulness in spite of my physical pain and multiple losses. I thanked her for the kind

words, and continued to ponder what she said.

Despite my friend’s observation, I’m aware of how ungrateful I often feel. Life is hard, to use a cliché. It’s rarely what you expect. And if you hold too tightly to your idea of how life should look, disappointment prevails.

I didn’t expect to be unable to work at 47. Life will let us down. As one of my long-ago clients would say, “Suck it up, buttercup.”

But we don’t just absorb the disappointment into our psyche and have it disappear into nowhere. Like sponges, we suck up the despair and sense of

grow – tiny tissues tear and rebuild, stronger than before – gives me a picture of how gratitude grows.

The example of annoyance at having to change clothes multiple times a day is a “tiny tissue” indeed.

However, it represents the subtle way I must choose gratitude in all things, every day. Gratitude is a mindset that grows slowly in the midst of small situations. But it can quickly stop the insidious infiltration of entitlement and discontent in our lives, and open new options.

In my coaching profession, we call it reframing. What’s another

Like sponges, we suck up the despair and sense of being short-changed, and eventually reach a saturation point where we start to drip. being short-changed, and eventually reach a saturation point where we start to drip. Another disappointment hits and becomes like a giant hand twisting our sponge, until every drop of inner moisture is squeezed out. And there we sit, crusty, brittle, inflexible, dried up.

Unless.

Unless, by God’s grace, we opt for something different. Gratitude, I believe, is a spiritual discipline developed over time, honed in each moment when we choose between grumbling and thankfulness.

Gratitude grows My sons have recently become intent on developing healthy lifestyles, complete with physical exercise and muscle-building activities. Hearing afresh from them how muscles

perspective on this situation? Perhaps by shifting even one degree, life can look quite different. And that’s how gratitude becomes a discipline – we willfully move from comfortable whining to a place of thankfulness.

This is not Pollyanna-ish. I’m not fond of the “God is good” reply, complete with cheesy smile and gloss-over approach to adversity. No, I’m advocating an authentic discipline that stares hard into the face of all things difficult and says – in spite of pain, in the midst of suffering, when loss burns to the soul – I give thanks.

Shelaine Strom is a career coach and member of Ross Road Community Church in Abbotsford, B.C. MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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T

oward the end of the last decade, Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church made a confession that resonates with many pastors: “We made a mistake.

What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self-feeders. We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.”

What was pastor Hybels really saying?

He was acknowledging that all the energy and methods Willow Creek (and a myriad of other churches) had invested in simply didn’t produce the type of discipleship maturity Jesus talked about.

Most pastors will admit this same thing. We do church quite well, but we’re disturbingly inept at the actual practice of transformational disciple making.

History of conversion In his important book, The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom, Alan Kreider unpacks how, in the church’s first 300 years of existence, leaders held three key dynamics in tension when it came to the converted follower of Christ: belief (worldview and theology), belonging (the people of God as one’s primary family), and behaviour (living in obedience to the ethics of the kingdom and rejecting the lust, the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life).

The rise of Christendom in the fourth century “converted” conversion, says Kreider, into something that increasingly involved mere intellectual assent to certain beliefs. Western Christianity moved from holding belief-belonging-behaviour in tension to emphasizing belief alone: if you believe the right things, the right way, taught by the right people, you’re converted.

Over time, the Christian world adopted this as gospel, and relegated 18

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belonging and behaviour to the back burner (or to the special calling of the monastic). In theory, belonging and behaviour were still important. But they became second- and third-class passengers on a heaven-bound flight.

In fact, belonging almost missed the plane entirely when it got confused in the departure lounge for nationalism and patriotism. The full fruit of this was the entirely false and unbiblical notion of the “Christian nation.” This geographically bound vocabulary is never part of the New Testament’s understanding of the people of God. In a well-motivated response during the post-Reformation period, several Christian groups sought to reclaim the belief-belonging-behaviour balance.

But some swung the pendulum the other way, elevating behaviour to obtuse heights, making belief a third-class passenger on a legalistic flight to self-righteousness. It crept in slyly, but soon people began to understand their conversion as something founded on the clothes they wore or things they didn’t do, rather than in the power of grace to overcome all our filthy rags and even our most lurid secrets.

Add a millennium and a half of history to this story and it’s not surprising that we – even in the evangelical-Anabaptist world – end up where we are: aware that we’re not really seeing as much “real” conversion as the first church experienced, and disheartened by a Christianity equated not with full-scale life change and freedom, but worship-style preferences and anti-whatever stances.

Living as citizens of a different kingdom And so we end up at the place of Willow Creek’s courageous confession. It’s not that the church hasn’t provided good teaching (we’re drowning in books and information), or worked hard to help people belong (though it’s mostly about where we attend Sunday morning, rather than how we understand primary family).

But we’ve only haphazardly apprenticed believers to lead a “new life in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We fail to emphasize a manner of living, freedom, and soul-rest (Sabbath and shalom) that says we’re citizens of a different kingdom.

Consequently, people seek miraculous interventions for Christ-like character formation, leading to a misunderstanding of the work of the Holy Spirit, who is both a patient counsellor and hard-nosed personal trainer.

This affects the fruit of Christian living and discernment. Converts to Christ

the CONVERTED life PHIL WAG LER

from the first centuries might wonder if we believe in Jesus, but not most of what he said! Have we unwittingly placed ourselves on the flip side of this statement: “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32, NLT)?

Wondrous freedom Jesus made no distinction between belief, belonging, and behaviour. When Jesus’ followers embody this full conversion, they discover not only belief (truth)

and belonging (you are mine), but a new way of behaving (obedience that leads to freedom).

Orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice) meet here, in Jesus Christ. In the life of the one who abides in Christ, there’s a freedom for which many in our fellowships ache.

Why do most churches have calendars belching with activity and masses of gifted pastors, yet lament about discipleship as the missing piece? Why don’t we see more freedom from the “old life”?

Why are so many Christians blessed in

every conceivable way, yet keenly aware of a cavernous void, frustrated with their churches for not meeting their needs?

If we want to be churches with the capacity to see the wholeness of conversion in people’s lives, we must be equipped and prepared. Many of our churches invest loads of resources to be “relevant” communicators of God’s good news in Christ.

But are we as invested in converting people post-service in a post-Christian world?

Are we creating space and relationships for the long journey toward freedom that people are searching for in an increasingly MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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One congregation’s journey to freedom A

couple years ago, our church in Surrey, B.C. went through a challenging stretch. Gracepoint Community Church’s issues – like any family’s – were complex. But our fracturing of the belief-belonging-behaviour dynamic certainly contributed to our dysfunction. It left us reeling and in need of recovery.

We were hurt, caused hurt, and scattered sheep far and wide.

Yet in the midst of this, the Great Shepherd was active. He raised a few key leaders passionate to see individuals healed and made whole.

A key tool in this process was Freedom Session. Birthed by pastor Ken Dyck of Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Surrey, B.C., from his experience of dealing with hurting Christians in the early 2000s, Freedom Session has rapidly become a core component in our life as a disciple-making community.

Freedom Session is an intense, year-long, 12-step healing-discipleship journey that helps participants develop tools to become self-feeding disciples and contributors to others’ journeys, and to discover freedom through steps of obedience from the sins, infirmities, bondages, and addictions that have kept them trapped – sometimes for decades.

“Freedom and healing is God’s idea, not ours,” says Dyck. “Programs like this don’t heal anyone – Jesus Christ does.” In our North American context, he says, where most basic needs are met and people lack very little, the greatest necessity is emotional healing.

Transformed community Our church has witnessed this healing. People with deep wounds – or even wounds they didn’t know they had – meet Jesus, find safety in belonging to the family of God, and begin to adjust their behaviour to the teachings of Christ. The cuts are deep, the work hard, the healing real, and the fruit abundant.

Freedom Session has been integral in fostering healing, not only among individuals, but within our entire fellowship. We’ve graduated approximately 50 people over two years, and the presence of these disciples with their new authenticity, joy, grasp of grace, sense of confessional community, and freedom has worked liked leaven through the dough of our church’s journey of recovery.

Our Freedom Session leader, Gord Wookey, observes “a renewed sense of belonging. Those who have gone through Freedom Session have shared so deeply and have become so transparent with each other that, on Sundays, they’re excited to see each other. As they talk, there’s a new sense of belonging and purpose.”

We’ve heard formerly selfish husbands publicly confess their renewed love and commitment for their wives. We’ve watched women, whose lives were shattered by abuse, rediscover trust. We’ve heard people disappointed with church say, “This is what church really is.” We’ve seen servant-leaders emerge who walk with grace and truth. We’ve seen unlikely friendships formed among those who previously would never have taken time for each other. And, we have seen a hunger for more.

Gracepoint has often talked about authenticity; we are now more equipped and able to live it. We have seen all sorts of people discover that freedom begins with the conversion of our belief-belonging-behaviour around the person of Jesus, his body, and his teachings.

To find out more about Freedom Session, go to www.freedomsession.com or email info@freedomsession.com.

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lonely, diverse, addicted, distracted, and fractured society?

Many churches do point people toward small groups. This is good and does bear fruit that restores some of the belief-belonging-behaviour balance; at least in theory.

In practice, however, many small groups don’t press toward or even expect the transformational freedom Jesus talks about – because, often, the transformative Jesus isn’t central to our activities. In our small groups, is there a collective hunger to be confronted, comforted, and still further converted by the community of the Trinity?

We seem content with taste-test versions of the kingdom. How can we raise the bar? How do we become people who thirst for what the old hymn writer called “more and deeper communion”? The danger for most churches, in the words of the late Dallas Willard, is “pitching its message too low.”

But there is hope. People are discovering (and rediscovering) the works of Willard, Neil Cole’s Life Transformation groups, and Freedom Session (see sidebar). They’re turning to resources such as the writings of Bonhoeffer, the ancient practices of John Wesley’s class-meetings, the Examen of St. Ignatius, and the Daily Office. Many believers are moving into the freedom of the converted life.

In many ways, we find ourselves with the same opportunities as the pre-Christendom church. We increasingly reach those who are ignorant about the biblical story, not completely unaware but blind to the roots of their bondage and its fallout, and without the types of friendships that support through the hard stuff of life.

We are surrounded by people, even in our churches, thirsting for the converted life – that new life that should be found among those who know the One who truly, and only, sets free.

Phil Wagler is lead pastor of Gracepoint Community Church in Surrey, B.C. and author of Kingdom Culture: Growing the Missional Church.

News in S TO RY WINNIPEG

Confronting an insidious crime: People of faith stand against human trafficking

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Army territorial anti-human trafficking network, challenges people to think about what would happen if the sex trade didn’t exist.

If there was no demand for the sex industry, would women, men, and children still be trafficked?

Portrayals of women as sex objects in the media and in pornography and the fact that sex sells in society are two of the reasons human trafficking exists. Bussey says we must address the existence of the sex industry before we can eliminate exploitation of trafficked persons.

Key initiatives can prevent and reduce demand for the sex trade: education for children and young adults about sexual exploitation, comprehensive awareness campaigns, and appeals to men delivered by men to address the causes of demand. “Until men look down on other men for doing this, it will not stop,” says Bussey.

Smith agrees that targeting predators, not victims, of the sex trade industry is vital. Two types of predators exist – those who want to buy sex and those who arrange for the sale of sex. “It’s just what they call their business,” Smith says of the latter. But “it’s not a business, it’s a crime. And it’s a crime against humanity; it’s a crime against women. So I want to go after and target the market and that’s what I’m doing right now.” She hopes to see a “madein-Canada Nordic model” – one that penalizes the predators, not the victims – that would target and ultimately remove the market for the sex trade.

Smith has been instrumental in the creation of human trafficking laws in Canada. In 2009, Parliament passed Bill C-268, An Act to amend the Criminal Code Addressing demand Conference speaker Dianna (minimum sentence for offences, Bussey, chair of the Salvation involving trafficking of persons f I don’t share my stor y, nobody’s going to k now what’s happening in our world,” says Shannon Lynn, a speaker at the Caught in Traffick conference hosted by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada at Canadian Mennonite University, June 21–23, 2013. Attendees learned that Canada is a source, transit, and destination country for human traffickers, and left feeling motivated and equipped to counteract human trafficking.

Lynn was one of hundreds of young women and men who are trafficked in Canada. A child who “fell through the cracks” of society, Lynn became a sex trade worker at 15. For 20 years, Lynn found herself ensnared in the trap of the sex trade because the physical abuse she suffered would have only worsened if she didn’t do as she was told.

The Roya l Ca nadia n Mounted Police defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, or harbouring of people for the purpose of exploitation through the use of force, coercion, fraud, deception, or threats against the victim or a person known to them.”

Member of Pa rl ia ment (MP), Joy Smith, explains that a trafficked person can bring in revenue of $250,000–$260,000 a year. Smith, who attends Eastview Community Church in Winnipeg, has worked fervently to stop human trafficking in Canada since becoming an MP in 2004.

“It’s an insidious crime,” says Smith; “it’s a manipulative and deceptive crime, and it’s a crime that should not be happening on Canadian shores.”

PHOTO: ELLEN PAULLEY

“

A display at the conference guides participant reflection.

under the age of eighteen years).

This Private Members’ Bill, introduced by Smith, amended Canada’s Criminal Code to create a new offence for child trafficking with a five-year mandatory penalty.

In 2012, Bill C-310, Smith’s second Private Members’ Bill, also became law. This bill allows Canadians or permanent residents who commit trafficking in persons offences outside the country to be prosecuted in Canada. It also enhances the definition of exploitation in the trafficking in persons offence.

Sustained by faith Smith draws on her faith to both inspire and sustain her.

“What I found out in this issue is that the Christians are really being called on to take a stand against human trafficking. And I feel very honoured that I’m able to be a part of this, however dark and however hard it’s been. My faith sustains me through all of this.”

Opening remarks at the Caught in Traffick conference were based on Genesis 1:27 which reads, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (NLT). Human trafficking – treating men and women as commodities to be bought and sold – denies the image of God in people.

Shona Stewart, a former sex trade worker, says, “If not for Jesus

Christ, I wouldn’t be standing here today.” Drawn into the sex trade by the allure of making money, she explains that a tough childhood, low self-esteem, and a search for personal identity contributed to her decision.

After 16 years, Stewart was able to escape. Through an Alpha program, she became a Christian, went on to earn two degrees from Briercrest College and became pastor of women’s outreach at Cornerstone Alliance Church in Winnipeg.

Stewart identified a lack of safe and stable housing as one of the biggest challenges women face when they leave the sex trade.

In September 2012, she opened Dignity House, a second-stage home where women can learn “life skills to enable them to live healthy, wholesome lives” in a faith-based context.

Driven by awareness Smith is fond of this challenging quote by William Wilberforce: “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say that you did not know.”

Lynn, who shared her story publicly for the first time at Caught in Traffick, agrees. “The only way [the cycle] will stop is to bring awareness,” she says.

Conference participants were visibly moved by Lynn’s bravery and reminded that each of us is made in the image of God.

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News in S TO RY The stories of those who have experienced this injustice demonstrate that the issue is complex, the scale massive, and the challenges many. It’s

Images and words on this mannequin convey realities for those caught in the sex trade.

clear that the scars left on those who are trafficked are deep and long-lasting; they provide reasons for us to address human trafficking.

By using tools learned at events like Caught in Traffick, spending time in prayer, and dedicating time and energy to the cause, we can begin to make a difference. Through our combined actions, we can hopefully make Lynn’s dream come true and put an end to the cycle of human trafficking once and for all.

PHOTO: ELLEN PAULLEY

Ellen Paulley is the communications coordinator for the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.

What you can do Addressing human trafficking requires both spiritual and practical measures. Everyone can become involved.

Donate and volunteer. Gaps exist in the number of resources available to support those who wish to leave the sex trade. One way Christians can promote the image of God each person bears is by supporting organizations, like Dignity House,the Salvation Army, and the Joy Smith Foundation,* that provide resources such as housing, vocational training, and counselling for those who exit the sex trade.

Pay attention to your neighbours. Indicators a person might be trafficked include: she is escorted or watched, he does not speak on his own behalf, she does not have identification, and he lacks private space or personal property. If you see or know someone whom you suspect might be trafficked, contact your local police.

Learn more. To act on such a complex issue, one has to know that it exists. Attend conferences or workshops, and listen to the stories of people like Stewart and Lynn, who have been directly affected by trafficking.

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Share your knowledge. Invite your faith community to learn about and address human trafficking by using resources like Human Trafficking: A Report on Modern Day Slavery in Canada produced by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Human Trafficking in Canada: A Leadership and Learning Kit for Churches produced by The Canadian Council of Churches.

Pray. One of the greatest resources Christians have to combat evil is prayer. “We have an awful lot of power through prayer,” says Smith, quoting 2 Corinthians 4:8: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.

We are perplexed, but not driven to despair” (NLT).—EP *The Joy Smith Foundation, launched in October 2012, “works to ensure that every Canadian is safe from manipulation, force, or abuse of power designed to lure and exploit them into the sex trade or forced labour.” The Foundation has raised approximately $140,000 to date, all of which has been distributed to organizations that work on the frontlines to rescue and rehabilitate victims of human trafficking.

HEPBURN, SASK.

Invest without spending a cent Bethany College program partners students with supporters for prayer

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necessary component of Bethany’s vision to make disciples as Jesus asked us to do is nurture through prayer, says director of advancement Rick Guenther. For more than a decade, staff and faculty at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask., have put knees to this conviction by partnering volunteer alumni and supporters to pray for specific students or staff members for the duration of the school year.

It’s not unusual for a Christian college to send out photo prayer cards of their students, but Bethany’s prayer ministry includes the student’s email address – and gives students their partner’s contact information – to encourage interaction. The coordinator sends general prayer requests, but also encourages the parties to contact each other with specific needs and encouragement.

“The most important part is that everyone is prayed for, not that everyone is contacted regularly (although that might happen in a perfect world),” says Sandy Derksen, Bethany advancement administrative assistant Sandy Derksen and current prayer program coordinator.

In the 1990s, then-director of off-campus resources Jack Braun was inspired to start the program by a supporter’s comment about his intentional habit of praying for students, faculty, and staff at Bethany.

When Rob Neufeld became director of donor and alumni relations, 2008–2012, Rob Neufeld he took charge of the program that had waned since Braun’s departure in 2005.

“What drew me to participate was the simple conviction that our students and staff need prayer support,” says Neufeld.

“In my view, Bible college is a spiritual battleground.”

Neufeld was encouraged by the “100-plus people who wanted to be a part of this ministry.” Each year, some would bow out, but others would join.

“As I visited friends of Bethany across the country – from Toronto to Victoria – it was very cool to see our students’ photos on people’s fridges.”

For fourth-year student and women’s residence director Claressa Campbell, Claressa Campbell it has been meaningful to be prayed for “right from the start of school.

“I appreciate that alumni and friends of the college value the students, value prayer, and value partnership. Through prayer, they are shaping a healthy relationship between generations,” says Campbell. “I also like that I can pray for my partner, and not just receive.”— Karla Braun

S T. C AT H A R I N E S , O N T. PHOTO: COURTESY ORCHARD PARK

Ministering in the field Niagara churches and MCC reach out to migrant workers ver y ye a r, t he Ni a ga r a region f loods with Caribbean migrant workers typically employed on eight-month contracts. Churches in the Niagara region are responding to the needs of these workers and are reaching out to them with the love of Christ. Partnering with other agencies and local MB churches, Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCCO) offers aid, resources, and direction to these temporary residents.

The heart behind the gift Tim Arnold, outreach director for Southridge Community Church (multisite), says the Caribbean offshore workers primarily “need to be welcomed in friendship and welcomed as neighbours.”

The neighbourhood audit Southridge conducts before launching a new campus identified Caribbean migrant workers as those left out of outreach opportunities in rural Niagara.

Members of the Vineland campus, located in tender-fruit and grape farming country, packed kits to welcome the workers and ease their first few weeks in Ontario.

This was the first time in nine years of coming to work in the Niagara region that he was welcomed in such a manner, one worker told Arnold after receiving Vineland’s kit of toiletries, gloves, and hats. But “It doesn’t really matter what’s in the kit,” he says.

“What matters is the heart behind the gift.”

More than 150 people from Southridge are involved in ongoing ministry to 200 Caribbean workers. Church volunteers and care groups (also known as Life Groups) are linked with specific farms where they do friendly

visitation. There are 17 active groups currently ministering in this fashion.

Southridge also arranges large monthly events to connect all the groups. “The heart of this ministry is building friendships through small group connections,” says Arnold.

Workers from Jamaica study the Bible at Orchard Park.

New Testaments and regular an internet café Thursday and Bibles to provide God’s Word for Friday nights from Aug. 1 until those who desired it.” the demand dries up. MCCO supAlong with offering a con- plied six laptops for the internet cert and study location, OPBC café; Cornerstone supplies six provided Christianity Explored volunteers to run the café. resources to begin a study through “Rachel [Pellett Gillette] from the Gospel of Mark around the MCCO is amazing,” says Bayne. theme of “Who is Jesus, why did The migrant workers engagement Welcome for workers he come, what does it mean to be intern for MCCO who organizes Jane Andres, a Southridge his disciple?”

Niagara churches to support member in St. Catharines, Ont., workers “is a real go-getter and volunteers with Caribbean WorkSocial and spiritual needs has been a God-send to the men.” ers Outreach Program (CWOP) In Virgil, Ont., Cornerstone Cornerstone men are also where people come together to Community Church’s pastor, visiting the local farms (with the minister to the workers in the Kevin Bayne, is one of several farmer’s permission) and leading Niagara region. Jane organizes men on call to offer pastoral care Bible studies once a week after the Workers Welcome Concert, to the offshore workers. “The work in the evenings. and is passionate about raising the on-call pastoral care provides As this mission field appears profile of the Caribbean worker to counsel, help, guidance, prayer, on their doorstep, these Niagara eliminate stereotypes surround- and encouragement from the area MB churches are responding ing the unfamiliar. Every year, she Scriptures to migrant workers to their new – albeit temporary – organizes the concert, sometimes who are experiencing difficulties.” neighbours, through the love of With the help of MCCO, Christ.—Stacey Weeks, Ontario taking on the financial expense herself to ensure the event is a Cornerstone decided to open correspondent success.

Carol Miller, a member of Imagine, a retreat for children with disabilities Orchard Park Bible Church There was celebration Sept. 7 at Abbotsford’s Northview Community (OPBC), in Niagara-on-theChurch, as parents, their children, and volunteers got their first look Lake, Ont., also volunteers with at Northview’s Imagine Centre, a suite of three rooms made possible CWOP. Through her connection by the recent completion of a new office and education building. to the program, OPBC learned Northview’s Imagine program currently supports about 20 families of some specific CWOP needs. with special needs children, aged 3 to early 20s. The children enjoy “OPBC donates the use of their weekly activities and Christian instruction at Imagine while their space for the Workers Welcome parents attend Northview’s Saturday evening service. A few come on Concert,” says Jane Andres. “VariSunday morning, as well. The ministry to special needs children and their parents has been growing for almost a decade with volunteer ous churches contribute to the help, and now operates under staff director Brent Lanigan.—Barrie event, creating a purpose-filled McMaster, B.C. correspondent community-minded event.”

OPBC pastor Jim Evans takes Northview’s Imagine Centre opened Sept. 7. part in a rotation to provide Sunday services for the workers.

When he became aware that the workers desired a Bible study and needed a host location, “We offered them OPBC.” Next, he learned the workers desired English Bibles, specifically large-print.

“I got in touch with the Gideon’s and obtained enough large-print MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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PHOTO: BARRIE MCMASTER

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News in S TO RY

Gospel preached from big stage Growing Vancouver church purchases performing arts centre

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Vancouver church, started in a Kitsilano movie theatre in 2005, is excited to have a permanent home. Westside Church purchased the 1,800-seat Centre for the Performing Arts, a live theatre venue downtown near Vancouver’s library square. The first official service was slated to be held in The Centre Sept. 29, 2013.

Westside pastor Norm Funk said when the opportunity to acquire the building arose, church

leaders looked at their current and future rental costs and saw the advantage to ownership. The church was renting meeting space on Granville Island and office space on West Broadway.

The church is making some upgrades and renovations to the 1995 building to tailor it to the congregation’s needs in the auditorium space, and to create offices, meeting rooms, and spaces for nursery and children’s ministry.

Westside’s focus has been to assist in starting other churches, not to acquire a building, Funk told the B.C. MB convention in May, but this opportunity was presented to them. “The theatre is just a building, but this purchase makes sense for us.”

“This is a new chapter for us,” Funk says; “one that is going to open up opportunities for us to do some new things... to meet a segment of the Vancouver we haven’t reached yet, in partnership with other great ministries.”—Barrie McMaster, B.C. correspondent See Westside’s videos about the new building at vimeo.com/70002562 and vimeo.com/73655444.

WINNIPEG

MANITOBA

Seniors hike for Eden

Old Order Mennonites in talks to recover children

Six cross the Grand Canyon for mental health

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ix “plus-60” individuals from Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church, Winnipeg, hiked through the Grand Canyon, Sept. 14–18, to raise funds for Eden Health Care Services’s new housing project on the campus of Concordia Hospital, Winnipeg. The 45-unit apartment building, jointly funded by the governments of Canada and Manitoba, will provide safe, affordable homes for families and individuals whose mental health challenges create barriers to securing housing.

“The stigma [of mental illness] remains today and continues to mitigate against recovery,” says hiker John Janzen. The board chair of Eden Health Care Services grew up in a family that experienced “despair and alienation” resulting from his mother’s mental illness, and is grateful for Eden’s role in her restoration.

“The ‘Group of Six’ want to contribute significantly to providing housing for those who suffer from mental illness and are not capable of providing that safe, affordable place called home without our help,” Janzen says.

“Mental health isn’t a particularly ‘sexy’ issue, and could use some 24

PHOTO: IAN SMITH/VANCOUVER SUN

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extra visibility and support,” says hiker John Unger. He adds that the death of Winnipeg mother Lisa Gibson and her two children (linked with post-partum depression) raised awareness in the news of the need for support.

Bill Martens – a cancer survivor who has make the trip several times – was the inspiration for the arduous trek, says hiker Dave Loewen.

For this hike, Martens joined a six-member care team to provide prayer and logistical support.

Funds raised will be receipted

by Eden Foundation and designated for the Winkler-based organization’s first Winnipeg housing project, scheduled to begin construction in September. Eden Health Care Services will operate the facility, and funding of $11 million has been secured from the governments of Manitoba and Canada. “Crossing the Canyon for Mental Health” set a fundraising goal of $40,000.—KB with files from Eden Health Care Services Read reflections and see photos from their journey at grandcanyon-rimtorim. blogspot.ca.

T

he former executive director of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba say adults from an Old Order Mennonite group whose children were seized when assault charges were laid against 13 adults in the community love their children and are open to learning new methods of discipline.

Peter Rempel welcomed the group when they moved to rural Manitoba from southern Ontario just over six years ago, and built a relationship with them in his role at MCC Manitoba. The community – which cannot be named because of a court-imposed publication ban – reached out to Rempel, who is now retired, for help when RCMP began investigating the use of corporal punishment in some of the homes.

“The Mennonites love their children [and] operate on a community basis to a degree which most mainstream folks, including government agencies, have difficulty understanding,” Rempel told ChristianWeek. “They have committed to forgo inappropriate physical force in disciplining and are ready to learn other methods.”

Officials from Manitoba Child and Family Services (CFS) seized dozens of children from the community amidst allegations of child abuse at the beginning of June.

The Winnipeg Free Press reported that four adults have been charged.

Each is accused of assaulting more than one child, and of using weapons multiple times that included a leather strap and a cattle prod.

CFS and members of the community where the children were seized have formed a restoration team in an effort to build a relationship with one another.

Rempel has asked Mennonite psychologists, social workers, and counsellors to provide direct services to the community.

“Our common goal is to help the [Old Order Mennonites] and CFS to come to an understanding on parenting and disciplining so that the families can be reunited,” Rempel said.

Aaron Epp is senior correspondent for ChristianWeek newspaper, where this article first appeared.

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Friends Community Church, Carman, Man., is a multigenerational church with Sunday attendance of approximately 90, prayerfully seeking a full-time lead pastor. God’s chosen pastor for us has strong biblical convictions and knowledge, and will present sermons with significance. Our congregation has a desire to grow and reach out to our community, and believes our pastor will share this goal. Email inquiries to friendschurchcarman@gmail.com.

Or call Doug Sisson at 204-745-3370.

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DAVID UNRUH 204-453-7653

Lead Pastor

Vauxhall (Alta.) MB Church is prayerfully seeking a lead pastor who loves the Lord, his Word, and his people. Vauxhall MB is a congregation of about 150 people in a town of 1,000. We are a rural community church that serves a radius of approximately 50 km. We desire a pastor with strong expository preaching skills. We are also looking for someone who is able to work with a team; we have a full-time associate pastor and a part-time office administrator.

Visit www.vauxhallmbchurch.com to learn more about us. Send resumes via email to chrissiemensfarm@gmail.com.

Lead Pastor

Bethel Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, invites applications for a full-time lead pastor to commence in summer 2014. We are seeking a person with a strong Anabaptist theology as well as ability to engage the congregation through worship and preaching. This person will have strong administrative skills and be able to work with & lead a multi member pastoral team. Our desire is that the successful candidate, along with the pastoral team, can enable and nurture the gifts of the congregation in order to enhance the overall mission of the church. Pastoral experience along with a master of divinity or equivalent is preferred.

Please send resumes to jbpeters@shaw.ca or contact Jake Peters at 204-889-5094 for information. For more about Bethel Mennonite Church see: bethelmennonite.ca.

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The MCC Furniture Thrift Store in Winnipeg is seeking additional personnel. Dedicated volunteers are needed for interesting and rewarding positions, including: • Sales associates

• Cashiers

• Delivery truck dispatchers

• Furniture movers

Please discuss your interest and availability with Rick Janzen, manager 204-694-3669 mccmgr@ shaw.ca An evening of hope, dreams, and investment opportunities Keynote speaker: Christiana Sandberg Dessert to follow

Associate Pastor

Waldheim MB Church (WMBC), a church of 200+ is located in the town of Waldheim, Saskatchewan. WMBC is seeking an associate pastor. The successful candidate will work closely with the lead pastor as a team. Specific job responsibilities will be determined by assessing the candidate’s gifting in relation to the gifting of our lead pastor. The job status may range from half to full time depending on availability and interest. Resumes must be received by November 1, 2013 for consideration. Please send full resumes to WMBC Search Committee, attn: Valerie Fehr, Box 215, Waldheim, Sask S0K 4R0. Email: fehrtime@ sasktel.net. Phone: 306 227 2664.

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Mid-Way Christian Leadership Saturday, October 26, 7:00 pm

First Nations Community Church 44 Tentler St. Winnipeg For information: generaldirectormcl@gmail.com mclonline.org

CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES On May 26, 2013, Grantham MB, St. Catharines, Ont., celebrated 40 years of God’s faithfulness. An outgrowth of Scott Street MB, the congregation planted in 1973 was motivated by a desire to establish an Englishspeaking MB gathering in the heart of the Grantham neighbourhood. The anniversary morning worship service included a choir, a time of remembering, and

son, Mark Benjamin, Aug. 13, 2013.

DOERKSEN – to James & Carrie of Killarney, Man., a daughter, Ainsley Anna Grace, June 9, 2013.

DYCK – to Tyler & Megan (Emann) of Warman, Sask., a daughter, Kaylee Morgan, Mar. 30, 2013.

ELIA – to Leitu & Chelsey (Neudorf) of Saskatoon, a daughter, Tesla Lynn Rose, July 12, 2013.

WOLFE – to Terence & Kris of Morden, Man., a son, Terence James, July 2, 2013.

T om AUSTIN & Shirley TAYLOR, both of Kitchener, Ont., Aug. 17, 2013.

FUNK – to Daniel & Alisa (Fehr) of Saskatoon, a son, James David, Aug. 5, 2013.

att BERGEN of Tisdale, M Sask., & Kaycie KEHLER of Steinbach, Man., July 7, 2013.

NEUFELD – to Dylan & Krista (Friesen) of Morden, Man., a son, Rowan Jeremiah, Mar. 22, 2013.

ark ENNS & Allison M MUELLER, both of Winnipeg, July 26, 2013.

PELLAND – to Rheal & Tanya of Port Rowan, Ont., a daughter, Isabelle Evelynn, June 9, 2013.

PETERS – to Shawn & Angela of Morden, Man., a son, Mason Shawn, July 27, 2013.

PLUMLEY – to Matt & Heather Plumley of Port Rowan, Ont., twins: a daughter, Averil Amacia, & a son, Curtis Elijah, July 29, 2013.

QUAPP – to Jon & Eleny of Abbotsford, B.C., a daughter, Olivia MaryAnn, July 29, 2013.

SCHULZ – to Harry & Irina of Steinbach, Man., a daughter, Kaitlyn, June 27, 2013.

WELTON – to Seth & Malia of Three Hills, Alta., a son, Jack Curtis, June 30, 2013.

WALL – to Dan & Jenn of Abbotsford, B.C., a

urt K FRIESEN of Portage la Prairie, Man., & Jackie BORKOWSKI of Winnipeg, July 20, 2013. ayne GOERTZEN of W Kleefeld, Man., & Brianne SOBERING of Steinbach, Man., July 6, 2013.

J eff KLIPPENSTEIN & Andrea KRAMER, both of Winnipeg, July 27, 2013. esley MARTENS of W Killarney, Man., & Glessie DE CASTRO of Batangas, Philippines, July 27, 2013.

J onathan OWEN of Hartville, Ohio, & Joelle KIDD of Winnipeg, July 12, 2013.

J eremy PENNER of Swan River, Man., & Adrienne PETKAU of Killarney, Man., June 8, 2013.

T yler PLETT & Nicola Mae HUTCHINSON, both of Winnipeg, Aug. 10, 2013.

Ken Stoesz began as pastor at Elmwood MB Church Aug. 1, 2013. He previously served 9 years with Nassau Street Church (formerly Gospel Mennonite), Winnipeg, as associate pastor of evangelism. He studied at YWAM Brisbane, Aus., Providence College, Otterburne, Man., and is currently working toward an MA in theology through Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago. Ken and Shonet have 3 children. From within the congregation, Elmwood also welcomed Cory Schulz as associate pastor of youth and young adult ministries, beginning in July 2013. Cory attended Capernwray in Sweden and has served as a camp counsellor with Inner City Youth Alive, Winnipeg, and Simonhouse Bible Camp, Cranberry Portage, Man. Dalhousie Community Church, Calgary, experienced changes in their pastoral team.

Sam Grottenberg began as pastor of youth and young adult ministries Aug. 13, 2013.

He has a BA in leadership development from Rocky Mountain College, Calgary, and is working on a masters from Regent College, Vancouver. He previously pastored at Centre Street and Southwood churches in Calgary. Sam is married to Stephanie.

Aug. 6, 2013, former youth pastor Tom Mulhern began a new role tailored to his demonstrated gifts – associate pastor of worship and missions. He and Malora have 2 children.

Associate pastor of family ministries Mark Richmond concluded his ministry at Dalhousie June 30, 2013.

Brad Berkan began as pastor of corporate worship at Forest Grove Community Church, Saskatoon, Aug. 15, 2013. He received a bachelor of religion with a

a sermon from former pastor John Hiebert. At the reception which followed, another former pastor John Wiebe recalled faces and scenes from previous years with a photo presentation. Reflecting on God’s faithfulness boosts Gratham’s trust that God is leading toward greater kingdom purposes, as they proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to their neighbours. The congregation appreciates the leadership of pastors Tabitha and Michael VandenEnden, worship coordinator Ruth Wiebe, senior care coordinator Margaret Fast, and board moderator Bill Jackson.

Transitions

specialization in music from North American Baptist College, Edmonton. He served the past 17 years as worship and executive pastor at Southridge Community Church (Christian and Missionary Alliance), Lloydminster, Alta.

Brad and Christine have 2 children. Michael Morson began as pastor of young adults at Forest Grove Community Church, Saskatoon, Sept. 5, 2013. He has a BA from Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask., and is finishing an MA from Regent College, Vancouver.

Michael served as interim youth pastor at Martensville (Sask.) Baptist Church in 2007, and has been involved in leadership at Forest Grove and at Westside Church, Vancouver.

Michael and Chelsea are expecting their first child in the new year.

Ryan van Kuik was installed as pastor at Boundary Community Church, Midway, B.C., Aug. 25, 2013. He most recently served a church in Three Hills, Alta., 2000–2010.

He is married to Juanita, and they have 2 daughters. Mark Danyluk, pastor since 2002, completed his ministry there in 2012. Founding pastor Vic Peters served as interim pastor for 6 months.

Robert (Bert) Bell, CCMBC stewardship representative for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, retired from his 9-year ministry with the conference. Stewardship representatives will extend their services across the Prairies.

Chief Financial Officer John Wiebe retired from his position at the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Aug. 30, 2013. “We are grateful for John’s enthusiastic and creative approach to financial ministry,” says CCMBC executive director Willy Reimer.

“John has always focused on multiplying ministry through financial resources and services focused on honouring God and multiplying the churches’ kingdom impact.”

Hafford Gospel Fellowship celebrated 25 years as a congregation in 2013 with a special service Sept. 8, 2013. Borden MB Church members began Bible studies in the area in the mid-1970s, then a church formally organized, holding its first service in the community hall on Sunday afternoon in 1988.

Conrad Hunchak and his wife Lynne have been serving the congregation as pastor for 18 years. Hafford officially joined the Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches in 1998. The congregation acquired a building in 2004, and recently changed its meeting time from Sunday evenings to Sunday mornings.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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Finish lines

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.—2 Timothy 4:7

David Sawatzky

Helen Elsie Adrian

July 20, 1919–Jan. 26, 2013

May 6, 1929–May 11, 2013

BIRTHPLACE: Olgafeld, Russia PARENTS: David & Margaret Sawatzky MARRIAGE: Dorothy Klassen, September 1948 [deceased November 1989] BAPTISM: Foam Lake Mennonite, Sask., age 20 CHURCH: Central Heights, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Victor (Jennie), Elaine (Lester) Barkman

David’s family immigrated to Saskatchewan in 1926. David worked in the tea and coffee packaging plant of Nabob Foods, Vancouver. His family enjoyed travelling. In retirement, David volunteered at the MCC store, repairing phones and clocks. David lived at Central Heights Manor for 21 years. He served Central Heights as a greeter.

At Menno Terrace, David made friends easily and carried on lively conversations.

BIRTHPLACE: Cartwright, Man. PARENTS: John & Elena Schellenberg MARRIAGE: Victor Adrian, July 17, 1954 BAPTISM: Killarney, Man. CHURCH: Emmanuel Baptist, Barrie, Ont. FAMILY: Victor; children Elaine (Stu) Quiring, Wes (Rhonda), Tim (Barbara), Mark (Serena), Matthew (Janet); 15 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters

Helen was an inspiration as she blessed countless people in her neighbourhood, church, and family.

She served Jesus tirelessly. After a full, active life, Helen died suddenly due to a stroke.

Elizabeth (Betty) Funk Oct. 3, 1919–May 14, 2013

Adeline Wiebe Dec. 30, 1924–May 3, 2013

BIRTHPLACE: Main Centre, Sask.

PARENTS: Jacob & Lydia Wiebe MARRIAGE: Herb Wiebe, 1962 CHURCH: Herbert (Sask.) MB FAMILY: Herb; children Brenda (Kevin) Epp, Grace, Grant (Ann); 5 grandchildren; 1 brother

In the ’30s, Adeline sacrificed to help her family survive, labouring in the fields, garden, and kitchen. The family sang together and relied on God. Adeline claimed Jesus as Saviour and followed him her whole life. During her 5 years at Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills, Alta., she further developed her love of music. She sang in a trio with her sister Helen and Kay Ens, in the choir, and solos. Her mother became ill, and Adeline spent the next few years caring for her parents. She worked for Herbert (Sask.)

Hospital, first in the dietary department, eventually taking her certified nursing assistant training in Saskatoon. She loved caring for patients. For 42 years, Adeline and Herb farmed near Herbert.

She preferred the garden to the kitchen. Adeline loved having people into her home, and delivering baking or flowers. With her sister Laura, she visited her sister Helen in Africa. After Adeline and Herb retired in 2004, they stayed involved in church and community. Music remained a big part of her life.

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BIRTHPLACE: Waldeck, Ukraine PARENTS: Cornelius & Susie Funk BAPTISM: Yarrow (B.C.) MB, 1934 CHURCH: Bakerview, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: 4 siblings

Betty’s family was among the last of the Mennonites to be granted visas and arrived in Canada in 1930, settling in Yarrow, B.C. Betty earned room and board by doing chores, so she could attend Kitsilano High School, Vancouver.

Trained as a nurse at Vancouver General Hospital, Betty had a rewarding career on the maternity ward and in public health. After retiring, she cared for her mother in Yarrow. In Vancouver, Betty volunteered in seniors’ complexes and the MCC store. She enjoyed her last years at Blenheim Lodge before a stroke ended her life.

Vernon Kenneth Toews Sept. 2, 1921–May 15, 2013 BIRTHPLACE: Rosenfeld, Man. PARENTS: Julius & Helen Toews MARRIAGE: Rosella Toews, Aug. 11, 1946 [deceased] CHURCH: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: sons John (Lynn), James (Debi); 5 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild

During WWII, Vernon was a CO with Mennonite Central Committee, working in orphanages in England and France. He worked more than 30

years as a university professor of German and French. Vernon was active in church. His calling was cooking elegant meals. He and Rosella served Sunday dinner to hundreds of university students and elderly friends. Vernon enjoyed gardening, collecting antiques, and stitching needlepoint tapestries while listening to classical and opera music. After Rosella’s death, he moved to Tabor Court.

Albert Wohlgemut Jan. 23, 1916–May 16, 2013

BIRTHPLACE: Sergeyevka, Ukraine PARENTS: Cornelius & Katharina (Janzen) Wohlgemut MARRIAGE: Helen Penner, June 9, 1940 CHURCH: Bakerview, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: Helen; children Esther (Allen) Andres, Evelyn (Michael) Newton, Irene (Dan) Small, Elma (Ron) Falk, Herb (Sue); 16 grandchildren; 14 greatgrandchildren

When Albert was 6, the family moved to Poland, and when he was 10, they immigrated to Winnipeg. Albert accepted the Lord and was baptized at 12. He and Helen moved to the parents’ farm in Landmark, Man., then to Niverville, Man., and in 1971, to Abbotsford, B.C., where they joined Bakerview Church. Albert was a farmer, businessman, construction worker, and employee at Blackwood’s Building Centre, Abbotsford. He served as Sunday school superintendent, school trustee, credit union board member, chairman of Tabor Home for 9 years, and narrator of Glorious Hope radio program for 11 years. He worked until age 70, and after some travelling and relaxing, suffered a debilitating stroke in 2002, and spent his remaining years at Menno Home. Albert had a strong faith and firm convictions.

Helena (Helen) Friesen Apr. 28, 1915–May 20, 2013

BIRTHPLACE: Warman, Sask.

PARENTS: Peter & Justina (Suderman) Martens MARRIAGE: Abe Friesen, Oct. 5, 1946 [deceased Oct. 6, 1984] CHURCH: Central Heights, Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Darlene [deceased] (Tom Beamon [deceased]), Vivian (Gerald Froese), William “Jim” (Chris), Henry “Paul” (Anna-Marie),

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(granddaughter) Sharon (Colin) Reimer; 11 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 1 sister

Helen grew up in the Depression; she remembered eating an orange once as a child. She attended German school from age 8–12. At 13, in public school, she finished Grades 1–4 in one year, and then completed Grades 5–8 by correspondence while doing housework fulltime. At 18, at a camp revival meeting, Helen accepted Jesus. She enrolled in practical nursing at Concordia Hospital, Winnipeg, in 1943. Helen was a nurse in charge at Warman (Sask.) hospital for 3 1/2 years. Abe and Helen’s honeymoon was a one-way trip to B.C. They raised granddaughter Sharon (born in 1965) from the age of 3 months. They farmed berries and laying hens in Clearbrook, B.C. Woodwards sold “Helen’s Homemade Brand” of pickles for years. Abe and Helen volunteered together for the Cancer Society and Helping Hands. Working in food services at Central Heights Church after Abe’s death gave her a sense of purpose. Helen loved singing and politics. She protected birds in her garden with her BB gun. At 97, Helen still canned peaches, tomatoes, and beans; baked cookies as Christmas gifts for family; and offered hospitality.

BAPTISM: Bay Avenue Mennonite, Killarney, Man. CHURCH: Lena (Man.) MB; Boissevain (Man.) MB, Man. FAMILY: David; sons Darren (Vicky), Curtis (Angela), Jeremy (Cheryl), Sean (Candace); 9 grandchildren; 6 siblings

Helen accepted Jesus at a young age. After Bible school in Altona, Man., she returned home to Killarney, Man., to work as a phone operator and a bank teller. In 1976, Helen and David moved to the farm 12 miles northeast of Boissevain, Man., where they raised a family of hockey players.

Helen loved to garden, sew, camp, quilt, and spend time with family and friends. Helen kept busy working part-time at the Ninga (Man.) café, serving the Ninga ladies group, volunteering for the Brandon (Man.) MCC, and attending Wheat King hockey games. Even through her 4-year journey with cancer, Helen didn’t complain. She loved to start stories but sometimes laughed too hard to finish them. Never one to flaunt her faith, she lived each day to serve Jesus.

Phyllis Millie (Van Bergen) Brown

MARRIAGE: Helena Martens, June 19, 1954 [deceased] BAPTISM: Coaldale (Alta.) MB FAMILY: children Abram [deceased], Peter [deceased], Joyce (Dennis) Johnson, Tim (Lue), Andy, Dave (Shirley), Thomas, Tamara Marilyn (John) Stevens; 11 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren

Abe said his “second birthday” was when he accepted Christ in July 1944 and was baptized.

He attended Bible school in Coaldale, Alta. Abe and Helena farmed first in Coaldale, where Abe lost several fingers, and then for 37 years in Lomond, Alta., where their 2 oldest sons Abram and Peter drowned in another farming accident.

This was a hard blow, but still Abe and Helena were convinced farming was God’s choice for them. Abe always had time for service to God. In 1983, Abe asked himself, would the farm control him or was God the Lord of his life? and chose, in his 50s, to attended MB Bible College. After retiring to Coaldale in 1994, Abe and Helena served the Gideons. They took in numerous foster children, one of whom they adopted. Abe was compassionate and generous.

Nov. 21, 1913–May 29, 2013

Jakob Penner Mar. 23, 1935–May 23, 2013

BIRTHPLACE: Fernheim, Paraguay PARENTS: Jakob & Maria Penner MARRIAGE: Tina Loewen, Feb. 22, 1958 [deceased November 2009] BAPTISM: MB church CHURCH: King Road MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Hartmut (Monika), Karin (Ed); 7 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; 6 siblings

Jakob grew up in Schoenau, Paraguay. In Filadelfia, he worked as a store clerk and later as a hotel manager. A man shot Jakob Feb. 4, 1972, paralyzing him from the waist down. When Brazil couldn’t provide the necessary treatment, the family immigrated to Abbotsford, B.C., in 1975. Tina worked at Menno Home and later at Tabor Home to help support the family. Jakob imported and sold yerba tea. Jakob and Tina loved camping and hosting barbeques. In 1997, Tina was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and in 2009, Jakob lost his friend and caregiver.

The next year, Jakob’s health deteriorated and he sold their home and moved to Menno Hospital to receive care for diabetes and kidney failure.

Helen (Thiessen) Unrau

John Koehn BIRTHPLACE: Powers Lake, N.D. PARENTS: Ross Richard Martin & Martha Wadsworth Getchell MARRIAGE: John Van Bergen, May 8, 1932 [deceased Sept. 17, 1981]; (Arthur) Howard Brown Dec. 5, 1987 [deceased Apr. 11, 2008] CHURCH: Gem (Alta.) MB; Bakerview MB, Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Betty Brown, Dorothy Martin, Bill (Charlotte), Martha, Mary (Harold) Burkholder, David [deceased]; 18 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren

When she was a teenager, Phyllis’s father became an agent for CPR land settlement, moving the family to Gem, Alta. Phyllis and John raised 6 children in Gem, where she taught Sunday school at Gem MB Church. They retired to Abbotsford, B.C. Phyllis took great pride in her dahlias and gladiolas. Six years after John’s death, Phyllis married Howard in Glendora, Cal. In their last years, Phyllis and Howard were members of Clearbrook MB Church. Though her eyesight declined in her last 30 years, Phyllis continued to love and trust God. She prayed for her family regularly.

Abram Wiens Feb. 29, 1928–May 30, 2013

Sept. 7, 1950–May 24, 2013 BIRTHPLACE: Altona, Man. PARENTS: Jacob & Maria Thiessen MARRIAGE: David Unrau, Sept. 26, 1970

Apr. 4, 1929–June 1, 2013

BIRTHPLACE: Winnipeg PARENTS: John & Mary (Janzen) Koehn MARRIAGE: Katie Dyck, June 3, 1951 BAPTISM: North Kildonan MB, Winnipeg, age 14 CHURCH: Willingdon, Burnaby, B.C. FAMILY: Katie; children John (Denise), Don (Sylvia), Nancy (Henry) Graewe, David (Denise), Alison (Doug) Pauls; 13 grandchildren; 4 greatgrandchildren

John’s parents were recent Russian immigrants.

At 12, John accepted Jesus as Saviour. When he was 17, the family moved to Yarrow, B.C. John enjoyed assisting Mennonite immigrants settling in Vancouver; one of them, Katie Dyck, caught his eye, and they married. In 1958, John and his brother Aron began building homes in Vancouver and Burnaby, B.C. John engaged with his family through hiking, skiing, motorcycle riding, waterskiing, and camping. Devotions were a priority in John and Katie’s home. At Willingdon Church, John served as deacon, Bible study leader, elder, and usher. In 1997, he had a major heart attack, but God gave John and Katie a few more years together. After further heart failure and multiple strokes, he spent his last 3 years in a care home. John was positive and friendly, a testimony to his dependence on God.

BIRTHPLACE: Airdrie, Alta.

PARENTS: Frank & Helena (Friesen) Wiens MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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currents Music of the heart Singer/songwriter’s CD release concert supports women’s organizations ABBOTSFOR D, B.C.

n the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals a woman so crippled in body she couldn’t stand up straight for 18 years.

Not only does Jesus free the woman from her physical ailment, he ministers emotional and spiritual healing by chastising those who criticize her, and naming her a daughter of Abraham.

“This is my story,” says singer/songwriter Cathy AJ Hardy, who releases her second solo album i am she… a soul’s journey home in October.

“The ‘I am she’ song is the essence of the woman who now knows that deep, healing love, and has been transformed,” says the Highland Community Church member and Fraser Valley music teacher. “It’s a very personal album in that all of the songs arise out of the story of my journey, but I trust that they are songs we can all relate to in our stories of transformation.”

Hardy’s Oct. 19, 2013, CD release concert at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, Abbotsford, B.C., will also support “organizations that are helping bent-over women to become women of dignity and beauty, knowing their full worth as human beings.”

Proceeds from the concert will support Mennonite Central Committee’s End Abuse program, Fraser Valley Women’s Resource Society, and the Mark Centre.

“Women in our groups have experienced deep soul wounding, and Cathy’s music brings hope for healing of those wounds,” says Elsie Goerzen, MCC BC’s End Abuse program coordinator.

“Cathy’s music tells her story in a way that connects with her audience,” says Highland pastor Christine Kampen.

“There are a lot of women like the bent-over woman in the Gospels,” says Hardy. “It’s my desire to help us return to that invitation of being named, being healed, being set free.”

Hardy’s own journey enables her music to resonate with those experiencing difficulties. When her first solo album, Love Shines, was released, her 24-year marriage was coming to an end, leaving her devastated

On stage and screen Vancouver performance company Pacific Theatre celebrates 30 years with its 2013–2014 season. Pacific Theatre “exists to serve Christ in our community by creating excellent theatre with artistic, spiritual, relational, and financial integrity.” Visit mbherald.com for reviews from their current season, including The Foreigner and Communion.

In The Foreigner by Larry Shue (Sept. 20–Oct. 12), a painfully shy man on vacation pretends to speak no English and hears more than he should.

Daniel MacIvor’s Communion (Oct. 25–Nov. 9) explores the universal human need for certainty and connection through a crisis involving an estranged mother and daughter, and the mother’s therapist.

Read more at www.mbherald.com.

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PHOTO: DARRELL LECORRE

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and heartbroken.

“I had to let go of how I hoped life would turn out. I also had to let go of how I had wanted to share that album with the community at that time,” she says. “I waded through intense grief and the frightening realities of being alone. Through it all, I have received an invitation from God not just to survive, but to live fully and deeply from the heart.”—MCC BC release

CURRENT books A Guide to Governing Charities TED HULL harities are not entirely unlike owning a dog.”

Hull’s thesis statement could have avoided the double negative, but he does bring his point home: despite the importance of care and nurture for a pet or a charity, few owners or board members educate themselves until something goes wrong. Despite its drawbacks (Hull is no Cesar Millan – this is dry stuff, and it reads like an infomercial for Ted Hull Consulting), I took a lot away from this guide, and suspect most board members would as well.—James Toews, Neighbourhood Church, Nanaimo, B.C.

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present tense: a Mennonite spirituality GORDON HOUSER gentle and personal book, present tense covers eight main distinctives the author sees as characterizing Mennonite spirituality. Gordon Houser has the advantage of both an insider and outsider view of what makes Mennonites Mennonite. The book offers practical reflections on topics such as patience, prayer, politics, and peace with snippets from Scripture, theologians, poetry, and music. Some readers may find some of the ideas in the book somewhat New Age, while others may find them not radical enough. Overall, present

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tense is warm, humorous, and accessible, despite subject matter which could easily become academic.—Lauren Klassen, member, Scott Street MB, St.Catherines, Ont.

Parenting in the Pew: Guiding Your Children into the Joy of Worship ROBBIE CASTLEMAN love to have my children in church with me. The suggestion that’s unusual makes my heart sink.

As a parent, I found Parenting in the Pew deeply encouraging as it urges parents to press on, shepherding our children, because the impact is eternal. Castleman cautions that abdicating responsibility to teach Christian educators about God may result in young people who lack lasting bonds to church and whose faith is based on self-esteem and personal satisfaction rather than worship of God.—Merri Ellen Giesbrecht, Ross Road Community Church, Abbotsford, B.C.

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and empower. Crouch’s writing is solid and he dots the pages with stories. Power is a topic worth taking time to consider, and though his ideas may not be new, Crouch provides a helpful presentation in this book.—Dave Ens, One88, Eastview, Winnipeg

Strangers Next Door: Immigration, Migration and Mission J.D. PAYNE ust reaching the world with the message of Jesus require travelling to the outermost regions of the globe, or can we reach a variety of ethnic groups simply by walking across the street?

J.D. Payne provides fresh insight and strategies to respond to the fact that the world’s ethnic groups are knocking on Canada’s door.

With deep biblical conviction and relevant and compelling statistics, Strangers Next Door will stir a heart for reaching the nations – leaving

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your neighbourhood not required.

God is bringing the world’s nations to our church’s doorsteps.

How will we respond?— Kevin Carrigan, Culloden MB, Vancouver

BOOK note Finding God: A Treasury of Conversion Stories JOHN M. MULDER, EDITOR “ ver since that day, the cross has been central in my thinking, and the Lord Jesus my Enabler for living near to it,” says ‘the Billy Graham of Africa’ Festo Kivengere, in one of the testimonies featured in Finding God. This anthology gives 60 first- and second-person accounts of Christian leaders’ faith stories, from Constantine to John Calvin to Francis S. Collins.

These brief testimonies model many ways people in various social contexts from all parts of the world are drawn to the transforming power of Christ.—KB

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Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power ANDY CROUCH is a gift.” “ ower These are the opening words of Andy Crouch’s book Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power. Crouch wants to redeem power from the perception that it’s always a struggle involving domination.

His premise is that power is found not in the ability to dominate and control but in the ability to create

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Read these full-length reviews online under Arts & Culture at www.mbherald.com

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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LETTERS continued from page 5

created by Jerry Siegel (American) and Joe Shuster (Canadian) – who were both Jewish.

Like Moses, Superman was the last son of his people, was saved as a baby when his parents sent him on a dangerous journey in a tiny craft, and grew up to rescue everyone.

Superman’s birth name Kal-El resembles the Hebrew for “God’s vessel,” and his secret identity Clark Kent reminds us of all the Jewish refugees who anglicized their names to hide their faith and fit in.

As Christians, we see Moses as a “type” of Christ, so in the end, it comes to the same thing. But it’s good to have the whole picture.

ALAN T. CHATTAWAY SURREY, B.C.

Historical inaccuracies Re “Vancouver church closes, bequeaths building to new plant” (Homepage, August).

This article contained several elements of misinformation.

Killarney Park was founded by Fraserview Church in 1961, not Vancouver MB as stated in the article. (Fraserview had grown out of VMB in 1954.) And to state that Culloden MB was a VMB church plant is a

Fair Trade Sale

Hand crafts and fair-trade products from around the world.

misconception. The church was founded with the intention that VMB would no longer function. However, a group of people decided not to move with Culloden, primarily because of the German language. VMB did start Willingdon Church in 1961.

Pacific Grace has a more complex history than noted in the article. Pacific Grace Mission was started in 1950, directed by Henry Classen. A building was constructed in the late 1950s, and Pacific Grace Mission Chapel was accepted as an official member of the B.C. conference in 1964. In the mid-1970s, it became a Chinese congregation, known as Pacific Grace MB Church. Pacific Grace went on to found a number of other churches, as noted in the article.

I was a member of VMB when we decided to start Fraserview, and a member of Fraserview when we started Killarney Park (where I was founding pastor). I worked with Pacific Grace Mission from 1951–1961.

HERBERT J. BRANDT DELTA, B.C.

Back to the garden Re “Were Adam and Eve real?” (Letters, May). This letter, while expressing a real

experience god’s world with other believers on our range of tours.

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BOB SEMPLE WATERLOO, ONT.

faith-based travel at its best with tourMagination!

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concern, unfortunately shifts discussion from the serious to the trivial. I don’t know whether Adam and Eve were real. The story was written in a time when “historical veracity” hadn’t been invented (circa AD 1700). It does clearly explain the alienation of God and man caused by sin, which is its intention.

To argue that historical literalness is critical raises some troubling questions. If Adam and Eve are “absolutely crucial to our Christian faith,” then Christ cannot save unless I believe they are real people.

Is this the determining factor in my salvation? Has God’s grace and power been crippled to ineffectiveness by my intellect (or lack thereof)? Were Christians born before the modern critical historical perspective not really Christians?

It has always been my belief that I am saved by my faith commitment to God’s love demonstrated when he raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1). Do I need to add Adam and Eve to the mix?

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Intersection

of faith & life

The aroma of Christ at the omelette grill SABRINA WIENS

L

avern is a big, black woman who stands behind a hot grill making omelettes for resort guests every morning. She doesn’t look like she particularly enjoys it.

A guest at the resort in the Bahamas where she works, I made it a goal to brighten her day. It didn’t take long: with a few kind words and a joyful spirit, I had her smiling by Day 2 of my refreshing, warm winter vacation.

On Day 3, Lavern asked if I was a believer. My first thought was, “How did she know?” but it really shouldn’t have surprised me; I should be asked this question all the time! Paul wrote that the Spirit of God is palpable in the presence of Christ followers: “But thanks be to God, who…uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:14–16).

When I responded, “yes,” Lavern reached across the grill, gave me a high five, threw both hands in the air, and shouted, “Praise the Lord!”

This experience led me to consider the importance of my actions in everyday life.

If I’ve received the grace and forgiveness of Christ and allowed the Holy Spirit to do a transformative work in my life, then in turn, people should recognize the evidence in the way I live.

When asked his thoughts on Christianity, Mahatma Gandhi famously responded, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” Similarly, the Barna research group found “84 percent of young non-Christians say they know a Christian personally, yet only 15 percent say the lifestyles of those believers are noticeably different in a good way.”

This is not good. As disciples – followers – of Jesus Christ, our actions should begin to resemble his more closely as we deepen our relationship with him.

Learning to smell like Jesus A few years ago, I spent a summer reading through the Gospels focusing solely on Jesus’ interaction with others: who he talks to, what he says to them, and how they respond. I saw that Jesus loves people: not just the people he already knows or those who believe the things he teaches, but he loves and sees value in every person.

I also noticed that people are drawn to him. Again, not just those who already believe his message, but those who are the farthest from it. In these moments, Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush or sheepishly share his message of hope, repentance,

Every day, we interact with people: family, friends, coworkers, clients, neighbours, strangers in the grocery store. Do they see evidence of Christ in our lives?

Does the love of Christ shine through in the way we treat them? Have we experienced God’s love and grace in a way that allows us to share this with others unashamedly through our actions and our words?

My prayer is that I could answer yes to these questions. That I get to know God so intimately that my life would resemble his and that people would be drawn to the beautiful aroma of his presence in my life.

If I’ve received the grace and forgiveness of Christ, in turn, people should recognize the evidence in the way I live. and the coming of a new kingdom. Rather, he draws people in, showing a new way of life, and boldly and decisively calls them to the difficult task of following him. Some choose to walk away, but although this new way of life means personal sacrifice and a new way of thinking, many people choose to follow him.

This is my story, and if you’re a follower of Christ, it’s your story as well. We’re invited to experience that same love, hope, forgiveness, and unity with God that we read about in the Gospels, but his message was never meant for us to keep to ourselves. Jesus says we are “the light of the world” and calls us to live in such a way that, “others may see [our] good deeds and glorify [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16).

Meeting Lavern was a great reminder of the importance of continuing on the journey of becoming more like Christ.

The Sunday after I met Lavern, she picked me up in a rickety, old church bus, and we were mutually encouraged as we worshipped God together. I am so thankful that Lavern recognized Christ’s presence in my life, and I’m challenged to continue to make his presence known.

Sabrina Wiens is the youth coordinator for North End Mennonite Brethren Youth (NEMBY), a collaborative youth ministry of Fairview, Grantham, and Scott Street MB churches.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October 2013

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October 2013

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