(Trans)formational development
Discipleship
Gathering 2016 report
Volume 55, No. 5 Publications mail registration number: 09648; Agreement number: 40009297 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circ. Dept., MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6
How to wear moccasins
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 W W W. M B H E R A L D. C O M
Mountaintop experiences or steep, rocky paths? Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
Everyone wants to see the lame walk, the blind see and numbers added to the church daily from those being saved through faithful ministry borne from a life of discipleship. But sometimes faithful discipleship looks a lot more like Stephen than Paul – mundane, unnoticed and underappreciated, painful, or even deadly.
In my relatively short 35 years of life – 15 in pastoral ministry – my experience has more-often-than-not been that of struggle and pain instead of miracles and mountain-top celebrations. A failed church plant, depression, chronic disease, multiple miscarriages and deep wounds from words and actions of church members: these are the road markers along the path of discipleship for me.
Not everyone’s story of faithfully listening to God and closely following Jesus leads to great success and amazing miracles. Instead, many of us find our faithful discipleship leads to the struggles instead.
In the church, we too often expect faithfulness to lead to happiness and success, when in fact Jesus calls his disciples to take up their cross and follow him. I believe that God is big enough, wise enough and powerful enough to
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
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September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
redeem for good the pain we encounter as we follow along with him. God has used my struggles to conform me more to his image, and given me opportunities to serve others that I would have been illequipped-for otherwise. On you will go though the weather be foul…and face up to your problems whatever they are. Maybe our greatest encouragement as disciples comes not from revelling in the ease of life but through Jesus’ redemption of our suffering. (Thanks to Dr. Seuss for the quotes from Oh, The Places You’ll Go!) —Ben Kramer is a member at Parliament Community Church, Regina, and the Saskatchewan representative on the CCMBC Board of Faith and Life. PHOTO COURTESY COLTON FLORIS
[ CONTENTS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 In this issue
8 12 13 15 4 16 18 35 19 20
FEATURES (Trans)formational development —Gil Dueck
Friends along the journey
The “what” and “how” of discipleship —David Warkentin
How to wear moccasins
A Mennonite Brethren explores identity making among Indigenous theologians
DEPARTMENTS 5
Letters
—David Thiessen
6
Homepage
Eleven questions to grow disciple-making churches
22 News 28 Anniversaries
MinistryLift’s Strategic Pathway for Discipleship
29 Transitions, births, weddings 29 Church staff ads
COLUMNS
30 Finish lines [Obituaries]
Editorial
A church for all nations
—Karla Braun
ICOMB — Wiebe’s witness
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE
What it means to be family: A Canadian joins a Khmu service in the U.S.
—David Wiebe
Text Message
Not in vain
1 Corinthians 15:58
—Craig Thiessen
Intersection of faith and life
On the sea, in a home, along the path —Stephanie Chase
CONFERENCE NEWS Executive leadership
Making disciples? Or consumers? —Ron Toews
Gathering 2016 report Oxygen for ministry —Karla Braun
DIGITAL EDITION issuu.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/MBHerald TWITTER twitter.com/MB_Herald WEBSITE mbherald.com JOBS jobs.mbherald.com PDF SUBSCRIPTION Email karla.braun@mbchurches.ca to subscribe via email COVER PHOTO: MB MISSION
MB Mission Central Canada mobilizer Lloyd Letkeman facilitates orientation for SOAR Heartland participants. Mennonite Brethren Herald
| September/October 2016
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[ EDITORIAL
A church for all nations I
t was a deadly summer. Senseless terror attacks in civilian spaces in Europe and racialized police violence in North American assaulted the human spirit every time we turned on the news.
a white, middle-class suburbanite, yet that has become the default picture of being Christian in North America today. Radically following Jesus should make our churches look different.
We shake our heads at this evidence of the outworking of human sinfulness and send “thoughts and prayers” to those affected. But does discipleship demand something more of us? What is our responsibility to confront our own complicity with unjust systems?
As we look at our convention crowds and even many of our Sunday morning services, it becomes apparent that, on average, MB churches in Canada have not realized this vision of unity – multiculturalism – as well as wider society. This ought to concern our churches not because we want to be politically correct, but because in God’s vision of shalom, “my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7).
As Mennonite Brethren, we use this word discipleship to refer to our belief that being a Christian is about far more than recognizing our sin and calling Jesus Saviour; it’s about making him Lord of our lives and surrendering to ongoing transformation into his image. In this issue of the Herald, our writers reflect on the process and programs we engage on this journey of following Jesus. That work of transformation happens in community: in schools, but also in our churches, as we observe and work alongside mentors and coaches. But despite our best efforts, these institutions are often flawed, and may perpetuate the same injustices we see elsewhere in society. Our transformation must be not only personal but corporate. If our transformation is to be patterned after Jesus (Gil Dueck’s cruciform shape, pages 8–11), it means putting aside our comfort. We must start by releasing the need to control outcomes and taking a posture of humility that will allow us to learn from those who are different from us. So what does the Canadian church have to do with #BlackLivesMatter and #IdleNoMore? For one thing, Jesus wasn’t
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In the past months, letters to the editor, website comments and a crusading Twitter account have challenged MBs about diversity. In an article in the Fraser Valley News, a collective of local Christians “hounding the Church on the topic of racial inclusion” lamented that when people of colour come to church “to be included in a community that is focused on Christ, [they are] reminded of the many ways [they] are excluded.” Changing that perception will require the church to go deeper than a surface celebration of diversity. In a June 2011 Herald issue, pastor Ken Peters called us to cultivate interculturalism: a “oneness in Christ [that] means risking identification with and embrace of the neighbours God has given us.” Those neighbours take a variety of forms, some familiar to us, some very different. If we are to share a gospel that can truly be experienced as good news, we must learn to communicate welcome and redemption in ways that are intuitive to our neighbours, not only ourselves.
September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
In this issue, David Thiessen reflects on this shift. As he learned alongside scholars of the North American Institute of Indigenous Theological Study (pages 13–14), he realized that unlike those brothers and sister, he has never had to question whether his gender and ethno-cultural identity and his choice to follow Christ are compatible. In our transformation journey, are we ready to name white privilege in the church and put it to use for change? To raise our voice when another is put down. To educate ourselves about language that honours people with different identities. To employ our insider influence to make space for others in positions of power and to advocate for systemic changes that make it possible for others to participate. Just as the task of identifying women for ministry leadership requires adjustments to our models and expectations (i.e., since women are more often primary caregivers, their time is less flexible), so also “interculturalizing” our structures and processes will mean learning to do things differently. When the next death breaks on the news, I hope we’re not huddled in our churches. Instead, I pray we will be prostrate with grief alongside our friends in the hurting community, marching side by side in the demonstrations, and wielding our social capital to lift up voices that go unheard. That will be a picture of the bride. —Karla Braun
[Reader response Effort to connect is rewarded
Re “The blood of Christ saves, not bloodline” (Letters, May/June 2016). I am sorry you have had such a negative experience in trying to find a church home. Though my husband and I are not from a Mennonite background, we have been fully welcomed, for 8 years now, into the Mennonite Brethren church in the village of Linden, Alta. While one’s “genetics” are of conversational interest, I am not aware of anyone being turned down from involvement in the activities of the church because of them. God provides connections within our church family and new relationships blossom! Care groups and care ministries are great places to begin to know people. I can say from experience that being a greeter tops the list for connecting! I have yet to have anyone refuse to accept at least my handshake – and quite often enjoy a hug. In a new setting, it is not uncommon for the seeker to have to make the first move and let their needs be known. God will reward your efforts.
Colette Francis Linden, Alta. Orientation is not chosen
Love the sinner, decry the sin
@AskDrBrown’s Facebook post resonates with me: “Today, holding to biblical convictions is called discrimination and staying true to God brings recrimination and intimidation. So be it. Jesus is Lord. We will only bow down to him.” Unfortunately, those recriminations are not only from outside the church, but from within. One example is Tom Friesen’s letter (“MB church is not safe,” July/August). Friesen is disappointed the study conference on sexuality did not result in a change of MB theology. Unless we are convinced God changed or we misread the Bible, we should not change our theology. Tom Friesen is pained that “the MB church was not a safe environment for youth to come out.” A big lie of our day is that one cannot disagree with an action without also hating the person who engages in it. I have family and friends whom I love dearly who identify as gay. I am sympathetic about hurtful things they have experienced, and I pray with them. But I don’t change my view about what the Bible says. Jesus was called a friend of sinners, and it was not a compliment. He loved sinners without approving of their sin. We can and should do the same.
Although there is much to be commended in Willy Reimer’s article, “God, Sex, Me and You” (Features, July/August 2016), it loses some credibility because of one common misconception: “Our current issue is defining ourselves by a sexual or gender orientation of our own choosing.”
Lorne Welwood Abbotsford, B.C.
Sexual orientation is a cognitive state with which we are born, which in some cases does not correspond to our sexual identity. There are several mechanisms in fetal development which account for this outcome, such as a mismatch in testosterone levels in the first third and second half of a pregnancy. In very few cases does choice have anything to do with sexual orientation.
Thanks for your review of The Last Objectors. On my mom’s side of the family, the issue was contentious during the days of the Revolution in Russia. For my dad and his brothers, they saw military service as a “reasonable service” by which they could repay their gratitude to Canada for taking in their family as penniless refugees from starving Russia. While one brother stayed home on the farm during the war, the others joined up; my grandmother displayed the photos of all her sons in identical frames.
However, as Reimer says, there is no “us” and “them.” All individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, can find their completeness in Jesus Christ.
Arnie Berg Saskatoon
CO story important to remember Re “Documentary captures CO experience” (Crosscurrents, July/August 2016).
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Wayne Janzen New Westminster, B.C.
Letters continued on page 28
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@mbchurches.ca.
September/October 2016
Mennonite Brethren Herald is published bimonthly 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.
Karla Braun associate editor Colton Floris designer + illustrator Helga Kasdorf circulation + advertising Angeline Schellenberg copy editor Darcy Scholes design lead
Volume 55, Number 5 • Copy run: 14,500 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD IS A PUBLICATION OF
Mennonite Brethren Herald | September/October 2016
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MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD
[ On the web
From 1943–1945, thousands of Mennonite refugees attempted to escape the Soviet Union for the West in a migration known as the Great Trek. PHOTO: MAID CMBS NP128-01-20
Foundering flagship church sails new waters Portage Avenue Church opens arms to partnership with ethnic churches Coaching helps young moms get on their feet For Hannah House executive director Cheryl Plett, L2L coaching “pulls good things” out of people. ICOMB summit 2016 New leader appointed to international body for strengthening the church “Facebook” of a century past Die Mennonitische Rundschau connected friends a century ago Leaders collective Ontario MB agencies collaborative on serving and learning opportunities for young adults. Elevation Internship program partners workers with MBCM church ministry and MBBS seminary studies. Reconciling the Radical Reformation Mennonite World Conference and the Lutheran World Federation walk a reconciliation journey.
There’s always more online at mbherald.com.
Plan to Protect
The national and provincial Mennonite Brethren conferences are collaborating to purchase licensing through Plan to Protect. Contact your provincial conference for more information on insurance and training in abuse prevention for staff and volunteers. 6
Hot topic in the archives Research intern views historic Russian Mennonite refugee story through lens of contemporary Central American migration “In the news today, we often hear about migration and refugees as a crisis or a matter of national security [for the host country],” says Andrew Brown, the 2016 Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies archival intern. “But when we Mennonites talk about our ancestral migration stories, they are framed as fleeing violence, overcoming unimaginable struggles or prospering in our new country.”
“The goal of my project was to present the stories that I had collected from the Russian Mennonite migrations, provide some historical background and analysis of the migration era, and at the very end to tie it into our modern experience of migration and refugees,” says Brown. “Hopefully, it can provide a lens to view our work with immigrants and refugees today.”
Before embarking on a five-week Historical Commission-sponsored internship with the four North American archives (Abbotsford, B.C.; Fresno, Cal.; Hillsboro, Kan.; Winnipeg) in June 2016, the Canadian Mennonite University student had participated on a Mennonite Central Committee learning tour on migration issues in Mexico, Guatemala and Arizona.
mbhcarchivalinternship.wordpress.com
“My experiences influenced my research during the internship,” says Brown. He began asking: How has the Mennonite migration story impacted how we engage with refugees and immigrants? How does our story relate to the larger story of migration around the world?
September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
Read Brown’s daily internship blog posts: Visit this article online to download his final report:
mbherald.com/migration-archivalinternship
[coming events PCO
The PCO challenge: inspire 70 new MB pastors from across Canada about MB identity and family – in just three days. After interacting with provincial conference ministers, professors from MB Biblical Seminary and Columbia Bible College and leaders from CCMBC ministries like L2L and the C2C Network over June 14–16, 2016, Pastors Credentialing Orientation graduates received communion and prayers of blessing and commissioning. Attending PCO was an act of “obedience to God” for participant Lori Nickel, who serves as member care team leader with MB Mission. Claiming the affirmation of 2 Timothy 2:15 and the blessing of her pastor and the general director of MB Mission, “It felt very right to be credentialled as a pastor,” says Nickel. “That is the work I am doing at MB Mission.” Brent Lanigan, associate pastor of support care (Imagine) ministries at Northview Church, took encouragement from the reminder that “there is a vast network of rural and urban churches led by similarly minded pastors all with the same goal in mind: to be gospel-impacting churches.” PCO participants learned at MB Mission’s headquarters in Northview Church, the Mennonite Central Committee Centre on
Conference Events Partner Events 2016
Gladys Avenue and the new Mennonite Heritage Museum in Abbotsford, B.C. They also toured Chinese MB congregations and urban church plants in Vancouver. Impacted by two church planters’ stories of encountering angry resistant in their communities, Lanigan “came away with a renewed passion to pray consistently for these brothers and their families as they labour under difficult circumstances to shine the light of Jesus in some very dark corners.” The Board of Faith and Life is grateful for the investment of local provincial leaders in sending their candidates to PCO, says B.C. conference minister Rob Thiessen. “These three days together help establish new pastors as welcomed members of our community and provide them with understanding and enthusiasm for the family in which they now serve.” Presented annually by the BFL in conjunction with MBBS faculty, PCO is a required component for ministry credentialing with the MB family in Canada. —Karla Braun
Sept. 6: Classes begin, Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C.
Sept. 7: Classes begin, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg.
Sept. 7: Classes begin, Steinbach (Man.) Bible College.
Sept. 11: MB Mission TREK program begins, B.C.
Sept. 13–15: C2C Network Assessment Centre, Calgary.
Sept. 17: MCC event: Toronto Mennonite Festival, Black Creek Pioneer Village.
Sept. 23–25: King Road Church 50th
anniversary, Abbotsford, B.C.
Oct. 2–4: SKMB pastor and spouse retreat. Oct. 2–4: ABMB pastor and spouse retreat. Oct. 7–10: McIvor Avenue Church 40th anniversary, Winnipeg.
Oct. 21–22: Mennonites, Land and the
Environment: A Global History conference, University of Winnipeg.
Oct. 22: Annual fundraising dinner, Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C. Oct. 27–30: MEDA Business as Calling convention, San Antonio, Tex.
Oct. 28–30: Holy Spirit Encounter with Doug and Teri Balzer, presented by C2C Network, Westwood Community Church, Winnipeg. Nov. 18: Disciple Making International
global mission banquet, King Road Church, Abbotsford, B.C.
Memory from MAID
Nov. 26: MBCM Council of representatives,
The lighter side of school
83 Henderson Hwy, Winnipeg.
Dec. 6–8: C2C Network Assessment
Years before MB Mission invited youth to SOAR in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Vancouver, Winkler (Man.) Bible Institute students gave a classmate some air time in the gym circa 1988. Photo (NP-139-3-41) from the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies is available to the public in collaboration with MAID: the Mennonite Archival Image Database. Research more images from Mennonite churches and organizations at archives.mhsc.ca.
Centre, Toronto.
2017
Feb. 8–9: Multiply conference, Vancouver. Mar 7–11: The Church on Mission: an
ICOMB consultation, Chonburi, Thailand.
Apr. 22: Commencement ceremony and banquet, Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C. June 1: Columbia Open Golf tournament. View more events from churches and agencies at mbherald.com/calendar.
https://archives.mhsc.ca/trampoline Mennonite Brethren Herald
| September/October 2016
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(Trans)formational development
I
haven’t always liked the word transformation.
I know it’s an important word. I know it’s a Christian word – one that points to the kind of change that happens when a person makes contact with God. I know that as Christians we are called to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18) and that this is a foretaste of the final transformation of our bodies and the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:21). And yet as I reflect on my experience in the church, I have felt a certain unease about this word.
It’s a God thing This unease became more acute in fall 2003 when I embarked on a teaching career at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask. As I read our promotional material and observed how we talked about what we did, I noticed that the 8
word transformation was doing a lot of heavy lifting. Transformation was the “product” we offered to students, parents and church leaders. It named our shared aspiration. It pointed toward the kind of change we envisioned for ourselves and for our children. And yet the word always felt a bit strange on my lips. I was, after all, a child of the church. My journey seemed to be a slow, incremental march through the somewhat inevitable twists and turns of growing up in the MB family. It was the story of inhabiting a faith over an extended period of time. It was the story of an inheritance becoming something like a possession. My story didn’t seem all that “transformational.” And as I compared notes with others, it seemed this story had some predictable plotlines. In my interactions with
September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
students over the better part of a decade, I saw versions of my story re-enacted on a regular basis. I saw young adults taking incremental steps toward clarity of convictions, risks in obedience, commitment to service and willingness to take their place within the church. The living water that Jesus promised (John 4:10) seemed to follow predictable grooves as it trickled into the lives of his followers. But somehow transformation didn’t seem to be the best word to describe this reality. Transformation, as I understood it, pointed to something more dramatic. Something climactic or sudden, more like a U-turn than a steady climb. Something spiritual or charismatic – less predictable. Something less ordinary. Transformation was something God alone could produce. To use this word glibly, it seemed to me, was to make promises that only God could keep.
[ FEATURE It’s a human thing So I backed away from transformation and leaned toward development in my conversations. Development, I reasoned, was a more honest way of describing the kind of change that was actually happening. It seemed to name the obvious connection between our growth as persons and our growth as disciples. It accounted for a steadily increasing awareness of and capacity to deal with complexity. It acknowledged the formative influence of our communities. It named the difference between “immature” and “adult” forms of faith and made some sense of the journey from one to the other.
I was so interested in the connection between human and faith development that I devoted a dissertation to it. I dove into theories of human development and tried to connect them to a growing faith in Jesus Christ. I saw how cognitive development was sparked by experiences of confusion and the desire for more adequate maps of reality. I learned how moral reasoning changed to accommodate more complex problems. I saw how social systems produced our categories and nurtured us into patterns of life. I even saw how Christians tried to unite human development and faith
development into stage theories showing how we progress through various “forms” of faith that align with these other human capacities. But this too left me uneasy. Faith, after all, seemed to represent a different category than cognitive development. Our brains change whether we want them to or not. But faith? Faith is more than a human capacity. Faith is something that brings us into relationship with God. If my reaction to transformation was that it promised what only God could deliver, development seemed to make God almost invisible.
Mennonite Brethren Herald
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[ FEATURE CONTINUED Transforming transformation
It’s all about Jesus
In the spring of 2015, the ministry of Bethany College came to a close. This was a disorienting experience for all who were involved. We confronted the loss of something that we believed was valuable, and our own sense of personal vocations was destabilized.
Loder calls this threat the void. The key question with respect to human growth is not “How can I regain my balance?” but “Can I live into the hope that life will ultimately triumph over death?”
For me, the year following closure was a time to focus more intently on the developmental questions that I had begun to ask in my dissertation. And in the midst of a season of personal loss and focused study, I encountered a theologian who changed and ultimately rehabilitated my understanding of the word transformation.
It is not just the fact that we are all destined to die. Loder saw the void in every experience of pain, loss, disorientation, conflict, rejection and failure, however large or small.
Development, in this sense, takes the shape of the teeter-totter gradually returning to balance. We account for whatever new fact or experience that has disrupted our lives, and we eventually regain equilibrium. Loder was dissatisfied with this answer because he saw the entire cosmic and human journey not as an endless pursuit of equilibrium but as a slow march toward extinction. The journey doesn’t end in “balance” – it threatens us with ultimate loss. 10
Loder noticed that experiences like these are normally the catalysts for change. It is in these moments, he suggested, that the structure of reality “cracks open” in a new way and reveals the chaos, the “tendency toward death” that lurks below. Human development, he argued, is the way in which the human spirit grows in response to obstacles. Every human resolution to carry on “in the aftermath,” every reassembly of the fragments of our experience after they have come apart is evidence that transformation is stitched into the fabric of human identity.
James Loder (1931–2001) was a Princeton educational theorist and Presbyterian theologian whose life and career was defined by a quest to unite spiritual experience with “ordinary” human development. He had encountered God in dramatic ways and wanted to take these encounters seriously. But he was also deeply convinced of the importance of the maps of human change offered by natural and social science. And the word that he used to capture all of this was transformation. Most developmental theorists used the image of the teeter-totter. The goal of human development is equilibrium. The problem is that life routinely knocks us off balance. The teeter-totter wobbles. We are disoriented, destabilized, confused – even shipwrecked – along the way.
ways. Each points toward the final loss, meaninglessness and aloneness that we anticipate in our own mortality. All that we are, all that we love, all that we accomplish and all that we hope for is threatened by the grave. And nothingness. Silence.
To be human is to seek order in the midst of chaos, to long for resurrection in the aftermath of death. Transformation, in other words, takes the shape of the cross and the empty tomb. It leads from Jesus’ cry of abandonment on the cross to the church’s joyful proclamation: “He is risen!”
It’s embedded within every experience that reminds us that we are sinful, limited and frail. It’s lurking beneath every relational breakdown, every experience of suffering, every lost opportunity for peace, every hermeneutical puzzle, every injustice, every regret, every nostalgic memory of a moment that cannot be retrieved. Each of these experiences threatens us in different but somehow similar
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But this basic human capacity for transformation is not enough. For Loder, this process of transformation itself needs to be transformed through a redemptive encounter with the Spirit of God. Human identity, he reasoned, is grounded in a primal fear of being abandoned. Much of our growth is a series of defensive moves by which we say “no” to the world before it says “NO” to us. Human development may be transformational in character, but it is based on a fear of being rejected and ultimately alone. It is only as we encounter Jesus that the transformational potential in the human spirit is redeemed and set free because it is in Jesus that the void is confronted, our sin is forgiven and the final enemy is defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26). As we repent of PHOTOS COURTESY MB MISSION
how we have become complicit in death, as we encounter a love from which we can never be separated, we experience a death and resurrection that is a foretaste of what is finally and ultimately our true home.
What about us? As contemporary Canadian MBs, we ask the word transformation to do heavy lifting. The word is nestled inside of our mission statement: “multiplying Christ-centred churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ.” Over the past two years, many church leaders have completed the Church Transformation Survey, which is designed to measure the effectiveness of our ministries and initiatives. The stated goal of the survey is “to track how transformation is actually happening” and to “move toward greater health and spiritual transformation as we join together on mission.” We want to see transformation and have made it the standard by which we fund our ministries. And yet it strikes me that we have not been especially clear on what we mean by this term. Is it simply a reference to “positive Christian change”? Do we use it as a terminological sign that something good is happening that we want to attribute to God? Is it a synonym for “conversion”? Maybe a euphemism for “missional activity”? Is transformation simply a handy container that we can fill with whatever content seems best to us? My conviction is that transformation is a term that offers incredible potential for us as Canadian Mennonite Brethren. I believe
it is a word that can help us understand both our missional and developmental calling. It can help us articulate both the transformative moments where the Spirit acts in decisive ways and what Loder calls the “mundane ecstasy” of ordinary Christian development. I believe we should apply the word broadly and confidently because it addresses key elements of who we are as Mennonite Brethren. And it took a Presbyterian to help me see it. We are a people who believe that we need to make experiential contact with God through Jesus Christ. We need to repent. We need to be forgiven. We believe the Spirit is alive and somehow available in the midst of human experience. We believe that God is not a principle to be affirmed but a person to be encountered. And while this encounter can take a variety of surprising and unpredictable forms it is always in the direction of redemption. This experiential drive is deep within Mennonite Brethren DNA. And yet we know that much of discipleship happens in the space between these kinds of experiences. We have not always been good at articulating this, but the proof is in the historical pudding. We created schools and camps. We invested in Sunday School and VBS programs and youth pastors. We offer short-term mission experiences and service opportunities that we know have incredible transformational impact on those who participate. In short, we have shepherded our young people through a series of institutional
gates that, while not always uniformly successful, have been powerful affirmations that growth in faith happens in predictable (even programmable) ways. Excellent connections between theory and practice! My modest proposal is simply that the word transformation applies beautifully and practically to both. As Mennonite Brethren, we should be able to confidently affirm that we are “about” transformation. Because transformation always refers to new life emerging from death; it’s the cross and resurrection all the way down. This can be a decisive moment of encounter with the Spirit of God. Or it can be a gradual process of assembling an ordered faith in the midst of a growing awareness of chaos. But the cruciform shape is always the same. And this is as it should be. We are a people who confess that Jesus Christ is the one through whom all things came to be and in whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). And if this is true, then we should expect to see the tragedy and beauty of his cross and empty tomb at every point of the human journey. We should seek – and expect to find – transformation. —Gil Dueck serves as program director at MCC Saskatchewan. Prior to this, he served for 12 years as instructor in theology at Bethany College. Gil and Shelley and their three daughters live in Hepburn, Sask.
Discuss
Toolbox
When have you experienced the void, and how was it a catalyst for change?
Description of a Growing Disciple Kindred Productions
When you hear the mission statement: “…to see Canada transformed by the good news…”, what pictures come to mind? How would you answer Loder’s question: How can I live into the hope that life will ultimately triumph over death?
10-year Disciple Waterloo MB Church
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Friends along the journey The “what” and “how” of discipleship “Syllabus week,” can be one of the most overwhelming times for students. Assignments, reading requirements, course outlines: “information overload” describes this first week of college. At times, the church’s approach to discipleship for young adults mirrors syllabus week. We outline the information related to discipleship (the “what”), but neglect the lived experience of discipleship (the “how”).
The “what” Now, to be clear, the “what” of discipleship is critical for faith formation, whether at Bible college or in a local congregation. This development of foundational beliefs and practices sustains us in the life-long commitment of following Jesus that is discipleship. Biblical literacy, theological training and intentional spiritual practices are all areas where young adults need the “what” of discipleship. As they enter Columbia Bible College, many students have doubts about their faith or feel inadequate to address questions from their peers. “What if I don’t know the answer?” is a question I hear repeatedly.
One exercise I’ve found helpful is collecting difficult questions about Christianity and having students put each other on the spot to experiment with thinking on their feet without preparation. This exercise connects our foundational beliefs with everyday experiences. The “what” comes alive in conversation. As a result, I’ve seen students leave Columbia with a passion for knowledge and with a renewed confidence to relate the “what” of discipleship to the world around them. Yet, like that first week of class in college, the “what” by itself can lead to information overload and inadvertently communicate that discipleship is all about knowledge – it becomes our heavy burden rather than the light burden of Jesus (Matthew 11:28–30).
The “how” Beyond the content of discipleship, then, the church needs to value the process of discipleship, the “how.” This means understanding today’s young adults and finding holistic ways of discipling them that resonate with their experience of the world.
David Warkentin walks out discipleship together with his students at Columbia Bible College.
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In particular, I’m realizing the value of the journey. I’ve come to appreciate the gift young adults bring to the church with their insistence on relationality and authenticity. This generation is calling the church to pay equal attention to the “how.” To say discipleship is a journey to be walked with others does not compromise it to culture, but defines it within the context of a lifelong commitment to Jesus in the times and places we find ourselves. For leaders, this may require adopting a new posture. Expertise alone does not inspire faithful discipleship; no matter how much correct knowledge we have to impart, we need to value relationships as we disciple others. How I present my syllabus is equally important to its content. How I preach on God’s love or judgment is equally important to my definition of these key theological truths. If our posture as leaders is relational rather than only propositional, young adults can see how the ideas of discipleship can be embodied into a life together.
For example, I take a group of students on an experiential learning trip to New York each February. It’s a full trip, with a variety of activities and service components as we explore the intersection of faith and culture in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
A key benefit of Bible college is the relational experience of college life. From the accessibility of professors, to the community of students in dorms, to the active engagement with local churches, young adults get to participate in a community of disciples on a daily basis.
But I learned early on not to undervalue the times between our scheduled activities. Where I was prone to rush ahead, students lingered to connect with one another or simply observe the wonder that is New York City. The experience of getting from point A to point B itself was worth investing in.
In churches, we can develop this sense of discipleship alongside others through intentional practices of sharing in daily life – potlucks, volunteer projects, prayer groups and more – activities that allow young adults to rub shoulders together and support one another in the course of living.
Once I shifted my focus to allow more time in our schedule to just be together, student engagement and learning increased. Their passion to integrate faith with culture grew. Adopting a relational posture in my leadership enhanced not only the trip, but also the experience of discipleship. The church needs to find creative ways to make space for relationships to flourish and to practically explore faith formation.
As in school, so in life Every year, I see how the stress of syllabus week works itself out in a semester. Some students succumb to the pressure of an overwhelming experience, often not as a fault of their own. Others plod along, completing their assignments adequately, but with little retention of what they’ve learned and experienced.
However, many students flourish. They enter into a collaborative experience of learning with others that values the big picture of the whole semester. It’s difficult, but it’s also rewarding. For these students, the “what” and the “how” combine for an experience of profound transformation. Like students collaborating with others to succeed at college, all members of the church journey together as disciples who follow Jesus. Limited to information, our faith struggles in a sort of perpetual syllabus week for discipleship. But when discipleship embodies the way of Jesus relationally, we can connect the “how” and “what” in a way that inspires and equips for faith in our world today. —David Warkentin is director of Columbia One and general studies at Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C.
How to wear moccasins
A Mennonite Brethren explores identity making among Indigenous theologians The loudspeakers piped an Indigenous honour song into the warmly lit chapel. A group of excited students and teachers filed onto the stage, dressed in traditional regalia and formal academic robes. The pungent aromas of the pipe ceremony wafted up the sides of the classical pipe organ. Sweet grass and stained glass – cultures were crossing. I was at the opening ceremonies of the 2016 NAIITS Symposium at Tyndale University, Toronto. The North American Institute of Indigenous Theological Study offers advanced degrees in theology and intercultural studies, holds study symposia and issues academic journals. But more than that, NAIITS is an Indigenous learning community. Their mandate is to help people walk with Jesus
in a transformative way that does not require the rejection of their Creatorgiven social and cultural identity.
Self-differentiation In the Tyndale chapel, I reflected on my own walk with Christ. As a young adult, I’m learning about healthy selfdifferentiation. I am making decisions about who I want to be: what parts of my heritage I want to embody, and what I want to do differently; where to stand up against culture, and where to embrace it. But as a white Mennonite Brethren Manitoban man, I’ve never felt the need to entirely abandon my ethnicity in order to have a relationship with Christ. Actually, my work ethic, pacifism, choice to be baptized as an adult and linear-logical
PHOTO COURTESY BEKAH BIELEFELD PHOTOGRAPHY
worldview have often felt like “the right way” to express faithfulness. But this has not been the experience for every tribe, tongue and nation who encounters Christ. NAIITS was initiated by a group of Indigenous Christians who found that the evangelical church did not affirm who the Creator shaped them to be. History has shown that Indigenous Christ followers are often coerced to express their loyalty to Christ using Western cultural paradigms – unbeknownst to Westerners who assume that their way is simply “how people do things.” The NAIITS movement affirms that Indigenous Jesus followers from each unique nation have something to contribute to the community of faith – something that is lost when their faith is
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[ VIEWPOINT
contorted to fit Western paradigms and standards. This is reminiscent of Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?” (1 Corinthians 12:18–19). A significant amount of the NAIITS community’s energy has been spent defending the truth that one can be Indigenous and Christian at the same time, and that celebrating Christ looks different, say, for a Russian Mennonite Brethren and a Swampy Cree. The NAIITS scholars spoke of “contextualization fatigue,” which names how tiring this conversation can be.
I also met Kelsey John, expression different In our walk with Christ, a Christian Navajo from my own, each of us must find a way and I began to pursuing a PhD at to make the faith our own. consider where I Syracuse University. have prioritized In her presentation, “fitting in” above Kelsey explained participating in my Creator-given social that Indigenous worldviews tend to and cultural identity. recognize how interrelated everything is – theology and science, land and society, God creates and welcomes every tribe, politics and ecology. This puts her a nation, people and tongue. God is fashioning a new People made up of every people: the church. This is exciting! Unity in the body of Christ is not assimilationist (uniformity: every body part becomes an eye, or a nose). It is unity among diverse parts.
This drain on their energy also makes it harder to champion other Indigenous concerns: missing and murdered Indigenous women, ecological justice, landbased approaches to education, the suicide epidemic among Indigenous youth.
An Indigenous learning community Over some of the meals, I got to know Sam, a young woman from Peguis First Nation. Her story is like many others – at times, she perceived a divide between unique position to speak theologically being a Christ follower and being an and faithfully in her academic setting, Indigenous person. Her involvement where her voice in the NAIITS resonates differently than community has I began to consider where Western Christians in given her Indigenous I have prioritized “fitting conversations about faith. Christian mentors in” above participating in and community. She It was a blessing to meet now has permission to my Creator-given social Sam, Kelsey and others explore her culture. and cultural identity. with a rich Christian
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Getting comfortable with difference isn’t easy. It means reading books written by authors with different experiences than our own. It means listening in on the concerns of communities unlike our own – perhaps attending a Meet Me at the Bell Tower gathering (in Winnipeg), or a political march. It means participating in a worship service whose style we find “unusual.” In our walk with Christ, each of us must find a way to make the faith our own – to grow in loyalty to Christ from where we sit, in our bodies, our biologies, our places and circumstances. Whatever our path, let’s commit to making this journey easier for one another. —David Thiessen is a member of McIvor Avenue MB Church, Winnipeg. He serves as an apprentice with MB Mission Central Canada.
[ MINISTRY LIFT
11 questions to grow disciple-making churches MinistryLift’s Strategic Pathway for Discipleship
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Prayer permeates disciplemaking churches. How can we grow a culture of prayer – in which God works deeply in peoples’ lives? Communities where people lovingly practise life-on-life discipleship are great incubators. How can we develop this kind of intimacy? Discipleship flourishes in a growth-oriented environment. How do we gear our church culture toward helping people take next steps?
people to the whole counsel of God and motivates them to greater obedience. Do our sermons help people know and follow Jesus?
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Programs provide a context in which discipleship can occur, but a personalized approach is a requirement. How do we come alongside and help individuals on their walk? A goal of making disciples is making more disciples – a missional mindset that requires passion, time and energy. Are we motivated to see Christ transform lives? We need strong biblical teaching that exposes
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Timely and relevant training equips people to be disciples of Jesus. How do you help people grow in their relationship with God, develop godly character, understand and live out their calling, invest in the lives of others and hone skills to serve God more effectively? Robust small groups are effective in making disciples. Do your small groups focus on praying, reaching out to those who don’t know Jesus, caring for people and empowering members to serve? Accountability is the voluntary surrender of your life to regular and frequent scrutiny and encouragement for the purpose of ongoing life transformation, says Dave Currie (Doing Family Right). How do you employ this vital ingredient in your church?
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In a coaching/mentoring culture, people make disciples as they engage in structured and spontaneous opportunities. Do you recognize the disciplemaking possibilities in every conversation? Spiritual disciplines, like prayer and meditating on Scripture, help us surrender every part of our lives to God. How do we grow in our capacity to become spiritually disciplined, vibrant disciples of Jesus who actively make disciples of others? What are some of the other markers of discipleship you have applied in your church? This content first appeared on the MinistryLift blog as “Developing a Strategic Pathway for Discipleship in Your Church” (ministrylift.
ca/pathway-for-discipleshipin-your-churchMinistryLift). Ministry Lift (www.MinistryLift. ca) is the non-formal training arm
of the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. MinistryLift can help you design a discipleship pathway or provide training in other areas.
Other MinistryLift resources
Further reading
Seven Dimensions of Leadership Development (www.
Small Groups Big Impact: Connecting People to God and One Another in Thriving Groups, Jim Egli and Dwight Marable
Strategies for Growing Your Small Group (www.ministrylift. ca/Strategies_for_Growing_Your_Small_Group)
Doing Family Right (www.doingfamilyright.com), Dave Currie
ministrylift.ca/seven_dimensions_of_christian_leadership)
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ICOMB:
International Community of Mennonite Brethren
What it means to be family A Canadian joins a Khmu service in the U.S.
“Can I help you? Who are you?”
A family of believers
The song leader interrupted the flow of the worship service to address me! I was quietly standing in the back, observing.
It was a beautiful moment of fraternity – not only as believers in Christ, but within a family that has history and a common Confession of Faith.
I had already preached at the English service and enjoyed the coffee hour at Butler MB Church, Fresno, Cal. I then dropped in on the Khmu congregation that worships in the family centre later. Hearing their service start up, I thought I’d go in for a few minutes, then leave. But suddenly I was singled out! I started to answer, but he called me forward. I greeted the congregation from the international community of our Mennonite Brethren family (ICOMB), shared a verse of Scripture, and said I knew Phone Keo, their original pastor now living in Southeast Asia. This was a great point of connection. I prayed for the congregation and everyone came to the front so we could take a picture.
I have visited many other churches of other denominations. First, I would not get asked to identify myself. But even if I would, it would be simply a name and the assumption I might be a fellow Christian. And it would make no sense to try to make connections via names of leaders I know. Yet we as Mennonite Brethren in North America do not seem to cherish our family identity the way other Mennonite Brethren do in other parts of the world. In fact, I sense MBs are embarrassed to self-identify. In countless conversations, I hear the same lines, almost like a script: “I belong to ‘X’ MB church. But the important thing is we believe in Jesus.” Why do we add that caveat? The
uninitiated listener might conclude that Mennonite Brethren are shaky about the centrality of Jesus! César García, now Mennonite World Conference general secretary, told me about something odd that occurred when he was a Mennonite Brethren pastor and leader in the Colombia MB conference. A missionary from Canada had planted a church in Bogotá. At some point in its maturity, the missionary posed a challenge: “Now you need to consider what denomination you want to be part of.” This idea completely flummoxed the church and the Colombia conference. The missionary was Mennonite Brethren. From the beginning formation of the church, they associated with other MB congregations. The idea of belonging to something different wasn’t ever on their radar. Yet, by introducing this option, the missionary seemed to suggest that community and confessional history meant virtually nothing.
Re-embrace our identity
David Wiebe with the Khmu congregation at Butler MB, Fresno, Cal. 16
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Over the last four decades, we North Americans have hidden our Mennonite Brethren identity from church names and signs. I appreciate the reasons: both words in the name can be a barrier to the unfamiliar in some unique ways. One MB church secretary who had been a member – and on staff – for years told me matterof-factly, “I’ll never be a Mennonite.” I didn’t want to burst her bubble, so said nothing, but it was pretty obvious what she already was – she just didn’t want to admit it. PHOTOS COURTESY DAVID WIEBE
Wiebe’s Witness
[ WIEBE’S WITNESS
Drawing from his travels to visit MB churches around the world, ICOMB executive director David Wiebe offers insights on faith.
did you know?
Lithuania meets Panama: ICOMB representative for Lithuania Arturas Rulinskas with two members of Iglesia Evangélica Unida – Hermanos Menonitas at a service in Chepo, Panama. The international community of Mennonite Brethren (or ICOMB) can help the North American MB church reembrace our identity. A Canadian pastor who visited the ICOMB annual summit this year as an observer enthusiastically exclaimed, “I have found my home!” The gathered international MB leaders helped him redefine the Mennonite Brethren family with all our best characteristic elements:
centred on Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, committed to our Confession, living out community – even a “community hermeneutic” – while we grapple with spiritual vitality and church discipline as we seek to reach our world. We don’t have to sacrifice or shun our identity in order to be on mission. In fact, I believe we are stronger if we bring both together under the lordship of Christ. Next time you have that conversation about what church you go to, I dare you to say “I’m Mennonite Brethren…AND…we are a church on mission for Jesus Christ.”
—David Wiebe is a fan of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and podcasts on church history (57 hours and counting). After two decades of working for the Canadian Conference of MB Churches, he has served the International Community of Mennonite Brethren as executive director since 2011.
The Canadian MB conference started when a missionary came from the U.S. to plant a church near Winkler, Man., in 1888. And the India MB conference started when a missionary came from South Russia (Ukraine) to plant a church in Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh, in 1889. This means the India and Canadian MB conferences are almost identical in age. The first treasurer for ICOMB was Rolando Mireles, moderator of the US MB conference who hailed from the Latin American MB district. USMB boasts close to 50 Hispanic churches in its fellowship. The North American conference once included Vereinigung der Mennoniten Brüder Gemeinden Paraguays (the Paraguay MB conference).
ICOMB summit 2016 At the crossroads of the Americas, ICOMB (International Community of Mennonite Brethren) gathered its members for teaching, decision making and encouragement. ICOMB’s annual summit took place in Panama City, Panama, June 2–5, 2016, with the theme of strengthening the church. ICOMB functions as a fraternal body that encourages and trains. This summit voted to hire a parttime associate director for Latin America (which comprises eight of
the member conferences) to help the conferences and partner agencies to relate healthfully and foster church multiplication and leadership development. Rudi Plett, pastor with Vereinigung der Mennoniten Brüder Gemeinden Paraguays, will relinquish the roles of church representative and ICOMB chair at the end of 2016 to become associate director in 2017. Plett will also serve half-time with MB Mission to develop mission capacity in the national conferences.
Read more at mbherald.com/icomb-summit-2016.
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[ TEXT MESSAGE
Not in vain
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
Stand firm in God’s service 1 Corinthians 15:58
O
n a rainy day some years ago, when I was working as a youth pastor, I drove 30 minutes to a high school in a neighbouring city to meet a student for lunch. I parked out front and waited in the same spot we had met several times before. The lunch bell rang and students started to stream out of the school – everyone, it seemed, except for my appointment. Despite my attempts to get ahold of him, he never did emerge. The bell rang again and the students went back inside the school. I was frustrated. Nearly two hours of my day had been wasted! The situation repeated itself a few weeks later. Further compounding matters, I felt like I was not making any kind of a difference in the youth’s life with the significant difficulties he was facing, even when we were able to talk.
When you don’t see progress Have you ever had an experience like that? When you thought you would make a difference in someone’s life, or leave a positive impact on your church or community, only to end up feeling completely ineffective, even useless? It can be frustrating and defeating to work so hard and not see any progress. In God’s providence, I spent one of the 30-minute drives to my would-be meeting with this student listening to a podcast sermon from Bill Hybels. He expounded upon what he referred to as his “life verse”: 1 Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” This verse comes at the end of a long chapter in which Paul writes about the 18
1 Corinthians 15:58
reality of the resurrection – both the past resurrection of Christ (15:1–11) and the future resurrection of all believers (15:12–34). Clearly, there were some in Corinth who were denying that Christ had been raised from the dead and doubting that there would be a future resurrection. The consequence of this kind of thinking is seen in verse 32: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.’” In other words, if there is nothing beyond this life, let’s do whatever we want because there will be no consequences for what we do!
Don’t lose sight of the resurrection I suspect that this kind of mindset is not limited to the people at Corinth 2,000 years ago. In fact, if we as Christians lose sight of the reality that Christ will return and we will be raised to new life with new resurrection bodies (15:35–56) we can easily be tempted to abandon the ways of Christ when they are not popular and to give up serving God when it seems like we are not making progress. Verse 58 serves as a sharp exhortation against that kind of thinking. In fact, Paul writes, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (15:19). There is an eternal reality awaiting us after death and what we do here matters for eternity! To be clear, Paul isn’t advocating salvation by works here, but is reminding a group of people who were tempted to give up
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that Christ’s resurrection foreshadows our own resurrection and the eternal glory we will share together with Jesus. What we do here matters!
Be committed Notice, then, the resolve with which Paul writes. Put another way, he says:
Be completely committed to what
you know is true about Christ.
Give yourself totally to serving
the Lord, not just when it is convenient or productive.
Rest assured in the knowledge
that what you do in Christ’s name is never in vain, worthless or a waste of time. We may never see the earthly outcomes of our commitment to serve Christ with everything we’ve got. I still can’t see the results of the many meetings I did have with that young man, but I trust that even if I never see the fruit of those conversations, God is pleased with me for serving in that way. I will be able to stand before God, knowing I did what I was able to. I need that encouragement from time to time. Perhaps you do, too. Let’s be people who serve wholeheartedly, knowing that our service is never in vain! —Craig Thiessen is pursuing an MDiv at MBBS. He and Jenny have two children, Joshua and Kenzi, and attend Ross Road Community Church in Abbotsford, B.C.
[
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Making disciples? Or consumers? D
oes your church make disciples or religious consumers? Wrestling with this unsettling question gave rise to Renovation of the Church (2011): in this book, Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken chronicle how the church they co-pastor, Oak Hills near Sacramento, Cal., came to the awful realization that, while they were remarkably successful in attracting people to the church’s services, the pastors were not helping people, in Jesus’ words, to lose their lives in order to find them (Matthew 16:25).
2016. Of the 150 churches responding, 31 percent indicated “We have an intentional discipleship process,” while 14 percent indicated “Our discipleship plan is working,” for a combined total of 45 percent. The combined total in 2015 was 50 percent.
The entire way of doing church at Oak Hills worked against Christ’s invitation to be authentically transformed, which in their assessment led to a form of nondiscipleship Christianity.
What is the way forward?
A difficult call Jesus’ call to his disciples is clear: “repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15); “seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33); “take my yoke upon you” (Matthew 11:29). His call is also clearly difficult: “no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62); “those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33). The theme of this issue of the MB Herald is discipleship. Jesus’ clear and difficult call to his first disciples is no easier for us to hear or follow, yet his call remains our marching order: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25). How well are we living out this clear and difficult call? Apparently not uniformly well. The results of the annual national MB Transformation Survey arrived in June
It will take a longer article to unpack the factors that produced the new data, but the obvious observation is that 45 is less than 50.
A path to transformation For starters, as Carlson and Lueken wryly observe, the way forward is not achieved by herding people through a series of classes or a curriculum, nor can transformation be mass produced by a one-size-fits-all program.
Apostle Paul’s test: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice” (Philippians 4:9).
A desire to change Interestingly, dissatisfaction seems key to discipleship. To the paralyzed man, Jesus asked, Do you want to get well? (John 5:6). What makes his question necessary? Surely the prospect of walking after 38 years of paralysis is enough to inspire a desire to dance. Yet, 38 years is also time enough to make the status quo comfortable. Could it be that living below the discipleship poverty line has become normal? Disciples’ lives need to be marked by intentionality, the desire to be healed, to be done with “same old same old.” Jesus meant us for more – and dissatisfaction with status quo is a good beginning.
Programs can be tools, but completing them does not ensure that transformation has occurred. Spiritual formation is not achieved by learning more information Discipleship isn’t a from the Bible, department of the church; rather by studying in it is the central operating order to be changed (“conformed,” system around which the Romans 8:29) into church lives out her clear the likeness of Christ.
I am absolutely thrilled that churches and leaders are paying new attention to discipleship, desiring transformation so that Christ may be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). I’m thrilled, too, that and difficult mandate. discipleship will be Key to discipleship the focus of our study is following Jesus in real time, with conference in 2017. others. Jesus didn’t accidentally invite Discipleship isn’t a department of the the disciples to be at his side for three church; it is the central operating system years. He invited followers into an apprenticeship where they learned to take around which the church lives out her clear and difficult mandate. on his character and his priorities as they listened, asked questions, discussed and —Ron Toews is practised what they learned. director of L2L, the What’s more, most of their learning leadership development occurred alongside other apprentices. arm of the Canadian Learning to follow Jesus in community was Conference of fundamental to discipleship. Discipleship Mennonite Brethren methods that are bookish, individualistic Churches. He lives in and do not focus on application fail the Abbotsford, B.C. Mennonite Brethren Herald
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[ GATHERING 2016 BUSINESS REPORT
Oxygen for ministry A
collegial spirit permeated Gathering 2016, the biennial convention of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in Toronto July 6–9, 2016, where where the 136 delegates earnestly engaged the agenda and respectfully listened to differing perspectives. A proposed merger between the denomination’s international witness agency MB Mission and the interdenominational national church planting agency C2C was up for discussion, as was financial shortfall in the Canadian conference budget.
Unfinished business The first business session was hardly underway before a delegate added a motion to the agenda to approve the mission statement. The mission statement “We exist to multiply Christ-centred churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of
Jesus Christ” was accepted in principle as part of the sandbox document approved at Gathering 2014, but never separately offered to constituents for ratification. Kevin Koop (Crestwood, Medicine Hat) moved to strike “multiply” from the statement (for its failure to reflect CCMBC’s other three services areas). After discussion, the amendment was defeated and the motion passed. Arising from the discussion, moderator Harold Froese noted an action item that the terms “multiply” and “transformation” be referred to the Board of Faith and Life for definition and contextualization.
Bylaw changes Delegates passed motions to approve changes to the CCMBC operating bylaws and an updated Memorandum of Understanding with MB Mission. Changes to CCMBC bylaws pertain to technological
“When you know you’re saved, it’s pretty compelling to run onto the battlefield and say ‘We won!’” says Vic Neufeld (North Kildonan, Winnipeg).
updates in communication, and to clarifying definitions of delegates and board members. For Gathering, quorum is 100; the revised bylaws reduce quorum to 30 for the study conference where “the agenda is limited to the appointment of an auditor, approval of annual budget, and the receiving and approving of the financial statements.” A delegate suggested the number “seems too low to approve a national budget.” The motion passed.
C2C-MB Mission merger The motion “that a task force be affirmed to work with the MB Mission board to investigate options for C2C and MB Mission for church planting ministries locally, national and globally” passed. Delegates encouraged the task force to consider a variety of collaborative partners (e.g., ICOMB and Mennonite Central Committee) and to seek diverse perspectives (e.g., gender balance) and regional representation with task force member selection. “This task force is being approved with the expectation a recommendation will Experience Toronto closes with a concert of prayer at St. Paul’s Bloor Street in downtown Toronto.
“We don’t know how God will arrange [the realization of new ministry dreams],” says Rafiqua, associate pastor of Behta Darya Church, Mississauga, “but he’s already arranged everything else, so…” The MB church was the featured stop on one of the Experience Toronto bus tours. Behta Darya conducts services in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and sometimes English. It’s constantly engaged in providing for people’s physical needs, sharing the gospel and teaching them about spiritual needs, holding prayer vigils, discipling youth, offering opportunities to adapt to Canadian culture – and celebrating.
“Lost people matter to God – there’s no other reason we’re here,” says Janet Thiessen (North Langley). 20
September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MDS
“The goal of gathering is to create a space where community can happen,” says Gathering 2016 MC Mandy Kasper, (New Hope, St. Catharines). “Share your story,” she encouraged delegates and guests. It may be what someone else needs to hear. come back to vote on later,” said Matt Ewert (South Abbotsford).
the previous day’s breakout session for revisions on clarity and transparency.
Delegates carefully considered implications of the subsequent motion, “that C2C, in collaboration with MB Mission, be authorized to assist the USBM conference as invited by the leadership of the USMB and be allowed to function interdenominationally in the USA without any negative impact on Canadian church planting ministries and budget.”
The motion to approve the budget received an amendment: “That CCMBC direct stewardship income (Legacy) to take all necessary actions to replenish investment reserves by annually directing all net capital gains, all profits from for-profit companies (embedded in stewardship), all net returns on impaired mortgages and 10 percent of net investment returns (beginning in 2018).”
This motion “feels like ‘let’s go right now and start working together already’ without letting the task force figure it out,” said Ben Kramer (Parliament, Regina). A proposed amended to remove the collaboration with MB Mission was defeated. The collaboration of MB Mission and C2C in the U.S. “will provide a lab to test what it looks like to deliver on local/ national/global integrated vision,” said MB Mission general director Randy Friesen. “It’s essential to The Big idea.” “When I put on my international hat, I am sensitive to one conference operating hegemonically,” cautioned ICOMB executive director David Wiebe. “There is a lot of money and power and dominance in CCMBC right now.” The motion carried with encouragement for more clarity. “We need specificity,” said Brian Cooper (Mountain Park, Abbotsford). “We’ve had need articulated, which is not the same as vision.”
Finances “We’re figuring out how to get oxygen [money] over to ministry so it can continue,” said board member Len Penner. The motion to approve the Legacy bylaws carried unanimously after the committee reported four action items arising from
“We’re taking non-sustainable income and turning it into sustainable expenses,” said Arthur Block (Fraserview, Richmond). “We haven’t been healthy in this entity for some time. This motion is attempting to correct it.” “You eat an elephant one bite at a time,” said Penner. Rebuilding the reserves should not occur at the expense of ministry, he said. A survey of depositors revealed “the reason people invested money was the mission of providing mortgages to pastors and churches,” said Froese. “It’ s heartwarming.” The greater emphasis on rebuilding reserves beginning in 2018 requires continued cost reductions in the 2017 and subsequent budgets, said CCMBC CFO Jim Davidson. “Based on conversation in last two days, CCMBC is in a place of needing to cut [expenses] or increase revenue from another source.” “Here is a way to increase revenue: our churches investing in the conference. Paying our dues,” said Gerald Dyck (Westside, Morden). “We have amazing things happening. We need to go back to our churches and say God is at work – we need to invest.” —Karla Braun
Nominations: new members Executive Board
assistant moderator – Bruce Enns, pastor, Forest Grove, Saskatoon secretary – Marilyn Hiebert, retired administrator, BCMB MAL – David MacLean, member, Willow Park MAL – Michael Dick, former BCMB moderator Two MALs remain vacant; these positions will also serve on the Legacy Investments Inc. board.
Nominating Committee
MAL – Ralph Gliege, retired SKMB conference minister
Board of Faith and Life MAL – Robyn Serez, member, Waterloo MB
MB Biblical Seminary
Donna Vollett, member, Forest Grove, Saskatoon
MB Mission
Shirley Falk, member, Faith River, Saskatoon
More reading For ministry reports from the breadth of CCMBC’s work across Canada, see bit.ly/MBministrybook16
For daily session recaps, including inspirational sermons on the theme Compelled, see mbherald.com/
gathering-2016-recaps/
To watch the plenary sermons, see bit.ly/GMMiTV-G16
For the full motions and financial statements, see www.mennonitebrethren.ca/ 2016-agm-documents/
For photos of the event, see bit.ly/G16flickralbum
Mennonite Brethren Herald | September/October 2016
21
[ NEWS
Student tears down walls by rebuilding them “My prayer was that God would use our help with people’s practical needs to also provide for their deeper spiritual needs, so that through our work, they’d have a restored house and a saved spirit,” says Columbia Bible College student Matthew Janzen about his volunteer service with MDS.
Port Moody Pacific Grace’s Love Corps team in Northern B.C.
God leads from both ends
Chinese church bridges First Nations reconciliation “As a Chinese ethnic group, we have an advantage in ministering to this people group: we do not carry baggage from the past,” says pastor Fiona Wu of Port Moody (B.C.) Pacific Grace MB Church. Over the past 12 years, some 60 Cantonese- and English-speaking members of PMPG have ministered in First Nations communities in Northern B.C. Chinese and First Nations peoples have a long, respectful history in B.C. When Chinese immigrants began arriving on the West Coast to farm, mine or log in 1858, they built mutually beneficial relationships with local Indigenous people, who were also facing discrimination at the hands of the colonists. From 2005–12, PMPG partnered with Cornerstone MB Church to host a vacation Bible school in Prince Rupert, B.C. Many of the children came from nearby reservations. “God placed a burden in our heart,” says Wu. PMPG prayed for an opportunity to minister directly in First Nations communities. At the 2013 VBS in Prince Rupert, a Korean Christian introduced PMPG to Love Corps, a Korean mission based in Surrey, B.C., with 25 years of ministry experience on Northern B.C. reservations. “We shared how God was moving our hearts into this ministry,” says Wu, “and 22
they shared that they had been praying to God to raise up some Chinese churches to join them.” With God “leading on both ends,” PMPG joined Love Corps in 2014.
“At Bible college, we talk a lot about what it means to be the church, but to have opportunity to live out my faith in the world – that’s why I applied to MDS.” Janzen was one of the first recipients of MDS’s Sheep and Goats bursary in 2015.
In the summer of 2015, generosity characterized PMPG’s two-week Love Corps mission trip to the neighbouring First Nations villages of Gitanyow and Kitwanga, B.C. Twelve PMPG members “served the community meals and visited people with food,” says Wu. This opened up conversations and “local people started to share food with us in return.”
The donor-funded Sheep and Goats bursary subsidizes the following year’s tuition for up to five full-time students at CBC and at Canadian Mennonite University who volunteer with MDS for eight weeks over the summer.
A highlight was a cultural night – a team from Korea presented their food, dance, worship music and prayer. “Almost the whole village came out,” says Wu, whose team also performed a Chinese song and dance.
A member of Highland MB, Calgary, Janzen served close to home in High River, Alta., a town still recovering from the flood of June 2013. He worked on eight homes, on tasks from ground-up rebuilding to basement drywalling to sod laying.
God led PMPG’s team to a home facing a medical emergency. “We were able to walk with the family through the crisis,” says Wu, “and we really saw this was the appointed time of God.”
Janzen had little woodworking experience beyond his high-school shops class, “but MDS’s supervisors were very good with walking me through step by step.”
Through the winter, PMPG kept in contact with a few families in Kitwanga by sending Facebook messages, Christmas gifts and Christian resources.
“Being out of my comfort zone allowed God to use me,” says Janzen. “Even though I wasn’t confident in construction, I was able to use what I learned in Bible college.”
July 18–29, 2016, a team of five from PMPG returned to Kitwanga to disciple several individuals there. “God seems to be giving the Chinese churches in Canada a unique role in the ministry of reconciliation,” says Wu. Chinese Canadians “can be a good bridge to people from Eastern and Western cultures.” —Angeline Schellenberg
September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
Matt Janzen on MDS assignment CHINESE CHURCH PHOTO COURTESY PMPG
CELEBRATING FAITHFULNESS INSPIRING GENEROSITY MDS volunteers build relationships at work and on break. Janzen wasn’t familiar with MDS before hearing about the bursary, but “I’ve learned to love it,” he says. “MDS cares a lot about providing for people’s physical needs through rebuilding houses, but that’s by no means the end of their mission. They said, ‘We’re here to invest in relationship.’” “I’m someone who loves to sit back – or lean forward – and listen to what others have to say,” says Janzen. “I listened to the homeowners’ story, whether that involved the flood or whatever else was going on in their lives.”
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“You hear about the flood, but you never think of the lasting effects,” he says. Serving with MDS “opened my eyes to the reality that we need to step out to show God’s love for people in their suffering – close to home and far away.”
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About once a week, MDS volunteers would invite one of the homeowners to join them for supper at their apartment. “There, the conversation would turn more to faith and their wrestlings with it,” says Janzen. “The fact that we lived out our faith speaks a lot about the church, I hope. If you’ve had bad experiences with the church, MDS demonstrates that the church is here to help. That’s a cool witness on behalf of Christ!”
This service is provided in partnership with the Mennonite Foundation of Canada.
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This fall, Janzen returns to CBC, part-time in the classroom and part-time as intern at Level Ground Mennonite Church. As he looks toward pastoral ministry, Janzen’s MDS experience has taught him “the importance of not letting faith be just head knowledge but action. I will encourage my church to be one that recognizes the needs around us and is open to how we can provide for them.” Might that include returning to an MDS build? “I’d love to,” says Janzen.
Reaching your church. Reaching the world. GMMiTV.com
—Angeline Schellenberg MATTHEW JANZEN PHOTOS COURTESY MDS & MATTHEW JANZEN
Mennonite Brethren Herald
| September/October 2016
23
[ NEWS
Mentoring deepens faith, turns strangers into friends “Women spend so much of themselves on behalf of others; it is very appealing to have someone else invest solely in them,” says Katie Thiessen, women’s mentorship ministry leader at North Langley (B.C.) Community Church. In 2012, NLCC’s mentorship program grew out of a desire to “see women get deeper into their faith,” says founding leader Nancy Graewe. When she was a new mentee, Thiessen says the most valuable aspect was “that someone else was praying regularly for my life.” Most of NLCC’s 15 mentees this past year were 25–45 and included newlyweds, new moms, single professionals and women facing a crisis. Surprisingly, the latter is the exception.
“Most are simply looking for someone to walk alongside them,” says Thiessen. Many of the mentees who have joined recently are strong leaders. “They recognize the NLCC women build supportive relationships across generations. difficulty in finding a peer? Are they seekers with questions support among their peers and the value about God? This meeting also confirms a of learning from someone who has gone mentee’s commitment. After the meeting, before them,” says Thiessen. the team asks God to bring a mentor To pair up partners that “click,” the (who may or may not have applied yet) mentorship team meets with all to mind. applicants to learn their background and needs: is a mentee looking for a fellow The recommended commitment is a parent or professional, a mother figure or face-to-face meeting every two–three
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At an annual wrap-up event, participants share their experiences. “We heard women say their faith in God had grown roots,” says Graewe. “Strangers became friends. It was wonderful to see how God knit the partnerships together. Even if the mentorship relationships don’t continue, the friendships do.” “I long to see people connected in community,” says Thiessen. “It brings me great joy as we take baby steps toward making that a reality in a large church.” 1-800-545-7322 www.kindredproductions.com
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14 Leamington United Mennonite, Leamington – 7pm concert 16 Waterloo MB, Waterloo – 7pm concert 18 Yorkminster Baptist, Toronto – 4:30 pm concert 19 Met Church, Ottawa – 7:30 pm concert 21 Hope Church, Thunder Bay, 7pm concert 23 Steinbach MB, 2pm and 7pm concerts 24 Knox United, Winnipeg, 1pm and Trinity Baptist, 7pm concerts 25 Calvary Temple, Winnipeg, 6pm concert 26 Winkler Mennonite, Winkler, 7pm concert 29 Forest Grove Church, Saskatoon, 7pm concert 30 Knox-Metropolitan, Regina, 7pm concert
October, 2016
1 First Baptist, Calgary, 7pm concert 2 Lendrum MB, Edmonton, 7pm concert 3 Lendrum MB, Edmonton, 7pm concert 5 Westwood MB, Prince George, 2pm and 7:30pm concerts 7 Calvary Temple, Kamloops, 7pm concert 8 Evangel Church, Kelowna, 7pm concert 9 Clearbrook MB, Clearbrook, 7pm concert 10 Fujian Evangelical Church, Richmond 7pm concert 11 Garden Park Towers, Abbotsford, noon event
11 King Road MB, Abbotsford, 7pm concert 12 Richmond Alliance, Richmond, 7pm concert 13 Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, 2pm and 7pm concerts 14 Chilliwack Alliance, Chilliwack 7pm concert 15 Cloverdale Baptist, Cloverdale, 7pm concert 16 Willingdon Church, Burnaby, 7pm concert 17 North Langley Community Church, Langley, 7pm concert 18 Evangelical Chinese Baptist Church, Burnaby, 7pm concert
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[ LETTERS CONTINUED A word of encouragement Re July/August 2016 issue.
I wonder how Christians in Cuba worship...
Having grown up and come to faith within the Mennonite Brethren fold, I would like to write a word of encouragement to my MB sisters and brothers in Christ. I see across the various articles, letters, comments and editorial stance a real desire to listen more to one another, to the cultures where missions have been established and to Christ. I also notice tensions about how to abstain from making our culture a barrier to Christians and seekers from other cultures, and tensions about how to approach the polarizing question of human sexuality. If I might make a suggestion, “Naked Anabaptists” (Wiebe’s Witness, October 2015) offers a model. When David Wiebe asks his Japanese counterpart what he thought of public baths, Wiebe comes away with new insight into the Japanese community, church and culture.
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Transitions
Births
Dick – to Spencer & Dana (Peters) of Warman, Sask., a son, Devin James, May 28, 2016.
Enns – to Kevin & Kendra (Reimer) of Warman,
The MB Church of Manitoba is pleased to announce the appointment of Gerald Dyck as director of church ministries, effective Oct. 1, 2016. Gerald has been with Westside Community Church in Morden, Man., for 17 years, originally serving as youth pastor and later community life pastor. He was Winkler Flyers chaplain for 5 years and currently coaches the Morden Thunder high school baseball team. Gerald has also served on the MBCM leadership board for 5 years, most recently as board moderator since 2014. He and Rachel have 3 children. Conference pastor since 2005, Keith Poysti completes his term Dec. 31, 2016. MCC Saskatchewan appointed Gil Dueck as program director in July 2016. He comes to the role with years of experience in Christian higher education, most recently as academic dean and instructor at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask., and is finishing doctoral work focussing on faith formation among young adults. June 9, 2016, Grace MB Church, Kitchener, Ont., expressed deep appreciation to pastor Jim Cober and his wife Doris for their 9 years of pastoral service to the MB church, and wished them well as they made their third attempt at retirement. June 19, 2016, Grace welcomed Kyle Buller as pastor. Kyle earned a BA at Fresno (Cal.) Pacific University and an MDiv at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. He has served as intern at Bethel MB Church in Yale, S.D., and North Fresno MB Church.
The Meeting Place, Winnipeg, welcomed Wayne Siemens as pastor of community life July 11, 2016. Wayne studied at MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal., before beginning a 20-year therapist career in the forensic and mental health fields. He previously served as pastor of adult ministries at Riverwood Church Community, Winnipeg. Wayne and Julie have 2 young adult children.
Friesen – to Ryan & Nancy of Drake, Sask., a daughter, Hannah Everly, May 28, 2016.
Hildebrand – to Craig & Kaitlyn of Boissevain, Man., a daughter, Addison Kait, Mar. 31, 2016.
Hildebrand – to Scott & Darci of Boissevain, Man., a son, Smith Alan, Apr. 23, 2016. Janz – to Jeffrey & Megan (Stewart) of Chilliwack, B.C., a son, Piper Benjamin, May 18, 2016.
Kehler – to Jared & Kristin of Oakville, Man., a daughter, Ahriella Tiera Lynn, June 29, 2016.
Church staff
Klassen – to Jeff & Erin of Watrous, Sask., a
Lead pastor
College Community Church Mennonite Brethren (Clovis, Cal.) is seeking a pastor. During its 50-plus year history, CCCMB has sought to establish a worshipping community where theological inquiry is welcomed and the Bible studied for its relevance to daily life. We are seeking a pastor who can nurture a vision for shared life and ministry in the Anabaptist tradition, preach up to three Sundays/month, work in collaboration with lay teams to develop preaching and worship series, and minister to the needs of congregants. Requirements: willingness and ability to be licensed by the Pacific District of Mennonite Brethren; graduate theological education preferred. Visit us at http://www.clovismb.org/home. Contact: pastoralsearch@clovismb.org.
Lead pastor
A Mennonite Brethren church in Dinuba, Cal., is searching for a lead pastor to join our congregation and newly created elder team who are prayerfully seeking to implement our vision for a renewal of our committed, mature and friendly congregation. We are located in a growing rural community of mostly Hispanics. Our two Sunday services average 180 in total attendance. The successful candidate will demonstrate a missional orientation and excitement about embracing this opportunity to help us reach our community as we seek to implement our vision to Love God, Love Others, and Make Disciples. For more details email pastoralsearchtaskforce@gmail.com.
Lead pastor
Sask., a daughter, Hailey Noelle, June 7, 2016.
Thompson (Man.) Christian Centre Fellowship (MB church) welcomes applicants for the position of lead pastor. We are seeking an individual with a heart for God and his church. Our average attendance is 40 to 50 people. Please send inquiries to: Caroline Winship at carolinewinship@gmail.com.
daughter, Kara Brooklynn, June 11, 2016.
Koch – to Tyler & Vanessa (Penner) of Langham, Sask., a daughter, Madison Gabriela, Feb. 18, 2016. Lee – to Johnathan & Sharon (Huang) of
Saskatoon, a son, Aiden Cheuk Hang, May 24, 2016.
Regier – to Nate & Kate (Woltmann) of Ile des Chenes, Man., a daughter, Adeline Marie, July 15, 2016. Reimer – to Justin & Ashley of Lethbridge, Alta., a daughter, Adalyn Brooke, Mar. 13, 2016.
Schubert – to Eric & Chelsey of Airdrie, Alta., a son, Levi George, July 26, 2015. Soliven – to Mark & Melissa (Loeppky) of Winnipeg, a son, Greyson Jonah, born May 2, received May 6, adopted May 26, 2016. Stoesz – to Mike & Christelle of Surrey, B.C., a son, Jaxon Tyler, July 9, 2016.
Warkentin – to Randy & Becky of Abbotsford, B.C., a daughter, Hannah Eve, June 23, 2016. Winker – to Mike & Lolita of Steinbach, Man., a daughter, Thalia Danielle, May 9, 2016.
Weddings
Ryan Gagnon & Amy Groening, both of Winnipeg, July 2, 2016. Ryan Giesbrecht & Whitney Loeppky, both of Steinbach, Man., May 14, 2016. Simon Hamm of Saskatoon & Emma Boddy of Portage la Prairie, Man., May 21, 2016. Drew Klassen of Newton, Man., & Ashley
Minton of Portage la Prairie, Man., June 4, 2016.
Joel Koop & Kassie Hyrcha, both of Fort St. John, B.C., Apr. 23, 2016.
Mennonite Brethren Herald | September/October 2016
29
FINISH LINES I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. —2 Timothy 4:7
Abraham Hiebert Aug. 9, 1925–Mar. 4, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Lavoy, Alta. PARENTS Abram & Anna Hiebert MARRIAGE Esther Doerksen, June 4, 1977 BAPTISM Grassy Lake (Alta.) MB CHURCH Gem (Alta.) MB FAMILY Esther; sons John (Wendy), Ron (Kari), Keith
(Amy); 5 grandchildren; 3 siblings
After Grade 8, Abe stayed home to help on the farm. Abe attended Bible school in Gem. He served the church’s choir and committees. He liked bowling, team roping and horseshoes – which he skillfully played for 25 years. Abe enjoyed watching his sons participate in 4-H, hockey, volleyball and basketball. He took pride in their accomplishments. Abe and Esther retired from farming in 2002, moving to an acreage in Gem. At 77, he took up curling, playing 9 years until his health prevented him. Though his world became small, he took joy in his grandchildren.
MARRIAGE Agnes Kraus, June 11, 1960 BAPTISM Central MB, Saskatoon CHURCH West Portal, Saskatoon FAMILY Agnes; children Glenn (Adrienne), Gayle
(Roland Warkentin), Jim (Sheila), Gina (Jon Balzer); 9 grandchildren; 2 sisters
Don accepted Jesus at a young age. He met Agnes at Bethany Bible Institute, Hepburn, Sask. At Central MB, he ushered and helped the Christian Service Brigade. For Co-op Creamery (1960–67), Don drove one of the last horsedrawn milk delivery wagons. In 1967, he became a Saskatoon firefighter. He achieved the rank of captain, retiring after 32 years of service. The family farmed grain, cattle, Arabian show horses, Simmental cattle and pheasants. As board member for Camp Oshkidee, Meadow Lake, Sask., Don oversaw the building of a modern camp complex and developed the Breakaway evangelism program and a horse camp. Don and Agnes volunteered for Sowers International in Mexico, California and Arizona, and The Gleaners in Oliver, B.C., for 9 years. Don was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2012.
BIRTHPLACE George & Belva Halter BAPTISM West Portal, Saskatoon, 2010 FAMILY son Erinn Anders; her father
Pam grew up in a Catholic home and held the Lord dearly in her heart. In desperation at age 21, she called out to God for help. At that moment, she knew the Holy Spirit was with her and God had not forsaken her. After her son Erinn’s birth, Pam found West Portal Church, where new friends helped her overcome her difficult past. She served the church as usher and prayer warrior. A quiet soul, Pam had a smile for everyone. She was dedicated to her work as Commissionaire for the city of Saskatoon, and Erinn was her joy.
Donald Cecil Wiebe May 5, 1939–Mar. 14, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Herbert, Sask. PARENTS Cornelius & Annie Elizabeth Wiebe
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Hilda Kornelson Oct. 29, 1931–Mar. 20, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Hepburn, Sask. PARENTS Tieszen MARRIAGE Albert Kornelson, Oct. 10, 1954 CHURCH West Portal, Saskatoon FAMILY Albert; children Don (Cindy), Lois (Delwin) Epp;
5 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; siblings
Hilda enjoyed being a twin and growing up on the farm. She asked Jesus into her heart at a young age. She loved to sing and play piano in church. While working as a cook at Bethany Bible Institute, Hilda met Albert. For 61 years, they served God together in Hazelton, B.C., Dalmeny, Sask., and Saskatoon. She loved her role as grandma. In her last years, Hilda suffered from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Hilda talked about Jesus every chance she had.
Henry Teichrob July 5, 1924–Mar. 19, 2016
Pamela Dianne Anders Aug. 30, 1956–Mar. 7, 2016
the Abbotsford Regional Hospital, building a new Abbotsford library and bringing in public transit. Henry was treasurer at Clearbrook MB, trustee of the MSA Museum Society and advisor to the Mennonite Historical Society. He taught many seniors to use a computer and completed 150 tax returns for free each spring. He wrote his family’s history and essays on prayer and culture. Henry had multiple strokes, beginning in 2012.
Peter Henry Janzen June 7, 1927–Mar. 21, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Schoenwiese, Barnaul, Siberia PARENTS David & Maria Teichrob MARRIAGE Freda Hiebert, 1945 CHURCH Faith Baptist; Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Freda; children Lynn, Barbara [d. 1977], Gerry
(Ruth); 4 grandchildren; 1 great-grandson
When Henry’s family was denied entry into Canada, they spent 2 years subsistence farming in Mexico. After being sponsored to come to Canada, they farmed in Indian Head, Sask. Henry became a devoted Christian at 14 through W.H. Brooks’ radio programs. He taught in Avonlea, Zehner and Rosart, Sask., before his 11 years at Caronport (Sask.) High School. Henry graduated from UBC with a BA in math and history and from University of Saskatchewan with a degree in science and administration. In Regina, Henry was science department head at Thom Collegiate and vice-principal at Martin Collegiate. In 1972, Henry and Freda were called to travel to hundreds of churches in North America and Europe to teach seminars on “Christian reality.” After recovering from a heart attack, Henry became business manager for the Alliance Benevolent Society and launched Allied Property Management. Henry was an Abbotsford school board trustee, city councillor and deputy mayor. He was involved in securing land for the University of the Fraser Valley and
September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
BIRTHPLACE Kamenka colony, Ukraine PARENTS Heinrich & Maria (Bartel) Janzen MARRIAGE Anna Loewen, Feb. 4, 1951 CHURCH Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Anna; children Alfred (Patricia), Judy (Walter)
Vollweiter, Kenny (Teresa Higo), Ernie (Kathleen), Heather; 12 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; 1 brother
Peter’s family immigrated to Canada in 1948. He joined Bakerview MB in 1987.
Peter John Warkentin Mar. 31, 1923–Mar. 23, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Russia MARRIAGE Tina Wieler, 1949 [d. 1988]; Elizabeth Friesen, 1990 CHURCH Salem, Winnipeg FAMILY children Evelyn (Dan) Rempel, Harv, Ed, Gerald
(Cheryl); 4 grandchildren; 2 siblings
Pete’s family immigrated to Canada in 1925, settling in Winnipegosis in 1929. His father traded their Model T for the farm and house. After school, Pete milked the cows. At 18, he
[ FINISH LINES accepted Jesus as Saviour and was baptized shortly afterward. After a brain hemorrhage prevented his father from working, Pete began running the farm at 21 – a challenge he enjoyed. He was involved with The Gideons for 20 years. Pete delivered fuel for Esso for 6 years, retiring to spend time with Tina when she became ill. After Tina’s death to cancer, Pete married Elizabeth. They lived in Saskatchewan for 5 years. Finding the marriage difficult, Pete returned to the farm. In 1996, he moved to Winnipeg, where worked at Mennonite Central Committee and Union Gospel Mission. Pete moved into a care home in 2009.
Jakob Penner
Europe. As a teacher and high school principal in Coquitlam School District, Jack advocated open discovery over rote memory – an area he researched at UBC and Stanford University. Jack earned a pilot’s license, sailing and power squadron certifications, air brakes certification and, at age 78, his motorcycle licence. He enjoyed flight simulators, remote control helicopters, woodworking, farming, travel, reading, Sudoku, computers and investing. In addition to provided significant leadership in several congregations, Jack was the first director of Stillwood Camp, a board chair for Columbia Bible College and MB Bible College and a board member for MCC. His moral compass and his actions were guided by Christian principles. Jack was a man of faith and integrity, a devoted husband and father, an agent for change.
Aug. 26, 1932–Mar. 28, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Nieder-Chortitza, Ukraine PARENTS Henry & Maria (Warkentin) Penner MARRIAGE Katie Teske, December 1959 BAPTISM United Mennonite, Vineland, Ont., 1952 CHURCH Grantham MB, St. Catharines, Ont. FAMILY Katie; children Rita (Don) Wall, Tina (Ignazio)
Boccia, Peter (Cheryl); 12 grandchildren including Arlynne [d.]; 2 great-grandchildren
After facing disease, hunger and war, Jakob and his mother immigrated to Canada in 1948, sponsored by relatives in Manitoba. Realizing Jakob had little interest in farming, his mother moved them to Vineland, Ont., for job prospects. He was her devoted caregiver until her death in 1967. Jakob and Katie followed their daughters to Grantham MB in the 1970s. Jakob’s faith was important to him. He taught his children, by example, that they could read their Bible any time of the day. Jakob worked 34 years at Kelsey Hayes. After retiring in 1992, he helped Katie look after his 3 oldest granddaughters. Through dementia, he remained loving, gentle and goodnatured. Jakob told his nurses they couldn’t check his heart because he’d given it Katie.
Jacob (Jack) Block Oct. 5, 1923–Mar. 30, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Sarotov, Russia PARENTS John & Helena (Sawatsky) Block MARRIAGE Lena Janzen, 1947 BAPTISM Yarrow (B.C.) MB, 1939 CHURCH Fraserview, Richmond, B.C.; Willingdon,
Burnaby, B.C.; South Langley, B.C.; Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Lena; children Judith (Harold) Dueck, James (Evelyn), Marjorie (Russ) Speiser; 7 grandchildren; 8 greatgrandchildren, 3 siblings
Jack lived through nearly a century of change, thriving in an atmosphere of transformation. In 1925, the family moved to Saskatchewan; 11 years later, to Yarrow, B.C. At 20, Jack joined the Army Medical Corps, returning after 3 years in
Kaethi Klippenstein Apr. 12, 1932–Mar. 31, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Fernheim Colony, Paraguay PARENTS Abraham A. & Maria (Thielman) Isaak MARRIAGE John Klippenstein, Dec. 3, 1953 BAPTISM Friesland Colony, Paraguay, Apr. 15, 1947 CHURCH King Road MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY John; children Ingrid (Ed) Dahl, Alvin (Rita),
Adeline (Duane) Neufeld; 9 grandchildren; 4 greatgrandchildren; 3 sisters
At 8, Kaethi responded to the gospel modelled for her by her parents and Mennonite community. She recommitted her life at 12. Kaethi completed teacher’s college. After living in Curitiba, Brazil, Kaethi and John followed her family to Canada in 1959. Kaethi took shiftwork at Bethesda Home in Vineland, Ont., 1963–65. She did custodial work at Scott Street Church, St. Catharines, Ont., for 10 years. Kaethi earned a real estate licence and supported John’s realty work. Finally, she worked as health care aide. Kaethi led the church ladies group, the married couples’ group, and the seniors’ Bible study. She volunteered at the MCC Thrift Shop and served with John as house parents at an MCC boys’ home. She described John’s diagnosis of terminal cancer as a time of renewal of her life in Christ. After John’s miraculous healing, they enjoyed retirement together. They went on mission trips to Mexico, Costa Rica and Paraguay. Kaethi was a vibrant, growing follower of Jesus. A devoted wife, mother and grandma, Kaethi exemplified Christ in work and leisure.
FAMILY Nettie; children Ron (Neta), Doug (Janet), Karen
(Craig) Ten Brinke; 5 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; 2 siblings
When Vic was 2, his family immigrated to Canada, farming in Rosthern, then Whitewater, Sask. Vic started school near Boissevain, Man. Vic and his sister were very ill for a time, and they lost a brother at birth. During the Depression, Vic’s family moved to Leamington, Ont. Vic accepted Jesus as Saviour at 14. Conscripted in 1943, he worked in greenhouses as a conscientious objector. After WWII, he completed high school and entered normal school in London, Ont. Vic taught 50 or more Grade 1–8 students at once in one-room schoolhouses. In Kitchener, he earned his BA. He taught high school in Elmira, Ont., for 19 years. Despite marking and lesson planning, he always had time for his children. His unconditional love made it easy for them to trust their heavenly Father. After 32 years of teaching, he retired to tend his garden, serve with Nettie as deacons at Kitchener MB Church and sing in the Jubilation Male Chorus. Vic and Nettie enjoyed 10 years in a senior’s complex until his Parkinson’s disease became too difficult to manage on their own. Vic cared deeply about social justice and prayed fervently for Canada’s leaders. He delighted in his grandchildren.
Mary Fehr Mar. 29, 1926–Apr. 11, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Rosenback, Ukraine PARENTS David & Tina Loewen MARRIAGE Norman Fehr, Oct. 4, 1952 BAPTISM Turtleford Lake, Sask., Aug. 10, 1941 CHURCH Fairholme (Sask.) MB; Yarrow (B.C.) MB;
Valleyview Bible, Kamloops, Alta.; West Portal, Saskatoon; Armstrong (B.C.) Bible Chapel; Willow Park, Kelowna, B.C. FAMILY Norman; children Herb (Karen), Vivian (Lorne) Fehr-Walters, Randy (Ruth), Tim; 4 grandchildren; 1 sister
Mary attended Bible college in Winnipeg, where she met Norman. After pastoring in Warman, Sask., they went to Trinidad and Saint Lucia with West Indies Missions. On furlough, they pastored in Terrace, B.C. They lived in Yarrow, B.C. For Norman’s health, they moved to Kamloops, Alta., where they helped establish Valleyview Bible Church. With the Saskatchewan MB conference, they served Indigenous people in Saskatoon. Mary loved to travel and play piano, violin and guitar. A teacher, singer and mother, Mary loved Jesus and looked forward to meeting him.
Victor Willms Jan. 16, 1924–Apr. 6, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Rosenort, Molotschna, Ukraine PARENTS Gerhard & Agatha Willms MARRIAGE Nettie Thiessen, 1952 BAPTISM Lake Erie, Ont., age 18 CHURCH Kitchener (Ont.) MB
Benjamin Neufeld Nov. 2, 1923–Apr. 13, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Didsbury, Alta. PARENTS Cornelius A. & Margaretha (Giesbrecht) Neufeld
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[ FINISH LINES MARRIAGE Olga Derksen, Mar. 3, 1950 [d. Dec. 21, 1980]; Lillian Wilson, June 30, 1984 CHURCH Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Lillian; children Linda, Marjorie (Richard) McCue, Jerry (Charlene), Lyle; stepchildren Bill (Annelis), Terry, Sherry; 4 grandchildren; 2 step-granddaughters; 11 great-grandchildren; 6 siblings
Ben was a master carpenter. While farming in Disbury with Olga, he built granaries and farm buildings. They raised 4 children. Ben called his meeting with Lillian “love at first sight.” They lived in Penticton, Summerland and Oliver, B.C. In retirement, he renovated stepchildren Bill and Terry’s homes. In Hawaii, he helped build the YWAM University. When Ben prayed for healing, a stranger’s knee was restored. When he was hospitalized for 50 days, he toured the acute care for elders unit, ministering to the patients. Ben loved to laugh and hum. A positive attitude saw him through illness and adversity. He made many friends in Tabor Court, Abbotsford.
Vera Voth Feb. 9, 1927–Apr. 18, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Drake, Sask. MARRIAGE Alvin Voth [d. 1998] CHURCH Orchard Park Bible, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. FAMILY children Murray (Loretta), Jeff (Marnie), Andy,
Charles (Pam); 12 grandchildren; 2 siblings
Vera and Alvin served as Mennonite Brethren missionaries in Colombia, 1962–1987. After retirement, Vera spend many happy, fulfilling hours with Spanish-speaking families in the St. Catharines, Ont., area.
to be on oxygen. In supportive housing, she and her sister and friend read Our Daily Bread together. Anne believed “We can learn from all people.” At the end, she could still say “God is good.
John Teichrob Apr. 20, 1920–Jan. 10, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Nikolaidorf, Siberia, Russia PARENTS David & Maria Teichrob MARRIAGE Helen Unrau, June 26, 1943 [d. June 21, 2011] BAPTISM Herbert (Sask.) MB, 1939 CHURCH Matsqui (B.C.) MB; Central Heights,
Abbotsford, B.C.
FAMILY children John (Elsie), Rudy (Carol), Len (Irmi),
Henry (Rose), Carol (Joel) Bancroft, Victor [d. in infancy, 1946]; 16 grandchildren (11 spouses); 23 greatgrandchildren; 1 brother
When John was 5, his family emigrated from Russia, settling first in Mexico, then in Canada in 1928. John accepted Jesus as Saviour in 1938. He trusted God for grace, strength and daily guidance. John met Helen in 1941. They farmed 3 years in Minto, Man., then in B.C. At Matsqui MB, John served in building maintenance and as treasurer. After 1975, at Central Heights, John continued to offer his skills. John was a hard worker, managing numerous occupations at one time. He had an energetic love for life and loved his family dearly. John enjoyed camping, playing and watching sports and having family home for dinner. In retirement, he also developed his woodworking craft. John and Helen enjoyed life together at Menno Terrace, Abbotsford, for 3.5 years before her death. John’s children have strong memories of him kneeling by his bed in prayer.
Anne Wiebe
Dennis Jack Siemens
May 6, 1924–Apr. 22, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Muensterberg, Ukraine PARENTS Abraham & Elizabeth Regehr BAPTISM MB church, 1939 MARRIAGE William J. Wiebe, Apr. 15, 1963 [d. 1985] CHURCH Morden (Man.) MB; Steinbach (Man.) MB FAMILY daughter Dorothy (Dan Peters); stepson Art [d.]
(Faye); 3 grandsons; 4 step-grandchildren; 1 sister
Anne’s family immigrated to Canada in 1925, settling in Steinbach. At 12, Anne accepted Jesus as Saviour at a revival meeting, where she received John 6:37. She attended Steinbach Bible School (1942–44). In 1951, she trained as an LPN, with a practicum in Morden. She worked as matron of Tabor Home, Morden, 1953–63. She joined the MB church, sang in the choir and enjoyed the ladies groups. Anne felt accepted into William’s family. Anne and William farmed near Morden 1967–73. In 1975, they moved to Steinbach. Anne retired from nursing in 1987. She loved and prayed for her family. Anne and her sisters baked thousands of perishky. As her health deteriorated, Anne needed
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Oct. 3, 1944–Jan. 29, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Abbotsford, B.C. PARENTS John & Elise Siemens MARRIAGE Betty Dyck, June 25, 1966 CHURCH South Abbotsford (B.C.) MB, 1965 FAMILY Betty; children Suzanne, Matt (Maria), Brad (Alisa);
8 grandchildren; 8 siblings
Dennis was an avid hunter and fisherman. He travelled to Africa. Dennis served the maintenance and food committee at South Abbotsford Church for many years. He enjoyed sitting around the campfire having coffee with friends and family.
Cornelius Neufeld
PARENTS Henry & Sara (Braun) Neufeld MARRIAGE Irma Hamm, Dec. 13, 1940 [d. February 1953];
Lena Kroeker, Aug. 1, 1954 [d. May 17, 2015]
BAPTISM Gem (Alta.) MB, in his teens CHURCH Central, Chilliwack, B.C. FAMILY children Evelyn [d.], Victor [d.], Carol [d.], Harvey
(Carol), Loretta (Jake) Krueger; 6 grandchildren; 5 greatgrandchildren
Corny’s family of 12 immigrated to Canada when he was 10. He accepted Jesus as Saviour at 13 and attended Bible school in his late teens in Gem and Coaldale, Alta. In 1946, his family settled in Chilliwack on a cattle, chicken and berry farm. Corny farmed 25 acres until 1965, then raised pullets and drove a mail route until his retirement in 1984. A member of Central Community Church for 58 years, he was a faithful treasurer and deacon. Corny was a man of deep faith.
Agatha (Boese Schimpky) Thiessen Feb. 9, 1918–May 5, 2016 BIRTHPLACE Orloff, South Russia PARENTS Jacob & Agatha Boese MARRIAGE John Schimpky, September 1964 [d. July 1977];
Irvin Thiessen, October 1980 [d. December 1993] BAPTISM Arnaud (Man.) MB, age 15 CHURCH St. Catharines (Ont.) MB [now Scott Street]; Grantham MB, St. Catharines FAMILY Schimpky stepchildren Rudy (Kathy), Joyce; Thiessen stepchildren Elaine (Norm), Heather (Ron) Watson, Sandra (Pete) Russell, Diane (Rick [d. 2010]); Boese nieces & nephews
Agatha’s family immigrated to Canada in 1924, settling in Arnaud. She accepted Jesus as Saviour at an early age. In 1944, Agatha and her sister moved to St. Catharines. Agatha taught the nursery Sunday school class. By marrying widowers with grown children, Agatha became mom and grandma to two families whom she loved and prayed for. She remaining close to both families, as well as her nieces and nephews. Agatha moved to Tabor Mapleview Apartments in 1993 and to full care in Tabor Manor in 2010. Agatha filled her time with Bible reading, activities at Tabor and poetry. She wrote poems for many family members, friends and Tabor staff. Loved by many, Agatha enjoyed visits. During her last months of declining health, her greatest desire was for God to take her home. Her faith remained strong.
Irene Sarah (Wedel) Philippsen June 22, 1928–May 9, 2016
Feb. 17, 1919–May 1, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Arkadak, Russia
September/October 2016 | www.mbherald.com
BIRTHPLACE La Glace, Alta. PARENTS Jacob & Maria (Loewen) Wedel MARRIAGE Alvin Philippsen, Aug. 12, 1951 BAPTISM Black Creek, B.C., Aug. 31, 1947
[FINIS H LI NES FAMILY Irene; children Marlyce (Jeff) Gundy, Sylvia, David
(Connie); 5 grandsons; 3 great-grandchildren; 2 siblings
CHURCH Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY children Lynda, Laurence (Lorraine), Norman,
Kellie Hudson; 2 grandsons; 1 brother
Irene’s charm, creativity, sense of humour and gentle spirit endeared her to others, even during her final days in hospice. An enthusiastic singer, artisan and skilled painter, Irene consistently served the church and her Saviour all the years of her life in ways too numerous to list. Nothing mattered more to her than Jesus.
John Zacharias Jan. 12, 1923–May 12, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Trubetzkoy, Ukraine PARENTS Johann & Aganetha Zacharias MARRIAGE Tina Giesbrecht, 1950 [d. 1955];
Maria Klassen, 1956 BAPTISM Friedensheim, Neuland, Paraguay, June 5, 1949 CHURCH Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Maria; children Liz, Kathie, Marlene, Anita, Elsie, Hildie, John, Lore, Lynn; grandchildren; greatgrandchildren; 4 siblings
When John was 8, his family moved to Sagradovka colony. He attended village school until Grade 7. John lived and worked on the village collective farm until the German occupation in 1941. When he was 20, his family fled to Poland, then German. John was drafted into the German army. He was captured and spent time in a prisoner of war camp. In 1948, the family immigrated to Paraguay. With new hope, they farmed in the Chaco for 10 years. John accepted Jesus as Saviour. At his baptism, he was given Ephesians 6:10. John and Tina had 4 children, 2 of whom survived. After Tina’s death, he married Maria. They immigrated to Canada in 1958. They enjoyed travelling to Germany, Hawaii, South America and Ukraine. John worked in construction and at Sauder Doors until he retired at 65. He loved attending worship services. He served the church by singing in men’s and senior choirs, driving seniors to and from church, volunteering on the catering committee, assisting as a parking attendant and ushering. He taught his children a strong work ethic. In retirement, he built houses with his son-in-law Bill. John loved to garden. Despite the hardships he endured in Russia, Germany and Paraguay, he was an optimist.
Rudolph (Rudy) Martens Apr. 25, 1926–May 22, 2016 BIRTHPLACE Franklin, Man. PARENTS Abraham & Marie Martens MARRIAGE Irene Vogt, 1950 CHURCH Fraserview, Richmond, B.C.
Rudy’s family moved to Chilliwack, B.C., in the 1940s. Rudy met Irene while picking hops in the Greendale area. During the late 1950s and early 60s, Rudy was part of a male quartet that recorded in Los Angeles and had a weekly radio broadcast in the Vancouver area, bringing the gospel to many. He continued to sing at weddings, funerals and church events until he was in his 70s. Rudy worked as a jeweller, teacher, real estate agent and manager for a f looring supplier. In 1966, Rudy’s dream of owning a hobby farm came true. After years of enjoying his farm in Richmond, he moved to Delta, B.C., eventually retiring to Surrey, B.C. He died after a difficult struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Peter John Martens Dec. 13, 1912–May 31, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Rueckenau, Ukraine PARENTS John & Helena (Goetz) Martens; stepmother
Gertrude (Dick) MARRIAGE Lena Friesen, 1940 BAPTISM Coaldale (Alta.) MB, 1934 CHURCH Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C.; Coaldale MB FAMILY Lena; children Bill (Jean), Carol (Dave) Dancoisne, Candace (Fred) Nicoll; 11 grandchildren; 16 greatgrandchildren
Peter’s family immigrated to Canada in 1924, settling in Coaldale in 1929. Peter and his brother operated several businesses in Coaldale for 21 years. Peter and Lena retired to Abbotsford in 1968, but when he couldn’t slow down, Peter sold real estate for 8 years. They returned to Coaldale in 2004, where Lena was admitted to long-term care and Peter faithfully visited her. Peter sang in his church choir, led singing in Sunday school for 8 years and conducted a choir that sang over CJOC Radio for 8 years. At 102, he performed a solo at the Community Christmas Carol Festival and received a standing ovation. Peter took a friendly interest in everyone he met. His love for his Lord shone through. He wanted Lena to go first, so he could care for her as long as she lived, but when his body grew weaker, he was ready to go to his Saviour.
Helen (Enns) Braun Nov. 17, 1927–May 25, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Lethbridge, Alta. MARRIAGE Harvey Braun, June 28, 1969 CHURCH Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY sister Betty Klassen; in-laws; nieces & nephews
Helen joined Bakerview in 2004. She died of complications from a fall. Helen lived well.
Agatha Toews Nov. 7, 1928–Oct. 10, 2015
BIRTHPLACE Arden, Man. PARENTS Abram & Agatha Regier MARRIAGE Henry Toews, Oct. 30, 1948 BAPTISM August 1944 CHURCH Philadelphia MB, Watrous, Sask. FAMILY Henry; children Daniel (Rita), Wesley (Sherry),
Lester (Karen), Karen (Richard), Allan (Kerri); 13 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren
Agatha cared for younger siblings, gardened, milked cows and stoked sheaves at threshing time. She accepted Jesus as Saviour at a young age and practised her faith by teaching vacation Bible school and leading children’s music. Agatha attended 2 years of Bible school in Dalmeny, Sask. Her life’s mission was to daily love and pray for her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Agatha worked endlessly at baking, cooking, canning and sewing. She enjoyed her vegetable and flower gardens. Agatha led the ladies aid, volunteered at the thrift store, led Stonecroft Bible studies and sewed blankets for Mennonite Central Committee. She had a passion to help those who were poor or sick. Agatha made many dear friends in Watrous. Her desire was that everyone have the joy she felt from living faith in Jesus.
Henry Toews Mar. 18, 1917–June 20, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Lugowsk, New Samara, Russia PARENTS Henry & Helen Toews MARRIAGE Agatha Regier, Oct. 30, 1948 [d. Oct. 10, 2015] BAPTISM Philadelphia MB, Watrous, Sask., Aug. 9, 1931 FAMILY children Daniel (Rita), Wesley (Sherry), Lester
(Karen), Karen (Richard), Allan (Kerri); 13 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren
In 1924, Henry’s family immigrated to Canada, settling in Waldheim, Sask. He attended school in Waldheim, Colonsay, Viscount, Young and Guernsey. He accepted Jesus as Saviour, relying on John 3:36. He served in Sunday school, on the deaconate and the church board, as registrar and moderator. During WWII, he was in the alternative service camps in Banff and on Vancouver Island. Henry and Agatha together strived to walk the straight and narrow way in Jesus’ strength. Farming was an interesting challenge. They found the Lord merciful (Psalm 103:8).
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[ INTERSECTION
On the sea, in a home, along the path
D
iscipleship is a buzzword in our church culture. We see what Jesus did for Matthew the tax collector, or what Paul did for Timothy, and we know that we have stumbled onto something important.
about to pass by his disciples in order to spur them on to a realization of his true identity: I Am (Mark 6:50).
But what exactly is discipleship? How does it come about? Where does it happen – on the sea, in a home, along the path?
I think of Jesus in a home, dining with and extending grace to Zacchaeus the tax collector – who most would consider a thief and a traitor, unworthy of anyone’s time (Luke 19:1–10).
For me, discipleship happened in the small town of Hepburn, Sask., through paperwriting, long talks over tea, early morning prayer times and sharing three common meals a day. I was shaped and molded into the image of Christ within a vulnerable Bible college community that sought God together.
I think of Jesus walking with his disciples along the path and seeing a farmer sowing seed in his field along the way. He uses this as an opportunity to speak of the secret coming of the Kingdom, where it is necessary to have ears to hear and eyes to see what God is doing in our world (Luke 8:1–15).
But this is certainly not the only way! The Father is incredibly creative, and draws people to himself in all kinds of ways from programs to cross-cultural experiences to mentors in local churches.
Jesus is the master of mentorship, using whatever he could, wherever he was to teach about this coming kingdom that would change everything forever.
It is often through these friends that we learn what it means to be mentored and formed into the image of Jesus. We are shaped under the gentle hand of one who has walked the same path on which we find ourselves. Jesus uses various images for the Kingdom, from a mustard seed to a treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:31–32, 44). Perhaps discipleship as mentorship is like this too: small, uncertain beginnings lead to a harvest beyond our wildest dreams.
Watch the master disciple When I think of mentorship as discipleship, my thoughts land squarely on Jesus. I think of Jesus on the sea, walking on water in the midst of a great storm. He’s
My mentor and me Just as Jesus discipled in ordinary situations, I too have been discipled in ordinary situations. My mentor Barb and I spent countless hours at her farm, drinking coffee, taking turns spouting off questions and answers, as we attempted to make sense of this life of cross-carrying and Jesus-following to which we have been called. Sharing a meal at a restaurant with my friend Mark turned into a mentorship experience, as he cared for a hurting woman across the room from us. Ordinary, impromptu situations have provided some of my greatest learning opportunities. Someone who has walked with Jesus longer than me took the time
to show me a bit of their journey and what they have learned. These are the moments that stay with me, allowing me to catch a glimpse of the tiny seed, the hidden treasure.
Who is watching? What would happen if we treated all our space and our time as sacred? A trip to the grocery store or a conversation with the neighbour or an encounter with the barista at Starbucks can all turn into a discipleship opportunity, a learning experience. People are watching, not only our fellow Christians, but the world at large. How will we speak? How will we react? What will we do? My prayer is that, whatever happens, those we meet will see a glimpse of the Kingdom, a glimpse of Jesus. As a younger Christian, I am especially eager to watch and learn from those who have walked with Jesus longer than I have. Yet, I recognize that I must not only be a “receiver” in discipleship. I must give time and energy to those younger than me as well. Children and youth are watching, longing to catch a glimpse of why we do all of this: church, Sunday school, youth group. I agree with the often quoted adage: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” So let us allow others to see Jesus through our words, actions and values – on the sea, in a home, along the path – that other Christians may grow and that our hurting world may meet the One on whose hands and side are scars made for them. —Stephanie Chase is a graduate student at Briercrest Seminary in Caronport, Sask. She calls Regina and Parliament Community Church her home.
Mennonite Brethren Herald
| September/October 2016
35
RECLAIM THE CENTRE, EMBRACE THE SOURCE, ADVANCE THE KINDGOM
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JEFF VANDERSTELT
LUIS PALAU
ED STETZER
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