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The
RECORDER
May / June 2015
Volume 52, Number 3
New beginnings
www.gomission.ca
www.gomission.ca Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
1
Prayer Opportunities
and
Coming Events
Dates to
Remember
Father’s Day
June 21
Canada Day
July 1
American Independence Day
July 4
Ministry Leadership Day
Thursday, July 9
Recorder
Deadlines
July 31, 2015
July / August issue
The summer issue will be delayed due
to involvements at Gathering 2015 /
Aylmer 50th Anniversary celebration
and reporting at Mennonite World
Conference
Send Recorder-related information to
[email protected]
8am to 3:30pm
Aylmer EMM Church, Ontario
Deadline for The Recorder July / August
2015 issue is July 31, 2015.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
General Council / Mission
Reporting
Thursday, July 9
7:00pm
Aylmer EMM Church
Everyone is invited to attend this
evening of mission information
Biennial Gathering 2015 &
Aylmer EMMC 50th Anniversary
July 10, 11, 12
Aylmer, Ontario
see the ad and invitation on
pages 4 & 5
Go Mission - https://www.facebook.
com/gomission
Mennonite World Conference
“Walking with God”
July 22 to 26, 2015
Harrisburg PA
The beauty and wonder of nature is displayed in the photo on the front cover. Recently
our Sunday morning message was on “worry” and the corresponding scripture was taken
from Matthew 6:19-34. Jesus reminds us that God looks after the birds, flowers, all of
nature. We are valued more than the beauty of creation. We are to put our trust in God
and not worry.
In this issue, there are many stories of new beginnings—baptisms, people taking on new
positions and responsibilities, new babies, to identify a few.
What are some of the “new beginnings” that you are experiencing? We usually think of
“new” things as very exciting. For some, the “new” could be difficult, even painful.
Whatever the “new beginning” in your life, Jesus encourages us to put our trust in our
Heavenly Father and let Him share in our joy, and carry the worry and stress.
~ Lil Goertzen, editor
Photo: DesignPics
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
The Recorder, Go Mission! Office
757 St. Anne’s Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R2N 4G6
Phone: 204.253.7929
Fax: 204.256.7384
E-mail: [email protected] for Recorder related information
website: www.gomission.ca
Publication Mail Registration #1050
Publication Mail Agreement #40013811
Editor: Lil Goertzen
Printed by: Derksen Printer,
Steinbach Manitoba
Lil Goertzen,
Editor
On the cover
2
The RECORDER is published bi-monthly by
the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference.
As a vehicle of communication within the
Conference, it strives to keep members of the
EMMC informed about congregational life within
the family of churches, to inspire interest and
commitment to world missions, to facilitate
dialogue on relevant faith and life issues, to
stimulate spiritual growth, to communicate
EMMC visions, to contribute toward a sense of
Christian community and fellowship within the
conference, and to inform members of major
events and developments within the larger
Anabaptist community and the greater Christian
world beyond our borders. However, opinions
expressed in The Recorder are not necessarily
those of the Conference as a whole.
Letters, articles and photos are welcomed
but The Recorder will only publish materials
considered edifying to readers and reserves
editorial rights to improve communication
and adjust the length of submissions. All
submissions, including photos will be retained
by The Recorder unless a return is specifically
requested. Due to space and sizing restrictions,
The Recorder no longer publishes Baby
Dedication photos.
The Recorder is sent free of charge to all
EMMC members who request it, as well as other
persons interested in receiving it. A full version
of each current issue is available in PDF on our
website at www.gomission.ca.
The Recorder is a member of Meetinghouse,
a consortium of editors from North American
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We don’t want you to miss a single issue of our
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list! Just let us know.
EMMC / Go Mission! Home Office
mailing address and street address
757 St. Anne’s Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2N 4G6 CANADA
(located in the Morrow Gospel Church building)
ph: 204.253.7929 | fax: 204.256.7384
www.gomission.ca | [email protected]
Visitors are always welcome!
www.gomission.ca
Employment Opportunity
Executive Director
Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference / Go Mission!
EMMC / Go Mission! has an opening for a full-time position as Executive Director in its Winnipeg Manitoba office.
Qualifications and Attributes:
• Experienced leader with demonstrated administrative capabilities of working with multiple priorities
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Collaborative approach to team building and involving staff and board in conference administration
Duties and Responsibilities:
•
•
•
•
Manage staff resources in order to carry out the mandate of the Conference
Report on activities of the Conference to the General Board and General Council.
Communication, reporting and interaction with the General Council, General Board, Regions and churches
Ensure appropriate systems and processes are in place to carry out mandate of the Conference in all required areas including
operations, financial management, internal controls, compliance with taxation and other regulatory agencies and risk management
The EMMC is a conference of churches holding to the Anabaptist-peace position with ministry in Canada, Mexico, Belize and Bolivia.
For further information about EMMC / Go Mission!, visit www.gomission.ca
The successful applicant must be fully supportive of EMMC’s mission and vision and be prepared to sign the EMMC Statement of Faith.
Please submit your confidential cover letter; statement of faith journey; resume stating qualifications, experience and training to:
The Moderator, EMMC / Go Mission!
757 St. Anne’s Road Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA R2N 4G6 or
email: [email protected]
Table of Contents
Features
4
12
Gathering 2015 / Aylmer 50th Anniversary Celebration
Confession of Faith: Holy Spirit
Departments
6
10
11
16
17
24
27
Church insights
Missions
News from Other Agencies
What Call? I was never called
Ministries and Workers
Financial Update
In Search Of ... Columns
14
15
25
25
26
26
Stewardship Today: A Severe Case of “Generosiphobia”
Graduation 2015
Low German Media Conference
Introduction to New Home Office staff
MCC: Kidnapped - Vlad’s story
Obituary
www.gomission.ca Did you know ...
Everyone attending an EMMC
Congregation has access to the bimonthly conference publication, The
Recorder. Some of you receive it in
your church mailbox. If you would
like to receive this FREE magazine at
your home address, please contact
us at 204.253.7929 or email info@
gomission.ca . We will gladly add you
to our mailing list! There is no charge.
You can also access current and back
issues of The Recorder on-line at www.
gomission.ca
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
3
YOU are invited to
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Registe
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-3374
519-773
Gathering 2015 “Building Healthy Churches” and
Aylmer EMMC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
July 10 to 12
On behalf of the Aylmer EMMC church family and
the EMM Conference leadership, you are invited to Aylmer
Ontario, July 10-12 for Gathering 2015: Building Healthy
Churches.
Our main speaker will be Norm Millar. Norm is a long-time
pastor and church planter. When he started the church that is now
Harvest London with a foundation of authoritative preaching,
passionate worship, fervent prayer, and bold evangelism, some
warned him that he would soon preside over a church of a
dwindling number of aging members. Today, in addition to
members of all ages, Harvest London sends buses to pick up the
250 to 300 college and university students that attend each week!
We’re looking forward to hearing from God’s word
through Norm about how to bring health to our churches. Here
are some other things that will be happening.
Thursday, July 9
Join us at 7pm at the AEMMC for an exciting evening
of MISSION REPORTS AND INFORMATION. Everyone
is encouraged to attend! You won’t want to miss hearing from
mission workers through video, live presentations, reports and
more!
Friday, July 10
Most of Friday will be set aside to give you time to register
and get settled at your billet or hotel. The AEMMC church
building will be set up as a museum for the entire weekend so
this would be a good time to check that out. In the evening we’ll
gather at the church (outdoors, weather-permitting) for family
fellowship, a BBQ and a bonfire.
BONUS EVENT
Ministry Leadership Day
Thursday, July 9
If you are, or hope one day to be a ministry
leader, pastor, youth pastor, mission worker, associate
pastor and can make it to Aylmer a day early, on
Thursday, July 9th the Ministerial Theology Committee
will be hosting a “Ministry Leadership Day” on the
theme of “The Ministry of Administration: Organizing
Your Life Without Losing Soul”. If you are planning to
attend this event, please indicate your intention on
the registration form.
4
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
Saturday, July 11
On Saturday our teaching sessions with Norm Millar
begin. There will be two sessions in the morning and then we’ll
have lunch together. After lunch men and women will split up
for separate events, then we’ll come back together for supper
together and then gather for another teaching session with Pastor
Norm.
There will be youth events ALL DAY on Saturday. Please
use the registration form to register for this.
During all of our teaching times and also during the men’s
and women’s events, childcare will be provided for children up
to 11 years old. The younger ones will be in a playroom and
for the older kids we’re setting up an indoor play area that will
include basketball, floor hockey and various other activities.
Sunday, July 12
On Sunday morning we’ll gather for a corporate worship
service, and then eat lunch together. After lunch, we are inviting
you and our entire local community to celebrate our church’s
50th anniversary! We have a team of dedicated people planning
this event and I can tell you right now that it is going to be both
huge and AMAZING!
for detailed schedule, registration and more
information, go to
www.aemmc.ca/gathering2015/
Gathering 2015
Schedule of Events
Friday, July 10th
Registration Day
Evening BBQ and fellowship at Aylmer EMMC
Saturday, July 11th
Teaching sessions with Norm Millar
(Childcare provided to age 11)
All-day youth activities
Men’s and Women’s activities
Sunday, July 12th
Corporate Worship
Aylmer EMMC 50th Anniversary
celebration
BONUS Pre-Gathering Event
Thursday, July 9th
Ministry Leadership Day
www.gomission.ca
www.gomission.ca May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
5
Window on the Regions
Region 1 - Alberta / Saskatchewan
Hague Gospel Church, Saskatchewan
Mother’s Day!
Mother's Day at Hague Gospel Church was filled with
blessings! We started the morning with three babies being
dedicated to our Lord. Then we honoured the mothers in our
church by having them stand as we prayed for them and presented
them each with a single carnation. We ended the day with an
evening service hosted by our church youth group.
It was a joy to see Daniel and Erin Hertz with baby
Quinn, Joe and Kristi Schmuecker with baby Lucy, and Lance
and Kristina Zacharias with baby Jett, commit to raising their
baby in God's perfect ways. It was wonderful to see the desire
in each family, for their baby to have a relationship with Jesus.
Each couple was encouraged by the strong support of the church
as the church stood in support of and commitment to ongoing
prayer and ongoing counsel to each family.
~ Melissa Duermeyer
We were encouraged as a church family as we watched our youth
and youth leaders discover and refine their gifts from God. We
look forward to seeing more of our future church leaders grow
in the months and years ahead! Youth reading scripture. Ruth
Reimer, Rose Reimer, Emily Reimer, Sydney Thiessen, Megan
Friesen.
Reminder:
We no longer print Baby Dedication photos in The
Recorder. We are happy to include the names of the
parents and the child(ren) who are being dedicated
at the event. All Recorder-related information may be
emailed to [email protected].
~ Editor
6
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
Region 2 - Manitoba Central
Austin Evangelical Fellowship
Steps of Commitment
Spring is a time of beauty and growth. May 3 was just
that; a time of beauty and growth. It was the day we celebrated
Church Family Day. The service was divided into two parts as
there were many items on the day’s agenda.
During the first service, baptism candidates Shalynn
Reimer and Bobby Joe Klassen both shared their testimonies
along with how they were declaring to live their lives for Christ.
Pastor Colin Bell shared a few thoughts about baptism, quoting
several verses out of Matthew chapter 28. “Go therefore, and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you also to
the end of the age.” (vs.19-20)
Baptism at Austin Evanglical Fellowship on May 3. Vanessa Reimer,
Tara Doell, Pastor Colin Bell (back), Andrew Doell, Bobby Jo
Klassen, Henry Peters.
Church membership followed the baptism, and we saw
four adults become members of the church. Tara and Andrew
Doell, and Vanessa Reimer shared their life stories and gave a
glimpse into what struggles and victories they have faced in their
lives. Bobby Joe had already shared his testimony earlier when
as he was baptised at an earlier date. Each of the four candidates
were asked a series of questions and then were accepted into
membership of the Austin Evangelical Fellowship.
After a short break where coffee and refreshments were
served, part two of the service began. This service was focused
on dedicating six children to the Lord. The following parents
and children participated in the child dedication:
Allan and Alyssa Peters with son Logan
Darren and Christine Toews with daughter Eve
Andrew and Tara Doell with daughter Evalynn
www.gomission.ca
Austin Evangelical Fellowship, continued
Frank and Lisa Enns with son Joseph
Bryan and Laura Toews with son Theodor
Darren and Stacy Reimer with son Seth
Pastor Colin asked each set of parents several questions
before praying for each child and their family. Colin shared
three points that parents need to be aware of. First: be aware
of the commitment that you have as a parent. Ephesians 6:4,
“Bring them up in the discipline and the instruction of the Lord.”
Second: rest in the strength of God. Third: he shared how there
are many blessings parents receive from their children, but that
the greatest blessing is to see your children walk in the truth of
Jesus Christ.
Following the morning service, there was a fellowship
lunch where everyone was able to congratulate the individuals
that had made big commitments that morning. Whether it had
been to publicly proclaim that they were going to live a life for
Christ, or to raise their child in the ways of the Lord. It was
amazing to see so many big steps forward in people’s lives, and
also for the church to grow! God has been at work, and May 3,
2015 was proof of that!
~ Stephanie Fehr
Morrow Gospel Church, Winnipeg
Baptism on Pentecost
May 24 was an exciting day at Morrow Gospel Church in
Winnipeg. Four young believers affirmed their faith in Jesus and
were baptized. Congregation Care Committee Chair Dan Buhler
presented the candidates with their baptismal certificates. Dan
Buhler, David Kargbo, Sabir Stephen, Joseph Massaquoi, YaYah
Gassama.
Gospel Fellowship Church, Steinbach
The Joy of Community
Splashing water, whirring sewing machines, serving tea,
laughing and chattering – these are sounds heard at GFC in a
variety of settings and activities. The following are the settings
where we experienced those joyful sounds.
Water baptism by immersion or by pouring was witnessed
by an overflow crowd on April 19 as seven young persons
declared their commitment to follow Christ and serve him. An
eighth person transferred his membership to GFC. Each of these
gave testimony to their encounter with Christ whether growing
up in a Christian family or through circumstances of struggle and
despair. Their stories moved and encouraged many of us – there
was no need for a sermon!
After not meeting in small groups for a number of years,
five “Life Groups” were organized and met from January to May.
These groups consisted of ten to twelve people each and used
sermon topics as their discussion base. Pastor Darrell Dyck’s
sermons followed a book entitled “God in Your Everything”.
These discussion starters led to animated exchange as together we
explored how God truly is in everything we do and experience.
Of course, tea and coffee rounded out these enjoyable evenings.
Two challenges given to the groups were the planning of
a social activity and a service project as well as looking after
needs that arose within the group. Some of the activities were
visiting a hospitalized member, playing games together, taking
a Filipino cooking class and helping a senior do spring cleaning.
Some of those not involved in ‘Life’ groups formed a
different type of small group. Four to eight women met on
Tuesdays and put together about 145 quilts for MCC distribution
These blankets were destined for people left out in the cold by
war, or natural disasters.
We are anticipating a summer with more variety in our
worship times including a community ‘worship in the park’
experience. Also, Pastor Darrell and Corrina will be taking
a four-month Sabbatical this fall. We are encouraged by the
positive things we are experiencing at GFC. We know that God
is in our Everything and we praise him for it.
~ Ruth Heppner
www.gomission.ca May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
Baptism at Gospel Fellowship Church, Steinbach on April 19.
Back row: Pastor Garry Blatz, Tamara Unrau, Kevin Hiebert,
Sherry Hiebert, Brandon Doerksen (T), Pastor Darrell Dyck.
Front row: Kirsten Friesen, Stephanie Wiebe, Jenny Nikkel and
Sandra Limburg.
7
Region 3- Manitoba South
Bergfeld Mennonite Church
Glencross Mennonite Church
Cutting wood for missions Celebrating gifts in the
congregation
In the summer of 2014,
cut-down tree trunks were
dumped on a yard near the
Bergfeld Church.
April 25 was the day
set to make these
long logs into fire
wood for woodburning stoves for
the coming winter, or
for back-yard fire pits
for summer wiener
roasts and evening
enjoyment.
Baptism at Glencross Mennonite Church, April 19. Jennifer
Martens, Dorli Schulz, Wes Driedger, Kevin Klassen (all baptism
and membership). Amanda and Jayson Hamm (both transferred
membership).
At 9am, the first truck arrived, carrying a log splitter. More people
arrived and when all were here we had 20 people working. Four
chain saws and two log-splitters made short work of cutting
and splitting. Stacking was done as the pieces were split. In
approximately five hours, 10 cords of wood were cut, split and
stacked.
This wood will b e
sold and the money
from the sale will add
support funding for
the Dave Brown family
of our congregation.
Dave works at the
Youth For Christ dropin center located in
Morden. God provided
great weather for that
day and we were all
blessed in working
together.
8
The celebration of Baptism on April 19 was a very special
event. Pastor Peter Redekopp reminded us that our church
fellowship should be a place where we are rooted, grounded,
growing and serving. We must be connected to and abide in Jesus. The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
On Saturday, May 25, many hours went into the
preparation of chicken noodle soup and Somma Borscht in the
Glencross church kitchen. Sunday after the worship service, we
enjoyed the soups
along with trays
of meat and fresh
buns, with a huge
variety of pies for
dessert.
On April 5, our Junior and Senior Youth along with Pastor
Trevor and Jamie Fleming invited the church family to an Easter
morning breakfast. Trays of colourful fruit, yogurt, muffins and
cinnamon buns filled the counter. It was a great celebration with
food, conversation and laughter during our Sunday school hour,
after which we moved into the sanctuary to worship our risen
Saviour!
On March 22 a first ever Talent
Night was planned by the Program
Committee. Young and older presented
talents including piano, guitar, violin,
voice and photography. It was a very
enjoyable evening. www.gomission.ca
Gospel Mission Church, Winkler
Sod Turning marks start
of new building
After purchasing a lot about sixteen years ago, the Gospel
Mission Church is now set to construct a new building at the
corner of 15th Street and Highway 14 in Winkler. The sod turning
took place on April 12, 2015 in the rain.
Church Elder John Krahn says they’ve come to the point
where their current church is maxed out in size.
The new building will be 28,000 square feet in size, and
will have a small second floor, and have its own coffee shop.
Krahn says like other churches in the community, they feel the
new building will also cater to different needs and different
people in the area.
The papers to purchase the property were signed on
January 30, 1999. The early stages of the work on the new
Gospel Mission Church building began during the week of
April 20, 2015.
Source: Information from Pembina Valley on-line and EMMC
Recorder archives
Region 6 - Belize / Mexico South
Blue Creek EMMC, Belize
Parent and Child
Dedication
This Mother's Day, May 10, 2015, the Blue Creek EMMC
celebrated the parents who dedicated their children to the Lord.
Abram and Esther Friesen with son Malachi
Bernhord and Susanna Wiebe with daughter Rigena
David and Valerie Dyck with son Micah
Stanley and Sasha Dyck with son Sean
David and Stephanie Friesen with son Nathaniel
As these parents raise their children, we commit to praying
for them and standing with them as they seek to train their
children in God’s ways.
~ Cynthia Dyck
Spanish Lookout EMMC, Belize
Six-week Assignment
Winkler EMMC
Baptism and Membership
The Spanish Lookout EMMC congregation has been in
search of a full-time pastor for a period of time. To provide some
extra support during this searching time, Darrell and Elaine
Kehler have agreed to spend time in Spanish Lookout for a sixweek period this summer. They will be assisting the leadership
with mentoring, coaching and bible teaching.
We wish the congregation and Kehlers God’s blessing
and wisdom as they minister together this summer. Kehlers will
return to their home in Niverville, Manitoba upon the completion
of their assignment.
Pray with the Spanish Lookout congregation as they
continue to search for a pastor, coach, mentor and teacher. For
complete details regarding this position, please see their ad on
page 27 of this publication.
Baptism/membership service held on May 3, 2015 at Winkler
EMM Church. Back Row: Jon Dueck (B), Cherish Toews (B), Megan
Ens (B), Crystal Reimer (B), Declan Klassen (B), Randy Driedger
(B). Front Row: Henry and Carol Thiessen (M), Mary Ann Friesen
(M), Pastor Loren Guenther, Rebecca Klassen (B), Ana Froese
(M), Joana Harder (B), Cornelius Froese (M), Kenton Dyck (M),
Zachary Peters (B), T. J. Froese (B)
B=Baptism; M=Membership
www.gomission.ca May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
9
Region 3- Manitoba South
Missions and Region 3
churches
A long list of involvements; each church has a variety of
local and international projects; missions is not just a sermon
topic. Those are some of the thoughts that came out of a meeting
held recently in the Winkler EMM Church.
Region 3 General Board and Council members and
missions reps and board chairs from most of the churches in
the Region met for an evening of discussion and information. It
quickly became obvious that there are active mission programs
serving needs in the community be it youth, DVBS, immigrants,
or the elderly. And, it was interesting to hear the passion
churches have for programs they support in countries as varied
as Zambia, Tajikistan, Cambodia and Belize.
It was refreshing to see that in addition to a continuing
commitment to support the missions activities of EMMC / Go
Mission! these churches also allow members to promote and
highlight outreaches that strike a particular chord. It was also
observed, that having the opportunity to participate in a missions
outreach or work-team trip of some sort raises the individuals’
missions interest for that particular ministry and for missions
in general.
There was a strong desire to connect, to be relevant, and
to matter. There was a challenge to myself and the office staff
to continue to look for ways to improve communication of our
conference’s missions activities. A follow-up meeting is planned
for later in the year to further explore possibilities for growing
missions in the churches.
As Missions Facilitator of our Conference I have the
privilege to participate in evenings like this, and also to
experience first-hand the commitment and dedication of the
missionaries in our Conference outreach activities. Thank-you to
Lyn Dyck and the rest of the Region 3 leadership for making this
evening possible. My encouragement to missions enthusiasts is
to plan something like this and invite missions committees from
other churches in your Region. I am sure you will be refreshed
and encouraged. If you need help with the planning please be
in touch with myself at [email protected], or check directly
with Lyn Dyck of the Altona EMM Church.
~ Abe Giesbrecht
Missions Facilitator
204-253-7929 at the EMMC / Go Mission! Office
Check www.gomission.ca and click on “Regions” for contact
information for the churches in your Region.
EMMC / Go Mission! Churches
Region 1 – Alberta / Saskatchewan
Hague Gospel Church
Hepburn Gospel Church
Mennonite Gospel Church, Vauxhall AB
Sutherland Evangelical Church, Saskatoon
Warman Gospel Church
Wynyard Gospel Church
Region 2 – Manitoba Central
Austin Evangelical Fellowship
Bagot Community Chapel
Gospel Fellowship Church, Steinbach
Lakeside Gospel Chapel, St. Laurent
Morrow Gospel Church, Winnipeg
Nassau Street Church, Winnipeg
Niverville Community Fellowship
Region 3 – Manitoba South
Altona EMMC
Bergfeld Mennonite Church
Glencross Mennonite Church
Gospel Mission Church, Winkler
Morden EMM Church
Winkler EMM Church
Region 4 – Ontario
Aylmer EMMC
Blenheim EMMC
Leamington EMMC
Region 6 – Belize / Mexico South
Blue Creek EMMC
Colonia Del Valle EMMC, Mexico
Gospel Fellowship Chapel, Shipyard Belize
Hopelchen EMMC, Mexico
Spanish Lookout EMMC, Belize
10
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
www.gomission.ca
Chortitzer Mennonite
Conference Name
Change
Steinbach, MB – A new page was added to the history of
the CMC at the Annual Meeting held April 18, 2015. The
delegates made a decisive move to change the name of the
Conference to Christian Mennonite Conference.
After 137 years known as “Chortitzer”, the churches
felt it was time for a change. After deliberations of various
names, the choices were narrowed down to three from which
the delegates then voted on at the meeting of April 18. They
wanted to chose a name that represented more of who they
are rather than just from where they came.
As a Conference, we expect the new name will
demonstrate a better understanding of how we see ourselves
and how we represent ourselves to others.
~ Christian Mennonite Conference
New Director for Canadian
Bible Society
TORONTO -- (Canadian Christian News Service) -- The Board
of Governors of The Canadian
Bible Society (CBS) is pleased
to announce the appointment of
Rev. Don Hutchinson as Interim
National Director and CEO,
effective April 27, 2015.
Don Hutchinson is a
nationally recognized executive
Rev. Don Hutchinson,
leader, consultant, and public
Interim National Director
policy specialist. Most recently,
and CEO for Canadian Bible
H u t c h i n s o n w a s t h e Vi c e Society
President, General Legal Counsel,
and Director of the Centre for Faith and Public Life for The
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
"We are delighted to be led by God to a person of Don's
many gifts and broad experience," says Dr. William H. Brackney,
Chairman of the Board of Governors for CBS.
"It is an honour to fill this transitional role for the Canadian
Bible Society," says Hutchinson. "The Bible is the sacred text
that is foundational for the Canadian and world-wide Christian
community, so the translation, publishing and distribution work
of the Canadian Bible Society is critical work for the Kingdom
of God."
Don will remain in his role as Interim National Director
and CEO of the CBS until a permanent National Director assumes
responsibilities.
The Canadian Bible Society (CBS) exists to promote and
encourage, without doctrinal note or comment, the translation,
publication, distribution and use of the Scriptures throughout
Canada and Bermuda, and to co-operate with the United Bible
Societies in its worldwide work.
www.gomission.ca
THANK YOU
Mennonite Disaster Service congratulates ALL
MDS VOLUNTEERS, past and present for continuing
to lift up disaster survivors! Last week MDS was named
the ‘2015 National Member of the Year’ by the 120
member consortium of National Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster (NVOAD) in the USA. Over and over
MDS participants were thanked and affirmed for the
outstanding work, good spirit and collaborative nature of
MDS volunteers. Many specifically commented that they
appreciate ‘the Canadians’ who come and serve with
MDS in the USA. Thanks to all who have served, prayed
for and given of their time to make MDS a respected
and appreciated organization faithfully carrying out a
small part of God’s mission.
~ Janet Plenert
Director of Region V (Canadian) Operations
Mennonite Disaster Service
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
11
Confession of Faith:
Holy Spirit
We believe in God the Holy Spirit who gives new life to all who have placed their
faith in Christ. The Spirit, who indwells believers, continues to comfort, empower,
gift, guide, and unite them to fulfil the mission of the church.
Power. We see it in the lives of the rich
and famous. Big bankers have power to influence
interest rates and economies. Celebrities have
power to shape culture and influence our thinking.
Prime ministers and presidents have power to
affect world affairs and create laws.
Living Truth
resources
Leader guide ($3)
Student books ($3)
available for purchase
through Home Office.
Contact:
[email protected] or
call 204.253.7929
to order your books
Have you ever wished you had this kind
of power, but in the spiritual realm? Do you ever
envision yourself with a supernatural power to
heal people, and maybe even raise them from the
dead? Or do you dream of being a powerful and
influential speaker who leads people to Christ
in big numbers? Maybe you just long for the
incredible spiritual intimacy others seem to have
through special spiritual experiences like speaking
in tongues.
Do you read the stories in Acts and wonder
at how the Early Church grew rapidly through
miraculous signs and powerful witness? You
may have heard of people today with this kind
of spiritual influence and question why it doesn’t
seem to be evident in your life or in your church.
How should our lives be affected when the
Holy Spirit comes to indwell us? Gordon Fee says
that the Holy Spirit was given “to create a people
who by the power of the Spirit lived out the life of
the future (the life of God himself) in the present
age.” When we experience the personal and
powerful reality of the Spirit’s presence right now,
we will be enabled to live kingdom lives - bearing
fruit, building up the Church, and witnessing
effectively.
Living Christ-like lives. The Spirit
empowers us to live Christ-like lives. God’s will
for us is that we become like his Son. In Romans
12
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
8, Paul explains how this happens. Those who
are in Christ Jesus have the Spirit of God living
in them. The Spirit helps us to submit to God.
He teaches us to put to death the deeds of our
sinful nature. He reminds us that we are God’s
children and this gives us confidence to call
out to God as our Father. And when we don’t
know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us
because he knows what God’s will is.
Paul talks about the Spirit again in
Galatians 5:1-6, 13-26. The question here is:
How do we deal with the old sinful nature that
still rears its ugly head even after we become
Christians? Paul’s opponents say we need the
law, but Paul says only the Spirit is needed.
While it seems to make logical sense that
law will keep the sinful nature in check, Paul
says it is not necessary and will actually lead to
bondage. Instead, if we let the Holy Spirit guide
our lives, he will give us new desires, which are
the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.
Instead of the ugly and rotten fruit produced
in a life controlled by the sinful nature, the
beautiful fruit of love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control will ripen in our lives when
the Spirit leads us. No law is required to make
this happen!
Building up the Body. The Spirit’s
power is evidenced through his fruit in our
lives, but also through his gifts. The Spirit
equips Christians with gifts for the building
up of the body of Christ. Here’s a helpful
explanation of spiritual gifts: “Spiritual gifts
are divine abilities distributed by the Holy
Spirit to every believer according to God’s
www.gomission.ca
design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ”
(Bruce Bugbee).
boldness to speak God’s word, and for God to accompany the
message with healings and signs (Acts 4:23-30).
In each believer, God shows the Spirit’s presence in
unique ways for the good of all. What God does in and through
you is a gift to the Church (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)! There are
many different kinds of gifts for all the needed aspects of the
Body’s growth.
When we pray for the Holy Spirit’s empowering for
boldness in witness, God is pleased to answer. “After they
prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word
of God boldly” (Acts 4:31).
We have different functions, according to the gifts
given us, yet we work together as one body (Romans 12:1-7).
Sometimes we envy other people’s gifts but this should not
be. The person whom you envy, who seems to be so gifted,
needs you and the gifts you have to offer. No one person has
every gift. God has designed it this way so that we will work
together, valuing each other, and giving
thanks to him for his incredible plan for
the Church.
The Holy Spirit is God’s empowering presence in our
lives. It is a good thing to desire a greater demonstration of
his power and gifts, but it is wise to check our motives. Why
do we want his power? Is it for our own benefit and glory?
Or do we long for God’s glory to be displayed in our changed
lives and through the church’s effective witness?
Often it is the “up front”
gifts, like apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers
that seem to be more valued.
These are the ministers, we
think. But Paul says it is not
so (Ephesians 4:11-16). These
gifts are given to the church to
equip all believers for ministry,
so that the body of Christ
will be built up in truth and
love. As we gladly embrace
opportunities to serve, we will
discover those gifts in which we
find enjoyment and fulfillment,
and through which others are
spiritually impacted. When all
believers are set free to use their
gifts in loving ministry, the Spirit’s
power is evident and the Church grows!
Reaching a lost world. The Spirit
works in our lives to transform us and build up the Church,
but he also longs to help us reach a lost world with the gospel.
When Jesus was about to leave this earth, he told his followers
that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on
them, and the result would be witness (Acts 1:4-8). That is
exactly what happened.
When the Holy Spirit came, the believers witnessed with
boldness. When some of them were arrested for speaking so
confidently about the resurrection, they were told not to teach
in the name of Jesus. Upon their release, they went to their
friends to report what had happened. Together they turned to
God in prayer. If this happened to you, what would you pray
for? Protection and safety? Not these guys. They prayed for
www.gomission.ca Let us learn to pray for the Spirit’s empowering as SianYang Tan and Douglas Gregg advise: “Pray specifically for his
power and the release of his gifts so that you can live a more
Christlike life and be more effective in building up the body
of Christ and reaching out to a lost world with the gospel.”
Arlene Friesen teaches Bible
and Worship courses and serves
as Registrar at Steinbach Bible
College, Manitoba. She earned
her Bachelor of Religious Studies
from SBC in 1987; Masters in
Theological Studies from Tyndale
Seminary in 1998; Ongoing
theological education at Tyndale,
1999-2007.
Members of the Theology Committee are contributing a series
of articles on our Confession of Faith. Not to rewrite it. But to
express it and explore it. Asking how does this actually impact
our lives? Our Confession of Faith was written and adopted
in 2001.
Arlene is not a member of the Theology Committee, but was
invited by the committee to contribute this article.
To receive your free Confession of Faith booklet, contact Home
Office at 204.253.7929 or [email protected]. The information
is also available on the website at gomission.ca and click on
the “About Go Mission” tab.
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
13
Stewardship Today
A Severe Case of
“Generosiphobia”
Arnie Friesen
Stewardship Consultant
On a sunny lunch break while attending high
school, I went for my customary walk into town.
A classmate drove up in his shiny two-door coupe and offered
a ride. Because he had already offered rides to other students, I
soon found myself in the back seat beneath a pile of humanity. I
panicked. I was overcome with a massive case of claustrophobia.
I pinched the unlucky guy sprawled on my lap and demanded to
be released from my torment. I still remember the sense of relief
when the car came to a halt and I escaped to freedom.
The car and its driver seemed quite reliable. I was not in
any real danger. But, in that moment and overtaken with fear,
my mind disconnected from what I knew to be true. Many
of us experience the same detachment from reality when it
comes to practicing generosity. We know we are invited to give
proportionately of what God has entrusted to us, but we are
completely paralyzed by fear in acting on our belief. We have a
severe case of “generosiphobia.”
Authors Smith and Davidson, in The Paradox of
Generosity, conclude: “Living with a perspective of scarcity
rather than abundance—that is, from a place of fear—is stressful
and inevitably diminishes people’s well-being.”
What fears keep us from being generous with our money?
Let’s label them.
• We are afraid to give sacrificially thinking we will run short
for our own needs
• We have set the bar high for our life-style and generosity
does not support this notion
• We are afraid that what we do give will be misused and
therefore no gift is better
• We are led to believe that we never have enough for
retirement
• We may lose our job tomorrow and be left in hopeless
poverty
• We cannot part with our hard-earned money because it gives
us a sense of security
• We won’t be able to keep up with the lifestyle expectations
of our friends and neighbours
• We must provide for our children even well into their
adulthood
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The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
• When given the option to part with our money we think we
will lose our source of happiness
• We are afraid that God is not really trustworthy, that we
have to help God out by storing more
Are our fears realistic? Perhaps not. Just like my
claustrophobic episode in the back of a hot car, our fear that
we won’t have enough may be completely out of touch with
reality. According to recent United Nations research, if we have
$500,000 in assets we are in the top one percentile of wealthy
adults in the world. Maybe we need a reality check. We believe
the Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Philippians (4:19) that “my
God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory
in Christ Jesus (NIV),” but our response often contradicts this
belief. We worry, which leads us to save and stash away.
Jesus mentions “worry” six times in Matthew 6:25-34
when he talks about God feeding the birds and clothing the
flowers. He anticipates our struggle to really trust God with the
most basic needs of life.
Giving is an expression of our fearlessness. By being
generous, we are acknowledging that God is the provider. If we
cannot rely on God to look after our needs, the idea of giving is
completely irrational.
As a result, our mind conjures up the worst case scenarios
so we continue in our tight-fisted ways. What we should really
fear is our inability to trust God.
“By giving we receive and by grasping we lose” (Smith
and Davidson). Begin by thinking about how much you possess,
rather than how much you don’t have. Start small and see how
good it feels to give. Let us help you discover that generosity
doesn’t have to be scary.
Photo: DesignPics
Arnie Friesen is a stewardship consultant at Mennonite Foundation
of Canada serving generous people in British Columbia. For more
information on generosity, stewardship education, and estate
and charitable gift planning, contact your nearest MFC office or
visit MennoFoundation.ca.
Mennonite Foundation of Canada office
www.Mennofoundation.ca | p 1.800.772.3257
www.gomission.ca
SBC Grad 2015
The weekend of April 24 and 25 was marked by reflection,
farewells, and rejoicing as Steinbach Bible College celebrated
Graduation 2015.
It all began with SBC’s annual Spring Concert on Friday,
during which eighteen students received their Certificates of
Biblical Studies.
On Saturday, the Steinbach EMC was filled with family
and friends eager to celebrate with 26 graduates as they were
awarded their Diplomas and Bachelor of Arts Degrees.
Commencement speaker Dr. Earl Davey, Vice President
Academic at CMU (retired), challenged the graduates to serve
faithfully wherever they found themselves in the years to come.
The valedictory address was given by Kyle Dueck (Morweena
EMC) who graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) in Christian Studies.
The undergraduate response was presented by Janellie Blanco
(Belize).
The banquet following the ceremony included the
awarding of several important awards and scholarships,
including seven new Focus Area Scholarships of $1,000 each
presented to returning students.
The class of 2015 leaves SBC eager to engage the world.
Some plan to continue in further studies, several plan to serve in
missions or youth ministry, while others are pursuing a vocation.
Please pray for this group as they continue the mission that
started at Steinbach Bible College.
~ SBC
Graduates from EMMC congregations. Victoria Krahn (Gospel
Fellowship Church, Steinbach MB), Matthew Hiebert (Leamington
EMMC, ON), Ashlyn Neufeld (Niverville Community Fellowship,
MB).
EMMC / Go Mission!
sponsored the Focus Area
Scholarship for Pastoral
Ministries. Kelby Friesen
of the Roseisle EMC Church
was the recipient.
College Graduates ~ Class of 2015
Corny Teichroeb
Columbia Bible College
Biblical Studies Program
Leamington EMMC, Ontario
Kieran Hamm
Providence University College
B.A. Biblical and Theological
Studies
Niverville Community
Fellowship, Manitoba
www.gomission.ca Ryan Harms
Providence University College
Business Administration B.A.
Altona EMMC, Manitoba
Jonathan Schmidt
Providence University College
Business Administration B.A.
(Hons.)
Niverville Community
Fellowship, Manitoba
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
15
What call? I was never called!
Sometimes I don’t understand what the confusion is in
regards to the call. What does it mean to get THE CALL? What
was it like? Was it a stomach ache after you had been eating
pizza and praying? Was it somebody else speaking into your
life at just the right moment? Was in a small still voice? Even
missionaries don’t agree on what the call is? Have you had “the
Call’’? Some people remember precisely where they were and
what they were wearing when they got ‘the Call.’
So who needs to get the call? Pastors? Missionaries?
Anybody else? Does everybody get the call? Is the call restricted
to only ministry vocations?
When I was 7 years of age and believed in Jesus and was
saved, maybe that was the call. Or maybe when I was 18 and I
was asked to lead the youth of our church? Or when I was 19
years of age and I recommitted my life to Jesus, was that the
call? Maybe when I felt a prompting to go to Bible college? Or
when the board of directors of the Bible college sent a letter to me
asking not to return since it was apparent that I had no intention
of studying. Maybe that was the un-call. Or 12 years later when I
did return to college as a mature student, would that be a re-call?
So, let me reiterate, what is the call? Nowhere in my NIV
Bible is the term ‘the call’ mentioned. Where does it come from
and why do we use it all the time when referring to entering into
a vocational ministry assignment? I have often been asked “do
you still feel called to do what you are doing?” Or some have
said to me “tell me about your call to go to Belize.”
What is so special about ‘the call’ and why is it primarily
addressed to ministry vocations? Maybe we need more questions
such as: When did you get the call to be a dairy farmer, teacher,
salesman or electrician? Or is the call still as strong today as
when you received it. What if you get uncalled as an electrician,
probably no sympathy will follow. But if you get uncalled as a
pastor or missionary you may well live under the judgement of
some people as having failed, just could not stick with it.
So just for a moment let’s scrap the term ‘the call’. How
will you know how to enter into a vocational ministry? Would
you just go? Would someone need to send you? Do you wait
for an email of invitation? Maybe it is best to wait for someone
to guilt you in to doing it? Maybe you only go into vocational
ministry if you can’t be happy doing something else. Or maybe
get involved in vocational ministry if you are not good at
anything else. So there are many reasons why one might get
involved in a vocational ministry.
desiring to offer my children a cross-cultural experience, thereby
giving them a larger world view, we looked for overseas ministry
opportunities. Sounds selfish, doesn’t it. It probably was. But
through this selfish desire for my children I was offered to teach
Bible at King’s College in Belize for four years. Some of the
best years of my life.
After teaching for four years it became apparent that the
Belizeans were capable to carry this on their own. As much as
we wanted to stay, we did not want to build in dependency and
made plans to return to Canada.
Now after 9 years in Canada, continuing to work with
Avant Ministries in the area of recruitment and mobilization
Karen and I have again been asked to consider another ministry.
This time the email came from the president of Avant Ministries,
Scott Holbrook. The email was simple, and basically said that
we were needed in a different role.
This new role will take us to Chiang Mai, Thailand where
we are to work in the area of Member Care for our missionaries in
Asia. This means developing relationships with our missionaries
in Asia so that when they find themselves in a tough spot such
as team stress, cultural conflict, or simply tired of the continued
heat and other issues, they will consider coming to us for help.
The other part of the email indicated why President Scott
believed that we were the right couple and outlining how our
giftedness was appropriate to the assignment. Karen and I took
some time to think and pray and consult the Word and talk to
our spiritual mentors and …. and then we responded with “yeah,
we can do that.”
So, back to the topic at hand, did we have a call? I don’t
think so. Unless an email from the president is a call. I’ll have
him send one to you too!
OK we got the call, but we got it 2000 years ago and so
did you. The call came for all believers. Matthew 28:19-20
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” What have
you done with your call?
~ Bob Toews
If you want to emailjourney with Bob and
Karen to Thailand,
please send them
your email address. [email protected]
Let me share our story of getting involved in missions.
I am not really sure where this story starts, maybe at
birth… probably. As Karen and I allowed God into our lives
He shaped us, which in turn shaped our future. I completed my
Bible college, not knowing if I would ever be able to use it in
ministry vocation, when my oldest son was entering his teens.
So I was a late bloomer, if I bloomed at all. Four years later,
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The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
Bob and Karen Toews are preparing to go to
Thailand this fall where they will be working
in the area of Member Care for missionaries
in Asia with Avant.
www.gomission.ca
Ministries and workers
Diedrich & Nettie Friesen
Music Ministry – D’Friesens
Reinland, Manitoba
Home church: Winkler EMMC, Manitoba
Diedrich and Nettie Friesen in front. Jason, Matthew, Mark and
Andrew.
In January we signed on with Multi-Nation Missions
Foundation (MMF). We are thankful for God’s leading in this,
and for the support and encouragement we have received from
our friends and family. We are enjoying working with them and
look forward to seeing what more God has in store.
Many have asked us how joining MMF has changed what
we do. The idea was not so much to change our ministry but
rather to enable us to do more of it. We needed the stability and
accountability that being part of such an organization would
provide. This way we are part of a charitable organization,
recognized by the government of Canada, and that in itself opens
more doors for us. It also makes it possible for supporters who
wish donate to our ministry to receive tax deductible receipts.
The plan is that as financial support increases, we will increase
the amount of time we spend in the ministry. Also as finances
increase, we can expand into other areas such as the production
of more Low German materials and resources, Bible Study and
Sunday School materials, for example.
Our recent trip to the Plautdietsche Medien Konference in
Paraguay, and our visit to Bolivia once again opened our eyes
to the dire lack of resources available to the missionaries and
the new believers coming out of the colonies. Just imagine for a
moment, that you are a brand new believer and you are longing
to learn more about God’s Word and the Christian life. However,
there are no books or resources of any kind in a language you can
read. Or imagine that you have agreed to teach a Sunday school
class but you have absolutely no resources in a language that
either you or your students can read. Imagine how you would
feel if someone told you that in order for you to learn about Jesus
you first had to learn a whole new language; that the language
you have grown up with and is the only language you can speak
or understand is not good enough. Or that you must learn either
www.gomission.ca High German, or French, or Spanish before you can learn about
God and His love for you. How long would you persevere?
Bible societies and missionaries will spend many years
learning a language that only several thousand people speak
in the entire world. And they will spend millions of dollars
translating God’s Word and hundreds of other resources into
this almost obscure language, just so they can learn about God.
Are our tens of thousands of Low German speaking Mennonites
not equally deserving? Does God not want them to get to know
Him, to come to Him, and to grow in the knowledge of His love?
This is the passion that drives us. We have the Good News that
can set them free from the hopeless yoke of legalism and bring
them into a true relationship with Jesus Christ.
God has placed in us the desire to bring them this good
news in their own language – Low German. And we can do this
through music, through children’s story books and other reading
and study materials, and through the preaching of the Word both
live and on the radio. More and more of the young people are
learning about the internet and are asking that more be made
available in Low German. It was so encouraging to meet with
other missionaries and visionaries at the conference who share
the same passion. We praise God for what is being done and the
advances being made, but we were also made aware of how much
is still left to do. Our heart’s desire is to be a part of the work
God is doing among our own Low German Mennonite people,
and to share with them resources that will help them first of all
come to Christ, and then to grow in Him.
PRAISE:
1) For God’s protecting hand in all the travelling we do
2) For sons who are still willing to help out in this work.
3) For very supportive and encouraging extended family and
friends
4) For the opportunity to show our love for Christ by serving
Him
PRAYER:
1) For continued protection on the road
2) For wisdom in balancing family life and ministry
3) For sensitivity to God’s leading as far as which ministry
opportunities to accept and which to decline
4) For sufficient financial support to carry out the tasks we
believe we are called to do
Our latest CD is on order at the pressers! It should be
available within the next few weeks. It is called “Fa de Kjinja”
(For the Children) and as the title suggests it is geared more
to children, but hopefully will be a blessing to parents as well.
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
17
Ministries and workers
Bolivia
From tentmakers to Field
Director
When Dave and Lisa Janzen first moved to Bolivia with
their growing family things were different. There was no MEM
team, there were no supermarkets, there was sporadic contact
with home and family in Alberta. That was over 16 years ago
and how things have changed.
Dave and Lisa Janzen are expected to arrive in Winnipeg MB on
June 12. They will be making their home in Southern Manitoba.
Then, the Janzens felt God calling them to be a presence in
the Pailon area. Now, Dave and Lisa, and their children Conroy,
Damon, Regan, Micah and Teresa are back in Canada after a
decade and a half of ministry.
Their time in Bolivia has included the deeply joyful
blessings of seeing change and spiritual growth in a growing
number of people, a maturing Villa Nueva community, and a
growing ministry. It has also had its share of difficult, lonely
times.
From a small start their contact base grew and more and
more people came to them for help.
Over the years contact with workers from the EMMC /
Go Mission! led to visits, then joint projects, and ultimately
to the formation of MEM, or Mision Evangelica Menonita.
Today, the MEM team, a partnership of the Evangelical
Bergthaler Mennonite Conference of La Crete, Alberta; EMMC
/ Go Mission!; and the EMC, provides spiritual teaching and
leadership training, government recognized and approved
education, and economic development possibilities to Low
German Mennonite families in Bolivia.
Dave and Lisa have been involved in many aspects of
the growth of the MEM ministry and they will be missed. As
Chairman of the MEM board, and Missions Facilitator for
EMMC / Go Mission! I would like to take this opportunity to
thank the Janzen family for their ministry and wish them God’s
blessings as they make their home in Winkler.
~ Abe Giesbrecht
Missions Facilitator
Baptism in Villa Nueva
Evanjeelische Mennoniten Jemeent in Villa Nueva, Bolivia
celebrated baptism on April 19.
It is always a joy to see young people take a stand for
Christ. Please pray for them. Three of these young people
are new believers. Also pray for the mature Christians in the
congregation, that they will be willing to help these young people
along in their walk with Christ.
~ Helen Froese
John and Helen Froese are the pastor couple
at the church in Villa Nueva
Back row: Danny Braun, Beni Dueck, David Doerksen, Hein Buhler.
Front row: Mika Dueck, Justina Wiebe, Joseph Heinrichs, and
Abe Dyck.
18
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
www.gomission.ca
The changing faces of
ministry in Bolivia
Dave and Lisa Janzen and family – those are names familiar
to many of us as we’ve followed ministry to the Low German
Mennonite people of Bolivia. For the last number of years Dave
served as the MEM Field Director coordinating the work of our team
members involved in evangelism, education and some economic
development.
Since then we’ve come to
know a bit about Simon and Edith
Peters who have done valuable work
with counselling at the Rehab Centre,
and encouraging couples who have
asked for help in Villa Nueva and
surrounding area.
By the time you read this, both
of these couples expect to be back in
Canada ending their formal service in
Simon and Edith Peters
Bolivia with the MEM ministry. The
Janzens hope to settle in Winkler, Manitoba, with Simon and Edith
heading back to La Crete, Alberta.
At the same time we are pleased to
welcome Abe and Margaret Harder, former
Pastor couple in the Aylmer EMMC Church
in Ontario, to Bolivia. Abe and Margaret
are settling in San Jose and expect to be
involved in outreach visitation and spiritual
teaching to the Low German Mennonite
communities in that area.
Also we welcome the Herbert and
Alwiera Toews from the Paraguayan Chaco
to the MEM team. The Toews’ supported
by their home church come
to the San Jose area to help
with economic development
in the new community on the
recently purchased land. (see
“A New Villa Nueva” article
on page 22)
Abe and Margaret
Harder
Herbert and Alwiera Toews
With these changes we
also introduce Bill Kehler, who with his wife Martha are involved
in leadership development in the San Jose region, as the new MEM
Field Director.
Many changes and exciting
new developments are a constant part
of the growing ministry to the Low
German community in Bolivia. Pray
with us that we would be faithful in
this work.
~ Abe Giesbrecht
Missions Facilitator
Bill and Martha Kehler
www.gomission.ca Abe and Margaret
Harder
EMMC / Go Mission! Outreach Workers
San Jose, Bolivia
Home church: Aylmer EMMC, Ontario
Ephesians 1:11-12: In him we were also chosen, having
been predestined according to the plan of him who
works out everything in conformity with the purpose of
his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in
Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
We’ve only been in
Bolivia since April 9, and
so much has happened
in that time! In so many
ways it has been just like
we expected, in others it
has not. Getting our visas
started and buying a vehicle
took up much of the first
few weeks.
Our first weekend here we participated in the team
event planned to welcome the newcomers (that meant
us as well as some others) and recognize others who are
moving to other responsibilities. We had a wonderful
time singing, praying, eating and fellowshipping together.
Some other events have also helped us become
familiar with our new surroundings: A baptism at the Villa
Nueva church where 8 young people were baptized; a
worship service in the Ibnias church, an Impacto Vertical
(Youth Camp) event, a worship service with our Spanish
church here in town. It is good to see that God is at work
in so many different areas and ways.
Due to various circumstances, we have not been
able to do any of the things we had thought we would do
when we came. But we are building relationships through
personal visits and connecting with our neighbours. Some
people are more welcoming than others. We also have one
home where we are planning to have a Singstund (singing
time) starting shortly.
We have already come up against some colony
opposition. The darkness is so thick! Pray with us that
the light of the gospel would penetrate and give sight to
some of those who are blinded by it.
We have not moved into our home yet, but we plan
to do that sometime in June or July. For the time being we
are staying in the Casa de la Amistad here in San José. It
is a very nice place! We have no problem staying here. As
a matter of fact we will miss it when we move.
Bolivia is a very beautiful country. We have very
much enjoyed visiting different places and people, both in
the city and in the country. We are also enjoying getting
to know our fellow team members.
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
19
Ministries and workers
Ministry Opportunity in
Bolivia
Bolivia
A new “Villa Nueva”
Villa Nueva – over the past dozen years or so
we’ve heard and read a lot about this extraordinary
community near Pailon, Bolivia. Formed to provide
some spiritual, educational and economic hope
for Low German Mennonite people in need,
this development brought together interested
parties from a number of church conferences and
countries.
Now, in the San Jose area, some 200
kilometers east of Villa Nueva, another community is
taking root. Again, investors, interested individuals
and the MEM ministry team are working together
with some local families to offer hope on a plot of
land of over 6,000 acres.
Initial plans call for this land to be made
available for purchase to individuals and families
looking to leave the traditional colony setting.
Work is being done to develop a community that
offers a variety of opportunities. Thoughts now
include dairy, beef, soybeans, garden vegetables,
manufacturing and retail, and of course a church
and school.
In late May three men; one with business
and economic development experience in Canada,
Bolivia and Mexico, one a community developer
in southern Manitoba with previous involvement
in Villa Nueva, and the other a farmer from near
Steinbach, Manitoba with experience on work
teams to the Ministry Centre in San Jose, traveled
to the area. They spent time with Herbert Toews,
the newly arrived Economic Development Officer
from Paraguay, MEM staff, and local farmers
discussing the best possible ways for development.
You’ll be hearing more about this settlement
in the coming months and years. We covet your
prayers as we seek to be faithful in helping those
who have asked us for help.
Financial help is still needed in the form of a
non-receiptable investment, so please contact me
at [email protected], or 204-324-3019 for details.
~ Abe Giesbrecht
Missions Facilitator
20
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
* Outreach Worker
for more information, contact Abe Giesbrecht, Missions Facilitator
p 204.253.7927 | [email protected]
Lori and Dan Neufeld
Inner City Youth Alive, Winnipeg MB
Lori – The Bridge Drop-In Director
Home church: Altona EMMC, Manitoba
Matthew 6:33
"But more than anything else, put God's work first and do
what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well."
Dan, Lori and daughter Finley Neufeld
This winter I've had the opportunity to host a number of
girls at my house for evenings of hot-tubbing and eating wings
while Finley sleeps upstairs and Dan is out skateboarding or
climbing. Ministering in our home has brought out some great
conversations that are hard to make happen at ICY A's large,
open facility. It’s fun to cook in my kitchen while the girls sit
around and chat.
I'm also incredibly grateful for our volunteers at Young
Adults' Drop-in, who have shuttled the girls to and from my place
and have spent countless hours with them. Putting God's work
first means sacrifice, but I'm thankful for the flexibility that ICYA
has given me to use our home as a place to do that work. Please
pray for Dan, Finley and me, that our family would be strong in
faith as we serve in the North End of Winnipeg.
At the beginning of February, I had the opportunity to
go out to Gem Lake Wilderness Camp with a group of teenage
girls. I didn't know any of them very well, but I quickly learned
enough about each one to participate in their conversations and
build relationships. We had a great weekend of tobogganing,
skating, exploring and playing games. It was their hunger for
Bible stories, singing and questions about God that surprised
www.gomission.ca
Ministries and workers
Lori and Dan Neufeld, continued
me the most. They had a desire, and without the distractions of
city life, were free to dive into God's word. With a sleeping girl
on each of my shoulders, I rode home
from camp that weekend exhausted, but
thrilled to know that for one weekend
this winter, ten teenage girls got to be
themselves, relax from the pressures of
home, laugh a lot and learn more about
the One who created them unique and
special.
The ICYA Young Adults' Drop-in is expanding! We
welcomed three new little ones to our group in the last couple of
weeks. Holding a new baby at Drop-in and having conversations
with the mom are always fun for our staff and volunteers, but
it can be difficult for some who attend. A number of our young
adults have children in the foster care system and don't get to
show them off. Others struggle with complications that don't
allow them to have kids. Broken relationships and intellectual
challenges are also contributing factors why children are not able
to stay with their parents. Whether the pregnancy was planned
or not, ICYA celebrates when a baby is born and supports the
parents as they start their new journey. But as I was reminded
again the other day when a young mom left the Drop-in in
tears wishing that her little one could be there, the challenges
of parenting go far beyond being able to afford diapers. Please
pray for each one of our Young Adult members. You may not
know them by name, but God does, and your prayers for healing,
support, love and encouragement are very needed.
Thank you again for your prayers, e-mails and financial
support. We're looking forward to how God will use us to do
his work.
Wes and Carol Schellenberg
InterAct Ministries
Calgary AB
Home church: Glencross Mennonite Church, Manitoba
It was a welcome
retreat to be able to spend
time with other ministry
workers and enjoy the
beauty of nature. About
40 of us gathered for
a weekend of worship
and prayer. Our speaker
Brian Aho, reflected
on the theme “Sabbath
Living”. As a group,
many of us needed a
reminder to be intentional about rest: physical, emotional, and
spiritual. Brian reviewed the biblical principles behind the
Sabbath and reminded us that we only truly rest when we rest in
our Lord – the Great Shepherd. Psalm 23 and Matthew 11:29-29
were key texts in Brian’s presentations.
Back at the office, Wes focused on finishing the
bookkeeping for InterAct’s fiscal year and preparing for the
financial audit. Accounts were reconciled, spreadsheets were
prepared, and by the end of April he was ready for the audit.
While there are other ways InterAct Ministries demonstrates
integrity and accountability, the financial audit is the most public.
Audited financial statements are always available upon request.
With summer just around the corner, it looks like InterAct
Ministries of Canada will have nine people participating in the
seven-week EnGage! program. Some of them will be hosted
in First Nations communities while others will be based in an
urban immigrant context. Through relationship building, the
participants will have opportunity to serve the people and live
out Christ’s love among them. Pray that the training would be
helpful, that teams would be placed in communities open to
Christ-centred relationship building, and that the coaches would
walk alongside the participants with sensitivity and discernment.
Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, is coming up
quickly. We encourage you to set aside time during Ramadan
(June 18-July 17) to pray for Muslims in your neighbourhood
and around the world. With all the bad news in recent months
regarding ISIS, Boko Haram, etc., it is easy to get discouraged.
Yet, in the midst of pain and sorrow God is at work.
Mission strategist and author David Garrison says,
“We are in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims
to Christ in 14 centuries of Muslim-Christian interaction.
More than 80% of all the Muslim movements to Christ in
history have occurred in the past two to three decades,
a time period that coincides with the modern prayer
movement for Muslims. At the heart of this modern prayer
movement is ’30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.’”
This excellent prayer resource can be ordered from
ChristianWorld.com. You can also go to 30daysprayer.com
to view the topic for the day (starting June 18) or to access
additional resources. While you are praying, please also ask that
the Lord draw more people to full-time ministry to Muslims in
Canada. Opportunities abound!
www.gomission.ca May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
21
Ministries and workers
Henry and Tina Redekopp
EMMC / Go Mission! - Pastoral / Outreach ministry
Gospel Fellowship Chapel
Shipyard, Belize
Although the books were in English, most ladies purchased
their own copy, and then we conducted the study mostly in
Low German. The women committed to meeting weekly and
were faithful in attending. I encouraged the women to keep
a journal with the Truths presented in each chapter and the
scripture verses that accompanied them. Sharing struggles and
victories and praying together during this year has drawn us
closer together.
On May 1, a group of 13 ladies traveled to Belmopan area
to join the other churches for a day of fellowship, praise, and
teaching. It was healthy to have this cross-cultural experience,
witnessing how the Lord works in our lives, regardless of
culture, language, and backgrounds.
Henry and Tina Redekopp (back), Justin, Rachel. Front left:
Philip, Aaron, Jonathan and Daniel.
One of the tools that draw people from the colony is
music. This last weekend we hosted a concert with John
Schmid at our park in Shipyard. John travels much of the USA
visiting prisons and sharing the Gospel with inmates, but he
also conducts Gospel concerts for the Christian communities.
He was in Belize for his second annual ministry trip (prison
ministry and Gospel concerts). Joining him was evangelist
David Harriman from North Dakota, and two music groups
from Spanish Lookout, Belize.
The message for the evening was a call to sexual purity,
and relating that to our relationship to Jesus Christ. At the end
of his sermon Harriman invited people to make a decision to
follow Christ, and challenged the youth to make a commitment
to abstinence. It was a great blessing to see youth from our
congregation and from the colony go forward indicating their
commitment. In attendance were our church family, members
of the colony, people from Little Belize, and guests from a few
of the neighboring villages.
We invite you to pray with and for us as we prepare for
four nights of music with Diedrich and Nettie Friesen, July
1, 2, 3, and 5. Diedrich and Nettie served as pastor couple in
Shipyard from 2004 to 2009, and have a well-earned reputation
for their musical talents. Susana Reimer from Aylmer EMMC
in Ontario will also be joining us for children’s ministry during
that time.
As a ladies’ group, we were invited to join some other
local Belizean churches in studying the book, Lies Women
Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Each church would study
through the book on their own, with a culmination and
celebration at the end of the school year. I was both surprised
and excited that our ladies were interested and eager to begin.
22
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
As a family, we have experienced many
blessings these past months. Some of our
children have been privileged to have music
lessons this year, and they are willing to share
their new skills in church for special numbers.
While our two youngest boys were doing the dishes,
Jonathan (9) asked Philip (7), "What would you do if I
died? I bet you would be bored. You would cry and cry."
Philip retorted, “Well, you would do the same thing if
I died."
Jonathan instantly agreed, “Yeah, I would be bored,
because I could not bug you." Then pausing, he added,
"I wonder if I could still bug you in heaven?"
Philip thought about it for a moment and answered,
“Well, I know that God would give me the power to not
be bugged by you."
(Mom’s prayer after overhearing this conversation,
“Oh, Lord, give him the power to not be bugged now!”).
www.gomission.ca
Ministries and workers
Classes in Paraguay
Diedrich and Judy Harms in Rio Verde, Paraguay
Judy and I spent
one week in Rio Verde
Colony, East Paraguay.
We arrived May 17 and
left the 24th after the
morning service. We
were blessed to be able
to share lunch with the
church people.
In the mornings
from 8 until 10am we
studied Ephesians. It
was very exciting to
see about 20 students
come every morning.
Diedrich and Judy Harms
We spent a total of 20
hours together in study. The response was positive and it was
good to see that people who in the past were not that interested,
now came and showed sincere interest in the Word of God.
In the evening Judy did two hours with the women,
studying Women of the Bible. Judy was very excited about
how the women responded. The group kept growing so that by
Friday she had 39 students. She made an exercise for them to
fill out from the lessons she presented. They were good students
and asked for more papers so their friends could complete the
assignments as well.
I studied with the men in the evenings and found the
same excitement with the men. What excited the leaders of the
church is that people came who had never shown their face in
the church and the questions they asked gave them hope for
the people in the colony.
This is the first time I did these classes here in Paraguay. I
am convinced that this was the right decision for these churches.
The question in Durango and Rio Verde was: will you come
back for more of these classes? I believe that these classes are
part of the commission Jesus gave in Matthew 28; “Teach them
all I have commended you.”
The hunger for this kind of classes became very evident
as the week went on. Saturday we visited my cousin Bishop
Jacob Enns. We were really blessed with good hospitality. In the
evening Judy’s cousins had gathered to visit with us for an hour
and half. We then drove back to church to speak to a vibrant
waiting youth group. The response was positive and ended in
a good discussion. Sunday morning I had the opportunity to
speak at the Baptismal service.
We were invited to peoples’ homes for meals, which also
resulted in a lot of counseling. Some came to talked things
through, for prayer, and for other help.
I thank God for health, strength and blessing from
www.gomission.ca above. I thank all of you who have prayed for the people here
in Paraguay. We are scheduled to fly home to Dallas early on
May 26.
~ Diedrich Harms
Leadership Development
Teaching and training
for the Kingdom
Sitting still and Diedrich Harms do not go together
well. After three months of teaching at Steinreich Bible
School in Mexico from January to March it was off to
Neuland Colony in Paraguay for a Low German Media
Conference. After a few days of rest back home in the U.S.A.
Diedrich and Judy are back in Durango Colony, Paraguay.
Diedrich writes “Judy and I finished giving classes
in the Colony. We had seven evening classes of two hours
each. Judy with the women studied “Women in the Bible”
and myself with the men looked at “Men of the Bible”. There
were about 40 persons attending in each group.
It was very interesting to study the Biblical characters
then make an application to our situation. Judging by how
they responded I could tell from the beginning to the end
how their faces became clearer and clearer. One could see
that they understood many of the principles from Scripture.
Some came and made things clearer in their lives by
accepting Christ as their personal Savior. Others confessed
sins and still others affirmed that they had understood the
study and were thankful.
We were blessed to be with the people here and have
seen how they have grown spiritually and how the Lord is
working among the people. One night I spoke to the youth
who were very eager to listen. It was a great blessing.
I see that the Colony is more ready for a revival than
it has been in past visits. I pray that this would happen soon.
Thank you all for praying for us and the people here. We are
now on our way to Rio Verde where we will serve with the
same classes for a week.”
I would encourage you to remember Diedrich and Judy
Harms in your prayers. The list of invitations to speak and
teach seems longer than the time available.
~ Abe Giesbrecht
Missions Facilitator
Diedrich Harms is the Leadership Development staff
person for EMMC / Go Mission! He teaches various courses
at Steinreich Bible School, Mexico from January through
March. He also accepts speaking and teaching engagements
upon request. Diedrich and Judy have an important
teaching and prayer ministry.
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
23
Financial Update
The audit
for the year ending
January 31 2015
is now completed
and the auditors,
Holukoff and
Chiarella are satisfied
that the financial
Terry Terichow,
statements present
accountant
fairly the financial
position of the Evangelical Mennonite
Mission Conference and that we are
meeting all accounting standards for Not
for Profit Organizations. The report will
be presented to the General Council this
summer for approval. Once it is approved
we will publish the report in The Recorder.
We are very appreciative for the
continued support from the EMMC
constituents and for the work that is
being done with these donations. In round
numbers, this past year, we received
$1 million and we disbursed the same
amount.
24
EMMC / Go Mission! is involved
in several missions and mission projects
and we read about them regularly in The
Recorder, in the weekly Praise, Prayer
and Pondering, and on our GoMission!
website. We would like to highlight a few
smaller ministries and projects we may
not hear about very often. For example,
during the past year, with your support,
the Conference:
• Contributed $7,500 to Steinreich
Bible School in Mexico.
• Facilitated two ministry teams to
Bolivia.
And there are more.
Below is a summary report for the
first three months of this fiscal year that
indicates your continued generous support
for the ministries of EMMC / Go Mission!
• Contributed $46,000 to support 15
EMMC constituent families who are
serving with associate missionary
organizations.
• Disbursed $15,000 to 30 EMMC
students attending Bible colleges,
seminaries and universities to assist
them with tuition costs.
• Provided $25,000 to support the
construction of a computer lab and
purchase computer equipment at the
Villa Nueva school in Bolivia.
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
Finance and Audit Committee:
John Dyck, Chair - Leamington EMMC,
Ontario
Lyn Dyck - Altona EMMC, Manitoba
Dale Doerksen - Sutherland Evangelical
Church, Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Terry Terichow, Accountant, Home
Office - Niverville Community
Fellowship, Manitoba
www.gomission.ca
Low German Media Conference - Paraguay
March 30 to April 2
Kolonie Neuland, Paraguay
In our family of churches and
ministries, we are blessed to have a
group of individuals who work hard
at translating materials into Low
German. Their work is important to
the thousands of people for whom
Low German is their ONLY language.
To have resources like books, videos,
music and other programming
available in their heart language is
important to their spiritual growth
and maturity.
There are other people around
the world who are also working at
providing resources in Low German.
Now, this wider group will meet again
in Paraguay to exchange information,
learn from each other, encourage and
bless each other and the ministries
they represent.
EMMC / Go Mission! is excited
to have the following people from
our congregations and ministries,
represent us at this important media
conference: Wilbert and Hilda Friesen
(Winkler MB), Diedrich and Nettie
Friesen (Winkler MB), Abe and
Anita Harms (Aylmer ON), Henry
Redekopp (Shipyard BZ), Diedrich
Harms (Leadership Development),
Arlie and Eva Peters (Director of
The EMMC / Go Mission! representatives at the Low German Media Conference in
Paraguay. Back row: Abe and Anita Harms, Abe Giesbrecht, Henry Redekopp. Front
row: Bill and Martha Kehler, Eva and Arlie Peters, Wilbert and Hilda Friesenm Diedrich
and Nettie Friesen.
Education, Bolivia), Bill and Martha
Kehler (Outreach Ministry, Bolivia.
Since the Paraguay trip, Bill has
become the Bolivia Team Leader), and
Abe Giesbrecht (Missions Facilitator).
As you are reminded, pray
for these folks - that they will be
encouraged in their work and that the
conference will provide opportunity
to develop new relationships and
connections to help spread the Good
News in Low German!
~ Abe Giesbrecht
Missions Facilitator
Enjoying an “EMMC”
lunch in Paraguay exchanging stories
and encouragement.
Abe G., Diedrich H.,
Arlie, Diedrich F., Bill,
Hilda, Eva, Nettie,
Martha, Anita, Abe H.,
Henry and Wilbert.
www.gomission.ca New voice and
face at Home
Office!
We are pleased
to welcome
Jonathan
Schmidt as our
new full-time
Administrative
Assistant at
the EMMC
Jonathan Schmidt
/ Go Mission!
Administrative
Winnipeg Home
Assistant
Office. Jon
graduated from Providence University
College at the end of April with this BA
in Business Administration (Honors).
Jon and his wife Esther recently made
the move to Winnipeg. They attend the
Niverville Community Fellowship.
You can reach Jon at at our offices
at [email protected] or 204.253.7929.
Office hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm,
Monday to Friday.
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
25
Kidnapped: Vlad’s story
By Meghan Mast
WINNIPEG, Man.—When war broke
out in eastern Ukraine Vlad Makhovskiy
decided he could not just sit at home
and watch what was happening. He
would help. What he did not know was
this choice would eventually lead to his
kidnapping.
Vlad Makhovskiy, a volunteer with MCC
partner Zaporizhzhia Baptist Union, has
helped more than 150 people escape from
eastern Ukraine. He helps deliver food
assistance and blankets to those living in
the conflict areas.
Mcc Photo: DMitRiY MAtUYKhin
Makhovskiy, who runs a small
business copying keys and fixing shoes
for people, is one of many committed
volunteers working with MCC partner
Zaporizhzhia Baptist Union to deliver
relief supplies to eastern Ukraine and
transport people to safety. He has helped
more than 150 people escape from the
conflict areas—mostly families and
elderly people—all with little more than
his van.
During one of these trips he planned
to help ten people leave Krasnyi Luch.
He was not worried, because he had
moved people from the area before and
the Ukrainian military assured him the
territory was neutral. But when he was
stopped at a separatist checkpoint the
soldiers searched his van and called for
backup. “I told them, ‘I am a volunteer.
I am a believer—I believe in Christ,” he
said. “I am helping people to leave this
war zone.’”
Makhovskiy was arrested and put
in prison for six days. During this time
he says he was interrogated, mistreated
and threatened with death. He was
moved from compound to compound,
not knowing when, or even if, he would
26
be released. But one day, he was. Near
the end of his imprisonment a soldier
approached him and told him to move
quickly and quietly to a nearby car. Here
he met the woman who would save his
life. She heard his account and persuaded
several guards to release him.
Makhovskiy remembers every
detail of the day they let him go. They
pointed him in the direction of the
Ukrainian army and opened the car
door. He stumbled into the sunlight and
walked to safety, praying loudly as he
went. This experience did not dissuade
him from continuing to help those in the
war-torn areas of Ukraine. If anything,
the experience strengthened his resolve.
Two weeks after his release
Makhovskiy was back to delivering relief
supplies and transporting people. “These
six days changed me a lot,” he says. “I
still have scars on my body where they
tortured me, but my faith in God grew and
my heart belongs to God even more. Now
I want to serve God the rest of my life.”
MCC is grateful for volunteers,
such as Makhovskiy, who work with
our partner organizations. Along with
Zaporizhzhia Baptist Union, MCC works
with partners Nikopol “New Life,”
Zhytomyr Regional Charity Fund and
Good Shepherd Shelter.
MCC is also thankful for a $1
million CDN contribution from the
Canadian government for our work in
Ukraine. Between March and August of
2015, the grant will provide 1495 families
with a variety of humanitarian assistance
including rent assistance, shelter repairs,
and hygiene items. Food and social
support are also provided through MCC.
There are 1.25 million people
displaced within Ukraine and 834, 284
refugees in neighbouring countries, as
of May 7, according to a report from the
United Nations.
MCC continues to work to meet
the needs of people in Ukraine, and
we request donations to meet those
urgent needs. Please read more about our
response:
https://donate.mcccanada.ca/cause/
ukraine-emergency-response
The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
Obituary
Katherina (Tina) Thiessen
(nee Hiebert)
1929 – 2015
Mom went to be with her Lord
and Saviour, on Sunday, May 10, 2015 at
Boundary Trails Health Centre, Manitoba.
Mom was born September 17 1929 to
Frank and Aganetha Hiebert, in Mexico and
immigrated to Canada with her parents when
she was five. She married the love of her life,
Abe Thiessen, on October 4, 1954. They
were blessed with six children. They lived
in Winnipeg until 1975 at which time they
moved to a farm in Roland. They eventually
moved to Morden and lived there until May
8, 2015 when they moved to Cedar Estates
in Winkler.
Mom is survived by her loving
husband of 61 years, Abe and their children,
daughter, Mary (Jim) Hadfield and their
children, Darryl (wife, Beth and daughter,
Halee and stepson, Joseph) and Jacqueline;
daughter , Shirley (Bob – deceased April 28,
2013) Simpson, and their daughter, Marilynn
(Mohammed and Yanis, Yusef, Yasine,
Amira, Abdul, Samya, and Saji); daughter,
Judy (Dave) Zacharias and their daughters,
Erin (Mike) and Tami; daughter , Pat (Len)
Janzen, and their children Scott (Kim) and
Candace; son, Tim (Myrna) Thiessen and
their children, Scott (Brittany) and Pam
(Jay and children, Ethan and Harper); son,
Ken (Annette) Thiessen and their children,
Kevin (Anna), Ryan, Brooklyn, Jean and
Justin, stepdaughter, Diane and children,
Jason and Justin.
Memorial service was held at 2:00
p.m. on Thursday May 14, 2015 at the
Winkler EMMC with a family interment
prior to the service at Hillside Cemetery in
Morden. The family would like to express
their gratitude to the home care staff, and
dear friends, Rose Wiebe and Anne Elias as
well as the staff at Boundary Trails Health
Centre. In lieu of flowers donations in Tina’s
memory to Back to the Bible Broadcast
would be appreciated.
www.gomission.ca
In Search of ...
AYLMER EMM CHURCH located in Aylmer Ontario is
searching for an ASSOCIATE PASTOR for the German
Service. This position is full-time salaried. For more
information contact [email protected]. BERGFELD MENNONITE CHURCH (EMMC) is
looking for a FULL TIME PASTOR. Located in
rural southern Manitoba between the growing
communities of Altona and Winkler the Bergfeld
Church has a regular attendance of around 130
with a good mix of young and old. The church has
an active Sunday School and youth program and
involvement in local and international missions
ministries. Applications are invited for a pastor with
a vibrant love for the Word of God and for sharing it
in teaching and in life. Contact us for more details
or to provide a resume.
Bergfeld Mennonite Church
Attn: Pastor Search Committee
Box 1478, Altona, MB CANADA R0G 0B0
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 204.324.8283
BLUE CREEK EMMC, Belize located in Central
America is looking for a FULL-TIME YOUTH
PASTOR. We are an English/German church that
has average Sunday morning attendance of almost
300. The youth group attendance averages about
30 to 40 on a weekly basis.
We are seeking a youth pastor with energy and
a deep love for God and His Word. The candidate
should also be committed to reaching our diverse
community and country with the message of Jesus
Christ.
For more information please contact:
Ben Rempel (Pulpit Board Chair)
Email: [email protected]
LEAMINGTON EMM CHURCH (Deer Run Church)
is looking for 2 FULL-TIME ASSOCIATE PASTORS.
We are part of the Evangelical Mennonite Mission
Conference, located in Leamington, Ontario.
LEMMC is a congregation in Southern Ontario,
Canada. We are an Evangelical, Anabaptist and
mission-minded church of approximately 500. The
German service has an average attendance of 100.
Our church has many strong programs in place,
including a vibrant children’s ministry, Youth Ministry
including Sunday School and women’s ministry. We
are a young and active congregation, many youth
and young adults.
We would like a pastor who would help our
church to lead people to “BECOME FULLY DEVOTED
FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST”, has a heart for missions, a
love for God and His Word and is in agreement with
our constitution and Statement of Faith.
Depending on the gifts of the candidate,
they will serve in:
German Congregation. His role will include
inspiring the spiritual growth of the German
congregation through Biblical Teaching, mentoring
and personal relationships. He will also assist with
the English services as needed.
English Congregation. His role will include
helping with Missions, Music/Worship, Life Groups
and Christian Education.
For further information or if you feel God calling
you to this ministry, please contact us. Leamington
was voted the best place to live in Canada by Money
Sense Magazine in 2006. Contact:
John Dyck - Committee Chair
519-919-6816
[email protected]
1408 Deer Run Road, PO Box 84
Leamington ON CANADA N8H 3W1
EMMANUEL GOSPEL CHURCH, a small nondenominational congregation is searching for a
PASTOR who, if necessary, would be willing to
work part-time as we rebuild our congregation. We
love God and seek His will in our Pastoral Search. If
you have a heart for leading people to Christ and
shepherding His flock in southern Manitoba, please
reply to:
Rob Friesen at [email protected]
Ed Giesbrecht at [email protected]
HIGH LEVEL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (EMC)
located in Alberta is looking for an interim pastor
effective January of 2015. HLCF is a diverse but well
established congregation serving in a community
where oil and gas, farming and forestry are the
driving industries.
HLCF has an average attendance of 130 members
and adherents. The successful candidate would be
able to relate and work well with people working
together towards building an active community of
believers. If God is directing you in this mission
please forward your resume to either:
Jake Neufeld
[email protected]
Phone: 780.821.9432
Greg Derkson
[email protected]
Phone: 780.926.9553
HILLSIDE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (EMC*) is
looking for a FULL-TIME OR INTERIM PASTOR
position. Previous experience is preferred and
housing is available.
Hillside Christian Fellowship is a rural church
located on HWY 697 in the Buffalo Head Prairie area,
about 25 km from the hamlet of La Crete in Northern
Alberta. The industries that drive our community
are farming and logging. We have approximately
55 people attending each Sunday.
For further information contact:
Jim Friesen at [email protected]
780.928.3880 (work) or 780.926.7717 (cell)
LA CRETE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (EMC*)
is seeking candidates to fill the role of SENIOR
PASTOR.
LCCF is located in a beautiful, prosperous farming/
logging community in Northern Alberta. We are
a multi-generational congregation with a strong
commitment to missions. Our average Sunday
attendance is 450.
The senior pastor would be a team member working
with and providing general oversight to the associate
pastor, youth pastor, office staff, lay minister and a
large, supportive ministerial.
He would have appropriate Bible college education
and preferably a number of years of pastoral
experience. He would agree with the EMC Statement
of Faith and Church Practices.
Duties include but are not limited to, preaching,
teaching, some administration and officiating at
various church functions.
More information can be found at www.lccfc.ca
Please contact:
Phone: 780.928.3783 if you can serve together
with us in this capacity.
MENNVILLE EMC, a rural congregation with an
attendance of about 90, located in Manitoba's
Interlake region, seeks a FULL OR PART-TIME
PASTOR. The pastor will work with a ministerial
team to renew and grow the church. College
or seminary training and pastoral experience
are definite assets. Starting date is flexible and
salary will reflect EMC guidelines. A candidate
should be a collaborative leader (team player),
comfortable in the pulpit and in pastoral care,
familiar with the EMC Statement of Faith, and
respectful of various cultures and rural living.
Contact:
Terry Dueck at [email protected]
EMC = Evangelical Mennonite Conference
EMMC = Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference
www.gomission.ca Volunteer Caretaker
Couple
Kerith Retreats is a ministry of Focus on the
Family Canada, located near Calgary Alberta and
Winnipeg Manitoba. Our goal is to bring refreshing
and renewal to Pastors, Missionaries and other in
vocational ministry. We do this mainly through our
seven day retreats, where guests receive rest,
teaching and personal coaching.
As this ministry expands, we are in need of another
couple to do the “behind the scenes” work that
makes these retreats possible, and to support the
retreat leaders in their work with retreat guests.
While this is a volunteer position, housing and
utilities will be provided.
A Caretaker couple will bring their own unique
abilities and interests to the ministry, so there may
be some flexibility in the job description.
We are looking for a couple who:
- Enjoy working with their hands and who have
an eye for detail.
- Work well together and have a marriage that
is close
- Have a heart for people in ministry
- Have experience in operating a facility
- Have good skills - working with others
- Are self-motivated and able to work within
a team
- Who enjoy a supportive role in ministry
- Can commit a minimum of 2 years to this
ministry
Your role would be:
- Responsible for all facility maintenance including,
- Janitorial
- Upkeep of buildings, equipment and operating systems
- Landscaping and winter site maintenance
- Working with Host couples and other volunteers
as required
- Retreat Prep as required
- Housekeeping – Pre and Post retreat
- Assist with retreats as a resource as needed
- Purchasing and maintaining supplies
Contact Randy at [email protected] (Focus on the
Family) for more information.
Did you know ...
There are a variety of ways to make
a donation to EMMC/Go Mission!
Cheques, cash and money orders are
always welcome.
To donate online, go to www.
gomission.ca and click on the “donate”
button on the home page. Regular
monthly contributions through bank
transfers can be arranged. Just call
EMMC/Go Mission! Home Office at
204.253.7929 and we will be happy
to assist.
Mailing address: EMMC / Go
Mission!
757 St. Anne’s Road, Winnipeg,
Manitoba CANADA R2N 4G6
p 204.253.7927 | f 204.256.7384
www.gomission.ca
May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3 The Recorder
27
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The Recorder, May / June 2015, Volume 52, Number 3
www.gomission.ca