God has placed us in a family and/or body. We need each other to stay centered in Christ. The Board is appointing a Theology Committee that will take special interest in guiding this area, nudging us along in our journey of discovering the beauty of Jesus and his ways.
Posted by: Jacob Friesen
Church: Nassau Street Church Winnipeg
Date: April 30th, 2011
There is a vision growing in my heart that we would rapidly multiply ourselves – as disciples and as churches. Rick Wood of Mission Frontiers says that in many parts of the world the church is multiplying at an incredible rate. Why not here in North America? He suggests we will never experience the joy of of healthy reproduction…
If we continue to insist that we have a church building..
If we continue to insist that every church be led by a full time pastor….
If we continue to insist on supporting emerging movements with foreign funding…
If we continue to violate all the aspects of ministry that characterizes the church were it is rapidly multiplying, then we should not be surprised when we do not see the church growing in our midst.
How much are we willing to give up in order to bring the gospel to those who have not yet heard or had a chance to respond?
Read the article by clicking here 33-2-editorial-2
Check out some other great resources here.
How can we help each other towards healthy multiplication? What is stopping us from healthy growth? John 15, the great commission, are a few basis for my prayer and vision.
What are your thoughts?
Posted by: Dean Huber
Church: Hepburn Gospel Church Hepburn, Sask
Date: April 30th, 2011
Alternative Draft for the MISSION STATEMENT
“We strive to be a community of believers marveling at God’s amazing grace as shown to us in Christ Jesus, living in obedience to the Word of God and urging people everywhere to repent and be reconciled to God.”
Last year in September at a General Council meeting in Winnipeg we were first introduced to a process of establishing a new “Mission Statement” that would define and direct the work of EMMC and it’s new GoMission initiative. This has been further debated on the GoMission webpage involving a limited number of “bloggers.” Other less public discussions have continued and as Region 1 appointed new reps the discussion has continued, with a consensus that the existing wording did not adequately express our understanding of a “Mission Statement” in the language that was easily understood at the grass roots level in our region.
Therefore we are proposing the following statement for consideration: We strive to be a community of believers marveling at God’s amazing grace as shown to us in Christ Jesus, living in obedience to the Word of God and urging people everywhere to repent and be reconciled to God.
Below is also a short glossary of listing some of the key words and thoughts behind choosing this wording.
Commentary:
“strive” cp. Psalm 63:1 “…earnestly I seek you…”
“community” cp. Eph. 3:6 “…members together of one body…”
“believers” cp. 1 John 3:23, 24 “ …this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him..”
“marveling” cp. 2 Thess. 1:10, “on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.”
“obedience” cp. Mt. 7:21 “ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
“Word of God” cp. 2 Tim. 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”
“repent” cp. Luke 13:3 “But unless you repent, you too will all perish”
“urge , reconcile” cp. 2 Cor. 5:20b “We implore you on Christ’s behalf:
‘Be reconciled to God’ ”.
We recognize the importance of a “Mission Statement” that clearly states our purpose and one that will guide staff and councils in be faithful in giving leadership to the EMMC churches.
Region 1 Chair
Dean Huber
Posted by: Len
Church: Metro Community Kelowna, BC
Date: April 30th, 2011
We are just beginning our series in the Gospel of John. We decided to spend six weeks seeing the world and the good news in Christ through John’s eyes for a number of reasons. But the most basic is the picture of Jesus that emerges, and his engagement in the world on his mission of peace. John starts with the incarnation – that God really took flesh. That God entered our world and lived among us, took a huge risk and became vulnerable. And moved into the neighbourhood.
No dualism here of earth and heaven, matter and spirit. God really loves the world.
Dualism – that body is somehow less than spirit, or that God hates matter – invades our churches and our theology, and then enters our practice. We end up creating fortresses against the evil world, and only wall ourselves off from the world that God loves. Worse – we start to think everything in the church is good, and everything in the world is evil. Eventually our illusions dissolve and we discover that sin comes with us to church, and goodness exists in the world. Of course – God is at work in all places because the light has entered our darkness.
Alan Hirsch offered some great diagrams that are helpful on this issues years ago in his first book, and then more recent again in “Right Here, Right Now.” Here is the link to the original bit of writing.