Cliffs Notes: December 13, 2022

A GENEROUS OFFER FOR YOUTH LEADERS & FMCiC PRAYER WEEK JANUARY 1-7, 2023

Pastors, boards with a youth leader or pastor who you would like to further invest in: The FMCiC has been offered 5 free spots. I have known Joey Molloy for many years, and “Implementa” is the real thing. I would love to have 5 of us enrolled in the next course…

Greetings Free Methodist Youth Leaders,

implementa is a youth ministry certificate training program designed to help youth leaders who are ‘in the trenches’ grow in their youth ministry skills. Whether it is the development of a youth ministry philosophy, recruiting and training of youth workers or something as ’simple’ as planning your ministry calendar, we have you covered. Our unique approach is to not just teach sound youth ministry principles, but to come along side and help coach them right into your local ministry. We don’t just want you to learn, we want to help you implement!

More information can be found here but for now, please consider this special offer for the Free Methodist Church in Canada. We would like to offer you one FREE course ($500 value). This course is entitled “Philosophy of Youth Ministry” and will run for ten weeks beginning February 27, 2023. We will meet online for one hour each Monday evening and then set up an agreeable time bi-weekly that we can meet one on one.

This offer is limited to the first five people qualified registrants.

January 1-7, 2023 FMCiC Prayer Week!

Please pray for this new season in the Free Methodist Church in Canada. We are inviting all of our churches to participate in a week of prayer and fasting.

Fasting is prayer more than words, sometimes better than us simply using our words! It’s your spirit and body engaging in prayer. Fasting is a little bit like the most sincere and urgent emoji, or underlining, or bolding. So please take a meal or two to fast for the FMCiC family.

The following is a prayer guide. My hope is that you not only intercede for the following, but LISTEN daily to the Spirit for each of the following. Listen for what He may say to you about your personal involvement, or names that He might bring to mind that you should forward (for instance we need Board of Admin members from different regions, and we are hiring 2 new Directors). Listen for Bible verses that He may give you, or a clear word that He might have for you or us. Intercede, listen, fast, worship, with your Bible, for your Free Methodist Church in Canada family. Each day let’s also read 2 Chronicles 7:14, and reflect on one element: 

Sunday Jan 1 – A) “If my people which are called by my name”. B) Watch the national service that has been prepared (links will be sent out). C) Thank God for FMCiC! Be thankful for all He has done and is currently doing in our local churches;

Monday Jan 2 – A) “Will humble themselves and pray”; B) Pray for our pastorschaplainschurch planters and missionaries;

Tuesday Jan 3 – A) “And seek My face”; B) Pray for our leaders (local boards, National Board of Administration, National Leadership Team.) Pray that we would be a prayerful movement, grounded in Scripture, one in vision and strategy;


Wednesday Jan 4 – A) “And turn from their wicked ways”; B) Pray for our New hires (Director of Administrative Services, Director of Church Health & Planting), and new or future pastors, missionaries, chaplains and leaders. Pray that God will raise up new leaders and that we will pay attention / disciple who He is raising up!

Thursday Jan 5 – A) “I will hear their prayers”; B) Pray for our Ministerial Education, Guidance, and Placement Committee (MEGAP), Study Commission on Doctrine (SCOD), Nominating Committee, Management Committee, Racial Justice & Ethnic Equity Task Force, LGBTQ2S+ Task Force, and Intergenerational Task Force.

Friday Jan 6 – A) “I will forgive their sins”; B) Pray for our Intergenerational Engagement Team (“missions”) as this team mobilizes us to be responsive as a movement to local, national and international mission. See IET’s recent highlights bulletin.

Saturday Jan 7 – A) “I will heal their land”; B) FMCIC Teams: National Prayer Team, Retired Ministers (Engagement and Support), Church Health, Leadership Development, Church Planting, Women in Ministry, Personnel Team and Generosity Team.

Wonderful news to report: Rev. Jessica Isaak has agreed to chair the LGBTQ2S+ Task Force, and Al Chan has agreed to be vice-chair. Remember that all questions, comments or concerns should be directed to the task force at https://fmcic.ca/task-forces/lgbtq2s/.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

Tuesdays: Cliff’s Notes
2nd Tuesday of each month: What’s Got You Thinking? 
4th Thursday of each month: Church Health Thursday 
 
Check out all the latest photos from around the FMCiC here:

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pastor Zachary Wallace – released from appointment as Associate Pastor, New Heights Community Church, Mission, BC, and as a Ministerial Candidate, effective November 22
 
Pastor Danny Arévalo – employed as Lead Pastor, First FMC, New Westminster, BC, effective November 15

ORDINATION SERVICES
None scheduled
  
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES 
http://www.fmcic.ca/foundational-courses/
Register online through the link above (Tuition payment is not required when registering for a course.  Payment is due 10 days before the course begins.)

Lay Ministers tracking for credentialed ministry and those transferring ordination credentials into the FMCIC need to take the following two courses for full credit – and if possible, the Heart course first and then Wesleyan Theology.

Heart of Canadian Free Methodism:
June 2-4, 2023 – Uxbridge FMC, Uxbridge, ON


Wesleyan Theology:
June 2-4, 2023 – location TBA*

Also available:

    • Offered January 13 – April 10, 2023 in hybrid format: Two Fridays of “live” class (in-person or online) on January 27 and March 17, plus online lectures and discussions.
    • Available for seminary or undergraduate credit
    • For more info contact James Pedlar ([email protected])
  • FMC-USA  NEW! Anytime on Pathwright (multiple instructor choices)
    • Self-paced, up to 8 months to complete
                              OR
    • 8-week intensive version, select Instructor Vaughan (session start dates: Jan. 2, Feb. 27, May 1, June 26, Aug. 21, Oct. 16)
  • Central Christian College Feb/23 online, 6 weeks, asynchronous
  • Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan University

Ministerial Candidates tracking for Commissioned or Ordained Minister are required to take the following two courses for full credit.  Those who are already commissioned or ordained are required to either audit these two courses for 1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) each or take the two courses and complete the assignments for 3 CEUs each.

Culture and the Missional Church:
Date and location TBA*

Personal Stewardship:
5-week online course – Start Date TBA  

(* These course locations are selected based on where the majority of the participants reside – so please register early!)

2023 SCHOLARSHIPS:http://www.fmcic.ca/scholarships/

LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP PLAN (LSP) [APPLY TWICE PER YEAR]:
The Leadership Scholarship Plan (LSP) provides financial assistance to candidates who are studying to meet the educational requirements for credentialed ministry, or for members of conference pursuing continuing education.

February 15 is the next deadline to apply for LSP for any courses taken during the winter semester of 2023. The 2023 application forms and instructions will soon be available to download from the link above.  Please use the application forms marked “rev 2023.”

SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS [APPLY ONCE PER YEAR]:
The Special Scholarships provide financial assistance to those who are members of a Free Methodist church pursuing post-secondary education to grow in their Christian faith, to those who are pursuing credentialed ministry, and to members of conference pursuing continuing education.

October 15 is the deadline to apply for the annual Special Scholarships for courses taken during the 2023 calendar year – apply online anytime from the link above.  Special Scholarships are awarded in late November/early December each year.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEU’S)   https://www.fmcic.ca/introduction-to-continuing-education/
Ordained and Commissioned Ministers (except retirees) are to annually report hours acquired during each year for Continuing Education Units (CEUs).  Check the link above for information on CEUs, and a list of examples of many different types of life-long learning that can be applied as CEUs.

You can now send a report online anytime you have hours to submit for CEUs.  Here is the link:   https://fmcic.wufoo.com/forms/continuing-education-unit-ceu-report-form/

Note:  For those who attend the fall Minister’s Conferences or the spring Regional Gatherings, attendance is now taken at these events so 6 hours of CEU credit for each event will automatically be recorded.

For those who took courses and/or did in-depth research and learning about how to make the changes required during the pandemic (ie how to live-stream services), add the number of those hours to your annual CEU report.

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CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
Interviewing
Hilton Beach, ON – St. Joseph Island FMC
Thornbury, ON – Blue Mountain Community Church
Warkworth, ON – Warkworth FMC

Church Profiles Available
Contact Davika Dotson in the Leadership Development Office to request a church profile – [email protected] (deadline to apply in brackets)

Kingston, ON – Polson Park FMC (full time) [January 31]
Madoc, ON – Madoc Free Methodist/Wesleyan Church (full time) [January 31]

Preparing Profiles
If you are interested in seeing the profile for any of these churches, please contact Davika in the Leadership Development Office [see above] and the profile will be emailed to you as soon as it becomes available.

Bracebridge, ON – New Hope FMC (Gary Denniss – Interim Pastor)
Brampton, ON – Bramalea FMC
Brantford, ON – The Open Door Church
Campbellford, ON – Campbellford FMC (Rev. Leonard Bruce – Interim Pastor, effective Jan 1/23)
Cloyne, ON – Pineview FMC
Dunnville, ON – Dunnville FMC (Rev. Neale Robb – Interim Pastor)
Frankford, ON – Frankford Community Church
Kingston, ON – Kingscourt Free Methodist Church
Marmora, ON – Marmora FMC
Richmond Hill, ON – Richmond Hill Chinese & English FM Churches (Rev. Louis Leung – Interim Pastor)
Salmon Arm BC – Lakeside Community Church
Sarnia, ON – New Horizons Community Church
Sault Ste Marie, ON – Sault Ste Marie FMC
Seeley’s Bay, ON – Pine Grove
Tillsonburg, ON – Open Arms Church

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES


NEW Senior Director of Church Health and Planting – FMCiC National Office

NEW Part-time Children’s Pastor, Part-time Worship Leader – New Hope Methodist Church

Café Manager – Arlington Woods FMC

Senior Director of Administrative Services – FMCiC National Office

Unique Associate Pastor Opportunity – Trulls Road FMC

Associate Pastor of Worship Ministry – Northview Community Church