VISION IS A CLEAR MENTAL PICTURE OF A PREFERABLE FUTURE
Week 2
The FMCIC has a rich and compelling story, a Gospel story of people discovering Jesus, of the vulnerable and those hurting finding justice, and millions experiencing freedom in Christ! We are unapologetically Bible people, and because of Jesus’ love, we are learning to become people of peace. Your local church is an important part of the story.
Today let’s start by remembering our guiding principles (remember that over the next few weeks we are remembering our story). The following is a working contemporary version of our “frees”, combined with Methodist distinctives (by “working” we mean that it is an open document, which we can continue to work on, edit and shape). These guiding principles were originally drafted in order to equip us to have a ready answer for a stranger or new friend on a plane ride, at a bus stop, at school or at work, to the question “what is a Free Methodist anyway?”:
Freedom: Free Methodists want to introduce people to Jesus, change the world one person at a time, and alleviate suffering.
Justice: Free Methodists pursue diversity and call out systemic and racial injustice in our communities, our country, and around the world.
Inclusion: Free Methodists serve and advocate for the vulnerable, oppressed, marginalized, and people of all races and ethnicities in our communities.
Discipleship: Free Methodists follow Jesus’ relational discipleship approach. This means we actually want to hang out with people just like Jesus did. We want to know people and be known.
Innovation: Free Methodists welcome a wide variety of new church ideas, in whatever shape, size, or creative expression God is revealing..
Jesus: Today, we still strive to align every part of our lives with Jesus and to live in community with Him and others because we are created to belong.
The question then is how? How will we posture ourselves to accomplish all this? How do we become these truths and values? How do you live into these six guiding principles? We have a 3-5 YEAR FMCIC MINISTRY PLAN (something we want every local church to develop). Your ministry plan (or strategic plan, or vision plan, or whatever you choose to call it) will not only tell your story, it is your prayerful, Spirit-filled effort to accomplish our story.
Take a moment this week to consider the FREES above. Pray into each one: that FMCIC would be living each one, that you would live into each one, that your local church would live into each one…
Our National Prayer Team Leader had a family emergency last week so he asked if we could postpone midday national 30 minute prayer times until this week – so we have. You are absolutely welcome to jump into a national zoom prayer time this week. They are 30 minutes, from noon-12:30 EST each day this week. We continue to use the same prayer guide as we did last week. Please join us.
The zoom link to the prayer meeting is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83398497735
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
2nd Tuesday of each month: What’s Got You Thinking?
(New editions of ‘What’s Got You Thinking?’ will resume a little later in the year)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rev. Carol Smith – Associate Pastor, Northview Community Church, Regina, SK – retired as of December 31
Rev. Peter Tursa (Retired Ordained Minister) – serving as Transition Pastor at Bramalea Free Methodist Church, Brampton, ON, effective January 9
Pastor Keith Deyo – appointed as Interim Pastor at Marmora Free Methodist Church, Marmora, ON, effective January 8
ORDINATION SERVICES
None scheduled
2023 FMCIC INTERNSHIP PROGRAM https://fmcic.ca/intern-prog/
The FMCiC Internship Program exists to build healthy leaders for The Free Methodist Church in Canada and beyond. We invite any local church interested in participating in the FMCiC internship program to review the detailed information on the website (see link above) and apply online. The deadline to apply for a 2023 FMCiC-sponsored internship is FEBRUARY 28, 2023.
The Canada Summer Jobs 2023 applications are due by January 12, 2023: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/canada-summer-jobs.html
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES https://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:
- Tyndale University – “John Wesley’s Theology: Renewing the Heart, Renewing the Church” https://www.tyndale.ca/syllabi/winter/2023/theo-0629
- 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 (jpedlar@tyndale.ca)
- FMC-USA NEW! Anytime on Pathwright (multiple instructor choices)
- Self-paced, up to 8 months to complete
- 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:https://fmcic.ca/scholarships/
LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP PLAN (LSP) [APPLY TWICE PER YEAR]:
[PLEASE NOTE: The FMCiC preference for LSP is for students to attend one of the approved schools on this list. However, if you decide to apply to a non-approved school, you must first send a request to the Credentialing Coordinator to determine whether the committee will approve funding for you to study at a non-approved school. Along with your request, please include a written explanation as to why you are choosing to study at a non-approved institution. It is strongly recommended that you do this before paying tuition, and well in advance of the LSP deadline. The Credentialing Coordinator, along with the LSP committee, will consider each request individually and according to LSP policy.
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 are now 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://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
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 – davika.dotson@fmcic.ca (deadline to apply in brackets)
Bracebridge, ON – New Hope FMC (part-time) [February 14]
Hilton Beach, ON – St. Joseph Island FMC (full time) (February 7]
Kingston, ON – Polson Park FMC (full time) [January 31]
Madoc, ON – Madoc Free Methodist/Wesleyan Church (full time) [January 31]
Sault Ste Marie, ON – Hillside FMC (full-time) [February 21]
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.
Brampton, ON – Bramalea FMC (Rev. Peter Tursa – Transition Pastor)
Brantford, ON – The Open Door Church (Rev. Greg Pulham – retiring Apr 30)
Campbellford, ON – Campbellford FMC (Rev. Leonard Bruce – Interim Pastor)
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 (Pastor Keith Deyo – Interim Pastor)
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 (Rev. Mary Lee DeWitt – Transition Pastor)
Seeley’s Bay, ON – Pine Grove
Tillsonburg, ON – Open Arms Church
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Senior Director of Church Health and Planting – FMCiC National Office
Part-time Children’s Pastor, Part-time Worship Leader – New Hope Methodist Church
Café Manager – Arlington Woods FMC
