Please pray for our pastors as they meet together this week in Saskatoon, and the Eastern pastors meet next week at Wesley Acres Campground. The Leadership Development Team has helped shape this event, and their purpose is to create a space for pastors to be ministered to, be refreshed. We will pray, worship in music, learn, communion, eat, play and laugh TOGETHER – it’ll be so good to be together. My friends, please know that we will also pray for you our FMCiC family.
I read an Evangelical Fellowship of Canada poll which stated that 74% of evangelicals feel that we are important to Canada, but only 18% of Canadians think that we are important! In fact, 40% of Canadians think that we are a “detriment” to Canada. Some of this has to do with the word “evangelical”. People automatically associate us with an American brand of evangelicalism that is not Free Methodist.
The question really is, how do we solve this disparity and understanding? What will you do and what will our churches do in order to change our neighbours’ view of us? How do we tell others about Jesus, when so many do not want us around, or trust us, or even like us? We need to pray and then choose to have important conversations. And then live fully into what it means to be Spirit-filled followers of Jesus… Hmmm? Maybe that’s the next most important conversation: are you “Spirit-filled”, walking in the Spirit, with the Spirit? What does this look like?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
2nd Tuesday of each month: What’s Got You Thinking? New Episode Available
4th Thursday of each month: Church Health Thursday
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rev. Scott Jones – appointed as Lead Pastor at Rymal Road Community Church, Stoney Creek, ON, effective November 14
ORDINATION SERVICES
October 16 at 11:45 AM – Nathaniel Prakash – Surrey FMC, Surrey, BC
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES https://fmcic.ca/
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:
November 4-6, 2022, – location TBA*
Wesleyan Theology:
November 4-6, 2022, – location TBA*
Also available:
- Tyndale University – “John Wesley’s Theology: Renewing the Heart, Renewing the Church”
- https://www.tyndale.ca/seminary/course/theo-0629
- Offered Winter 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 http://fmcusa.org/leadership/courses/
- as a 7-week intensive online course: Wesleyan Theology [#74W] Dr. Robert Vaughan – start date: Nov 1
- as a correspondence course (8 months to complete): Wesleyan Theology (#74C), Dr. Allen Wachter
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 and Church 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!)
2022 SCHOLARSHIPS https://fmcic.ca/scholarships/
LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP PLAN (LSP):
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.
October 15 is the deadline to apply for LSP for any courses taken during the summer and/or fall semesters of 2022. The 2022 application forms and instructions are now available to download from the link above. Please use the application forms marked “rev 2022.”
SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS:
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 2022 calendar year – apply online anytime from the link above. Special Scholarships are awarded in late November/early December each year.
CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEUs) https://fmcic.ca/
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
New Westminster, BC – First FMC
Salmon Arm BC – Lakeside Community Church
Sarnia, ON – New Horizons Community Church
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)
None available this week
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
Brampton, ON – Bramalea FMC
Campbellford, ON – Campbellford FMC
Cloyne, ON – Pineview FMC
Dunnville, ON – Dunnville FMC (Rev. Neale Robb – Interim Pastor)
Frankford, ON – Frankford Community Church
Kingston, ON – Polson Park FMC
Madoc, ON – Madoc Free Methodist/Wesleyan Church
Richmond Hill, ON – Richmond Hill Chinese & English FM Churches (Rev. Louis Leung – Interim Pastor)
Sault Ste Marie, ON – Sault Ste Marie FMC
Tillsonburg, ON – Open Arms Community Church
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Unique Associate Pastor Opportunity – Trulls Road FMC
