CliffsNotes – September 26, 2017

This past weekend I was with 33 other FMCIC leaders who love you and are all about making us stronger as a movement: National Ministerial Education Guidance and Placement (MEGaP) Committee. We recognized that our role as a committee is to “discern” God’s will with churches and leaders – no small responsibility. We prayed. We listened to each other. We dreamed. We worked on policy. We shared communion and we prayed. We also said grace a lot because we ate a lot (I would be too ashamed to tell you about my relationship with the dessert table at Mt. Carmel Conference Centre).

33 strong leaders in one room having to make big decisions – career altering, career starting, disciplining, divorce reviewing, movement shifting decisions. How does that happen without people getting voted off the island or worse, the Lord of Flies outcome? Why do Society Meetings, Board meetings, church camp general meetings turn nasty when all the main players supposedly “love Jesus”? And I wonder if the things we end up fighting about are the things Jesus actually had on His mind while He hung on the cross? I assure you that He wasn’t thinking about the drums being too loud, the colour of the carpet, the decorations in the building, the kind of bread that is used at communion, or why person ‘A’ didn’t ask person ‘B’ to be an usher that weekend!

The book Pursuing God’s Will Together is a great discussion starter (actually, the BOA is currently moving through this book chapter by chapter – as have many of our local church boards), and in it, the author describes how at the start of meetings, Quakers may ask the congregation “are you indifferent?” Indifferent to every other voice or opinion except for God’s. Indifferent to my own will or convenience or agenda, and concerned only with God’s agenda. Concerned first of all that Christ will be at the center of this meeting and not me. I imagine those types of meetings are the type that I’d want my neighbor to come to in order to meet Jesus!

Board Questions: How does a board commit to indifference? Write a prayer and covenant together about indifference. How should a participant prepare oneself for a meeting? Can we hear and experience the leading of God?

One last note: FMCIC is a grateful partner with World Relief. I have asked our own FM’er, Rev. Don Miller who is on World Relief staff, to remind you of what this partnership is all about:

Greetings friends,

As a Free Methodist Pastor, I am so thankful to be a part of a denomination that cares for people. People in our local communities, across the country, or somewhere around the world. Our unique partnership with World Relief Canada facilitates that world impact.

From the time World Relief came into existence 45 years ago, an important part of our prayerful mission has been to partner with churches like yours and help them respond to God’s call to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves [and to] ensure justice for those being crushed” (Proverbs 31:8).

My prayerful mission is to learn about what is on your heart and on the heart of Free Methodist congregations and then connect and resource you to reach out and serve the world’s poorest people in the name of Jesus Christ. If Jesus says that God’s kingdom can start with a simple mustard seed, then he can surely use even our smallest efforts to pray… to give… to serve… to speak out… for the world’s poorest people.

World Relief Sunday is our opportunity to do something together. Currently there are 20 FM Churches that are already committed to participate. This partnership will return 30 % of funds raised to the Free Methodist Church in Canada for the Bishop’s Relief Fund.

You choose a Sunday that works for you and we provide all the resources you need. Whether you plan to dedicate the whole Sunday Service time to World Relief Sunday, or just a portion of time, we have all that you need. (Including sermon, small group discussion questions, children’s and youth resources and video) Proper preparation and prayer can lead to an exciting Sunday of responding to the needs in God’s World!

World Relief Canada provides you with simple promotional resources for your church leading up to your World Relief Sunday. These resources can be easily downloaded to be printed or ordered for mailing at www.worldrelief.ca. You are able to pick and choose what you want to use (or use them all!)

Register today at worldreliefsunday.com and once registered you will be given a link to download all the resources.

If you have any questions, please email me at dmiller@worldrelief.ca or call me direct at 613-371-6246.

Don Miller

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MEDIA CONNECTIONS

Church Health Thursdays – How to do Family Ministry Without Having a Family Ministry: https://fmcic.ca/how-to-do-family-ministry-without-having-a-family-ministry/New
News & Stories Blog – Welcome Rachel:https://fmcic.ca/welcome-rachel/
the conneXion
– a Free Methodist theology blog: 3 Minute Theology 2.5: Knowing the Bible Inside Out: https://fmcic.ca/3-minute-theology-2-5-knowing-the-bible-inside-out/
New Leaf Podcast: Learning Party Talks – Greg Paul: https://www.newleafnetwork.ca/podcast/ep-49-learning-party-talks-greg-paul/ New
Faith and Finances Website: http://faithandfinances.ca
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/FMCIC
LifePlan Study Team Files
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PHOTO GALLERY
National MEGaP


Do you know someone who would like to receive CliffsNotes? They can now sign up through the website at:https://fmcic.ca/cliffsnotes-signup/


SCHOLARSHIPS

The next deadline is October 15, 2017 to apply for both the Leadership Scholarship Plan (LSP) for the summer and fall semesters of 2017, and for the Special Scholarships. More information is available at this link:https://fmcic.ca/scholarships/

FOUNDATIONAL COURSES

Heart of Canadian Free Methodism:
Nov 3-5, 2017 at Trulls Road FMC, Courtice, ON

Wesleyan Theology:
Nov 3-5, 2017 at First FMC, New Westminster, BC
(also available online through FMC-USA: http://fmcusa.org/leadership/courses/)

Personal and Church Stewardship
6-week online course – October 16, 2017

Culture and the Missional Church:
*NEW*  Course starts October 2, 2017

Advance online engagement:  Oct 2-26 / In-class: Oct 27-28 at Whitby FMC, Whitby, ON
(deadline to register – September 30)

Registration is online for all courses at this link: https://fmcic.ca/foundational-courses/. Those tracking for credentialed ministry should take the Heart course first and then Wesleyan Theology if possible.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ANNOUNCEMENTS

N/A

Ordination and Commissioning
N/A


CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
Interviewing
Dryden FMC, Dryden, ON
Warkworth FMC, Warkworth, ON

Church Profiles available
(Contact Susan DePlanché at the Personnel Office to request a church profile –susan.deplanche@fmcic.ca)

Harrowsmith FMC, Harrowsmith, ON – Personnel Office receiving resumes until October 10
Rustle FMC, Kingston, ON – Personnel Office receiving resumes until October 17
Sault Ste Marie FMC, Sault Ste Marie, ON – Personnel Office receiving resumes until October 17

Preparing Profiles
(If you are interested in seeing the profile for any of these churches, please contact Susan at the Personnel office [susan.deplanche@fmcic.ca] and the profile will be emailed to you as soon as it becomes available.)

Athens FMC, Athens, ON
Asbury FMC, Perth, ON
Caistor Centre FMC, Caistor Centre, ON (Mary Lee DeWitt-Transition Pastor)
Cornerstone FMC, Prince Albert, SK – (Dyan Mouland-Transition Pastor)
Grapeview FMC, St. Catharines, ON
Marmora FMC, Marmora, ON
Melfort FMC, Melfort, SK
Tabernacle de la Grace, Montreal QC
Thunder Bay FMC, Thunder Bay, ON (Andre Korstanje retiring July 2018)


Functioning with approved local arrangements
Avonlea FMC, Avonlea SK
Campbell’s Bay FMC, Campbell’s Bay, QC (Orville White)
Church On The Hill, Orillia ON
Cordova Mines FM Fellowship, Cordova Mines, ON
Eglise Chrétienne Méthodiste Libre de Le Gardeur, QC (Duplan Auguste Lython)
Enterprise FMC, Enterprise, ON
Frankford Community FMC, Frankford, ON (Bruce Kellar, Transition Pastor)
Killarney FMC, Killarney, MB (Raymond Riglin)
Markham FMC, ON (K.K. Leung)
Pineview FMC, Cloyne, ON
Richmond Hill Chinese & English Churches, Richmond Hill, ON (K.K. Leung)
Roblin FMC, Roblin, MB (Heath Butler)
Surrey FMC, Surrey BC (Nathaniel Prakash)
theStory, Sarnia, ON
Timmins FMC, Timmins, ON (Lewis Byer)
Vennachar FMC, Vennachar, ON (Laurie Lemke)
Wesley Chapel Japanese FM Church, Toronto, ON (Misa Mochinaga)
Wyevale FMC, Wyevale, ON
Yarker FMC, Yarker, ON (Ken Babcock)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PASTORS IN TRANSITION

Roxanne Goodyear
Kim Henderson
Dan Sheffield
Derek Spink
Grant Wolfe
Mary-Elsie Wolfe
Wesley Wood


EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Associate Pastor – Barrie FM Church
In-Program Supervisor – Little Blessings Nursery School, Whitby, ON
Associate Pastor – Trulls Road FM Church
Youth and Children Ministry Director – Verona Free Methodist Church