Intercultural Engagement Team has been diligent in their discernment this past year, and they are continuing to discern God’s direction for the FMCiC and “intercultural mission” around the world. They are asking good and important questions like: “Where has God gone on before us, and already opened opportunity for life-giving mission?” and “How can we better mobilize the FMCiC to engage in these opportunities and work together for a greater impact?”
Thanks to the work of the IET, and Team Leader Adam Kline, this past year we have brought into a greater focus for the FMCiC the value and necessity of friendship with our indigenous brothers and sisters here at home. In addition to this, our churches now have the opportunity to host an event that educates and creates common ground for relationship and reconciliation, which includes the significant and meaningful “Blanket Exercise.”
The IET has also pursued partnerships with campus ministries for international students and those new to Canada, and internationally, they continue to work closely with International Child Care Ministries and Tearfund Canada.
As a result of all this, the IET has recognized the need for Rev. Adam Kline to increase the number of hours he invests weekly into the IET. The Marmora FM Church (where Adam pastors part-time) has partnered with the IET in order to make this happen – they have freed their pastor to now work 20 hrs/week for both them and the IET with the start of the new year. Thank you, Marmora, for your sacrifice and support of this work! The implication is that now this extra pay will come from the IET Giving Stream.
Churches and Missions Committees, please remember to designate “missions” funds to this Giving Stream. FMCiC has an opportunity to discern God’s leading for us as a Church – a healthy IET Giving Stream is essential for this to happen. Thank you for your generous gifts this past year and thank you for your 2020 gifts to the Missions Giving Stream.
David and Jennifer Wright have been home from Niger for just over 2.5 years. Let me start with a big thank you to the Wrights: Thank you for your obedience and faithfulness to God’s leading through all your years of ministering in Niger, and thank you for allowing many of us to support you and learn from you. Steps are now being taken to transfer the Niger work to FMUSA. As many of you know, this past year the Wrights have explored the opportunity for Francophone Ministry through our Quebec-French-speaking churches. This has now come to an end, and the Wrights are prayerfully considering their next steps as their current contract with the FMCiC will be completed at the end of December. Please pray for the Wrights as they discern God’s continued leading in their lives.
Churches, please continue (or begin) to support the Intercultural Engagement Team Giving Stream (formally Global Missions) as this team mobilizes our local churches to work with Sri Lanka, Ghana, International Child Care Ministries (who is all over the world – and are inviting you to actually come with them on a mission experience in order to develop a mission partnership beyond Canada), Tearfund, Quebec, new Canadians, and developing a friendship with our First Nations brothers and sisters. The IET also is available and EAGER to work with your local church to help develop an actual 3-5 Mission / IET Plan. Please give generously to this team.
2020! Thank you FMCiC for a very good ministry year! There is so much to be encouraged by. In the next few weeks we will begin to publish the recommendations and initiatives that we will be discussing and voting on at General Conference. These are organizational changes, policy, vision, identity and recommendations that we must further develop. Weekly we will introduce one more of these in order for your leadership teams and membership to consider. We will be asking you to ask clarifying questions and concerns to the appropriate sponsors of the particular recommendation. It should give us plenty of time to prepare our thoughts prayerfully, and our hearts for our General Conference.
But on this last Tuesday of 2019 allow me to bless you with this verse Numbers 6:24-26 and these words to lean into in 2020:
FMCiC may the Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.
Prayer. Courage. Creativity. Unity. Love.
MEDIA CONNECTIONS
Church Health Thursdays – What Mr. Church Health Wants for Christmas: https://fmcic.ca/what-mr-church-health-wants-for-christmas/
News & Stories Blog – First Response Bags: https://fmcic.ca/first-response-bags/
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 Network: The 2019 New Leaf Advent Reader – : https://www.newleafnetwork.ca/podcast/
ANNOUNCEMENTS
None this week
ORDINATION AND COMMISSIONING SERVICES
Rev. Todd Stelmach (Kingston, ON) – ordination service on February 2nd at 4 pm at Rustle Free Methodist Church, Kingston
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES https://fmcic.ca/foundational-courses/
Register online through the link above
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 5-7, 2020 – at Kingsview Free Methodist Church, Etobicoke, ON
November 6-8, 2020 – location TBA*
Wesleyan Theology:
June 5-7, 2020 – location TBA*
November 6-8, 2020 – location TBA*
(also available online through FMC-USA: http://fmcusa.org/leadership/courses/)
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:
Ontario course date and location TBA*
Personal and Church Stewardship:
5-week online course (FRENCH) – start date – TBA
6-week online course (ENGLISH) – start date – June 1, 2020
(* These course locations are selected based on where the majority of the participants reside – so please register early! Note: Tuition payment is not required when registering for a course. Payment is due 10 days before the course begins.)
2020 SCHOLARSHIPS https://fmcic.ca/scholarships/
February 15 is the deadline to apply for the Leadership Scholarship Plan (LSP) for any courses taken during the winter semester of 2020. The 2020 application forms and instructions are now available to download from the link above.
October 15 is the deadline to apply for the annual Special Scholarships for courses taken during 2020 – apply online from the link above.
CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEUs) https://fmcic.ca/introduction-to-continuing-education/
Ordained and Commissioned Ministers (except retirees) are to annually report Continuing Education Units (CEUs) acquired during each year. Check the link above for information on CEUs, the report form and a list of examples of many different types of life-long learning that can be applied as CEUs.
Note: For those who attend the fall Minister’s Conferences, add 6 hours of CEU credit when you send in your annual CEU report.
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CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
Interviewing
Athens FMC, Athens, ON
Lakeland Community Church, Spiritwood, SK
Queensway FMC, Niagara Falls, ON
Church Profiles available
Contact Susan DePlanché in the Leadership Development Office to request a church profile – susan.deplanche@fmcic.ca or 289-228-1225 (deadline to apply in brackets)
None available at this time
Preparing Profiles
(If you are interested in seeing the profile for any of these churches, please contact Susan in the Leadership Development Office [susan.deplanche@fmcic.ca or 289-228-1225] and the profile will be emailed to you as soon as it becomes available.)
Campbellford FMC, Campbellford, ON
Cedar Street Community Church, Simcoe, ON
Eyebrow FMC, Eyebrow, SK
First FM Church, New Westminster, BC
Pineview FMC, Cloyne, ON
Richmond Hill Chinese & English FM Churches, Richmond Hill, ON
Smiths Falls FMC, Smiths Falls, ON (Rev. Aaron Birtch – Transition Pastor)
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Executive Director – Wesley Acres Christian Retreat Centre
Executive Director – Arlington Beach Camp and Conference Centre
Youth Pastor – Malvern Methodist
