A Link in the Chain: The quiet ministry of a military chaplain

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seasons - a link in the chain

As a military chaplain, Chris Willis is used to being surprised, always ready to meet the day and whatever it may hold. Chris doesn’t always know what he is walking into. From pay discrepancies to marital issues, he deals with it all. He knows the 300-400 people in the Regiment by name and they refer to Chris fondly as “padre”. As a chaplain, Chris is always there for those on the base, they confide in him, they pray together, and he shows up and truly listens to them. 

In the military, a chaplain is sometimes referred to as a “sin-bosun”, a “bosun” is a term for the worst job on a ship, cleaning up messes and handling the tasks no one else wants to do. Within the confines of his four walls, Chris can hear a lot. Life is not always simple and when it comes to people sharing with him, Chris does not want them to feel like they need to put a filter on who they are. He accepts them, dark humour and all, because he wants them to feel safe. He prioritizes where people are, not where he wants them to be. 

One of Chris’s most powerful tools in ministry is prayer. He carefully gauges someone’s background and if they would be receptive to prayer before he asks if it would be okay to pray for them. Often, the people he prays with have never prayed before, but Chris is consistently encouraged by the transformative power of prayer. He has seen firsthand how, in moments of despair, a simple prayer can help lift someone’s spirit and bring peace. 

In the military, a chaplain is sometimes referred to as a “sin-bosun”, a “bosun” is a term for the worst job on a ship, cleaning up messes and handling the tasks no one else wants to do.

Previously, Chris was a pastor, where he did a lot of preaching and telling people how it is. But in his current role as a chaplain, Chris has learned that the most important thing he can do is listen and be fully present. Chaplaincy, at its core, is a ministry of being there—simply showing up and listening. Some soldiers only talk about things with others who have been through similar things. Chris doesn’t rush to solve their problems or provide immediate answers; instead, he listens deeply, creating a space where soldiers feel heard and understood. Through these conversations, themes of suffering, resilience, and mindfulness naturally arise. Forgiveness—both giving and receiving—often becomes a central part of the journey. By being fully present in these moments, Chris doesn’t simply give them the solution to their problem but helps them find their own. 

Chris is there for those in his Regiment, whether he’s playing a game of hockey or cards, or helping those in his care walk through issues they have at home or work. He is there for them all, praying for and with them. Ultimately, Chris’s mission is to be a link in the chain that leads others to a deeper understanding of God. Whether through conversation, prayer, or simply offering a listening ear, his goal is to guide those around him toward healing, hope, and a relationship with their Heavenly Padre.

grace mcivor

 

The Brightness of Montreal

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seasons - a growing light in montreal

In evangelical circles, it seems quite common for Montreal to be referred to as a spiritually dark, desolate place. This seems discordant when most sources describe the city as bright, vibrant, often quirky, and very much alive.

The province of Quebec is largely post-Christian. Montreal, a city of nearly 3 million people, is a particularly salient example. It’s evident in looking at church buildings. Currently, at least 33 church buildings, several of them heritage sites, have been converted into community centres, libraries and sports centres. There is a chronic need for money to keep the old buildings maintained. It is abundantly clear that the city Montreal has become is very different from the city it used to be.

Our conversation with Jonathan got into some of the implications underneath the first impressions. Jonathan and Ashleigh deClet have been involved in evangelism in Montreal since 2017. Currently they serve with ServeCanada, and after we spoke together, Grace and I came out with a fuller sense of some of the needs they’ve witnessed, and the ways that they’re working to intervene. Their love of the city makes them want to change people’s perceptions.

The garden as a metaphor is particularly meaningful to Jonathan. He shared that he wants to plant the seeds that lead to new life.

One of the most urgent needs is food security. Many of the people they’re in community with are struggling to make ends meet. The ministry team feeds 500 families (2,000 people) every two weeks. Something as simple as sharing food can be a light in a dark place. They are working directly with two homes for the elderly, and two facilities for people who are mobility-reduced. In contrast to the assumptions about Montreal’s spiritual closedness, they’ve discovered that people are willing to have conversations around faith.

Jonathan and Ashleigh are also involved in the lives of young people. In their community kitchen, they offer jobs to youth who have disabilities, or who have fallen through the cracks.

As a result of their willingness to engage people, the team has seen increased participation in church community as well. They’ve seen growth in their youth group, from their start of 5 to 15. They’ve seen a heightened engagement, and a desire in people to be involved, to learn and to grow.

Jonathan wanted to point out that before they put themselves on this path, they invested a significant amount of time in prayerful contemplation. They wanted to understand the community’s needs, and what was already being done to meet them. From their sociological perspective, they wanted to see what made the community tick well before they tried to speak into it and make any kind of a difference.

The instructive question here for ministry of any kind is What does it mean to build community? How does it work? Understanding this, engaging with it, and enhancing it is just one of so many ways there are to love God.

brad jarvis

Coach? Mentor? Mentor-Coach? Coach-Mentor?

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seasons - coach mentor

Are we confused yet? Over the past number of years, we’ve seen a deep dive on the words coaching and mentoring in leadership books, blogs and podcasts, including Christian ones. Honestly, they contain a baffling array of contradictory definitions, and differing priorities. It’s become crucial therefore, to define these words every time they’re used. For the sake of clarity, in this piece, mentoring is the approach to leadership which asks open-ended questions, and seeks their answers collaboratively, while coaching is the more direct, advice-driven approach.

Of course, disciple is a more important word than either mentor or coach, yet how churches perform discipleship is an integral part of their witness.

Humility reflects the heart of Nicola Valley EFC, in Merritt, BC. Not having a pastor can be a challenge to many churches, because so many resources are geared to the patterns and expectations of church leadership which involve a pastor. This particular congregation in Merritt isn’t letting that stop them, however. With guidance and support from Steve Sharpe, the EFCC’s Missionary of Church Planting, they are doing a lot of important work within their church, and within their community.
When a self-aware church is working in a 60% Indigenous population, it needs to embrace humility. This church grieves the way that Indigenous people were introduced to Jesus Christ – “we brought our culture, not our God.”

This church believes that God is always talking — it’s our job to explore what God is saying to us. Nicola Valley EFC is operating from the truth that discipleship begets discipleship. It is working to enlarge the vision of what’s possible, recognising that there is a lot of work to do, outside and inside as well.

The perspective this church embraces is that God is always talking, so its people are encouraged to explore what God is saying to them. When the answers involve something that is outside of the gifting or skillset of the assembly, they make a point of finding someone who knows more. In the conversation I had with Burt Bergmann, who serves on their leadership team, he told me that it’s about linking where people are at, and where they feel called to go.

A rule of thumb that Burt uses is “If it’s worth doing well, it’s worth doing poorly.” For people not familiar with that sentiment, it means it’s better to innovate and iterate than to wait until something is perfect before starting. If you wait for perfect, you’ll be waiting forever!

The way of Jesus means that the greater the leader wants to be, the more focused-on-others they need to be.

nicola valley

When building a culture of mutual support, there are moments when it gets weird. Even when they’re not rigid or stark, expectations of certain structures and approaches have influence on what ministry is engaged in, and how. Mentoring spotlights and challenges those expectations, and the differences in perception we need to be aware of. When done right, mentoring questions all of our norms and presuppositions on its way to building viable, harmonious, robust com-munity. As you may well imagine, this necessitates a high value of trust and safety. Norms must be questioned mutually, or the exercise can become merely a tool to justify some pre-existing bias.

This is in line with Jesus’ mandate to meekness. Historically, his church messed up; we continue to mess up. If we want honesty and vulnerability, a good place to start is confession and repentance.

Nicola Valley EFC is operating from the truth that discipleship begets discipleship. It is working to enlarge the vision of what’s possible, recognising that there is a lot of work to do, outside and inside as well. It presents a vibrant example of what mentoring looks like in real life.

brad jarvis

*Main mage by Annie Pratt from Unsplash

 

Awake

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seasons - awake

Relationships are a vital part of our humanity. Fellowship, connection, encouragement, and correction are all key components of spiritual growth. During the isolation of Covid, we all felt the lack of these things. Coming out of those intense years, Chelsea van Schothorst has observed that the youth in Lethbridge have responded by diving headfirst into community. It was with this in mind that the Evangelical Free Church of Lethbridge decided to host their youth conference once again after a five-year hiatus, creating a space that was not only fun and safe but also deeply intentional in fostering meaningful encounters with Christ.

The conference exceeded their expectations. There were 300 students in attendance from 22 churches across Southern Alberta and parts of BC. The theme of the conference, “Awake,” was designed to awaken a hunger for truth as these teens encountered the profound reality of God’s love. From the very first night, God moved powerfully. In a room filled with hundreds of teens, a call to commitment was made—not with heads bowed and eyes closed, instead the prompt was that it would be with “eyes open and heads up… in a room that is cheering you on.” 20 first-time commitments happened that night. One teen who stood up was heard telling his friend that he needed to stand up as well. A disciple, already making disciples.

Throughout the weekend, they had many full breakout sessions. In a session with Compassion Canada, a 12-year-old girl was stirred to sponsor a child. This 12-year-old had come from a war-torn country herself, she had benefited from others investing in her and wanted to be a blessing as she had been blessed. When Chelsea talked to us about this she was once again reminded “There is no Jr. Holy Spirit… the same Holy Spirit is working in the lives of 12-year-olds who are living out profound faith that is living in the people who have been in the faith for 50 years..”

When students experience something that profound, it’s important to remember that, having experienced the joy of belonging, they long for that connection to continue. They need the ongoing fellowship of believers, but seeking this in their local church can be challenging when the gap between generations feels ever widening. Yet, it is essential that we bridge this divide, ensuring the church remains rooted in its history while embracing new ways to grow and reach people. Each generation offers something unique, and when united, the church becomes stronger, more dynamic, and more effective in fulfilling its mission. A vital part of this unity is engaging with young people, as seen at the recent conference where volunteers ranged in age from 18 to 80. Youth ministry isn’t bound by age; intentional involvement can profoundly impact a young person’s life. This is why, just as the youth were encouraged to ‘Awake’ to the hunger for truth and encounter the profound reality of God’s love, I pray that your church would also awaken to the call of unity.

May it become a body where all generations—united in purpose—reflect the transformative power of God’s love in every interaction and in every ministry.

grace mcivor

 

The Age-Old Issue OF A Humble Hermeneutic

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of a humble hermeneutic

I was privileged to be raised in a Christian home. In fact, in the small town in Central Alberta where I grew up my parents spent almost their entire adult lives in the little church we attended. Both of my grandmothers attended that same church. My only living grandfather did not though – he was Catholic. And sometimes, when we would gather with extended family at my grandparent’s home, after the meal the card games would begin. Face cards on the kitchen table where grandpa played solitaire – all alone, while the rest of us gathered around tables in the living and sitting rooms playing Rook. No one said Grandpa was sinning with those “questionable” face cards, but we kind of treated him like he was. (Honestly, to this day I deeply regret my part in that wrongdoing.)  Rook cards were more safe, more acceptable for a Christian. My world, even and especially my Christian theological world, was pretty small.

When I left with my wife to go to Bible School, we began to rub shoulders with people from different contexts, different Christian backgrounds, different countries. I began to realize that people who can be solid orthodox believers of God and followers of Jesus and still believe many things differently than I did. They were as committed to the bible, to obedience, and to Jesus, as I was — often more so.

Meanwhile, back home, my parents continued to attend that same small church until it “aged out” and closed its doors. They then had to find a new place to worship, to learn, to commune. Surprisingly to me, they ended up attending an “evangelical leaning” parish of a mainline denomination. There they found a home, a place they could meet God. Their theological world was getting bigger too.

Then, a few years later, when my father was around 90 years old (in May of 2023 we celebrated his 94th birthday) he said something to me I doubt I will ever forget. We were talking about some issue, probably a social issue of the day, and he commented that on many such things he was far less dogmatic than he used to be, much less certain, and he was less convinced of the absolute nature of his position. Now, let me be clear. My father had not, and has not, slid into any heresy, nor weakened any of his perspective on the Triune God and the plan of salvation. But on numerous other issues his grip has lessened with age. I actually don’t think there are many things he believes differently, except the manner in which they should be held – loosely and humbly, rather than harshly and dogmatically.

Now, my dad is not one who will read books on theology and study the latest authors, but he exemplifies a humble hermeneutical attitude that I want to emulate – an attitude that says I may not understand everything, and I may not be right.

But the journey to get to that place requires intentionality of me.

I have come to understand that listening, learning, being curious, broadening my circle (especially outside of North American Christianity), reading people I don’t agree with, getting outside of my echo chamber, and engaging in conversations with people who have hard questions are all necessary for me to have a humble hermeneutic.  I also recognize that it is still important to be anchored in the essentials. Actually, a strength of belief in the essentials shouldn’t lead me to shutting my ears, but rather to a confidence to open them more fully, with grace.

I am learning that unless I can describe someone’s position on an issue as good as, or better, than they can, my default position toward them and their position should be curiosity and listening, grace, and humility – not a response of argument, being close minded, and belligerent.

It is never too late to embrace a humble hermeneutic. Over the next weeks I expect we will write more about making sure our hermeneutic is accurate, but I want to start from a place of humility. That, in and of itself, is the first “age-old issue” I need to address.

Terry Kaufman
EFCC Leadership Catalyst

The Romans Road
Age-old Issues and a Humble Hermeneutic

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the romans road

“Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won’t. And those who won’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.”  (Romans 14:1-3)

Today we kick off a new blog topic, focusing on why it makes perfect sense to have a humble hermeneutic – especially when it comes to age-old issues that Christians (with equal trust, love, and knowledge of the Scriptures) have long disagreed about. I called this blog “The Romans Road” for a reason. Many of us grew up learning “The Romans Road” as an evangelistic tool. It used key verses from Romans to show an individual “why they needed to be/how to be” saved. In some sense, it grew out of the assumption that this is the central message of Romans: individual salvation. This emphasis has been a Western, post-reformation interpretive framework for the book of Romans – and largely grows out of Martin Luther’s personal crisis of faith and his subsequent “conversion” experience that was rooted in his study of Romans.

About ten years ago I was chatting with Pastor Fariborz Khandani, who was then pastor at the Iranian Church of Richmond Hill. He said to me, “Bill, you are such a Westerner! You read the Bible like it is a Western book, with a thesis, then the theology/argumentation (that you think is the main point of the book), and then some unimportant application at the end of the book. Then you do a sermon series on Romans and preach 100 sermons on Romans 1-11 (the theological argumentation) and only 2 sermons on Romans 12-16 (that is merely the unimportant application of “how we should live”). “But Bill”, he said, “the Bible is an Eastern book!”

And in an Eastern book, the purpose of the book is not found in the thesis at the front of the book, it is found at the end of the book!

Fariborz then went on to show me how many Old and New Testament books clearly spell out the author’s purpose for writing them in the very last chapter!

He then pointed out that the purpose for Paul writing Romans is found in Romans 14-15 not in Romans 1. The Jewish and Christians in Rome were fighting over what “good Christians” could eat or drink, or which religious festivals they needed to celebrate. Fariborz argued that in Romans 1-11 Paul, reveals why and how Jews and Gentiles needed to be saved and made One in Christ. Therefore, they need to treat each other differently – how they lived out their faith together was actually the point! The theological argument of Romans 1-11 is simply explaining why they need to live differently. So, while the traditional, post-reformation, Western reading of Romans saw it as a great treatise on individual salvation with a bit of application tacked on at the end, Eastern Christians viewed it as all about how we ought to treat fellow believers (with a bunch of theological foundation proving we are One in Christ).

Ironically, since I had this conversation, there is a mighty debate over this very issue. Whether or not you hold to the “New Perspective” or the traditional, post-reformation interpretation, it is a good reminder that a humble hermeneutic is a great place to start. Paul reminds us in Romans 14 to not look down on or condemn/judge each other over food, drink, and days (14:1-3, 10) and to act in love, so we are not a stumbling block to a brother or sister (14:12-16). Instead, we are to act following what we believe (14:21-23) and accept each other as Christ has accepted us – even when we disagree (15:7). What a good Christian should or should not eat or drink is one of many age-old issues that believers have broken fellowship over. May we heed Paul’s call to humility: to love and live out our Oneness in Christ even as we agree to disagree on secondary issues!

Bill Taylor
EFCC Executive Director

The Difference between an Argument and a Discussion

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difference bet argument and discussion

Many people equate argument and discussion. They are two different things. Some people may say, “We’re not arguing! We are just having a discussion.” But argument and discussion are not the same.

The Bible warns us against arguing with others. In 2 Timothy 2:23-24, the Apostle Paul warns us, 23 “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.” The word argument in Greek is zetesis, meaning argument or controversy or debate. There is a place for a healthy zetesis among believers, but the Bible warns us about arguments, controversies, or debates arising from meaningless questions. The foolish and stupid zetesis are controversies that are out of line and do not merit time or thought because it stimulates pointless and fruitless controversies.

Foolish and stupid zetesis are controversial questions that breed misdirected debate and unnecessary disputes.

These are the arguments that the Lord does not want us to be involved with because it only leads to quarrels. Romans 14:19 urges Christ-followers to live peaceful lives as Paul says, 19 “Let us, therefore, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” In the same way, Jesus wants us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).

Among Christ-followers, there is nothing wrong with engaging in a healthy zetesis. A healthy argument, discussion or debate is good and can help build relationships. A healthy discussion or debate is a respectful conversation about a particular topic. It strives to keep unity and peace with one another. Even though both sides of the conversation may disagree at some points, they are not hostile or hurtful to one another.

This was demonstrated in the first Church Council in Jerusalem in Acts 15. The early Church was confronted with a major theological issue about salvation by grace through faith among the Gentiles. Some Jewish Christ-followers were teaching, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This was the primary and central theological issue that Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed on and debated (zetesis) them about. (v.2).

In Jerusalem, we read that the apostles and the Church leaders came together to examine this major issue. In verse 7, we are told that there had been much debate or discussion (zetesis) on the issue. The Jewish believers and Paul and Barnabas heard each other and debated around the issue. After hearing the ruling of Peter and James, that the Gentiles are also saved by grace through faith without the requirement of being circumcised, we read the outcome that “it seemed good to the apostles and the elders with the whole Church, resolving a major issue on the salvation by grace through faith alone.

Ike Agawin
ServeBeyond Director

Do You Feel What I Feel?

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do you feel what i feel

“Weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)

I’m a huge sci-fi fan. In grade 3, I was rummaging around in an area of the school library that was probably not age appropriate for me and ran across Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles. It was my gateway drug to the final frontier and beyond. Speaking of the final frontier, Star Trek: The Next Generation had an interesting character that wound up on the command deck. Deanna Troi was a character with the ability to sense others’ emotions – an empath. In the show, she routinely used this ability to provide counsel to the crew, enabling them to better face their challenges. I find it fascinating that in the late 1980s this kind of character was thought of as critical to the success of the ship. I suspect if the cast were redrawn from today’s polarized culture, an empath might not fare as well.

In this, my final blog post on the topic of Moving from Argument to Discussion, I want to us to think about the role of empath in that journey. Previous blog writers have asked us to be slow to anger, quick to listen, not just to hear but to understand, etc. But I’m not sure anyone has brought the “e” word directly into the discussion. I think they have hinted at it, however. So, what does it take to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes? To feel what they feel? We will never truly know. We can’t live another’s experience. But empathy can take us at least a little way down that road. So, when we hear other’s stories of pain and hurt, especially from those who are on the margins, how do we respond? I say, especially those on the margins, because it is those stories that we hear least often, and they usually carry the most pain.

How do we respond, when someone asks, “how am I supposed to be a Christian in a black body?” How do we respond when we hear a land acknowledgment? How do we respond when Pride month rolls around?

How do we respond when people do not appreciate the fears I have for the future of my church? How do we respond when others don’t understand my heart when we disagree? How do we respond when we hear the stories of those who feel they have been used, abused, and discarded by the church? Can we empathize? I’m not asking us to throw our own beliefs in the garbage to adopt the beliefs of others. Absolutely not! I’m just saying, if we actually want to move from argument to discussion, caring deeply about what others feel is vital.

Neil Bassingthwaighte
ServeCanada Director & Interim Prayer Catalyst

Making the Move from Argument to Conversation more Natural

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making the move more natural

The issue of how we talk to one another is current and important — as hopefully evidenced by our blog posts over the past moths. As I continue to read, and to hear from, writers, teachers, and all of you on the front lines of ministry, I keep hearing about “hearing.” Listening is so important if we are going to have productive, helpful, and grace-filled conversations.

Neil Bassingthwaighte wrote (in one of this series’ earlier blogs), about the “Lost Art of Listening” and he challenged us to be people who “listen to understand.” I encourage you to go back and reread that blog.

There is a concept coming out of that challege that has been stuck in my head for some months now, and I want to offer it to you as a tool to help you “listen to understand” even better. It may not be as profound to you as it has been to me, but for me it put practical “flesh on the bones” of the challenge to “listen to understand.” The concept runs something like this:

You can’t really debate someone regarding their position until you can articulate their position better than they themselves can. That is truly “listening to understand.

This means that we need to listen long and well, until we are able to fairly describe the other person’s position – possibly to their satisfaction. This is a high bar. It means we understand what they are saying (from their perspective, not just from ours). It also means we have done the hard work to understand why they are saying what they are saying — we have listened enough to understand their heart and motivation. Admittedly, it is a lot less work to make assumptions about motives, perspectives, and conclusions, but the end result of assumptions is usually counterproductive. Quite honestly, my default is to “listen to respond” — looking to hear something that I can pounce on, correct, use to support my case, or simply reject.  But that is not “listening to understand.”

So, let’s be sure we are putting our ears to very good use in the journey from argument to conversation. We will never make progress without them. Yes, it is important to give great attention to our words — what we speak and how we speak. It is also very important to give attention to our minds — how we think, how we arrive at our own position on issues, and on what we are basing our conclusions. But it is equally important to give great attention to our ears, to the degree of understanding the other person’s mind and heart. If we shortcut this work, we might be wrestling with little more than a caricature of reality. And that is not particularly productive.

Can you accurately tell me what I believe and why?

If so, I know you value me as a person, and I will want to do the same with you. Our discussion will be deep and rich and healthy and will organically move from argument to conversation. How refreshing might that be – a natural progression from argument to discussion? Let’s lead the way.

Terry Kaufman
EFCC Leadership Catalyst

The Way of Wisdom and Discussion

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the way of wisdom

“My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (James 2:19).

“We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way…a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even thought the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.” (James 3:2, 4-5).

“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth…but the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.” (James 3:13, 17-18).

This is my last post on our topic of moving from argument to discussion. In an earlier blog post, Neil emphasized the need for us to listen to each other. The book of James, with his emphasis on living our life in Jesus wisely, always challenges me. His emphasis on being quick to listen – and slow to speak and anger is convicting. Chapter 3 speaks of how powerful the tongue is – for good or evil. James reminds me that when I have selfish ambition and jealousy in my heart, then my tongue will likely spew out that insecurity in ways that judge others and lead to quarrels. Ah, the human heart! It is deceitful beyond all measure. How often is the defense of my truth more about my insecurity than the issue I am arguing about?

We live in a world that is itching for a fight. Unfortunately, I seem to think God needs me to impose His truth (or my version of His truth) on those poor souls who have fallen for “misinformation.” Too many of us need to feel like we already have all truth nailed down and systematized.

Then when we are presented with new data from Scripture (or a different perspective on an issue), we lash out from our own inner insecurities. The wisdom from God (says James) is peace-loving, gentle, and willing to yield to others. Alan Alda says this about listening: “Real listening is a willingness to let the other person change you.” It’s hard to let the Holy Spirit, through the Scriptures, break through my insecurities and change me. It’s even more difficult to allow the Holy Spirit to use another person to break through my pride, prejudice, and insecurities to effect that change.

Yet if we are to ever grow in goodness, we will need to become better peacemakers who are secure in our God (not ourselves) and who are comfortable with what we do not yet know. We will need to clean out the insecure garbage (the jealousy, pride, insecurity, anger) of our hearts and be quick to listen and slow to speak and anger. What a powerful, redemptive presence we could be if we could submit our own ideas (and lives) to the Lordship of Jesus, embrace our peacemaker calling and be people who share the hope inside us with gentleness and respect (I Peter 3:15)! In a polarized world where opinions are entrenched and dogmatically defended, may we become known as those who live according to the way of wisdom!

Bill Taylor
EFCC Executive Director

Gray Zone Moment
Thoughts from the Prairie District Guy

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gray zone moment

Perhaps the best book I’ve read since the start of the pandemic is Mark Sayers’ A Non-Anxious Presence. Sayers describes how we’re currently living in a gray zone moment: the world has changed, and we do not yet know completely how, or what, the world is changing into.

In gray zone moments, we seek out comfort and security in “strongholds” that have brought us identity and “safety” in the past. However, they fall short in the new context we’re finding ourselves in. And the result is anxiety. Sayers writes, “Most understand that the world has changed. However, the sheer rate of change has left many disoriented. We, too, have been left with a sense of the potent chaos in the world. We are not as in control as we thought. We are left with questions of how to lead at such a time when the rules seem to have changed” (p.20)

Sayers spends time looking back at how we’ve arrived here, and some time describing the current landscape. And then, he highlights how this is a time of opportunity.

We don’t grow when we’re comfortable. It’s in the “wilderness” where God grows leaders for the Church.

“Leaders move people toward growth. Comfort zones insulate us from development” (p.109).

God is at work during the anxiety-filled gray zone moments! He is growing leaders who will lead with a non-anxious presence in the midst of change and seeming chaos. These leaders are able to lead with a non-anxious presence because they encounter and are refreshed by the presence of God (p.145).

Our churches and our people, and I would add, our society, need us to be leaders who live daily in the presence of God. Our identity, our strength, our wisdom come from Him. As the psalmist declares, “He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him…” (Psalm 144:2). Keeping our eyes on Jesus in the midst of the storm is the best thing we can do for the people whom we lead and serve.

“In an anxious, crisis-driven environment, the leadership leverage comes from a non-anxious person” (p.100). We become non-anxious persons by living and leading in the presence of God.

 

Trevor Brawdy
EFCC Prairie District Superintendent

 

The Hills are Alive with Dying?
(Apologies to my wife who loves the Sound of Music)

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the hills are alive with dying

The phrase “a hill to die on” originated as a war time expression. According to Google’s Ngram Viewer (a place where you can track the usage of words or phrases over time) the phrase was used originally in the second world war. It was used again, but only about half as often, in the Vietnam war period. Otherwise, it hasn’t seen significant use until more recently. Modern day usage has spiked. Beginning in 1990 (interestingly just as the Cold War ends), usage moved from virtually none to over three times as much as its previous peak in the second world war. It peaked in 2017 and has only edged off slightly since. Apparently, we think we have a lot of hills to die on. But should we?

I would suggest we need to reduce the number quite a bit.

In theology, humans do the work (not divinely inspired, but hopefully guided by the Spirit) of attempting to make sense of God’s revelation. This is complicated work, since revelation was given to a specific people, at a specific time, in a specific culture and language, addressing specific issues, all of which are highly foreign to us. We read someone else’s mail. We do this with our own set of assumptions and blind spots as we come to the text.

Our theology attempts to interpret the revelation in the text in ways which shape and inform our context.

Even our “essentials” carry some of this contextual bias, let alone the “nonessentials.” Case in point, compare our EFCC Statement of Faith with the previous one. Some of the issues have changed and the ordering certainly has. Or compare it to some of those from evangelical churches in Africa. Some of the articles look virtually the same. Others are quite different. Some of theirs have whole articles on miracles, Satan, demons, unity, spiritual warfare, equality of faith across race, gender, and class. None of these issues has a whole article, or even at times a mention in our statement. Why? Different context, different issues. I apologize for the brevity here; whole books are written on certain aspects of this paragraph.

As we continue to think about moving from “Argument to Discussion,” this issue of context and the hills we choose to die on is important. Let me add one more issue. The next generation. As a former youth pastor; the next generation has always been near my heart. For me, Philippians 2 resounds with echoes of the future. How can we encourage the faith of those who will lead the church tomorrow? How do we put the interests of those yet to come ahead of our own? What “stuff” do we need to lay aside for the sake of the next generation? What faith and the church look like tomorrow might be quite different and we need to be okay with that. More than okay! We need to empower our youth and kids to move into the future with a robust faith that will address their issues, not ours. That may be very difficult for us. Especially if we are dying on too many hills. So, can you ask with me, “which hills do I need to abandon to see the church not only survive, but even thrive, in the next generation?” We haven’t even begun talking about how many of our young people are confused and hurt by the rhetoric we lob at each other (speaking of arguments) as we attempt to hold hills, including the ones we actually need to hold.

We live in time. We have a past. We glean, gather, learn, and contextualize from the past. We are in the process of seeing Christ redeem our past. We hope into the future. We prepare for it. Yet we live in the present. It is a present that has come from somewhere and is on a journey to somewhere else, probably not in a neat linear pattern, however. We are not, as James K.A. Smith says, nowhen Christians. We inhabit time. Soon it will be someone else’s time. Let’s attempt to set the stage for them to inhabit it well.

Neil Bassingthwaighte
ServeCanada Director & Interim Prayer Catalyst