I have a few things to tell you about today…
- On Saturday I was with the Markham Free Methodist Church for a “Blessing Walk and Carnival” – they raised $100,000 for their community youth center. They already run a community center that has dance classes, music, ESL, badminton, ping pong, a computer training lab, etc. They have over 1500 members in the community center and the church has about 120 people on a Sunday morning. Sanctified imaginations!
- I was at Trull’s Road FM on Sunday for the induction of Pastor Jon Grant. Trull’s Road was my first full-time pastoral appointment, so it has a special place in my heart. I was reminded of their capacity to love, be gracious and support one another. Of course we ate delicious food!
- Just in case you missed last week’s Cliff’s Notes, or even if you didn’t, I’d like to lay out in diagram form the structural changes that the BOA has initiated (“build-design”). These diagrams may be a good tool for your Membership / Partnership class, or your Welcome Luncheon for new people, or your annual meeting, or as art for your living room. See below.
- Frankford Community FM Church is celebrating their 100th Anniversary
On Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 3:00 pm
Special Guests: Rev. John Baker and Rev. Lloyd Eyre. All are invited to attend this special celebration! - Finally, the essential starting point for our developing Ministry Plan: PRAYER. Below is a note from our newly appointed Prayer Team Leader, Rev. Ken Roth. Pastors, delegates, board chairs (and my mom who reads these) there are two action steps that you need to respond to below…
Developing Ourselves as a House of Prayer – Rev. Ken Roth
“If we ever forget our basic character – “My house is a house of prayer” – we might as well shut the church doors forever. For if we lose that emphasis, all the rest – dynamic of our corporate witness, the impact on society, the outreach existentially into the lives of men and women – will soon rot and wither and die.” (James S. Stewart)
Today I came across the above quote and thought that it expresses well what the development of a national Prayer Team is about for us. Throughout the Scriptures we see how prayer is key to knowing God and His purposes and releasing them on earth as they are in heaven. Yet often it is one of the first things that starts to leak out of the life of the church. Bishop Cliff and our leaders are sensing a need for a deeper and wider level of prayer in our movement if we are to reverse the downward trend of our society.
So we want to develop a team of about 6 people, representing us from across the nation, who will seek God’s face for how we can promote prayer among us that will invite a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If you are interested in such a team please let myself, or Bishop Cliff know.
We also would like each church to identify a prayer point person from their midst who we can connect with, resource and stimulate to be a catalyst for prayer in their church. Could each pastor please start identifying such a person and send their names and contact info to me?
But even our desire to become more of a house of prayer can only come by the work of the Holy Spirit among us. So will you begin to pray that God will grant us a spirit of intercession that will release the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us and our neighbors around us, and our neighbors at the ends of the earth?
FMCiC Current Structure FMCiC “Build-Design”
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MEDIA CONNECTIONS
Church Health Thursdays – Three Ways to Make the Local Church Feel More Like Family: https://fmcic.ca/three-ways-to-make-the-local-church-feel-more-like-a-family/New
The Little Big Picture Blog – A Day in the Life of a Military Chaplain: https://fmcic.ca/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-military-chaplain/
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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FMCIC
LifePlan Study Team Files
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PHOTO GALLERY
Markham FM Church Blessings Walk and Carnival
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.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Rev. William (Rusty) Crozier – appointed Lead Pastor at Smiths Falls FMC, Smiths Falls, ON effective Sept 16/17
- Rev. William Keller – appointed Lead Pastor at Westdale Park FMC, Napanee, ON, effective Oct 9/17
- Marmora FMC, Marmora, ON – in transition, effective Oct 8/17
- Thunder Bay FMC, Thunder Bay, ON – in transition, effective July 29/18 (Rev. Andre Korstanje retiring)
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 –[email protected])
Harrowsmith FMC, Harrowsmith, ON – Personnel Office receiving resumes until October 10
Preparing Profiles
(If you are interested in seeing the profile for any of these churches, please contact Susan at the Personnel office [[email protected]] 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
Rustle FMC, Kingston, ON (Todd Stelmach-Interim Pastor)
Sault Ste. Marie FMC, Sault Ste. Marie, ON (Christopher Walls – Interim Pastor)
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)
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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
