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Th© Messenger EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE

JULY 13/84

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VOL. 22 NO. 14

This issue: 34th Annual Convention

has served on the Board of Missions. In addition to his written report, Henry Klassen, executive secretary of the Board of Missions, also called on several of the mis sionaries on furlough for reports. Enhancing these reports were two national participants from the field. Rafael Marquez (Mexico) and Clifford Fonseca (Nicaragua). Both spoke through interpreters (Jake Kroeker for Rafael and Lester Olfert for Clifford). Peter Hiebert (Chihuahua City) highlighted two things: 1) The church building project and 2) the revival among the young people. “We are praising the Lord for what He is doing in Chihuahua City.” He added that there had also been problems. Dora Friesen, after being in El Paso, has

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“MAKING CHRIST KNOWN”

34th Annual EMC Convention By Dave Schellenberg

The 34th Annual Convention July 6-8 at Blumenort is again history. It was a good convention. And I wonder if anyone can recall an attendance of more than 1200 on con vention Sunday afternoon (adults, youth, children and tots combined). Again, as in former years, the conven tion was a mixture of business and inspiration. Business (Conference Council) ses sions were conducted Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon, chaired by Moderator Edwin Plett. There were four inspirational sessions, Friday night, Saturday night and two on Sunday. In the morning local churches had their own services. Invited guest speaker was Don Jacobs, Executive Director of Mennonite Leader ship Foundation, Landisville, PA. He ad dressed himself to the main theme “Mak ing Christ Known” under four headings:

“Jesus Christ the Missionary,” “A Truly Missionary Church,” “Jesus Christ for all People,” “A Missionary Style.” Conference Council Meeting Friday: Missions For some years now we have extended the Conference Council meeting half a day, beginning on Friday afternoon and going all day Saturday. The Friday session is given over to the Board of Missions report. This is what happened again this year. Two outgoing members, John P. Loewen (23 years) and George Rempel (9 years), were recognized for their many years of ser vice to the Board of Missions. “We want to pay tribute to them ... at this time for the tremendous service they have rendered to our Conference . . . .” said Harvey Plett. chair man of the EMC Board of Missions. Mr. Plett further announced the hiring of a new Canadian secretary. Ben Friesen replaces Milton Fast in this job. He began duties on May 15 of this year. Ben is the former pastor of the Crestview EMC and also

Registration. Martha Kroeker, office receptionist (left) and Grace Thiessen, Mexico missionary, at table.

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Dick Eidse has seen 18 years of service in the Estates Committee (Applause!).

moved into the interior. She and a national worker are engaged in teacher training. They are working with ten churches. The lending library, supplied by Bill Schellenberg of Bran don, has 242 books in circulation. They also spend much time in vistation. Dora remark ed, "I’m looking forward to going back and taking up the work again.” However, she would appreciate help in knowing how to train Sunday school teachers. In Nicaragua, according to Clifford Fonseca, there are some 290 members in five churches. There is a predominance of young people in the churches, some 75%. It is a dif ficult time for the young people as they have

There were some 19 first-timers at the delegate session this year.

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Behind the scenes the Nominating Committee was hard at work counting votes.

to face decisions in regards to the military. “In spite of the difficulties we face." he said, “our churches are growing.” Also present was Frank Krocker, East Paraguay. He also talked about a difficult term. But he also thinks of it as a “very pro fitable experience.” He added, "... there is a new enthusiasm and we praise the Lord for it.” In his report he remarked how he had been especially impressed by the need for workers for the Sanapana. “The door is open as never before.” says Frank. “It’s amazing.” On the other hand, the workers we have are hard-pressed to cope with all the demands. He feels one answer would be to procure the services of a trained national. Mr. Klassen's report indicated the follow ing number of missionaries on the active sup port roster. This includes missionaries under appointment.

Field Canada Mexico Paraguay Germany Nicaragua AIMM Associate Missions

June/84 20 20 21 2 6 2

June/83 17 17 18 2 1 2

_5Q. 121

48 111

From July 1983 to June 1984 fourteen ap plicants were accepted and 22 missionaries were reappointed. Three medical cases involving Board of Missions personnel were reported on: “Randall and Faith Krahn experienced the death of their baby and a severe bout of hepatitis. This has necessitated a short leave from the field. Sandra Doerksen suffered a massive stroke last December during furlough. She is still hospitalized and slowly recovering. Larry and Vi Penner experienced illness a year ago that led to a leave of absence from service. They are presently recuperating in southern B.C.”

Musical number by the Deaf Choir, Betty Plett directing.

Some other items gleaned from the Board of Missions report are the following: •“Associate Secretary” has been changed to “Canadian Secretary.” •Review of guidelines concerning associate missions.

•The first Missions Study Tour took place May 10-June 15. •The medical plan approved by the Con ference Council at the December 1983 meeting has been put into effect. •Effective October 1984 major medical cases will be covered by Mennonite Major Medical Pool. Each case has a $2000 deductible. •Missions Auxiliary approved five projects at their annual meeting in November 1983. •Peter Hieberts, Chihuahua City, Mexico, will be engaged in leadership training begin ning January 1985. •Don and Elizabeth Plett work with the na tional church in the area of leadership train ing and missionary counsellor to the national church in Nicaragua. •The Mexico bookstore is doing well.

•Two main areas of involvement in the Chaco are Indian settlement and Radio ZP-30. The existing agreement for ZP-30 with the colonies has been renewed another five years. •Two workers have just arrived in East Paraguay to supplement the work there. •Due to flooding, resulting from the con struction of a power dam, the Tres Palmas/Lucero community was divided into two by a fair-sized lake. Transportation has been difficult. •ZP-50 has been put on hold. •The Board of Missions delegation to Ger many in August will discuss with the Gladwin Pletts and the Seesen church the future af filiation of the church.

BEN FRIESEN, the new Canadian secretary, introduced the Canadian scene. The endeavour is divided into three areas: 1) Church planting, 2) native ministries, 3) prison chaplaincy. Church planting is taking place at the following places: 1) Mount Salem, Ontario;

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/ suppose if we could add up the years of service to the EMC of these three brethren it would be an impressive sum. Both Mr. Peter L. Friesen and Mr. Frank D. Reimer (front) are past moderators. Mr. Jacob P. Dueck (rear) is a minister in the Steinbach EMC. Present ly he is chaplain at the Resthaven Nursing Home.

THE MESSENGER is published every other week by The Evangelical Mennonite Conference, Board of Education and Publication, Box 1268, Stein bach, Manitoba, ROA 2A0. Second Class Mail; Registration Number 0591. Undeliverable copies, change of address and new subscriptions should be mailed to the above address.

JULY 13, 1984

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Rafaei Marquez from Mexico (right) ad dressing the convention. Jake Kroeker (left) was the interpreter.

Clifford Fonseca (Nicaragua) reporting to the convention. Lester Olfert (right) interpreting.

High Level. Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Pelly/Arabella, Sask, and Kamsack, Sask. One church, Hud son Bay, Sask., has become autonomous in 1984. Two other areas, Brandon, Man. and a location north of Sturgis, Sask., are on the active list and awaiting workers. Native ministries are carried on at Griswold, Man. and Kamsack, Sask. John Cosens gave a short report. They came to Kamsack last year. In spite of ups and downs they are very thankful that the Lord has brought them there. John explains that the drop-in centre has a number of different functions: 1) table games and coffee, 2) literature, 3) selling used clothing, 4) Chris tian counselling. Prison ministries are carried on at Stony Mountain and Winnipeg. When the reports ended the floor was open for questions to the Board of Missions. This consumed about half an hour. One of the questions was directed at Clif ford Fonseca (Nicaragua) and had to do with young people and military service. "What will happen to the young people if they do not go into military service? Has the church of fered alternatives?” "According to the law that has been pass ed there is a prison sentence from two to five

years." At present the government has no alternative to military service. However, at present, with the help of CEPAD, the church Is working with the government trying to present propositions to the government for some type of alternative service in lieu of taking up arms. Another questioner asked what could be done to interest more men for leadership training in Mexico. Rafael replied that it is a matter of self, “Die to self and the things of this world . . . and live for Christ.” What is happening at Griswold? There is a small group gathering for fellowship. The Dave Pletts are going there regularly to help with teaching and preaching. It is to be lookcd at. “When you send out tentmakers do you give them an orientation?” Yes, they are accepted and cleared by the board; this includes orientation. Why does the board want to unload the work in Germany? The answer to this was that the work in Germany is being examined. It has been a difficult work. An evaluation is to be done. One questioner requested additional ■elaboration on the item in the report which stated that the Board of Missions had expresscd a concern to MCC regarding its peace port-

Harve Brandt (third from left), Arrangements Committee, with some ushers.

« The Saskatoon church was received as a member church in the EMC. Gary Friesen

signed for the church and Edwin Pl'ett for the Conference. folio in Central America. A final respondent expressed the thought that the Board of Missions be challenged and encouraged to proceed to more effective and aggressive recruiting procedure within our Conference to recruit personnel for missionary service. The final item of business of the afternoon was a ten-page paper on a review of EMC/Associate Missions’ relationships and the guidelines associated with it. The aim of this review was to more clearly define relationships and work more effectively with associate missions. Saturday: Reports and Elections Main items on the agenda on Saturday were 1) elections, 2) board and committee reports and 3) new business. A count of newcomers to the Conference Council meeting showed there were a good number, close to 20. The opening devotional, among other things, stressed faithful obedience to our Lord.

Musical number, Blumenort.

Missionary Presentation saw 52 missionaries and accepted candidates file past the podium. Larry and Kathryn McNeill (at pulpit) are veteran Mali missionaries, presently on leave of absence, living in Chicago. Dick and Dora Friesen are in prison ministries. John and Doreen Peters (picture on right) are with Janz Team in Canada. Frank and Marge Kroeker are home on furlough from Paraguay. The Elmer Hamms, formerly of La Crete, Alberta, now live in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Elmer does the Low German radio broadcast.

“The Psalmist says it is not sufficient to come ... in a spirit of joy ... to worship our God,” said the speaker, Karl Goertzen, pastor of the Aberdeen EMC. “There also needs to be a faithful obedience. “Today as we are working together,” he continued, “making decisions, calling people to different areas of service . . . we’re calling them to a life of faithfulness ... to build up the kingdom of God" Reports The first report on the agenda was from the Social Concerns Committee by Harry Friesen. He reported on three items: 1) Reconciliation Seminar, November 1983, 2) Sanctity of Life and 3) Straight Talk. At the present time the committee is actively pursuing its task as a Conference reconciliation liaison committee, as reported in The Messenger. They strongly feel that the local churches should work at their reconciliation chores themselves as much as possible. One question was fielded on the commit tee’s desire to see a “broader more definitive” statement concerning abortion and euthanasia in the Constitution. Some groundwork on this has been done. Another query concerned capital punish ment. The chairman of the Social Concerns Committee replied that it had been discuss ed. He further gave voice to his own position. “We believe killing is wrong when war-time comes. I feel that as a Conference we should take such a position, we should come out very strongly against killing anywhere ...”

Board of Education and Publication - Ron Dueck read the report. Two special seminars with post-secondary students were held during the year. Student assistance to EMC college students at SBC will be in effect this fall. Work was done on archives by a sum mer worker and also by an additional person later in fall. A pamphlet “How to Select a Bi ble College” was published. One questioner asked if the board was aware of the new course on sex education coming out. Estates Committee - The report was brought by Lloyd Plett. The report stated the following: “We have been involved in various avenues of education within the Conference and in representation to the Mennonite Foun dation of Canada. “The Foundation continues to work in achieving its primary objectives and purpose for being: 1) to help more Mennonites become more faithful stewards of their posses sions, 2) to mobilize additional resources for the work of the Lord. “During the year, in excess of forty con gregations have been visited, with a great many individuals, couples, young and old, counselled on their stewardship planning. The encouragement is for the Mennonite Chris tians to become increasingly more mindful of being charitable with their estates. This is be ing done through careful will planning, special arrangements in the area of gifting and, of course, on going estate planning.” Board of Finance - Arnold Reimer reported. They are concerned with the state of finances. There is a shortfall of $129,665.

Youth Committee - Ron Plett, chair man, read the report. This year’s convention included extensive activity for youth - recrea tional activities, a barbecue and a coffee house (all on Saturday). He further drew attention to Abundant Springs 1985 to be held on the campus of Briercrest Bible College, Caronport, Sask. An item of business that the committee pro posed was the matter of subsidizing young people to go to Abundant Springs ’85. Delegates had various opinions. What type of musical group is Salmond and Mulder and what is the cost? was one of the questions to the 'Youth Committee in relation to Abundant Springs ’85. On the matter of subsidy there were various opinions: •If we subsidize we should also have a report. •Maybe the local church should do the subsidizing. •The Youth Committee should work with the Music Committee in regards to getting a selection for music. • A testimony from a father, “I had two teenage children who went in 1983 and I think that spiritually they benefitted very much . . . particularly in getting in contact with other young people from the EMC ...” •A motion favoured subsidizing by 10% more than in 1983. Another business item had to do with youth in the various regions. “Is there a need to help regions organize and become more active in regional activities?” It was felt by one that regions should look after their own needs.

It was drizzling when it came barbecue time at Youth Explosion.

Youth Explosion saw some 90 participants. They had recreation and a barbecue at the Steinbach Park on Saturday afternoon.

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Babysitting services were offered during annual convention.

Children ages 4-14 had their own services on Sunday afternoon. Ages 4-8 had a puppet show and ages 9 to teens had films.

The committee has visited a number of chur ches through the year, Mr. John Olfert ex pressed his appreciation for having had the opportunity to serve on this committee the past six years. Some sober reflections were voiced follow ing the financial report with its large shortfall. The chairman of the Board of Missions wondered where they would have to cut. if the time comes. Music Committee - No one reported. There was a written report. Gerry Eden Mental Health Centre Doerksen reported. “Eden is a mental health facility (40-bed hospital; large out-patient, counselling department; Linden Place - a residence for improved patients; and Trainex - a workshop/factory where improving pa tients work alongside regular employees). “Several important events since July 1983; a) Dr. Howard Zacharias was hired as a medical geriatric specialist assisting in various senior citizens’ residences. b) Dr. Hank Fast, pyschiatrist. was hired and is seeing people three days a week in the Concordia Hospital in Winnipeg and one day a week in Steinbach. c) Eden was inspected by a psychiatrist from Ontario and received accreditation for a threeyear term - a rare honour! d) Len Sawatzky was hired as Public Rela tions Officer; his duties include relating to churches as well as assisting in fund raising for the Eden Foundation. The question period brought out a com ment and question regarding admission to the Centre and some who encountered difficulties in this respect. With expansion, said Gerry, they are running into certain difficulties. They are, however, at work restructuring this. MCC Canada - Menno Kroeker gave the report. He reported on the annual meeting. It has been decided to have two Board

meetings per year. MCC Canada and MCC Manitoba are planning a new building. He fur ther took note of the Food Grains Bank, Native Concerns, Kanadicr work, etc. There were 968 MCC-appointed personnel in ser vice at the end of 1983. The EMC has 28 in Voluntary Service. EMC contributions saw an increase of 30% over the previous year. In conclusion the report stated that “In a global setting in which there are ‘wars and rumours of war,’ in which injustice abounds, in which poverty is still the lot of millions, where countless numbers walk in spiritual darkness ‘without hope and without God in the world,’ there is a continuing need for a compassionate ministry which sees the whole man in need of regeneration. Our continued support of MCC is vital in making such a ministry ‘In the Name of Christ’ a reality for some of the world’s needy.” One questioner asked if the application form had the question, “Are you born again?” The answer was “no” but there is a question, “What do Christ and the Christian faith mean to you?” and in the course of processing the application those things are pursued rather thoroughly. Henry Fast Nominating Committee

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reported. The committee thanked those chur ches who responded to the request to submit names. However, the committee also had to contact many individuals on their own. A concern was expressed by one delegate on the maximum six-year term policy. “It doesn’t seem to be a very appropriate policy ... a thorough job evaluation would be a better way of getting people out of the committee when that is so desired ...” One answer to this is that more people are given opportunity to serve. Several questioners thought it would be good to have more complete information on candidates so we know for whom we are voting. A suggestion was made concerning papers. Delegates should get papers (reports) prior to coming to convention in order to make in telligent decisions. A reply was that those items requiring decisions were mailed in advance. Why are two votes restricted to ministerial only? was another question. Mennonite Disaster Service - Art Cornelsen reported. “The Manitoba MDS Council con sists of 16-17 members representing the various Mennonite Conferences of Manitoba. They get together at least four times a year at the MCC office on Pembina Highway. The executive has a few more meetings, depen ding on needs. “This past year Manitoba MDS helped to clean up and rebuild after a number of housefires. These are usually taken care of by local volunteers. “The MCC Fall Auction, now becoming an annual highlight, supplies ample opportunity for anyone to serve with MDS. We supply the manpower in preparation for the sale, assisting where needed during the sale, as well as with the cleaning up after. “Manitoba MDS volunteers also provided a lot of help for MCC Food Bank, trucking, bagging and loading wheat into train cars. A number of volunteers assisted in rebuilding projects in California and other states. This spring the southern states have had more than 400 tornadoes thus far where the average per year is 200.” Steinbach Bible College - Reports were given by James Penner, board chairman, and Ben Eidse, president.

Thanks to the ladies, the Conference delegates were well taken care of at mealtime.

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Edwin Plett, EMC moderator; Walter Plett, convention song leader; Henry Klassen, Board of Missions; Donald R. Jacobs, guest speaker; Clifford Fonseca (Nicaragua); Lester Olfert, missionary; Rafael Marquez (Mexico); Jake Kroeker, missionary.

There was a full-time equivalence of 103 college students this past semester. The board has approved building projects to accom modate this growth. They are again prepared to apply for applicant status for accreditation. Mr. Eidse’s report read, “It’s been a good year. We praise God for his faithfulness, and for your support.” On April 29 twentyfive students graduated from the College division. A number of campus improvements have been made. A street was paved and a new sidewalk put in. Trees were planted. A new publication is the brochure “Focus.” The Alumni Board is proposing the appointment of an Alumni Director. More than 40 students (both Collegiate and College) expect to be in volved in summer ministries. Operating deficit has been reduced by $60,000. General Board - Report given by Edwin Friesen. The General Board has published a brochure outlining our EMC roots, beliefs and ministries. A Conference Administrative Guide has been compiled from Ministerial/Council meeting minutes of the last ten years outlin ing decisions. A review of the annual convention has been done by Andrew Dueck and Edwin Friesen. The General Board is recommending that we as a Conference become an affiliate member of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. At different times people have encourag ed our Conference leaders to strengthen our fraternal relations with other Mennonite Con ferences. During the last several years this has happened in a variety of settings with various Conference leaders. We also sense an in creased desire on the part of other Mennonite Conference people to get to know the EMC.

JULY 13, 1984

Churches have been begun in Saskatoon and Edmonton. These have been added to Region 2 (Calgary, Swift Current and Wymark). The Vermilion Bay church has also joined our Conference and has been added to Region 8. Mennonite World Conference - The report was given by Harvey Plett. He reported on the coming XI Assembly at Strasbourg this year. The theme is “God’s People Serve in Hope.” He recommends that we contribute the $1000.00 requested for 1984. MCC Manitoba ■ There was no written report. Mr. Emil Reimer gave a brief report. MCC Alberta - No representative was pre sent. There was a printed report. Youth Orientation Units near Warburg, a program for young offenders, hired a full-time assistant director who recently became the director. M2 Prisoner Visitation program is design ed to provide opportunity for friendship to be established between inmates and sponsors on the outside. The Edmonton Mennonite Society for the Assistance of Newcomers continues to pro vide services, language and spiritual ministries. Choice Books, a book ministry in retail outlets, is experiencing renewed growth; a concerted effort is being made to set up racks.

A first Northern Relief Sale is scheduled for Saturday, July 21, in the Tofield arena. MCC Saskatchewan - John Kornelsen reported. The commitee’s attention to Handicap Awareness is shifting from awareness-raising to investigating the possibility for service/program implementation. In Justice Ministries a Mediation-Diversion program has been launched in Saskatoon, with the aim to provide an alternative to the court system in dealing with offenders. More than 100 volunteers were involved in Mennonite Disaster Service clean-up opera tions following severe wind damage in several communities and flooding in three cities. Under MCC’s Refugee Assistance 32 refugees arrived under sponsorship. This represents eight families. The combined Saskatoon and Swift Cur rent Relief Auction Sales contributed just under $70,000 to MCC. Selfhelp Crafts growth has resulted in the need for more warehouse space. There are eight full-time and three half-time Staff. Half-time staff are all on local voluntary service assignments. Five Thrift Stores continue to serve their respective communities and are adding to the MCC income significantly ($80,573). (This concludes the reports. Other annual convention proceedings to be continued in the next Messenger.) CONTRIBUTORS: This is again the annual convention issue. What has not been covered in this issue hopefully will be featured next time. A good part of the report in these pages is taken directly from Board and Committee reports. We hope that by these convention reports those who were not present will also get a lit tle taste of what those experienced who participated. Then there is always the fear that something important has been left out. We trust this will not be the case too often. Certainly a big thank you goes to those who laboured behind the scenes, those who prepared the food, the Arrangements Com mittee, etc. The Lord reward you! Dane and Helen Plett (Kola) are working with native people on the Sioux Valley Indian Reserve. Dave and Judith Schmidt (Rosenort) are involved with leadership training and evangelism in Paraguay.

The Lighthouse Quartet singing at the convention: Peter Hiebert, Ron Plett, Laverne Pen ner, Lewis Reimer. •• ' .„■£

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Missions PARAGUAY

1 Dave and Helen Plett with Patrick and Carol Kennedy (center) who were married on June 23.

GRISWOLD, MAN.

People Lost Without Christ

A New School Begins Learning with Enthusiasm On Thursday, June 14, the 13 children of the Chiripa tribe at Santa Teresa registered at the new school. It was a big day for the children. They didn’t seem to mind that school should have started at the beginning of March. Why so late? Enthusiasm for erecting a school building grew out of a statement made by Henry Klassen while visiting the Chiripa colony, say ing he wanted to see a school here the next time he came. Progress on the building was slow, and all along we did not even know who would be the teacher. We offered a small salary for one of their men to teach. He was not satisfied with that offer until the parents offered to each add some to it.

So with benches, tables, blackboard and shelves built, they are ready to begin. We are happy for their enthusiasm and for the oppor tunity that these children have to learn. Dave Schmidt

We Need Your Prayers I would like to share some highlights from the work at the Sioux Valley Indian Reserve. We have a service every Sunday at 11:00 a.m., with an attendance of about 20 to 30 on an average Sunday. We have a beautiful Senior Citizens’ Home on the Reserve where we have a service on the first Sunday of each month. Special music is presented by the Kola and Elkhorn churches. We plan to have DVBS July 23 to 27, with a group from Kola coming to help. A few months ago a young couple came to see me after the church service, telling me that they would like to get married. After tell ing them that I would call a good minister to counsel and marry them, they insisted that I marry them. So I got to work and got my mar riage licence. On the first evening of our counselling sessions they both confessed their need of salvation and accepted the Lord as their Saviour. We spent a number of even ings together praising the Lord. On June 3 the wedding day came. It was a wonderful wedding, with about 125 peo ple attending, followed by a good reception. The food was catered by Kentucky Fried Chicken of Brandon. We had a wonderful time and felt the Lord’s blessing. Please keep on praying as we minister to these people - wonderful people, but lost without a Saviour. Dave and Helen Plett

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Peter Gerbrandt, together with a local helper, working on the Chiripa school.

Mission Grams Venezuela Phyllis Penner plans to come on furlough in early August. On the way home she plans to stop in Pennsylvania for a study program which will be of help in her further ministry. Pray for a lady she has been in contact with for some months. Paraguay Dave and Judith Schmidt report that Dave has started an adult class for three fellows. In the near future they plan to have baptismal instruction classes. As a family they are healthy and happy.

The Chaco, Paraguay Luella Loewen reports on the urgent need of a Wirtschafter for La Esperanza. The former Wirtschafter, Mr. Harder, continues to visit the station once or twice a week. There is the need for a.full-time person. Pray for personnel. The board of Radio ZP-30 is looking for a local manager for the station as re quired by the government. Pray for them that the right person would become available. Nicaragua

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Ernie Koop, who is spending the summer months in Nicaragua, reports that he has recovered from his illness during the initial period in the country. He has schedul ed to visit each congregation of the Mennonite churches. Pray that this would be a blessed ministry. Don Plett reports that Francisco Cano and Pedro Espinales attended the second session of the SEMILLA courses in late June and early July. These are leadership training courses. Pedro had been seriously sick but has now recuperated. Praise the Lord! Missionary Retreat Seventy-five missionaries and Board of Missions members attended the 1984 mis sionary retreat sponsored by the Board of Missions on July 5 and 6. Dr. Don Jacobs was the resource person. He spoke on two topics, the spiritual life of the missionary and leadership training.

THE MESSENGER

Messenger News toon Evangelical Mennonite Church: Dave and Lydia Dueck, Tim Dueck, Gary and Darlene Friesen, Bob and Nora Halliday, Peter and Eva Giesbrecht and Henry and Tina Ginthcr. We covet your prayers for us that we will be witnesses in our community and that many lost and needy souls will be brought to faith in Jesus. At the 1984 annual convention the Saska toon E.M. Church was accepted as a member church in the Conference.

SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC ENJOYED

Organizing as a church on June 17 was the Saskatoon congregation. Left to right: Peter and Susie Schtamp (representing Region 2), Dave and Lydia Dueck (Dave is presently the pastor), Tim Dueck, Gary and Darlene Friesen, Bob and Nora Halliday, Peter and Eva Giesbrecht, Henry and Tina Ginther, Ben Friesen (representing EMC Board of Missions).

CHURCH ORGANIZED

Saskatoon, Sask.: On Mother’s Day we had a Parent/Baby Dedication which involved Tim and Judy Dueck with baby Amanda. Amanda was born with a heart defect and other complications. It has been amazing how she has come through, having had three bouts of pneumonia and a small operation to im prove her breathing. She is growing and get ting stronger all the time. Jesus has been very near and we praise His name for the strength He has given. On June 17 we organized our church in Saskatoon. Rev. Ben Friesen. Canadian secretary for the EMC Board of Missions, ad dressed the group with a challenge from God's Word. Rev. and Mrs. Peter Schlamp of Wymark represented Region 2 of our Con ference. Rev. Schlamp brought greetings and encouraged us in the Lord. The following became the charter members of the Saska-

Baby dedication at the Saskatoon E.M. Church invoived Tim and Judy Dueck with baby Amanda.

Pastor Dueck accepting charter members in the Saskatoon church.

Arden, Man.: Gordon Kirk wrote the com forting words, “God is not through with you. He’s got a plan for your life. No matter what the difficult circumstance is, evaluate it in God’s wisdom.” May 27 Kathy Elias shared with us how the Lord is leading her to work as an accountant in Kenya. In the past she used to think it was easier to support others than to go herself; therefore, others could go and she would sup port. Now she is experiencing the rich bless ings of obeying the Lord as He calls her to be a missionary. Kathy left for orientation classes at SIM headquarters in Ontario at the end of May. Her first assignment is to set up computers and then to do accounting for the mission. A lovely sunny day, appreciated by young and old, was just perfect for the Sunday School picnic. The warmth of the sun and the absence of mosquitoes were a blessing indeed! The excellent facilities of the Arden Park serv ed well for an obstacle race. Did you ever hop across a swinging bridge on one foot, go down a curving slide twice {no matter what your age), or climb over a wooden teepee? It was a thrilling sight to see five groups of people, each having participants between the ages of six and fifty, run hand in hand to the finish line. A baseball game helped to create more stiff muscles, while a meat and salad dinner and barbecue supper expanded our waistlines. A shower was held for Louella Neufeld and Garry Geisheimer on June 9. Hopefully they will remember the spiritual counsel given dur ing the short program, and the time of fellowship. God bless your marriage. We extend our congratulations to Heather Plett who graduated from high school. God bless you as you continue to follow and serve the Lord! Rain showers did not dampen our en thusiasm for a wiener roast June 27. The shelter at the park and the lucious foliage of the trees helped to keep things going. The event served as a wind-up for our Bible studies. Our pastor reminded us to keep pray ing for each other during the summer months.

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Levi and Lena Schellenberg celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on June 11.

The musical drama “Down at the Creekbank’’ was presented at the Burns Lake church by the Junior Choir.

MUSICAL DRAMA PRESENTED Burns Lake, B.C.: "Down at the Creekbank." a musical drama presented by our junior choir, was just delightful and well worth all the work and practice. The "‘real’’ waterfall and the “real’’ creek and the “real” live fish all added to make the program such a success. All the “real” props made a lot of “real” work for the directors and all the volunteers. The message of seeing God through nature, even in storms, was so clear. Thank you to the group for this bit of sunshine!

On the June 3 weekend many ladies from our congregation left families and chores to relax at Ootsa Lake Bible Camp for our an nual ladies’ retreat. Evelyn Thiessen from Canadian Revival Fellowship shared throughout the weekend. Her honest testimony of how God met her needs helped to convict a lot of us about our needs. Con sequently many women met God afresh. The weekend was a real time of refreshing, spiritually and physically.

Troy Salmond, Karen Plett and Shannon Sal mond. Our pastor, Mr. Kornelsen, preached a sermon explaining and enumerating the significance and advantages of baptism. Rev. Kornelsen posed questions to each candidate concerning their salvation and their belief in God. All their answers being affirmative, they were baptized and welcomed into the church as new members. They were all happily greeted by other church members. They are the church’s next generation and we are very proud of them.

GRADUATION

Kleefeld, Man.; Summer is the time for wed dings, graduations, and picnics, all of which we have experienced recently. After countless hours of joy, sweat, and sometimes tears, it’s always a real accomplishment and milestone to finally finish high school. A reception ser vice was held on June 24 for our local students graduating from the Steinbach Bible College: Iris Loewen, Eunice Andres, Wonita Fast, Chris Bartel, Allen Bartel. Our church family offered a prayer of thanksgiving, praise and blessings for each of the grads, praying that their lives might be fruitful for the Lord. Another milestone of a different nature was realized by Dave and Frieda Schroeder who celebrated their silver wedding at our church

on July 1. Songs of praise, well wishes, and blessings were bestowed on the happy cou ple and their family during a program and lunch that followed. Having added even more years to their marriage union are Levi and Lena Schellenberg who celebrated their 40th an niversary on June 11. We thank and praise the Lord with them for blessing them so abun dantly and keeping them in His care. May you have many more happy years together!

Dave and Frieda Schroeder celebrated their silver wedding at the Kleefeld church on July 1. They are seen with their family, Jeff Fast and wife Elaine, Boland, Kenton, Sheldon, Sandra and Marlys.

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Baptism at the Pineridge Fellowship Chapel in Hudson Bay. Left to right: Pastor Kornelsen, Shannon Salmond, James Kornelsen, Karen Plett, and Troy Salmond.

BAPTISM SUNDAY

Hudson Bay, Sask.; On June 17 we heard the testimonies and witnessed the baptism of four of our young people, Jamie Kornelsen,

PAGE 10

Lillie Penner report to us on their work. Both reports gave us a clear picture of what the reporters were involved in. Lillie will be retur ning to Germany shortly. It’s been good to have her with us for a short while. We are looking forward to a year of fellowship with the Barkmans while they spend their furlough with us. In the midst of all these activities our prayer is that God would continue to guide as we seek to serve Him. May we ever be open to his leading.

PASTOR TO KOREA PRAYER ASSEMBLY

Baptismal candidates of June 17 at the Steinbach EMC with Pastor Thiessen. Front (left to right): Karen Heinrichs, Christine Friesen, Patti Plett. Back: Pastor Arden Thiessen, Peter Rempel, Dave Hiebert, Gordon Buhr, Delnor Neufeld, Loren Dyck.

Rod and Carol Kroeker, Steinbach EMC, plan to leave for Papua New Guinea on July 29 to serve with the New Tribes Mission. Some of their belongings, as you see here, were already sent on their way in June.

TWO MINISTERS ELECTED

Blumenort, Man.: June has been a busy month for our church, but we pray that it has been a month of learning and growth. June 1 and 2 the Ministerial and Church Council, together with their wives, gathered at Cedarwood Lodge for a study retreat. The retreat was a time out to look at some of the concerns of our congregation. Study topics dealt with things like “Spiritual Fitness of Church Leadership,” “Pastoral Leadership,” “Choosing Leadership,” and “Fellowship,” pertaining to our local congregation. The members present seemed to feel that time was too short to discuss all they would have liked to discuss. On Sunday morning, June 3, our worship service consisted of baptism and membership

JULY 13, 1984

reception. Four young people, Anne Friesen, Debbie Plett, Marcel Reimer, and Rachel Wiebc, were baptized. Donna Giesbrecht, Mrs. Judy Dueck and George and Esther Wiebe were received into our membership. It is always a joy to see new members joining us in service for God. On May 13 we elected two minister candidates. After much prayer and consideration we decided to have a closed election on both candidates, so on June 5 Walter Reimer and Cliff Loewen were elected as ministers of our congregation. We feel that God has given us two able and willing workers and we want to show them our support. Another blessing our church enjoyed this month was our regular Mission Night. It was special to have Elmer and Tina Barkman and

Braeside (Winnipeg): On Saturday, June 2,

our pastor, John Stoesz, and Mrs. Dorothy Brown, another member of this church, left from Vancouver via Los Angeles for Seoul, Korea, to attend an International Prayer Assembly for World Evangelization. The leaders of the International Prayer Assembly are confident that the gathering will ignite new movements of prayer in the coun tries all over the world. The week-long gathering, June 5-11, drew to Seoul more than a thousand participants from 68 countries, in addition to the approx imately 2200 Koreans who took part. The gathering was designed to bring together prayer leaders from throughout the world for two main purposes: 1) to spend time in joint prayer for revival in the worldwide church, leading to evangelization; 2) to generate movements of prayer, especially at the national level, directed toward church awakening and evangelization. Organizers feel that the assembly is the first international gathering in the history of the church to have been called together to focus specifically on prayer as a means of awaken ing in the church and the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Jesus to “Go into all the world...” The first few days of the assembly were spent in corporate prayer, addresses by Chris tian leaders from several nations, and a wide range of workshops on prayer-related topics. Much of the final three days of the con ference schedule was spent in planning sessions for launching movements of prayer for revival and world evangelization. Korea had been selected as the assembly site partly to expose Christians of other nations to the strong prayer emphasis of the Korean church. Participants were given the opportunity to join Korean believers at large evening “fasting prayer” rallies at Korean "prayer mountains" and worship services on Pentecost Sunday. According to international visitors these experiences were some of the most moving and significant of the assembly, After the closing of the assembly Pastor John and Dorothy Brown joined a group for a tour to Hong Kong and Canton, China, They arrived back in Winnipeg on June 18.

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teachers, in the basement of our church. The school has grown since then, and we now have a total of 86 students, with one part-time and three full-time teachers. Two large classrooms have been built and we are con sidering another addition this summer. Grades 9 and 10 have also been added. Grades 11 and 12 work with the local high school system through a program called Alternative Education. The school has since been annexed to our local public school, hence the name Sturgeon Creek Annex. Non-Mennonite students have been allowed to attend since it is now annex-

ed. More than half the students now attend ing are non-Mennonite. The parents of these children have been very supportive of the Christian school. On the evening of June 20 the school clos ing program was held. The children perform ed well in their singing and were presented with awards from their respective teachers. It certainly was a rewarding evening. It is not always easy to maintain total Christian con duct, even in a Christian school, but we know that our teachers are Spirit-filled Christians and that they are working to bring out the best in our students.

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Baptismal service at the Stratton church. Back row (left to right): Henry Plett, Cornie Rempel, Pastor Peter Reimer. Front: Irma Rempel, Debbie Gingerich, Janice Petkau.

BAPTISMAL SERVICE HELD Stratton, Ont.: On June 10, Pentecost Sun day, our fellowship celebrated a special oc casion, when five young people publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ by being baptized. Rev. Jac. P. Friesen delivered the message, taking Romans 6:1-10 as his main text. A few of the points which he stressed in his message were 1) baptism does not save, 2) baptism symbolizes our union with Christ, 3) baptism symbolizes cleansing. June 13 saw students and parents assem bled at the Stratton Christian Day School, now Sturgeon Creek Annex. The reason? To celebrate our annual school picnic. After much prayer and consideration the Stratton Christian Day School was born in September 1974. We started out with approx imately forty students, grades 1-8, with two Miss Jill Hershberger conducting the music at the closing program at the Christian School in Stratton.

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Baptism and acceptance of members at the Crestview Fellowship. Left to right (back): Pastor Neufeld, Ken Siemens, Roxanne Thiessen, Gordon Funk. Front: Mrs. Abe Neufeld, Rosemarie Siemens, Randy Unrau, Sharon Straub and Linda Lane.

CRESTVIEW CAMPOUT 1984 Crestview (Winnipeg): The weekend of May 25-27 was a special time for Crestview. Ap proximately 85 people gathered at Camp Arnes for the ninth annual Crestview Camp out. The theme for the weekend was in the form of a personal question, “Who is Your Neighbour?” Friday evening was busy with registration and with families discovering where everyone was going to stay for the next two nights. Peo ple were still arriving until snack time at 9:30 p.m. After a good night’s rest some of the men went golfing at the nearby golf course. Some of the scores were somewhat higher than others, we heard, but they had a good time, regardless! Others were busy with a horseshoe

tournament, shuffleboard, mini-golf and

canoeing. The trampolines never got a chance to rest until the weekend was over. Horseback riding was a highlight for some of us. Everyone, especially the children, slept bet ter the second night, to be sure! Saturday evening a program was held in the “Wigwam” assembly hall. Our songleader, Ray Plett, with his wife Pat at the piano, led in some lively singing. The theme song was “We Are One in the Spirit.” Lond Esau and Ingrid Krahn favoured the group with solos that were well done. Darryl Thiessen brought some Biblical truths to life with an interesting puppet show about neighbours. Helen Funk’s talk about “Who is Your Neighbour?” held everyone’s attention as she gave us some

Gathering for breakfast at Camp Arnes on Saturday morning at the Crestview campout. I * 4.

Mass choir practice at Camp Arnes before the church service at the Crestview campout.

everyday situations and advice for thought. Sunday morning after breakfast there was time for more canoeing and a mass choir prac tice before the church service. Ray and Pat led in more singing, Wilmer Kornelsen read an interesting modern version of the Good Samaritan and the choir, led by Dick Toews, sang three rousing hymns. Pastor Neufeld discussed the “Neighbours” theme and also led a meaningful sharing time to end the service. After Sunday dinner (attended by 102 peo ple) the people gathered for a noisy and ex citing ball game. Everyone from 6-60 took part. “Time Out” was taken to give out awards to the Poster Contest winners. The winners were Ivy Guenther (1st), Ingrid Krahn {2nd). Christine Toews (3rd), Matthew Moore (honorable mention for being the youngest contestant at age five) and Jo-Ann Loepp (for creativity). The posters were all very well

done. The Campout ended with Sunday supper and pack-up. The whole weekend was quite profitable in that many families got to know each other in more meaningful ways. New friendships were formed and old ones deepened as we were reminded that everyone is really our neighbour. The verses found in Matthew 22:37-39 will have more meaning for many of the campers as a result of our weekend together. On June 10 Crestview was privileged once more to receive new members. Baptized were Rosemarie Siemens, Roxanne Thiessen, Ran dy Unrau, Gordon Funk, Sharon Straub and Linda Lane. Ken Siemens was accepted by transfer. Many friends and relatives were pre sent to hear the testimonies and to witness the baptisms. Prayers of dedication for each new member concluded the service.

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shared delicious sausage burgers, rare ham burgers, a variety of salads and ice cream sun daes in their lovely backyard. Pastor Milton gave a short challenge and each of the grads spoke briefly on future plans (or lack of plans!). Our best wishes to Larry Reimer, Garry Koop, Davone Philavanh and Candace Sawatzky who graduated from the Steinbach Regional School; David Plett, Steinbach Bi ble College, Collegiate Division; Peter Dueck, Steinbach Bible College, College Division. Our Ladies' Fellowship celebrated election night with a salad supper. The salads were great and the fellowship was super! We were happy that our executive, consisting of Mildred Toews, Cathy Reimer and Emily Barkman, consented to serve for another term. The men also gather for a monthly Prayer Breakfast. They meet at Edgar’s Diner for a hearty breakfast, followed by a devotional and time of prayer. Reports are that the fellowship and sharing are also special. But perhaps the biggest “love feast” of all was the annual Sunday school picnic at Friedcnsfeld Park. Hot dogs, salads, and squares disappeared quickly at noon. Races, games, visiting and an ice cream treat round ed out the afternoon. Special thanks to superintendents John Sawatzky and Allan Thiessen for all their work, both in organiz ing the picnic and also doing a great job of leading the Sunday school program through the year. WOMEN’S MEETING HELD

Pansy, Man.: The fireside service planned for our quarterly women’s meeting was chang ed to a garage meeting with a barbecue fire, because of weather conditions on June 21. Kathy Prystenski Wiebe hosted some twenty women at her place, where we enjoyed a sing-song, some sharing and a talk on “Over coming the Hurts in our Daily Relationships.” The wiener roast ended a pleasant, moving and helpful evening of fellowship. The Pete Falk family entertained and in spired us with an evening of hearty gospel singing on June 3. Such an evening whets the desire-“How Beautiful Heaven Must Be!”

Overseas Services - Assistant t-r-'t-'i Tf

Mennonite Central Committee

Canada (MCCC) - Responsible for CIDA projects/reporting and submissions.

- Relating to provincial funding agencies. Membership transfers at the Steinbach EFC. Left to right: Gerald Friesen, Hildie Friesen (transfer from Kleefeld EMC), Earl and Patsi Sherman (transfer from Christian Fellowship Chapel, Winnipeg). Missing from picture are Wes and Tina Dobson, associate members (transfer from Winkler Bergthaler Church).

FEAST MONTH?

Steinbach EEC: Special occasions are often celebrated by eating together. In the Bible they are sometimes called “love feasts.” In that case

JULY 13, 1984

we had an abundance of love being shared among our church family in June. The Board of Elders invited our graduates and their parents for a barbecue supper at the home of Pastor Milton and Gladys Fast. We

- Immigration/Refugees concerns. - Development Education. - Hosting International Visitors. - Some travel overseas. - Some flexibility in job description is desirable. - Responsible to the Coordinator of Overseas Services, MCCC. - Starting date November 1, 1984 (earlier if possible).

PAGE 13

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Weddings DOERKSEN - KOOP: Diedrich P. Doerksen of Steinbach. Man. and Sara Koop of Kleefeld. Man. were marreid on May 26. 1984. The wedding took place at the Blumenort E.M. Church with Rev. Gerry Doerksen and Rev. John P. Loewen, both of Blumenort. officiating. The couple is making their home in Steinbach.

Baby dedication at the McGregor church: Kristie Leanne, daughter of Robert and Delores Wiebe; Nathanael Joel, son of Dan and Sandra Sawatzky; Donavon Clark, son of Harold and Elaine Giesbrecht; Brett Jordan, son of Wayne and Valorie Unrau.

DUECK - DOERKSEN: Melvin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Abe Dueck of Blumenort. Man,, and Bev. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Doerksen of Ran dolph. Man., were married at the Blumenort E.M. Church on June 16. 1984. Rev. Peter Brown of Niverville. Man. officiated. The couple is making their home in Winnipeg. MOLDOWAN - DUECK: Perry, son of Joe and Mary Moldowan, was married on June 30, 1984 to Delores, daughter of William and Erna Dueck of Steinbach. Man. The wedding took place at the Steinbach Evangelical Fellowship Church with Milton Fast of Steinbach officiating. The couple is residing in Steinbach.

GOERTZEN - ESAU: Glenn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Abe Goertzen of Pansy, Man., and Audrey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter N. Esau of Stein bach, Man., were married on April 14, 1984 at the Blumenort E.M Church. Leonard Barkman of Pan sy. Man. officiated. The couple is making their home in Pansy.

SCHELLENBERG - KROEKER: Lester, son of Levi and Lena Schellenberg of Kleefeld. Man., and Laurel, daughter of Henry and Eva Kroeker of Mor ris. Man., were married on July 6, 1984. The wed ding took place at the Morris Fellowship Chapel with Larry Friesen of Morris officiating. The couple is making their home in Winnipeg.

SCHWARZ - REIMER: Kurt, son of Art and Hilda Schwarz of Kleefeld, Man., was married to Leona, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ben P. D. Reimer of Blumenort, Man. The wedding took place at the Blumenort E.M. Church on May 20. 1984, with Dr. Gerry Doerksen of Blumenort officiating. The couple is making their home in Winnipeg.

Baptized and received into the MacGregor church membership recently were Kevin Atkey, Phyllis Bueckert and Debbie Giesbrecht (seen with Pastor Menno Kroeker).

Births THIESSEN - Ed and Elizabeth Thiessen of Win nipeg. Man., a daughter. Maria Dawn, on April 11, 1984.

DUECK — to Wes and Jerlene Dueck of Kleefeld, Man., a daughter. Ashley Louise Faye, on June 25, 1984.

MANKE — to Wes and Mary Lou Manke of Stein bach. Man., a son, Brent Wesley, on June 10, 1984

JANZEN — to Dennis and Dorothy Janzen of Win nipeg, Man., a daughter, Christine Sara, on June 25. 1984.

LOEWEN to John and Maria Loewen a daughter. Hannah Marie, on June 22, 1984.

KEHLER — to Ken and Cathy Kehler of Winnipeg. Man., a chosen daughter, Kimberly Dianne, arriv ed on June 25. 1984.

PETERS — to Herman and Linda Peters of Stein bach. Man., a daughter, Alecia Carlynne, on June 12, 1984.

DYCK — to Danny and Valerie Dyck of Steinbach. Man., a son, Justin Kelsey, on May 11, 1984.

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GOERTZEN — to Randy and Linda Goertzen of Pansy, Man., a daughter. Tiffany Dawn, on May 3, 1984,

DUECK — to David and Margaret Dueck of Pan sy, Man., a son, Michael David, on June 7, 1984.

A Christian couple to provide a family type setting at Carmel House, an MCC Saskatchewan sponsored group home in Saskatoon. Houseparents will be respon sible for up to five boys aged 12 to 16 years with some behavioral problems. Related experience is preferred. Employ ment to begin in September, 1984. Send application (o: Otto Driedger 410 Needham Way Saskatoon, Sask. S7M 4X7 Telephone: (306) 384-3808 Closing date for applications is August 13, 1984.

THE MESSENGER

NORMA THIESSEN 1938-1984

“I have fought the good fight, 1 have finish ed the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Norma Gladys Thiessen was born to Peter K. and Susie Unger on July 19, 1938. She grew up in the Ridgewood/Blumenort area where she was richly nurtured in the faith by her parents and the church. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour and, upon confession of her faith, Norma was baptized by Bishop David P. Reimer and accepted in to the fellowship of the Blumenort Evangelical Mennonite Church on November 22, 1953. Later, membership was transferred to the Ridgewood E.M. Church. At the age of 17 tragedy struck her family when in 1956 her father passed away. In 1945 Norma also lost a sister in infancy. While working in Steinbach Norma met Ed Thiessen and after a year of courtship we were married on July 22, 1961. Two sons were born to us, Reg (22) and Lyle (16). Norma found it easy to make friends in the communities where we lived. We moved from Steinbach to Sinclair, then to Grunthal and in the fall of 1971 to Kola. A year ago the doctor discovered Norma’s cancer. She underwent surgery in Winnipeg on July 20. Unfortunately, the cancer could not be removed completely and she had to undergo chemotherapy. She dreaded these treatments but to keep her spirits up she would sing “God is so good to me” over and over as we travelled to Winnipeg. The treatments were completed in March. Throughout these ordeals she kept her cheerful disposition. She was now looking forward to a return to nor mal life. But God, to whom her life was com mitted, had other plans. Norma became ill Saturday night, June 16. Early Sunday afternoon we rushed her to Virden Hospital and then transferred her to the Brandon General Hospital. Norma re mained in a coma from the time she arrived in Virden until she passed into Glory. Norma went to her heavenly home peacefully on Wednesday, June 20, at 6:15. 1 thank the JULY 13, 1984

Lord that I was able to be at her bedside as she passed away. Norma had many close friends in the com munity. But even more so, she was a friend. She expressed her faith and complete trust in God freely, which has strengthened many people whose lives she has touched. Even when her faith faltered a little bit, she was con fident that the Lord was in control. Norma was interested in her individual friends; she didn’t talk about her own problems, but rather listened to theirs. Even on especially hard days when she suffered so, she would phone others but first remembered their birthdays and wished them a good day before she would ask for prayer for herself. Norma ac cepted trials and suffering without murmur ing. When friends dropped in she always had the coffee pot on. She was never too busy to think of others. On Wednesday, the very day the Lord called her Home, Norma had prearranged to take a friend out for lunch. She showed a real attitude of caring and sympathy because this friend had just lost a loved one in the family. Norma had also looked forward to the afternoon, which turned out to be the day of her funeral, which was to have been a surprise party for a special friend who had a birthday soon. Instead, her surprise party, perfect in every way, is with the Lord in Glory. We, the family, have God’s promise that someday we shall meet again and together will sing His praises in heaven. Besides her husband, Ed, Norma Thiessen leaves to cherish her memory two sons, Reg of Prince Albert, Sask, and Lyle at home, her mother Susie Unger of Steinbach, a sister Margaret and her husband Jake Dueck of Steinbach, a brother Ernie and his wife Tillie of Mount Lehman, B.C. We deeply appreciate the love that relatives and community have shown to us during this time of bereavement. We especially thank Pastors James Penner and Art Neufeld for their supportive role during Norma’s illness and for making the funeral arrangements.

Pastor Needed Fisher Branch, Man. — Peter and Kathy Friesen are planning to leave for fur ther studies. A replacement is needed by September 1. 1984. Contact Nick Plett. Fisher Branch. Man. ROC OZO, Ph. 372-6633, or Edwin Friesen at the Con ference Office. There is also a need for “tentmakers” at Creighton, Sask. (Flin Flon), Vermilion Bay. Ontario, etc. Please contact: Edwin Friesen E.M. Conference Office Box 1268 Steinbach, Man. ROA 2A0 Tel. (204) 326-6401

AIRMAIL MESSENGERS

As many of you know, the MESSENGER is mailed free of charge via airmail to our mis sionaries. Many have been the favorable comments on this. However, to do this we are dependent on donors - Sunday school classes, individuals, etc. It costs about $45.00 to mail one issue. Make your check payable to Evangelical Mennonite Conference, send to the address below and you will receive a receipt which is good for income tax purposes. Thank you kindly.

Airmail MESSENGERS Box 1268 Steinbach, Man. ROA 2A0

No One Like Him Jesus is the Holy One (John 14:6), God's very precious Son (Luke 2:11).

He came to earth to set us free (Mark 2:17), From our sin and agony (Rom. 3:23).

He loved us so, and He let us know (John 3:16), By giving us life, and defeating the foe (I Peter 1:3,4).

That is why we may sin (Col. 3:16), About salvation, and the King (Rom.

10:9). Put on the armour, and fight a good fight (Eph. 6:10-18), He is our Guide, the Everlasting Light (John 8:12).

We must share the good news with all (Matt. 28:19), For the Lord is risen, and redeemed us from the fall (Rom. 5:14). If the fire in your heart starts to dim (Heb. 2.1), Seek the Son, there’s no one like Him (Heb. 12:1-4). Keep on marching toward the new land (Phil. 3:12-14), Because one fine day we’ll touch His hand (Matt. 25:34). T.J. Hiebert PAGE 15

From the Editor Setting the Captive Free “I was in prison and ye came unto me” (Matthew 25:36). When Dick Friesen phoned the other day and asked if my wife and I would like to go to an evening chapel service at Stony Mountain Penitentiary we did not hesitate very long. Here was an opportunity to see firsthand the work Dick (prison chaplain for the EMC) and his wife Dora are engaged in. And so it happened that shortly before seven o’clock on July 1 a group of about ten, including the musical group, my wife and me and another friend, assembled at the prison office awaiting admission to the prison chapel. By the time the service was well underway some twenty men had gathered to worship with us. I understand, though, as a rule the attendance is higher. But July 1 there were some other activities also available. Had one not been aware of the circumstances and occasion, the service would not have been that different from a church service at home - sans drums. There were special numbers, testimonies and a message, plus one testimony by one of the inmates. The formal service, which lasted about an hour, did not, however, herald the end of the evening. After this there was coffee and an opportunity to chat with the residents. I had the opportunity of letting one of the men share something about his joy in the Lord. He had chosen the chapel service that night instead of going to some of the other events also available. It would seem to me that in addition to the difficulty of being incarcerated, it would be difficult to see free people, people who can come and go as they please, while the prisoner is under lock and key. But it is a blessing to see those who can praise the Lord in such a situation. In retrospect, I think it was a wise move for the EMC to engage a prison chaplain. Here is a ministry which I think re quires an extra measure of grace. And yet it is a service which is vitally important and needed, reaching with a message of hope to those shut off from home and society. As we give to the cause of EMC missions, we can be assured that some of the money will go to bring the gospel to those in jail. As I think of my friend’s joy in the Lord, 1 can better under stand that “stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage.” Our prison ministry is worthy of our support. D.S.

Tentmakers This year again the EMC Board of Missions presented a very comprehensive report of their activities, together with on-the-

spot accounts by some of the missionaries present at the meeting. To me one of the very positive projection announcements coming out of the meeting was that concerning tentmakers. You might ask, what is a tentmaker? The term comes from the Bible, referring to self-supporting missionaries (Acts 18:3). I suppose for years we have been challenging Christians to move out and let their light shine in other places — and some went, on their own expenses. But now the Board of Missions is going a step further, as the announcement stated. Concrete help, including financial assistance, is now available to those who strike out in this way. The following information comes directly from the report: Guidelines for Granting Assistance to Tentmakers In its plans for Canadian church planting, the Board of Mis sions believes that the supported personnel sent out by the Board need persons to work with them as a team. These per sons will be self-supporting but have committed themselves to give time and themselves to assist in the planting of a church. They will be designated as “tentmakers.” At times tentmakers will already reside in the area where a church planting ministry is started. In situations where there are no, or a limited number of, local tentmakers, the Board of Mis sions will seek to recruit tentmakers to move to these localities. The Board of Missions will give consideration to the granting of assistance to tentmakers who move to a location where the Board is involved. This assistance will be considered within the following guidelines: •Tentmakers will affirm their plans and commitment to a tentmaking ministry in writing to the Board of Missions. •The home church of the tentmaker will be requested to give a recommendation. •The executive of the Board of Missions will have an inter view with the tentmaker. •If the above are positive and financial needs are ascertained, the tentmaker will be given financial assistance to move to the location. This assistance will be in the form of payment of current mileage rates for up to two vehicles and assistance for living up to two months at the rate of 75% of Canadian allowance. The home church will be given oppor tunity to contribute to this assistance, {end of report) I would like to think that this plan should give new impetus to self-supporting missionaries, either as support staff or church planters. As noted, the way to get the ball rolling is to get in contact with the Board of Missions at Box 1268, Steinbach, telephone 326-6401. —D.S.

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THE MESSENGER

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