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EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE VOLUME 37 NUMBER 5 MARCH 10, 1999

Rethinking 'Christian Service' “THE FIRST MISTAKE some people make is to think that Christian Service is a spe cial work. To serve God you must go to Bible College, go to a foreign land, and have a special call of God. To be a fulltime Christian servant, you must be a min ister or missionary. This is wrong. “A second mistake is similar. It is one which minister or missionary can say to people. It is something which parents might tell their children. It might be something you believe. But I consider it an error. What am I talking about? I am talking about the idea that if God calls you to become a pas tor, or an evangelist, or to go to another country to preach the Gospel, then you are in the highest calling; there is none higher or better. 1 consider this an error.” “...What is Christian Service? 1 suggest to you tonight that Christian Service is an action or activity that we do out of a will ing heart to the Lord...Christian Service is what Christians do. What of full-time Christian Service? Well, how many hours in a day do we all have? Twenty-four, at least the last time 1 checked. We all live twenty-four hours a day, and if we do it in a way that shows we want to follow Christ, then we are full-time Christian servants.” This was said by me years ago. Though it seems blunt today, I stand by the basic thought. I have, however, needed remind ers of it. A reminder came when Edwin Friesen, consultant with Mennonite Foundation of Canada, spoke at the Steinbach EFC. Hav ing served as a pastor and as EMC Confer ence Pastor, he moved into real estate be fore MFC. His reflections on work and the Christian faith was a valuable jolt; it re minded me of what 1 said earlier. In this issue, Ed has reviewed a book by Wally Kroeker on faith and work; the book and the review have served as other remind ers. Another reminder is our lead article by Darrell Noakes, “Did Jesus Have a Job?” If Newsweek religion writer Kenneth Woodward’s view of work and Jesus’ work habits are open to question, what of our view of work? PAGE 2

Messenger EDITOR Terry M. Smith

Do we display distorted views about work? In some circles, physical work is devalued as “dumb work.” In other set EDITORIAL tings, a person has to roll up their sleeves ASSISTANT and work with their hands, because “real Martha Kroeker THE MESSENGER is the work is physical work.” Both are unfair, publication of the Evangelical more bias than reality. Mennonite Conference. It is While a reformer who worked more available to the general public. Its purpose is to inform, instruct with his head than his back, Martin Luther and inspire: inform concerning got concerned when certain jobs or tasks events and activities in the instruct in god were considered inferior to others. He said denomination; liness and victorious living; God is a tailor and a shoemaker, because inspire to earnestly contend for deer have a coat and feet that will not the faith. Letters, articles, photos and wear out, and a butler, because He sets poems are welcomed. Unpub out food for birds. He pointed out Mary lished material is not returned by request. The views was a housewife, Christ was a carpenter, except and opinions expressed by the and the shepherds still tended their flocks writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the posi after seeing the Babe in the manger. tion of the Conference. A. W. Tozer, an Alliance pastor, wrote THE MESSENGER is pub that Christians do not have peace because lished twice a month (once a in July and August) by the we divide our hearts into two areas: the month Board of Church Ministries of sacred and the secular. However, it is why the Evangelical Mennonite Con we do, not what we do, which decides ference, 440 Main Street, Manitoba. whether our work is Christian. “The mo Steinbach, Subscriptions: $12.00 per tive is everything,” he said, “Let a man year (Manitoba residents add PST, total: $12.84). Sub sanctify the Lord God in his heart and he 7% scriptions are voluntary and op can thereafter do no common act.” tional to people within or outside “The layman need never think of his of the EMC. Members and ad herents pay through their humbler tasks as being inferior to that of church. his minister. Let every man abide in the THE MESSENGER is a calling wherein he is called and his work member of Meetinghouse and Canadian Church Press. will be as sacred as the work of the min Second-class postage paid at Steinbach, Manitoba. istry” (The Pursuit of God). Registration Number: 0591 In the EMC we have a long history of Chris Mailing information: All tian faith and hard work. Certain types of work correspondence, including were valued above others. The story of Ben undelivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions, Eidse in Euer-Widening Circles is an example. should be addressed to: The Messenger When he wanted to teach, it was preferred RO. Box 1268 that he go to agriculture school and when he Steinbach, Manitoba wanted to be a missionary, it was preferred ROA 2A0 he be a teacher. Ben finally received his fa Phone: 204 326-6401 ther’s blessing to be a missionary and, as Fax: 204-326-1613 E-mail: emconf@mts.net many of us know, served in the Congo for many years. Have attitudes changed, or are we just shuf fling around the types of work on the hierar Cover: What is a Christian chy, putting pastor and missionary ahead of attitude to work? farmer and teacher? If so, this is another MESSENGER SCHEDULE: dance to the same music. No. 7 - April 7 Within the EMC we are still recovering from (copy due March 26) what the first dance has cost us. No. 8 - April 21 Terry M. Smith (copy due April 9) THE MESSENGER

Did Jesus Have a Job? Darrell J. Noakes NEWSWEEK RELIGION writer Kenneth Woodward In terms of earthly work, the culture Jesus grew up in recently questioned the work habits of Jesus. Woodward expected the able-bodied to work. As a boy, he would learn reportedly told a conference on faith and work that “work Joseph’s trade and grow into the family business. Both is vastly overrated. It’s fine to talk of being co-creators liberal and orthodox scholars recognize this. with God, but what happens when the co-creator is John P. Meier writes in A Marginal Jew that “being the downsized or laid off? Jesus is never shown working. Most firstborn son, Jesus would have been the special object of of the New Testament characters leave their work and Joseph’s attention, not only in the practical matter of families to follow Jesus.” teaching the son the father’s trade Woodward’s comments have farbut also in teaching the son the reaching and controversial We are called to labour in religious traditions and texts of implications. If Jesus Christ did, in Judaism.” John Dominic Crossan, this world — spiritually, in The HistoricalJesus, states that “a fact, have a job, what was it and what impact does this have for the work physically and intellectually. man usually took up whatever work of our hands? Where is Jesus his family handed down to him.” amidst the downsizing, xeThe Greek word used to describe engineering, contracting out and threat of large-scale Joseph’s job does not merely mean carpenter but rather technological displacement that besets the workplace artisan woodworker, a much more varied skill in the ancient today? world. This would be the work the young Jesus would learn Woodward asserts that the Bible does not tell of Jesus as an apprentice to Joseph. It was hard work that working. Would it then follow that work was not a priority strengthened muscles and toughened hands. It would have for the Messiah and that he viewed labour as less than a given him an appreciation for the work his audience did spiritual pursuit? each day in their stmggle to survive. Work an impediment? According to this line of reasoning, work becomes an impediment to the Spirit-filled life. Are Christians to hang the Holy Spirit with their coats by the office door at the start of each day? Is Jesus telling us to quit our jobs as they have no relevant use to the Kingdom of Heaven? The historical Jesus was very much a man of his culture. His obedience to the laws and traditions of Judaism, welldocumented in the New Testament, reflects his concern to “fulfill all righteousness.” He would have known from the Genesis creation story that God assigned the first job to Adam by setting him in the Garden of Eden and directing him to “till and keep it” (Gen. 2:15).

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Work a sacred gift He would have known that this divine placement renders work a sacred and holy gift. The fall of humanity does not convert work to something intrinsically evil but rather, in Adam’s toil, reminds us of our sinful nature. Jesus, being sinless, would retain the original concept of the sanctity of work. Scripture clearly refers to God working. His act of creation is, in some mysterious divine sense, so intense that he has to rest. The concept of God working runs throughout the Old and New Testament and in the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus shared in these efforts. If God works, his Son does as well. By sending the Holy Spirit out to believers, Christ continues to labour on our behalf as a counsellor and healer. Both these tasks are, by any standard, jobs. MARCH 10, 1999

Prior to safety nets In those days, prior to what we call social safety nets, the loss of such work through economic crisis or personal injury would jeopardize entire families, even communities. We can infer that Jesus knew the value of work and the nobility of those who performed it, else how could he hope to communicate the power of his message to all who toil by the sweat of their brow? Jesus, when referred to as rabbi, accepted a title that brought with it certain expectation relating to work. In the tradition of the Hebrews, the rabbi had a vocation outside of his spiritual duties. The village rabbi in a town like Nazareth might be an artisan of some king and therefore stand as an example of diligence and responsibility to his flock.

Darrell J. Noakes has worked as an employ ment counsellor for fif teen years in Winnipeg and is director of IHS Ministries Inc. IHS Minis tries was formed to as sist Christian communi ties to understand the spiritual and practical implications ofwork and unemployment. PAGES

Ministry is hard work The role of ministry, meanwhile, is also work. In going about his Father’s mission, Jesus worked. His journeys were arduous and the duties taxing. He became weary, both physically and emotionally. Speaking before large crowds and continually instructing pupils can be tiring. As we have inherited the royal priesthood of Christ (1 Peter 2:9), the question arises from Woodward’s assertions: Is our ministry not work? Or does he think that clergy only work one day of the week and then only for an hour? Perhaps he should make this suggestion to the clergy I know — if he can catch them between

counselling, pastoral care visits, administrative duties or studying. They have inherited the entire ministry of Jesus Christ, work and all. Called to labour We are called to labour in this world — spiritually, physically and intellectually. To say otherwise diminishes our humanity and the divinity of our creation. It defies Holy Scripture and thousands of years of religious tradition. Jesus did have a job and so do we. Let us not lose sight of who our real boss is and how great the retirement benefits are.

A REVIEW

By Wally Kroeker Herald Press, 1998 Reuiewed by Edwin Friesen 1 WAS intrigued by the title — God’s Week has Seven Days. Don’t all our weeks have seven days? And wasn’t it God who designed and modeled the first week? So what’s the point? You don’t need to read far to realize that the author has a passion to integrate faith and work. In fact, aside from a few comments in passing, one gets the impression that God is more interested in our work week than in our day of rest. True faith, says the author, shines brightest in the marketplace, and it is here that our witness either attracts or repels others who may be searching for a meaningful relationship with God. The author takes exception to the way we often differentiate between secular and Christian work. Mr. Kroeker believes that all work done by Christians is Christian service, whether pumping gas or leading a Bible study. To see a job as secular is to denigrate the Christian whose job it is. In fact, the author sees the people scattered throughout the workforce during the week as a greater force for kingdom work than all the well-run church

programs that fill our church calendars. The book is made up of a series of fifty-two short, punchy, and easy-to-read articles with down-to-earth humour and application. The fact that many of the stories are drawn from the author’s own experience in business and daily life adds interest and authenticity. Though there are countless books being written about theology, worship and evangelism, relatively few address the Integration of faith in the marketplace. Wally Kroeker has done it and done it well. Though the book is easy to read, applying the principles will remain a life-long challenge. _ Edwin Friesen is a stewardship consultant serving, in part, the EMC and SBC constituency. In an incomplete list, he has served the Lord as a pastor, EMC Conference Pastor, in real estate, and with the Mennonite Foundation of Canada.

Y2K Fear YEAR 2000 The Y2K Eettr Year2000 article in our Feb ruary 24 issue was first published in The Recorder (January, 1999). The cooperation and hard work of coordinating editor Jack Heppner (note the correct spelling) and Lois Wiebe, part-time editor, was appreciated. It was recognized that some Messenger readers would find the article’s font hard to read. It was decided to respect Dr. Terry Hiebert’s reason for using it. Dr. Hiebert has agreed to write, at some point, a follow-up article. He has identified a challenge for the church. Relying on God’s Spirit, how do we meet it? The Editor PAGE 4

GIFTS AND WITNESS I have followed the discussions of the role of women in church leadership with some interest. It is quite evident that we have a very diverse conference with con gregations where women do not vote to one where a pastor is a woman. I have in times past considered the scrip tural references regarding this issue, but am writing without reviewing all of these. I find that the ones emphasized by writers are influenced by what they believe about the issues (their cultural context).

I would like to comment on two of these scriptures. I think it is significant that Paul states that he does not permit women to teach men in 1 Timothy 2:12. To me, this has meant it is his interpretation of the issue. Second, as a woman who has often wished for inclusive language, I have been reassured many times that phrases such as “sons of God” and “mankind” and oth ers are meant to include women. It seems inconsistent that “the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:12) must be taken literally THE MESSENGER

for deacons. It then must also raise the question of the eligibility of single men to serve as deacons. The exclusion of women from leader ship in congregations would have a signifi cant impact on our congregation. We are a small group with an average attendance of twenty-five. Our board is made up of five women and one man. The gifts of lead ership in our family of faith belong to the women. We are currently without a pas tor. If only men could lead, our congrega tion would cease to function. It continues to bear a witness for the Christian faith in our community. The frustrating part of hearing that men should be doing the leading is that it im plies that the job we are doing is not good enough. However, there is nothing we can do to make it better, because we cannot change our gender! Deb Odegaard Creighton, Sask.

MANY OPPORTUNITIES In Luke 10:2, Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” More workers are needed. We listen to the news, look around us, read the want ads under “Shoulder Tapping,” and we re alize the need is urgent and the workers are few. What is the answer? Are women pastors the answer? Is this God’s plan for us? In 1 Samuel 8 we read that the Israelites wanted a king like their neighbours had. This was not God’s plan for them, but God granted them their desire. Their sons and daughters suffered as a result of this choice. In 1 Samuel 13, King Saul gets impatient because Samuel is slow in coming. Finally King Saul offers the burnt offering himself. Again in 1 Samuel 15, King Saul doesn’t fol low instructions. In verse 22 Samuel replies, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacri fice.” As people we see only part of the picture; we see ground level. God sees from a higher perspective. God sees the total pic ture; therefore, we need to follow His plan. Where do we as women fit into God’s harvest plan? 1. Prayer — We are commanded to pray that the Lord will send labourers into His harvest. 2. Nurturing — Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). The Scriptures were part of his training (2 Timothy 3:15). Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” A newspa per clipping reads, “The cure for crime is not the electric chair but the high chair.” Yes, mothering is very important. Boys

MARCH 10, 1999

need to be taught to respect their fathers and other male heroes whose steps they can follow, while girls need to learn that mothering and homemaking is honourable and important. Susannah Wesley effec tively mothered, and two of her sons be came powerful preachers. 3. Mentors—Titus 2:4 and 5 says that older women should “...train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God.” When Mary became preg nant she went to visit her older cousin, Eliza beth. Did Elizabeth mentor Mary? Both will have been blessed as they shared. 4. Modelling — Titus 2:3 says older women should live exemplary lives. We model for those who follow us. Our lifestyle and atti tudes can draw people to God or turn them away from God. We are the only Bible some people read. 5. Reaching Out — Like Dorcas, we can minister to our needy neighbours. In John 4 we read of the Samaritan woman who left her water jar at the well and hurried to call her neighbours to come and see Jesus. Verse 39 says, “Many...believed in him be cause of the woman’s testimony.” We too can share Jesus. 6. Hospitality — “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...” (1 Peter 4:9,10). Mary and Martha were blessed because they of fered hospitality to Jesus. Matthew gave a dinner for his tax collector friends, with Je sus as guest of honour (Matthew 9:9-13). By our hospitality we show people that we care.

7. Encouraging one another— “And let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). Some thirty years ago my husband wanted to move to Anola in the interest of church planting. 1 was slow in being sup portive, not wanting to leave the security of home. Today 1 am very thankful we made the move. Maybe there are some other women who need to encourage their husbands to venture out for the Lord. Sisters, we have an abundance of oppor tunities to serve the Lord. 1 am concerned that if we take male leadership roles, we will cause men to lag behind and become inactive. Will this hurt marriages and fam ily relationships? 1 am also concerned that if we explain away parts of Scripture, our grandchildren may explain away even more. Satan still tempts people as he did in the Garden of Eden, “Did God really say?” Will we individually or collectively keep

our saltiness (Matthew 5:13) and not be come lukewarm as the churches men tioned in Revelation 3 did? We will not finish the work ourselves, so let’s be faith ful and pass the torch on to those who fol low us. “Jesus said, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.... 1 tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest’” (John 4:34). Edna Wiebe Anola, Man. AN APPEAL FOR INTERCESSION My heart is overwhelmed with the grav ity of the challenges facing our Confer ence now, and perhaps for years to come. To come to the point at once, I would ear nestly beseech each of the members to engage in serious soul-searching interces sion for our pastors and leaders on all lev els, and for the decision-making body, that God will give discernment and wisdom. Let me share a few statements which make this call to prayer very significant. Some years back, when the role of women in the church was already being dealt with, a very knowledgeable brother stated, “This matter can break up our Confer ence!” More recently a seasoned senior pastor volunteered this statement: “Our Conference stands at crossroads!” My dear EMCers, let’s put aside specula tion, lightheartedness or politicking. Please, please let us take prayer seriously. Four men were assigned the awesome task of presenting research papers. Now we need prayer in responding to the ma terial. Let us embrace in believing prayer our moderator, Harvey Plett. Following the presentations in March there will be discussions in March and July, and finally (may God grant it) a consensus with which we can all live happily, or else accept in sincere humility, genuine love, and godly tolerance. I see this outcome as extremely impor tant because of the cruel possibility of a fractured Conference, sidelined from its God-given mandate of discipling all na tions. Imagine congregations choosing to leave, or vocal individuals creating dissen sion instead of unity. (We can be dead right according to the letter, but woefully lack ing in love.) The list goes on. What about the tradi tionally conservative congregations for whom this issue is foreign? What about the energetic teeims of missionaries? Who will support whom in a deeply divided support constituency? Oh, may we as a Conference come to the annual convention in Winnipeg thor oughly renewed in Spirit, prepared to “build more healthy churches.” May the title of Harvey Plett’s book Seeking to Be Faithful continue to be our motto. Gladwin Plett Winnipeg, Manitoba

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PRAYER SOUGHT Mennonite young people in the Congo are asking for prayer. “We survive only by God’s grace in a precarious situation,” says Kilembe Mabaya Shista, president of the national youth organization of the Mennonite Church in the Congo. Kilembe, speaking to Larry Miller, a Mennonite World Conference executive, said, “The standard of living for Mennonite Christians here is poor. This situation was created by the recent rebellion.” “The lack of adequate transportation and communication are major obstacles to evan gelization,” he said. Kilembe gave Miller three prayer requests to be passed on to Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches around the world: •That we may be freed from this “prison.” •That a seminar or study day on nonvio lence be organized to help Mennonite youth in Kinshasa overcome the memories of vio lence they witnessed in August 1998. •That Mennonite youth from the Congo will be represented at Mennonite World Conference meetings, so they can be more fully integrated into a Mennonite identity. Lany Kehler, MWC

MDS BOOK PLANNED Mennonite Disaster Service is producing a 50th-anniversary coffee-table book to be released in the year 2000. HURRICANE KITS The final shipment of hurricane kits left Winnipeg January 27 on its way to the hur ricane-ravaged region of Latin America. About 9,500 buckets, containing items like cough symp, soap, bath towels, and combs, were assembled across Canada. “We had thought that across Canada we would do maybe 3,000. It’s been just an amazing response from the constituents,” said Elaine Peters of MCC. The seven shipments of buckets from Canada were valued at $540,000. Five truck ing companies donated some of their serv ices to transporting the buckets to Houston and Miami, from where they were shipped on to Honduras or air lifted to Nicaragua. Willie Reimer, an MCC director, visited Honduras and reported the vast majority of buckets arrived in good shape. MCC is work ing with local church agencies to distribute them. Along with medical and sanitary sup plies, buckets contain Spanish Bibles and personal letters, many written in Spanish.

LEUKEMIA MEDICINES In 1998 MCC purchased medicines for a two-year treatment for 50 children, with plans to select and follow-up with recipi ents. The program proved impossible to implement. Meanwhile, more leukemia

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drugs have become available in Iraq, so MCC’s medicines, valued at $150,000, will serve as valuable supplements. The Ministry of Health will distribute the drugs to medical facilities that treat children with leukemia. “We are satis fied that this is the next best option and that many children will benefit,” write Greg and Fay Foster, who oversee MCC’s work in Iraq. $1.4 MILLION IN SALES MCC relief sales in Canada reached more than $1.4 million in 1998, about $100,000 more than last year. In B.C. the Central Fraser Valley sale (Abbotsford) raised $380,100. The Black Creek sale raised $10,500; the Kelowna sale, $15,500; and Prince George, $45,700. The Coaldale, Alberta, sale raised $137,500. In Saskatchewan, Saskatoon raised $91,000, while Hague raised $84,000 for Canadian Foodgrains Bank. In Manitoba, Morris raised $108,000; Winnipeg, $60,600; and Brandon, $49,500. In Ontario, the New Hamburg sale raised $274,000; the heifer sale in Guelph raised $125,000; Leamington raised $8,000; and the sale in Toronto raised $42,500.

RUSSIAN AID MCC is sending about 200 metric tons of warm clothing, bedding, soap, and food to Russia. Potato crop failures, harsh temperatures, a low grain harvest and a devalued currency add up to another dif ficult winter for people in Russia. S i x aid shipments will also be sent to the Ukraine. The fifteen shipments are val ued at $1.8 million. MCC aid will go to church groups of various denominations and to locations stretching from North of Moscow to Si beria, where temperatures dive to mi nus 50 degrees Celsius, to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast. “We start with the family of faith, but we don’t stop there,” says Steve Hochstetler Shirk, who with his wife, Cheryl, directs MCC’s work in the former Soviet Union. “We also want MCC aid to help local Christians show care and com passion for others in their communities. We want the aid to be a channel for min istry,” he said.

DROUGHT IN BRAZIL In Pernambuco, in the northeast, and one of the poorest states in Brazil, it hasn’t rained much since February 1997, causing one of the worst droughts in memory. A government subsidy of $70 to $88 a month is barely enough for most farm families to survive.

MCC hopes that digging wells and ship ments of water and seeds will help re duce the suffering caused by the drought. MEDA HELPS RURAL POOR In January, 17 people in rural northeast Pennsylvania began a three-month course in business management and design through MEDA’s North American business development program. The course is a first for MEDA, which has specialized in help ing urban poor. “People are often surprised to learn that many of America’s poor live in rural ar eas,” says MEDA representative Kevin Stout. “But the fact is that one-quarter of the poor in the U.S. don’t live in cities.” The U.S. department of Agriculture says that many rural poor are employed, but do not earn enough to pull them out of poverty. A recent Penn State university study found that 21.1 percent of rural chil dren live below the poverty line. The situation is considered similar in Canada. FOODGRAINS NEEDED Canadian Foodgrains Bank is hopeful farmers will make individual donations at their local elevator right through until March 31, which is the end of the govern ment calendar year. Grain donations to the CFB for use in overseas relief and development projects could exceed last year’s tonnage by 800 tonnes. “We have had just a fantastic year in terms of total tonnages collected,” says director of resources, Irish Jordan. “Re sponse to the needs of the poor and hun gry throughout the world has been tre mendous and we are grateful so many farmers and rural communities have cho sen to support our members by sharing their harvests.” Through January 31, 1999, CFB received 16,088 tonnes compared to a year-end to tal last year of 15,278.

You Are Invited to the 25th Anniversary Banquet of Mennonite Foundation of Canada March 26, 6:30 p.m., at Bethel Mennonite Church in Winnipeg (870 Carter Avenue) Call 204-488-1985 or 1 -800-772-3257 for tickets

THE MESSENGER

REMPEL RESIGNS, TEAM APPOINTED According to a press release from the Mennonite Foundation of Canada (MFC), Edgar Rempel has resigned as manager. His resignation was announced on Janu ary 16 by MFC’s board chair, Jake Thiessen. The release did not give any reasons for the resignation or tell of Rempel’s future plans. MFC has appointed an interim manage ment team. Rick Braun-Janzen, assistant manager at the Winnipeg head office, and Robert Veitch, stewardship consultant in the Kitchener office, will be interim co managers while the board searches for a new manager. The co-managers will con tinue their regular duties. Jake Thiessen said, “The eight years of leadership that Edgar Rempel gave to the Foundation were instrumental in trans forming a fledgling organization into a re spected, growing and financially inde pendent service.” Mennonite Foundation of Canada is a federally registered charitable foundation operated by five participating Mennonite conferences. It has offices in Abbotsford, Winnipeg, Kitchener and St. Catharines and employs nine full-time staff. Assets at the end of 1998 stood at $40 million, and distributions to charities have been well over $1 million for each of the last two years. The twenty-four corporate members are selected by the five confer ences, according to the press release.

A RUNNING BET Lynn, from Washington

“BET YOU can’t win,” a guy from some church I’d never attended chal lenged. 1 took his bet. If I lost the race, 1 would show up at youth group for four weeks — no excuses. I practiced hard and the race was won in my head. But my feet — and God — had other plans. 1 came from a dysfunctional fam ily. The first Sunday 1 showed up to pay off my bet, people welcomed and hugged me. Even as 1 told my self how stupid that was and how much 1 didn’t like it, 1 knew 1 was lying to myself. Four weeks ended. I kept coming. Several years later, my love for the people in that church led me to ac cept the love of Jesus. I’m married now and my husband and 1 are pastoring a church. Yes, youth ministry takes energy, commitment, and money. It’s also the church’s future. Just ask a slow runner. David C. Cook MARCH 10, 1999

DEDICATION HELD MARCH 6 Radio Mensajero 100, 9 FM was dedi cated in Paraguay on March 6 at the EMC Church in Tres Palmas, adjacent to the ra dio transmitter site. Your prayers are wel come. The long-awaited day of our transmit ting from Tres Palmas has arrived. CONATEL has given us permission to air during certain hours, six to eight hours each day. We have asked that the government inspection be on March 10. Dave Funk, an engineer from Golden West Broadcasting in Canada, heeded God’s call to help us set up. He has worked hard for five weeks and will stay another week. We are grateful to the Lord for his help. We are also grateful for Ray Eidse, my cousin, who is an electronic techni cian. He has come to help for a month. Prior to March 6 we were airing experi mentally. God’s help through prayer has carried us through some very difficult and frustrat ing times. He, in answer to your prayers, will continue to do so. Chris Kroeker

0<vv PASTOR, FAMILY HONOURED Birch River, Man.: We had a Christmas Eve service in honour of the Christ child born to be crucified for the sins of the world. Christmas is not only the joy of the Babe in a manger; it is also the Christ on the cross in pain and agony. As one light illuminated the manger scene and another the uplifted crude cross, with thankful hearts we celebrated Communion as a body of believers — “Do this in remem brance of me.” Our annual church business meeting was held on February 3. Irvin Hiebert was elected as missions elder. The Kids’ Bible Club and adult Bible study groups meet regularly during the winter. We divided into four groups; there is also one afternoon study at a Seniors’ Home. Invitations were given out for a Valen tine’s dinner, honouring the seniors in our community. Thirty-two responded. Pas tor Ferlin had a talk about love, its mean ing and origin, God. We sang together and were favoured with songs by some of the Bible Club children. Elizabeth Abrahamson and Laura Thiessen acted out the story of Jonah. Steven Thiessen left on March 1 for Puerto Rico on an MDS assignment to clean up and build after last year’s hurricane.

Revita and Chris Kroeker (Rosenort) are involved in church ministries and active in the radio ministry of Ministerio Buenas Nuevas in Paraguay. They have three chil dren, Cory, Stefan, and Daniela.

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Darryl Hamilton had major back surgery in Winnipeg, and Michelle had major sur gery in Dauphin this winter. Both are do ing well. Darryl has been able to go back to his job. On Sunday, Randy Nepinak’s special number focussed on honouring our pas tor and his family. He read an article by Dr. J. Allan Peterson, called “Where have all the pastors gone?” Part of it reads, “Churches must nurture, not destroy, their pastors. We must come alongside to strengthen, encourage and share their vi sion.” Randy asked the men to come on stage to sing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms as a sign of encouragement and ap preciation for Ferlin and Elizabeth. That same Sunday, Janet Hamilton gave her testimony and was received as a mem ber of this church by transfer from Wawanesa. Helen Kroeker EVENTS AND DIFFICULTIES Swift Current, Sask.: 1998 was the first full year spent in our new church building. We continue to marvel at the goodness of the Lord in His provision to us. We pur chased the former Swift Current Bible In stitute property in the spring of 1997. We’ve rented the old administration buildPAGE?

The children sang at the Swift Current church Christmas program.

ing and sold the motel at a fair market price. The upper-level dorms were again rented to Life Force for several weeks in fall and early winter. Rental income has helped to defray the increased costs of a much larger building. We continue to hold regular Sunday morning worship services in the former dining hall. The large south windows looking onto the courtyard pro vide lots of natural light. The gymnasium is well-used for many programs — Youth, KINGS, Pioneer Clubs and Friendship Circle, baptisms, Easter and Christmas programs, banquets, anni versaries and more. Early 1998 found us preparing for the Easter musical, “His Fleece was White as Snow.” In April, Friendship Circle invited the College and Career and our peers from our sister church in Wymark for an

evening of volleyball. We had a great turn out (almost forty), considering we were in competition with a Promise Keepers event! In May, Heart-to-Heart invited Crystal Siemens and her mom, Arlee Hermanson, to speak to the ladies regarding Crystal’s breast cancer experience. We had prayed for Crystal for several months and were excited to hear her testimony. It is with great sadness that we learned of Crys tal’s passing on January 1. Barnabas (seniors group) Appreciation Night was a resounding success, and it’s bound to be repeated. On June 28, Wes Fehr, Shari Johnson, Carrie Metke and Leslie Dyck, upon their confession of faith, took that all-impor tant step of baptism. Activities wound down somewhat over the summer until August 21-23, when

CBF HIGHLIGHTS Swan River, Man.: The Community Bible Fellowship had a busy year in 1998. We trust that the Lord is blessing you as he is our church family. Here are some high lights from the past year. Concerts of prayer were held on Sunday evenings. January was seniors’ month. A Campus Crusade for Christ rally was held in February. World Vision sponsored a Valleywide Starvathon in April. Al Friesen led a Home Improvement seminar. Bob Carol provided a Balanced Worship Semi nar on September 25-27; it is “highly rec ommended.” Teacher Appreciation Sunday was on September 20. Hudson Bay served us on October 4 on a church exchange; it was great to fellowship with another Region 3 sister church. A Centennial Festival of Praise was held

October 18 at the Regional Secondary School. Our Valley celebrated 100 years. Each church gave a history and shared in special music. The Region 3 fall confer ence was held at Birch River with Dr. Chuck Nichols, which was a time of fellowship and inspiration. The delegates from Nicaragua were here on November 1 with Lester Olfert (during Hurricane Mitch); our Harvest Talent dis play was held on the same day. Our mis sions conference was on November IS IS, with the theme “Holding Out the Light.” “The Best Christmas of All” Sunday school program was held on December 13. Four days later the Christian School held its Christmas concert. We held a fare well for Ted and Sharon Enns on Decem ber 20. Jack Dyck

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family camp, “Families of Blessing,” took place. Thanks to Randall and Faith Krahn, Amy, Andrew and Rebecca, who fellowshipped with us. We enjoyed Randall as speaker and Faith’s musical abilities. It was great to renew our ac quaintance and friendship. Fall saw Pioneer Clubs registration and the beginning of a new Sunday school year. We salute Keith and Tanya Atkinson and Doug and Carrie Penner as they car ried on youth activities in the absence of a youth pastor. Thanksgiving was cel ebrated with a turkey supper. We wel comed several missionaries for the an nual missions conference in October. The Sunday school Christmas program, “Benjamin’s Special Gift,” was held on December 13. A large turnout enjoyed a meal prepared for the annual church Christmas banquet on December 18 1998 will be remembered, in many re spects, as a difficult year. It was difficult to deal with the departure of both pasto ral couples, Patrick and Trudy Friesen in April, and John and Lyn Taylor (and chil dren, Cheryl, Kim and J.J.) in December. It was difficult to survive a growing sea son with little moisture to nurture crops. Declining grain prices in an agricultural community made life difficult. It’s diffi cult to watch as several in our congrega tion struggle with serious and ongoing health problems. We are now into 1999, knowing the past year’s difficulties. However, we face the future, one day at a time, with the assur ance of Philippians 3:14, “But one thing 1 [we] do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 1 [we] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me [us] heav enward in Christ Jesus.” Cindy Penner

On June 28 three people became members by baptism or transfer: Darren Pries, Noella Specht (transfer), and Joey Dyck. Senior pastor John Reimer stands with them. THE MESSENGER

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* Menno Hamm spoke at the La Crete church’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Dean Buhler, LCCF’s former youth pastor, shared a song.

Ann and Arlyn van Enns, missionaries at Fort Chipewyan, ministered in song.

25 YEARS CELEBRATED La Crete, Alta.: Thus far has the Lord helped us (I Samuel 7:12). This verse was the motto for the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of La Crete Christian Fellow ship during the Thanksgiving weekend. Planning for the weekend went through out the year, and as the day drew nearer, anticipation and excitement mounted. When people finally began arriving, we opened our memory banks, quietly asked ourselves, Who’s that? and even the odd time, / don’t remember them. The weekend was all that we had antici pated — a great time of renewing ac quaintances, fellowshipping with other believers, and food. What made it extra special was the good turnout of people; more than 500 attended the Sunday serv ice. La Crete Christian Fellowship was started in 1973, under the guidance of Elmer and Lena Hamm. It was a wonderful treat to

have Mrs. Lena Hamm celebrate the weekend with us. It connected us with our “roots.” In 1978 a church building was completed; the church “plant” called La Crete Chris tian Fellowship had emerged from the ground, and growth was well under way. Many in our congregation have only a vague memory of the original building, since it has been twelve years since the building was expanded. Prior to the ex pansion we had to say a sad farewell to Elmer and Lena Hamm. Following the departure of Elmer and Lena, Menno Hamm, a brother to Elmer, was elected as a minister. With time, plans were under way for a pastoral couple to come to La Crete and candidate. Charlie and Lorraine Koop came and spent five precious years with us. During this time we also hired our first youth pastor. Dave and Sharon Siemens came and began a work with our youth,

quite a large task since we were (and are) a fairly “young” congregation. Feeling the tug of the Holy Spirit in their lives, Charlie and Lorraine left, and again a search was under way. Arriving in 1989 were Milton and Gladys Fast, who served as senior pastoral couple for five years. In 1996 Glen and Betty Koop arrived. Through the years the church continued to grow, both spiritually and numerically. Dave and Sharon Siemens left, and the void with the youth was filled by another young couple, Dean and Kaylene Buhler, who left in 1997. Both of these couples had a tremendous effect on our youth. Now the youth work is in the capable hands of Brian and Tricia Reimer. As we look back on our small beginnings and how the Lord has blessed His work here in La Crete, we can truly say, Thus far has the Lord helped us. Joyce Fehr

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On November 29 Joe and Verna Peters, Henry and Judy Harms, John and Barb Braun, Brian and Tricia Reimer became LCCF members. Pastoral couple Glen and Betty Koop stand with them. MARCH 10, 1999

Baptized on December 6 at the La Crete church were Michael Doerksen, Trudy Neufeld, George Peters, LeRoy Siemens (back), and Daryl Friesen, Trudy Harder, Carol and Jason Gabriel (front). Pastor Glen and Betty Koop are on the left. PAGE 9

COUNTRIES FEATURED Kleefeld, Man.: We just finished our missionary conference. Our committee, Rosella Bartel, Gail Tiessen and Ken Zacharias, worked hard to put it together. In the four Sundays of February we fo cused on various countries and one Ca nadian province. We began with a conti nental breakfast on the first Sunday morning. Murray Honsburger from Papua New Guinea led the adult Sunday school class. Later in the service we were en couraged as we heard Munh Yun Ryn from Korea and his friends lead in singing and testimonies. The February 14 emphasis involved Myanmar and Turkmenistan. Testimonies and singing were given by Samson Hkalam and Naw Tawng Palawng from Myanmar (former Burma). Flo Friesen, who has spent several years in Turkmenistan, challenged us in the morn ing service to continue to pray for these people with the many hardships they face. We also enjoyed the treat of a Turkmenistan meal hosted by Flo. We ate the meal Turkmenistan-style — on the floor. Most of us thought we would survive quite well on the Turkmenistan diet of rice, garlic and onions.

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> We welcomed Vai and Pete Unger, Susanne Reimer, Charity Williams, Parry Kehler and Joel Enns as members on November 29. With them stand youth pastor Matt Funk and pastor Abe Bergen.

On February 21 we visited Quebec. Don Pickel from GMU spoke to us about his love for Quebecers and the need for mis sionaries in Quebec. We also had a chance to hear Lance Bouchard tell us about his spiritual journey from Quebec to Kleefeld. Together with his wife and three children they moved from Quebec several years ago. Love gifts were also brought to Union Gospel Mission. These were donated by us on Valentine Sunday.

The leadership team and spouses, and Conference Pastor John Koop, took part in the installation service for Earl and Caroline Unger on November 15.

PASTOR INSTALLED Steinbach, Man. (Stony Brook): The fall months held many exciting events for us. We are pleased to have our first “real” mis sionary members. Peter and Kathy Friesen, EMC workers in Mexico, joined our fellowship before returning in Septem ber. We are happy they have chosen to become part of our church and are look ing forward to knowing them better — though at a rather long distance at present. Joining in another membership transfer PAGE 10

On the last Sunday of February, Africa was our final stop on the tour. John Enns from our local church showed two video clips on “30-Hour Famine.” Our youth group, led by Matt and Kathy Funk, will be involved in their own 30-hour famine in the month of April. We closed our conference with a soup lunch — encouraged to do what we can in the communities where we live. Lucy Dueck

Joanne and Cory Dyck, Esther and George Wiebe recently joined the Stony Brook Fellowship.

this fall were Cory and Joanne Dyck and George and Esther Wiebe. November marked the exciting end to our pastor secirch. Earl and Caroline Unger’s installation service was held November 15, with Conference Pastor John bringing the message. Many friends of the Ungers and the church family came to join us for the service and for coffee and dainties later. We are glad to have someone at the helm of our church and trust God will continue to use Earl and Caroline and their sons,

Andrew and Collin, in our fellowship. Also in November, more than half the ladies of the church were able to attend Region 8 Women’s Day in Ridgewood. The day’s topic of suffering and caring was a heavy one, but we all felt it was a day we would not have wanted to miss. Wilma Derksen, author of Have You Seen Candace?, was the main speaker. There were excellent seminars, and the day ended with three women giving their tes timonies. It’s always good to get together THE MESSENGER

with the larger EMC family. On December 20 we fit a church potluck breakfast into the busy Christmas sched ule, as a farewell for one of our couples. Murray and Paula Friesen and their two little girls have moved to Oregon. In a small church a family’s leaving creates a big hole, but Murray and Paula feel God leading them in new directions and we are ex cited for them. Although we are not large enough to have a traditional Sunday school Christ mas program, our ages 2 and 3 class did sing “Away in a Manger” the Sunday be fore Christmas. It’s hard to believe that we are already well into the new year. It’s reassuring to rest on the bedrock fact that Emmanuel, God with us, is not only a nice name for Jesus at Christmas, but is an assurance we have for the whole year. Fran Harms

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H Participating in parent/child dedication at the Stony Brook church were Paula and Murray Friesen with Holly, and Judy and Pat Martens with Cameron. The Friesens have since moved to Oregon.

STEINBACH BIBLE COLLEGE INC. HUMAN RIGHTS CASE

Sometime ago Steinbach Bible College Inc. was charged with religious discrimination in their hiring practices. The hearing took place in January and early February of 1998. A ruling was expected within a few months. We are still waiting. We appreciate the continued interest and prayers of the many friends of SBC. We will keep you informed of any further developments. Stan Plett, President MARCH 10, 1999

BACK TO SINGLE SERVICE Portage la Prairie, Man.: This last Christ mas we were once again reminded that Christmas need not be everything that we planned but a reflection of what God gave. Our children’s program and drama, di rected by Michele Yanchuk and Tina Pulver, underlined that fact. Even getting stranded and making do with peanut but ter and jelly sandwiches can make a great Christmas when we spend time with those we love and focus on what Christmas is all about. February brought our church fellowship closer together physically. We had pur chased chairs for our sanctuary, thus in creasing our seating capacity and making it possible for us to go back to a single service after a few years of dual services. It has a different feel to it. Our first single service was a very special one. We honoured two of our oldest cou ples, Henry and Hannah Neufeld and Pe ter and Kay Hamm, for their many years of faithful and dedicated service. It brings to mind the song “May All Who Come Be hind Us Find Us Faithful.” They were pre sented with a wall hanging and many hugs after church. Kay has been known for her generous distribution of hugs, and both Hannah and Kay for their love and care for little ones. They both taught the two- and three-year-

olds Sunday school class for many years. Henry and Peter have made a great mu sical contribution, as well as being the fore fathers of our church family. We were sorry to see the Neufelds leave our church and move to Carman, where they are now in volved in doing a little farming in their “sun set” years! I am sure they will continue to be a blessing in the fellowship that they have joined there. We wish them God’s richest blessings. Phyllis Giesbrecht

Lori Plett, Mandy Neufeld, Juanita Buhr, Stephanie Boese, Matthew Boese, and Warren Yanchuk enjoyed a Christmas dinner of peanut butter sandwiches.

9th Biennial EMC Youth Conference Abundant Springs ’99 "I Believe!” May 21-24 Caronport, Sask. Our main speaker for Abundant Springs ’99 is Mark Vincent. Mark hails from Elkhart, Indiana, and will be delivering a series of messages challenging us to believe in an unchanging God in a changing world. This will be Mark’s second appearance at A.S. He did an excellent job in 1995. Please pray that Mark will be open to the Spirit’s leading and that his messages will promote growth in our young people. For more information call Deidre Plett at 204-326-4855 or Gordon Kroeker at 204-669-0465.

Peter and Kay Hamm and Hannah and Henry Neufeld were honoured for their many years of faithful service.

/f.SBC/Tii-Conference Leadership Seminar whan fiflh** tHrsatsn chwch twrfy Speaker: Terry Hiebert when church fighti go £XnS«r<iro«nX when the church fighti about Isauai when/how the church Should fight

March 19-80,1999 Friday, 7 00 p.m to Saturday. 3 30 p m Cost: $25 per person or $43 per couple (registration includes Saturday lunch)

Steinbach Bible College Chapel Advance registration: ph: 204-326-6451 fax: 204-326-6908 • email; pr@sbcollege.mb.ca

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

I Believe! Abundant Springs ’99 May 21-24 Please pray for speaker Mark Vincent.

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college Bt discove^wdeya P.O. Box ■j^SO, SoetnbecM, Ma HUA ^AU E-msil: PR@5BColiege.rrt3.ca wwwSSCollese.mb.ca

Church planter needed for Tillsonburg, in southern Ontario. A core group (with the bless ing of the Mt. Salem EMC) is meeting in this city of 16,000 without a Mennonite church. The worker would be under full-time EMC Board of Missions support and is needed as soon as possible. The ability to speak Low German and an understanding of conservative German speaking Mennonites are assets. Contact Ca nadian Secretary John Koop at 204-326-6401 or other missions staff (Henry Klassen, Lester Olfert) at the same number.

Senior pastor position available at the Rosenort EMC. Duties to begin September 1, 1999. Send resume to: Search Committee, Larry Eidse, Box 218, Rosenort, MB ROG IWO. Phone: 204-746-8422 (home) or 204-746-8355 (work). E-mail: leidse@hotmail.com. Pansy Chapel (EMC), a rural congregation of around 100 people, invites applications for its position of pastor (leading minister). Please send resumes to the Search Committee, Box 4, Pansy, MB ROA 1J0, or phone Dennis Friesen at 204-434-6386. Duties are to begin after June 1.

Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship (EMC) invites applications for its position of pastor. If inter ested, please contact the search committee: Ron Penner at 250-567-9983 or Lindsay Janzen at 250-567-4905.

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absolutelvi^REE! 1 grade if) S up you g..: . $25aapplication diecount if voXpply for

Editor’s Note: An ad is free. Unless ar rangements are made, it can be removed after two insertions. Please include more than one telephone number and contact person, fax number, e-mail (if available), whether the position is full- or part-time, when the application deadline ends and duties begin, and a brief description of education and qualities sought. Material can be edited.

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MARCH 3a-3i 3O 31

Northern Fellowship Chapel (EMC) continues to search for a pastor. Part-time salary and housing available currently; position could be come full-time. Applicants should be wellgrounded spiritually and personally. Other employment is available, depending on train ing and experience. Contact: Search Commit tee, Box 35, Creighton, SK SOP OAO. Call board member Deb Odegaard at 306-6882996 or Conference Pastor John Koop at 204326-6401.

Steinbach Bible College Inc., an evangelical anabaptist college and high school affiliated with a Mennonite constituency invites applica tions for the following position: dean of stu dent development. Responsibilities: member of senior adminis tration, dean of men, organizes and coordi nates non-academic areas of student life: stu dent residences, campus life, student council, chapels, student ministries. A detailed job de scription i.s available upon request. Qualifications: Master’s degree preferred, training and experience in counselling, agree ment with the statement of faith and lifestyle position of the institution. Apply before March 15, 1999. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. Submit resume to: Stan Plett, president. Box 1420, Steinbach, MB ROA 2A0. Phone: 204326-6451, Fax: 204-326-6908, E-mail: splettO SBCollege.mb.ca EMC ministry opportunities in Mexico. Guest home hosts, a couple to run a guest home in El Paso, Texas, for a one- or two-year volunteer term. Housing and utilities are included. Duties include hosting and occasional pastoral visits to missionaries in Mexico. A youth worker is needed. A single or a couple is needed to work with youth in the Spanish churches. Duties in clude discipling youth and training/mentoring youth leaders. Contact EMC Foreign Secre tary Lester Olfert at 204-326-6401 or other mis-

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sions staff (Henry Klassen, John Koop at the same number).

EMC ministry opportunities in Paraguay. Church ministries workers are needed to followup contacts, disciple new believers and train for leadership. Church organizational skills are an asset. Involvement would be within rural and urban settings. Contact Lester Olfert at 204-326-6401 or other missions staff (Henry Klassen, .lohn Koop at the same number).

The E. M. Conference invites applications for the position of

General Secretary Responsihililiex include: Overall administration of Board of Mi.ssions programs Management/coordination of conference office personnel and facilities Administration of conference finances Coordination of conference events A job description is available upon request. Preference will be given to applicants with experience and/or training in missions, administration and accounting. Candidates who apply by May 31, 1999, will be given preference. Duties to commence August 1, 1999 Submit application with resume and cover letter to: Stan Plett, Search Committee Chairman Box 1420, Steinbach, Man, ROA 2AO Phone: 204-326-6451 • Fax: 204-326-6908 E-mail: splett@sbcollege.mb.ca THE MESSENGER

application I will focus on a first-time home purchase. For Fred and Susan this represents one of the biggest money decisions they will make in their lifetime.

Edwin Friesen Stewardship Consultant

FIVE STEPS TO FINANCIAL PLANNING WHETHER OR NOT we think of it as such, each of us is involved in financial plan ning. Sometimes the decision is insignificant; for example, choosing between buying margarine or butter, while at other times the decision is a major one requiring a long-term commitment, like the pur chase of a home. In Luke 14:28-30, Jesus cautioned peo ple not to start a big project (building a tower) without careful planning. To run out of funds halfway through a project demonstrated a serious lack of planning. To handle our monies wisely, we need to plan carefully so that we can keep our financial commitments without creating unreasonable hardships. The following five steps are fairly uni versal and apply to most issues of finan cial planning; for example, retirement planning, college education, insurance coverage, buying a car. To visualize their

KATHERINA PENNER BRANDT 1900-1999 Katherina Brandt died peacefully the morning of February 18,1999, at the Rest Haven Home in Steinbach. “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:16). Katherina Brandt was born on Decem ber 16, 1900, to her parents, Peter R. and Anna Loewen Penner, in the original pio neer village of Blumenort, Man. Her par ents moved to the farm in 1910. A good part of the present village of Blumenort

MARCH 10, 1999

Decide on objective In this case the objective is to save enough money to make a down pay ment on a house of approximately $70,000 and to do so within four years.

Collect and review data The down payment on a $70,000 house is typically 25%, or in this case, $ 17,500. Fortunately Fred and Susan have just finished paying for their car and student loans, and they already have $2,500 in savings, which they could apply to their house purchase. However, they are still short $ 15,000.

Develop a plan to achieve the ob jective To come up with the $15,000 needed for the down payment, they will need to set aside $312.50 each of the following 48 months to achieve their goal of $17,500. Note: Under the CMHC loan program and in some other situations you may be able to buy a house with less than 25% down.

is situated on her parents’ original farm. It was here that she grew up, received her education, and helped along with the busy life of a pioneer farm. At the age of 17 she received Christ as her Saviour and Lord, was baptized and accepted as a member in the Kleingeimeinde church (now EMC), where she remained a faithful member. On April 17, 1921, she was joined in mar riage to our father, John U. Brandt. They enjoyed and shared the blessings and hardships of life together for 58 years and 6 months. Dad died on August 21, 1979. To this marriage were born seven chil dren, two sons and five daughters: Albert (Sarah), Annie (Aaron Plett), Jessie (Diedrich Thiessen), Lena (Peter Plett), Leonard (Susie), Norma (Alvin Sault), and Margaret (Elvin Penner). There are forty-five grandchildren and a number of great- and great-great-grandchildren. Mother was predeceased by her hus band, John Brandt, two grandsons, two great-granddaughters, one great-greatgrandson; three brothers, Peter, Abe and Isaac; and two sisters, Margaret and Betty. She leaves to cherish her memory us as family, one brother, John Penner; three sisters, Annie Plett, Mary Wiebe and Helen Penner; one brother-in-law.

Implement the plan The easiest way (actually there is no easy way) to save $312.50 a month is to have the bank deduct that amount from your account each month and place it into a special “house” savings account. Saving this amount will require commitment and likely some lifestyle changes.

Monitor the plan After several months you may find that $312.50 is a serious stretch. You might then choose to have a bit more patience and stretch the saving pe riod to five years at $250 a month. Or you might receive an exceptional raise at work and find that $416.66 a month is quite manageable, thereby reducing your savings time to 36 months.

For people to be able to stick with it, a financial plan must be achievable. Edwin Friesen is a stewardship consult ant serving, in part, the EMC and SBC constituency. He is available to meet with groups or individuals to discuss will/estate planning, family finances, and chari table giving. He can be contacted at 204488-1985.

Peter K. Reimer; one sister-in-law, Katherine Penner; and a host of relatives and friends. Our parents started their marriage as pioneers in the Landmark area, where they farmed for six years. Then they moved to McTavish, where they farmed four years. In the spring of 1931 they returned to Blumenort. In 1940 they bought and moved onto Grandpa Penner’s farm until their retirement. In June of 1979 they moved into their re tirement home in Blumenort. We feel that Proverbs 31:10-31 describes our mother fairly well. She had many ad mirable characteristics. She was gener ous, hospitable, spiritually concerned for family, friends and neighbours, industri ous and hard-working. Her hands were busy, seldom idle. She loved her garden and her fruit trees, and under her loving care they normally produced well, enough for her own use and lots to give away. She loved to share of the good things the Lord had blessed her with. In the fall of 1981 her life changed dra matically. She had a stroke, which paralyzed her right side and restricted her speech. She recovered to a point where she could walk again, but the use of her right hand was restricted and her speech did not come back. PAGE 13

Her determination to help do her share was still there. Her hands were still busy. The more complicated handwork had to be laid aside, but she spent much time covering coat hangers. She must have covered thousands of them, which she distributed to her family for Christmas each year. All of us have a good supply. However, her speech restrictions caused her many frustrations. Although she could not express herself, she en-

LTJ HELEN (REIMER) PLETT 1925-1999 Our mother, Helen Piett, was born on June 29,1925, to Agatha and Abe Reimer of Satanta, Kansas, where she was raised and received her education. Growing up in Kansas during the “Dirty Thirties” brought its challenges. Herd ing cattle and hoeing corn and maize, could be drudgery. At noon the family would have a siesta to escape from the burning sun. At times the children would pretend to sleep, hoping to have a longer break. Once she heard her father say, “The chil dren look so comfortable sleeping there. I’ll let them rest a little a longer!” After her father passed away. Mom worked on the farm and cared for her mother. After her mother passed away in 1945, Mom moved to Meade, Kan sas, where her sister Katherine and her family lived. Mom enjoyed travelling. She travelled with a friend’s family across the U.S. to California. She was coaxed onto a big roller coaster — a ride never to be re1 peated. I Mom became a nurse. She was called upon by neighbours for advice, even serving as midwife when a doctor was unable to come. In 1948, Mom moved to Manitoba. She was baptized in the Blumenort EMC. That year Mom and Dad were married in Kleefeld. Mom and Dad worked in the lumber industry in Roblin and Mafeking, Man., and elsewhere. Mom would cook and

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joyed fellowship and was socially in clined. We could only imagine how she felt, how she agonized trying to tell us things, and we could not understand her mumblings. Eventually she needed home care, and in June 1990 she was moved to the Rest Haven Home. Her hands were now idle. It was very difficult to communicate, but we trust that in these years her commu

nication lines with her Lord and Master were well used and her mind was stayed on Christ. “Thou shall find him in per fect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee” (Isaiah 26:3). We would like to express our apprecia tion and thanks to the nursing home staff for the love and care they showed to Mother during her stay there. Her Family

do laundry for people in the camps. In 1952, Mom and Dad, with two small children, moved to Riverton in search of farm land. They were pioneers. Be ing outgoing, one winter day Mom bun dled up the children and pulled them in a sled for two miles to visit a friend. Five more children were born in Riverton. She loved us unconditionally, never showing favouritism. Mom and Dad farmed there for fortyfour years. Dad also had a lumber and plywood business. When Dad was away with the lumber business. Mom man aged the farm and looked after the fam ily. Later, Mom provided meals for the Riverton Seniors Lodge. In 1996, Mom and Dad sold the farm, moving to Kleefeld, Man. After her first heart attack in 1997, Mom was unable to care for Dad. He moved to a Lodge in St. Malo. Mom moved to Oakwood Place in Blumenort, where she loved time with her sister and friends. Mom had a great way of relating to people. We will miss her counsel. She had a sense of humour. If something did not look quite right, she would say, “Those who drive fast won’t notice it and those who drive slowly will think that’s the way it should be.” (De wea gnietsch foal zit daut nicht. Wea langsam foal gleeft daut mut so.) An other saying was, “If it’s not fair, is it a circus?” On her last conscious day. Mom was visited by Harvey Piett, a trusted friend. When she asked for a drink, Harvey no ticed the almost empty cup and re marked, “Looks like the well has run dry.” When the cup was refilled. Mom replied, “So you have already drilled a new well.” Mom cared for her family. She sewed blankets for her children. Every child and grandchild got a birthday card. We looked forward to her Christmas “goodie” boxes. For her final Christ mas she prepared a family history photo book for each of her seven chil dren. In 1998 Mom and Dad celebrated their

50th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful family get-together at St. Malo Park. This was a milestone to be celebrated! Mom and Dad took a twoto three-day trip to see their Riverton friends. Her health continued to deteriorate. Mom wished to spend her final days close to Dad. In January 1999, we moved her to St. Malo to live in the same Lodge where Dad lives. In Feb ruary, Mom experienced a second ma jor heart attack and was transferred to St. Pierre Hospital and then to Victoria General Hospital in Winnipeg. We spent two days with her in Winni peg, visiting as her strength permitted. Dad came to be with her briefly. On Sunday, February 14, we ex changed Happy Valentine’s greetings. We thanked her for being the world’s greatest mom and sang with her. She asked for “Jesus Loves Me,” and joined us as loudly as her breath enabled. She was visited by her pastor, Melvin Penner, who shared thoughts of heaven, scripture and prayer. She slipped into a coma, and on Wednesday, February 17, she went to be forever with her Jesus, whom she loved! Because Jesus lived and died for our sins and rose again, we will join you. Mom, on the morning He calls for us. Mom was predeceased by her par ents, two grandsons, three brothers and two sisters. Cherishing her memory are her hus band, Aron; three daughters, Virginia and Jim Dyck (Thompson), Ruby and ' Bill Cassell (Winnipeg), and Marlene (Winnipeg); four sons, Ron and Judy (Lloydminster, Alta.), Wes and Adina (Hinton, Alta.), Norm and Clarise (Linden, Alta.), and Walter and Laura (St. Paul, Alta.); thirteen grandchildren, one great-grandchild, one sister, Katherine and John Reimer (Blumenort) and two sisters-in-law, Nita Love (Satanta) and Margaret Reimer (Inman, Kansas), and many nieces and nephews. Her Family

THE MESSENGER

ISAIAH JAMES HARDER JANUARY 11, 1999 Ben and Gert Harder are proud to an nounce the birth of their beautiful son, Isaiah James. Sadly, Isaiah, a perfect baby boy, went to be with our precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, on Janu ary 11, 1999. Left to mourn are Isaiah’s mom and dad, sisters Erica and Olivia, grandpar ents Bill and Mary Friesen and Peter and Kathy Harder, and a lot of other family. The following poem was written from the heart with love by Isaiah’s dad, and the letter was written by Isaiah’s mom.

my girls and my boy. We will meet you someday, Jesus has prepared the way, Isaiah, my son, when our work here is done. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). Love, Daddy

Dear Isaiah: 1 love you so much. Even though I only knew you for such a short while, you and I went through such a special time. You will live in my heart forever We went through an eventful pregnancy from start to finish. But I heard your strong heartbeat and saw how perfectly you had been created inside of me. I loved the little kicks you would re spond with when 1 lay still and thought about you. To me you are absolutely perfect. I will never get to hear you cry or see your eyes, which I imagine to be big and beautiful. Your hair is so soft and dark. Isaiah, I am so proud of you it hurts. You were faithful to God’s perfect plan by going on to be with Him. I will al ways love you, my precious little son. My arms ache to hold you, but 1 know you will be in Jesus’ arms forever. See you! Love, Mommy The funeral service for Isaiah James Harder was held on January 16 by Tim Krahn of High Level, Alberta.

ways thinking of them first. Virtually every time we would ask her how she was doing she would say okay or not too bad, and quickly divert the attention to someone else. The seriousness of her physical con dition was very masked in her continuing efforts to focus on others. Mom was always supportive to the chil dren. She was always available to us if we had a problem or just wanted to talk. She strived to make us happy in whatever way she could — cooking, kind words, back mbs and leg rubs. She and Dad prayed for their family, as well as others, and for that we are forever grateful. In April 1993, Mom was diagnosed with myeloma cancer. She was at first taken aback, but comforted Dad and the family, saying that God was in control and was able to heal her if He so chose. She encour aged us with the fact that His love and com fort would carry us through. Mom was last admitted to the hospital on October 18,1998, where she stayed until she was called home to be with Jesus in heaven. Praise be to God that she need never stay in a hospital again or take an other pill. She is forever healthy! What a wonderful testimony our dear mother was for Jesus throughout her life! She often stmggled over what she could say to people, especially those who didn’t know Jesus. She modelled a quiet, peace ful, faithful, thinking-of-others spirit, which spoke louder than words ever could. We believe that when Mom entered heaven she was greeted with the words we find in the Bible, “Well done, good and

faithful servant.” We pray and hope that there have been those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour through this trial. We believe that if Mom were able to come back from heaven for a moment to say a few words, they would be to encourage everyone to live for Jesus. We as Christians have a wonderful hope and promise of eternal life with Christ in heaven. We believe, by faith in God’s word, that we will see Mom again someday in heaven, along with Christ and His saints. Due to Mom and Dad’s influence, we as a family have accepted Christ as our personal Saviour. “Those who live in the Lord never see each other for the last time” — an encour agement for us as believers and a challenge to those who are not believers. She leave to cherish her memories her loving husband. Art G. Friesen; two sons, Rick and wife Alanna and grandson Maxwell, Reg and wife Rhonda; and one daughter, Jennifer, all of Rosenort; one sis ter, Linda Reimer and husband Abe (Win nipeg); four brothers. Bill and Violet (Win nipeg), Leonard (McTavish, Man.), Lome and Lillian (Steinbach), and Allan Loewen and wife Paulette Lavack (Winnipeg); two brothers-in-law, five sisters-in-law, and their spouses, along with many nieces and neph ews, cousins and friends. She was predeceased by her father, Peter K. Loewen; her mother, Elizabeth Loewen; and two brothers, Frank and Edward, in in fancy. All glory and honour to Him! Her Family

Isaiah, My Son / love you so much it's hard to explain. When I think about you it gives me such pain. I held you a while but I never saw your smile. I had dreams to play ball... take you hunting in fall, to watch and enjoy

GLADYS LOEWEN FRIESEN 1944-1998 Precious in the sight ofthe Lord is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15). It has pleased our heavenly Father to take our dear wife, mother and grandmother to her heavenly home on Monday, November 9,1998, at 5:53 p.m., at the age of 54 years, 3 months and 2 days. She passed away peace fully, with her family by her side. Gladys was bom on August 7, 1944, to her parents, Peter K, and Elizabeth Loewen, She married Art G. Friesen on September 17, 1966, with Rev. Peter J.B. Reimer officiating. They lived in the Rosenort area for most of their lives. Mom was baptized upon the con fession of her faith on June 25, 1961, by Pe ter L. Friesen and joined the Rosenort EMC. Mom strived for perfection in whatever her hands found to do, whether it was sew ing, gardening, cooking, cleaning or her hair. She, like her mother, had a very giving spirit and loved her family unselfishly, al MARCH 10, 1999

PAGE 15

‘AN APOCRYPHAL STORY’

Do you know the lady’s name? Glen Koop, Betty’s husband PAUL WANTED Aquila’s wife to be silent in the church, that is, at meetings where the church gathered. She was to stay at home, learn from her husband. She did. She was a good student. And she had a great teacher. She learned to read. She learned the gospel. Then, with great joy she told others; she told it over and over again. She articulated it well. Her husband felt secure, not at all intimidated by the fact that she articulated the message so well. Aquila had her accompany him on their lecture tour. Aquila had no complaint that she was not doing her domestic work. She did her housework well. But she did much more. She taught the great evangelist, Apollos, a few doctrinal truths (Acts 18:26). She preached, visited and cared for the needy and sick. Since Aquila was some years older, he had difficulty, got winded, keeping up, but he, seeing the spiritual gifts in her, encouraged her to move forward, just as he had taught. One day a man named John confronted Paul, “Look at Aquila’s wife! Did you not say that ‘women should be silent in the church and not be permitted to speak?” (1 Corinthians 14:34). “1 did.”

“What about Aquila’s wife?” “Brother John, 1 did not mean literally that Aquila’s wife should forever be quiet at church gatherings. 1 meant for them, that is, women, and that includes Aquila’s wife, to learn well, to grasp the doctrines, the teachings of Jesus. To learn the ‘royal law’ James mentions in his general epistle (2:8). To learn that commandment which Matthew wrote about in the 22nd chapter of the gospel, verses 37-40. “John, Aquila’s wife has learned well. She is a great asset in spreading and supporting the spreading of the gospel. If 1 had meant by ‘women being silent in the church’ that they should never say anything, what would happen in a place where there are only three people present, one a male who cannot read? Should the women then not be willing to teach, preach and visit? “Okay. So if you make the man preach, should not the two women respond to his preaching? Are they not responsible to teach him? Who would sing in that congregation if women are to be silent? Who would read the Scripture so it could be understood? Who will tell the Old Testament stories and keep the interest of young and old?

“Brother, if we keep our well-learned, well-taught, wellbehaved women silent, God will, as my friend Doctor Luke puts it, ‘raise up stones to cry out for him’ (Luke 19:39-40). God will not allow the power of men to keep the gospel silent. Aquila’s wife is an exemplary minister. She is not a militant feminist. She truly is a Servant of Christ Jesus and His church.” John asked, “By the way, what is her name?” Paul responded, “Mrs. Aquila.” Glen Koop serves as senior pastor at the La Crete Christian Fellowship in Alberta.