EVANGELISM

Board Members
Peter Nikkel (1998), chair
Jim Shantz (Alberta, 1996), vice-chair
Dan Warkentin (Saskatchewan, 1997), secretary
Jean-Victor Brosseau (Quebec, 1996)
John Block (Ontario, 1997)
Merv Boschman (1998)
Adam Wiggins (Manitoba, 1999)
Brad Klassen (1998)
Bob Wick (B.C., 1998)
Paul Francis (Atlantic Task Force representative)

Program

QUEBEC CHURCH PLANTING

in consultation with the Quebec MB Association

REACH

opportunities for early retirees to serve in new churches across Canada

INTER-CULTURAL MINISTRIES

encouraging cooperation and church plants among various cultural groups across Canada

NATIONAL CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGIES

working with the provincial conferences to plant new churches

EVANGELISM

helping existing churches do evangelism

YOUTH MISSION INTERNATIONAL

training and sending out youth ministry teams

ATLANTIC CANADA

planting new churches

Staff

Ewald Unruh, executive director
Rikki Oelke, secretary
George and Carol Braun, volunteer directors, REACH
Jake Balzer, volunteer facilitator, Inter-cultural Ministries

Quebec Church Planting

The Board of Evangelism continues to consult with the Quebec MB Association. The Quebec churches are generally in a state of good health and are active in community outreach. Currently we are jointly exploring planting a new church in the Montreal area.

Inter-Dcultural Ministries

The Board of Evangelism appointed Jake Balzer (former B.C. MB Conference church extension director) as volunteer inter-cultural facilitator last fall. His primary responsibility is to work with the provincial church extension boards in facilitating the planting and overseeing of intercultural churches across Canada. He also encourages the pastors and churches of each cultural group to relate to each other and to their provincial conferences.

National Church Planting Strategy

Strategies are being developed for the recruitment and assessment of church planters, the effective start-up of churches, the ongoing support of new churches, and the planting of daughter churches.

A strategy for training young leaders in evangelism and mission work is being developed together with MB Missions/Services, MB Biblical Seminary and Mission USA. The Board of Evangelism has agreed to provide $10,000 during the next biennium as seed funding for this project.

With God's help, we are working with the provinces toward a goal of planting 60 new churches across Canada by the end of the year 2000.

Evangelism

Healthy churches. Our belief is that healthy churches reach out. Together with the Board of Christian Education Ministries and the Board of Faith and Life, the Board of Evangelism is committed to assisting churches in the revitalization process. We also believe that healthy churches plant churches. Specific strategies are being developed.
Resources library. A lending library of the most current resources is upgraded regularly.
Evangelism Canada Digest is published twice a year for the purpose of stimulating evangelism and growth in our churches.
Consultation. Staff is available on a limited basis to assist churches directly through consultations.

Atlantic Canada

The Board of Evangelism has the mandate to plant churches where there is no provincial or regional conference. Atlantic Canada is such a region. Because of this, it is a region our whole Canadian Conference is responsible for. Our vision is to have 10 churches in Atlantic Canada by the year 2000.

New Churches. Since our last convention, we have begun the process of planting a church in Halifax. Future sites which will be considered are Charlottetown, P.E.I.; Fredericton, N.B.; Sydney, N.S.; and Moncton, N.B. (French).
New Faces. Since July 15, 1995, six new pastors are serving in Atlantic Canada.
New Strategies. While continuing as senior pastor half-time at Gateway Community Church in Lower Sackville, N.S., Paul Francis is the leader of the Halifax church planting team on a half-time basis.
Ongoing Challenges. In church planting, the ongoing challenge is to develop identity on the congregational, regional and national levels, including faithfulness to MB polity, theology and mission values. A further challenge is to create linkages between Atlantic churches and the churches across Canada.
Church Locations:
- Dartmouth, N.S.: Cornerstone Community Church
- Lower Sackville, N.S.: Gateway Community Church
- Halifax, N.S. (new church plant)
- Moncton/Riverview, N.B.: River of Life MB Church
- Campbellton, N.B.: Restigouche Valley Church

Executive Director

The role of the executive director is to:

Administer the program of the Board of Evangelism, including office administration, finances, mail and program coordination.
Coach the staff and the Atlantic pastors and facilitate regular meetings of provincial church extension directors/representatives.
Communicate the vision for evangelism and church planting.
Raise the necessary funds for our church planting ministries.

Ongoing challenges

To match our limited financial resources to the unlimited ministry opportunities.

To balance expansion and growth with an emphasis on building infrastructure and nurture.

Recommendation:

1. That the Conference approve the planting of new churches in Atlantic Canada and Quebec as funds and suitable workers are available.

PROFILE OF ATLANTIC CANADA WORKERS

Paul and Kathy Francis

They are senior pastor couple at Gateway Community Church.
Paul is also leading the church planting team in Halifax.
They have two children, Lisa and Joel.
Paul enjoys playing hockey; Kathy enjoys playing the flute; the family enjoys camping, baseball, bike riding and walking along the ocean.

Terry and Vicki-Lynn Black

Terry began as associate pastor at Gateway Community Church on Jan. 15, 1996.
Vicki-Lynn is a child protections social worker.
Terry was born in St John's, Nfld., Vicki-Lynn in Halifax, N.S.
Terry enjoys fishing and sports (a dream is to paddle the Nahanni River, N.W.T.); Vicki-Lynn enjoys aerobics, space canoeing and walking; together they enjoy music, reading, gardening and their golden retriever, Meg.

Jerome and Andrea MacDonald

Jerome began as a church planter apprentice with the Halifax church plant on Nov. 1, 1995.
They have three children, Joshua, Hannah and Abigail
Jerome was born in Prince Edward Island, Andrea in Fredericton, N.B.
They are leading a nurture/core group Bible study and co-ordinating outreach activities in Halifax.
Jerome enjoys running, reading and socializing over a cup of coffee; Andrea enjoys walking and playing piano; together they enjoy candlelight dinners and sports; the family enjoys swimming, skating and tobogganing.

Bob and Debi Cowan

They began ministry as senior pastor couple at Cornerstone Community Church on March 1, 1996.
They have three children, David, Emily and Matthew.
Bob previously planted a church in Canmore, Alta. and held a staff position at Briercrest Bible College.
Bob enjoys sports, vegetable gardening and reading; Debi enjoys crafts, photography and reading; the family enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking and picnics.

Dwight and Kristen Habermehl

They began ministry as associate pastor couple at Cornerstone Community Church on March 1, 1996.
They were previously involved in a church plant in Bracebridge, Ont., and Dwight served as youth pastor at Niagara Falls Christian Fellowship.
Dwight enjoys playing the saxophone; Kristen enjoys crafts and cooking; together they enjoy skiing, camping, entertaining, walks, travelling and their cat, Raspberry.

Abe and Helen Block

They began ministry as pastor couple at Restigouche Valley Church in September, 1995.
They have three children and eight grandchildren.
They had most recently served in a pastorate in Alberta.
Abe enjoys sports, music and reading; Helen enjoys decorating, quilting and entertaining; together they skate, walk, sing, attend dramas and do visitation.

Bill and Judy Jewett

They are serving a three-month internship at Restigouche Valley Church.
Bill is from Campbellton, N.B. He is a graduate of Ontario Bible College, and previously assisted with ministry at the church during summer months when Sieg Wall was pastor at Restigouche.

Walter and Karen Justice

They began ministry as pastor couple of River of Life Mennonite Brethren Church on July 15, 1995.
Both graduated from MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, CA in May, 1995.
They enjoy the challenge of church planting, walking, reading and their cat.

Steve and Vicki Phillips

They are serving a part-time, six-month internship at River of Life MB Church.
They have two children.
Steve was born in Riverview, has graduated from Atlantic Baptist College and has begun courses at MB Biblical Seminary (by correspondence).

Youth Mission International

Partners

Canadian MB Conference Board of Evangelism
Mission USA (US MB Conference)
Mennonite Brethren Missions/Services

Administrative Committee

Ewald Unruh

Peter Nikkel

Fred Leonard

Tim Sullivan

Harold Ens

Steve Klassen

Vision

Committed to mobilizing and discipling a generation of end-time harvesters.

Program

SUMMER OUTREACH

two-month outreach for college-age participants, in assignments throughout North America and overseas

SOAR (SOLD OUT AND RADICAL)

two-and-a-half-week outreach for teenagers and youth groups in southern California and Mexico

ONE-YEAR TEAMS

an extension of the Summer Outreach focussing on leadership training in a local church setting

ACTION TEAM

a high school assembly program focussing on "at risk" youth

Staff

Randy Friesen

Greg Reed

Philip Serez

The YMI Net (interns, part-time help, volunteers)

Matthew Friesen (Vancouver, B.C.), international and one-year teams intern
Gareth Goossen (Kitchener, Ont.), worship and alumni follow-up
Blayne Greiner (Monroe, WA), West Coast representative
Rod Jost (Hillsboro, KS), US Midwest representative
Daryl Kutz (Winkler, Man.), Manitoba representative
Paul Loewen (Saskatoon, Sask., Saskatchewan/Alberta representative
Heather Neufeld (Waterloo, Ont.), office
Heidi Schmidt (Fresno, CA), SOAR intern
Jill Janzen (MBM/S office representative)

What's New

YMI linkage agreements. YMI is now sharing staff with Tabor College, Fresno Pacific College, Forest Grove Community Church, Winkler Bible Institute and several equipping ministries to form a network of regional representatives across North America.

SOAR (Sold Out And Radical). A new youth-group-focussed mission discipling program was launched in 1995. The three-week cross-cultural discipling experience encompasses assignments in Mexico and inner-city southern California for some 200 youth each summer.

ACTION Team. This high school assembly program focusses on the issues of family and dating violence. It presented a message of hope and healing to 30,000 teens in Toronto during the fall of 1995.

Desire the Fire. Regional missions-mobilizing youth rallies were held across Canada and the US calling youth to a life of risk and sacrifice in an eternal direction.

Future Focus

Strengthening. Having just come through a season of very rapid growth, YMI recognizes the need to strengthen the various programs and initiatives. YMI is committed to strengthening our relationship with churches and schools as we seek to serve the broader body of Christ. Regional YMI representatives will strengthen the mobilizing and discipling mandate of this ministry.

Pioneering. YMI teams continue to assist in breaking new ground for church planting and cross-cultural evangelism. Our strong partnership with MB Missions/Services has served the emerging Lithuanian churches with a YMI-staffed Leadership Training Institute the past two years. We look forward to similar leadership development opportunities in Zaire in the coming year.

Site locations for 1996

Summer Outreach College Program:

Maritimes
Winnipeg/Toronto
US Midwest
California
Colombia
Lithuania
Zaire

SOAR:

Inner-city southern California
Tijuana
Baja, Mexico

One-Year Teams:

Lithuania
Zaire
Toronto

Ongoing challenges

Integration. YMI is working at integrating the life-transforming and often intense transformational experience of a short-term mission assignment into the ongoing life of the local church. The involvement of youth pastors and sponsors on SOAR and college programs has been helpful in bridging the gap.

Resources. As YMI partners with and serves various institutions, we want to expand ministry opportunities while conserving ministry resources. Strengthening our communication and service within the constituency must be creative and cost-effective.

Return to the M.B. Herald Vol. 35, No. 10 Home Page