Lent and Becoming Like Jesus
Will I ever be like Jesus in this life? Will I ever really have Christ’s insight and wisdom? Could I ever be that free of the love of money or the need for human approval? Could I ever gladly die for someone who hated me and wanted to kill me? Could I be that surrendered to the Father’s will? That’s a big question, isn’t it?
Transition Proposal, Three Per Cent Budget Increase Approved
Conference Council members met by Zoom on November 20, 2021, starting at 10 a.m. CT, to give opportunities for boards to report and make recommendations on the work of the Conference.
Waves in the Desert
First wave of refugees: 1980s
from the Soviet Invasion
The Soviet invasion caused the first wave of Afghan refugees as millions flooded into Pakistan, Iran and India.
At the same time, Afghans began to resist the Soviets and Kabul government, which birthed the Afghan mujahideen (holy warriors). The U.S. saw an opportunity to oppose the Soviets by supporting the Afghan warriors. Islamic enthusiasts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and elsewhere, joined with the mujahideen in “short-term mission” service—an ideal chance for young radicals to practice jihad. Osama bin Laden was one such warrior, and he started the al-Qaeda Islamic party
KLC and Bow Island Mark Official Openings as EMC Churches
Winnipeg, Manitoba
On October 17, 2021, Kingdom Life Church (KLC) members met together at St. Vital EMC in Winnipeg, Man., with whom they have established a formal partnership. This service marked the official opening of KLC as part of the EMC, under the leadership of I and P, workers supported by the EMC Church Planting Task Force.
My Life as a Single Person
Life stories can be told in many ways. Come with me for a bit. I’ll take you through the chapters of my life, starting with my childhood.
Singleness: Finding Wholeness in the Midst of Disappointment and Loss
I grew up as a missionary kid in Pakistan. We had a jungle gym in our backyard and, very often, my sister and I would sit on the swings and play a game in which we would imagine we were grown up and living out the most ideal life we could think of: we were missionaries in the Peruvian jungle, with about 10 kids each. We homeschooled our kids and were, of course, the perfect missionary families.
The Land Where Your Dead are Buried
I remember the first time meeting the post-secondary student advisor from my home reserve of Fisher River Cree Nation, I had never met anyone from here before and I was nervous.
Living on the Word of God Alone
Have you ever seen a vehicle where the dash in front of the driver is full of papers or books? It has scraps of notes, receipts, work sheets from a project or any other such thing cluttering up the top of the dash.
Church Renewal: Can These Bones Live?
It started with a Bible study. Young families sensed God moving in revival. The good news of salvation in Jesus transformed their lives. Bible studies formed to discover the meaning of new life in Christ. Still, their church remained traditional and legalistic.
Swords Into Plowshares
He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore (Micah 4:3; Isaiah 2:4).
Hospitality: Listening and Loving in the Middle of Our Messy Lives
As we continue to search for ways to meet our deep longings for communion with God and others, let’s consider how the practice of hospitality might be just the thing we need as we ride out this pandemic.
‘EMC Needs to Look in its Back Yard’
I (Jennifer Kornelsen) visited with Elvira Cote one rainy day this spring. Elvira is from Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan and she lives in Winnipeg.
Caregivers Need Care Too!
The COVID-19 pandemic has been with us over a year. Since it began, we have been living under a constant diet of change with an overriding emotion of fear. Provincial and federal governments have mandated restrictions in hope of containing the virus, affecting every sector of society.
From Languishing to Looking Toward the Eternal
Looking back at March 2020, the coming pandemic had just shut things down in Manitoba, as in many other places. All of us were grappling with our new reality—loss of work or working remotely, virtual schooling, online church, physical contact with very limited individuals, a relentless news cycle and the accompanying anxiety.
Mental Health in the Church: What is currently happening and what can we do?
“I can’t quite explain how distressing it was to have to go through the process of discovering I had mental illness while walking alongside well-meaning but ignorant people.”
Learning to Receive
The familiar ding rang out from my computer notifying me of a new email. I went to check it and discovered an email money transfer, sent at an unexpected time from a very unexpected source.
From Generation to Generation
One of the few books that is a family heritage in our Konkel family is entitled The Descendants of OHM Abraham Wiebe 1831–1991.
Mentoring and Moose Hunting: Why Relationships Matter
“We can go here because somebody has gone here before.” These were the words from my Cree friend and mentor as we made our way into the woods of northern Saskatchewan in search of moose.
The Significance of Names
Knowing the name of something helps us to appreciate it more. Learning the name of a plant or animal or star increases our curiosity about it and leads to further discoveries about God’s creation.