Notes From the Pastor
Every two weeks Hope Fellowship publishes the Hope Fellowship Sun, a newsletter providing information to the church on our ministries and events of interest. The front page includes an article by Pastor Peter or another member of our church. Please enjoy these reprints.
You can also read these notes on our blog: hopefellowshipcourtice.blogspot.com
May 13, 2012
I’ll be calling my Mom later today to wish her a happy Mother’s day. “Every day is Mother’s Day,” she’ll reply, reminding me that moms need to be treated with respect and love every day of the year.
She’s got a point. One day of special attention will never make up for three hundred and sixty-four days of neglect.
Mothers have always been valued by God. The fifth commandment tells us to honour them. In the book of Proverbs a man who despises his mother is called “foolish.” And in Isaiah God goes so far as to compare his comfort with the comfort a mother gives to her child.
Mothers don’t have it easy. Talk to a mom with a newborn and she’ll tell you about sleep-interrupted nights. Talk to a mother of school aged children and she’ll tell you about her multiple roles as cab driver, craft designer and cook, not to mention her duties as nurse, dietician, psychologist, disciplinarian and cheerleader. Talk to a mother of teenagers and she’ll tell you about hormones, mood swings, and lack of appreciation. Talk to a mother of adult children and she might joke that “parenting is a life sentence,” as one of our good-humoured friends likes to say.
Every good Mom is supportive of her children. You see that in the Old Testament story of Hagar who found a wife for her son, Ishmael, in Egypt. And you see that in the New Testament story of Zebedee’s wife who asked Jesus to give her two sons, James and John, a place of honour in his kingdom.
My own Mom has always been supportive, even when I took on challenges that made her question my sanity. Drive a ’58 Chevy with four bald tires from Toronto to Edmonton at age 17 to pursue a girl? Go for it. Marry four days after your 19th birthday? Because it’s Marja, you have our blessing. Adopt children and become a racially diverse family? We’ll treat them like our own flesh and blood. Take the call to Hope Fellowship in Courtice when you could move to a nearby church in B.C.’s lower mainland? As long as you’re serving the Lord, we’re happy.
Today, at age 87, my mother is a breast cancer survivor whose feet have become so sensitive from her chemo treatments that she can no longer go to the gym for her daily workout. But she continues to advocate for our health, often reminding us to “Stay active.” Obeying her is half the reason why Marja and I have not hung up our running shoes or parked our bicycles!
As for her legacy, she always told my siblings and me that she loves us but loves Dad in a special way. This made us feel very secure. It also inspired all five of us to leap into marriage before we turned twenty. I also remember her advice to be more decisive and less defensive in our parenting. “Don’t talk so much, trying to get your children to understand all your reasons for every decision. You are the parent!”
I especially love the way she way she is thankful for every little thing. Give her a kitchen gadget, and she’ll mention how helpful it is every time you call. Give her a large outdoor thermometer, and twenty years later she’ll tell you how much she still appreciates it every time she looks outside to check the temperature.
If your Mom has passed away, I wish you wonderful memories and God’s comfort. If your Mom is still alive, find a way to let her know that you thank God for her every day of the year, not just on Mother’s Day.
- Pastor Peter
April 29, 2012
Heidi McLaughlin, the featured speaker at our recent “Beauty Unleashed” conference, told the participants that she asks God to give her several words each year to guide her. Then she invited the women to join her in this spiritual exercise and prayerfully ask the Lord for several words. After they “heard” them, she invited people to write them on helium filled balloons and release them as messages sent up to heaven.
I learned later that one of the women felt somewhat deflated because she didn’t “hear” any words from God. So I asked my wife how she felt about the exercise. Marja said that she didn’t “hear” anything from God, either, but she did find herself thinking about something that I had shared with her earlier that week. I had told her that I’ve been feeling some anxiety lately but that a recurring question kept running through my brain: “Peter, do you trust me?”
I don’t know if this internal question is a thought originating in my sub-conscious, the voice of Jesus speaking to my spirit, or an echo of Psalm 56:3 which says, “When I am afraid I will trust in you.” I know only that the words “Do you trust me?” are encouraging me right now. So Marja decided to claim them as God’s words for her, too, and wrote, “Trust me” on her balloon.
With the eyes of faith, I believe that you can see God everywhere. But can you also hear God speak?
Old Testament writers heard the Lord’s voice in the sound of thunder or the whisper of a breeze. New Testament believers heard God’s voice whenever they read the scriptures or listened to Jesus speaking. But what do we make of those who claim to hear God today as if they have a direct line to the Lord? Are they to be believed? Or are they just exaggerating?
Another person who heard Heidi speak about this recalled it more as a process of praying and thinking than receiving actual words spoken directly by God. Because God is involved in this process, he gets the ultimate credit for whatever word, phrase or thought that comes to mind. I suspect that it usually works in this way.
But I do remember a specific, memorable instance when God did seem to speak directly to me. It happened in Covenant CRC in St. Catharines at a time when my Dad was facing heart by-pass surgery. During the congregational prayer, I invited everyone to be still and listen for anything that God might say, much like Heidi suggested at the conference. In those moments of silence I distinctly “heard” these words: “Don’t worry. It will be all right.”
Was it God giving me a direct message? Possibly. In any case, whether these words came from my subconscious or the Lord, they gave me comfort and were affirmed when my Dad made it through surgery.
And what about that rhetorical question that I keep hearing lately, “Peter, do you trust me?” Is it a thought, a subconscious wish or a divine message? I’m not sure and I won’t pretend that I am. Time will tell. But in the meantime, with the ears of faith, I take comfort in the idea that my spirit has received some reassuring personal words from God again
Jesus often said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Perhaps it’s time to incorporate Christ’s words into Paul Baloche’s song Open The Eyes of My Heart, Lord and start singing, “Open the ears of our hearts, Lord. We want to hear you. We want to hear you.”
- Pastor Peter
April 15, 2012
For the season of Lent we were challenged to a “40 ways in 40 days” Lenten journey. Each day we were asked to list one blessing. We followed this theme as part of our worship services too, and the following was read on Palm Sunday, the week before Easter. It’s a great reminder to look for blessings in some of the things we take for granted every day.
I AM BLESSED!
- If you own one Bible, you are abundantly blessed. One-third of the world does not have access to even one.
- If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week.
- If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people around the world.
- If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people around the world.
- If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
- If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.
- If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare.
- If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
- If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.
- If you prayed yesterday and today, you are in the minority because you believe in God's willingness to hear and answer prayer.
- If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, you are part of a very small minority in the world.
- If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.
Count your blessings and it is amazing how small your troubles will seem. Share them with someone who can't hope for them and you will be further blessed to experience a part of the grace of God who gave the ultimate Gift of love so we could have eternal life with Him forever. In light of that eternity, every moment and object we have is passing away quickly. Share them all as graciously as possible and you'll be doubly blessed.
April 1, 2012
Buzz Words:
For an entire year, the Administration Board took the first thirty minutes of each monthly meeting to discuss Eric Swanson and Rick Rusaw’s book, The Externally Focused Quest. Hope Fellowship’s leadership came away from this study with three words and two phrases that we want everyone to embrace. The purpose of this column is to introduce these new (at least to us) buzz words and phrases to you.
Believe: By definition, Christians are believers in the Divine Being who reveals himself in the Bible as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The church is called to defend and promote the Christian faith, which the apostle Paul summarized well when he wrote, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). God created us to believe.
Belong: Relationships rejuvenate us and communities identify us. Hermits are relatively rare. Most of us are happy to have friends, families, colleagues and neighbours. Believers have always been glad to be part of faith communities and spiritual families where they can feel at home and receive and extend support to each other. God created us to belong.
Blessing: Humans can be selfish, but those who live only for themselves tend to lead miserable and shallow lives. Our spirits are lifted and our sense of purpose is heightened when we help others. Even depressed persons feel better when they shift their attention away from their problems to the problems of others. God also created us to be a blessing.
Separate Entry Points:
Although everyone is created to believe, belong and bless, not everyone is ready to embrace all three at once by following Jesus, attending church and serving others. Imagine, instead, these three things as separate entry points into a full, healthy spiritual life.
For example, someone might not believe in Jesus yet, but by attending one of our youth groups or social events she could feel a sense of belonging that opens them to gospel message. Someone else might not want anything to do with the church, but by pitching in on a Service Saturday he may become open to attending a small group or a worship service.
The goal, then, is to have every ministry at Hope Fellowship offer opportunities that grow belief, that invite a sense of belonging and that offer ways to be a blessing in this world. In the words of the authors of The Externally Focused Church, “Believing is our connection to Christ, belonging is our connection to like-minded believers, and blessing is our ministry to a broken world” (p. 57). And experiencing these three often begins by experiencing one.
No Particular Order:
Whereas we used to think that belief comes first, then belonging, and then blessing, these three things happen in no specific order. Belief in Jesus may come first, but it might also come last or somewhere in between. It’s fluid, not linear. Like the Celtic Knot pictured here.
Internally Strong: To offer these three entry points to others, we need to be a healthy, functional community that gets along and has lots to offer. So our prayer is that we be internally strong.
Externally Focused: But no-one, especially those who are skeptical about churches, is impressed with self-absorbed people or communities. So our prayer is also that we become more externally focused.
Summing Up:
God created each person to believe, to belong and to be a blessing. For that to happen, the body of Christ must be internally strong and externally focused. And now you know the latest buzz from your church leaders!
- Pastor Peter
March 18, 2012
My wife, Krista, and I started Lent this year in the Central American country of Guatemala. We spent a week in and around the capital, Guatemala City, serving as part of a Medical Team with the Christian relief organization Speroway. While there, we were able to provide basic medical and dental care to nearly 5,000 people while leaving behind medication, food and a few comforts such as clothes and toiletries.
Here at home, we’ve been encouraged to reflect during Lent on 40 blessings that we experience in our daily lives. For us, security was the blessing that we were most reminded of during this trip.
We’ve all heard stories coming out of Mexico and other countries about the violence that often occurs with drug-related gang wars or with tourists making bad choices in local nightclubs. However, the general impression of life in these countries is that if you don’t go looking for trouble, it won’t come looking for you. This has been our experience during our previous medical mission trips as the stories we’ve heard from people at the clinics are of muggings when someone missed their bus and needed to hitchhike at night or when someone ended up in the ‘wrong’ neighbourhood at the wrong time. In general, the trouble spots are well known by the locals and people simply do their best to avoid them and carry on with their lives, hard as they may be. This year, however, we found ourselves driving into a few of those ‘wrong’ neighbourhoods to provide care.
Over the last year, Speroway has been in contact with an organization that works in the urban slums of Guatemala City. Once the safety of our team was guaranteed, planning started on running three of our five daily clinics in some of the roughest parts of this city of 2.3 million people. These are places where gangs are in charge and the authorities have little influence. The families that find themselves living in these areas would obviously prefer to move elsewhere but their circumstances have left them living in constant fear that their lives could be forever changed on a whim by someone who has no fear of being caught let alone punished.
Pastor Jorgé is one of the leaders of this organization and is so committed to helping the people living in these areas that he relocated his family into one of the communities we visited. This is a man who knows the dangers but chooses to show God’s love by living in relationship with these families, day in and day out. It was a pleasure to serve these families with him and his team.
Once we returned to ‘normal’ life in Oshawa, it became crystal clear that our day-to-day security is a blessing that we need to be more thankful for. We are not in a position to question why some of us are born into a stable society like Canada instead of a challenging situation like Guatemala. We can simply respond with gratitude for the blessings we have received and a willingness to use these gifts from God as we are led.
We don’t know all the blessings that God has given the people that we cared for in the urban slums of Guatemala City but we left each day trusting that the care we provided during our clinics was a at least a small blessing that God would use for His purpose.
For more info about our trip, feel free to contact us or visit www.speroway.com/blog.
- Chris Ritskes
March 4, 2012
On Wednesday, March 14, at 10 a.m., Hope Fellowship will offer a morning movie event aimed at families looking for something to do during March Break. It will feature the newly released VeggieTales movie, Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men. Popcorn and drinks will be served in the foyer after the movie. Admission is FREE! And we encourage you to get the news out far and wide!
Big Idea Entertainment, which produces all of the VeggieTales cartoons, generously gave us permission to show this film in our church. It is not the first time that they have allowed us to do this. Back in the days when we still worshiped in Dr. G.J. McGillivray Public School, we were also allowed to present their first Veggie Tale feature film, Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie.
According to Wikipedia, VeggieTales, created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki in 1989, “is a series of English language children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables and conveying moral themes based on Christianity spliced with joking references to pop culture and current events.” Its biggest stars are Bob the Tomato, voiced by Phil, Larry the Cucumber, voiced by Mike, and Junior Asparagus, voiced by Lisa Vischer, Phil’s wife. Their very first episode, released in 1993, was entitled Where’s God When I’m Scared?”
Speaking personally, I have always enjoyed Bob, Larry and Junior and a host of other characters created over the years, including Madame Blueberry, Pa Grape and Petunia Rhubarb. They may not have arms or legs, but this creative cast has a way of scrambling into your heart. Any one of the 45 thirty minute episodes is worth seeing, and appropriate for kids of all ages.
Interestingly, Phil Vischer first considered using anthropomorphic candy bars for his characters. But when his wife pointed out that parents would not be too thrilled with candy heroes, he wisely chose fruits and vegetables instead. The rest, as they say, is history and better health for us all. Yes? No? Well, I can hope …
You may want your own copy of this new “direct to DVD” feature film that we’ll be showing during March Break. If so, it can be purchased at Durham Christian Bookstore in Bowmanville which also happens to have a sale on eight Veggie Tales episodes. I mention this as a way of thanking the VeggieTales folks for their kindness to us, and also to promote some wholesome, fun family entertainment that can help parents mold the characters and values of their children. We also have a number of VeggieTales episodes in our church library for your enjoyment.
On March 14, I plan to be there, watching the latest VeggieTale feature film on the big screens in our auditorium. I hope I’ll be surrounded by lots of children, parents and grandparents not only from our church but also our community. It’s still more than a week away, and that’s a lot of “sleeps” for us “kids” until the fun starts. For that reason, I’ve added one of the VeggieTales CD’s to my play list in my car to help me wait until the big day arrives. So if you happen to see me grinning and bopping at an intersection, waiting for the traffic light to change, it’s probably because I’m singing some Silly Songs with Larry.
In the meantime, until we meet in Hope Fellowship’s cinesphere for this special event, allow me to bless you with VeggieTales familiar benediction: “Remember kids, God made you special and He loves you very much.”
- Pastor Peter
February 19, 2012
Hope Fellowship is privileged to partner with Sheila Dykstra, Education Consultant/Specialist in West Africa in her mission work through Christian Reformed World Missions. Sheila expressed how she feels about her mission in an article written by Marie Cooper:
“Christian schools acknowledge Jesus as Lord over all creation”, says Sheila Dykstra. “Every corner of creation belongs to Him and our entire school curriculum is a study of God’s creation, be it science, math, English or music.”
Sheila firmly believes “Christian schools equip students to see the world from God’s perspective. We can’t separate God from His creation and no knowledge is neutral or separate from God”. Put simply, she feels “our faith cannot be separated from how we do business, how we care for those around us, even how we drive our cars!”
As a teacher herself, Sheila explained that “Christian schools teach and model for students what it means to have a vibrant relationship with God. Each of us is on a journey to know God and make Him known to others. How a Christian school teacher teaches, how we relate to students, how we deal with pain, sin and disappointment must always point students to the saving knowledge of Christ.”
Sheila feels her current position in Nigeria as a Christian Education Specialist is a culmination of all the experiences God has given her up to this point in her life: a variety of Christian education experiences, a love for Africa and African culture, the ability to communicate in French, a love for teaching and children, and the opportunity to serve and walk with national teachers and friends.
“I love what I am doing now,” says Sheila, “and I find great fulfillment in seeing teachers who were struggling implement things they have learned, resulting in happier and more engaged students in their classrooms.”
When asked about her dreams though, Sheila said “Someday I’d like to be part of a school project that implements best practices in teaching from an African Christian worldview – embracing and using the great things about African culture as learning and teaching tools, like community learning and storytelling. I’d love to see a school that is built and run and funded by Africans for Africans, where all students can attend regardless of their economic or intellectual abilities, where there is a teacher training component and people can come and learn and dialogue, where students and teachers all have a deep sense of justice and integrity, and where everyone leaves empowered and implements what they have learned in each sector of society God places them.”
So what does this mean for us, as Sheila’s home church? Sheila is called by God to serve in West Africa and He calls us to be her life line—to pray for her, care for her, and support her spiritually and financially.
When I asked Sheila for something very specific to share with you, her response was, “I need to have regular monthly support.” One of the jobs our missionaries are required to accomplish is to raise about 1/2 of their own support. The other half comes from Ministry Shares. If you feel called to support Sheila in the work she does, with its far reaching consequences (teaching teachers to teach), please talk to Sheila today or check your mail box for more information. We are praying for 10 new sponsors for Sheila’s work this weekend.
- Evelyn
February 5, 2012
Endings are often disappointing. A vacation can take so much preparation and end so quickly. So why would we take a month off as a family and go to Nicaragua? A few of our reasons were adventure, curiosity, travel, awareness, restlessness, and a chance to bond. We prayed and asked God to open or close doors.
We found open doors and helpful staff at the Canadian CRWM-Christian Reformed World Missions, where we discovered some of our trip could be used as a charitable donation if we spent time volunteering. We didn’t travel first class but we had a great experience.
On arrival in Nicaragua we spent a week living in a family’s home and taking Spanish lessons. God had planned it that way. Unbeknownst to us, the director of the language school was a Christian. Veronica spoke with passion about the difference her church made in her life and in the lives of the local community.
While in Nicaragua we enjoyed beaches and saw how Nicaraguans experienced life, got our first taste of Nicaraguan food and encountered intestinal issues, and visited a community outside of the town where they had no running water or electricity. We heard the story of transformation that was happening there. God was at work.
We transitioned to the capital of Managua and worked with Tesoros de Dios (Treasures of God). There they work with children that have a wide range of exceptionalities, and their families, focusing on academics, physiotherapy and equine therapy with over 80 children each week. While we were there our girls worked with the children while the boys built a ramp for the equine therapy.
We had ups and downs. There were interesting commutes in mototaxi’s (3 wheeled vehicles). We prayed with families, including a mother had lost 2 sons in a car accident. We developed an appreciation for the community of support that Tesoros is for these families.
A gathering with CRWM workers from Nicaragua and the US, gave us a wider picture of the work that the CRWM does abroad. Ministry shares are vital in real life applications. Its also vitally important to pray for your missionaries, their walk with God, and their relationships with their family, friends and co workers.
There was also opportunity to explore Nicaragua. We stayed in hostels, back packed and rode local transportation. We also experienced zip lines, surfing, visiting volcanoes, exploring the rainforest and its wildlife, swimming, and horse back riding.
We visited a World Vision site and were very impressed. Both Christian Reformed World Mission and World Vision work with the communities they are in, identifying goals with community leaders. Know your community!
We experienced adventure, service, and a month together. God is good and we saw that goodness in Nicaragua. We were blessed to delve into a beautiful culture. It will resonate with us for a long time. Yes it took preparation, but was worth the investment. Our ending was not disappointing.
Do you feel a stirring of discontent? Want to see what God is doing in a different part of the world? Contact the CRWM for information on volunteer opportunities. What service adventure could 2012 hold for you?
- Sharon, Doug and their 3 Children spent August of 2011 in Nicaragua.
January 22, 2012
The Banner is the Christian Reformed Church’s monthly magazine. It is available free to any Hope Fellowship household that requests it. At this point, sixty-plus households get it directly mailed to their home.
Evelyn, our office administrator, chatted with the publishers and they discovered that in Canada it is more economical to ship issues in bulk to the church than it is to ship them to individual homes. Therefore, in the future, this is the way The Banner will make their way to us.
We would like to see more of our people reading The Banner because of its excellent content and its ability to connect people within our denomination. For that reason, we are inviting those who are presently not receiving it to contact the office and sign up for their own copy.
To give you a taste of the kind of articles that The Banner provides, please read the following story which we found quite inspiring and challenging.
In northwest Iowa in the 1970s few things provoked as much passion as hog prices, high school basketball . . . or congregational meetings.
Excitement and anticipation thickened the air as parishioners entered the church. This particular congregational meeting was sure to be one of the most important in the history of the church—its significance heightened by the fact that, for the first time, women were granted the right to vote.
The issue at stake was whether or not to build a new house of worship. The building was old and the church kept growing. Perhaps now was the time. I called the meeting to order, read appropriate Scripture, and led in a prayer asking for wisdom and unity without politicking.
Then the floor opened for discussion. An elderly man rose to speak. One of the newer members of the church, he had recently retired from the farm and moved to a new home in this town, bringing with him a reputation as a staunch churchman. He spoke with passion, his defiant opposition to the proposal obvious to all. He enumerated multiple reasons for his stance: a weak economy, low prices, a perfectly good, serviceable old church building.
Listening to what seemed like an unceasing rant, I was wondering how to graciously bring it to a close, when help came from an unexpected source. The man’s demure wife, seated next to him, simply reached up to the bottom of his sport coat and gave two brisk tugs. Immediately the tirade ended, and he meekly sat down. I was perhaps the only witness to this “power” display, and thus for the rest of the evening my most difficult task was not controlling the meeting but rather stopping myself from laughing out loud.
After lengthy discussion featuring the gamut of opinions and emotions, the time came for a vote by secret ballot. The final tally told the future of a congregation eager to move forward and build a new house of worship: more than 85 percent were in favor of the project. On that convincing note the meeting adjourned with prayer. But it was hardly the end of the story.
The next morning the elderly man vehemently opposed to the project took a walk. In the course of his walk he stopped at the house of the church treasurer, where he dropped off a sizeable check made out to the New Church Building Fund.
Had someone convinced him to change his mind? Had a divine epiphany brought this about? Neither of the above. But he was a churchman. This was his church, and the members were his brothers and sisters in Christ. He was one of them, and they had spoken. He had an obligation to support their decision. He had been blessed, and he would do his part.
Few lessons in the history of my ministry were impressed on me quite as indelibly as what I learned from this old man about the blessing of belonging. To be a member of the body of Christ is to realize the joy of belonging, with all its rights and privileges. In a world of warring opinions and ideologies, of clashing agendas and passionate disagreement, the truth and beauty of belonging is a priceless comfort to savor. (written by Harold Hiemstra, a retired pastor. www.thebanner.org/departments/article/?id=3927
Wasn’t that a good read? Now contact the office (905-571-6004, officeadmin@hopefellowship.ca) and ask to be put on the list for a free Banner in your church mailbox every month.
- Pastor Peter
January 8, 2012
Eight days before Christmas, on December 17, Tropical Storm Washi dumped a month’s worth of rain on Mindanao Island in the South Philippines in only a few hours. Forests, denuded by logging, could not soak up the water. Surging flash floods combined with a high tide caused widespread flooding. More than twelve hundred people, still asleep in the shantytowns lining the riverbanks, drowned. Many thousands of adults and children were left homeless.
Although the Philippines are located in South Asia, half a world away, we have a connection with this country through three Filipino households that are part of Hope Fellowship Church. Both Shirley and Lily come from there. But it is through Jerry and Emma that our connection to this natural disaster is very immediate. Emma’s hometown, Iligan City, was the hardest hit by the flooding. Not only that, Emma experienced many personal losses. Emma's niece and two of her children died; her niece’s other two children are still missing. Emma’s brother’s house was washed away. Several in-laws also died. Surviving members of the family are depressed because of the loss of lives.
In light of this personal connection, we must do something. But what?
Jerry and Emma have told us that the survivors need basic clothing like t-shirts and jeans, personal hygiene items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and linens for bedding. They have found a way to ship a box of goods for $60 (every third box is free) to a contact in the Philippines who will make sure that these items are distributed to Emma’s family and others. As of now, they have two boxes ready and they’re close to filling a third box. They are definitely doing something.
If we are willing to donate some of our used summer clothing (all sizes), as well as linens, hygienic products, and even non-perishable foods like dried rice and cans of food, the family is willing to pack and ship it. So we can also do something for their relatives, friends and others.
One of the most helpful ways to respond is by donating money that can purchase aid locally. Therefore, our deacons have decided to hold an extra offering for “Philippines Tropical Storm 2011” on January 15. Thankfully, there are 25 established and 20 emerging Christian Reformed churches in the Philippines, and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) is working closely with Living Hope Christian Reformed Church in Cagayan de Oro where some of the Living Hope church members’ houses have also been destroyed
When Marja and I met with Jerry and Emma family last week to learn more about the tragedy that had befallen their extended family, Jerry said that The Starfish Story motivated him to do something. As you may recall, this familiar story by Loren Eisley goes like this:
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”
Next week, let’s donate the requested items and money and throw some starfish back into the Sulu sea. - Pastor Peter
December 25, 2011
After seeing the shepherds on trial in last Sunday’s Christmas musical, I was prompted to ask a familiar question, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I cited Don Cherry as an example of someone who went public on Hockey Night In Canada with his faith on December 17 when he said, “At this time of year we have fun with Santa Claus, but Christmas is about Jesus being born.” If Cherry is ever put on trial for being a Christian, the prosecutor will certainly introduce last week’s “Coach’s Corner” as evidence.
Actually, every Christian is always on trial. People are watching. Angels and demons are watching. God is watching, too. We’re under constant surveillance in a world that wants to know if we’re really Christians.
But how can you tell?
In the book of Acts, Christians were repeatedly arrested for telling people that God raised Jesus from the dead. Their courage was exceptional; they refused to be silenced. Like the shepherds, they had to spread the good news of great joy about a Saviour, Christ the Lord.
Their example forces you and me to question our willingness to witness to others about Jesus. To whom and to what extent do we proclaim Jesus with our words?
Speaking about Jesus isn’t enough evidence, though. Christian faith is more than words, just as an apple tree is more than wood. The real thing is always proven by its fruit, as Jesus once said.
What kind of fruit convicts someone of being a real Christian?
According to Martin M. Davis, a retired family therapist, author and workshop leader living in Mississippi, “the indisputable proof that we are Christians is that we love each other as Christ loves us.” He bases this on what Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Here’s where I find an inconsistency in Don Cherry. I have no doubt that he believes in Jesus. I just don’t see anything particularly Christ-like or loving in his Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em videos. Apparently kids singer Raffi is also not impressed. In fact, Raffi, the author of songs like Baby Beluga and The More We Get Together is asking fans to mute the tv whenever Don Cherry comes on. “For years I’ve been watching him get louder and louder,” he told The Toronto Star last week. "He sounds and acts like a bully. That’s not fun and it’s not a good example for the kids who are watching. In this day and age of all the hockey violence, we should be putting a stop to this."
I love Don Cherry and I love the courageous way he reminded hockey fans what Christmas is really about. But his pugnacious approach to Canada’s game has to change if he wants to be convicted of obeying Christ’s new commandment and using the power of Christ’s love to help bring God’s peace on earth and finesse to the rink.
With good words and works, we show a watching world that we might be Christians. By avoiding immoral and illegal activities, we show a skeptical world that we might be followers of Jesus. But only Christ’s love in us for both the loveable and the un-loveable is conclusive proof that we’re Christians “for real!”
My Christmas wish for one and all is that we would be guilty as charged of loving everyone as Christ loved us!
- Pastor Peter
December 11, 2011
As a teenager living in Willowdale, Anthony, my high school buddy, and I would often head downtown Toronto in December to take in the sights. Last Saturday, the Steve Bell concert at Massey Hall (amazing!) provided me an opportunity to relive those experiences.
At City Hall, Marja and I watched the skaters. My eyes were immediately drawn to the three arches over the ice pad and I remembered the day Anthony and I climbed them. Today they’re guarded by gates. Back then they were very accessible.
“How high did you climb?” Marja asked. Not wanting to exaggerate I said, “About a third of the way up. That’s when a security guard called us down.”
Anthony had a clearer memory of that day. We met him and his wife for supper before the concert. When I mentioned the arches he said, “No way, man. We climbed all the way to the top. And it was a police officer who called us down. The first thing he said to us, “What’s your name?” And when we told him, he said, ‘I’ll remember that name if you ever try that again!’”
A City Hall arch wasn’t the only thing we climbed as teens. We also climbed the towering chimney of the secondary school across from the Willowdale Christian School on Hilda Avenue. By jumping, we were able to grasp the lowest rung. We climbed up, up, up and then crawled onto the ledge. To prove that we had actually done it, we took pictures in all directions with an old black and white camera.
I still feel queasy whenever I think about the trip back down. Clinging to a sooty duct, I lowered myself over the side and pivoted my foot in space until it made contact with a rung. My stomach churned. Slowly I climbed back down, my heart racing, my palms sweating, praying for a safe return to solid ground. Anthony made it, too. Relieved to be back on terra firma, I vowed never to do it again. Since then, I have always had a fear of heights.
As we recounted these stories last week, shaking our heads about the foolish risks we took, I thought about God’s protection despite our own stupidity. “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways,” the psalmist once wrote. I’m glad that God not only forgives but also forgets our youthful mistakes. I hope that we can extend the same grace to our children and youth when they test the boundaries.
In downtown Toronto last week, I was reminded not only of the thrills we used to seek, but also the wonder we would experience as kids as we pressed our noses to the Christmas display windows in the original Eaton Store on Yonge Street. Today, it is The Bay that offers five windows of indoor and outdoor Christmas scenes alive with moving parts and playful figures that capture the holiday season. Marja and I found them and stood mesmerized, especially delighting in the miniature mice sleeping in matchboxes below the floors of a decorated Victorian house. Unfortunately, other than three miniature carolers whose carol sheets were too small to decipher, the window displays made no specific reference to the birth of Jesus. Politically incorrect, I guess.
Re-visiting both the arches and the Christmas window displays got me thinking of a way to be rebellious without risking our lives. What way? Let’s say “Merry Christmas” wherever and whenever we can. It is a greeting that, in our culture’s Christ-free approach to Christmas, is just foolish enough to earn some disapproving looks, yet brave enough to get some adrenalin flowing and make Jesus proud.
- Pastor Peter
November 27, 2011
On Saturday November 19th, members of the Administrative Board, Deacons and staff met for an extended breakfast meeting to discuss a new way to look at our ministries and how they work towards our purpose of bringing people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Admin Board has embraced the theme of being an “Externally Focused and Internally Strong” church over the last few years (from the book The Externally Focused Quest, available in our church library) and this has now become a regular part of our ministry review discussions. Our next challenge is to take a look at our ministries to see how this theme is actually helping us achieve our purpose at Hope Fellowship.
Stan Baker shared at the Spring Membership Meeting a way of looking at our Christian lives through three words, Believe, Belong and Bless, which are outlined in Chapter 3 of this book. Believe represents our connection to Christ, Belong represents our connection to other Christians and Bless represents our connection to the community around us as we seek to minister to a broken world. The image of a triangular Celtic knot where each side connects to the others is used to help show these connections visually.
Jesus’ challenge in the Bible is to include all three of these connections in our lives each day. If we were to live by ourselves and spend all our time reading the Bible, without community or acts of mercy, we would be missing something. If we were to be part of a small group that only met for coffee, without studying the Bible or seeking ways to help our community, we would be missing something. If we were to mail cheques to a local church without stepping foot in the doors for worship or fellowship, we would be missing something. Even if we are able to make two of these connections, there would still be a gap since you can Belong and Bless through an organization like the Rotary Club without meeting Jesus’ challenge.
Getting familiar with how Christians live out these three connections leads us to the next step of realizing that they all can act as a way to connect someone back to the church and ultimately a living relationship with Jesus. A person can hear a sermon and be moved to learn more about belonging to a church and blessing others; a person can be invited to a church social event and be moved to learn more about Jesus and serving others; a person can participate in a church-sponsored service project and be moved to find out about Jesus and how to become a part of a group that serves in this way.
The challenge that we’ve taken on is to test each of our ministries to see which connection they are strengthening as they help people connect with Jesus, each other and the community. We’ve developed a simple questionnaire for our ministry leaders to rate each ministry to see if these three connections are present and how strong each one is. The Zone Coordinators and Admin Board will then use the results to guide our ministry planning. We will be taking some time to discuss this new ‘Scorecard’ approach at the Membership Meeting on Dec 1st and invite you to join us at 7:30 pm.
While we’re working on this new way of reviewing our ministries, we haven’t forgotten the valuable information that we’ve collected through the Natural Church Development survey. Hope Fellowship has participated in three surveys so far (1999, 2002 and 2007) and we are planning our next survey in the coming weeks. We have already started working on linking the survey questions to the Believe, Belong and Bless connections and look forward to using the results to help us connect closer to Jesus, closer to each other and closer to our community.
- Chris Ritskes
November 13, 2011
Twenty-five years ago Rick Hansen made history when he completed his Man In Motion World Tour after propelling his wheelchair for 792 days and 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries and 4 continents. 126 flat tires did not stop him from covering the circumference of the earth. Neither did his spinal cord injury (SCI). Since then, his foundation has raised more than $250 million, money used to accelerate progress towards a cure for SCI and a more accessible and inclusive world.
On Wednesday, November 2, the 25th Anniversary Rick Hansen Relay, came through Bowmanville. Thirteen persons, each doing a 250 metre section of the tour from the Zoo to the Recreation Complex, were given the experience of wearing the heavy sterling silver medal that commemorates the world tour. It weighs 400 grams and bears the logo “Many In Motion”.
Two of the thirteen Clarington Region medal bearers are from Hope Fellowship Church. They are two of the 7,000 “Difference Makers” that are now carrying Rick Hansen’s cause 12,000 kilometres from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Vancouver B.C.
Nathan, 11, described his opportunity to participate in the relay as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” that made him “really nervous.” He ended up feeling very good about the whole experience as he was cheered on not only by spectators but also his family.
As each person passed the medal to the next, all wearing yellow jackets and navy blue track pants and toques, the group grew until all thirteen medal bearers were running together. Also in that group was Joan, a special education teacher who works with young students with disabilities. “I took it as a privilege and a real honour to be part of it,” she said. When she passed the medal to the next runner, a 13 year old girl waiting for a double lung transplant, the two windmilled their arms and did an impromptu starburst, followed by a chest bump. In their orientation session Nathan and Joan received their tracksuits and were told that everyone can be a difference maker. “There are ‘Big D’ difference makers who find cures and invent things,” the speaker said. “But we can all be ‘small d’ difference makers by recycling garbage, helping someone or just putting a smile on someone’s face.”
The Royal Canadian Mint also made 7000 copies of the main medal for the relay participants. Joan decided to give her medal to her lifelong friend Elizabeth, who was disabled by a pickup truck in Kingston in 2005 while training for the Sea to Sea Bicycle Tour. “She’s my hero when it comes to paraplegic and spinal cord injuries,” Joan explained. Nathan is probably keeping his prized memento. But his personal hero is his own Dad, Rob, whose below the knee amputation as a result of a congenital birth defect did not prevent him from becoming an elite athlete who competed for Canada in the 100, 200 and 400 metre dashes and running long jump in three Paralympic Games -Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney -and four world championships. Two of his Canadian records still stand.
With such a parental legacy, it is no wonder that Nathan was inspired to apply to Rick Hansen’s 25th anniversary relay across Canada. Speaking about Rick, Nathan said, “Imagine, he went all the way across the world with just his arms. This shows me that nothing can hold you back.”
The apostle Paul said that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. That includes being a difference maker in our community like Nathan and Joan.
- Pastor Peter
October 30, 2011
In last week’s sermon I challenged everyone who considers Hope Fellowship their church home to take a good hard look at their giving towards the church budget and to prayerfully consider giving through the “pre-authorized debit” program that we’ve dubbed HopePAD. Currently, only fifty-six households do their giving this way.
I made this request against the background of not meeting last year’s budget. That’s right. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, we found ourselves $50,000 short. Consequently, our treasurer was unable to send away the full amount of promised ministry shares that support our denomination’s missionaries, church planters and agencies. It also became difficult to pay our operating expenses. It was only thanks to the steady and reliable source of income from the fifty-six households on HopePAD that we made it through the summer with all the bills paid!
Candidly, our giving is consistently short of the amount needed to fund our ministry initiatives. This reality has prompted our church leadership to ask, “What’s going on?” In response, our treasurer supplied us with a non-disclosing Contribution Range report that summarized the different levels at which people have given in the last ten months. I shared it in last week’s sermon; it is reprinted on page 2 of this issue of the Sun. And it is very revealing!
Of course, statistics never tell the whole story. A small donation may represent a huge sacrifice; a large donation may only be a drop in the bucket. But our contribution stats indicate that the bulk of the budget is supported by a faithful few. They also imply that many of us may be poor, poor givers or just poor managers of the Master’s money. Ouch!
Please study the Contribution Range report on the next page and ask yourself three questions. Where does my level of giving fit? Why? And what does the Lord want me to do about it?
The biblical model of stewardship teaches us that all of our income belongs to God and that the first tenth, what the Bible calls a tithe, is to be given away, to the church and to charities. If we were to do this, we would experience financial peace at Hope Fellowship and even exceed our budget.
The world’s financial advice is “Pay yourself first” by saving the first ten percent of your income. Then use the remaining 90% for yourself. The scriptures, however, tell us to “Give to God first” by setting the first ten percent of our income aside as “first fruits” that are used to advance God’s kingdom and help others. Then use the rest is to pay down debt, to save, and to cover emergencies and lifestyle expenses that may include Christian education. This biblical model has worked well for my family. There were years when paying Christian school tuition made it difficult to give or save more. But in those expensive yet rewarding years, God showed us how to live within our means and rely on him more, important lessons that taught us to be content with less.
Our treasurer had an interesting nickname for the fifty-six households that donate by means of pre-authorized debit. She called them “lifesavers” because it was only their consistent income that allowed her to pay the bills.
We need everybody to be “life savers” who will financially support Hope Fellowship’s ministries and maintenance, even when they’re out of town for social or business reasons. That’s why our church’s leaders are prayerfully hoping that many more households will come on board and return their pre-authorized debit forms to the HopePAD Drop Box at the Info Centre.
- Pastor Peter
October 16, 2011
Over the years, parents in many Christian Reformed churches have been asked by their children, “Why can’t I take Lord’s Supper?” At Hope Fellowship parents have been able to say, “You can, after you share your love for Jesus with the pastor or the elders.” Now, throughout the Christian Reformed Church, parents will be able to say, “You can, because you also belong to God.”
That’s because this year’s CRC Synod decided to open the communion table to all children of believing parents. Participation is now left solely to the discretion of the parents who are in the best position to determine if their child understands the meaning of Lord’s Supper and loves the Lord.
Jewish children have always been included in the Passover Feast, the Old Testament precursor to communion. They eat. They drink. They hear the story of the Exodus. Their faith is nurtured by the meal that symbolizes Israel’s liberation from Egypt. As members of God’s chosen people, they belong at the table.
In the same way, children of believers in the Christian Reformed Church will now be invited to eat, drink and participate in the greatest liberation story of all … Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Christ, they belong to God’s new covenant; therefore, they belong at Lord’s Supper.
But can a child meet the criteria of I Corinthians 11? What if a child “drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner” and “brings judgment on himself?”
It is important to know that Paul wrote this chapter to admonish adults who had turned communion into an eating and drinking orgy. No decorum. No respect. No waiting for each other. Some even got drunk on communion wine!
It is also important to realize that children are very capable of meaningful preparation and participation. Bert Witvoet, former Christian Courier editor wrote, “Children can be asked by their parents whether or not they love the Lord (examine themselves), whether or not they understand the importance of belonging to a loving family and church (discern the Body), whether they understand that by eating the bread and drinking the cup they are saying that the Lord died also for me (proclaim the Lord’s death), and whether they treat each other with respect (wait for each other).”
Finally, it is especially important to remember that communion was never meant to be a reward for good behaviour or a mature profession. It is a means of grace by which God nurtures imperfect people and strengthens the faith of struggling believers, whatever their mental ability or age.
As a child, my mom often gave me a peppermint during communion. That gave me a sense of belonging as the plate passed me by. When the wine came through the pew, I would inhale its fragrant scent and again feel that I was part of this mystical, bonding experience with Christ and the church.
In the CRC, the time for only looking and smelling is over for all children of believers. The time for touching and tasting is here for every child in whom a parent sees an age-appropriate understanding of salvation. In the words of the newly revised Church Order, “Each church shall minister to its children and youth … by nurturing their faithful participation in the Lord’s Supper.” (Church Order, Article 63)
The pastoral elders will discuss this change next week and consider its implementation. In the meantime, every parent at Hope Fellowship is encouraged to have a conversation with their children about their love for Jesus, the meaning of communion, and the opportunity to participate fully as young members of God’s covenant.
- Pastor Peter
October 2, 2011
Have I ever told you I have the best job in the world? If you ever see a smug look on my face, it’s because I’m feeling sorry for everyone else, since it’s my job and I’m not giving it up! If you ever see me with a smile on my face, it’s because I love what I do.
Why do I have the best job in the world? Well, I get to work with all of you! My job allows me to connect with so many Hope Fellowship people that just wouldn’t be possible any other way. So many of you have shared parts of your lives with me and I count it a privilege and a blessing. For me, the people I come in contact with are the best part of the day. A day with no phone calls or nobody stopping into the office is a long and boring day.
Not only that, I get to work with Pastor Peter! Enough said? Working with someone who always sees the bright side of things, who is always encouraging and positive makes coming to work something to look forward to every day. I wish you all could have a boss like mine.
And if that’s not enough, I also get to work with our six zone coordinators. If you ever want to see a committed, dedicated, passionate group of people, you should stop in sometime when they are all together. Sometimes it makes my head spin! But they work so well together, and are passionate about serving God in this corner of His Kingdom to the best of their ability.
Working for a church is a funny thing. You get paid, but somehow there is always this expectation, whether its put there by others or yourself, that you work beyond the scope of your job. And these six people do. They are here late, they are here early. They pour themselves into their ministry here at Hope Fellowship.
I was thinking about all of this on my way home from work on Wednesday afternoon. It was a great day. Just before the end of the day I received a story from someone who thought I might enjoy it (good thing I was alone when I read it, because it made me cry) and an unexpected encouragement from someone else. It must have put a smile on my face because everyone I looked at smiled back at me. And I started thinking...what if we could do that for our leaders this month?
October is traditionally “Pastor Appreciation Month” where pastors all over North America are thanked and honoured by those they serve. We have tried over the years to show our appreciation for Pastor Peter and Marja in different ways. Let’s do that again this month, but carry it a step further.
Lets think about those who are in leadership in Hope Fellowship and take the time to encourage them this month. If you are involved in youth ministry as a leader or a young person, take some time to let Alice Brink know that you appreciate her. If you are involved in Children’s Ministry, write a card to Nicole Broersma and let her know one way she has blessed you. If you are involved in Sunday worship services (and that would be all of us!) let Mike Broersma know that his passion for music and worship is a gift. If you are involved in outreach, let Heidi St. Jean know that her enthusias
