Wildwood Community Church
– our LPD Church of the Week
– thanks to Anna Crumback (Ben) of Sointula Community Church for producing the Church of the Week.
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Wildwood Community Church is located in Bowser, BC. Originally planted by the Shantymen, the church met in what was called (and literally was) “the old schoolhouse.” The building was moved to the current site, renovated and an addition added, and has housed, “Wildwood Community Church,” ever since.
In 2002, Wildwood Community Church joined the LPD/EFCC Family, and we are glad for their presence with us. Pastor Rick and Sandy McAllister have served at Wildwood since 2011, and they and the church have mentored and now “commissioned” Matt and Mary Howard to pastor Good Shepherd Community Church (EFCC) in Cut Knife, Saskatchewan.
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Do you love me? So asked Tevye to his wife Golde in the scene from the movie, “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Their marriage was an arranged one, and they had been married for 25 years. Life together had been one of hardship, poverty and raising their daughters. Each had fulfilled their marital responsibilities, but did they love one another? Here is a video clip of this scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_y9F5St4j0
Tevye and Golde, upon thinking about it, concluded that yes, indeed they must love one another. It is a great scene.
On the other side of the spectrum, today (Valentine’s Day), millions of valentines will be exchanged with declarations and promises of love. They will be given to girlfriends/boyfriends, spouses, family and friends, and yes, even pets. Flowers, chocolates and perhaps even dog food will be given as symbols of love.
Actions prompted by love. Words prompted by love. Both are important – but better together!
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18).
As believers, we are to be known by our love for one another (John 13:35). 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love is to be preferred over spiritual gifts, knowledge, and even faith and hope.
Do you love me? In a rather intimate and somewhat familiar moment, after his resurrection, Jesus questions Simon Peter in a similar way to that of Tevye to Golde. On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he asks, “Do you love (agape) me more than these?” “These” may refer to either the other disciples or to his fishing boat, gear and vocation. It may also be understood as, “Do you love me more than do the other disciples?”
Agape love is the love that is sacrificial. It is the love that means to prefer, to serve and to embrace. It means to put others before oneself. It is the love of John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world…”
Peter responds to Jesus’ question with, “Lord, you know that I love (phileo) you.” Phileo is friendly, affectionate, brotherly love. Then, Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus asks Peter the same question a second time, and Peter responds the same way. Finally, Jesus asks a third time, this time asking Peter, “Do you love (phileo) me?” Peter, feeling hurt in that the question is repeated, responds, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (phileo) you.” Again Jesus instructs Peter, “Feed my sheep.”
I go back to the first question of Jesus, “Do you love (prefer/choose to to serve/ embrace/ put me before these other things?”
If Jesus were asking me this question, what would the “these” be? How about you? How about your church?
If it be that, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us,” how do we respond? As John writes, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Over the years, our evangelical churches have focused on truth, on upholding Scripture, and this is good. My prayer is that we will also be known for our love – love for our Lord Jesus Christ – love for honouring Him – and love for others in his Name.
Truth and love are not incompatible. We are called to speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:14,15).
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Paul also writes in what is known as the “love chapter” that love, “Does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Cor. 13:6). Here “truth” is contrasted to “evil” or “iniquity.”
May we be known as those who love the truth, and also love others in the Name of Christ. Perhaps our EFCC Motto positions us well for this … “In essentials unity; in non-essentials charity; in all things, Jesus Christ.”
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8).
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LPD Conference
– Just three weeks away!
at
Grace Hanin Community Church
March 6,7
with Dr. Randy Wollf of ACTS Seminaries.
“The Heart of Discipleship”
We are so glad to welcome our presenter, Dr. Randy Wollf, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Leadership Studies; Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary at ACTS. Randy (Lore) Wollf became our first LPD Missionaries in 2005, as they planted “The Journey.” Randy is a practitioner when it comes to church, and believes that there are several practical essentials for effective discipleship in our local churches that transcends our methods and effort.
Here is a note from conference speaker, Randy Wollf:
As I’ve been preparing for the LPD Conference, I’ve been struck again with God’s heart for discipleship. God wants our churches to be loving, Christ-centred communities on a mission to be and make growing disciples of Jesus. We’ve gotten pretty good at developing solid disciple-making methods and that’s a good thing. The methods we use to make disciples are kind of like a trellis or support that a vine needs to support its growth. Yet, the trellis does not cause the growth. It’s the sunshine, the rain and the nutrients in the soil that cause the growth.
During our time together on March 6, we will explore the disciple-making nutrients that must be in the soil of our churches, at the very core of our church cultures, for our disciple-making efforts to flourish. Even though we will look at some “how-to’s,” the sessions will focus more on heart matters like prayerfulness, responding to God’s voice, loving others, and living missionally. As we partner with the Holy Spirit in growing these core elements of a vibrant church culture, the methods we employ will be much more effective. Please pray earnestly for our time together – that God would take us and our churches deeper in understanding and living out His heart for discipleship.
With great anticipation of what God will do,
Randy
Please plan to join us for this important time of sharing together, learning together and providing direction to the ministry of our Lower Pacific District. All are welcome to join us for the workshop with Randy on Friday, to the informal dinners with ministry colleagues on Friday evening, and the Saturday morning time for teaching, ministry reporting and decisions. We will end off with lunch together, including an informal fellowship lunch and prayer time for ladies in ministry and ministry wives with Karen Stewart. Also, we anticipate one or more churches joining our LPD Family at conference.
All Pastors are expected to attend, and all others are welcome to join us!
Register online at: https://www.lpd-efcc.ca/event/lpd-annual-conference-2020/
Here is a conference poster and info. on the luncheon for pastor’s wives and women in ministry:
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Please pray for:
