TEBAH Church
our LPD Church of the Week
Whats in a name? The trend in many North American churches is toward church names that are somewhat nondescript. The idea is to open conversations, rather than to close them.
Other churches choose to define themselves and their mission by their name. Such is the case of “Tebah Church.”
“Tebah” is the Hebrew word for “ark,” and the church name, “God’s Tebah Church” is used as an acrostic to describe the church’s values and mission.
God’s – Generation
T – Training leaders
E – to the End of the world.
B – Biblical foundation.
A – Active Worship
H – Holy Trinity
Tebah Church ministers primarily to Korean- Canadians, and it was a joy to welcome them into the LPD/EFCC Family at our LPD District Conference on March 5. Evans and I were delighted to visit them and officially welcome them into the EFCC on Sunday, March 6.
This church is now meeting at Johnston Heights Church on Sunday afternoons, and JHC’s Senior Pastor, Jon (Ang) Thiessen and I will join with them for their opening celebration on Sunday, March 27.
As Tebah Church is recently organized, our district has “hired” their four pastors, Shin Hwang, Sung Bea Choi, Yeongwoong Kim and In Sung Kim as district missionaries, until such time as this church is able to call them as pastoral staff.
Welcome to the Family, Tebah Church!
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Leading as We Would Want Others to Follow
In recent weeks, all of us have followed the news, and have anguished over the events in Ukraine. While we might not have family connections there, we do know missionaries who serve there with EFCCM, and we have prayed for them, their ministries and for the people they serve.
As I have sought to keep up with the news and events, I have also observed the leaders of Russia, of Canada and of Ukraine. There is a great contrast between them, their character, their values and their style of leadership. While we do not know them personally, and we are not able to judge their hearts or motives, we can make observations as to their actions.
Vladimir Putin is one who might say, “Do as I say, or else!” Hoping to quickly brutalize and threaten Ukraine into submission and surrender, Putin has grown frustrated with his leaders and with his military’s inability to launch a competent and victorious campaign. He has also seen the anti-war protests of Russian Citizens. In his anger, he has lashed out at and threatened his own people. On Wednesday, March 16, he stated: “Any people, and particularly the Russian people, will always be able to tell the patriots from the scum and traitors and spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths,” Putin said. “I am convinced that this natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to meet any challenge.”
While Putin and his oligarch friends hurry to protect their personal wealth of billions, their yachts and their own interests, he has been willing to dupe and sacrifice the lives of his soldiers and “recruits” for the cause of what he calls, “a military exercise” in Ukraine. Soldiers who surrender to Ukrainian forces fear execution, should they be returned to Russia.
Putin rules with an iron fist. It takes courage to stand up to him, and anyone who does should be prepared to die. “Do as I say, or else!”
In contrast to Putin, our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau is one who might say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
During his life in public service, if Trudeau has been consistent in anything, it has been in his inconsistency. He has mastered the art of virtue signalling and of being on the “right side” of both history and the rights of others, yet he has has consistently failed to live by the standards that he calls others to. Quick to make much of the faults and failings of others, both past and present, he seems to escape his own failings “sticking to him.” From numerous “blackface,” costumes to his treatment and expulsion from cabinet of former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Jodie Wilson Raybould over her refusal to cooperate with his SNC-Lavalin scandal; from his Tofino family vacation at the time that he called Canadians to observe a “Day of Truth and Reconciliation,” to his “WE Charity” entanglement, he has not “practiced what he has preached.” After chastising other governments for suppressing the protests of their citizens, he recently invoked the Emergencies Act to deal with Canadian protesters, and this after fueling the fire of their protests by publicly dismissing them as having “unacceptable views.”
Quick to offer words of counsel to others, Trudeau consistently asks Canadian to “do as I say, not as I do.”
In contrast to the two leaders above, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, appeals to fellow citizens of Ukraine to, “Do as I do, and follow me.”
While there is good reason for both fear and despair, Zelenskyy has bravely remained in Kyiv, leading and inspiring his people by his example. Though he was offered safe passage from Ukraine and sanctuary outside the country, his decision to stay behind has rallied his people, and they have fought and endured more than anyone could have either expected or asked. His actions have inspired much of the world to stand with Ukraine, and the freedom that they cherish and are willing to defend at all costs. He never asks or expects his people to do anything that he is not first prepared to do himself.
Zelenskyy does not use his people as does Putin. He does not claim privilege as does our Prime Minister. Instead, Zelenskyy chooses to serve his people and to lead by example.
“Do as I do and follow me…”
While every human leader will at some point disappoint us, I have been inspired by the example of Zelenskyy, and admire his leadership and sacrifice. Obviously, Putin underestimated him.
While I observe and even critique the leadership of these leaders, I am also compelled to pray for them – and for their salvation. (1 Timothy 2:1-4). I pray for God to intervene in both Russia and Ukraine – there are God’s people in both nations. May God intervene in a way that all will recognize His hand. I also pray for God to guide, and to do a fresh work in the lives of our Prime Minister and government.
All of us are leaders, whatever our vocation and whatever our situation, someone is looking to us for leadership – for consistency and looking to see that we, “practice what we preach.” Our churches. Our children. Our neighbours. Our world…
The Apostle Paul could say, in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” In that beautiful scene recorded in John 13, after Jesus washed his disciples feet, he said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.“
As pastors and leaders, we have been trained to preach and to teach others. More and more, I appreciate the need for and importance of leading by example, to lead as I would want others to follow.
While all of us will fall short at some point, our world is looking for leaders – servant leaders who will serve others and lead by example.
In my reading on Thursday AM, I was encouraged by the words of Oswald Chambers, who reminds us that, as musicians in God’s orchestra, we play to please our Conductor, not our audience… Here is the link: https://utmost.org/
Let’s keep our eyes on our Conductor, our pioneer and perfecter of faith who has saved us, called us and led by example (Hebrews 12:1-3)!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
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Help For Ukraine:
We can provide assistance and relief to those in Ukraine through the EFCC/EFCCM Benevolence Fund:
https://efccm.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35cdcfb2f7c7bd4726822add2&id=b107c9248f&e=7182060ed5
This fund is being used to send relief to Ukraine and surrounding areas to help with emergency evacuation for refugees, food, blankets, pillows etc. These funds help with real life physical needs.
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Upcoming LPD Events:
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