New Living Assembly meets in Chilliwack, and like the rest of us, currently “meets” virtually.
Being a church that is composed largely of people of the Filipino Community, social distancing and meeting virtually is something contrary to their culture. When I have visited with their church, the church is full, their fellowship is warm, the hugs are sincere and the food is always wonderful!
Pastor Noel and Lynda Macasaet have adjusted to our current reality, and now minister from their home each week. They are faithful servants. You can learn about the church at their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NewLivingAssembly/
In January 2020, New Living Assembly gave birth to a second church, this one in Agassiz. Jesus Is Our Salvation, in partnership with JIOS Surrey. God has his hand upon both groups, and we are thankful for them!
Please pray for New Living Assembly, as they minister to the Filipino Community and beyond!
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Working Together Apart, or Working Apart Together?
Why the May 15 EFCC Annual Meeting Matters…
In these days of COVD, we have all become somewhat accustomed to working apart. We have come to refer to this as “working remotely.”
We have also come to accept “meeting” remotely. From board meetings to annual meetings, we, of necessity, have been meeting online. Do you recall the last time you had a meeting over lunch – indoors? We have become accustomed to “worshipping” remotely. We congregate in front of our computers to gather with one another – or with other postage stamp sized images of one another on the screen via ZOOM.
Cambridge dictionary defines working remotely as, “a situation in which an employee works mainly from home and communicates with the company by email and telephone: Management methods have had to adapt to the rise in popularity of remote working.”
No matter how we phrase it, however, for most of us, working apart, worshipping apart and living apart has left us all longing for real, live fellowship, celebration and conversation. This weekend will bring the second Mother’s Day where families will be forced to gather and honour mothers virtually.
Let’s face it, after a while, the phrase,”working together apart,” may seem tedious and even somewhat patronizing. But how about the opposite – Is it possible to, “work apart together?” Sadly, it is…
A year and a half ago, while listening to a Christian radio broadcast while walking our dog late one evening, I was introduced to a book. It was not a best seller by a famous author, but a book by a British evangelist, Roy Hession, and his wife Revel. The book is titled, “We Would See Jesus.” As the name of the book implies, Jesus is central to all of a believers life and ministry – but not just individually – it must also be true corporately – in our churches and ministries.
They write,
That is why there is scarcely a church, a mission station, or a committee undertaking a special piece of service, that is without an unresolved problem of personal relationships eating out its heart and thwarting its progress. This is because Christian service often gives us opportunities for leadership and position that we could not attain in the secular world, and we quickly fall into pride, self-seeking and ambition. With those things hidden in our hearts, we have only to work alongside others to find resentment, hardness, criticism, jealously and frustration issuing from our hearts. We think we are working for God, but how little of our service is for Him is revealed by our resentment or self-pity when the actions of others or circumstances or ill-health take that ministry from us.
Alas! In this condition, we are trying to give to others an answer that we have not truly and deeply found for ourselves. The tragedy is that much of the network of Christian activity and service today is bent on propagating an answer for people’s needs and problems which few of those propagating it are finding adequate in their own lives
As I read these words, I asked myself, “Is this true of me?” “Is true of us in the EFCC?” Though we are “together,” as an association of churches, are we really “apart” in how we relate and how we function? Is Christ being honoured in the way we act, function and serve together?
At a meeting of the district superintendents and national leaders in November 2019, we discussed this together and left committed to walk in right relationship and serve together.
As I enter my final lap in this ministry as district superintendent, my prayer is that Christ might be central, both personally and in the district and association of churches in which I am honoured to serve.
Here are my personal musings on this book: Do_We_Reflect_Christ.pdf
As we come to the EFCC Annual Meeting on May 15 (see below), on the agenda are changes both to our EFCC structure and constitution. While I have said many times that right and healthy working relationships are much more important than structures, I do fully support the proposed structural and constitutional changes (and amendments) as recommended by the EFCC Board of Directors.
I do not sit on the BOD, but I appreciate what they have done and the spirit in which they have arrived at what they propose. To me, the structure proposal is secondary to what it represents, Our desire is work and serve together – whether or not we must be apart.
Our district board has asked me to provide a memo and recommendation regarding the proposed changes to the EFCC Constitution, and I am glad to do so. I do hope that many of you can join us for this meeting, and I look forward to serving together with Christ’s work unhindered among us.
Memo_re_EFCC_Structure_and_Constitution_Proposal_to_LPD_Churches_May_5_2021.pdf
