The Birth of 'Time Out'

Kim Ross’s love for God and people has a bubbly, brilliant way of seeping out no matter where she is or what she does. Her husband Doug has pastored the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church in Haliburton for several years now and the two of them, separately and as a team, have already made huge healthy dents into the life of the community. Here is Kim’s story on just one of those initiatives.

The Heart behind 'Time Out'
by Kim Ross

My heart has always been filled with compassion for those struggling with life circumstances. The conditions and environment which many people are subject to often dictates the outcome for their lives. For various reasons, both men and women are unable to further their education. For example, the lack of finances, resources, family support or an unplanned pregnancy are just a few reasons that may derail the best-laid plans.

My desire is to bring hope back into people’s lives, and with hope, opportunity for change. We can be a hand of love extended to all those who God places in our circle of influence. With guidance, being challenged and given the opportunity, many people will be able to change their circumstances. It would not be realistic to expect everyone to receive higher education when they have already started down the road of life with children, responsibility, life partners and financial instability.

The circumstances in our beautiful Highlands are much more challenging than in the city. We have little industry and limited resources; employment opportunities are minimum wage and seasonal. It is financially impossible for many parents in our county to send their children to university. I believe God has given us an opportunity to introduce hope, friendship and place a desire for change through the “Time Out” program.

I met the first contact while volunteering at the Highlands Community Pregnancy Care Centre. One day, I went into (Director) Julie’s office and told her quickly that I would like to invite this person to a program I'd been thinking of starting. “Time Out” was born. We didn't have money, volunteers or a plan on paper … just a desire and a willingness to step out in faith. The first meeting, October 23 2013, had 14 ladies in attendance. They learned to make pastry and each participant took home a home-made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

Our desire is to bring hope, friendship and impart some practical life skills to the women who are attending this program. It is exciting to witness the application of some of the basic skills they have already learned. I believe that eventually the seeds of hope, desire, self-esteem, home businesses and a life-changing introduction to God will be born in the hearts of these amazing women.

I want to thank the wonderful people who have donated financially to the Time Out Program. We supply all materials and send all participants home with finished product and or materials. In December, 18 women assembled and decorated gingerbread houses. The wonderful part of the experience was that a couple of the women sold their gingerbread houses and made a few extra dollars to help with purchasing Christmas gifts.

One of our goals is to guide people through the process of starting a home business. We would like to help them discover their strengths and weaknesses, to teach them practical skills for their home and family. We are planning a number of events throughout the year to enable the women to look for business opportunities, have fun and begin to dream.

For information on the Time Out program please call 705-457-7523 or e-mail timout@live.ca.

No shortcuts or quick-fixes, but still: JOY in the journey

Who of us in today’s society doesn't hope for that quick-fix—the seminar, the experience, the program—to instantly solve problems, relieve stress and strain?

God’s ways, as usual, prove different and well, more stable. As obsessed as we are with speed, God knows that deep-rootedness, strength and stability can only happen gradually and with care. Real maturity can never result from a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving. By tests and trials we grow and learn.

Jesus took 30 years to reach the maturity required to enter ministry and ultimately fulfill his reason for being born. Even his overt ministry of several years of teaching and healing, while full of joy and strength, also entailed battles and struggles on a cosmic scale.

Accepting his life into ours, believing the truth of his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, understanding that he now “is at the right hand of God ... interceding for us” (Rom. 8:34)—that forms our initial and often instantaneous catapulting into Kingdom life.

From then on, though, each of us is on an individually-tailored growth program to best enable us to fulfill our own purposes for being born ... which will involve not only our own development, but, as we learn how best to fit into His plans, betterment in our entire spheres of influence.

To quote from Rick Warren’s best-selling The Purpose-Driven Life:

"The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.” 

So while seminars and seminal experiences of God’s sovereignty often do help promote our moving closer to God’s purposes for our lives, the journey brightens and strengthens best when we keep our focus on Him and His purposes alone. This section from Hebrews in Eugene Peterson’s The Message puts it so well:

"God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn't punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.” Heb. 12:9-11)

While Christlikeness is our eventual destination, the journey lasts a lifetime. “And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” (2 Cor. 3:18, The Message)

Further, deeper and perhaps most wondrous, we're to find JOY in the journey!

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

Painting courtesy of Ineke Hopgood,  a prophetic artist based in Bryon Bay, Australia;   inspired by message "The God of Comfort" by Phil Mason

Re-imagining Church: Keeping the Gospel relevant for changing times

By Louise Sisson

Louise recently attended a study on Re-imagining Church led by area Bishop Linda Nicholls. Following are some of her thoughts and impressions.

It’s not that the church of God has a mission in the world, but that the God of mission has a church in the world.”

I went into this study comfortable as a Christian, sitting in the pews on a Sunday morning, being fed the Word of God, sometimes wondering how we, at St. George’s, could make ourselves more inviting and welcoming.

The bishop challenged us in this study to quit focusing on our church and bringing people in (not that that’s not important) but to find ways to take the church out into the community. We must find a fresh expression of church for our changing cultures, to benefit people not attending any church.

Church once formed the focal point of our communities. How do we make it relevant again? If you asked people on the street what our church building means to them or to the community, how do you think they would answer?

The church must be like water – flexible, fluid and changeable. Water doesn't change but the container might. Jesus taught his disciples through example and sent them out (Mk. 3:13-14). He promised that he would be with them “always, even to the end of time” (Matt. 28:20).

Confident in God’s promise, we are to go out and spread the Gospel. We are to listen carefully, to connect with people through loving service, to form community (not necessarily in a church building), to evangelize through example and to show our Christian love through our actions. Amazingly this can evolve into worship.

In God's Slipstream: Listening to the whisper of the Spirit

At a Vital Church Planting Conference in Toronto a few years ago, the U.K.’s Rev. David Male imagined the future by suggesting that pioneering church planters committed to expanding the mission-shaped church should “keep in the slipstream of God.”

"In looking to what lies ahead," Mr. Male said, “Listen to the whisper of the spirit.”

He also warned church pioneers not to fall into the trap of tarting up a bankrupt, old-model church in contemporary disguise to try to attract the unchurched. He compared this to the makeover given old cars on the television show Pimp My Ride. Stay away from the “pimp my church” approach, he said.

To illustrate for modern-day disciples, Male spoke of the uncertain future faced by the disciples after Jesus’ death. He also quoted John V. Taylor’s observation that mission is more like an unexpected explosion than a physical extension of an old building.

[Click here to read the entire article in the Anglican Journal]

Safe within Your Love

If the world, your world, seems crazy right now, this is the book for you.

Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911) wrote from her own brokenness, pain, sorrow and loss into incredible peace, joy and ‘foundness’ in God alone.

Her husband had been one of the 19th century’s most celebrated evangelists. Tragedy thundered in via first the loss of a young daughter, later a son, and then public scandal which devastated her marriage.

A wise, discerning woman, Hannah aptly analyzed and examined the day’s religious movements which so mirror many today. Whether attempts to legislate purity or holiness, an over-emphasis on razzle-dazzle emotionalism, the promotion of success in the material world as opposed to spiritual victory over the world-bound soul—she found no truck with any of them.

Safe Within Your Love, a compilation of Hannah Whitall Smith’s writings into a 40-day devotional by David Hazard, is sadly out-of-print. So while I try to convince the publishers to get it out there again, forthwith are some nuggets:

"Earthly cares are a heavenly discipline. But they are even better than a discipline. They are God’s chariots, sent to take the soul to its high places of triumph…. The dangerous ‘vehicle’ is the visible thing; the chariot of God is the invisible.”

"Some Christians think that the fruits which the Bible calls for are some form of outward religious work—such as holding more and more meetings, visiting the poor, conducting charitable works, and so forth. The Bible scarcely mentions these . . . but declares that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). A Christlike character must necessarily be the fruit of Christ’s indwelling.”

Editor and compiler David Hazard offers a reflection at the end of each short chapter. Here’s one gem:

"My Physician Father, I see it now…
For every one of my soul-sicknesses, you give me a ‘medicine’ for my healing.
For my pride and independence, you give one who likes to dominate. For my impatience, you send one who grates. For my criticalness, you give me one who is sorry indeed.
Today, I will receive your treatments . . . even if they sting.”

Commit to regular exercise

"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

As a long-time proponent of the huge importance of physical well-being if we're to be all we're designed to be, this recent Purpose-Driven posting hit home.

One of the ways we train for godliness is by maintaining our physical health. The truth is, your body was not designed for inactivity. God created you to be active. Even a daily walk will make a difference in your physical and spiritual well-being. And even while I've been away in Australia these past few weeks, I've done my darnedest to keep up my 'prayer walks': my physical/spiritual exercise combo.

Most of us are convinced but not committed. We know exercise is good for us. We are convinced, but that doesn’t mean we are committed to exercise.

What is the common excuse? ‘I don't have the time.’

Let me ask, do you have time to be sick? If you don't make time for exercise, you'll probably be forced to make time for an illness. Is that how you want to spend your time?

What is the common mistake? We overdo it at the start. We have the philosophy that if something is good, then more is better. We’ve been out of shape for several years, but then we try to get in shape in one week! And so we work ourselves to death, get totally exhausted and, as a result, we wear out quickly and give up.

The key is training not straining. If you want to get in shape fast, exercise longer, not harder. And that will help you stay committed to a consistent, regular exercise program.

As mentioned, I find simple walking works the best. Proven one of the best, easiest, most natural and least-expensive exercises, it fits easily into almost any life or environment. You get to know your neighbourhood and neighbours (new or old) as you walk, and can pray for them,  for others, for your own concerns, for whatever.