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NORTHERN LIGHT
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL-CANADA / COMMUNION INTERNATIONALE DANS LA GRÂCE, CANADA
SHARING OUR STORY
J A N U A R Y - M A R C H
2 0 1 2
Dealing With Reality
Vivre dans la réalité
Navigating The Bitter-Sweet Years
The “Sandwich” Generation
M I S S I O N M AT T E R S 2 0 1 2 / L a m i s s i o n e n 2 0 1 2
Zambia/Zambie – Women’s Retreat Chongwe, Zambia/Conférence
pour femmes de Chongwe Support from Canada enabled ladies who
did not have the financial resources to attend the conference which was
held over the Easter Weekend in the village of Chongwe, about 40km
from the capital city of Lusaka. Le soutien financier provenant du
Canada a permis à des femmes n’ayant pas les ressources financières
nécessaires pour le faire d’assister à une conférence, donnée la fin de
semaine de Pâques, dans le village de Chongwe, situé à environ 40 km
de la capitale, Lusaka.
Mozambique – National Conference for Ministry Leaders and
Women’s Retreat/Conférence nationale pour les leaders et conférence pour femmes After 18 months of walking and sharing together,
Grace Communion International officially accepted 87 congregations
from Mozambique into our fellowship. The needs in Mozambique are
many: physical hardship, lack of resources (none of the over 4000 members have a paying job), spiritual support, and encouragement. In 2011,
Canadian congregations and the Mission Fund sent funding to host a
National Conference, in April, and a Women’s Retreat, in September.
Après 18 mois de marche commune et de communion, Communion
internationale dans la Grace a accepté que 87 assemblées du
Mozambique se joignent à notre confession. Au Mozambique, les
besoins sont nombreux : épreuves physiques, manque de ressources
(aucun des 4000 membres n’occupe un emploi rémunéré), besoin de
soutien spirituel et d’encouragement. En 2011, des assemblées canadiennes ainsi que le Fond pour les missions ont envoyé les sommes
nécessaires pour tenir une conférence nationale, en avril, ainsi qu’une
conférence pour femmes, en septembre.
Honduras – Leadership Conference/Conférence sur le leadership
Canada funded travel and conference costs for 55 who attended. The
leader of El Salvador, David Agreda and his wife Carina, were also able
to attend. Des fonds canadiens ont permis à 55 personnes de se déplacer et d’assister à une conférence. Le dirigeant d’El Salvador, David
Agreda et sa femme, Carina, ont également pu s’y rendre.
South Africa/Afrique du Sud – Summer Camp for Teens and PreTeens/Colonie de vacances pour adolescents et préadolescents
For almost 40 years, GCI South Africa has been hosting a summer camp
for teens during December. The camp had been largely for member’s
children, in the past few years, the camp has served other teens and
preteens who are living in disadvantaged situations including those who
are orphans due to the AIDS epidemic. The GCI Canada Mission Fund
has been a supporter of the South African camp for many years. In 2011,
GCI Canada sent Bryce Minke (Pictured) from Surrey, BC and Victor
Zampino from Montreal, QC to assist at the camp. Depuis près de 40
ans, CIG d’Afrique du Sud organise une colonie de vacances pour adolescents en décembre. Les enfants des membres sont les principaux
participants, mais au cours des dernières années, la colonie a servi à de
nombreux autres adolescents et préadolescents qui vivent dans des situations difficiles, dont des orphelins du sida. Le Fond pour les missions
de CIG du Canada soutient la colonie de vacances d’Afrique du Sud
depuis de nombreuses années. En 2011, CIG du Canada a envoyé
Bryce Minke (sur la photo) de Surrey, en Colombie-Britannique et Victor
Zampino de Montréal, au Québec, pour qu’ils participent à la colonie.
NORTHERN LIGHT
The “Sandwich” Generation
Vol.15, No.1 January-March 2012
Bill Hall
Editor
Layout and Design
Gary Moore
Editorial Advisor
Colin Wallace
Online Edition Editor
Pascale Monosiet
French Translator
Feature Editors
Jonathan Buck
David Sheridan
Neil Earle
Northern Light magazine is the
official magazine of Grace
Communion International Canada. It exists to share the
stories of our members and congregations on their Christian
journey. Northern Light does this
by featuring articles that encourage, nurture and inform.
Le magazine Northern Light est
le
magazine
officiel
de
Communion Internationale Dans
la Grâce, Canada. Il sert à raconter les histoires de nos membres
et de nos assemblées tout le
long de leur voyage chrétien, au
moyen d’articles qui encouragent, nourrissent et informent
Northern Light is published 4
times annually for members of
Grace Communion InternationalCanada. Editorial contributions
and comments on any issue
raised in Northern Light are welcome although unsolicited materials may not be returned.
Please address all correspondence to:
The Editor,
Northern Light
101 - 5668 192 Street,
Surrey, BC V3S 2V7
or email us at:
[email protected]
Phone: 1-866-226-2888
The online edition of Northern
Light is available at www.gcicanada.ca
Unless noted otherwise, scriptures are quoted from the Holy
Bible, New International Version,
© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984
International Bible Society. Used
by permission of Zondervan
Bible Publishers. À moins d'indication contraire, les versets cités
sont tirés de la Bible Le Semeur.
Publications
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If undeliverable return to:
Northern Light
101 - 5668 192 St.
Surrey, BC V3S 2V7
email: [email protected]
A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
ecently, my wife and I had a chance to visit my Uncle in Toronto. He was turning 92
the following week, and it is a joy to see that he is as busy as ever. He still drives,
plays golf in the summer, and curls in the winter. Between these two activities, he
also has many card playing events with some of his friends. One of the highlights of
our visit, with the last remaining family member from my father’s generation, was the
photo we took of him sitting with 4 generations of the Hall family (myself, my niece
and her daughter). Talk about the “sandwich” generation!
R
This issue looks at the theme of generations from the perspective of those of us who are
Boomers. The challenge of having to care for ourselves (with our impending hip replacements
and pension issues), our children, and their children, as well as making decisions for our aging
parents, fills many of our lives.
These family interactions have been made more difficult by the fact our families are spread
across the country, and in many cases around the world. While tools like the telephone, email,
texting, and Skype help the communication aspect of relationships, being close at hand to offer
assistance and support can sometimes be awkward.
While Boomers, such as myself, tend to look at these family dynamics as “unique” to our time,
I appreciate Camay Achtemichuk’s comment, “There has always been a Sandwich Generation”
(“Is Today So Different” p.13).
It not so much the place we may currently occupy in the generational continuum that matters,
but, that we reflect the mind and heart of Jesus in our interactions with each other. We continually need to ask for his love to be expressed in our lives.NL
Bill Hall
I
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I
S
I
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S
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Dealing With Reality
2
Once life was simpler. People stayed put, and lived out
their lives close to extended family and in the same community.
Vivre dans la réalité
4
Autrefois, la vie était plus simple. Les gens demeuraient dans leur localité et vivaient près de leur famille
élargie dans leur communauté.
Navigating The Bitter-Sweet Years
9
John knew something was wrong when he could
smell the plastic burning. His elderly parents, both in their
early 90s, had left the kettle heating and it was threatening to start a fire.
Mission Matters 2012/La mission en 2012
15
Ever had the experience reading a familiar passage
of scripture and seen new insights – or read a chapter in
the Bible and find that a phrase haunts your thinking for
days? Vous est-il déjà arrivé de voir un passage
biblique familier sous un nouveau jour ou d’être
hanté pendant des jours par un chapitre de la Bible?
FRONT COVER: Multi-generational families pose an
unique challenge in our increasingly segmented society.
Cover Photo: © iStockphoto
Back Cover: © Designpics
Additional photos and illustrations: © Designpics unless otherwise noted.
1
D I R E C T O R ’ S
D E S K
By Gary Moore
National Director
O
nce life was simpler. People
stayed put, and lived out
their lives close to extended
family and in the same community. Responsibility for the
care of children, for the care
of a sick relative or neighbour, for the
poor, and for the elderly was handled on
a local basis by family and neighbours.
Things didn’t change much, and life was
stable. For much of human history, the
vast majority of the earth’s population
never travelled more than a day’s walk
from where they were born. People
understood their responsibilities, though
they didn’t always carry them out as they
should.
Dealing With Reality
Our modern world has changed this
model of living in the most profound
ways. Even though there were great
advantages to the stable life of the past,
people’s horizons were very limited. On
my father’s side, his great grandfather
planned to leave Ireland in 1850 as hundreds of thousands were dying from the
great potato famine. He heard that free
land and a chance for a new beginning
was available in Canada. If you were
willing to work hard, you would be given
land to carve your own farm out of the
wilderness, build your own house, and
give your children a better life than you
could ever give them at home—living as
tenant famers on someone else’s prop-
erty. He died just before leaving, but his
courageous widow took their four children and crossed the Atlantic to pursue
the dream she clearly had shared with
her husband.
On my mother’s side, the story was very
similar. Her very young mother and her
husband, with my oldest aunt as an
infant left Finland shortly after World War
One to pursue their dream—settling in
northern Ontario. They left their extended families, their communities and their
support system—the life they knew—to
find a better life for their children and
their children’s children.
For much of human history, the vast
majority of the earth’s population
never travelled more than a day’s
walk from where they were born.
2
NORTHERN LIGHT
D I R E C T O R ’ S
Coming along a couple of generations
later, my brother and I have had our
needs comfortably met, and have had
the opportunity for education and travel
that our immigrant ancestors could only
dream about. Yet, life today has involved
movement, change and relocations. It
has been a much more interesting life,
and one I deeply appreciate. However,
something has been lost. The closeness
of extended family and community that
existed in the past, is something that
many of us today don’t experience. This
becomes especially clear when parents
age, and we find ourselves living far
removed from where they are. In spite of
the wonder of modern travel, we still
face time and financial realities that prevent the closeness that we would prefer.
For my brother and me, our father died
quite a few years ago, and left our mother a widow. She did quite well on her
own for many years, but then two years
ago she suffered a heart attack and
stroke. Miraculously she survived, but
has since had to live in a full-care nursing home, and confined to a wheel chair.
In spite of these set backs, and a fading
memory, she can still beat us both at
Scrabble—her favourite game.
We both wish we were closer, so we
could spend more time with her on a
regular basis, rather than in short bursts
of attention when we make the trip
through Toronto. Yet the needs of our
own families and the responsibilities we
carry in life do not make that possible.
We grieve that this is so. However, as
with so many aspects of life, we try to
focus on the positive. She is in a good
care home, with patient and attentive
staff, and all the professional help she
needs is close at hand. This brings much
comfort to us. Further, though we as her
children aren’t close, there are other
family members around, including her
two sisters—one of whom lives in the
same complex. She also has visitors
from both her congregation and neighbourhood who occasionally drop by for
chats—and the required game of
Scrabble! Karl and I deeply appreciate
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
D E S K
C O N T I N U E D
this support she is given, and it helps us
feel that she is cared for. Of course, we
never miss an opportunity to see her,
and make trips as much as we can—
opportunities we treasure.
What I’m saying is that we all have to
accept both the benefits and the disadvantages that life’s circumstances give
us, in our time and in our generation.
These circumstances aren’t always
ideal, but no matter the circumstance we
know that God is more than able to
answer our prayers and provide in the
myriad of ways only he can provide.
What I’m saying is that we all have to
accept both the benefits and the disadvantages that life’s circumstances
give us, in our time and in our generation. These circumstances aren’t
always ideal, but no matter the circumstance we know that God is more
than able to answer our prayers and
provide in the myriad of ways only he
can provide.
We have a responsibility to do the best
we are able for our loved ones, given our
circumstances and responsibilities in
life, and then as Christians we have the
incredible blessing of knowing we are all
in God’s loving hands, and that he
knows how to provide whatever the
need. We love our parents, but we must
always remember that God loves them
too—only more than we ever could.
We’re relying on that, and know that you
can too!NL
2 0 1 2
3
CHRONIQUE
de Gary Moore
directeur national
A
utrefois, la vie était plus
simple. Les gens demeuraient
dans leur localité et vivaient
près de leur famille élargie
dans leur communauté. Dans
la localité, la famille et les voisins proches assumaient les responsabilités suivantes : l’éducation des
enfants, les soins aux parents et aux voisins malades, aux personnes âgées et
aux pauvres. Les choses restaient sensiblement toujours les mêmes et la vie
était stable. Pendant la majeure partie
de l’histoire humaine, la grande majorité
de la population n’est jamais allée plus
loin qu’à un jour de marche de son lieu
de naissance. Ainsi les gens comprenaient bien leurs responsabilités, même
s’ils ne les assumaient pas toujours
comme ils auraient dû le faire.
Vivre dans la réalité
Dans la société moderne, ce mode de
vie a été profondément bouleversé. Bien
que la stabilité d’antan ait comporté de
grands avantages, l’horizon des êtres
humains était très limité. En 1850, mon
arrière-arrière-grand-père paternel a
planifié quitter l’Irlande, alors que des
milliers de personnes perdaient la vie
lors de la grande pénurie de pommes de
terre. Il a entendu dire qu’au Canada, il
pourrait obtenir une terre gratuitement et
qu’il aurait l’occasion de prendre un nouveau départ. Si vous étiez prêt à travailler fort, on vous promettait une terre
dans une région sauvage où vous pourriez bâtir votre ferme et votre maison
ainsi qu’offrir à vos enfants un avenir
meilleur que dans votre coin de pays où
vous cultiviez la terre d’un autre et habitiez sur la propriété d’autrui. Mon aïeul
est mort tout juste avant le départ prévu,
mais sa courageuse veuve a traversé
l’Atlantique avec ses quatre enfants afin
de poursuivre le rêve que son mari et
elle avaient partagé.
L’histoire de ma famille de ma mère est
fort similaire. Peu après la Seconde
Guerre mondiale, sa très jeune maman,
son papa et sa sœur aînée, qui était
bébé, ont quitté la Finlande pour s’établir
dans le nord de l’Ontario et y poursuivre
leur rêve. Ils ont quitté leur famille élargie, leur collectivité et leurs appuis, la
vie qu’ils connaissaient, pour offrir à
leurs enfants et à leurs petits enfants un
avenir meilleur.
Les besoins de mon frère et moi, nés
quelques générations plus tard, sont
amplement comblés, et nous jouissions
d’un privilège qui surpasse les rêves de
nos ancêtres : nous avons le privilège
d’être instruits et de voyager. Par contre,
Pendant la majeure partie de l’histoire humaine, la grande majorité de la
population n’est jamais allée plus loin
qu’à un jour de marche de son lieu de
naissance.
4
NORTHERN LIGHT
CHRONIQUE
la vie moderne est faite de déplacements, de changements et de transferts.
Ma vie est fort intéressante, je l’apprécie
vraiment. Cependant, nous avons perdu
quelque chose par rapport à autrefois.
En effet, bon nombre de nos contemporains ne connaissent pas la proximité de
la famille élargie et de la communauté
qui existait dans le passé. Cette situation est particulièrement manifeste
lorsque nos parents prennent de l’âge et
que nous habitons loin d’eux. Malgré les
merveilles qu’entraîne la possibilité de
déplacements de la vie moderne, les
contraintes de temps et d’argent nous
empêchent d’être aussi près que nous le
voudrions.
Dans notre cas, notre père est décédé il
y a quelques années laissant ma mère
veuve. Elle s’est débrouillé toute seule
pendant de nombreuses années, mais il
y a deux ans elle a subi une crise cardiaque et un accident vasculaire cérébral. Elle a miraculeusement survécu,
mais depuis lors elle est confinée dans
un fauteuil roulant et vit dans une résidence où elle peut recevoir des soins
infirmiers en tout temps. Malgré ces
épreuves et sa mémoire qui s’affaiblit,
elle nous bat toujours au Scrabble, son
jeu préféré.
Mon frère et moi voudrions tous les deux
être plus près d’elle pour pouvoir la voir
plus régulièrement, plutôt que de lui
donner notre attention par vagues,
lorsque nous faisons un séjour à
Toronto. Cependant, les besoins de
notre famille et nos responsabilités nous
empêchent de le faire. Cette situation
nous fait souffrir. Comme pour beaucoup d’aspects de la vie, nous essayons
de voir le côté positif. Elle vit dans une
bonne résidence, où les employés sont
patients et attentionnés, elle a les services professionnels dont elle a besoin à
portée de main. Tous ces avantages
nous réconfortent. De plus, même si ses
enfants sont éloignés, deux de ses
sœurs sont près d’elle, l’une d’elles
habite le même complexe. En outre, ma
mère reçoit occasionnellement des visiteurs de son assemblée et de son voisiJ A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
nage qui viennent papoter et jouer la
partie de Scrabble de mise! Karl et moi
apprécions énormément le soutien
qu’elle reçoit, car il nous fait sentir qu’on
prend soin d’elle. Bien entendu, nous ne
ratons jamais une occasion de la voir et
faisons la route pour la visiter le plus
souvent possible. Nous chérissons
toutes ces occasions.
Mon objectif est que nous acceptions les
avantages et les inconvénients inhérents aux circonstances de notre vie,
dans notre époque et notre génération.
Ces circonstances ne sont pas idéales,
mais en chacune d’elle nous savons que
Dieu peut exaucer nos prières abondement et pourvoir à nos besoins d’une
multitude de façons que lui seul peut
établir.
Mon objectif est que nous acceptions
les avantages et les inconvénients
inhérents aux circonstances de notre
vie, dans notre époque et notre génération. Ces circonstances ne sont pas
idéales, mais en chacune d’elle nous
savons que Dieu peut exaucer nos
prières abondement et pourvoir à nos
besoins d’une multitude de façons
que lui seul peut établir.
Nous avons la responsabilité de faire de
notre mieux pour nos proches, selon les
circonstances et nos responsabilités,
ensuite, étant chrétiens, nous jouissons
d’une bénédiction incroyable : Dieu nous
tient dans ses tendres mains et il sait
comment pourvoir à tous nos besoins.
Nous aimons nos parents et devons
nous rappeler que Dieu les aime également, bien plus fort que nous le pouvons. Nous nous confions dans ces
vérités et savons que vous aussi pouvez
le faire! NL
2 0 1 2
5
T H E
S A N D W I C H
By Jonathan Buck
Pastor, Barrie, Huntsville,
North Bay, Peterborough, and
Sudbury congregations
We b s i t e : b u c k t o b a s i c s . c a
hristmas Dinner 2011 in our
family pictured The Sandwich
Generation perfectly. There
were nine of us, from greatGrandma who travelled from
London, England, to a grandson from London, Ontario, along with
two great granddaughters, two other
grandchildren, one married, and sandwiched in there somewhere among the
uncles, nieces and other assorted relatives, my wife and I.
C
All but the two great grandchildren were
exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes
open because of all the last minute
changes, the juggling of schedules, the
trips to pick up people and supplies, the
repair of a crippled vehicle, and all the
other things that had to be choreographed to get us together as a family.
6
G E N E R A T I O N
Rocks On Which Christ
Can Build His Church
A couple of weeks later I was describing
all this to a Presbyterian minister and his
wife, and she said, “It sounds like you’ve
got yourselves a church!” How true, I
thought, because here was a group of
nine people who wanted to be together,
despite the cost in time and fatigue, and
despite the vast differences in age, personality and experience. Three of us are
English, for instance, with English
accents and English ways, and our stories and memories are stirred by forty
years of serving churches, but none of
the other six in the family are English,
nor do they want anything to do with
church at this point in their lives. I’m a
minister, but my son-in-law is a soldier
and veteran of two tours in Afghanistan,
so when we’re all finally sat down
together at the dining-room table, what
on earth do we talk about?!
But for some amazing reason it didn’t
matter, because just being together was
enough. And it didn’t require any preaching, evangelizing, coming to grips with
Trinitarian theology, singing a million
hymns at a worship service, or needing
a huge church building catering to the
needs and whims of every age-group, to
get us together either. What we had was
a ready-made church, living the gospel
of love and community, without any of us
consciously realizing it.
And that, I realized later, is the grand
opportunity we’ve been landed with in
The Sandwich Generation. It’s exhausting, yes, especially when the needs of
the family are never-ending, but we’re
living in an era when families often
extend to four generations, all of whom
are healthy enough to get together and
can travel long distances to be together.
NORTHERN LIGHT
T H E
We don’t live in the time of the Black
Death, the Spanish Inquisition or the
Crusades, when families were ripped
apart and most were killed off early in life
by war, poverty, disease and religion.
We live in a time that allows families to
be families, and to experience what God
created family for, to give us a picture—
and a taste—of the family that God himself is.
And many of us now have families that
are the size of a typical church. I have
six churches, and the average attendance last month? Nine—exactly the
same size as our family at Christmas
Dinner! And that made me think too,
because I get terribly discouraged at
times when I see how small my churches are, and no matter what I’ve tried in
my community to make our church
known, it’s had no impact whatsoever.
And why would anyone come to our
church anyway when there are large,
growing churches in town with their own
buildings, state-of-the-art equipment,
and all kinds of facilities and staff to
cover the needs of people from infancy
to old age? What possible influence can
I have in a community with what our tiny
church has to offer by comparison?
But look what we’ve learnt and come
through as a church. We have so much
to offer. We know what Christianity isn’t.
We know the giant potholes that
Christians keep on falling into that turn
people off God and Christianity. We
have no bad news in our message at all,
and we don’t put any pressure on people
to do something to be saved.
But who’s interested?! Who wants to
know what we’ve got to say? And who’s
watching us for clues and guidance?
Only a handful of people have come
knocking at our local church door, and
few who took a look have stayed. So
what was the point of us going through
what we went through and learning what
we learnt, when no one seems to be
benefitting from it?
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
S A N D W I C H
G E N E R A T I O N
A little light began to shine, though,
when I realized there was a group of
people knocking at my door—and they
wanted to talk too. It was my family. I didn’t consciously plan it either. Ever so
gradually the desire for more contact
increased, more phone calls, more visits
together, and more heart-to-heart chats
together. And the family was growing
too, growing in numbers but also growing in what any church longs for—the
chance to cry over frustrations, share
burdens, and talk about those amazing
little “coincidences” that are so encouraging in times of despair.
C O N T I N U E D
It reminded me of how God worked with
families in the early Church, starting with
the first Gentile, Cornelius, and his family. When Cornelius met Peter he had all
“his relatives and close friends” with him
(Acts 10:24), all of whom were baptized
(verses 47-48). In Philippi, Lydia “and
the members of her household were
baptized” (Acts 16:15). So was the jailer
and his entire family (verses 33-34). And
here we are now, in The Sandwich
Generation, where whole households
are being brought together again.
The opportunity exists, therefore, for
God to work with entire families again.
And that made me
think too, about
what it takes to keep
a whole household
of relatives together
so that God can
work with us.
And many of us now have families
that are the size of a typical church. I
have six churches, and the average
attendance last month? Nine—
exactly the same size as our family at
Christmas Dinner! And that made me
think too, because I get terribly discouraged at times when I see how
small my churches are, and no matter
what I’ve tried in my community to
make our church known, it’s had no
impact whatsoever. And why would
anyone come to our church anyway
when there are large, growing
churches in town with their own buildings, state-of-the-art equipment, and
all kinds of facilities and staff to cover
the needs of people from infancy to
old age? What possible influence can
I have in a community with what our
tiny church has to offer by comparison?
2 0 1 2
And from what I’ve
learnt in my family, it
comes down to two
things: never growing weary in welldoing, and Christ in
me shining through
with his love and
patience. Because
in my experience,
being a member of
The
Sandwich
Generation
is
exhausting.
The
needs and demands
never ease up or
lessen. Grandma’s
ageing and needs
help. A Boomerang
child returns home,
discouraged
and
spent. A grandchild
wants three hours
on the phone to talk
about every detail of
her life. And who do
they all turn to? To
the ones in the middle, The Sandwich
Generation, many of
7
T H E
S A N D W I C H
G E N E R A T I O N
C O N T I N U E D
whom are ageing themselves and are
longing for a little peace and quiet after a
long and hectic life of their own.
make the most of the opportunities they
were given to create love and community.
But that’s life in this era. And for a huge
number of Baby Boomers it could stay
that way for years. But what a powerful
influence our generation becomes,
because families are in desperate need
of an anchor in a shaky world, a listening
and ready ear, a shoulder to cry on, and
assurance that love really exists. And
when Boomers are in the position to be
all that to their families—and want to
be—it creates a wonderful cocoon of
affection, responsiveness and trust.
I’ve also got Christ’s word that he’ll back
us up, in Matthew 16:18. “On this rock I
will build my church,” Jesus told Peter.
And there’s my clue. Jesus builds his
communities of love on rocks. Peter was
the first rock, but we too are “living
stones” on which his church is built (1
Peter 2:5).
And who are the great “living stones” of
our era? The Sandwich Generation, the
Boomers in the middle—squeezed from
every side by the
needs of their families—who never tire
of being rocks.
And isn’t that what Jesus intended his
church to be—a cocoon of love and
joy? But here in my expanding,
exhausting family, right under my
nose, I’ve got such a church, a readymade church living the gospel of love
and community. And if that’s because
Christ is using the opportunities
afforded by our era, then I assume
he’ll also give us the strength to make
the most of it, just as he gave
strength to Christians in every era to
make the most of the opportunities
they were given to create love and
community.
But in their willingness to be rocks
they discover to
their delight that
Christ is building his
community of love
right within their own
family! And he doesn’t need the family
to attend church,
either. Nor does he
need everybody to
be Christians. He
just needs rocks,
because it’s on
rocks that Jesus
builds his church.NL
And isn’t that what Jesus intended his
church to be—a cocoon of love and joy?
But here in my expanding, exhausting
family, right under my nose, I’ve got such
a church, a ready-made church living the
gospel of love and community. And if
that’s because Christ is using the opportunities afforded by our era, then I
assume he’ll also give us the strength to
make the most of it, just as he gave
strength to Christians in every era to
8
NORTHERN LIGHT
T H E
S A N D W I C H
G E N E R A T I O N
C O N T I N U E D
By Neil Earle
Navigating The Bitter-Sweet Years
J
ohn knew something was
wrong when he could smell the
plastic burning. His elderly parents, both in their early 90s,
had left the kettle heating and it
was threatening to start a fire.
That’s when it hit John harder than ever
that his parents—senior citizens living in
Atlantic Canada—might no longer be
able to look after themselves, in their
own house which they cherished, and
where they had spent more than sixty
years together helping produce a doctor,
a minister and a teacher along the way.
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
A few months later his sister—now the
primary caregiver—called up saying it
looked like mom and dad had to soon be
moved into a home, with all that that
entailed. A matter of weeks later his
mother died at age 92, “in a good old
age” as it says about Abraham (Genesis
25:8) “full of years.”
An Ageing Society
This bittersweet tale is becoming more
and more common in our society. It is
presenting most of those in the huge
Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-
2 0 1 2
Pastor, Glendora, California
congregation
1964) with challenges and demands we
never expected to bear.
Fortunately, there is help and counsel
available for those at-home caregivers
who have become part of what we are
calling “the Sandwich Generation.”
Ageism is creeping near the top of society’s consciousness. The recent
Canadian Community Health Survey
sponsored by the Public Health Agency
of Canada, for example, showed that citizens aged 100 or more increased 50%
between 1996 and 2006 and will triple
by 2031. In 2009 the Canadian Senate’s
9
T H E
S A N D W I C H
G E N E R A T I O N
Committee
on
Aging
produced
“Canada’s Aging Population: Seizing the
Opportunity.” One of their conclusions
was not unexpected: “Home care and
home support is what Canadians want
when their health makes it difficult for
them to manage daily life.”
A Royal Canadian Legion report sharpened the issue, concluding that “the
biggest challenge facing Canadians
over 75 is bridging the gap between
independent residential living and moving to a care facility.”
That challenge, of course, cuts both
ways. We must remember that, in general, governments and community agencies view an aging population as a great
resource to tap into in terms of voluntarism and civic responsibility. “Age
norms have shifted,” says author Gail
Sheehy. It is the people such as John’s
sister who self-consciously bore responsibility for parents determined to stay at
home in spite of obvious concerns—
these and others like them are the subject of this article. The stacks of helpful
research now available, when blended
with Biblical principles, can offer help
and light for primary caregivers for what
is becoming an unexpected challenge
for more and more North Americans.
A Biblical Compendium
The Bible, as might be expected, spans
the gamut on this sensitive subject of
aging. Coming from the Author of the
human life cycle very much aware of its
blessings and stresses, the Good Book
counsels everything from “respecting
the hoary head” to leaving an inheritance for one’s grandchildren (Proverbs
13:22). It moves from a heartfelt plea for
help and strength in one’s declining
years (Psalm 71:9) to a caution against
spiritual decline in the advanced state (1
Kings 11:4).
Aging is natural. One of the not-so obvious points in the Bible is that it is perfectly fine for elders to cut back on routine obligations and responsibilities as
10
C O N T I N U E D
one ages. Even King David was counseled not to lead Israel to war as he
grew older (2 Samuel 21:17) and Levites
who did the heavy lifting were able to
take it easier after age 50 (Numbers
4:3). So we should not begrudge our
parents and grandparents the extra
years they have coming. This is good to
remember because disputes about
retirement and social security viability
are the flashpoint of intense and bitter
debates today. Some elderly hear these
All this leads to a common first principle
in navigating the Sandwich Generation.
It’s a word Christians know about
already—empathy! Empathy means
putting yourself in the place of another
person. No matter how tedious sometimes the challenge, we know we can
identify with our mom, dad and grandpa
or grandma more than anyone else.
“Ageing isn’t for sissies,” says Pastor
Curtis May. “Sometimes you feel you are
getting trapped in your own body and it
is frightening to see
your basic skills
unable to function,”
adds Roger, who
lived a very active
life as a publisher.
“You can’t help but
wonder sometimes
if people are laughing at you or if they
are talking about
you behind your
back. You can’t hear
everything as well
as you used to so
…you often suspect
the worst. Even
from your kids.”
The Bible, as might be expected,
spans the gamut on this sensitive
subject of aging. Coming from the
Author of the human life cycle very
much aware of its blessings and
stresses, the Good Book counsels
everything from “respecting the hoary
head” to leaving an inheritance for
one’s
grandchildren
(Proverbs
13:22). It moves from a heartfelt plea
for help and strength in one’s declining years (Psalm 71:9) to a caution
against spiritual decline in the
advanced state (1 Kings 11:4).
debates and wonder where it is all going
to lead. This, too, is a stressor.
Then too, people are living longer but
they are facing more debilitating diseases even in the face of major medical
advances. Canada’s Public Health
Agency records that the majority of our
senior citizens have at least one chronic
disease. One retiree in his seventies
calls it “the whole doctor/dentist
round”—not life-threatening but something that takes up more and more time.
This makes things even more complicated for at-home caregivers.
Well put. About
2500 years ago a
brilliant
writer
sketched an eloquent word picture
on aging. It’s found
in Ecclesiastes 12:
“Remember your Creator in the days of
your youth, before the time of trouble
comes (see, this is honest) and the
years draw near when you will say, ‘I see
no purpose in them.’ Remember him
before the sun and light give place to
darkness, before the moon and the stars
grow dim (vision problems), and the
clouds return with the rain (memory
loss)—when the guardians of the house
tremble (the arms) and the strong men
stoop (the legs, when the grinders cease
because they are few…when the noise
of the mill is low, when the chirping of the
sparrow grows faint (hearing declines)
NORTHERN LIGHT
T H E
S A N D W I C H
G E N E R A T I O N
C O N T I N U E D
and the songbirds fall silent; when men
are afraid of a steep place and the street
is full of terrors (a walker is needed),
when the blossom whitens on the
almond tree and the grasshopper is a
burden and desire fails” (Ecclesiastes
12:1-5, NEB and NAV).
with the walker down the street may
have flown 32 bombing missions in
World War Two and now younger people
he doesn’t know are doing things to him,
poking and prodding him with needles,
examining him at all hours, wheeling him
about from place to place.
dent and successful “lone wolf type”
businessman would not let the author
take his most meaningful papers and
documents home with him. As the writer
put it: “I felt I was confronting the dragon
in the children’s tales who was guarding
a cave full of treasure.”
Don’t Do It Alone
The wise seniors learn to accept their
reduced and dependent status but
sometimes the elderly can mount a real
battle of wills against people who are trying to help.
For the writer it meant sitting in the
client’s office and transcribing many
quotes and articles by hand. This
tedious practice added immensely to the
workload. But, in the end, the job got
done and both were happy. Yes, sometimes you have to stoop to conquer. It’s
almost like Ecclesiastes 10:4 though in a
slightly different context, “If a ruler’s
anger rises against you, do not leave
your post; calmness can lay great errors
to rest.”
The above is a gentle, mildly humorous
but poignant passage. You have to feel it
is designed to elicit sympathy for those
passing through to the climax of the life
cycle—as we all must. God obviously
pities the elderly and he undoubtedly
has his own purposes in all stages of our
life (Psalm 103:13-17). Hollywood actor
Diane Keaton refuses to have a face lift,
she says, because “she wants to bear
testimony to aging.” This is a rare
remark today.
Professional caregivers can be a real
blessing at such times. These can be
our “angels unawares.” One writer friend
I know took on the task of helping a 92year-old man write his biography. The
trick was that this extremely indepen-
There is no question but that the visible
process of slow decline affecting our
loved ones awakens compassion and
sympathy in serious Christians. This is
good because as children of aging and
sometimes demanding parents we will
need all the sympathy and patience and
compassion we can muster. As Dr.
Samuel Johnson said, we need reminding more than instruction and in this situation we must remember that empathy
beats condemnation every time.
This leads directly to Principle Number
Two—seeking wise counsel.
We mustn’t try to navigate this important
stage of life by ourselves. For starters,
other family members can form a circle
of caring support for the front line caregivers. Sometimes, simply because of
the internal awareness of life receding
before them, the elderly and the afflicted
can show classic defensive/aggressive
reactions. Quite often it’s like you’re
dealing with teenagers again. Older people can sometimes act so unreasonably
and so aggressively. In part we have to
see this cantankerousness as a last
remaining attempt to assert simple control over their lives. That elderly man
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
2 0 1 2
11
T H E
S A N D W I C H
G E N E R A T I O N
By now, it is obvious what the third principle will be.
A Rugged Faith
“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright
in him; But the just shall live by his faith”
(Habakkuk 2:4).
It can be very humbling indeed emptying
bed pans, changing soiled sheets or
wiping dribble from a parent or senior citizen you have taken out to a restaurant.
But—-here’s where a rugged and lively
faith pays dividends. Sometimes we just
have to plough through the worst. Going
to pick up a beloved senior can take 40
minutes just waiting for the poor lady to
find her handbag or to change her
blouse two or three times but…this is
what we are called to when we enter the
caregiver stage.
I’ll never forget how exasperating it was
to find the “ideal seat” for two advanced
seniors at a restaurant and the hard time
they gave the waiters and staff. At the
end I thanked a young waiter for his
patience and tact and for valiantly enduring no small measure of abuse. His
answer shocked and inspired. “Well,
that’s where we’re all headed, so we’d
better be nice to those people now.”
Angels unawares.
Our own personal reserves of patience,
good will and optimism will soon run
down if we tarry long in the Sandwich
Generation. But God’s promises are a
great resource at such times: “Do you
not know? Have you not heard? The
Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator
of the ends of the earth. He will not grow
tired or weary and his understanding no
one can fathom. He gives strength to the
weary and increases the power of the
weak. Even youths grow tired and
weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will
renew their strength. They will soar on
wings like eagles; they will run and not
grow weary, they will walk and not faint”
(Isaiah 40:28-31).
12
C O N T I N U E D
There it is. We cannot tackle this task of
helping out aged parents and friends
navigate the life cycle on our own
strength. One friend tells me: “I have to
take a deep breath and tell myself, yes,
this is going to be work, this is going to
be stressful, but one day—one day way
too soon—I’ll be saying goodbye to them
and I’ll be forever glad I took the high
road today.”
I’ll never forget how exasperating it
was to find the “ideal seat” for two
advanced seniors at a restaurant and
the hard time they gave the waiters
and staff. At the end I thanked a
young waiter for his patience and tact
and for valiantly enduring no small
measure of abuse. His answer
shocked and inspired. “Well, that’s
where we’re all headed, so we’d better be nice to those people now.”
That’s good advice to all of us no matter
where we are along life’s journey.
Empathy, counsel, faith—these watchwords apply here as much as to any situation the committed Christian will
encounter. May God be with us as we
navigate this road successfully.NL
NORTHERN LIGHT
T H E
S A N D W I C H
G E N E R A T I O N
Is Today So Different?
T
here
has always been a
Sandwich Generation. It just
never had—or needed—a
name.
Children—parents—
grandparents—even
farther
back, once formed a tight unit
and lived close together. Sometimes in
the same house. The “nuclear generation”—in which everyone goes his way
and “does his own thing”, is relatively
new, compared to the eons of time when
it wasn’t that way. And it isn’t always
necessarily better.
We didn’t live with Mom’s family, but we
lived in sight—in the house Dad built on
property they gave him and Mom. There
was always someone around, to help
when needed. We lived there until I was
almost 16. I finished high school from
there. The “line” thinned down at about
that point. None of us girls lived
really that near our parents. None of my
children live near me. Although I admit
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
they were closer, when I lived in the
United States! Some of my sisters’ children
are
also
scattered:
Louisiana/Mississippi
borders,Ohio;
near our state capitol; and then there’s
me. I totally left the country.
Do I miss my children and my sisters,
families? You bet I do, very much.
Thankfully, I was with Mom during her
last 7 years. And I’ve said many times, I
wouldn’t change being with her those
seven years, as her caregiver, for anything. Dad had died some years earlier.
I don’t think I felt like I was “sandwiched”
between my parents and my children. If
so, it would have been very seldom, and
not for long at a time. Oh, I relieved the
tension now and then with my own little
“pity-party.” At those times I didn’t invite
very many others to join me. But I still
wasn’t a “sandwich.” As in—perhaps—
having to choose between the two gen-
2 0 1 2
C O N T I N U E D
By Camay Achtemichuk
Member, Yorkton SK congregation
erations. And the Beat goes on.
Our “calling” is to help the ones before
us and be there for them. It is also to
help the ones after us, as they search for
meaning to their lives. To live joyfully
even through trials, to show them it can
be done with God’s help.
Someone said something similar to that,
so it isn’t new. I once heard a minister
define “joy” as expectation of good. Not
bad at all.
I’ve tried to learn and remember when I
feel a “pity-party” coming on, to invite
only one guest. At least, at first. Ask
Jesus to attend and give him free reign.
He works miracles, and he is love.
Whatever generation you are, Jesus
knows, loves you, and wants you to join
him—wherever he is.NL
13
C O M M E N T A R Y
By Keith Roberts
Elder, Harvest Christian
Fellowship, Abbotsford, BC
I
n the Genesis account we read
that God declared his intention to
make mankind in his image and
likeness (Gen. 1:26) but fulfillment
of the goal of making man in the
holy and perfect image and likeness of God would require a creative act
that would eclipse the original creation in
its scope and impact! Shortly after God
had created Adam and Eve something
went terribly wrong with God’s “very
good” creation. We read that the serpent tempted Eve, and through her,
Adam as well. The beautiful creation
was sullied by the disobedience of our
first parents.
The penalties for Adam and Eve were
immediate and severe. They were banished from their idyllic garden. Adam
was given a life sentence of hard labour
eking out an existence from land infected with thorns and thistles. Eve was
promised that she would bear children in
pain. Marital bliss gave way to strained
husband-wife relations. Innocence was
replaced by shame, guilt and an awareness of their nakedness. Their first
child, Cain, became a murderer and
killed his younger brother Abel.
Still, in the midst of this sordid mess
there were clear indications that the
promised redeemer would come and
crush the head of the serpent (Gen.
3:15). God clothed Adam and Eve with
the skins of animals that he had sacrificed—which some feel anticipated the
long history of animal sacrifices in
ancient Israel. These sacrifices culminated in the ultimate sacrifice of Christ to
cover the sins of all mankind.
Finally, after centuries of anticipation the
promised Messiah came to this earth in
the form of an infant born to the virgin
Mary. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on
the cross and was resurrected from the
dead on the third day. Jesus achieved
the ultimate creative activity in redeeming us from the bonds of sin and corruption since in Jesus’ resurrection we are
raised up with him. The apostle Paul
states quite emphatically that believers
14
Capstone Of Creation
are “buried with Him in baptism, in which
you also were raised with Him through
faith in the working of God who raised
Him from the dead” (Col. 2:12). Jesus’
death and resurrection have conquered
the grave! We believers are included in
the subjective reality of Jesus’ resurrection. In his resurrection our status as
sinner is forever changed. By God’s
grace Jesus has paid the penalty for the
sins of all mankind. We are justified.
Jesus took responsibility for our sinful
condition and died for our sins.
Incredibly, we now have the status of
“one who is pure and holy before God”.1
seen from the other side is dramatically
different. The Great I-AM sees a very
different reality indeed. This is the
image of a son or daughter whom He
loves incredibly. Here is a child of God
who is pure and holy in His sight.
Reconciliation
trumps
alienation.
Obedience replaces rebellion. Peace
conquers conflict. Beauty eclipses ugliness. Praise dominates curses. And
God’s love triumphs over all.
We live in a creation of unbelievable
beauty and variety spoken into existence by the Great I-AM. The capstone
of God’s creation, to
create man in his
holy image and likeness, was only
made possible by
the life, death and
resurrection of his
Son. As the apostle
Paul
put
it
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
Through Jesus’ resurrection we face
a type of two-way glass. As we look
at this two-way glass we see our
reflection and it is not a very pretty
picture. We see reflected in the glass
all the ugliness of sin, rebellion, and a
fractured relationship with God and
with our fellow man. But we also
need to consider that through the resurrected Christ the image seen from
the other side is dramatically different. The Great I-AM sees a very different reality indeed. This is the
image of a son or daughter whom He
loves incredibly. Here is a child of
God who is pure and holy in His sight.
Through Jesus’ resurrection we face a
type of two-way glass. As we look at this
two-way glass we see our reflection and
it is not a very pretty picture. We see
reflected in the glass all the ugliness of
sin, rebellion, and a fractured relationship with God and with our fellow man.
But we also need to consider that
through the resurrected Christ the image
is a new creation...”
How?
Because
“God made him who
had no sin to be sin
for us, so that in him
we might become
the righteousness of
God”. (2 Cor. 5:17,
21) In an act of stupendous love the
God of all time
entered our space
and time, lived a
perfect life, died for
us and rose from the
dead that we may
share eternal life in
his perfect righteousness. What a God!
What a creator!NL
1 Torrance, Thomas F., Space, Time &
Resurrection, p. 61
NORTHERN LIGHT
M I S S I O N
M A T T E R S
2 0 1 2 / L a
Mission Matters 2012
La mission en 2012
E
ver had the experience reading
a familiar passage of scripture
and seen new insights – or read
a chapter in the Bible and find
that a phrase haunts your thinking for days? Recently one such
phrase has done exactly that for me:
“Make every effort to live in peace with
all men and to be holy; without holiness
no one will see the Lord. See to it that no
one misses the grace of God and that no
bitter root grows up to cause trouble and
defile many” (Hebrews 12:14-15)
What exactly does it mean, “See to it
that one misses the grace of God?” How
can we “see to it that no one misses the
grace of God?” It seems like such an
impossible task, especially if attempted
to be done by our own strength. But
thanks be to God, we are not in this
Christian walk on our own. Verse 14
gives us a great clue: “…be holy so that
others can see Christ in you.”
So we walk with Jesus and allow his
holiness to permeate all of our relationships and endeavours. Armed with that
knowledge, how do we see to it that no
one misses the grace of God? The
Message gives further understanding to
verse 15: “Make sure that no one gets
left out of God’s generosity. Keep a
sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent.”
Ensuring that no one gets left out of
God’s generosity is thought provoking.
What do we consider to be God’s generosity? How has God been generous in
our lives? Making a list leads us to
prayers of thanksgiving as we consider
every good gift that he has given us.
God has been very generous to Grace
Communion International Canada! We
continue to grow in grace and understanding, our communities of faith are
becoming stronger, and financially we
live in a country exceedingly blessed by
good governance and care for its citizens.
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
m i s s i o n
e n
2 0 1 2
By Wendy HolladayMoore
de Wendy HolladayMoore
So what do we do as a denomination to
make sure that no one gets left out of
God generosity? One way is through
missions to other countries, which are
opportunities to share blessings given to
GCI Canada.
prend tout son sens plus loin dans le
verset 15 : « Veillez à ce que personne
ne passe à côté de la grâce de Dieu,
qu'aucune racine d'amertume ne pousse et ne cause du trouble en empoisonnant plusieurs d'entre vous. »
The photos found in this issue of
Northern Light illustrate some examples
of the many opportunities we have had
over the past year to share the love of
God with others. Because of your generous support of our central Mission Fund,
we were able to send over $60,000 in
support to those beyond our borders. NL
S’assurer que personne ne passe à côté
de la grâce de Dieu est une lourde
tâche. À nos yeux, qu’est-ce que la
grâce de Dieu? Comment s’est-elle
manifestée dans notre vie? Si nous faisons la liste de ses manifestations, des
actions de grâce s’élèvent en remerciement pour tous les excellents dons qu’il
nous a faits.
V
Dieu a été très généreux envers
Communion Internationale dans la
Grâce du Canada! Nous continuons à
croître en grâce et en sagesse, nos
assemblées sont de plus en plus fortes
et sur le plan financier, nous vivons dans
un pays abondamment béni par une
bonne gouvernance et un souci des
citoyens.
ous est-il déjà arrivé de voir
un passage biblique familier
sous un nouveau jour ou
d’être hanté pendant des
jours par un chapitre de la
Bible? Récemment, le verset
suivant a eu cet effet sur moi : « Faites
tous vos efforts pour être en paix avec
tout le monde et pour mener une vie de
plus en plus sainte, sans laquelle nul ne
verra le Seigneur. Veillez à ce que personne ne passe à côté de la grâce de
Dieu, qu'aucune racine d'amertume ne
pousse et ne cause du trouble en
empoisonnant plusieurs d'entre vous. »
(Hébreux 12:14,15)
Que veut dire « veillez à ce que personne ne passe à côté de la grâce de Dieu »,
au juste? Comment pouvons-nous
veiller à ce que personne ne se prive de
la grâce de Dieu? Cette tâche semble
impossible, surtout si nous essayons de
l’accomplir par nos propres forces. Mais
grâce soit rendue à Dieu, nous ne
sommes pas seuls dans notre marche
chrétienne. Le verset 14 nous donne un
indice sur la marche à suivre : « mener
une vie de plus en plus sainte, sans
laquelle nul ne verra le Seigneur. »
En tant que confession, que faisonsnous pour que personne ne passe à
côté de la grâce de Dieu? Les missions
à l’étranger, qui sont des occasions de
partager les bénédictions reçues par
CIG Canada, constituent un des moyens
d’y veiller.
Les photos qui se trouvent dans le présent numéro de Northern Light illustrent
quelques exemples parmi les multiples
occasions que nous avons eues au
cours de l’année pour partager l’amour
de Dieu aux autres. Grâce à votre généreux soutien financier à notre Fond central pour les missions, nous avons pu
envoyer 60 000 $ pour soutenir les missions à l’étranger. NL
Marchons avec Jésus et permettons à
sa sainteté de pénétrer dans toutes nos
relations et nos entreprises. Armés de
cette connaissance, comment pouvonsnous veiller à ce que personne ne passe
à côté de la grâce de Dieu? Le Message
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Bangladesh Canada has had a long association with the Bengali Evangelical
Association providing funding for various humanitarian projects. In 2011, Canada
sent funding to purchase of Bible Study aids, and the building of the first church in
the village of Askor, 250 miles south of the capital city. Le Canada est depuis
longtemps associé à la Bengali Evangelical Association (Association évangélique
bangladaise) afin de pourvoir à divers projets d’aide humanitaire. En 2011, le
Canada a envoyé les fonds nécessaires pour acheter des outils pour des études
bibliques et pour la construction de la première église dans le village d’Askor, à 400 km
au sud de la capitale.
Ghana
–
West
African
Pastoral
Conference/Conférence pastorale de l’Afrique
de l’Ouest In November 2011, Canada funded the
West African Leaders’ Conference in Accra,
Ghana. Around 200 GCI church leaders from
Ghana, Nigeria and Togo attended the conference.
En novembre 2011, le Canada a mis sur pied la
conférence des leaders de l’Afrique de l’Ouest à
Accra, au Ghana. Près de 200 leaders d’églises
de la CIG du Ghana, du Nigeria et du Togo y ont
assisté.
Long-Serving Pastor Retires
PASTOR RETIRES
After 48 years in the ministry, Roy Page, pastor of the
Vancouver and Prince George congregations, is retired.
On January 7 Roy gave his final sermon to the Prince
George congregation. He spoke of being faithful to a faithful God.
Roy graduated from Ambassador College, Pasadena in
1964. He has pastored congregations in Australia, the
U.K., Canada, and the U.S. He may be the longest serving pastor in our denomination.
After his final sermon to the Prince George congregation,
pictures were taken and members presented him with a
farewell card, Friendship book, and a specially embroidered fleecy (showing a cabin, moose, and Prince
George) to keep him warm in his golden years! A special
tribute song, “Ode to Roy” (sung to the melody of “What
Child is This?”) was sung to him and his wife Sheila.
Following that, a delicious buffet lunch was served by the
members. We will miss his monthly visits and his years of
dedicated and loving service to the members of Prince
George. He plans to retire in Nelson, B.C. and spend
more time with family there. Lister Chen
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Roy and Shiela Page (front centre)
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Colombia/Colombie – Bogota Leadership Conferences and Peru
Church Visit/Bogota conférence sur le leadership et visite d’églises péruviennes In the capital city of Bogota, Colombia, GCI has a thriving congregation with a satellite church in Barranquilla. Many of the
members are scattered and Hector Barrero, Mission Developer for
South America asked for financial aid from Canada to enable these
members to attend leadership conferences. He also received financial
assistance to travel to Peru where GCI has congregations. À Bogota,
capitale de la Colombie, il y a une prospère assemblée de CIG ainsi
qu’une église satellite à Barranquilla. Bon nombre des membres sont
dépourvus, c’est pourquoi l’organisateur de mission pour l’Amérique du
Sud, Hector Barrero, a demandé au Canada de l’aide financière pour
permettre à ces membres d’assister aux conférences sur le leadership.
Il a également reçu des fonds pour se rendre au Pérou, où il y des
assemblées de CIG.
Bogota
Kenya – Feeding Program for the Refugee Camp and
Regional/Conference Programme d'alimentation pour le camp de
réfugiés et de la Conférence régionale There are a number of refugee
camps in Africa where we have congregations. The Canadian churches
have funded basic food and child education programs the members in
these camps. In November 2011, Canada also sent funding to support a
Leaders’ Conference in East Africa for church leaders, board members,
and pastors from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda. Il y a de nombreux
camps de réfugiés en Afrique, où nous avons des assemblées. Les
églises canadiennes y ont fourni de l’aide par des programmes alimentaires et éducatifs aux membres qui s’y trouvent. En novembre 2011, le
Canada a aussi fourni un soutien financier pour une conférence en
Afrique de l’Est destinée aux dirigeants d’église, aux membres du conseil d’église ainsi qu’aux pasteurs du Kenya, de l’Ouganda, de la
Tanzanie et du Rwanda.
Haïti – Young Ambassadeurs – a School run by GCI Haiti/Jeunes
ambassadeurs – une école dirigée par CIG Haïti GCI has had a
school in Haiti for a number of years which was not severely damaged
in recent earthquakes. Teachers and scholars have continued to learn
despite challenges caused by the devastation throughout the country.
The Principal and two teachers have worked at the school for over 10
years, receiving a salary that is less than what they can make at other
schools. GCI Canada committed to sending funds in 2011 and 2012 to
give these teachers a bonus in appreciation of their work being done at
the school. Depuis de nombreuses années, CIG a une école en Haïti;
celle-ci n’a pas été endommagée par les récents séismes. Les
enseignants et les étudiants ont continué à travailler malgré les défis
posés par la dévastation du pays. Le directeur ainsi que deux
enseignants œuvrent à l’école depuis plus de 10 ans, même s’ils
reçoivent un salaire inférieur à celui qu’ils pourraient avoir dans une
autre école. CIG Canada s’est engagé fournir les fonds nécessaires en
2011 et en 2012 pour leur offrir un supplément en reconnaissance pour
le travail accompli à l’école.
Mexico/Mexique – Training Conferences for Leaders and
Pastors of Mexico/Formation de leaders et de pasteurs au
Mexique April 22 to 24, 2011, GCI Canada sent funding to support
pastors of GCI congregations in Mexico to attend a national conference in Mexico. All of these pastors do not have the financial
resources to travel to a national conference. CIG Canada a pourvu
aux fonds nécessaires pour que des pasteurs de CIG du Mexique
assistent à une conférence nationale, du 22 au 24 avril 2011, à
Mexico. Tous ces pasteurs ne disposaient pas des ressources financières nécessaires pour s’y rendre.
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