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SUMMER <strong>2017</strong>
Building lives that<br />
honour God ...<br />
1
all for Jesus!<br />
2
a note from Pastor James<br />
Cconnect with pastor James!<br />
our team<br />
Editor in Chief Heather Wile<br />
Graphic Design Briana Southerland & Peggy Xia<br />
Editor Cheryl Siebring<br />
Photography (unless otherwise noted)<br />
Judith Tuck Enoch Tse<br />
Jill Hopkins Daron Young<br />
Josh Boak Barry Pendergast<br />
unsplash.com<br />
Content Goodness (Writers)<br />
Josephine Tse Kathy Lloyd<br />
James Paton Erin Boyce<br />
Jill Hopkins Rosalind Coben<br />
Briana Southerland<br />
Photo Editing Samuel Campo, Janina Resus<br />
Print Production Humphries Printing Inc.<br />
A quartly publication of First Alliance Church, Calgary, Alberta of<br />
the C&MA Canada.<br />
3
Journey of the Artist<br />
as a Young Man<br />
Journey of the Artist<br />
as a Young Man<br />
Written by Jill Hopkins<br />
Written by Jill Hopkins<br />
"Go in peace, the priest replied. For the LORD<br />
is watching over your journey."<br />
"Go in peace, the priest replied. For the LORD<br />
is watching<br />
Judges<br />
over<br />
18:<br />
your<br />
5-6<br />
journey."<br />
Judges 18: 5-6<br />
4
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those<br />
who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."<br />
Romans 8:28<br />
"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings ..."<br />
Proverbs 22:29<br />
It has been a 17-year journey but today, 22-year-old Enoch Tseng is actively seeking<br />
and discovering God’s plan in his life. He is seeing how God worked in the hardships<br />
of his past to bring him to where he is now. And it is a beautiful, creative place.<br />
A<br />
victim of bullying in his public school years, Enoch<br />
struggled with loneliness and depression. He worked<br />
to fit in, finding his niche in sports. Still, he wondered<br />
why he had to endure so much pain and rejection in his peer<br />
relationships. Through “Bell Let’s Talk,” a social networking<br />
campaign aimed at supporting those with mental health issues<br />
and removing the stigma often associated, Enoch found<br />
his voice. He made peace with God, understanding how<br />
his difficult past was part of God’s plan and purpose<br />
for his life. He has found the sweet spot of resting in<br />
God’s direction and is allowing his life to be shaped<br />
accordingly.<br />
5
Trained formally in the violin since the age of 4,<br />
Enoch is a gifted and recognized musician. He has<br />
written and performed 3 songs on an EP entitled<br />
‘Journey.’ Inspired by the people and events, both<br />
positive and negative, that have shaped his life,<br />
these songs tell of his path in rising above the pain<br />
to a place of hope and purpose. One song, simply<br />
called ‘Tonight,’ is playful and fun, reflecting the<br />
joy he now has in sharing the beauty of a night sky<br />
with his closest friends.<br />
It has been a journey of faith<br />
and healing, indeed.<br />
Enoch is using his musical gifts now, no longer for<br />
himself, but strictly to honour God. He plays violin<br />
and guitar on one of the worship teams at FAC and<br />
also leads a worship team for the Junior High and<br />
Grade 5&6 ministries.<br />
For him, it is all about finding the right music to<br />
support the message, immersing in worship, and<br />
glorifying the One who has stood by him through<br />
thick and thin.<br />
Enoch approaches photography in the same way<br />
as he does music: as a way to use his considerable<br />
gifts to worship God.<br />
He sees the beauty in all that's around him. His<br />
artistic eye is evident in his cityscapes, night skies,<br />
portraits, and travel photos. He captures it all in a<br />
unique and personal way that reflects a sensitive<br />
and gentle spirit. Enoch finds a place of peace and<br />
contemplation when he escapes into photography.<br />
Spending time alone brings him closer to God<br />
and His creation and fills his soul. He longs to be<br />
‘wowed by God’ and uses his gifts to capture the<br />
awe.<br />
Enoch’s thirst to find amazing vistas has taken<br />
him to the far corners of the globe: Korea, Japan,<br />
Taiwan, and Hong Kong and now, Europe. At<br />
home, he hikes into the passes and alpine lakes<br />
of the Rockies, revels in the golden fields of the<br />
Prairies at dusk, and walks the streets of Calgary<br />
at dawn, always looking through a lens coloured<br />
by the soft light of God’s grace and love as the<br />
journey continues. •<br />
Click here to see<br />
more work<br />
from Enoch<br />
6
"None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever<br />
I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord."<br />
Ezekiel 12:28<br />
Written by Erin Boyce<br />
7
When Cindy found out she was pregnant she<br />
couldn’t believe it – she actually didn’t believe<br />
it. Three pregnancy tests and a frantic “Call me<br />
right now!” text to her husband later, it started<br />
to sink in. After 8 years of trial and error, hope<br />
and heartbreak, God had blessed them with a<br />
miracle. This is their 8-year journey.<br />
Before Jeremy and Cindy Duffin moved to Calgary, a pastor<br />
prayed over them and told them something they weren’t<br />
expecting to hear – that they would experience difficulty<br />
having children. A young, happy couple, they didn’t dwell<br />
on it; they thought it was a little strange and didn’t think it<br />
would amount to anything.<br />
A few years later, after a year of trying to get pregnant,<br />
Cindy tragically lost her father, and to add to the heartbreak<br />
she had a miscarriage 7 months later. Unable to conceive<br />
again, they felt compelled to pursue treatment; “We wanted<br />
to ensure there would be no regrets later in life.” At the<br />
fertility clinic, Cindy and Jeremy were given a 2% chance of<br />
ever having a child. “Even though we were told we had a 2%<br />
chance of conceiving, I knew if God decided it was time we<br />
had a 100% chance.”<br />
Everything went perfectly with IVF and Cindy was told she<br />
now had a 75% chance of becoming pregnant – but it wasn’t<br />
time yet. “Just because God asks you to walk through a door<br />
doesn’t mean you are promised the answers or the solution<br />
you want on the other side,” Jeremy told me. God had<br />
led them through many “empty” doors and they faithfully<br />
followed every time, their faith growing stronger with each<br />
one.<br />
In the 8 th year Cindy had found her peace; through tears she<br />
recalled, “I had to grieve what I was losing and let every little<br />
piece of that dream go. You can’t be afraid of what you’re<br />
feeling. There’s a lot of grief and that’s something you have<br />
to acknowledge and deal with in a healthy way.”<br />
Through the help of their small group, good friends, and<br />
prayer, Jeremy and Cindy let go of the life they thought they<br />
would have, downsized to a smaller home, and focused on<br />
what God had already given them.<br />
“We are very blessed,” Cindy said. “Moving forward, that was<br />
something we focused on. He has given us everything and<br />
owes us nothing. This family is not owed to me.”<br />
When they accepted what they thought was God’s plan for<br />
their life, He opened up one final door and on the other<br />
side was a miracle. Their miracle was a healthy pregnancy.<br />
Joshua, their beautiful baby boy, was born in December<br />
2016.<br />
When I asked Cindy if she could give one piece of advice to<br />
someone going through a similar situation, she answered<br />
immediately with two things: protect your marriage and talk<br />
to someone. What they went through can break a person<br />
and a marriage. “We both love to laugh,” Cindy smiled, and<br />
I can attest to this throughout the time I spent with them. “I<br />
think that’s one thing that really got us through this; we would<br />
always try to make each other laugh.”<br />
Cindy and Jeremy talked about how important community is.<br />
“You can’t keep everything in – it can be very isolating,” she<br />
started. “But be careful who you confide in, or you’ll be getting<br />
a lot of advice and ‘Have you tried this or that?’ which can be<br />
very discouraging.”<br />
They found a lot of their comfort from a close community<br />
of good friends – including their small group – who<br />
walked alongside them, supporting them in prayer and<br />
encouragement.<br />
Daryl, from their small group, was the first person they told<br />
they were pregnant. He shared with them how that morning<br />
he’d read from Ezekiel 12:28, “Therefore say to them, this<br />
is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be<br />
delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares<br />
the Sovereign Lord.” He knew the verse was meant for<br />
someone else, so when Jeremy and Cindy knocked on his<br />
door and told him the news, he wasn’t surprised.<br />
Ezekiel 12:28 is part of the reason they named their son<br />
Joshua. Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land after<br />
many years wandering through the desert waiting for God’s<br />
promise, just like Jeremy and Cindy. Joshua also spent 7<br />
days walking around Jericho, waiting for it to fall. The people<br />
of Jericho actually laughed at them, making fun of God’s<br />
promise, for it was taking so long no one believed it would<br />
fall. Joshua was faithful and kept marching, believing and<br />
trusting his God – just like Jeremy and Cindy.<br />
At their baby shower, a close friend wrote a speech. Here’s a<br />
piece of what she wrote that is so fitting to their journey:<br />
“The Bible is our ‘Adventure Guide.’ It reminds us<br />
that when we are lost to pray! ‘Lord, I call to You<br />
all day long. Bring joy to Your servant, Lord, I put<br />
my trust in You. You, Lord, are forgiving and good,<br />
abounding in love to all who call to You. Hear my<br />
prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am<br />
in distress, I call to You, because You answer me.’”<br />
Jeremy and Cindy never stopped calling to God. They believed<br />
He was good even when life was trying to tell them otherwise,<br />
and they knew God would answer. He gave them peace to<br />
accept they wouldn’t have a child – then He gave them Joshua. •<br />
8
Senior High trip<br />
to Montreal<br />
Written by Rosalind Coben<br />
How does one prepare for a missions<br />
trip to the only French-speaking<br />
province in Canada? There are many<br />
ways experienced missionaries suggest<br />
preparing to enter a different culture,<br />
but I decided to do the one that seemed<br />
the most approachable – eating my way<br />
there. After careful consideration and<br />
Google-translating of menus, I came<br />
to the conclusion that it was best for<br />
me to ease into it and start with the<br />
esteemed French delicacy … the fry.<br />
But before I get ahead of myself, maybe I should let you<br />
know why I’m selflessly eating copious amounts of French<br />
fries. This upcoming July 7-18, a team of senior high students<br />
and leaders from FAC are travelling to Montreal to work<br />
with communities there to share the love of God in that<br />
city. We are partnering with an organization called SOAR,<br />
who will bring together 150-200 students to accomplish a<br />
common goal: “love the city in the name of Jesus.” SOAR is<br />
unique in that it doesn’t have a set plan for exactly what<br />
the students will be doing, but rather it bases the activities<br />
solely on the need of communities in Montreal, as well as<br />
the skills of the students. In their words, “We do whatever<br />
it takes to build relationships and share God’s good news.”<br />
So, you might be wondering, “Why Montreal?” It’s common<br />
for many of us to think that missions trips mean going<br />
outside of Canada because everyone in Canada must have<br />
heard about Jesus, right? In reality, Quebec is the leastreached<br />
province in Canada. It’s a province that identifies<br />
as ‘Catholic,’ but only in the cultural sense of the word.<br />
If you were to attend a church service, you’d more than<br />
likely find the buildings empty. Since the Quiet Revolution<br />
9
in the 1960’s, there has been an overall trend of people<br />
leaving the church in Quebec, to the point where it is now<br />
considered Canada’s most secular province.<br />
With this knowledge, it might seem fair to wonder how<br />
sending senior high students for 11 days will benefit the<br />
city of Montreal. Team leader Pastor David Conrad made<br />
the purpose of this trip abundantly clear, saying, “Shortterm<br />
missions trips are two-fold. First, we are going to serve<br />
the community and work alongside them; and second, we<br />
want to disciple the students.” This is the 7 th short-term<br />
missions trip David has led with FAC, and when asked why<br />
Montreal was the chosen destination, he replied with the<br />
simple notion that “it’s important for us to see the need in<br />
our own country.”<br />
Quebec is the least-reached provience in<br />
Canada!<br />
To be a disciple is to be a person who is following Christ.<br />
As mentioned above, one of the main goals of this trip is<br />
to disciple the students who have chosen to take this leap<br />
of faith and say “au revoir!” to their families for 11 days.<br />
While the details on exactly what each day will look like are<br />
unclear just yet, the discipleship process has already begun<br />
here in Calgary. The students have started fundraising for<br />
the trip in a variety of ways: bottle drives, pizza sales, online<br />
auctions, bake sales, and personal prayer and support<br />
letters. While they might seem like mundane, practical<br />
tasks, these are the very things that bond the team and<br />
help point their hearts towards Jesus. Walking around the<br />
church parking lot, collecting bottles, while not in any way<br />
glamorous, was a time for the team to get together and<br />
work towards our common goal of going to Montreal to<br />
share Jesus.<br />
Perhaps the most important part of the preparation for<br />
this trip is the support of FAC through prayer. Please pray<br />
that the team will maintain unity, and keep focused on the<br />
goal of making a difference in the city of Montreal in Jesus’<br />
name. As you can imagine, there is also a lot of preparation<br />
work that goes into organizing a trip of this capacity, so<br />
please pray specifically for David Conrad as he navigates all<br />
the details and paperwork.<br />
On July 7, the team of 19 students and leaders will be<br />
boarding a plane and taking a trip that will be life-changing<br />
for them. As we continue to diligently study the French<br />
culture by the in-taking of the amazing cuisine (hello,<br />
poutine!), we say ‘au revoir’ and ‘merci’ for all of your<br />
support and prayer as this journey to Montreal continues! •<br />
Meet the team! Click here to follow<br />
them on Instagram.<br />
Donate<br />
Help send the team!<br />
Click here!<br />
SOAR<br />
love God, love people<br />
Click here to find our more about<br />
SOAR Ministries.<br />
10
UNLIKELY CALL<br />
PURPOSE THROUGH TRIALS<br />
WRITTEN BY BRIANA SOUTHERLAND<br />
Over the past few years we have seen an unprecedented amount of people fleeing their<br />
homes seeking shelter and refuge. On the news we see the images of terror, fear, and<br />
despair on the faces of young children and their helpless mothers – any sense of safety and<br />
joy have completely evaporated.<br />
11
Sometimes I find it easier to leave the news off<br />
and live disconnected from this harsh reality that<br />
affects the majority of the world. It helps me stay<br />
comfortable, protected, safe … it’s like living in a world<br />
with peaceful blinders. When I take off the blinders I am<br />
left feeling uncomfortable, helpless – unsure of what to<br />
do to help.<br />
Two years ago I would have chosen this disconnected<br />
life because my personality has always been to see a<br />
problem and do something about it right away. But<br />
with the issue of helping refugees I couldn’t find an<br />
immediate solution – and that<br />
makes me uncomfortable. It<br />
makes me question God; it makes<br />
me angry to know that there are<br />
so many people hurting. Two<br />
years ago I would’ve preferred<br />
not to wrestle with God. It was<br />
easier to be oblivious about the<br />
large-scale issues and pick battles<br />
that I could do something to fix. But now I realize<br />
that through this sense of being uncomfortable God<br />
has stirred my heart to be empathetic and reach out<br />
in ways I never could have imagined. These lessons<br />
did not come easily for me; in fact, God brought me<br />
through a 2-year personal journey to get to the point<br />
where my heart not only reaches out to refugees but<br />
longs to help those I never thought I could help.<br />
My journey began as I was blissfully preparing for my<br />
wedding day. All I could focus on was getting married<br />
and starting a life with my husband. We’d been living<br />
thousands of miles away from one another – Austin<br />
in Calgary and I in St. Paul, Minnesota. In my mind,<br />
nothing could get harder than this period of distance.<br />
We’d get married, move to Canada, and start our lives<br />
Everything I had pictured my<br />
first year of marriage to be<br />
like was a faded dream within<br />
3 days; comfort was ripped<br />
out from under my feet.<br />
together. To say I was unprepared for what was ahead is a<br />
complete understatement.<br />
I believed that as a North American, moving to Canada<br />
would be a piece of cake and I would take some time to<br />
set up our new townhome while waiting for my residency<br />
then start my job in a nonprofit in Calgary. In reality I was<br />
a foreigner, an alien, temporary, just another immigration<br />
case number. I had to go through the same system that<br />
every immigrant has to go through and wait for a visa.<br />
Everything I pictured my first year of marriage to be like<br />
was a faded dream within 3 days; comfort was ripped out<br />
from under my feet.<br />
We crossed the border into<br />
Canada where I was questioned<br />
and reminded that being married<br />
didn’t guarantee I could be with<br />
my husband. The suggestion was<br />
given that staying in the US during<br />
the visa process – separated from<br />
my husband – might be easier than<br />
repeatedly updating my visitor visa.<br />
Since our townhome wasn’t ready, we stayed in a rental<br />
for over a month with no internet, cable, cell phone,<br />
or any of our own stuff. Just a mattress on the floor. I<br />
knew nobody and was completely new to the city, and I<br />
began to feel very isolated. I was lonely, homesick for my<br />
family and friends, and I began to question what I was<br />
doing. I focused on my visa application to keep my mind<br />
off things, but I hit roadblock after roadblock. I couldn’t<br />
apply until I had my name change in effect, which meant<br />
I needed a new passport. I couldn’t apply for a passport<br />
until we had an address. I couldn’t find out our address<br />
until we had a postal code … but the city hadn’t assigned<br />
postal codes because our development wasn’t complete. I<br />
began to realize things were out of my control. I thought I<br />
12
13<br />
could have my application sent in within the week; instead<br />
it took us over 2 months to get everything in place to<br />
apply.<br />
We weren’t prepared to live on a single income, so I<br />
poured my time into creating budgets and plans to help<br />
us succeed. Once I had the plan in place, a little bit of<br />
comfort returned. I thought I had gained some control<br />
again. But I began to struggle with feelings of anxiety and<br />
believed I was a burden. I felt responsible so I started<br />
slicing the budget in areas where we needed money,<br />
like our groceries. As our groceries became cheaper and<br />
cheaper, our food became lower quality but it was “my<br />
sacrifice.” However, when you live with celiac disease<br />
there are major consequences to eating things you<br />
shouldn’t and so on came my sickness. Three months of<br />
constantly being sick and unable to leave the house for<br />
long meant I lost weight, I had no energy, and mentally I<br />
hit a low. Austin and I couldn’t get through a day without<br />
me upset at him. I blamed him for the state of where I<br />
was physically, emotionally, mentally. My<br />
self-worth had vanished. I was convinced<br />
nobody knew how I felt and honestly, I<br />
think people couldn’t handle how I felt.<br />
Everyone around me was in a land of<br />
comfort and security, yet I couldn’t get<br />
through a day of wondering if my next<br />
visitor visa would be approved, or if my<br />
residency would come through, when I<br />
would be able to work again … The list<br />
goes on.<br />
I could tell you endless amounts of things I went through<br />
to tear down my walls of control and comfort. When I<br />
finally hit the bottom, I cried out to God and my burden<br />
became lighter. Austin and I went away for a week and<br />
we began praying that my visa would come in. But we<br />
began to realize that wasn’t our prayer; our prayer was<br />
that we would trust God in the circumstances, that we<br />
would let Him be our provider. We began to look back on<br />
the things that had happened and see God’s hand in it all.<br />
A GST return we weren’t expecting to help with groceries<br />
… Grandparents giving us a late wedding gift to get away<br />
for awhile when things were unbearable … God provided<br />
for our needs; He never abandoned us. But He did give us<br />
trials, lots of trials. In that week I had to finally give up my<br />
last ounces of control, fully surrender, and humble myself.<br />
We trusted God with what was to come.<br />
We got home refreshed and ready to continue our time<br />
of unknowns. I remember it was dark outside and Austin<br />
decided to get the mail. He came around the corner,<br />
Our prayer was that<br />
we would trust God in<br />
the circumstances, that<br />
we would let Him be our<br />
provider.<br />
looking at me in disbelief, with a single brown envelope<br />
in his hands. “I think it’s here,” he said. As we opened<br />
the letter shock fell over us. It wasn’t permanent<br />
residency, but it was my work visa. God works in<br />
mysterious ways. He brought me on a long road to<br />
surrender my control and when I finally did He gave<br />
me just enough to have a sense of normalcy again.<br />
But even the next steps were predetermined by God.<br />
Within the week I was offered a job at First Alliance to<br />
cover a one-year maternity leave. Shortly thereafter<br />
the Syrian Refugee Crisis hit the news. I was providing<br />
admin support for Pat Worsley, who oversees our<br />
refugee ministry. Daily, I answered phone calls from<br />
people desperate to have their stories heard. I wasn’t<br />
uncomfortable anymore. I listened, I felt their pain, and<br />
I told them it wasn’t fair. My empathy for these people<br />
was so strong, and God stirred my heart for them so<br />
vividly. I would go home and be driven to pray for them<br />
in the same way God drove me to pray for him to take<br />
my burden of permanent residency. I<br />
knew I couldn’t do anything for these<br />
people in a task-driven way. God had<br />
been equipping me and preparing<br />
me to share hope and love with the<br />
broken and hopeless.<br />
I grew immensely through these<br />
phone calls and listening to people’s<br />
stories. Months after things slowed down, I woke up<br />
from a repetitive dream where I audibly heard the<br />
name of one of the women I used to talk to on the<br />
phone. The Holy Spirit pushed me to call her to see<br />
how she was doing. I am so thankful for this boldness<br />
that the Holy Spirit gave me! I know that if I hadn’t<br />
gone through the trials I did, I would have never called<br />
her to see how she was doing. I called her on a day<br />
when all hope was gone and she wanted to give up.<br />
Hearing that and now gaining an amazing friendship<br />
with her has made my trials worth it. Austin and I are<br />
now co-sponsors to have her sister come to Canada<br />
as a refugee and we are on a journey with her and her<br />
family. There are days where I am uneasy because<br />
there is no task for me to help with, but I am gently<br />
reminded to listen to her, to pray for her, and to pray<br />
for God to direct the application. Sometimes all we can<br />
do is listen and pray.<br />
This is just the journey of one of the many applications<br />
we as a church are applying for and I challenge you to<br />
pray diligently for the ministry of refugee sponsorship.<br />
It is a long, dark, and painful journey for so many. •
FEELING CALLED?<br />
HERE ARE SOME NEXT STEPS<br />
PRAY ADVOCATE<br />
GIVE WELCOME<br />
*Refugee Ministries is supported through the Care Fund<br />
CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO FIND RESOURCES!<br />
14
Life got in the Way<br />
Written by Kathy Lloyd<br />
Extreme Rakeover is June 3 here at FAC. With summer coming on, the grass needs<br />
a good raking to clean out the small pebbles, leaves, and other winter detritus left<br />
by the winds and snow. Aerating pulls plugs of soil out to give the lawn a chance to<br />
breathe and grow new life. Flower beds need to have the soil turned and new seeds<br />
need to be planted.<br />
Our lives are sometimes like that. What’s there is good,<br />
but God wants to pull out some of the good in order for<br />
us to flourish at His best in new places. That seems to be<br />
how the Lord has been working in the life of Sheila Ball.<br />
Sheila was head of Human Resources in an engineering<br />
firm but saw her department dwindle from 18 down to<br />
2 during this last downturn in our economy. She applied<br />
for and received an early retirement package, thinking<br />
she would take a bit of a break before re-entering the<br />
proverbial rat-race of a stressful new job.<br />
Years ago, when Sheila was finishing up her master’s in<br />
Toronto, Ursula Franklin – beloved professor and mentor<br />
to Sheila – had asked her,<br />
“How will you use your life<br />
experiences to serve others?”<br />
Franklin was a prominent physicist, educator, and<br />
advocate of women’s rights. She was also a Quaker, and<br />
suggested to Sheila that she work with victims of war and<br />
displaced people.<br />
Life got in the way, as it often does with many of us, and<br />
Sheila successfully climbed the corporate ladder. After<br />
deciding to retire last February, these words from her<br />
friend and mentor again came to mind. Sheila googled<br />
and found the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society.<br />
They work with survivors of torture or those who have<br />
experienced the trauma of war. She was paired with a<br />
newly immigrated Syrian family, who had been forced<br />
to flee their home on foot when their town was totally<br />
flattened. They arrived in Turkey with no possessions,<br />
clothing, or even food. Last October they came to Calgary.<br />
Sheila is able to put them in touch with professionals who<br />
can help in whatever way is needed, and orientate them<br />
to city life here in Canada.<br />
God has been pruning Sheila’s life in other areas as well.<br />
Last year Sheila volunteered at Extreme Rakeover. She<br />
has become good friends with Cindy Bartlett, FAC's Serve<br />
Coordinator and Extreme Rakeover Participant. Cindy has,<br />
since found numerous volunteer opportunities for her at<br />
FAC.<br />
Extreme Rakeover helped to instill in her a love for<br />
15
gardening. During the summer, her front yard comes<br />
alive with soft clusters of John Cabot climbing roses, the<br />
deep fuschia of Winnipeg Parks, and bright orangey red<br />
of Morden Fireglow bushes. When I visited, these had<br />
been pruned back to within three feet of the ground, not<br />
yet even budding out, but just biding their time before<br />
new life breaks forth.<br />
Her Syrian family will benefit not only from the overflow<br />
of her backyard apple trees, but from the various<br />
vegetables she plans to put in this year. Already, sweet<br />
peppers were poking up through the soil in small pots.<br />
In a few weeks they will be ready for transplanting to the<br />
garden.<br />
Sheila says it’s very much like how God has worked in<br />
her own life. He prepared the soil by allowing her to get<br />
a good education, but at the same time planting seeds of<br />
service. He opened doors to a successful career working<br />
with people, gaining valuable relationship skills. Then He<br />
pruned back her career, slowed her down, and shifted<br />
her focus. “I’m like a new garden,” Sheila exclaims, ‘’tilled<br />
and ready for God to plant new seeds into my life!”•<br />
Click here!<br />
Take a Gift assesment to help<br />
you find the right<br />
spot to serve!<br />
Click here!<br />
To find info on more<br />
serving opportunities!<br />
Click here to serve on June 3!<br />
16
Hearts United and Ignited!<br />
Written by Jill Hopkins<br />
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;<br />
I have come that they may have life, and have it to<br />
the full. John 10:10<br />
The marriage was in peril.<br />
Like many, Steve and Lisa LeBlanc’s relationship<br />
had started out with hope and innocent trust that<br />
love would be enough to overcome past hurts and<br />
give them the life they both desired. From very different<br />
upbringings, family values, and dynamics, they came in<br />
with needs and expectations of themselves, each other,<br />
and the relationship itself. But when those expectations<br />
clashed, and Steve’s heavy work and travel demands were<br />
compounded by the everyday stress of raising a young family,<br />
the marriage broke. Lisa and Steve separated. Frustrated that<br />
they were unable to find support in the church, they turned to<br />
outside resources for help. They worked on their relationship<br />
with a highly-skilled secular counselor and thankfully, after<br />
nine months, were able to reconcile and begin the long process<br />
of restoration.<br />
17
That was 21 years ago. From that place, a passion to<br />
explore and strengthen their relationship was sparked.<br />
After coming to Calgary in 2007, the LeBlancs joined<br />
FAC and attended “Marriage Matters” with Pastor Scott<br />
Weatherford. This was their first taste of marriage ministry<br />
in the church. They were encouraged!<br />
They then attended Dynamic Marriage, under the<br />
leadership of Ron and Teresa Buschman. Their eyes<br />
were opened to the possibility of a deeper, more<br />
meaningful relationship. The leaders in the nine-week<br />
Dynamic Marriage course are facilitators only, whose<br />
purpose is to guide the participating couples through<br />
a series of exercises in<br />
which they identify and<br />
learn to communicate<br />
personal needs, wants,<br />
and expectations with each<br />
other, thereby enhancing<br />
their already functioning<br />
marriage. As is often true<br />
concerning things of value,<br />
the more energy, honesty,<br />
and openness that is<br />
brought to the discussion, the greater the return. As<br />
Lisa and Steve allowed the Holy Spirit to work in them,<br />
they gradually came to a place of mutual validation and<br />
acceptance. They learned to express and manage their<br />
expectations and to better understand themselves and<br />
each other.<br />
When the opportunity to mentor other couples in crisis<br />
arose, Lisa and Steve jumped at the chance. Not only<br />
had they found a ministry for which they were both<br />
passionate, they were excited to offer the support and<br />
skills that they themselves had so desperately needed<br />
more than two decades before.<br />
Marriage 911 is that ministry. Arising from the materials<br />
Joe and Michelle Williams have developed and are using<br />
in the United States to rescue marriages on the brink,<br />
Marriage 911 has a unique approach.<br />
“For I know the plans I have for<br />
you,” declares the Lord, “plans<br />
to prosper you and not to harm<br />
you, plans to give you hope and a<br />
future.”<br />
Jeremiah 29:11<br />
Rather than dwelling on problems in the marriage, the<br />
program focuses on the individual. Men and women are<br />
led through lessons in separate rooms, so that even if<br />
one spouse is uninterested, the other is free to attend<br />
on his or her own. As Steve explains, “the spouse and the<br />
relationship are left at the door.” The facilitators take their<br />
groups on a journey of self-discovery and faith. It’s an<br />
“end of yourself” place, and offers a new beginning with a<br />
“God, what do you want to do with ME?” approach. It takes<br />
gut-wrenching honesty with oneself and with God, but the<br />
leaders are there to facilitate the growth. Expectations<br />
and blame directed at the spouse are replaced with the<br />
quest to heal inner brokenness. Lisa and Steve end each<br />
session in prayer. Midway through the twelve weeks, Lisa<br />
flips the more common petition of begging God for help to<br />
praying in praise, thanking God for completing this work<br />
in them and claiming the promise that it has already been<br />
accomplished. It changes the focus to looking through<br />
God’s lens, asking how we can participate in His good work<br />
in us. It makes a difference! When one person changes,<br />
the spouse cannot help but notice; the dynamics in the<br />
relationship shift.<br />
Marriage 911 is, indeed, a<br />
powerful agent of change. It<br />
offers hope and encouragement<br />
as people in relationship crisis<br />
are supported in a structured<br />
and loving environment.<br />
The LeBlancs have been a vital<br />
part of Marriage Ministry at<br />
FAC. As they prepare to move to<br />
Winnipeg, they are excited to take this ground-breaking,<br />
essential ministry with them.<br />
Born from the distress and pain in their own marriage,<br />
and nurtured through the various courses offered at FAC,<br />
the spark has been fully ignited. Their passion to take<br />
up the fight to preserve marriage and the family shines<br />
brightly, instilling God’s light where there has previously<br />
been only darkness. •<br />
Click here to veiw<br />
upcoming cllasses &<br />
Courses or to become a<br />
volunteer!<br />
18
Our Nation is 150<br />
By: Josephine Tse<br />
place where many of us call home<br />
A<br />
is hitting a milestone this year. Our<br />
beautiful country of Canada will be<br />
celebrating its 150th Anniversary of<br />
Confederation! As Dorothy from the Wizard<br />
of Oz puts it, “there is no place like home”.<br />
19<br />
There are many wonders in Canada that cannot be found in other<br />
areas of the World. Our stunning landscape that is as vast as it is<br />
diverse; from the prairie mountains to the Maritime coastlines,<br />
from Great Lakes to flowing rivers, and wildlife inhabitants like the<br />
infamous beaver and sweet chickadees. Proudly, Canada is a leader<br />
for for accessible health care, human rights advocacy, respect for<br />
diversity and conservation of history. Canadians are excessively<br />
polite, love to laugh and arguably the most passionate hockey fans<br />
in the world. Canada is home to so many good things and a nation of<br />
infinite opportunity.<br />
Like any birthday for a great friend, you would<br />
want to celebrate by spoiling them with<br />
gifts! Our Mayor Naheed Nenshi started<br />
an initiative to do just that for our Nation<br />
that we can all take part in! The project is<br />
called ‘Three Things for Canada’. To celebrate<br />
Canada’s 150th birthday, Mayor Nenshi<br />
encourages Canadians to give our nation three<br />
gifts of service, large or small.<br />
If we all did three things for our neighborhood, community, church,<br />
nation- what an incredible way to celebrate and foster goodness for<br />
Canada! You can lead a cleanup initiative around the city, pay for<br />
a stranger’s coffee, host a meal for friends, hold grocery bags for a<br />
stranger, or take your kids to the park more often than usual - the<br />
gift ideas are endless. Mayor Nenshi doesn’t want you to be shy<br />
about your gifts; he wants you to share it with the world! Visit<br />
www.threethingsforcanada.ca to see some of the gifts that are<br />
already happening in our city and to share your own!<br />
As our amazing Country is turning 150 we can’t forget<br />
about the party and celebration, and with plenty going<br />
on in and around our City, make sure to go out and<br />
explore! Parks of Canada is offering free park<br />
passes for <strong>2017</strong>, to obtain your pass visit Parks<br />
Canada online and head on out to celebrate<br />
Canada’s great outdoors! Soak in our Country<br />
and City’s history by visiting Heritage Park, Fort<br />
Calgary, Glenbow Museum, Calgary Tower, the<br />
Famous Five Statues at Olympic Plaza or the<br />
Chinese Cultural Center.<br />
Some local attractions to enjoy with family and<br />
friends also include the Calgary Zoo and Telus Spark.<br />
Don’t miss the yearly Canada Day festivities at Prince’s<br />
Island Park, Eau Claire, and Olympic Plaza - tons of live<br />
music, fireworks and a festive atmosphere. Celebrating<br />
our country can be personal and low key, too. Perhaps<br />
take a stroll around Fish Creek Provincial Park, or rent<br />
a bike and enjoy our city bike lanes and trails. The<br />
celebration is definitely not limited to the items above;<br />
you can host your own Canada Day party, inviting<br />
friends & neighbors over for BBQ and games. Keep<br />
your eyes out for firework shows located around the<br />
City in the evening as well!
Celebrate AT FAC<br />
Special Canadiana Services<br />
With Party afterwards!<br />
Regular services on July 2<br />
(no Service on July 1)<br />
Celebrations until 2:00 pm<br />
Let’s show our appreciation for our country<br />
Happy Birthday Canada!<br />
20
1. Which province is the smallest in land size?<br />
A Nova Scotia B Prince Edward Island<br />
C Newfoundland & Labrador D New Brunswick<br />
2. What is Canada's national winter sport?<br />
A Golf (on vacation) B Nordic Skiing<br />
C Hockey D Lacrosse<br />
3. What does Canada Day celebrate?<br />
A Anniversary of Confederation B Queen Victoria<br />
C Honouring the Prime Minister<br />
4.Which is the only officially bilingual province?<br />
A New Brunswick B Quebec<br />
C Ontario D Prince Edward Island<br />
5. In what industry do most Canadians work?<br />
A Natural resources B Tourism<br />
C Service D Manufacturing<br />
6. What Percent of Canada is covered by forest?<br />
A 20 B 30 C 40 D 50<br />
7. When did the Canadian flag adopt the Maple<br />
Leaf?<br />
A 1965 B 1867 C 1900 D 1938<br />
8. What is Canada's record low for temperature?<br />
A -33 C B -43 C C -53 C D -63 C<br />
9. Canada consumes the most amount of<br />
than any other nation in the world?<br />
A Cheese Burgers B Ice Cream Sundaes<br />
C Macaroni & Cheese D Steaks<br />
10. What's Canada's National Animal?<br />
A Moose B Polar Bear C Beaver D Grizzly Bear<br />
Check your answers on the next page!<br />
21
DID YOU KNOW?<br />
Residents of Churchill,<br />
Canada, leave their cars<br />
unlocked to offer an escape<br />
for pedestrians who might<br />
encounter Polar Bears.<br />
Canada has the largest<br />
coastline in the world.<br />
In Newfoundland, Canada,<br />
the Atlantic Ocean<br />
sometimes freezes so people<br />
play hockey on it.<br />
With 1,896 km (1,178 mi), the<br />
Yonge Street in Canada,<br />
is the longest street in the<br />
world.<br />
Canada consumes the most<br />
doughnuts and has the most<br />
doughnut shops per capita of<br />
any country in the world.<br />
The Mall of America is owned<br />
by Canadians.<br />
Canada has fewer people<br />
than Tokyo's metropolitan<br />
area.<br />
Canada's official phone<br />
number is<br />
1-800-O-CANADA.<br />
"Canada" is an Iroquoian<br />
language word meaning<br />
"Village."<br />
Canada has the third largest<br />
oil reserves of any country in<br />
the world after Saudi Arabia<br />
and Venezuela.<br />
Quiz Answers:<br />
1. B Prince Edward Island 2. C Hockey 3. A Anniversary of Confederation 4. A New Brunswick 5. C Service<br />
6. B 30 7. A 1965 8. D Canada's lowest recorded temperature was -81.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 C) in 1947.<br />
9. C Macaroni & Cheese 10. C Beaver Quiz & facts sourced from factslides.com/s-Canada & canada.com.<br />
22
Living<br />
off<br />
Creativity<br />
Written by Erin Boyce<br />
23
Artist In The Spotlight<br />
C<br />
ynthia Cabrera is an interior<br />
designer born in Guadalajara, Jalisco,<br />
Mexico. Very early in life she showed<br />
a keen interest in art: drawing, painting,<br />
and music. Growing up without some of the<br />
comforts we in Canada are so accustomed to,<br />
she developed an interest in how space has an<br />
effect on human interaction and development.<br />
She describes interior design as much more<br />
than fashion and esthetics. “Good interior<br />
design is about function; how can you make<br />
everyday life easier, so you can concentrate on<br />
the things that really matter in life?”<br />
Asked if she saw God in her work, Cynthia replied,<br />
“He first decided to reveal Himself as the Creator; He<br />
is the one and ultimate Designer. All creativity and<br />
problem-solving skills come from Him.”<br />
After graduating, Cynthia began her interior design<br />
career in Mexico. She moved to Canada six years<br />
ago, where she now lives with her husband Moises<br />
and son Aaron, and continues to work in her field.<br />
Cynthia’s creativity can be seen here at FAC many<br />
weekends; she recently joined a team of volunteers<br />
who design and create the look of our sanctuary<br />
stage for weekend services. •<br />
Cynthia graduated from the University of<br />
Guadalajara with a Bachelor of Interior Design. A lot<br />
of people wanted her to choose a different career<br />
path that would be more profitable in Mexico. “I<br />
prayed and asked God for guidance,” recalls Cynthia.<br />
“I know now He guided my decision. I had no idea at<br />
the time what He had in store for me. Being able to<br />
live off of creativity is a blessing.”<br />
God has given Cynthia a passion for art and design,<br />
which you can see pour out of her whenever she<br />
speaks about it. “The ultimate Artist reveals Himself<br />
throughout creation, and we are the pinnacle of it –<br />
we are His Mona Lisa"<br />
she says. “We are creative because we are made in<br />
the likeness of Him.”<br />
24
RETHINKING HOLINESS<br />
25<br />
Bernie Van De Walle<br />
Book available at<br />
Cornerstone Marketplace<br />
Click here for hours!<br />
"But just as He who called you is<br />
holy, so be holy in all you do;<br />
for it is written: “Be holy,<br />
because I am holy.”<br />
1 Peter 1:15-16
What does holiness mean? Why<br />
does God’s word emphasize<br />
it as so important? How do we begin to<br />
answer these questions?<br />
In his book, Rethinking Holiness, Bernie A. Van De<br />
Walle states from the first pages that this is not a<br />
“how-to” book for morality or ethics but rather a<br />
“what is” book. This is important because in order<br />
to follow God’s command for us to be holy, it is<br />
essential to first understand holiness. Van De Walle<br />
gets to the heart of the matter in our living – that<br />
our discussions about how we got here or even<br />
where we are going, although important, are not as<br />
essential as the considerations surrounding our call<br />
to participate in the divine.<br />
Based on the subtitle, A Theological Introduction,<br />
and author’s biography, it might be easy to presume<br />
that Rethinking Holiness is a book to be approached<br />
with an academic lens. After all, Bernie A. Van<br />
De Walle’s specialty at Ambrose University is the<br />
impressive domain of historical and systematic<br />
theology. This first impression might lead the reader<br />
to conclude that reading this book would be an<br />
intellectual exercise. However, it is very clear from<br />
the first few paragraphs that this is an accessible and<br />
engaging read which is a relevant and even essential<br />
text for everyone seeking to understand more about<br />
God.<br />
Van De Walle boldly presents tricky words such<br />
as soteriology, eschatology, teleology, and ontology<br />
but allows you to understand them without<br />
having to have a Master of Divinity or a PhD. By<br />
giving a straightforward explanation and context<br />
immediately after introducing each concept, his book<br />
allows those in the church without backgrounds<br />
in academic theology access to terminology and<br />
foundational faith principles that are key in our<br />
understanding who we worship and who we are.<br />
This book encourages the reader to dig deeper into<br />
the scriptures which define what we believe about<br />
holiness: who God is and who we are individually<br />
and corporately as the church in light of salvation.<br />
In seven chapters, Van De Walle effectively leads<br />
the reader through the definition, theology,<br />
understanding, application, assaults against, and<br />
implications (both individual and corporate) of<br />
holiness. Based on conversations, this book was<br />
written in such a way that you can almost imagine<br />
being in Van De Walle’s class and having your next<br />
question answered.<br />
Described as an “approachable theological<br />
introduction to the Christian doctrine of holiness,”<br />
the text draws the reader into thinking about<br />
holiness beyond cultural presets into the ultimate<br />
truth that holiness is neither a commodity nor a set<br />
of ethics but rather found in the nature of God.<br />
Reading Rethinking Holiness not only resulted in an<br />
increase in knowledge but also a transformative<br />
experience. From sparking conviction and igniting<br />
meditation on holiness to inciting discussions and<br />
expanding perspectives, the book takes the reader<br />
on a journey from examining a topic that generally<br />
does not get explored into a recognition of the<br />
central place the pursuit of holiness must take in<br />
the life of every believer. This leads to a deeper<br />
understanding of the character of God.<br />
For something as incredibly challenging to<br />
describe as holiness, Van De Walle has delivered<br />
a framework for understanding through practical<br />
explanations and interesting examples for each of<br />
the implications, making this book an engaging soulchanger<br />
and fodder for revival in the church. As Van<br />
De Walle writes, “in a quest for holiness, humans<br />
cannot be passive.” We are called to be conformed<br />
to the image of Christ and this book deftly presents<br />
a call to the deep-rooted desire within believers and<br />
non-believers alike: a call to holiness. •<br />
Book Review by Judith Tuck<br />
Book Review<br />
What do students say about Professor Van De Walle?<br />
"Bernie helped me understand that a well-placed quote from<br />
“The Princess Bride” in a lecture is an art! While his teaching<br />
was integral to my faith and ministry, he always made room for<br />
a laugh or two along the way." - Spencer<br />
"Bernie Van de Walle wonderfully combines being one of<br />
the most authoritative and knowledgeable men I have ever<br />
encountered with being easily approachable. I have learned so<br />
much from him because of this ability to tie the two together<br />
and teach in a manner that involves not only depth, but casual<br />
simplicity and light-hearted humour. - Matthew<br />
26
New Teaching Series<br />
Starts June 3/4<br />
#FACPrayFirst<br />
@faccalgary