Thrive_SpringSummer 2020 FINAL

Spring/Summer 2020
COMPASSION IN ACTION: UPDATES FROM OUR MISSIONARIES
THE VALUE OF PARTNERSHIPS
LE FLAMBEAU’S FIRE
KINDNESS
HEART, HANDS, FEET

Spring Summer 2020
KINDNESS IS LO
WITH ITS WORK CLOTHES ON
by Steve Jones
THE FIRST WORD
Kindness is a powerful tool. Someone once said that
“kindness is nothing more than love with its work
clothes on.”
Kindness is the light that extinguishes darkness so the
love of Christ might shine through. Followers of Christ
are to act kindly so that others around the world might see
Jesus. The word for kindness in the New Testament literally
means “fit for use”, meaning followers of Christ are really
not “fit for use” until we act kindly.
The old English word “kindness” comes from the root word
“kin” or “kindred”. The implied meaning here is that kindness
is treating others like family — like kin.
The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives
us a glimpse of a man who modeled a life of compassion to
humanity. We see someone who reaches out in kindness to
a stranger, displaying a compassion that felt the stranger’s
pain.
Jesus ends His story of the Good Samaritan by asking:
“Which of these three (priest, Levite, and Samaritan) do
you say was a neighbour?” Jesus’ ultimate point to us all
is that our neighbour is anyone who is in need — whose
need I can see and am capable of meeting. In fact, the literal
rendering of verse 36 is: “Which of these three do you think
BECAME a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of
the robbers?” (emphasis added)
With that definition of neighbour anyone can become our
neighbour, anyone who is in genuine need. In 1 John 3:17 it
is declared: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his
brother in need, but has no pity on him, how can the love
of God be in him?”
Over the years my family and I have loved to visit Florida,
enjoying the beaches, Disney World, and shopping at the
outlet malls. On one occasion, we were pushing the baby
stroller with my three children in tow. We had made some
great purchases and were leaving a store when we saw a

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thrive / 3
started hounding me. I had not truly met his need yet – I needed to connect with
him.
I got the drinks, brought them to the van, and told Marilyn I needed to talk to this
guy. I walked over to him, bent down, and listened to his story. His name was Bill
and he was homeless. He was sleeping in a field with all of his possessions when a
group of robbers had beaten him and stolen all of his things, including his shoes.
And yes, he was very hungry.
I asked him to follow me to the shoe store across the way, and so Bill and I walked
into a nice store with a lot of people staring in fear. Bill was covered with dirt and
dust, with some cuts and bruises from the beating, carrying his worn-out blanket.
We were quite a sight. As we walked out of that store, he was wearing some athletic
socks and a pair of Nikes. In front of the shoe store, I looked at Bill and told him
I had to get back to my family. He was trying to say thank you, but he looked so
defeated. I was prompted to ask Bill if he would like a hug. With his head hanging
low, he slowly nodded “yes”. We hugged, and I whispered in Bill’s ear: “Bill, God is
going to use His children to take care of you. You matter to Him”. I told him to contact
the Salvation Army Men’s shelter in the area, and to sleep there that night.
VE
I know most of you can tell stories like that as well. As followers of Christ it is our
privilege to meet the needs of others. The great reformer, Martin Luther, wrote:
“We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” If faith is not
accompanied by love, it is not faith but hypocrisy. The world has every right to
point the finger at the Church and cry “hypocrite!” if they do not see our love, our
kindness in action.
Jesus has given our detractors the right to challenge the reality of our faith by the
reality of our love. Kindness is nothing more than love with its work clothes on. In
this edition of Thrive magazine, “Kindness: Heart, Hands, Feet”, we will read stories
of compassion, love, and kindness in action both here at home and beyond.
disheveled man walking towards us with
dirty bare feet, carrying a worn blanket.
We weren’t sure what would happen
next. He simply asked for some change,
and we politely said “no” and moved
on. We continued to watch him, and it
was evident he had recently been beaten
and was in pain. I went over and slipped
a five-dollar bill into his hand, and he
thanked me.
We got in our van and my wife, Marilyn,
asked if we could go to McDonald’s to get
some drinks for the kids, since it was a
hot day. I drove up to the restaurant and
there was the man, eating a Big Mac like
his life depended on it; he was clearly
hungry. I passed by him on my way into
the restaurant, and the Spirit of God
Steven Jones is President of The
Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist
Churches in Canada. Follow Steve on
Twitter @FellowshipSteve.

4 / thrive Spring Summer 2020
THE FELLOWSHIP’S
THEME VERSE FOR
2020 IS: “BUT YOU
MUST RETURN TO
YOUR GOD; MAINTAIN
LOVE AND JUSTICE,
AND WAIT FOR
YOUR GOD ALWAYS.”
HOSEA 12:6 (NIV)
8 FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL AT
WORK: SEND THE LIGHT
You can connect with us on FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/FellowshipNatl,
on INSTAGRAM: @FellowshipNatl,
and on TWITTER: @FellowshipNatl.
Come and join the conversation.
2 THE FIRST WORD
KINDNESS IS LOVE WITH ITS WORK
CLOTHES ON / Steve Jones
14 GROUND WORK
LE FLAMBEAU’S FIRE /
François Provencher
ground work
5 AFFINITY SPOTLIGHT: ENTERPRISE
RENT-A-CAR/NATIONAL CAR RENTAL
REACHING OUT WITH KINDNESS /
Richard Flemming
17 FOUNDATION
6 OUT THERE
COMPASSION IN ACTION: UPDATES
FROM OUR MISSIONARIES
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT
MONEY? / Doug Blair
A NEW PARTNERSHIP / Gord Baptist
10 LOVE EXTENDED
THE VALUE OF PARTNERSHIPS /
Denise Wicks
WHAT PARTNERSHIP WITH FAIR
MINISTRIES CAN DO FOR YOUR
CHURCH / Norman Nielsen
12 OUT THERE
FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL AT WORK:
SEND THE LIGHT / Dave Marttunen
18 UP TO SPEED
ACTS OF KINDNESS
ACTS OF COMPASSION
22 THE LAST WORD
ASSAULT ON THE BATTERY /
Lynda Schultz
love extended
A
up to speed
MISSION STATEMENT: Thrive is the official magazine of The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada. It is published to
enhance the life and ministry of church leaders and members in Fellowship congregations by providing articles, resources and news that
reflect evangelical values, a common mission as well as a shared sense of identity and vision. Thrive is published three times a year and is
available in English and French.
© The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada
MINISTRY CENTRE: P.O. Box 457, Guelph ON N1H 6K9
T: 519-821-4830 F: 519-821-9829 EMAIL: president@fellowship.ca
thrive-magazine.ca
SENIOR EDITOR: Steven Jones MANAGING EDITOR: Valerie Heaton COPY EDITOR: Jesskah McCartney LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ampersand
EMAIL: thrive@fellowship.ca POSTAGE: Return undeliverable Canadian address to Circulation Department, P.O. Box 457, Guelph ON N1H 6K9

FFINITY SPOTLIGHT:
ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR/
NATIONAL CAR RENTAL
At the Fellowship, we are always looking for opportunities
to provide benefits and advantages to our churches, our
pastors, and the members of our churches. By partnering with
businesses, we are able to offer discounts on helpful services to
our Fellowship family members through Fellowship Affinity
program.
One of our current partnerships makes the services offered by
Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental more convenient
and affordable for our members. This means easy
access to the largest car rental fleet in the country and a
discount-off program on car classes across North America.
For pastors or church staff and members who travel, this
can ease the stress of finding a rental car! This is just one
example of the value of our affinity partnerships.
There are many other ways that our Fellowship Affinity Program brings convenience
and savings to our Fellowship family. For more information on our current affinity
partnerships, please visit fellowship.ca/Affinity

Spring Summer 2020
COMPASSION IN ACTION:
UPDATES FROM OUR MISSIONARIES
Our missionaries around the globe are serving in a myriad of ways to provide relief, comfort,
services, and the life-giving power of the Gospel to those in need. Here are updates from two of our
missionaries, sharing about their compassion ministries in the mission field.
OUT THERE: FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL
HELPING THE
SOJOURNER: DIEGO AND
CLAUDIA CARDONA
MINISTRY TO
VENEZUELAN REFUGEES,
COLOMBIA
In recent years the political and
economic stability in Venezuela
has deteriorated, creating an ever-growing humanitarian
and social crisis. The astronomical devaluation of local
currency and an absence of the basic daily requirements of
food and medications is significantly impacting churches
and believers.
Diego and Claudia Cardona, Fellowship missionaries serving
in Colombia, have been responding to this crisis by
working with contacts and ministry connections developed
when other missionaries worked in Caracas, Venezuela
(1990-2015) by ministering to the many Venezuelans who
have journeyed across the border into Colombia. With
thousands of displaced Venezuelans escaping the crisis in
their homeland and arriving in Medellín, the Cardonas, in
conjunction with the El Redil churches, are reaching out to
a people group on their doorstep who are hurting emotionally
and are open to the Gospel. This provides an open door
for the presentation of the Gospel as well as helping them
settle into a new life with restored stability. As another part
of this outreach, they have been providing medications and
other critical resources to Venzuelan pastors who are coming
to Colombia seeking help for members in their congregations
back in Venezuela. These resources are being taken
back to those most at risk. Short-term “mission trips” into
Venezuela are also being made to encourage and help local
churches in crisis.
With an update on this important ministry, Diego writes:
“We have many reasons to be grateful to God. In the case of
the Venezuelan crisis, we are glad that God uses us to bring
glory to His name by supporting, serving, praying with,
and walking alongside Venezuelans, many of them brothers
and sisters in Christ. So far, we have been able to help in
these areas:
Children’s feeding program: We support a children’s
dining room in the city of Barquisimeto, where children
receive a nutritious lunch every day.
Short-term mission visits: Four times a year we send
groups of three to six members of our church to Venezuela,
bringing clothes, medicine, and food. In addition they encourage
and teach in Christian churches.
Training/support for pastors: For the last two years we
have made visits to the border with pastors of our churches
to teach, encourage, and train Venezuelan pastors. Many
of them are discouraged and impoverished by the crisis in
their country, and in dire need of this support.
Disciple-making: We support individual efforts of people
that God calls to serve in Venezuela. For example, Pastor
Edier Ruiz, who came to know the grace of God in prison, is
now a pastor serving prisoners. Edier has already visited several
prisons in Venezuela to present the hope of the Gospel.
Church planting: We are supporting a church plant in
San Cristóbal, a city not far from the border with Cúcuta, a
border city between Colombia and Venezuela.
Street ministry: Here in Medellín we have thousands of
Venezuelans living in the streets. We are supporting the
city’s shelter ministry that provides food to many of them
daily.
Childbirth basics kits: Claudia has mobilized the women
of our church to put together a kit of all the basics for
Venezuelan women that come to give birth in the Medellín
clinics. Around 300 of these packages were distributed last
year alone!”
Please continue to support Diego and Claudia in prayer as
they minister to those whose lives have been so greatly impacted
through the Venezuelan crisis.
HOPE FOR TOMORROW:
ROULA AND BECHARA
KARKAFI
CLEMENTIA LIFE
CENTRE, LEBANON
Located in Kesrouan, Lebanon,
Clementia Life Centre (CLC) is a
non-residential program serving
refugee students (ages 6-15) and their families. As a result of
the crisis in Syria throughout recent years, many have fled
the country, seeking safety in Lebanon. Under the leadership
of Fellowship missionaries Bechara and Roula Karkafi,
CLC provides support to families in need through relief,
training, development, and protection.

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Roula Karkafi writes:
“Our objective this year is to provide holistic education and
social support for 75 children from Monday to Thursday. The
children are mainly refugees from Syria and Iraq, as well as disadvantaged
Lebanese children.
The learning centre provides free transportation, psycho-social
support, medical check-ups and follow-up, home visits, academic
and spiritual education, extracurricular activities and trips, a
daily healthy snack/meal, and a safe, fun space. We also provide
literacy and awareness programs for parents throughout the year.
How are lives transformed at CLC?
Education: Seventy-five learners are receiving basic education
after missing years of school. This year we were blessed
with five laptops that we are using to teach our students basic
computer skills. We have provided education for at least 200
children throughout the six years at CLC.
Psycho-social support: Most of our students have been
through trauma which is manifested in behavioural issues.
Therefore, SKILD, a local special needs education organization,
is providing a psychologist who visits our centre twice a week
to give in-class sessions on different social and emotional topics.
The kids also have access to one-on-one counselling and to a
speech therapist.
Himaya: A local NGO dedicated to child protection trained
our staff last summer, awarding them certificates to become
Child Protection Sessions Facilitators upon completion of the
training. Our staff are carrying out the awareness sessions in
classes in order to teach children how to protect themselves
and others. Himaya also gave awareness and parenting classes
to parents.
Outings: We were able to take our children out on a trip in
the mountains in collaboration with a local partner agency
and university.
Food program: Many of our students come to school
hungry, which hinders their learning capacity. We create
a safe space for children by providing their basic needs
and rights, including nutritious food. Through providing
fruit, sandwiches, popcorn, or pizza, many kids
express feeling secure that this need is being fulfilled.
Medical program: In October, a group of missionary
medical doctors from Canada provided healthcare
services to our students and their families
(around 150 individuals). In January, we invited a dentist
to teach the learners about the importance of oral hygiene.
The dentist was able to check the students and perform basic
treatment.
Parents’ network: Currently 35 families are being blessed
through the different services we provide at our centre: food distribution,
spiritual follow-up, home visits, literacy classes, and
parenting and awareness sessions.
Spiritual outreach: At least five families attend our church’s
home groups regularly, where they learn about the Gospel. In
2019 one mother got baptized, and another family will be baptized
soon—all from Muslim backgrounds.
Hoda, an Iraqi mother of two students, said: ‘I was too scared to
send my girls to a public school here in Lebanon. CLC is the only safe
place for them to receive education and care. Because of CLC, I became
committed to the Trinity Baptist Church. I became a follower of Christ
and wanted to get baptized but my husband was against it. As my
daughters attended CLC, the staff were in contact with my husband
through home visits and the relief ministry. In January 2020 my husband
and I were both baptized and now our church sometimes hosts
home group meetings at our house. This is a dream come true!’”
Please continue to pray for Roula and Bechara as they help to
support those in need though the CLC. With your partnership,
we can continue to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged
children and their families in Lebanon.
CLC IS HOME:
THE STORY OF ARAM
Aram was the first of the 15 children who joined CLC in 2014.
That year, his mother met some of our church members
and was told about our centre. Aram’s father abandoned his
mother and left him and his brothers behind. Aram said: “I went
to another school for only two days but then stopped. It was too
scary; the kids hit each other and we were not treated kindly. I
used to stay all alone at home since my mother and brothers had
to work. I felt like I would never be able to read or write. I am happy
that this is my sixth year at CLC — it is my home! I am so proud of
myself. I have always wanted to speak English, and now I can speak
in English with our guests. I also started to pray; I had never prayed
before coming here. Some people give up when they pray, but here I
learned that I can have a relationship with God. People here pray with
me and God is answering my prayers through them.”

love extended
Spring Summer 2020
THE VALUE
OFPARTN
LOVE EXTENDED: FAIR

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ERSHIPS by
Denise Wicks
There are so many different and diverse organizations out
there, each one advocating for a different need or cause.
With our increasing global awareness, it can be difficult to
choose which one to support. It’s just not possible for one organization
to serve every need.
That’s why Fellowship Aid and International Relief (FAIR)
seeks out partner organizations. It means we can keep focused
on addressing humanitarian and social justice needs through
Fellowship International missionaries, but it also provides
Fellowship churches and individuals with the ability to engage
in new locations and ministries for which we don’t have the
capacity.
There are many ways that churches and individuals can engage
with these organizations, and it doesn’t have to be particularly
hard or even long-term. This involvement can be big or small:
making a donation, hosting a fundraising event or focused
church offering, having a speaker visit your church or small
group, hosting a conference, or even just talking to your friends
and family about the organization and ministry.
To help encourage you, we want to highlight two examples of
Fellowship churches who are partnering with one of FAIR’s
partner organizations. BridgeNorth is a registered charitable
organization that provides help to women and girls who have
been exploited in the sex trade industry in Canada. The organization’s
founder and director, Casandra Diamond, is a survivor
of the sex industry. We hope and pray that you’ll be inspired
with ideas for ways that you and your church could become a
partner.
CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH
(GUELPH, ON)
Lynda Schultz, retired Fellowship International missionary and
Calvary Baptist Church member
“Every week, a small box sits at the end of the snack table during
our morning Bible study. Over the course of the year, the
thirty or so members of the group voluntarily put whatever
they choose into that box in support of a FAIR project. Each
season offers the group a new opportunity to give. Our church
divides its yearly anniversary offering between a national and
international project. In fall 2019 we donated to Casa Hogar,
Honduras, because of its connection to Melodie Francis, one
of our missionaries. Winter 2020 was dedicated to collecting
funds for BridgeNorth because the exploitation of women and
girls in Canada hits so close to home.”
GRANDVIEW BAPTIST
CHURCH (KITCHENER, ON)
James Bast, Pastor of Outreach
“At Grandview, God is increasing our burden for both Gospel
proclamation and justice. During our most recent Christmas
season we had the opportunity to host Casandra Diamond
from BridgeNorth ministries one Sunday. She shared hard truths
regarding women in our Kitchener-Waterloo region being trafficked.
It was powerful — our leadership was moved to include
BridgeNorth in our Christmas offering, and we saw over $7,500
come in through our church family to support FAIR’s Unchained
mini-appeal. The greater impact will be felt as we prayerfully
think about future ways to engage in this important ministry.
Our men’s ministry is considering adopting BridgeNorth
as a core mission to support, and we are planning to bring the
ministry team to share with our youth and parents in a future
equipping event. We are so appreciative of the Fellowship for
bringing BridgeNorth into awareness among our Fellowship
churches so that we can be a movement known for our passion
for justice.”
You can learn more about FAIR’s partner organizations:
International Justice Mission (IJM), Christian &
Missionary Alliance in Canada refugee program
(C&MA), BridgeNorth, and Pregnancy Care Canada
(PCC) on our website fellowship.ca/FAIRPartnerships.
Interested in becoming a partner? Contact FAIR for
more information at fair@fellowship.ca, or by phone at
519.821.4830, Ext. 240.
—Denise Wicks is FAIR Administrative Assistant.

10 / thrive
Spring Summer 2020
WHAT PARTNERSHIP
WITH FAIR MINISTRIES CAN DO
FOR YOUR CHURCH by Norman Nielsen
Why would a church decide to partner with a FAIR project? It’s true that many churches already
support FAIR projects through special offerings, but a partnership-level engagement is
a little different and requires more in-depth involvement in a ministry. It’s not surprising then, that
when a local church chooses to partner with a FAIR project it’s usually the result of a local church
internal evaluation such as a missions coaching consultation (which can be provided by Fellowship
International).
So what does a local partnership with a FAIR project or ministry look like? Here are some common
elements:
• FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY’S OPERATIONAL NEEDS,
• FINANCIAL SPONSORSHIP OF CHILDREN,
• ADOPTING A FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY,
• SENDING TEAMS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEEDS OF THE MINISTRY,
• PARTICIPATING IN THE DECISION-MAKING, FINANCING,
AND SWEAT-EQUITY OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
Not all churches will engage in all of these levels, but when in partnership, the scope of engagement is
larger and the timeframe is longer.
LOVE EXTENDED: FAIR
Church partnerships with FAIR can be a great catalyst for active congregational involvement in global
missions. They can open the door to developing greater passion, engagement, and financial commitment
in church members. For example, a significant percentage of the congregation at Faith Baptist
(Great Village, NS) have been able to visit Casa Hogar (Honduras) and contribute personally to the
ministry there. This has enhanced the overall sense of ownership the congregation feels towards their

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thrive / 11
SPONSORING
A SAFE
CHILDHOOD
Last fall, The Fellowship Child Sponsorship
Program, which allows members of the Fellowship
to financially support individual children on a
monthly basis, was launched. The program is dedicated
to a holistic approach to meeting the needs
of the most vulnerable in Lebanon, Honduras, and
Sri Lanka. Each situation has unique features, but
The Fellowship Child Sponsorship Program strives to
provide what is specifically needed in each location,
including education, healthcare, food, and shelter over
the period the child or youth is in the program. Two of
the programs are residential, and two are non-residential.
global mission outreach and budget.
Has your local church been looking to increase
your global missions goals or engagement
of the congregation? Or maybe
there’s a FAIR ministry that has already
caught the attention of your membership,
and it’s time to increase the level
of commitment. We would be happy to
walk with you through that visioning
process. Contact us to start the conversation
today.
—Norman Nielsen served as FAIR
Associate Director until his retirement
in May 2020.
Opportunities for sharing the Gospel, for discipleship, for
spiritual development, and for prayer support are built in
to the programs. These children have the capacity to be
change makers for Christ in their communities and around
the world!
For more information on how to sponsor a child, please visit
fellowship.ca/Sponsor.
In May 2020, Norman Nielsen transitioned into retirement after 45 years of service with the Fellowship. Norman was appointed
in 1975 to serve in Colombia as a Fellowship missionary. A year later he was joined by his new bride, Donna (nee
Whiteside) who served as field treasurer while serving alongside Norman in other field-related ministries. Norman’s years
of experience on the field in the area of administration prepared him for a new role, based in the National Fellowship office
in Guelph, ON from 1994 to 2016. During that time Norman gave leadership to the administration of Fellowship International
and, later, the FAIR ministry. In 2015, Norman was appointed Associate FAIR Director and, in 2016, Norman and Donna moved to
Drumheller, AB where Norman continued his role with FAIR. We thank Norman and Donna for their years of dedicated service.

Spring Summer 2020
FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL AT WORK:
SEND THE LIG
by Dave Marttunen
OUT THERE: FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL
With your help, we have the
power to change the spiritual
destiny of millions who are
far from the Gospel, unaware of
the saving power of Christ’s sacrifice.
A few years ago, I traveled
to meet leaders who were part of
a remarkable movement of God
in an unreached people group. I
watched one national leader draw
the map of the movement on a
white board. Apart from this national
leader, who had been a pastor in another location, all
the other leaders were former practicing Muslims.
We met under a cloak of secrecy at a Catholic retreat center.
There was need for secrecy since the threats of persecution
— job loss, family shunning, and death — were very
real. What captivated me was that these multiplying Bible
study groups were functioning churches without mirroring
our western church model. The groups baptized new
believers, demonstrated care (love) to each other, matured
their faith through Bible study and practice, prayed, and
engaged in evangelism.
The statistics shared in this meeting were incredible: over a
12-year period, 60,000 believers gathered in groups, 30,000
were baptized, and 12,000 groups were initiated (not all
survived). Most of the groups had multiplied over four
times, and at least one of the first groups had multiplied 16
times. To say I was intrigued is an understatement. I was
like a moth drawn to a flame.
I wondered to myself: can this model be duplicated in other
fields? Will other UPGs and under-reached people groups
respond? Can this model be the means of bringing the
WHAT CAPTIVATED ME WAS THAT
THESE MULTIPLYING BIBLE STUDY
GROUPS WERE FUNCTIONING CHURCHES
WITHOUT MIRRORING OUR WESTERN
CHURCH MODEL.
light of the Gospel to whole communities?? If not, why
not? If yes, then why not now? And naturally, what will it
cost? We all know that ministry costs us money.
Fast forward to today. With your financial help, Fellowship
International is launching the Send the Light appeal, which
will place a special focus on spreading the Gospel through
the training of national leaders in the largest Muslim population
in the world. Out of necessity, this article cannot
name places and people; we have an enemy who is determined
to stop the spread of the Gospel.
Why this site? The evidence of early fruitfulness makes
this work imperative! There is a proven openness, and we
dare not delay. We have committed personnel in both on
site as well as national workers longing for the training,
support, and opportunity.
What we need now is support. As we know in Canada,
it takes money to do ministry. It costs us money to reach
youth, to support seniors, and to reach new immigrant
families. It will cost us financially to extend the Kingdom
and change the spiritual destiny of millions.
Although 60,000 people is a huge number, it represents, in
this location, only a fraction of the population coming to
know Christ – only approximately 0.5% of this unreached
people group. And there are so many more unreached
people groups from which to choose.
Early this summer, I will be travelling along
with our Fellowship International Candidate
Coordinator, Ben Porter, to select four national
leaders, train them, and deploy
them. They will be working in two
teams in two locations.

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thrive / 13
HT
Our goal is to raise $60,000.
These funds will be invested in our nationals:
the cost of the training, computers,
salaries, relocation costs, and site set
up are all expenses we cannot ignore. For
a summer appeal, this is a huge amount
— but in terms of Kingdom work, it is
actually rather small. A Canadian church
planter would cost us more in salary and
benefits for a single year.
There are many ways to support this
appeal: you can donate online through
fellowhip.ca/sendthelight, by filling out
and mailing the attached form, over the
phone by calling 1.519.821.4830, and/or
by committing to support this initiative
through regular prayer.
Dream with me: can you see the crowd
in Heaven who have trusted Christ and
are continually giving Him praise? Can
you see the families changed, the people
group won to Him? Please prayerfully
consider supporting this appeal. In doing
so, you will be helping to send
the light of the Gospel to a people
group not yet won to Christ,
changing the spiritual destiny of
millions.
— Dave Marttunen is Fellowship
International Director.
DREAM WITH ME:
CAN YOU SEE THE
CROWD IN HEAVEN
WHO HAVE TRUSTED
CHRIST AND ARE
CONTINUALLY GIVING
HIM PRAISE?

ground work
Spring Summer 2020
LE FLAMBEAU’S
FIRE
by François Provencher
GROUND WORK: FRANCOPHONE MINISTRY
Throughout 40 years of serving
the surrounding community,
Le Flambeau Church has consistently
been characterized by faith
and a deep desire to meet needs
in our community. Our church is
focused on discipleship, ministry
training, and church planting.
To contribute to the training of
disciples and ministry workers,
we have opened a school in which young people from
all over Québec can follow a year-long training program.
This program centres on theology and practical missions
in order to allow students to be missionaries in their own
community.
During the 2000s we planted five churches, four of which are
still healthy and thriving today. We also have a vision to bless
our city, which is why we started a food bank and a budget
store to ease the burden of the poor living in our neighbourhoods.
Through this ministry, we also give to those who have
been victims of fire damage, as well as to others in the region,
everything they need to refurnish their homes and clothes to
wear. We have already started to prepare some land for a collective
garden, with the aim of blessing our neighbours with
training in the field of organic farming. In this way, we hope
to demonstrate the beauty of our God and His perfect plan,
down to the smallest details that point to the Gospel.
—François Provencher is Pastor at Le Flambeau Church in
Granby, QC.
...WE HOPE TO DEMONSTRATE THE BEAUTY OF OUR GO

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thrive / 15
HOPE
AMIDST THE FLAMES
On the night of May 6, 2019, the Le Flambeau church’s building caught fire. The auditorium was ablaze and
the heat was so great that all of our technical equipment and furniture was destroyed. While the fire was raging,
around thirty firefighters mobilized to fight it for almost four hours. They were amazed to see us at peace
during the fire and to testify that God had something wonderful for us through this fire. They talked about
it at the fire station for a week! The next morning, journalists were there to interview the pastors, and we
made the front page of the newspaper with this sentence: “We are not beaten down!” Following the article,
we received a wave of love from the community on social media, which encouraged us. They hoped that we
would soon recover from the damage so that we could continue to provide our services that were so appreciated
by the community. That same morning, several churches in the city offered to help us, including one who
came to give us the keys to their building so that we could continue to meet as a church family. Finally, we
joined this church, which is within our association, in order to combine our worship services weekly. Once we
discovered how complementary we were and the growing affection between our congregations, we decided
to continue the process of uniting, even though we will return to our newly renovated building very soon. We
give glory to God for the fire that brought us closer to our sister church and for the city firefighters, as we had
been praying for God to grant us access to them for a long time. God answered!
D AND HIS PERFECT PLAN

16 / thrive Spring Summer 2020
REACHING OUT
WITH
KINDNESS
by Richard Flemming
ACTS OF KINDNESS, LIKE PLANTED SEEDS, ARE WAITING
TO TAKE ROOT. IT’S ONE MEANS BY WHICH GOD IS USING
FELLOWSHIP CHAPLAINS TO REACH PEOPLE.
Many times chaplains initiate acts of kindness.
Carol Bell (Community Chaplain, Kitchener, ON) while riding the bus overhears the
phone conversation of a distraught young man relating his difficult financial circumstances.
Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Carol, along with words of encouragement,
gives him $50. Breaking down in tears, he tells her, “this is the nicest thing anyone
has ever done for me.” As a result, he, along with his four-year-old son, are reconnecting
to a local church he once attended.
Other times, believers initiate acts of kindness
while looking to chaplains for assistance.
Nat Scobie (Hospital and Nursing Home Chaplain, Beaverton, ON) receives a call
from a nurse in a local nursing home who, whispering, speaks of an elderly man at
the home asking about Christ. His wife is dying in the bed beside him. As a believer,
she told Nat that the nursing home could fire her if they knew she had called him for
help. Nat, along with his wife, went to see the couple, and upon hearing the salvation
story for the very first time, both responded by receiving Christ.
Sometimes, non-believers initiate acts
of kindness in seeking the help of chaplains.
GROUND WORK: CHAPLAINCY MINISTRY
Ross Helgeton (Community Chaplain, Red Deer, AB) receives a call from the distraught
daughter of a former client, 62-year-old Karen, a believer now on life support
in an Edmonton hospital. Arriving at her bedside, Ross and his wife found themselves
with 13 family members, none of whom professed Christ. Believing this was something
Karen would have wanted, they had searched her phone contacts to track Ross
down. Ross writes that, “we had a wonderful season of tearful prayer, committing
Karen’s situation to our Heavenly Father before removing her life support.”
Join us in praising God for graciously working through our chaplains to bring His lost sheep back to Himself!
— When not in the D.R. Congo, Richard Flemming serves under Steve Jones as Fellowship Eastern Coordinator, which
includes member care of our 100+ Fellowship chaplains.

thrive-magazine.ca
foundation
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE
SAY ABOUT MONEY? by Doug Blair
IF JESUS SAID IT, DO I BELIEVE IT?
Seems like a heretical question doesn’t it? But if belief
means doing (as Jesus says), then the answer to
our first question may not be quite as cut and dry
as we would like to think. Jesus and His brother
James both emphasize the necessity of being “doers
of the Word and not hearers only.” One of
Jesus’ favourite topics was money, its use, and
what it says about us. Jesus said very clearly that our attitude towards
money demonstrates our spiritual temperature in an absolute way.
Not so sure about that? Read on.
Two men came to Jesus seeking to know about salvation. Their
stories are found in close proximity—specifically in Luke chapters
18 and 19. One man, whom we might nickname “Shorty,”
had to climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus. As it turns out,
Jesus had more in mind for him than a glimpse. An afternoon
that turned into dinner brought about a response that was
generous in the extreme. Having heard Jesus teach in his own
home, this man blurted out that he would give half of his
goods to the poor and repay fourfold the amount he owed to
anyone he had wronged. Not an easy response for him, being
that he was a rich man.
The other man, a young rich man, came specifically seeking
entry to the Kingdom of God. Having failed to convict
him of sin in his moral life, Jesus challenged him to give
away everything to follow Him. The young man’s failure
to willingly obey Jesus’ words cost him his eternal
soul.
So do we conclude that salvation comes through
our generosity with money? Hardly! But we must
conclude that our relationship to money is a direct
outpouring of our heart towards God.
— Doug Blair serves as the Fellowship
Foundation Board Director.
A NEW
PARTNERSHIP
by Gord Baptist
The Fellowship Foundation has
recently partnered with an organization
called Advisors with
Purpose, a non-denominational
Christian ministry organization
committed to serving donors,
charities, and ministries, helping
to release more resources for God’s
Kingdom. This partnership provides
our Fellowship constituency with
Christian planned giving specialists that
work for you, helping you through a strategic
estate planning process. This service
is provided at no cost to our churches
and there are no obligations; the estate
advisors do not sell any products.
We know that the help you receive from them
will aid you in becoming a faithful steward of
all that God has entrusted to you. I urge you
to connect with our friends at Advisors with
Purpose and speak with one of their estate specialists.
To initiate the process, you can contact
Gord Baptist, Fellowship Advancement Director, at
519.821.4830, ext. 244, by fax at 519.821.9829, or
by email at gbaptist@fellowship.ca.
If you would prefer to contact Advisors with Purpose
directly, they can be reached at 1.866.336.3315, or by
email at plan@advisorswithpurpose.ca. For more information,
visit their website, advisorswithpurpose.ca.
GROUNDWORK: FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION

Spring Summer 2020
ACTS OF
KINDNESS
Many of our Fellowship churches are engaged in ministries devoted to showing kindness to those
suffering across the globe. It sometimes seems easy to look at the suffering happening worldwide
and ask: “What can WE do to help? Do we have enough resources to effect real change?”
Whether you’re an entire congregation or an individual, these two stories will show that anyone
who submits to God’s leading can be used to bring kindness to His people.
UP TO SPEED: REGIONAL UPDATES
HUGHSON
STREET BAPTIST,
HAMILTON, ON
When I arrived at Hughson Street
Baptist Church in downtown
Hamilton in January 1995, this community,
according to stats Canada,
was the third poorest in the country. The north end was
neglectfully and catastrophically poor. We witnessed heartbreak
around us daily. There were about 50 of us meeting
at the church, reaching out with a variety of community
programs. We met in an old church building which predominately
rested on a dirt basement. We began to grow.
God was at work saving some people, and others came to
join in our mission.
Our neighbourhood began to change. There were plans for
waterfront development. Rents increased. Torontonians
moved in. Some of the working poor and cyclically poor
families who had lived in the community for generations
were being forced to move out to other parts of the city
where the supports they depended on didn’t exist.
God provided the finances so we could purchase a property
at 500 James Street (less than a one-minute walk from our
current facility). We were going to renovate the building
into a 400-seat multi-purpose worship and ministry centrea
when we asked Indwell (a Christian housing provider) the
question about how to care for those being displaced from
our neighbourhood. Indwell gently told us that we needed
to consider building something on the
small property we just purchased.
As a congregation, we halted our project and decided to put
up a new worship and outreach facility that would include
45 apartments for those needing affordable and supportive
housing. Neighbours and friends who have been displaced
or struggled with homelessness could move in.
As God has called His people to be more concerned with
creation care than anyone else on the planet, this building
is being built to a Passive House design where we are told
the average apartment will only need to spend between $28
and $32 annually on heat. It will be one of the most environmentally
friendly buildings of its kind built in North
America when it is finished. That impact will be both experienced
by the environment with less toxins being emitted,
as well as the residents, who will experience a warm place
to live at a fraction of what they’ve paid previously.
In 2020, over 320 people gather to worship with us on a
weekly basis as we minister to 400 individuals and families
a week through ministries and programs where they hear
the Gospel. We are praying God will use this facility as a
place where He will be worshipped, where believers will
grow, where unbelievers will hear the Gospel and be saved
and where some of the city’s poor can be housed in Jesus’
name.
—Dwayne Cline is Lead Pastor at Hughson Street Baptist
Church in Hamilton, ON.

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thrive / 19
PAINTING FOR
A PURPOSE
At the Fellowship National Conference
in 2016 I heard about FAIR’s Rebuilding
Innocence project and my heart was deeply
troubled. Back in my hotel room, taking
in the amazing view of Niagara Falls, I
began to dream. I had attended a few social painting events in
Sudbury and thought it would be fun to teach a class myself.
Would people really pay to spend an evening painting with
me? Could I help alleviate some of the pain and suffering of
these children? With the full support of my husband and the
encouragement of my adventurous sister and enthusiastic
friends, the Paint FAIR Project was born.
I hosted painting parties in my home every Monday evening
in February, “the month of love,” to introduce people to the
concept of step-by-step painting instruction in a social setting.
Participants paid $30 to attend: $5 covered the cost of supplies
and $25 was given as a charitable donation to FAIR.
To date I have hosted around fifty parties, ranging in size from
two to 30 participants, including children all the way up to
seniors. Together we have raised $10,000 for various FAIR appeals
and a few community needs. In addition to raising funds,
we have also spread awareness about FAIR and the plight of the
people it supports, enjoyed fellowship, and created beautiful art
together.
FAIR is on the front lines, bringing the Gospel and hope to some
of the world’s most disadvantaged and oppressed people. Please
consider the resources God has placed at your disposal: talent
and time, people and passion.
What will your project be?
—Averil Smith is a member of Lansing Avenue Baptist
Chapel, Sudbury, ON , and wife to Pastor Mark Smith. For
more information about Averil’s ministry, visit facebook.com/
paintFAIRproject.

20 / thrive Spring Summer 2020
ACTS OF
COMPASSION
Below are three stories of Fellowship churches who have taken steps to alleviate suffering and
hardship for others through compassion ministries — some birthed within the church and some
through partnerships with outside organizations. Our hope is that you will be encouraged by
what these churches are doing to show compassion to those who are in need.
UP TO SPEED: REGIONAL UPDATES
VILLAGE CHURCH, SURREY, BC
In 2015, Village Church in Surrey, BC hosted the first Village Church Golf Tournament with the hope of using the
funds raised to help those who are the most desperate and marginalized across the globe. The idea for the event
came about when those within the church asked the question: “Is there a way to help kids globally, with our
church coming together to make this happen in just one day?”
Since then, Village has hosted the tournament three more times — in 2016, 2017, and most recently in 2019. Each
year, they team up with a carefully chosen partner organization. Some past partnerships include International
Justice Mission, Love Does, and Kuwasha, all of which have helped to provide care, shelter, freedom, and rehabilitation
to those who are oppressed and in need through this one-day fundraising tournament.
Last year’s event raised $1,225,000, surpassing their initial goal of $1,000,000. The funding was used by their partner
organization, Kuwasha, to build a much-needed hospital in rural Uganda. The facility serves the students currently
in Kuwasha’s care, their families, and those in the surrounding community. With so much widespread devastation
as a result of war and HIV, the people in this area face great difficulties. Through the funds raised by the Village
Church Golf Tournament, health care is available to them, as Kuwasha’s facilities are the only ones in the region.
Through the Village Church Golf Tournament, Village Church has been able to bless countless individuals and
communities across our world, demonstrating the love and compassion that flows from hearts focused on our loving
Heavenly Father.

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thrive / 21
SAANICH BAPTIST CHURCH,
VICTORIA, BC
Our journey began in 2004 when a small group from Saanich
Baptist Church in Victoria, BC joined another church to build a
house for an impoverished family in Vicente Guerrero, Mexico.
Vicente Guerrero is a small town in the San Quintin Valley on
the Baja of Mexico (approximately four hours south of Tijuana).
This area of Mexico faces significant issues related to poverty,
crime, sexual abuse, and drug use. Many families live in oneroom
shelters comprised of cardboard and plastic. Children
often drop out of school. Young women face an extremely high
rate of sexual abuse and gangs are an ever-present problem. The
more we got involved and saw the issues facing this area, the
more we felt God calling us to get involved.
After sending our first team, we continued to send teams to
Vicente which eventually led Tom and Sue Card, a couple from
our church, to move there. Under the Cards’ leadership we
created a new ministry, Mission San Quintin Dream Centre
(MSQDC), and expanded our ministry beyond house builds to
include breakfast clubs; partnerships with local churches, the
government, and other ministries in the area; as well as ministering
at temporary migrant shelters.
Today, in addition to the above, MSQDC has a partnership
agreement with the government to build much-needed schools.
We build schools at locations determined by the government
and then they provide teachers.
We also run sports camps and leagues for at-risk children and
youth. Recently we started both a school and church for gang
members to attend. Since we started working in one high-risk
area, police calls have gone from twenty calls per day to one.
We are humbled and amazed at how God has worked through
Saanich Baptist Church and our other partners.
Why not join us and send a team to stay at our
base and build a house or school, or host a sports
camp? For more information, please contact us at
msq@saanichbaptist.org.
—Steve Sundby is Lead Pastor at Saanich
Baptist Church in Victoria, BC.
FORWARD CHURCH,
CAMBRIDGE, ON
Forward Church has partnered with a local organization, the
Cambridge Neighbourhood Table, to provide a community
meal hosted in their church building. The motivation behind
the neighbourhood table is not just to provide a meal
for those in our communities who are isolated and disadvantaged,
but also to welcome them to a loving atmosphere where
they can find support for other issues they may be facing.
Building relationships; fighting stigma, isolation, and loneliness;
and providing opportunities for connections to support
services — these are all encompassed within the Cambridge
Neighbourhood Table’s mandate.
As part of a rotating schedule of host sites, Forward and its
congregation will provide a welcoming location to host the
meal, as well as volunteers to serve and cook. Specially trained
church volunteers will also be available to connect with
guests, focussing on building relationships and helping people
to feel valued and heard. Attendees may include residents from
the surrounding area, the working poor, seniors-in-need, new
immigrant families and individuals, and those struggling with
homelessness.
Through their partnership with the Cambridge
Neighbourhood Table, Forward Church isn’t just providing
food to those who are hungry, they are helping to reach the
most marginalized in their community with resources, compassion,
and hope.
For more information about the Cambridge Neighbourhood
Table, visit their website at cambridgetable.org.

Spring Summer 2020
ASSAULT
ON THEBATTERY
by Lynda Schultz
“General Fund” can be compared to a watch battery.
We rely on the hands of our watches, or their
A
digital indicators, to work. No one bothers about the
battery until those hands, more visible and seemingly
more important, stop moving, or those digits disappear.
The battery is a critical part of a watch’s movement.
And so it is with FAIR’s General Fund. It’s the battery
that helps keep FAIR’s movement, well… keep moving.
The term “General Fund” doesn’t sound particularly appealing,
I know. Perhaps it needs a more emotive name
that will tug at the heart strings a little more insistently.
I also like specifics, especially when it comes to money.
An inquiring mind needs to know exactly where money
is going when it is going out of my pocket. “General”
doesn’t scratch that itch. Does this resonate?
I love that the hands of my watch keep moving. But I also
appreciate that the unassuming and invisible battery has
a whole lot to do with whether or not that happens.
Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I suggested that this article
be titled “Assault on the Battery” just because FAIR’s
General Fund needs some helping hands to recognize
the threat to it and come to its rescue. It is a vital part of
the movement that helps all the people, programs, and
projects that are associated with FAIR keep going.
Would you consider supporting FAIR’s General Fund on
a monthly or yearly basis? Church as well as individual
support would be greatly appreciated by the “little battery
that could, and is.”
—Lynda Schultz is a former
Fellowship International missionary,
former Thrive magazine
editor, Bible teacher,
author, blogger, and currently
Fellowship Archives
Coordinator.
THE LAST WORD
FAIR’S GENERAL FUND NEEDS SOME HELPING HANDS TO RECOGNIZE
THE THREAT TO IT AND COME TO ITS RESCUE. IT IS A VITAL PART
OF THE MOVEMENT THAT HELPS ALL THE PEOPLE, PROGRAMS, AND
PROJECTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FAIR KEEP GOING.

DON'T IGNORE
THESE WARNINGS
Spring Summer 2020
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