News and Update on Missional Church Network October 2024
Hello Everyone,
Here some updates on events, plans, and missional resources.
Next Zoom meeting: Monday, October 28, 7pm. Details with Zoom link to follow.
Meeting will consider Chapter 1 of Let’s Take Our Job Back, by Kelly Stickel. Upload here.
Kelly Stickel is a pastor in Lethbridge who is giving leadership to a MyCityCare movement, with reports of much success in poverty ministry.
People in Regina are purchasing his book, just recently released. Amazon source for printed book ($20) and Kindle version ($5).
A Gentle Road Church street ministry report: Circulated recently by Kevin Vance.
Missional Moments — Reflections on Street Ministry (Gentle Road, 2024 09 19)
TV Thomas in Korea for Lausanne Congress 4.
We await TVs return to share with us something of this massive Evangelical event. Last time, I referenced our webpage which detailed some of the history of the Lausanne Movement. It has influenced many of us to understand Missional Christianity more deeply and promote a more holistic vision of Evangelicalism. More has been added, including a piece by the editor of Sojourners, as follows:
Lausanne 4 — Seoul, S Korea (2024)
Article Evangelism Without Justice Ignores the Words of Jesus Adam Russell Taylor SojoNet 2024 10 03
The Lausanne Commitment to Christian Social Responsibility
Another Missional Moment.
I’d like to commend TV for stopping in Bangkok to meet a refugee family that Sharon Hamilton and I (and five others) are sponsoring for settlement here to Regina. Refugee Help – RRVista…
Break-Free outreach ministry.
As I write this, Break-Free is having a fundraiser event. It is just one of a number of inner-city ministries that seek to inspire an up-lift in the North Central Community. If you were part of the event, we’d love to get your impressions. Meanwhile, here is a link to their latest newsletter.
Faithful Presence – What qualifies?
We recognize that many are actively involved in ministry out in the community. We’d love to share some reports of creative ways of sharing with others in the larger community.
From David and Debbie Mamani, Debbie lists some of her personal ministry involvements. The following are over and above her direct local church involvements:
- translation for Open Door and Roots Connections
- playing pick up basketball at Pepsi Park, backing up the initiative of the Warming Centre and Fun in the Sun in the Heritage neighborhood
- backing up the Downtown Community Association
- Treaty Four Days at FortQu’Applle on Saturday including a parade and a KAIROS activity about the water ways
RCAAN Activism.
Many local Christians have chosen to become more politically active, especially in preparation for current civic elections. RCAAN has a newly developed website and is currently circulating a list of suggested candidates for public office. If you have been involved with this group, we might be interested in your thoughts on how Christians might be viewing their involvement here. See: RCAAN | Regina Civic Action Awareness Network | Informed Voting Information
Homeless Shelter Developments.
With failure to approve an earlier initiative to acquire a site just north of MacDonald’s on Albert St, City Council is now acquiring the Eagles Club location just east of Broad St and north of Sask Drive. Many of our group have been advocating for a more permanent location to house those currently homeless. This is just one of a number of topics relating to poverty and related social issues that we want to explore more deeply and seek solutions. See: Regina city council approves purchase of emergency shelter in Heritage | Regina Leader Post
MyCityCare
Of special interest at the moment is the work of Kelly Stickel, whose ministry in the Lethridge AB area we want to explore in some detail. Some of us attended a meeting just recently at Regina Apostolic where he described in some detail the MyCityCare Movement.
It’s my understanding that we will be hearing more of a local initiative in coming weeks. Please stay tuned. Meanwhile, at our next meeting, as noted above, we want to start exploring the book just recently released (and currently only available by Kindle with Amazon).
A Special Call for families attempting to give support to Social Services recipients
If you know of individuals who struggle with procedural issues with Social Services, various community groups and agencies do attempt to give some assistance. What have been some problems encountered? Personally, I found it necessary to write to the Minister of Social Services to get some matters resolved. Many individuals have got assistance from the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry. With increasing reliance on technology, I sense that many individuals are overwhelmed by technical challenges and can easily become seriously depressed in the process.
What experiences do our readers have with this situation? Please call me (Ron, 306.591.3936) if this is part of your personal experience, or you know of families that are having such difficulties.
Recent meeting with Mayor Sandra Masters
I live in First Baptist Place, 2100 block Smith Street. We found it relatively easy to have her join our residents for a meeting on civic matters just a few weeks back. I found her discussion on matters of housing, addictions, and related poverty matters to be very informative. When I spoke to her of possibilities of some friends having an interest in learning more of the social needs and engagement in planning initiatives, she seemed delighted.
As our plans gather momentum, I see possibilities of more meetings of this type with civic officials as well as insights by other leadership of various social and community services. We got a start on that, already, with Maj Karen Hoeft back in our March meeting.
There are needs out there to which we can become attached, either personally or by involvements of our church groups. What can we do to help prepare and promote?
Some insight into the life of Carla Beck.
Our group intends not to be partisan, but we can certainly highlight developments of interest. Whether Carla Beck finds her future role in the government, or with the opposition, we can appreciate some of her reasons to be involved in the political process. We found this news item of particular interest: From social worker to party leader, Beck traces her path to politics | Regina Leader Post
Strategy for Missional Church Network development here in Regina.
Our intentions are both imaginative and modest, as expressed in our Purpose Statement and our slowly developing website.
While we recognize the longing of many evangelicals to have a positive impact on society, we look to the methods of Christ, as the Suffering Servant, for insight and methods. Recently, we have been inspired by the history of service provided by the Salvation Army, by the idea of Missional Christianity, and more recently by the concept of Faithful Presence.
We fail to see biblical justification for the populist idea of Christian Nationalism. And while we recognize the value of Christians involved in the political process, we sense that polarized political approaches fail to convey the love and care that ought to be central to our identity as Christians and Evangelicals.
And, yet, we mean to promote a sense of Christian unity and call out the forces that would tend to polarize and divide us.
Our evangelical legacy needs to be appreciated and its past accomplishments positively recognized. Michael Tymchak has attempted to promote this through the republishing of the classic work, England: Before and After Wesley (by J Wesley Bready).
We have many local Christians who faithfully serve God and Others, often quietly with great personal effect. Existing within the diversity of our evangelical traditions, we want to promote a sense of unity with all who are called to serve.
Join us
If these ideas and opportunities resonate with your own sense of service to God, please do plan to join with us.
Watch for information within the next week for our next anticipated Zoom meeting, September 28.
Ron Richmond,
Acting Coordinator, Missional Church Network
with Kevin Vance (kvancester@gmail.com),
Sam Berg (sberg@briercrest.ca),
and others.