VMC LATEST NEWS

about “leading as an introvert”

Gord Martin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:03:44 +0000

Not that any of us at Vision Ministries really know – by experience!
But just this week Bruce Fournier gave me a series of articles from Christianity Today on “Leading as an Introvert”. They were very good, especially those by Scott McHugh who has written a book called Introverts in the Church: Finding our Place. Its a very thoughtful and challenging book, good for introverts because McHugh helps them think through their own mine fields. And good for extroverts because it helps us understand our more introverted colleagues. My friend Gary Alexander, walked in just now said, “Introverted leader? That’s an oxymoron!” Then he claimed he was “just kidding”. But kidding aside, both introverts and extroverts often fail to understand each other. Here’s a book that will definitely help. Have a look at http://www.introvertedchurch.com/

on the unity of the “whole church”

Gord Martin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:43:32 +0000

I recently read a book by John H Armstrong called “your church is too small”.

I found it to be a pretty fair and objective treatment of a difficult and frequently avoided subject. Its easy to see the influence of Webber, Packer and Colson (authors i am more familiar with) in his thinkng.

Its of interest to me because it addresses ideas raised by an Ipsos Reid poll done here in Canada in 2003. They suveyed Canadians to identify those with evangelical beliefs, values and practices. Of those who were identified by the survey (pretty good questions!) as holding evangelical beliefs, values and practices; 7% were in Evangelical Churches. 5% were in mainline Protestant Churches and another 7% were in Roman Catholic Churches.

I have had lots of contact with evangelicals of all stripes since 1990 and am impressed by the work EFC has done to bring them together. But i have had much more limited exposure to evangelicals in the Roman Catholic and Mainline Protestant Churches. Nevertheless i have met some.

Armstrong’s book raises very good questions….and some answers as to how to think about all this. I am not sure where to go with this since i am not meeting or interacting with leaders from the Roman Catholic or Mainline Protestant Churches. Should i take more initiative to do so? I can tell myself i am too busy. So i am “passively open” to doing this…which may not be very helpful. So, that’s where i am at the moment.

Conferences, seminars, books, podcasts…

Jeremy Horne — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:01:48 +0000

Mike Frost, our keynote speaker, challenged all to live as if this gospel really mattered: Live mission! Live out the incarnational reality. Live in ever more courageous and daring ways. Be the church beyond the walls, he urged. He gave us bountiful examples of the men and women, compelled by a deep inner drive being and creating God’s missional community to the world; people loving people, really loving people!

At this moment I am in my office with walls lined with books. In fact they spill out into the hall beyond. So what? God is a God on a mission. Each of us has been invited to play a role in this mission. This involves living and loving in a world hungry for life. We have just installed the podcasts of Mike’s talks. I encourage you to listen to them, they are good, but be forewarned. Like my books, these podcasts might be little more than more information, a deceptive way for us to think that we are accomplishing something. Rather I, and many others leaving the conference, feel that it might be high time: to challenge the status quo, to love others even when it hurts, to be courageous, and to be the church beyond the walls. All of that takes thoughtful and loving action, and no shortage of sacrifice, two commodities that I sadly admit are often very lacking in my life.

We had a good conference; some in fact say a very good conference. So what? My assessment of the time will be made in a few months time when I would hope to see the ‘missional way’ in ever increasing ways becoming a lifestyle.

Four hi-lights from Thinking Shrewdly IV

Gord Martin — Mon, 24 May 2010 03:34:25 +0000

1. Michael Frost. It was clear that he was the right person for this event. Everyone I met throughout the event spoke in most positive terms about his presentations. Its not that he just “made us feel good”. The sessions were deeply convicting as you will see when they appear on our web site. After the Thursday night opening session I felt like clapping but…it was such a sobering challenge that neither I nor anyone else applauded – at all.
2. Largest of our events so far. We were most encouraged to have 230 registrants plus 20 or 25 VMC staff and volunteers for the conference! Its not easy to bring people together from coast to coast of this great land. It seemed strange to be with so many people that we meet only occasionally and not be able to stop and talk with everyone each time we saw each other in the corridors.
3. Networking. But we did connect! There were opportunities to get caught up with each other, to meet people we had never met before and to stimulate each other to love and good works.
4. God at work. We heard stories about what God is doing among His people. On Friday night we took up an offering for the new church plant Quincy Bergman is involved with in Toronto and for the ministry of VMC. The offering totalled $10,000 which will enabled us to complete our first year financial commitment to Quincy’s ministry.

what if…street musicians were singing…..

Gord Martin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:31:35 +0000

What if street musicians in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Kitchener, Toronto and Halifax were singing songs about the wonderful deliverances of God! Not because they were trying to be evangelize, but just because they were overflowing with joy! And what if the listeners were nodding and responding with quiet or loud yeses? That’s the picture Deborah describes in her song in Judges 5:11
That is our mission, to know God and act out his will so that deliverance comes – and people sing!
I recently read the song of Deborah in Judges 5. She said in vs. 11 “Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the LORD and the victories of his villagers in Israel.”

stimulating weekend!

Gord Martin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:10:45 +0000

On Friday we heard from each of the three leaders of our 12:12 projects. First it was all about MoveIn, then it was about Quincy Bergman and the new Toronto church plant he is developing, then it was all about Persians and the activities related to Spirit of Truth. Sunday was a day to connect with Shawn Cuthill and gang and then time to preach at the Persian Church. I still love the fact that this group of former Muslims are meeting in a facility that belongs to a Messianic Jewish congregation. Of course there were meetings after the meetings but all in all, a very stimulating few days. I neglected to mention that Heather hosted the leaders of the Lincoln/Creekside Celebrate Recovery at our house on Saturday. That is one pumped group of people! Recently i heard that “the harvest is plentiful but the harvest is broken”. That certainly is seen in Celebrate Recovery. God is at work!

A Robust Faith for Dangerous Times

Jeremy Horne — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:17:34 +0000

Anticipation is growing! “A Robust Faith for Dangerous Times” is fast approaching.
This communiqué is to remind all that Monday, March 15th marks the end of the ‘early bird’ registration. We encourage you to register at your earliest convenience. We at Vision Ministries Canada see this conference as the key event on our schedule. There are many signs of God’s handiwork across our network and this conference permits all of us to come together to review progress and to help chart a course forward. The presence of Michael Frost will assist us in focusing on our mission and is sure to provoke us in many practical areas.

Billeting is still available.

If there is anything we can do to assist you please do not hesitate to call 1-877-509-5060.

NOTE: We have established a discounted group price for 10 or more registering from the same context. Register your group no later than March 29.
To register and pay online for the conference visit the VMC website: http://www.vision-ministries.org or, call our office.

Just got back from Quebec trip

Gord Martin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:49:36 +0000

I just returned from a packed four day trip to Quebec.

The Le Reseau-related French congregations there are in the process of launching their 7th of a projected 10 new ministry people who will be serving specific congregations for the purpose of seeing them renewed and more missionally effective. Their plan is to mobilize 10 new workers in five years. They are doing very well! I spoke to, and with, their leaders via translation for about 5 hours on Saturday in Quebec City.

On Sunday I spoke twice in Shawinigan and spent a couple of hours with the leaders from the Cap de la Madelaine group in Trois Rivieres. Great time with them!!
Monday and Tuesday i connected with leaders from English churches in Montreal; Westview, Bethel, Rosemount, Faith and Huntingville. Also got to spend some time with Glen Smith and Les Muirhead. In every case we were talking about how we can help each other be as effective as we can be under God’s sovereignty.
My voice which had almost disappeared last week regained sufficient strength to make it all the way through. Praise God!!

Our life is a Mission

Jeremy Horne — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:36:46 +0000

I purchased sandals the other day. The howling wind blew the snow in many directions and the temperatures were truly frigid. It all seemed a little incongruent. The sales woman proved unable to contain her curiosity.
“Off to build a school for a forgotten group in northern Ecuador,” was my nonchalant reply. (After all I was late for another appointment).
I had piqued her interest, so for the next 15 minutes, only interrupted because of customers, we talked about her desire to do something valuable and to get involved in a ‘cause’ that truly improved the life of another. Occasions such as this remind me that each of us is made for mission. Today’s follower of Jesus seeks a ‘real, hands -on, make a difference, get involved with people experience.’ In my role as team leader for ELI, (Emerging Leader Initiative), I get to witness first hand the incredible creativity, compassion and courage of so many. We can be encouraged, the world certainly needs changing, but in our midst there are a lot of people with world changing dreams!

All Kinds of Possibilities

Jay Gurnett — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:35:09 +0000

I was in the last meeting of a trip to Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver from January 30-February 3, 2010. It had been a good time – kicked off with a Phil Keaggy/Randy Stonehill concert in Edmonton (that Phil still one astonishing guitarist, and Randy about the same as when I presented him in Grande Prairie AB 25 years ago) – then 29 meetings in four days – but I was still feeling good. 12 hours later, after the red-eye flight from Vancouver to London, I wasn’t quite so positive.

But at that supper on the 3rd with Mike Sherbino of The Way Community Church in Richmond, I was still pretty energized, so when he asked me what I’d been doing, I tried to summarize. Pretty soon I was counting on my fingers – not the number of meetings or all the elements of the huge breakfast Geoff Chapman of U-Chapel Vancouver had treated me to that morning. I got listing all the possible new things, churches and incarnational communities and such, that I had met about in the previous few days. I had to use some toes as well, because I’d had a dozen of those conversations.
There are all kinds of interesting possibilities in just those three cities. I didn’t meet with everyone who has things in mind – and I’m not counting the usual goading I do to some of my friends about the next thing their fellowship might do (Ted McKellar and Capilano Christian Assembly guys in Edmonton heard some of that from me on the Monday of my trip).
Of course nothing much may come from some of those 12 conversations. But some interesting, Spirit-led new things will be born and grow, and become bright little kingdom beacons in this world.
What a fun job I have.