Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec

Book Drive for First Nations’ Communities

cboq — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:08:04 +0000

In First Nations’ communities across Ontario and Quebec, libraries are scarce and the ability to access theological books even more remote. Yet as more people come to faith in the North, they greatly desire to read books that spur on their life in Christ. First Nations’ pastors are also hungry for resources that will deepen their understanding of Scripture and sharpen their ability to communicate the gospel.

You can help!

Your contribution of good used Christian books will provide valuable resources to:

build the library of the North American Aboriginal Bible College
expand the libraries of Aboriginal pastors, student pastors and lay leaders
strengthen the lending libraries in local Aboriginal communities

What sort of Christian books would be useful?

Commentaries, Bibles, teaching and theological books, devotional resources – any book you’ve found helpful on your journey that can be put to work for a second or even a third time around.

Bring Your Books to Assembly 2013

Save shipping! Hold a book drive at your church, box them up, and bring them to Assembly 2013, June 13-15. We’ll be gathering books during Assembly and will facilitate book distribution to First Nations communities thereafter.

Donate Books at Another Time

If you’d like to send books to CBOQ at another time, or if you have any questions, feel free to contact Walter McIntyre at ac.tsitpabnull@erytnicmw or 416-550-3386

Building Up Elliot Lake

cboq — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:19:11 +0000

In 2010, First Baptist Church, Elliot Lake dreamed of a major renovation to their existing church structure to add office space, meeting rooms, a library and a new foyer. The cost was prohibitive, but the church refused to abandon the possibility. After weighing their options, Elliot Lake decided to self-build, without the help of an outside contractor. It became a massive undertaking for the members of their church, but one that bonded them closer together and connected them to neighbours in new ways.

As John Rowe, Chair of the Deacons’ Board relates:

“First, we secured the services of an architect and local engineer at a reasonable rate. Then, countless volunteer hours were spent by church members and adherents on the project. Our architect estimated that $150,000 was saved by the volunteer labour. This labour was almost totally accomplished by those 65 years and older. One of the roofers was over 80. Five men over 70, using wheelbarrows, wheeled 3.5 truckloads of cement for the floor in four hours. They slept well that night.

After the building was closed in, the cement work, electrical, plumbing and dry walling were contracted out. The contractors appreciated working on the job because they were included in a morning coffee break, a hot meal at noon and an afternoon coffee break with the rest of the volunteers. These breaks and meals were provided five days a week by various women of the church for nearly 10 months during the building project.”

Last month, alongside local community officials and representatives from seven other congregations, CBOQ’s Tim McCoy dedicated the new addition, and indeed the whole church and congregation to the service of God. He blessed them, saying, “May Elliot Lake First Baptist Church be a witness and testimony of Christ’s love and salvation in the community.” Congratulations to FBC Elliot Lake for their creativity, dedication and resourcefulness in seeing this project through to completion.

Looking back on this project, John Rowe avers: “Don’t let a lack of finances inhibit your dreams as a church. If you follow God’s lead, he will provide what you need to accomplish his work.”

Trends in CBOQ Ministry

cboq — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:47:17 +0000

Over the last three years many of our CBOQ ministry leaders have faithfully participated in filling out an annual survey. The purpose of this survey is to give you the opportunity to offer feedback that might inform our decisions on ministry initiatives and focus as we seek to support and enable our churches and their leaders. The results have been useful in helping us better understand ministry situations across CBOQ and to form a strategic plan around areas of strength and growth. Below are some highlights of the most recent survey results:

A primary area of focus in the survey is work / life balance. It is encouraging to note that consistently over the last three years, about 80% of survey respondents report having adequate or lots of time for family.
When asked if finances are a source of stress, about 50% report “no” or “not really”, with about 17% indicating “yes” or “very much”.
Another area of focus in the survey is personal / professional development and spiritual renewal. Here we have a somewhat concerning result that around 20% of our ministry leaders indicate $0 for personal development / continuing education. We are glad to see this number declining and are hoping to see this trend continue. CBOQ recommends that at least $500 per year be set aside as a personal development / continuing education allowance.
Similarly, about 30% of respondents indicated they did not have the opportunity to take study leave. We would encourage churches to make time for their ministry leaders to pursue study.
With regard to CBOQ resources, it is exciting to note that about 60% of respondents attended Assembly and about 20% of respondents attended ReIgnite. It is our hope to see these numbers increase.

In the coming weeks, many of you will be receiving an email with a link to this year’s survey. It may seem repetitive, but we purposefully ask the same questions, allowing us, over time, to recognize trends that will help us in our development of programs and initiatives. Thank you in advance for taking the time to once again complete the survey.

Tim McCoy, Executive Minister

Responding to Tragedy with Grace

cboq — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 03:19:42 +0000

We invite you to pray for Grace Baptist Church in Windsor after a fire broke out in their building this past Tuesday, April 2, 2013.

As Pastor Stan Mantle reports:

“The fire began in the crawl space underneath the sanctuary. We don’t know how it started; the investigation is continuing.

The area underneath the platform is badly burnt, likely necessitating building a new platform area. The adjacent room and the baptism change room above are also damaged, in addition to water damage in the basement from the water the fire department used in fighting the fire. At one point the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke, and not for any good Biblical reason.

Thankfully six of us had just finished a deacons’ meeting in the other end of the church and were setting up tables in the multi-purpose room for an upcoming event when the fire alarm went off. When we began to search for the cause we soon found the fire, well in progress. We were able to put two fire extinguishers on it before the firefighters arrived.

A few more minutes and we might have lost that whole end of the building if not more. We thank the Lord no one was hurt.

How blessed we are to have fire professionals who respond quickly in such a time. In ten minutes three or four fire trucks and numerous firefighters were on the scene. How different this is from similar situations in other parts of the world. We had just spoken in our meeting about a recent fire in one of the refugee camps on the border of Thailand where 40 people, mostly women and children, were killed and over 200 injured. There were no fire trucks to the rescue there.”

We’re amazed by the way church members put themselves in harm’s way to fight the blaze. And we deeply admire the way the community responded by counting their blessings and retaining awareness of even more acute needs on the other side of our world.

Please pray for Grace Baptist Church during this time of adjustment. They will be meeting for worship in their gymnasium for several weeks before returning to their sanctuary later this spring. (As insurance will be covering the damages, no additional donations for the rebuild are required at this time.)

Assembly 2013 Video

cboq — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:52:54 +0000

The stability of a mountain comes from bedrock far below the stones on the surface. The power of a tall tree comes from its extensive root system. And the strength we need for life comes from a soul drawing deeply from its relationship with God. Join us at Assembly 2013 as Ruth Haley Barton walks with us toward developing SoulStrength. Learn more at assembly2013.ca

Video by David Ross of Eucharist Church, a CBOQ-supported church plant in Hamilton.

March Break Ministry

cboq — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:32:12 +0000

March Break was held across Ontario and Quebec earlier this month, and while many of us headed for the sunshine, several CBOQ churches seized this unique opportunity for ministry to students.

A group of high school students, led by Carl Walters of First Baptist Church, Tillsonburg, visited Parkdale Neighbourhood Church (PNC) over March Break to experience life in this welcoming community for those living on the margins in Toronto.

During their visit, the students participated in a weekly drop-in at PNC which included a “family style” lunch, prepared by the community members themselves. As PNC Managing Director Erinn Oxford relates:

“Entering a room with 140 people you don’t know, most of whom are quite vulnerable can understandably be a daunting task. For many of us the issues of being under-housed or addicted to a substance or dealing with a significant mental health issue feel foreign. But when you sit down to share a meal with someone struggling with those exact things that you realize how little difference there is between you and them. That someone is a person, with a significant story to tell. And while the details of your stories may differ, the common thread is that you are both made in God’s image, broken and in need of grace. By the end of their visit, one student affirmed, ‘I heard PNC being described as a family, but didn’t believe it until I experienced it. There is a real, unique sense of connection here.’”

To learn more or visit Parkdale Neighbourhood Church, contact Erinn Oxford at ac.otnorotcnpnull@nnire or (647) 926-6352.

In another corner of Ontario, Ambassador Baptist Church offered a March Break Day Camp for 39 elementary-age children in west Windsor, 80% of whom have no church background. Pastor Scott Dakin reports:

“At our opening sing session, three boys pulled me aside and said, ‘We misunderstood the flyer that was sent out. You see we’re atheists and the flyer said it was going to be fun and games.’ I smiled and responded, ‘Hey guys, it is going to be fun. After the singing, we’re doing crafts and games then having a great hot dog lunch. And today we are telling the Creation story as we believe it from the Bible, but it’s up to you if you want to believe it or not. No pressure. Hang in and I think you’ll have a great time.’ By the end of the day these kids were quite engaged and listening to what we were saying, and having fun. We never know what is fully going on through these events – how God’s Spirit might work in young hearts.”

Canadian Baptists Welcome the Election of Pope Francis

cboq — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:30:46 +0000

Canadian Baptists share the enthusiasm that our Catholic sisters and brothers have over the election of Pope Francis, and extend our prayers to Jorge Mario Bergoglio as he begins this new role. We are well aware of the challenges of Christian leadership and pray for God’s peace and leading as Pope Francis begins to chart a new course.

We are especially encouraged by the humility and simplicity that Bergoglio has exemplified throughout his life. We see in this a poignant reminder not to lord our ministry position over others but to remain in solidarity with those who live on the margins. It is also significant that Pope Francis is the first Latin American and first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church. This illuminates both the worldwide presence of Jesus’ disciples and Catholicism’s particular strength in the Global South.

The Roman Catholic Church has great opportunity and challenge in front of it, and we pray that Pope Francis will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will continue to exemplify the teachings and presence of Jesus. We look forward to working together on issues of common concern, as we seek to share God’s love and invite people into God’s Kingdom.
Pope Francis, may God be with you.

Rev. Sam Chaise
General Secretary, Canadian Baptist Ministries

Dr. Peter Reid
Executive Minister, Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches

Rev. David Rowley
Secrétaire Général, Union d’Églises baptistes francophones du Canada

Rev. Tim McCoy
Executive Minister, Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec

Rev. Jeremy Bell
Executive Minister, Canadian Baptists of Western Canada

Opportunities to Serve with CCC

cboq — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:03:56 +0000

The Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) is the largest ecumenical body in Canada. As a member of CCC, CBOQ can appoint representatives to the commissions and committees that carry out the work of the CCC. Currently, there are openings for CBOQ representation in two areas.

The Commission on Faith and Witness engages churches in theological study in order to increase an understanding of the faith we hold in common and to provide an ecumenical witness to Christ’s mission in the world. The purpose of the Commission is to provide a meeting place, a lively and fertile ground for reflection and work, among Christians of different families. Together they work to reflect theologically on matters of concern in our own day, and on questions of historical interest to the churches. As a member of CCC, CBOQ can appoint two members to the Commission on Faith and Witness.

Another place to serve is on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Writing Committee. The roots of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity go back to the 1800s; it is one of the oldest, most widely observed ecumenical events in the world. CBOQ can appoint one member to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Writing Committee.

If you are interested in exploring the possibility of serving in either of these two areas, please contact Melody Currier at ac.tsitpabnull@reirrucm or 416-620-2959 for further information.

Chatham’s New Hub

cboq — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:30:12 +0000

Pines Chapel in Chatham, Ontario, is an architectural marvel. Designed in 1961 by Joseph Storey for the Ursuline Sisters, this modernist chapel features a crown-like appearance and a stunning circular interior. After the Ursuline sisters gave up the building, it lay in disrepair for years until being acquired for $1 by Joshua Ministries, a church planting initiative led by CBOQ pastor Larry Forsyth and his wife Lorraine.

Last year, the Forsyths and a group of dedicated volunteers restored the rotunda-style sanctuary, garnering the Mayor’s Heritage Preservation Award for their work.

This past week, they opened a coffee shop called the Hub Café in the basement. Situated in a high foot-traffic location, the Hub is poised to be a natural meeting space for the immediate community. In addition to daily visitors, the Hub Café creates many opportunities to connect with neighbours such as local musicians who have volunteered to perform at the Café, Ursuline College students who can fulfill co-op placements as Café staff, and seniors from the adjacent Caleb Village Retirement Residence.

In time, the Forsyths hope to form a church community at Pines Chapel, in response to the gathering work of the Holy Spirit, who longs to fill the hopes and needs of those already coming through the doors.