The Season of Seeding
I reside in Winnipeg, Manitoba, having grown up in southern Manitoba. Around here, May is the month when plenty of farmers get busy seeding their fields, and when many folks work on putting in their gardens.
Now, I’m not a farmer, but I often like to talk about the work of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) when I meet farmers. One of the reasons I do so is because the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada have been a part of a partnership of 15 church and church-based agencies working together to end global hunger through CFGB. We’ve been doing this since 1983, and Arnold Epp, long-time member of Argyle Road Baptist Church in Regina, was part of the initial organizing team.
In 2014, I had the privilege of going to Africa, arranged by the CFGB and with a team comprised of 10 people from across Canada who were interested in the international work of CFGB. I was a Doctor of Ministry student at Carey Theological College at the time, and I was able to incorporate this trip into a guided study course, under the supervision of Dr. Gordon King. We went to two countries in Africa to visit villages that had benefited from an ongoing relationship with CFGB. We first visited some sites in Sierra Leone, considered at the time to be the second poorest country on the planet. Next, we headed to Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in western Africa which also struggles with food insecurity. We arrived in Burkina Faso not long after an intense struggle against drought. The sites we visited, however, were examples of how significant support from CFGB can be. The photo below illustrates some of the hard work by people living in Watinonma, who banded together to dig wells for consistent irrigation, establish composting techniques, and then plant a significant amount of vegetables.
Happily, there are examples of churches supporting CFGB across our association of churches, with Moosomin Baptist Church and Brownfield Baptist Church committed to doing good work in this way. There are various ways to support the work of the CFGB, as a church or individually, and you can even donate via Canadian Baptist Ministries here: https://foodgrainsbank.ca/cbm/. In my personal experience, I am glad to know that I, as an urban dweller, can support the CFGB via a local Grow Hope project, a project located near the town where I went to high school. The money donated goes to cover the cost of inputs for an acre, and I will be receiving updates on the field throughout the growing season. Once harvested, the Canadian government matches the profits 4:1. Indeed, when you support the CFGB, a little goes a long way.
On a smaller scale, my wife Mary and I are also interested in growing some food for ourselves. This spring we’re doing a lot of yard work, and this has included the replacement of our old garden boxes with new ones, and as I write they are nearly complete (see photo below). I already anticipate toasted tomato sandwiches with fresh tomatoes from our garden. But having a garden is more than that. It helps us remember, using Wendell Berry language, that beautiful cycle that revolves from soil to seed to flower to fruit to food to offal and decay, and around again. It helps us remember, using Biblical language, that we are creatures, and God our creator cares for us in such a way that He has spoken creation into functional order, both for our sustenance and stewardship.
Since this is the season where all sorts of seeding has begun on various scales for all sorts of folks, I thought I would draw your attention to the great work of CFGB and our partnership with them. With donations from all sorts of people, ranging from urbanites to agricultural companies to rural churches and farmers, resources are combined (no pun intended) to have a seriously positive impact on those suffering from food insecurity. I also think it is valuable to try and grow some food yourself, if possible. It’s great to be involved in these initiatives, and I’d encourage you to get involved if you haven’t already done so.
Peace,
Mark Doerksen
Ministry of Presence
By Rev. Tim MacKinnon
I’m thankful for the opportunity to be able to share something that has been close to my heart over the last decade. When I was quite new with my last church in Salisbury, NB, a young man in our congregation, who was a volunteer firefighter, asked me if I would consider being the Fire Department’s Chaplain, as the former one had left the province. My initial reaction, to be honest, caused me to pause and say, “Hmmm, I will pray about that.” The truth is, as much as I thought I understood about chaplaincy, I really didn’t. There are many forms of chaplaincy—such as emergency service chaplains, like police, fire and EMS, disaster relief chaplains, military chaplains, prison chaplains, hospital and nursing home chaplains—all with a similar set of gifts and responsibilities, but each very unique to the people they serve. After some time, I felt that God was plunging me into community mission in a way I had not been involved before. I fell in love with chaplaincy and the people I serve!
Being able to interact with people who, for the most part, don’t do church, being available for community people when they are afraid or hurting and being able to be involved in community concerns in a meaningful way, all made me realize what a wonderful opportunity the Church, pastors and leaders have to ‘love on’ their communities. Chaplains and Pastors played a very important role when the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash occurred. Recently, two SaskPower employees in Weyburn died in a tragic workplace accident and our Co-Police Chaplain and I were able to bring comfort and support to emergency workers involved.
Upon moving to Weyburn, Saskatchewan, I approached our Fire Chief, who paired me up with an already-serving chaplain who had been well-loved in the community for many years. He was a retired Presbyterian Church minister. Since I was sharing the fire chaplaincy, I had also been approached about being a co-Police Chaplain for our Weyburn Police Service. This was another new adventure for me. Though there are similarities between the emergency services, they are different ‘breeds’ of people with systems that work quite differently from one another. The former fire chaplain has since passed away, so I’m quite busy being available for both departments. Once again, I found myself falling in love with our police officers, staff and their families and love being involved in the community. As a Chaplain, one never knows the type of calls and needs that they could be involved with. I have filled in for other chaplains, such as our local Legion Chaplain, to hold Remembrance Day services, funerals, etc. I have received calls from our local Mayor, who may be trying to help a member of the community with something. Chaplaincy has also been a wonderful way to partner with the other churches and Pastors in our community, as requests often come in regarding practical needs of people, such as those who may be vulnerable in different ways.
I strongly encourage our Pastors to think about the possibility of being involved in some form of chaplaincy, if the situation arises and if God is nudging you. I have received valuable training that is also very useful in pastoral ministry. Crisis intervention, for example, is a set of skills that chaplains need to be trained in. I have done many courses about critical stress management, rapid response, group and individual counselling, suicide prevention, and have a greater understanding of abuse, etc. This training has helped me to be more prepared for the types of things that happen in church circles, as well. I am a member of the Canadian Police Chaplain Association, Federation of Fire Chaplains, Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, and available to help with CISM for SK. All of these offer various training opportunities. I also had the opportunity to host a training event recently for general emergency chaplains. Twenty-seven chaplains from about 15 different provinces and states signed up for this virtual course. A facilitator with Chaplain Services Network led us in a three-day training on how to give death notifications to loved ones, being able to identify where someone is at emotionally, support for those suffering from PTSD, how to greater ‘get at’ struggles people may be dealing with but holding in, being involved in community crisis if it should arise, etc.
When we think of the ministry of Jesus, He conversed with many varied types of people who had many different physical, emotional and spiritual needs. He interacted with Centurions, who would have been an early version of our police and military officers. He ministered to families in need and crisis. Many of these people came to faith as a result of His involvement in their lives. The motto of one chaplain department is “With you in good times and bad.” What I have discovered the most about chaplaincy is that it’s not necessarily what I do or the ‘tasks’ I may perform for a department, it is ‘just being there.’ The presence of the Christ-follower brings with it the reminder to people (whether or not they are even looking for it) that God is present. We all represent someone or something else. A teacher represents the school system, a lawyer represents the system of law, the fire fighter represents the fire service and—the chaplain represents God.
A chaplain friend who serves as a police chaplain in Ontario sent me a copy of his book, “Community Policing: The Path to Healthier Relationships – A Police Chaplain’s Perspective” and in it, he wrote the following, “Chaplain Rev. Tim MacKinnon, you are a transformational leader with a passion to impact lives for God’s glory—strategically placed to expand His kingdom on this side of eternity. Your role as a chaplain is God-given…” I’m thankful for his encouraging words as I go on ‘ride-alongs’ with police officers, ‘check in’ on various firefighters and their families and bring words of encouragement and hope to our Police and Fire Chiefs, who are often expected to do much with limited resources. During times of uncertainty and crisis, we are called to draw people to “the God of hope” who can fill us “with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13). My guiding Scripture is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 as we point others to the comfort and hope we have found in Jesus Christ, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” As Pastors and leaders in our churches, we all have a God-given call on our lives to love others and point others to the love of Jesus. We also all have a God-given call to share the Gospel in the community around us, even in some challenging situations that may not always be that easy. We can be a ‘ministry of presence’ to others, just as the Holy Spirit fills us with his power, love and grace (Acts 1:8). May all of us be in prayer about how God may want us to be involved in our communities. If anyone may be considering Chaplaincy, I would be available to chat with you: revtimmack@gmail.com
Rev. Tim MacKinnon, Pastor of Calvary Baptist Community Church & Chaplain for the Weyburn Police & Fire Services
Heartland Baptist Women Announcement
On behalf of Manitoba Women in Focus, we are excited to announce our new name and Logo for the Baptist Women of Manitoba and the Prairies—HEARTLAND BAPTIST WOMEN.
The Women of the Canadian Baptist of Western Canada have been an important part of the denomination over the years with different titles as time has passed. Their focus has been on Missions and supporting women in the denomination. As was announced in a fall newsletter, Women in Focus has completed their term as of May 1st, 2021. It is time for a rebirth.
Over the past few months, through prayer, conversation and connections, the executive of Manitoba Women in Focus felt it was time for a change and a new start. We want to include all women of the prairie region. Something new! Having “Heartland Baptist Women” as our new name will serve all women in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and beyond. We hope to connect and reach out to more women across the prairie provinces to encourage and pray for one another and to be the salt and light that God calls us to be in our Homes, Communities and local Churches. This is open to all women who love Jesus and to those searching for Him.
We are excited and we look forward to what God will do through Heartland Baptist Women.
We are so thankful for all the Women who paved the way for us to continue, even through the seed that was planted years ago from Women in Focus. There was fruit! We Praise God for all He’s done over the years. Faye Reynolds mentioned that something had to die for something to be born, and we believe it is Heartland Baptist Women. We Pray for the Harvest!
Your executive for Heartland Baptist Women includes:
Carol Parsons, Peggi Talbot, Colleen Allan, Charlene McAlpin, Rerie Resendes, Lesia Andrushyshen. We will be looking for volunteers from other areas and provinces. Through our newsletter, KEEPING CONNECTIONS, we hope to reach out to many. Please visit our “Heartland Baptist Women” Facebook page to connect, share and watch for upcoming events.
As your first President of Heartland Baptist Women, let us pray and dedicate Heartland Baptist Women for the glory of God.
This regional newsletter is published quarterly within the CBWC’s monthly newsletter, Making Connections. Have a story idea? Want to tell us how great we’re doing? Or how terribly? Email our senior writer, Jenna Hanger: jhanger@cbwc.ca