Upcoming Events

As we look forward to the approaching Easter season, with all its opportunities to recognize the Father’s goodness, remember Christ’s sacrifice, and renew in us the Holy Spirit’s power that sends us into our neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces, we also consider some upcoming ways to gather and grow as a CBWC community:

• Shelley Roxburgh will be sharing her experiences ministering in the margins in this month’s Evangelism Masterclass: March 5
• Join us for Theology for the Ordinary Book Club on March 13 to discuss Why the Gospel by Matthew W. Bates.
• Registration is now open for Online Assembly taking place May 16.Registration Deadline is April 26.
• BCY Pastors, Chaplains and Spouses: register today for the Regional Retreat June 13-14 and BC Convention – June 14-15.
• Don’t miss out on the Early Bird Discount available for SERVE 2024 registrations until April 30!

May your Lent and Easter practices help you and your church community be emptied of the things that hinder and filled with hope and perseverance for the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1)!

The Importance of Clergy Care & How You Can Help

Pastors are prime targets for burnout. There is rarely a time when they are not on call. One way that healthy churches care for clergy is by providing regular opportunities for rest and renewal.

After nearly two years, we are thrilled to invite our pastors, once again, to the Banff Pastors & Spouses Conference this coming November. We want as many pastors as possible in attendance this year and we are poised and ready to help make that financially possible.

A generous CBWC supporter has stepped up to match any donations given to Banff Pastor’s Conference Clergy Care dollar for dollar, up to $25,000! With your generosity, we can grow that gift to $50,000 and help subsidize conference costs for our pastors.

This conference is too important for your pastor to miss! Visit our page at cbwc.ca/clergycare to either GIVE to this initiative, or ensure your pastor is GOing to Banff Pastors & Spouses Conference 2024! Registration opens April 1st.

 Partner Spotlight: CBM

Celebrating 150 Years of Canadian Baptist Mission Together 

2024 marks a historic 150 years of our collective journey in mission together as Canadian Baptists! It all began in 1874 with the commissioning of John and Mary McLaurin from Ontario to India, marking the outset of our calling to bring the Good News of Christ to a broken world.

We invite you to join us for key celebrations and events happening throughout the year. Special resources have been developed to mark this occasion including an original song, biblical reflections, and podcasts from thought leaders who have journeyed with us along the way. Each month from December 2023 to January 2025, a new reflection will be released which you can use as part of church discussions, small groups, or your own personal devotions. Visit CABA150.ca to find out more and to download the resources. Here, you’ll also find a summary of key Milestones in Missions over our 150-year history.

One of the continued goals of our mission is to help create and maintain sustainable projects and programs for individuals and communities to find healing and wholeness through the gospel. CBM values a holistic approach in sharing the Good News, which means our words and actions work together in tandem. We share the gospel by expressing God’s love alongside everything we do. Over the years, CBM has advanced our understanding of how compassionate leadership plays a vital role in effectively building the Church. Through your support, we invest in partnerships that train leaders to impart essential skills, facilitate change, and spiritually nurture local communities.

Your support and prayers have made a difference in the lives of individuals and whole communities throughout 2023. Together with your help, CBM’s work with our partners have:

• equipped nearly 6,000 leaders that are trained to address pressing issues in society by ministering as the hands and feet of Christ.
• empowered 20,000 women to find their voice and gain greater self-sustainability to feed their families.
• supported 56,000 refugees with urgent needs, such as food and winterization supplies to get through the cold, winter months.
• aided over at-risk 25,000 kids so they can go to school and have a meal every day.
• fed 30,000 people worldwide who were unsure of where their next meal would come from.

We look forward to what 2024 holds, not only in our 150 celebrations with you, but in how God will lead us in sharing the gospel in word and deed in the years to come.

Tarantulas & Treehouses: Finding Eden on My Hands and Knees

By Joline Olson

My work for the CBWC is pretty much invisible. And I like it that way. I get paid to be persnickety, and to know how to use words like persnickety. I’ve been working as proofreader with the CBWC communications team since 2017. I’ve also been a part-time math teacher for 19 years. But as of June 2023, I gave up my teaching contract. It was time for a change, and I was keen to launch into a freelance editing career. But first, I had an adventure to go on.

As someone who loves to notice the little things, the jungle was a feast for my senses. I spent 3 months in Costa Rica this past fall, two-thirds of which was volunteering on a coffee farm in the jungle around Monteverde. It was pure delight. I was Mowgli—running through the vines and over boulders, dodging the visible creatures and praying not to meet the more invisible ones. Though, to be sure, they were there. (On day one, a scorpion climbed up onto my backpack, reminding me that I was not in Calgary anymore. By day 7, I had removed the first of what would be a few tarantulas in our volunteer sleeping quarters.)

While there, I was able to continue with my editing contracts by working in a delightful treehouse situated on the farm. Think, Swiss Family Robinson and you’re probably envisioning the right kind of structure. It was a 10-minute hike up a hillside from the buildings of the farm and, ironically, the only place on the 90-acre property where I could get four bars of cell reception. Best remote workspace ever!

About half of the volunteer work on the coffee farm I did was with a hoe or shovel, nurturing the coffee plants in various ways. I spent hours on my hands and knees, pulling weeds from the base of the plant, then leaving it there as mulch to protect the soil from the heat of the coming dry season. It sometimes meant taking a heavy-duty tool, plus some elbow grease, and engineering a kind of terracing of the earth in order to catch water and other organic materials as they washed down the hillside in the rains. The other half of the work, the best part, was collecting the coffee cherries from the trees. It’s not unlike a Saskatoon bush where fruit grows in clumps, but it is ripening at various stages; you have to be selective about taking only the ripe ones, while letting the others have more time on the branch. Collecting coffee was meditative and prayerful. I loved every day that I got to do that.

My days at the coffee farm echoed of Eden. I got to embody the mandate we have been given in both kingly language—radah (to subdue, have dominion over)—and priestly language—shamar (to keep, watch, preserve) creation. As I knelt on the damp jungle floor, I was aware that my weeding was making order out of chaos. I was doing the work of subduing and preserving. Sure, there were ant bites and blisters and sunburn, but there was keeping and nurturing and watching over. On coffee collecting days, as I placed ripe cherries into my basket, I felt nothing but gratitude for the abundance of creation. I felt appreciation for every cup of coffee I’ve ever enjoyed, and every farmer and worker who has nurtured the land to be fruitful.

It was a profound experience for me, to live that close to the earth for that many days, to spend 16+ hours of every day outside in the elements, and away from the shape and pace of life in Canada. I was transformed by the reward of the work, the hospitality of the people, and the wildness of the jungle. I will, most definitely, be back to that coffee farm. It was a little piece of Heaven on earth.

HeartSmart HR: March 2024

Churches as Employers and the Termination Process

By Louanne Haugan

Are Churches allowed to terminate employees? Some employers wonder if they are legally entitled to terminate an employee’s employment at all, without a good reason. The answer to that question, in almost all cases, is “yes.” In general, Canadian employers are legally entitled to terminate non-union employees’ employment at any time and for almost any reason. The legal question is, how much it will cost the employer to do so? However, there is more to a termination than its legal or financial cost—churches must also account for the wellbeing of the employee, remaining staff, and its members.

Is there just cause to terminate the employee? In general, churches who have just cause to terminate an employee’s employment will not owe the employee any termination payments, apart from the employee’s final wages and any accrued vacation pay owing to the employee. However, just cause is very difficult to establish. Generally, only very serious misconduct such as theft, fraud, assault, or sexual harassment will be considered just cause. Poor performance, even incompetence, is rarely just cause.

Has the employee resigned or was he or she constructively dismissed? In general, employees who voluntarily resign are not entitled to termination payments, except their final wages and vacation pay. Sometimes it is not clear whether the employee resigned voluntarily or was “pushed out,” or whether the employee was constructively dismissed. An example of constructive dismissal is where the employee leaves as a result of material changes in powers or duties, usually in the form of removing a main area of responsibility/ministry or decreasing hours. Legal advice is recommended in resignation or constructive dismissal situations.

Assuming the employee signed a valid employment contract containing a termination clause, what does it provide? Four main questions need to be asked before confirming whether the church can rely on the termination clause: (1) Does the termination clause provide at least the employee’s minimum entitlement under employment standards laws? (If not, the clause is void.); (2) Is the meaning of the termination clause clear?; (3) Did the employee receive “consideration” (such as the initial offer of a job, or an offer of a promotion) for signing the employment contract?; and (4) Did the employee sign the employment contract before starting his or her job or new position? (If not, the contract may not be valid.) The analysis of these four questions often requires legal advice from an experienced employment lawyer. If the answer to all of these four questions is “yes,” the employee’s entitlement will generally be limited to what the termination clause in the employment contract requires.

Is the employee entitled to Common Law Notice of Termination, and if so, how much? If the employee does not have a written employment contract that deals with termination, or if the employee does have such a contract but the termination clause is void (because, for instance, it provides for less than the employment standards termination entitlements, or because the contract was given to the employee after he or she had already started work), the employee will be entitled to common law notice of termination. Common law notice includes, and is almost always greater than, notice under employment standards legislation. Common law notice is an obligation imposed by a body of case law that has built up over the years. The common law obligation is to provide reasonable notice of termination. What is reasonable is based mainly on the employee’s position (the more senior, the more notice), years of service (the more service, the more notice) and age (generally speaking, the older, the more notice). There is no “formula” for determining common law notice. The common law notice period ranges from 0 to 24 months. For example, an employee with twelve years of service may be entitled to nine months of common law notice, including his or her eight weeks of notice under employment standards legislation. Charities, including churches, are not “exempt” from the obligation to provide appropriate notice of termination. If an employer terminates immediately, it must provide payment in lieu of notice.

The Termination Letter and Full and Final Release. A termination letter should be carefully crafted to set out all of the employee’s entitlements on termination. In most cases, the church will have the employee sign a “Full and Final Release” giving up the right to make any claims against the church in exchange for receiving the termination package offered by them. However, employers are not permitted to hold back employees’ employment standards entitlements because the employee has not signed a Full and Final Release. If the employee signs a Full and Final Release and receives more than his or her minimum employment standards entitlements, the employee (in general) will not be permitted to advance any claims against the employer.

How should terminations be handled? While employees rarely commend employers for how they handled a termination, employers should always strive to manage the termination in a fair, discrete and compassionate manner. Terminations not handled in this way present a much greater risk of litigation.

The best advice for churches facing the termination of an employee is to know the applicable employment standards laws and have a carefully developed and implemented employment contract that brings certainty to the employee’s entitlement on termination. If the employee accepts the employer’s termination offer, the Termination Letter and Full and Final Release should also be carefully drafted to ensure the resulting settlement is indeed clear and final.

Finally, as image bearers of Christ, we should approach terminations with a posture of compassion and empathy, understanding that job loss can be a significant life event for any individual. Be ready to offer support, provide resources for transition, and demonstrate genuine care for the well-being of the employee. In all things, and especially when considering the termination of an employee, always seek guidance through prayer asking for wisdom and discernment to navigate the situation with God’s guidance.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 (NIV)

Celebrating Chinese New Year

By Jerry Wang

Adults will prepare for a dinner while kids get themselves ready for red packets and fireworks.

New Year’s Eve dinner is another important part of the festival. You can imagine that the whole family will fill up the dinner table with all kinds of delicious food. People living in various places will enjoy various cuisines. One common dish that every family must have is whole fish. That is because in Chinese the word “fish” and “surplus” are homophones. This becomes part of the tradition since everyone wishes may there be surplus year after year.

Food is not the climax for most kids. After the dinner, adults and kids will play games and enjoy snacks. This is one of those nights when kids will not be asked to go to bed, as their parents will stay late or all night to wait for the arrival of the New Year.

When the New Year does arrive, older kids get chance to start long-prepared fireworks in the yard. The fireworks normally can last 1-2 hours before you can hear each other talking. Then, kids will pay a new year call to parents and grandparents and get red packets. Now they have enough money to buy more fireworks. Some lucky kids can gain so much through red packets that it could be enough for them to buy a new laptop or pay the new year tuition.

On the first day of New Year, before anyone comes to your home, people would like to post New Year’s couplets and stick them on the door frames for good fortune. Some Christians believe that somehow Chinese might have learned it from the Jewish Passover tradition in ancient times. From this time on until the end of the month, people will visit their relatives, offer blessings, and enjoy meals together. People will get to meet their relatives and friends whom they have not seen for a long time, or even an entire year.

When I grew up, most of the businesses were closed during this festival season for at least two weeks. This is another attractive part of Chinese New Year. People get released from their daily work during this time.

As a Christian grown up in Chinese culture, I would love to see more Christian elements when people celebrate the Chinese New Year. What people usually have in their mind is their wish for a better year, and a hope that they would prosper in the new year. I know that there is no better hope than the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. I hope that one day when people offer blessings to each other, they will say “Blessed is the one whose God is the Lord!”

New Theology for the Ordinary Podcast

Not Improving on Our Instructions: The Mission of the Church in the Gospels and Acts is to Love One Another 

A few years ago, CBWC started a new initiative called Theology for the Ordinary (TFTO). Born out of a want to connect deeper amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, TFTO strives to bring people together to have discussions on the deeper things of life. Consisting of book reviews, book club discussions over Zoom and a yearly podcast, TFTO brings pastors and lay people alike together to strengthen each others’ faith, and their understanding of the Bible and theology.

TFTO is excited to share that their third podcast is now available for streaming! Nine episodes have been released, with a new episode being posted every Wednesday for a series of twenty weeks. This new topic, Not Improving on Our Instructions: The Mission of the Church in the Gospels and Acts is to Love One Another is led by Ed Neufeld.

Ed Neufeld is married to Marilyn, and they have four children and no grandchildren. They’ve been serving the Kleefeld Christian Community Church since 1990. Ed is diligent with the Biblical text in ways that not many are. His approach to the Scriptures is refreshing and will serve as encouragement for many. He has recently retired from a long career in New Testament studies at Providence Theological Seminary. Ed drives a 1952 Mercury half-ton that has been his daily driver for over 35 years. He also has three bicycles.

In this third podcast series, Ed discusses a unique perspective on what the church’s mission should be.

“Some of the reading I do and conversations I have are about what the church’s mission is. It’s hard to isolate what the one, main thing is that the church is supposed to be doing,” Heartland Minister, Mark Doerksen said. “Ed has been saying to me for a long time that it’s not as outward focused as you think. The important impulse from the New Testament scriptures, at least, is inward.”

“Many people do a lot of reading on the missional church. But I think this is something that you have to hear out of the ear. What does it mean to be missional? Sure, I think that is important. But also, what does it mean to love each other, the people in front of you––that is hard work too.”

“Ed is going to the foundation of things––the root of things. That is how he looks at the Bible,” Cindy Emmons, Administrative Assistant for the Heartland Region, added. “How I interpret Ed’s approach is that he is wanting to make sure that churches have a solid understanding of what it means to be the church and how we should be interacting with others, before moving outward.”

“I think it’s in one of his first two episodes where he talks about ‘freely receive and freely give.’ What we receive from God is what we give to other people. And it should be first to the community of believers.  As we learn to care for and get along with our brothers and sisters, it then becomes natural to interact with everyone around us in that way. That’s what draws people to the church and makes us a light in the darkness.”

For a glimpse of what Ed Neufeld has been talking about, check out his article; Response to Timothy Keller, Generous Justice, by Ed Neufeld – Kleefeld Christian Community (ourkcc.ca)

To listen to the podcasts, click HERE.