Salut!

“Do every thing without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…” Philippians 2:14-16

So are you enjoying this beautiful sunny Sunday – one of the few remaining for this summer? It has actually been quite an enjoyable summer here in Ontario. I just came in from reading in our backyard tent that covers a patio area and getting reacquainted with the surrounding sounds of nature. It’s a little different than being in our motor home parked in a church parking lot in downtown Montreal with sirens and motor bikes squealing and buses revving their engines.

Gary and I made it back home Thursday evening about 10:30. We probably won’t be doing too much this next week but even with our fatigue we are extremely pleased with what God accomplished over the last three weeks. As Gary often says, “At least we tried!” We do so appreciate the faithful work of the French team, young and older alike, that was put together for this endeavour. It was one of the best teams we have worked with - they shone like stars! As a result 362 households want information about the new church, Eglise Oasis, commencing Sept. 26 in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. We were reminded once again that people are searching for one contact said the last night of our calling that she hadn’t been attending church but wants to start now. Please pray that this woman and so many others will make a concerted effort to attend the first service.

Richard’s ministry in Myanmar is still needing financial support. Please pray that an answer will be found soon for this grave need. The children in the orphanage are doing well.

Please continue to pray for Maureen Brown and her ongoing health issues with her eyesight. It looks like she probably won’t get back to work until later this fall. Please also pray for the ongoing leadership concerns in our Fellowship denomination and the search for a new National President.

Home Group will take place once again this coming Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Burton home.

Enjoy the hot weather this week,

Wendy

[1] wendy.carter@kainos.org

This is a summary of our 9:00 Sunday morning service located at 7777 Churchville Rd., Brampton, ON L6Y 0H3, 905-230-8116. It can always be found at www.blog.heartlandfellowship.ca.

Talk to More People More Often by Gary Carter: If you talk to more people more often in all the ways you can about the Gospel message while managing all perceived failure, you will get more results. This is what our Mass Personal Contact campaign recently accomplished. Paul remarks in I Corinthians 3: 6, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” Saint-Eustache is a totally French Catholic community. Please remember Pastor Ken Taylor, his wife, Anne and their two children along with their launch team ([2] www.egliseoasis.com) as they “water the seed.” This family moved to Quebec from Belgium a few years ago so even though they do speak French it is still a different culture for them. Prayer and follow-up with the contacts made is vital. Friends need to be made from this group along with getting to know their friends or their individual networks. Check out Gary’s video that he put together from the mother church service in Mascouche on Aug. 22 – [3] www.mpc101.info. How’s your French? Please also remember all the French churches of our Fellowship in Quebec (some 8000 Christians) that they will all reach out to their own communities. Maybe another MPC campaign will take place next year if the money can be raised. The French people are extremely open and friendly but all they really know is that church means Catholic mass.

Who is That Man? by Steve Macdonald: In Paul’s second letter to Timothy near the end he lists some friends that are with him in Rome. One is Linus and according to several early sources, Linus became Pope Saint Linus, the successor after Peter was martyred. Some sources have him serving as Pope at different times (The Liberian Catalogue and the Liber Pontificalis indicate this service between 56–67 during the reign of Nero; Jerome dates it to 67–78; and Eusebius puts the end of his episcopate at the second year of the reign of Titus in 80 AD.

Linus was an Italian from Tuscany although his name is Greek. The Apostolic Constitutions state that Claudia was his mother, but the Apostolic Constitutions do not explicitly identify Claudia as Linus’s mother. In what appears to be a relatively recent British Israelite legend, Claudia, identified as the historical Claudia Rufina, is given as Linus’s sister. What we do know is that Linus was a friend of Paul; he knew Peter; he hung out with Pudens; he was a Bishop of Rome; he was the second Pope; and as another “one hit wonder” he heard, believed and followed Jesus.

One Another by Gary Carter: In this series we have learned that “to one another” involves a two-street relationship that should not be imbalanced. John 13:35, one of 15 verses, talks about loving one another; Titus 3:8, one of 9 verses, refers to love and devotion; and Philippians 2:3-4, one of three verses, encourages looking to one another. It is important to consider others better than ourselves but the challenge is to do that with the understanding of others hurts, pain and needs along with our own. In a church others will be awestruck or impressed, not with the sermon or music, but the atmosphere of acceptance, warmth and devotion to each other. It is rare to find someone else who will care for your interests. Cats cannot be herded; dogs will coming willingly more often than not. People are more like cats.

Often the cause of breakdown of a marriage, parenting, friendships, employment/business, or the church is failure to live by Colossians 3:13. It says, “Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” The word “forbearance” is a practical, financial term which means that whoever you are in debt to may give you an extra 90 days to pay your debt. Many people will hold onto and find it hard to not let go of “grievances”, real or imagined. In the church there are lots of complaints. We must bear with each other as Christ forgave. Ken Medema is an almost blind singer/composer/pianist whose work is quite “in your face” and who has written the following line in one of his songs, “If I lie to you will you kick me good-bye…” Will you take offense if someone makes fun of you?

Will you forbear if the matter is age-related (young versus old); stage-related (pressures from being a student/employee, parent/retiree); state-related (depending on one’s health, emotions e.g. if depressed, backslidden life); personality-related (the person is too chatty or too quiet); preference-related (food/music/activity); or pace-related (slow versus fast)? As a church, even with all its imperfections and preconceived notions, we must look to Philippians 2:12-14 and “shine like stars” even when the “coach” is away. We must learn to accept all those who have failed and not press our own agendas. Can you say that you will choose to live in forgiveness with Christ’s grace?

Collective Nouns by Steve Macdonald:

In a continuing effort to correct the English language and to put an end to the oddly named groups like “a murder of crows”, tfollowing are more logical collective nouns for your consideration:

A pile of carpets

A peck of chickens

A plot of conspirators

A school of teachers

A handful of palmists

A host of emcees

A measure of rulers

A mass of priests

A shower of meteorologists

A score of musicians