POWER Team members on the move and serving willingly

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1 CONNECTOR #30 Nov POWER Team members on the move and serving willingly Coming to this season of Thanksgiving both in Canada and the United States, I could not help but be thankful for our POWER Team members who have served for decades and those who are still serving after decades of service. So, the CONNECTOR has chosen to start off with the activities and mobility of our members. Some, you will see, have relocated to spend their retiral/re-alignment years closer to family members and pour valuable time into their Grandchildren. Carol Rose is a valued member of the POWER TEAM Carol Rose served alongside her husband Bob Rose (former President of CBC/CTS & CPD pastor for many years. She misses her partner greatly (Bob died in 2013), but this has not stopped Carol from using her gifts and abilities to serve the Lord. Carol lives in White Rock BC (she checks in there once in a while, on her way to other destinations). She and Bob called it the Rekindle Inn and is a safe place to rest if Carol is ever there to welcome you in. She has children and grandchildren in Saskatchewan and New York State. Being the social butterfly that she is, she has used this season of her life to connect with colleagues, friends and Alliance family members wherever she goes. She is leveraging the transitions she has experienced in life to come alongside others going through similar

2 transitions. She passes on to others the joy and blessings she continues to receive from the Lord. Betty and I were privileged to have her visit with us in our home in St. Thomas Ontario. -this past Thanksgiving gave her time to rekindle and Give Thanks Note the two pictures above. Another mature servant of the Lord who keeps on making a kingdom difference is Ron Brown Ron is a mission s coach with the CMA-Canada based in Calgary. He previously spent 26 years as an International Worker in Africa. Ron is on the National Coordination Team for Kairos Canada and is also involved in numerous literary projects. In 2014 he wrote a memoir entitled Intersections, available in print and Kindle. In 2016 he co-edited the first book in a trilogy about the CMA-Canada s global engagement, titled The God You May Not Know. He is the creator and editor of a missions resource website (click the follow button for alerts of new postings) Now, we let Ron Brown introduce us to a fellow servant James Sawatsky Ron wrote: I had the fun of working with Jim Sawatsky for many of those years in Congo. I loved his passion for life. I loved his musical giftedness framed in evangelism. From very large stadiums to the little Woyo village on the Congo coast with me one evening he clearly sang and presented the gospel of Jesus with the Sango Malamu trio. I loved his entrepreneurial spirit from establishing a musical group and ministry, to a recording studio, to radio stations, Jim was always thinking outside the box of new ways in his context to present the Good News. Thousands today are in the kingdom because of Jim and Dawn s ministry in Africa. Even today in my office in Calgary, I will often be listening over the web to Radio Bonne Nouvelle coming out of Libreville, Gabon. Jim set that up. Once I started reading this book, it was hard to put it down! Ray Downey writes in the Foreword, Mavericks may give the impression that they are unreceptive to others opinion. I never felt this with Jim. I have often turned to him for advice especially in times of transition myself. The fact is that we had built, over time, a climate of mutual trust and respect. In my role as field Director in the DRC, I learned to give Jim a long rope.mavericks are visionaries. They are an innate sense of what to do, where they want to go and how to get there. Be amazed, blessed as you read Jim s autobiographical reflections. (Ray Downey is now the Volunteer Coordinator of POWER Team in the CP District)

3 Jim wrote this 400 page book initially to put under the Christmas tree in 2017 for each of his grandkids. Now with some editing it is available to those of us who had the privilege of working with him in Congo and for those who supported him during his 33 years in Africa. Jim has provided the accountability of what God has done. Go to then go to side bar Site Index on right and click on 6. Global Vault Podcast A report came in recently that Jim had a motor cycle accident in the states recently. Still riding that at that age?.some POWER Team members splitting from Calgary -David & Pamela Belsey moved in October to Scarborough (Toronto). This is the boomerang generation, not of children moving back in with the parents but parents retiring near their children and grandchildren to continue sharing their legacy to the next generation. -Nelson & Jan Annan moved in October to London Ontario after a four year ministry with a Pilipino Church in Calgary. After General Assembly this year, they returned to Vietnam for an eight week ministry in Viet Nam with the International Church in Hanoi where they had previously served. They now reside in the same condominium complex where Hope Reichert lives. Here is a picture of Wayne Kerr & Stuart Lightbody welcoming the younger newly retired Nelson Annan to London. Stuart still serves part time with SEND International. David Lewis since his retirement has served as Interim Pastor in Sherwood Park in Edmonton, Bayview Glen in Toronto and Heritage Alliance in Windsor. This October he has become the Interim Pastor at Rexdale Alliance Church. He and his wife Janie are in the process of building their retiral home in the Orillia area and are presently living in Barrie, Ontario John & Cindy Westenberg have retired in Cambridge Ont. due to John s medical challenges. Doug Weibe continues to make good use of the cycle trails in Calgary. He also is busy volunteering, marking sermons for those preparing for ordination, and preaching at senior s residences etc. Mary McElhone (of Tillsonburg Ont.) is again serving in Irian Jaya with Lois Belsey and will be returning home in the New Year.

4 Who says, our IWs and Pastors are sitting on the beach. Betty and I are beginning a new ritual of taking our chairs and umbrella to the beach (weather permitting) at Port Stanley (just south of London On) on Lake Erie Thursday mornings around 9 a.m. to read together our regular Bible reading and/or our own personal reading. When the beach bums start rolling out their blankets around 11 a.m. we split for other things. Times of Celebration for POWER Team members Roy Hubert turned 75, (¾ of a century old) and his beloved wife Betty of over a ½ century bought him this 3 wheel toy. Drive safely Roy Betty and Roy live in Enderby B.C.. Miriam Charter -The Legacy Project Few people have the privilege I have recently had, of walking down memory lane for two months, of seeing the fruit of seeds planted 35 years ago during some of the darkest years of the Communist era in Romania, of meeting with men and women who suffered intensely during the 1980 s when I, along with others, engaged in clandestine ministry to the suffering church. Their stories of bravery have been recorded and will form the illustrative backdrop for a book on missions that I am writing.

5 The project, funded in large measure by Foothills Alliance Church, has been named the Legacy Project by the elders of Foothills. Forty years ago, in 1978, the elders at Foothills gathered around a young professional French teacher in Calgary, affirmed her giftedness for ministry and urged her to leave her job with the Calgary Public Board and go to Canadian Theological Seminary to prepare for vocational ministry. Their strong conviction in 1978 that God s hand was upon me included the offer to pay for seminary, an interest-free loan if after three years I discerned that I was not called to ministry, an outright gift if going to seminary launched me into ministry. Foothills was following the Acts 13 model, affirming its emerging leaders. Picture: Miriam walking the streets where she encountered angels in the difficult years of the Communist era Forty years later, leaders at Foothhills sensed God s leading in my life again, taking ownership of my proposal to write a book for millennials who are sensing the call of God to the nations and once again affirming God s call upon my life for this task. Assisting with the funding of the trip, they commissioned me in late September for a two-month trip down memory lane. For two months I have traveled to every corner of Romania, interviewing men and women who were involved in the underground seminary in which I taught during the 1980 s, perhaps the darkest years of the Communist era in Romania. The book will be rooted in the Foothills Story, a story that includes others of my generation who attended Foothills in the 1970 s and now are nearing the end of 40 years of ministry and leadership in the C&MA. It will consist of a dozen chapters that unpack concepts young adults need to understand if God s will leads them to take the Gospel to the remaining hard places in our world. Each missiological concept will be illustrated by stories from Romania, from that final, brutal decade of the Communist era. It was perhaps the darkest decade of the Ceaucescu era, a decade during which I was privileged to move secretively about the country teaching with the underground seminary known then as BEE (Biblical Education by Extension). Picture: Miriam stated: My greatest joy was to meet with the Romanian women who are now leading the ministry among thousands of women across Romania. My travels around Romania will end in two more weeks. During 2019 I will attempt, with the inspiration of God s Spirit, to write a book for young adults, unpacking missiological topics they need to understand if God s call takes them to

6 hard places. Brothers and sisters in Romania have something significant to say to the next generation because they know what it means to be faithful in hard places. I have a notebook of 150 pages, filled now with stories of courage from those difficult days. My first trip to the underground church in Romania was in December On that trip, it was abundantly evident that men in Romania would never accept teaching from a woman theologian/greek teacher. In my first secret meeting with the men, the young daughter of one of the men, Lucia, was serving coffee in that stuffy, crowded apartment in Cluj. Lucia spoke French, so we could communicate. She was 22 years of age and worked at the train station. As the men were finishing their session, taught by Rob, a colleague of mine, Lucia and I went to the kitchen. Lucia, sensing that the men were closed to the idea of a woman teaching them, whispered softly to me, Miriam, why don t you begin a similar program for women in Romania? She did not realize that a seed had been planted in my mind. Twenty-four hours later, in another secret meeting in Bucharest, I asked 10 leading pastors of the country if they would allow their wives to be trained, following the generational principle set out in 2 Timothy 2:2, And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Thirty-five years later I have returned to see the exponential growth of that generational principle. Those first 10 pastors wives invested in the 2 nd generation who in turn have invested in the 3 rd and 4 th generation. Thousands of women have been trained and a vibrant women s ministry is flourishing across the country today. Perhaps my greatest joy while criss-crossing the country to interview the women who hesitantly, courageously, agreed to be trained in an era when simply attending one of our sessions might have sent them to prison, has been to encounter Lucia, the shy 22 year old woman who planted the seed in my mind 35 years ago (see picture of Lucia & Miriam). In a miraculous sequence of events, I found Lucia in mid October. Connecting the dots (another way of speaking of God s Providence) and with the help of a retiring pastor, I found Lucia in a remote village in the Carpathian mountains. The moment we met was a holy moment. She, like me, is now 35 years older. She had no idea what God has done as a result of her prophetic word to me, Why not start something for women in Romania! My two-month trip to Romania is coming to a close. The data has been collected. My notebook is full. I ve heard hundreds of stories of the courage and faithfulness of men and women who are writing a modern day version of Hebrews 11. As I return to Canada to write, my prayer is that God will raise up the next generation, those who, like Abraham, will understand that God s blessing is upon them for one reason only, that through them, all peoples on earth will be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3) Picture: Travel around the country on Romanian trains is still arduous

7 We are sure that our POWER Team members have had their appetites awakened to get their hands on this book when it is published. Stay tuned in Wayne & Betty Kerr celebrated 50 years of ministry with the C&MA. In September, Wayne had the privilege of speaking at the Truro Alliance Church where they began ministry 50 years ago in They had a meal with neighbors who have never moved from the time they ministered there. It was a delight to see one lady who was leading the worship team that morning. Wayne dedicated her to the Lord and she is now a young grandmother. worship/music director at Moose Jaw Alliance Church under Robert Willoughby. Even though there was a music department at CBC, no one would venture the trip twice a week to Moose Jaw. This resulted in Wayne beginning his ministry as Pastor of Left Overs and served as their music director for that year. During his last year of studies at CBC ( ), Wayne was the After graduation, 1968, Betty and Wayne worked for the summer in Owen Sound, Wayne in the family welding business and Betty as a Lab Technologist at the Owen Sound General & Marine Hospital. They did not candidate but were appointed to Truro Alliance Church in Nova Scotia to follow Rev. Troyer who had died. The only communication with the church was a letter giving the address. Driving 1200 miles with all of our belongings in a 1973 Valiant they arrived at the church, found a note on the door informing them that the key to the church was at the neighbor s house. They soon had their belongings unloaded in a portion of the church building which was their lodging place. They did not have any excuse for being late to church. Soon a rap was heard on the door and they both anxiously answered it. There stood a man who briefly looked at them, then looked past them and asked Are your parents in?. Obviously, he was looking for a more mature couple to lead their church. Then Wayne discovered that their salary was less than what they were giving in a tithe during the summer. Oh yes, the rent was free. Wayne said: It was a blessing for us to visit, reminisce of God s blessings during those early days and see God blessing as the congregation has purchased new land and in October 2018 have seen the walls and rafters erected to have an expanded ministry in that area.

8 Two Ambrose Profs easing into the POWER Team season of life by age and also with the joy of being grandparents. In fact, I am proud to say that during my 15 years of pastoring at Glencairn Alliance in Regina we partnered in ministry with both the Moores and McAlpines Can you believe that Heather & Bill McAlpine who are or soon to be full fledged members of POWER Team just became proud grandparents of twins? Grandparents Tim & Nancy Moore with Betty Kerr Grandparents Heather & Bill McAlpine It is very hard to believe that Tim & Nancy Moore are grandparents and Tim has reached the 60 year mark. So these are the newbie POWER Team people seeing the big R train coming down the track. They will be Restoring to keep going, Re-aligning to be able to spend more time golfing or grand parenting, Reassigning to show that youth pastors never die, they just.keep going. Betty and I were privileged to have both the Moores and McAplines on our Glencairn staff. Bill was our part time preaching pastor. Tim & Nancy s were first of all members of our church before Tim came on staff as our Youth Pastor which was his first ministry assignment. Since then he has gone on to higher education with nurse Nancy nurturing him all along the way. He has been on staff at Ambrose University for the past 23 years ( , ) 2 years at Glencairn, 11 years at Unionville Alliance wow 37 faithful years of service including the break to get his doctorate. Gerald and Dorothy Hogenbirk, have been the pioneers with POWER Team since its inception and have added much value to where we are today. Presently serving the SLD, ECD & CCD. The churches have the benefit of Gerald and Dorothy Hogenbirk being available for an extended season of Home Assignment ministry. Their vision is to thrill people

9 with the greatness of God and what He wants to do today in the dark places of our world, and in particular how we can join them in mission in our Five S regions. The primary ways they are doing this are: speaking at the churches in the three Districts of the east, meeting and coaching people interested in missionfocused ministry, and serving mission-focused catalytic networks where people are planning new ways to reach the Least Reached Peoples in Canada and around the world. You as church leaders are making mission focused disciples every day! Gerald and Dorothy s mission experience (37 years in Africa, Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East; church planting, training and strategic leadership for the Silk Road), and their energy and love the for mission of God and the local church make them a treasure for us at such a time as this. Gerald & Dorothy risked taking the initiative of equipping their successors in Europe and the Middle East. They literally worked themselves out of a job and are seeing that ministry expand and thrive in a seamless transition. In many organizations, risking to do such a thing before the magical age of retirement would mean being shown the door as they might not be of any valuable to the company. We praise God that the National Office and these districts have leveraged the giftedness and example Gerald & Dorothy have been to continue to live a legacy and cheer on those who are following and taking over. Roger Moyer My name is Roger Moyer. I was born in St. Catharines, Ontario and reared in a Christian family. I am the youngest of four siblings who were fourteen, eighteen and twenty years my elder. I hold an undergraduate degree in music composition from Houghton College in Houghton, N.Y. During the seven years I taught music in a small western Bible College, I developed an itch to know more about theology and philosophy, and following a four-year teaching assignment in Medicine Hat, Alberta enrolled in the M.Div. program at Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina (now Ambrose University in Calgary). Following a two-year stint as an associate pastor at Central Alliance Church in Ottawa, with my interests continuing to shift, I attended St. Paul University and graduated in 1978 with an MA in marital counseling. Along with my wife, we founded, the Ottawa Christian Counseling Service (now Christian Counseling Ottawa). After forty years as a marriage and family therapist, I am now retired. (Taken from a blog written by Roger Moyer) Roger has been serving in the Cedarview Alliance Church in Ottawa for many years and up to the present. He has been a helper to some International C&MA workers in Europe, assisting them with seminars for developing workers in the region. Roger along with his wife Diane have spent many years developing Christian Counseling Ottawa, a counseling service that has helped literally thousands of people through difficult circumstances and problems in their lives. Roger has written several books, one of them being The Anatomy of Forgiveness an excellent resource especially as it is used in small group studies.

10 In Memoriam James Postlewaite October 13, 1948 May 7, 2018 We sorrow with James wife Merle and family. We of the POWER Team mourn his loss but rejoice in his eternal presence with his Lord. James was appointed by the CP to represent them as we were seeking to roll out the POWER Team ministry across Canada. James knowledge of the ageing population and involvement with the Carey Institute of Aging was a great encouragement to all of us and plans were in the works to have James lead us in some significant seminars for those heading into or already in retirement. We will miss his input. Jim served in church ministries as an educator for over forty years at Wheaton Bible Church (Illinois), Crescent Heights Baptist Church (Calgary), First Baptist Church (Vancouver) and Peace Portal Alliance Church (Surrey). He also taught at Christian colleges and seminaries including Berean Bible College now named Foothills Christian College (Calgary), Canadian Bible College (Regina, Sask). now named Ambrose University (Calgary), Northwest Baptist College and Seminary (Langley, BC), Regent College (Vancouver), and Carey Theological College (Vancouver). Jim worked in para-church organizations such as Youth for Christ (Indiana) and Arrow Leadership Canada (Langley). Jim was a freelance photographer and loved photography. He also enjoyed reading (lots), writing, nature, baseball and his Chicago White Sox, walking, music, and his family most of all! He ran the good race right into the arms of Jesus. Jim s Celebration of Life service was held at Peace Portal Alliance Church, Surrey. Shirley Morris Shirley died July 3, Husband Norman wrote a short article called A Walk Down Memory Lane two months after Shirley s death which we felt was a great tribute. I and my wife Shirley (who went to be with the Lord July 3, 2018) are 1954 grads of the Western Canadian Bible Institute, and therefore considered alumni of Ambrose. Very few alumni of 1954 are still alive, Cecil Smith, father of President Dr. Gordon T. Smith, was a classmate and at times we sat together in Chapel. Dating was not only limited by a heavy study routine but also by the rules of the Bible School, so I didn t get serious about Shirley until I was into my third and fourth year. Not a flirtatious girl, Shirley was somewhat shy. She knew her place and conducted herself with dignity. There was a bearing about her in every situation that caught my attention. Without saying a word she commanded respect. She could be

11 serious minded but she also had a healthy sense of humor. She was attractive, loved the Lord and was committed to Him, and desired with all her heart to serve Him. Although I had no definite call to the ministry at that time, the thought crossed my mind that should the Lord call me Shirley would be an ideal wife in a pastorate or on the mission field. After overcoming my fears of rejection, I got up the courage to ask her to skate with me at the arena. We went to a restaurant with classmates, Al and Shirley Rempel (parents of Rev. Errol Rempel. We were asked to baby-sit at the home of Prof. Murray and Edna Downey and another Christian couple, and finally we were invited for an evening meal, for fellowship at the home of President George M. and Mrs. Blackett. You will note I didn t take her to the symphony for an evening. I had no money for that! Engagement was not permissible at our Bible School until after graduation was over. While on a date, I playfully tried putting on her signet ring on my rather large fingers, noting it nicely slipped over the first joint of my little finger. She had no clue what I was up to, but a few days later I visited a Jeweler and found a ring of the proper size (in my price range) that slipped over the first joint of my little finger. After the Baccalaureate and Graduation exercises (at the Dark Hall) were over, we returned to the School in the back seat of my Uncle s brother-inlaw s car. Shirley s mom sat in the back seat by the left door, Shirley was next to her Mom (in the centre) and I was next to Shirley, by the right door. During the return trip to the Bible School, I took the engagement ring from my pocket and reached over for Shirley s left hand, then slipped the diamond ring on her ring finger. We began then to make plans for our wedding. The faculty, staff, and students were like a family for those of us who were away from home, and indeed, for this new Christian who was just getting to know the Bible, the school was both tutor and discipler. Most students had been well taught in the Christian faith back in their homes and churches, but I was a new believer and was discovering God s promises for the first time in my life. I later realized that I was there for more than discipleship in the faith. It was in God s plan for me to receive my formal training for future pastoral ministry. To this day I look back with fond memories upon those four years as the greatest years of my life. The spiritual tenor of the school, godly lifestyle of the entire faculty, the sincerity of the young people who were enrolled, the balance between classroom theory and practical Christian service (as well as the emphasis on foreign missions), the worshipful morning chapel times (which frequently treated us to itinerant evangelists, missionaries and musicians) and the days of prayer contributed to a loving surrender of my life to Jesus Christ as Lord. I graduated from WCBI on April 26, I could go on to talk of the founding of the school in 1941, the first classes meeting in the basement of the Alliance Tabernacle on Osler Street in Regina. It later relocated to the site of the old Clayton Hotel at 1720 Broad Street. In 1955 it was again relocated from the center of the city to a 13 acre site on the northwest edge of the city and changed from a Bible Institute to the Canadian Bible College. In 1970 Canadian Theological Seminary was founded. The commitment of the Seminary was always to continue in the dynamic heritage of the earlier Bible Institute as a finishing school for the preparation of Christian young men and women wishing to serve the church at home and on the mission fields abroad. The object of the school from the beginning was that its graduates reach the unreached for Christ, thus hastening the return of the King. Thankfully this legacy is still much alive in the College and Seminary, and the school continues to display a firm commitment to the global growth of the Church.

12 I trust that our school will continue in the evangelical tradition at the post-baccalaureate level, to prepare Christians for ministry in keeping with their calling to live a godly life and to exercise the gifts and abilities that God has given them. I trust that students will maintain a spiritual and intellectual balance, including a variety of biblical disciplines like biblical interpretation, evangelism, discipleship, leadership, preaching, teaching, counseling and cross-cultural communication, and that most graduates will go on to serve in a variety of pastoral, teaching and missionary roles in Canada and around the world. Wm. Norman Morris Just a little humor I always had an issue with coffee. My mother told me it would stunt my growth. I was always a little frustrated when meetings would be delayed as people needed their fix of coffee. I refused to be dependent upon it and had a slogan for some time in a coffee deliverance ministry If the Lord is not available, drink coffee. That ministry failed miserably when we made our last addition to Rexdale Alliance Church including an upgraded kitchen with built in coffee machines. Now in retirement, I have given into my pride of independence from coffee and have joined special times with my sweet wife of some 51 years sipping away at my ½ cup of coffee with lots of flavored cream. This does not change with retirement

13 Issues of the Heart Embracing Aging -by Jan Heppner Recently I retired. for the third time! It was time. time to spend more time with my dear one. Time to rethink life and our future. Time to sort through the memorabilia that had collected over a lifetime. It was TIME! My greatest fear was that there would be nothing that would capture my passion and interest in a way I previously had experienced through active ministry. I began to more closely observe older adults and how they were handling their later years.it was fascinating! Some were just letting life happen to them and were quickly growing old and defeated. Many others were trying to stay young by not admitting their age and stage. They hesitated to participate or be part of anything to do with aging in case that aging thing rubbed off on them and they would be immediately designated as old!...or at least that is what it seemed! And then, there were the older adults who, though obviously aging, were active, interested in life around them, still driving, still vitally involved in the lives of others. Others of this group were thriving amid pain, disability and even as they faced their own final days or that of a loved one. I wondered where I fitted into this continuum. One morning as I was having my quiet time with the Lord, I became fascinated with a word in Psalm 92 that grabbed my attention. The word was FLOURISH. It says: 12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. 13 For they are transplanted to the Lord s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. 14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. I was intrigued, that s exactly what I was searching for..it was actually possible?.god Himself was showing me that it was so! I set out to consider what this could mean. I found myself asking the questions: What does flourish mean? And what does to flourish look like? Is this just in the spiritual, or does it encompass more? Then more questions came. Am I personally flourishing physically? Mentally? Emotionally? Spiritually? As retiring or retired ministry personnel, we have walked with those who are aging. Many times we have watched energetic, active people begin to lose strength and vitality. We have observed their decline. We have sat at their bedsides. We have stood by their gravesides, struggling to say the words that will comfort those left behind.and ourselves. We knew all along that we are also on this same journey. Yes, we have always known that we also would age - eventually, but now we recognise that this is actually happening to us.. a more startling realization than we ever imagined and even more difficult to admit. We are a helping, caring profession. We have been the strong ones, supporting those who are needing special love and care. We have been the pastor on call. Now? NOW! It is we who are in need of some TLC, words of encouragement, a loving touch. We are experiencing weakness and we are having to readjust a new reality. My own dear mentor, Rev. Alf Orthner, often remarked following the death of his first wife Arlene, that even

14 after a lifetime of pastoring, he was just learning the gut-wrenching depth of loss experienced by those who have lost someone so dear. Now he really knew what others had been experiencing! This journey of discovering our personal aging, is our new normal. In familiar Scriptures such as Psalm 1 and 121, God encourages us with His promises that as we experience the process of aging, we can actually flourish and thrive! As we take a practical look at how we CAN embrace aging positively, we discover that we can actually flourish throughout this challenging continuum of life..you know people who do. Maybe you are one of them! If you have recently retired or are heading toward retirement, you may have lots of ideas of how you will use your time. You are looking forward to doing the things that you have just been waiting to have the time to do. If this describes you, your retirement can be an enjoyable and fulfilling! Get busy and enjoy! On the other hand, most people face this time with some trepidation, and questions like what am I going to do? How will I fill my days? These can become worrisome mantras that plague our thinking. However, we ve made thousands of decisions all our lives, large and small. Could it be that through all these experiences, we have been prepared for the even more consequential decisions of later life?! According to Vincent Giampapa, MD, At a time when men and women increasingly live into their 80s and 90s, the art of aging requires work, thought, planning and, yes, spontaneity. Learning this art is crucial. I don t think we give enough respect to what it takes to age well until it happens to you, says Anne Newman, professor and chair of epidemiology in the Graduate School of Public Health at University of Pittsburgh. It s a balance between fighting it and accepting it that requires a great deal of grace and courage. And humor. Perhaps, humor most of all. Let s admit it! Aging changes everyone. We have all heard or been part of aging stories that are embarrassingly funny but true! The first thing that seems to become compromised is our hearing.like recently when an older couple was enjoying walking along the ocean in Victoria. The woman observed, I don t think the cruise ships are in to which the husband quickly corrected, No dear, I think it s been many years since Khrushchev has been in! Sometimes, it s our driving.one day an older driver was stopped by the police. When asked for her license, she confidently told the officer that she no longer needed a license. When asked where she got the idea that she didn t need a license, the woman explained, well, just last week my doctor took my license, cut it up and said I would no longer be needing it! Learning to take these glitches in stride, getting the help we need, and even seeing the humour in a situation can help us overcome the self-depreciating thoughts that can make us feel less than capable. Let s face it! Aging brings its challenges! Anticipate the changes that are inevitable. We can t dodge it. No one suddenly becomes old, it is a process. Aging abounds with Decisions, BIG Decisions! Difficult decisions regarding down-sizing, moving and relocating will face each of us. Health issues and family concerns can take much of our time, and emotional energy.

15 We begin to gradually experience tangible loss. hearing, sight, mobility and memory. We often say final goodbyes to those dearest to us. Although this is part of the tough reality of aging, how we choose to accept and live out each day will make an enormous difference in our overall health and well-being. Let s enjoy it! Aging can be pleasurable and fulfilling! Now we have freedom! We are free to choose, to come & go, to travel and to be adventurous with few constraints. We have time! We can take the time to enjoy family and friends in ways only open to the imagination. We can invite others into our circle. We can mentor. Opportunities abound! Let s explore the things that are important to us. Now we can take up latent or new hobbies, feed our intellect, attend events, be involved in community activities, explore new endeavours, invest in friendships the list is endless. Let s live life fully and ENJOY IT TODAY! Let s savor the benefits of aging. Let s embrace it! There are many ways we can flourish and thrive as we embrace aging. Here are a few ideas: Stay active. Be grateful and thankful. Celebrate your dear ones. Be willing to adapt to change. Enjoy today. Have fun. Keep a good sense of humour. Enjoy your faith. Learn new things. Be positive don t sweat the small stuff. Stay young at heart. Do whatever necessary to make life enjoyable and doable. Get the extra help you need. Embrace the Ageless One! The reality is, we live in 2 realms the physical and the spiritual, the seen and the unseen. The eternal God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things is not just a Force in our world, but He exists outside of His creation. He loves us and cares deeply for us. He is our Maker and even before the Creation, planned our existence for this life and the next. yet He is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives..mindboggling thoughts! Our physical life is lived in His presence and His desire is for us is to flourish, no matter what our age. The Psalmist stated in faith: My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. Jesus welcomed us to Himself with invitation and promise Come to Me.and I will give you rest. And, Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Fathers house are many mansions. Paul prayed May your roots go down into the soil of God s marvellous love Ephesians 2:17; Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him.we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God Colossians 2:7, 19b Here is the question..where do you see yourself on the aging continuum? How are you choosing to embrace your own inevitable aging wisely and gracefully? It is my hope that as we age, we will not only flourish but will also be a positive example and influence on both those around us and the generation following.

16 We need each other! As retired C&MA Christian workers, let s encourage and support each other as we age together! Jan Heppner has been an accredited C&MA worker since 1991 following careers both in teaching and real estate. She served as a Children s Pastor for 15 years: Heritage Alliance Church, Abbotsford, Vernon Alliance, and Mission Creek Alliance in Kelowna. Over the last 12 years, she has served MCA as their Connections and Care Pastor and more recently, as Community Care Pastor to the retirement age demographic. Jan has also served on the C&MA National Education and CPD District Education Committees for many years. Entering into her 4 th quarter, Jan chose to retire from the MCA staff June 2018, but remains actively serving Mission Creek Alliance as a new retiree. She and Fred have been married 56 years. Resources: We have 4 POWER Team video resources for you. We are presently working with the National Ministry Center to have all of these in one location. Presently, here is what we have which puts 3 of the 4 videos together Video # 4 Sunder Krishnan presenting Having our Identity in Christ and not in our ministry. In the near future it will be joined together with the other three. Back issues of the CONNECTOR are also on the above link (thanks to the EC District) -when you click on this link, scroll down to CONNECTOR lists

17 From the leadership team of our POWER Team ministry we desire that this Christmas will truly be a celebration of God becoming flesh and dwelling amoung us. May each of us follow the Gospel which was summed up by our Lord when He was put on the spot as to what was the greatest commandment and he replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighor as yourself. Mark 12: Later on when he was about to move onto the next chapter in His life, He said The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified John 12:23 May this be our expression as we come to the Christmas season and meet with our family members, church members, our neighbors. As we start our day in whatever venue we find ourselves may we remind ourselves and then act upon it the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified through me. Merry Christmas and a fruitful from the Volunteer Coordinators in the various districts. (L to R) Ray & Vi Downey CPD, Jack & Pat Mulholland CMD, Gerald & Dorothy Hogenbirk (our Baby Boomer couple), Laurie & Nancy McLean ECD, Wayne & Betty Kerr - National Volunteer Chair and Coordinators for the CCD, Allan & Judy Hack -SLD. Presently we do not have a Coordinator for the WCD. Ron & June MacKinnon for the ECD Toronto region are absent. Wayne & Betty Kerr -waynebettyk@rogers.com -CONNECTOR editors. Your input and responses are welcomed.