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AUTUMN/WINTER 2013

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WELCOME“Branching Out”Dear friends,

I’m pleased to welcome you to the latest edition of The Candle magazine, where you can read all our latest news and stories of Gospel transformation.

In this edition, we tell you more about how our evangelists are living and working in communities for the long-term, and with Grahme’s experience bringing you back to help relaunch. As Jesus came to Earth to dwell among us and reveal God’s eternal plan, we too are motivated to share the Good News with those in our neighbourhoods. As John’s Gospel reminds us, “So the Word became human and made his home among us.” (John 1:14a).

Many of you are living in nearby communities and might be wondering how you too can be part of these exciting stories. It is never too late to join and partner with us. Through each example, we see how together, through prayer and tangible acts, we are witnessing life transformations.

Also, in this edition, we’ve highlighted some of our Evangelists-in-Training that are in various stages of their ministry formation. These men and wom-en are stepping forward, offering themselves for ministry. Their personal stories are incredible and they have a desire to see their local communities

know and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Please join me in praying for them.

We’re also happy to help you in your own evan-gelism, so why not turn to pages 28-29 where you’ll find some great tips. These are some practical resources that any one can do, as part of our every days goings on. When we gathered in May for our 2013 National Gathering, we en-joyed time together reconnecting with our roots and revisited Wilson Carlile’s vision. To see

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people resourced, equipped and released to proclaim the Good News.

Please take note of the events that are hap-pening in your area, I hope you will be able to join us. We are beginning plans to make the 85th Anniversary of this ministry in Canada and look forward to many more opportunities to share together.

I hope you enjoy reading The Candle and are encouraged at how, together, we are im-pacting thousands of people’s lives across this nation. Thank you so much for your faithful support both through prayer and finances. Together, we are making a real difference.

Wishing you every good blessing,

Shawn C. BranchNational Director

Threshold Ministries, founded in 1929 (as Church Army in Canada), is a predominantly Anglican Order of Evangelists. Our evangelists share the Christian faith through words and ac-tions while equipping others to do the same, across Canada.

Board of Directors: Dr. John W. Irwin - Chair The Rt Revd T.O. Buckle - Vice Chair Mr. Ian Grant - Treasurer Mr. Andrew Barker Ms. Kathleen Bell Mr. Peter BloomHonorary Board Members: Mr. Kristen Hansen Dr. Frederick KetchenNational Director: Shawn C. Branch

Subscriptions to our newsletters and prayer diary are available for free upon request, with donations greatly appre-ciated. They are available in both print and online formats. Please let us know which option you would prefer.

Editor: Amy StewartPrinted by: Rainbow Printing

Threshold MinistriesNational Ministry Centre105 Mountain View Drive Saint John, NB, E2J 5B5

Tel: (506)642-2210Toll Free: (888)316-8169

Email: hello@thresholdministries.caWeb: www.thresholdministries.ca

If you have a story for The Candle, or suggestions on how we can improve this magazine, please contact communications@thresholdministries.ca.

Threshold Ministries is a registered Canadian charity. affiliated with the Evangeli-cal Fellowship of Canada and the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. 3

WELCOME

Is this the first time you’ve read a copy of The Candle? Would you like to receive your

own FREE copy regularly? Here’s how:visit: www.thresholdministries.ca/subscribe

email: hello@thresholdministries.cacall toll free: 1-888-316-8169

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CONTENTSThe Candle Autumn/Winter 2013

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CONTENTSThe Candle Autumn/Winter 2013

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Evangelist Support Raising This symbol identifies those Evangelists who seek support for their ministry through prayer and giving. It may be that you are drawn to certain Evangelists or ministry projects in this issue and would like to find out how you can partner with them in their ministry. To receive further information about Evangelist Support Raising, please email hello@thresholdministries.ca or call toll free 1-888-316-8169.

8 Barrie Food Bank13 CA International28 Evangelism Tips

6 The Dotted Journey20 Wemindji Ministry24 Equipping Evangelists31 Prayer Night

10 Summer Ministry14 Street Hope BC16 Partners18 Training22 National Gathering26 Street Hope ON

Front Cover: Grahme Spear showing off the “Mission Discovery Map” he

developed to encourage his congregation with the missions they are a part of.

I was greeted by a long-time friend from New Brunswick who knew we had moved from the north but had not been told where we had relocated. She came up to me and said, “How are you enjoying min-istry in MORDEN?” “Why did you say ‘Morden’?” I asked quizzically. “I knew you moved south and the name Morden popped into my mind!” she replied. There was the next dot which led in time to oth-ers and an official beginning in the par-ish in Morden on the national “Back to Church Sunday.” What interesting tim-ing! After sharing the above story on this particular Sunday, I shared the following thoughts: “I return to this community after being away for 34 years! I am cer-tainly a different person with many new faith and life experiences to share, and I look forward to learning about your faith experiences since we were last together. I have been following the dots God set before me over the years, most recently leaving behind a 17-year parish and street ministry in northern Manitoba. Today, our dotted lines intersect again as we fol-low our Lord into the future. I wonder where God is leading us this time and what He wants us to become as ‘a group of ordinary people following Him today.’ We are all in this together!”

Some say “Old Pastors don’t retire, they just go out to pasture!” Actually, it was dur-ing one of my walks in the pastures around Carman MB, that the Parish of St. Thomas Anglican Church in Morden, 30 miles south, came to mind. I served in this par-ish back in the 70s helping it to grow into a full-time pastorate. This memory was the first dot in what would become a series of dots leading to another adventure.

In response to this prompting “in the pasture,” I contacted the Bishop, Don Phillips, to discover that St. Thomas was looking for a half-time pastor who would be willing to help the parish rebuild once again after a vacancy of four years. Unfor-tunately, many families had drifted away from worship and only a remnant of faith-ful, committed parishioners was left. On examining their profile, it was evident that our northern parish life and street experi-ence had prepared us for the impromptu building of relationships which would be required to meet people on their doorsteps and in the local coffee shops in such a re-building process. The dots kept leading us forward.

In every call, God has always been gra-cious in giving us an unique assurance. At an evangelism conference hosted by Threshold Ministries at Lake Simcoe, ON,

Grahme Spear showing off the “Mission Discovery Map”

THE DOTTED JOURNEY

Parish of St. Thomas Anglican Church in Morden

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At the very beginning, there was a sense of excitement about reconnecting as pas-tor and parish to look and listen for signs of His leading. As I visited from house to house, stories of faith were rekindled, ques-tions asked, and one by one, various people reached out to embrace a living relation-ship with Jesus. This new life spilled over into the spirit of our worship. A new lady to the parish was prompted to become an “Alongsider,” daily praying for the pastoral team and the various ministries of the par-ish. Twelve people came forward to form a parish prayer team coordinated by a re-turning retired couple. This senior con-gregation felt a freedom to step into multi-media projection in presenting the Sunday liturgy. How wonderful when a 100-year old man tells others, “I’m glad I came to worship; it was so refreshing.”

I have often been caught by the scripture “Do not despise the little things.” (Zecha-riah 4:10) One of the most important little nudges in our dotted journey was the de-velopment of a simple “Mission Discovery Map.” The congregation was asked, “What are you already doing to serve the Lord as

a congregation and as individuals?” The resulting map surprised and encouraged the small congregation by the extent of mission - locally, nationally, and internationally - in which it was already involved. The question in the mind of some was “if St. Thomas’ did not exist, would its presence be missed?” The Holy Spirit answered with a resounding, “yes!” This simple exercise was the catalyst to spur other members to step forward to offer time, talent, treasure, and testimony.

It has been exciting to have the pasto-ral privilege to watch the dots of God’s presence calling people back to worship and forward in service, one small step at a time over the past eleven months as we grow both in spirit and in numbers. I look with anticipation and expectation to what will be (in Paul Harvey’s words) “the rest of the story” of St. Thomas that personally began for me in a pasture!

Written byThe Revd Grahme Spearserving in Morden, AB

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hurting individuals, after receiving some loving encouragement have exclaimed with thankfulness that the “food is just a bonus!” People are remarkably open to prayer. We have seen a number of healings. “Gary” was so thrilled after experiencing tremendous relief from pain and release from breathing issues caused by a large lump near his heart. He said, “All of this time going to the hos-pital and I could have just come here” then added with a smile “this really is a multi-faceted facility.”One of my favorite things to do is to watch the love of God break through people’s pain and anger. A very frail and sick young woman came in with cervical cancer. She bleeds continually and is in constant pain. As I listened to her story I felt compelled to pray for her. She told me that she believes in “spiritualism prayer”, to which I replied, “I only pray in Jesus name.” When she told me that she did not believe in God I said “no matter, He believes in you.” It was then that she started to express her deep anger at Him for all of the horrible abusive and trau-matic things that have happened to her in her life. I told her about how Job and King David expressed their anger to God and how God’s response was to simply present Himself. It is a response of love. I explained that if she let all of her anger out on God that His response to her would be to look at her with deep tenderness and say, “Oh Susan.” And with that I wrapped my arms

When the Barrie Food Bank was found-ed in 1984 by a group of area churches, part of their vision was, “What you give or receive [here] is an expression of the Love of Christ. It is our desire that you

receive this love in your spirit and soul as well as your body.”After almost 30 years, we still have this same vision. Because we serve over 30,000 clients a year, distribute 860,000 pounds of food, have a full operating warehouse with load-ing dock, floor scale and lift truck, it would be so easy to do social service for social ser-vice’s sake. It is imperative that we do what we do with the right motivation or we are in danger of just going through the motions and although filling a physical need, missing our true calling.The morning drop in, where clients pick up bread and other products that we have an ex-cess of, can sometimes see up to 90 people in one day. In the afternoon program we gener-ally serve 50 to 60 families a day three times a week. For this full order program where clients are receiving a grocery cart full of food, we review client’s income and expenses in a private interview. This process validates need but also provides an amazing opportu-nity for referrals to other resources, encour-agement and a listening ear. Most of our cli-ents are in crisis and hurting, they are very vulnerable emotionally and spiritually. It is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate and share God’s love. Quite a few isolated and

I SEE GOD WORKING

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Written by Michelle Simonswho serves as Director of Community Relations at

the Barrie Food Bank

Michelle Simons (rt) with a produce donor (lf)

around this tiny woman. As I held her, I prayed that God’s deep love and healing oil would flow through her. She crumpled in my arms and said, “Oh that feels so good!” She had felt the Holy Spirit move physically through her. She left that day in a very different state from when she came. I watched someone go from flaky spirituality, to unbelief, to crippling anger and then tangibly experiencing the Love of God all in a span of five minutes. Nothing can stop God from ex-pressing His Love. “Tina” has the kind of high-strung, wired, hyper en-ergy that can make you feel tired when you’re around her. We were talking about her year-long sobriety and spiritual awakening, as she called it when she pulled out a very beautiful purple crystal. She told me with great delight how this rock had brought her such good fortune and how she had come to buy it in a new age shop all the while passionately fondling it. I told her I know the God who made that rock. I painted a picture of someone getting water from pipe coming out of a wall only to discover that in reality it is not a wall but

Michelle operatingthe fork lift

a dam behind which is a beautiful lake full of water and brimming with life. She understood the anal-ogy that there is so much more power available to her through the one true God than through her new age crystal. After I held her hand and prayed for her, I said, “I just felt something go up your arm.” With surprise she said “you’re right!” and then noticed how calm she had become. She experienced the power of God un-deniably! I believe that the Love of Christ that our founders talked of looks like this: Honoring people for who they are and where they are at all the while not leaving them there. My prayer for “Tina” is that rather than prefer the com-pany of stones that she would have the confidence to crawl up into the lap of her Heavenly Father and ex-perience the Love He has for her.

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Continuing with her ministry at Saint James Lakewood, Janet Edwards also spent her summer in the library at the National Ministry Centre, completing an inventory of the books/resourc-es and arranging an updated and useful database.

This summer, Merv Budd at Equipping Evangelists worked on a new website will allows for the purchase and download of their training DVDs online. He and others at E2 also prepared for the autumn launch of three new networks in Flesherton, ON, and Ottawa, ON.

Paul Simons spent the summer developing and adjusting the Equipping Evangelists training materials, preparing them for the new networks that launch this fall. He also pre-pared for upcoming catalytic information events hap-pening this November.

It was a busy summer for Art Nash. He spent his time leading services, Communion, weddings, and funerals as assistant at St. Nicholas Church and Trinity Church in Halifax, as well as a few services in Cape Breton. He’s praising God for continued im-provements in his health.

Threshold Staff 2013 Summer Highlights

more updates con’t on next page...10

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Kathy Bell continued her cross-cultural outreach this summer, taking a

Christian family of new Canadians to a Christian camp, as well as tutoring a Christian Pakistani woman.

She also kept in touch with several Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim people in her area.

Over the summer, Philip Noll presented the “Anger Resolution Seminar” by Bill Gothard of “Institute in Basic Life Principles”. Attendance was not large, but the ministry was an effective blessing to those who attended. They plan to present it again this fall.

Walter Marshall and wife Lois took the summer to rest and re-energize for their continued ministry this fall, and the new challenges and excitements they are expecting to face.

more updates con’t on next page...11

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Andrew Robertson kept busy this summer, preparing and helping present a Paul-themed VBS to his community, as well as continuing to help with services at his church. He recently helped organize an extension of the Open Arms after school program that aims to improve students’ reading and writing skills. The Robertsons ask for continued prayer as Valerie begins

treatments for cancer.

This summer’s big event for Rob Langmaid was transferring from St. John the Baptist in Watson Lake, YT to The Church of the Northern Apostles, Whitehorse, YT. He also organized an end-of-the-summer youth retreat.

As well as organizing a summer VBS, Debora Kantor helped to develop a bible fellowship group for summer residents. She is currently working on two new educational approaches that they hope to soon implement, Godly Play and a Youth Alpha course.

A wonderful event happened mid summer: after leading a Morning Prayer service, Bruce Smith was asked to go and visit an elderly lady. She had recently experienced failing health, which served as a wake-up call for her. As he met with her, there was much room to share the Gospel. When all was said and done, the first words out of her mouth were: “I feel complete. I

was a lost soul. I know I need God.” She now wants to be a member of the congregation and make new friends who can help her in her journey with Christ.

...Summer Updates Continued

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LEADERS UNITE GLOBALLYSHARING VISION IN THE UK

Church Army International leaders from around the world gathered in Sheffield UK earlier this month (April 4-11, 2013) where they considered the future of evangelism and sharing best practice.Leaders representing Church Army’s work in nine countries flew in for the conference including those from Africa, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and the USA.The purpose of Church Army Interna-tional is to facilitate communication, co-operation, fellowship and shared vision between the Church Army societies and to promote the growth of Church Army’s ministry worldwide.The conference took place at Church Army UK’s home, the Wilson Carlile Centre, and during their stay the leaders preached in local churches and visited The Marylebone Project in London which is a hostel supporting homeless women. Sheffield MP, Paul Blomfield, also paid them a visit.Founded in 1929, Threshold Ministries (the Canadian sister organization) has been an active member of the Church Army International for Canada. A fel-lowship for the international leadership, offering support and resources. During

the gathering, the ‘Sheffield Decla-ration’ was adopted by the leaders, upholding the founding principles and the vision as set out by founder, Wilson Carlile CH.Threshold Ministries National Direc-tor, Shawn C. Branch, said: “This gathering offered us a time of encour-agement and support. Globally, we are facing similar challenges, and are also having similar celebrations. It was a great time of learning from one another and to challenge each other. The global ministry of Church Army is having a great impact on thousands of people across the globe!”

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Church ArmyInternational:

United Kingdom &Ireland, Canada,

USA, New Zealand, Africa, Australia,

Jamaica, Barbados,Denmark and Vanuatu

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One evening, while Lezlie, Barbara and Erick were handling the initial rush of people, I talked with a visitor in the motorhome. I reflected on how the dynamics have changed in the 3 years I’ve been volunteering.

In the beginning, we left the door open, but visitors would not come in. They preferred to make their requests from the open door and stay outside. Today, 8 or more visitors come in and sit down while up to a dozen more wait their turn outside. They engage in conversation while waiting their turn for soup and sandwiches. I wondered out loud about the change. A regular, known by everyone as “Mama Bear” piped up, “You know why that is, don’t you? It’s Trust.” How precious it is to have earned our place in their community.

Being recognized, accepted and trusted is such a big and fragile affirmation of our ministry at the corner of Vancouver St. and Pandora Ave.

Written by David Kilshaw - Street Hope Volunteer

TOGETHER WE CARE,BEFRIEND & ENCOURAGE

Visitors and Volunteers at the Street Hope RV New Visitors we are Getting to Know

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We remain convinced that dependency on God is foundational to this ministry, and we are thankful for His continued answer to our prayers. Please join us in praying for this ministry.

We give thanks for:• continued provision in the practical needs

of the ministry• the compassion He gives us for those we

encounter and ask Him for continued wisdom and caring hearts as we respond to the significant needs we encounter in many different areas of people’s lives

We pray for: • discernment as we respond to the growth in numbers of people visiting

the Street Hope RV• committed volunteers in different areas of the ministry• those seeking shelter as the weather cools for winter - may we be able to help respond to their needs

Our Needs: • an RV (ours is approaching the end of its lifespan)• a bread slicer• help with food preparation (either regularly or to cover for our food

preparation volunteer when she is away)• permanant and part-time volunteers who can fill in as needed in the RV

Street Hope Victoria is fully funded by your generous donations. If you would like to donate your time, food or funds

toward this street-level ministry in Victoria, BC, please contact:email: info@streethope.org

call: 1-888-316-8169mail: a cheque/money order to

Threshold Ministries made out to“Street Hope Victoria”

online: www.thresholdministries.ca/victoria Street Hope Coordinator Erick Hinton

A recent evening in theStreet Hope RV

ONLINE Get connected with us and stay up-to-date on news and stories from across the country by visiting:

Total IncomeTotal Expenditures

Net Deficit

*figures show the financial outlook of the whole ministry

$843,494.90

$858,453.29

-$14,958.39*

PRAY Join our team of intercessors who pray for us on a regular basis; follow-ing along with our Prayer Diary.

STOCKS & SHARES Some individuals prefer to transfer shares, as their method of partnering.

FINANCIAL GIFTS Our ministry is entirely supported and funded through the sacrificial gifts of our partners, individuals like yourself and church-es, who share our vision. You can give through cheques, money orders, credit card or online through PayPal and Canada Helps. You can also arrange for pre-authorized gift giving (setting up regular donations) which will save you on postage and cheques, and help us with budget planning.

ESTATES Leaving a gift in your will/estate.

SPREAD THE WORD Most growth occurs through word of mouth. Perhaps you have friends or family members who would share our vision and you could let them know about us. We would love to introduce ourselves to them.

www.THRESHOLDMINISTRIES.ca

For more information on any of these options,please feel free to contact our National Ministry Centre hello@thresholdministries.ca - (506)642-2210

@thresholdmin/thresholdministries

PARTNER WITH US

HOW YOU CAN HELP...

Summary of the year to date (Oct/12 - June/13):

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TM Christmas Cards Were you going to buy generic Christmas cards from a store this season? Why not buy them from us and make that money count towards a better life for Canadians and the Kingdom? We have created original Christmas Cards that you can send to your friends and family with all the pro-ceeds going to our street-level ministries across Canada!

Three Easy Ways to Order:ONLINE: www.thresholdministries.ca/christmas

EMAIL: hello@thresholdministries.caTELEPHONE: 1-888-316-8169

Quantities Limited. We except Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Cheque, money order

or Cash.

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20 Cards and Envelopesper package

$25for 20

Cards

TM TRAINING

Mabel Brown Mabel Brown lives in Inuvik, NWT, and comes with a wealth of experi-ence in the community and in the church (Church of the Ascension, Inuvik, NWT). Due to an illness she had to return home to the north before completing her training with Church Army in 2003 but thanks to healing she will be resuming her studies with us in the fall to finish

her training to be a licensed evangelist with TM. (Mabel shown on the left with David Parsons)

Tri TruongTri Truong is currently Chaplain at Northern Gateway Community Chaplaincy (NGCC) in The Pas and is mar-ried to Meredith Lloyd. Previous to NGCC, he has taken part in various other forms of ministry and training in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Denare Beach, and Saskatchewan.

ecently I was asked: “What is Spiritual Formation?” The short answer is found in Isaiah 64:8. This reference to God as a potter reminds us that not only did God create us, but he continues to fashion and mold us in

His image as we serve Him. Henri Nouwen said, “The spiritual life is a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community and relationships.” It is within this context that candidates for training at Threshold Ministries will enter formation.In formation students will be shaped by God’s hand for service as they learn to pray, meditate and appropriate God’s word. In community they will share their journey with others as they are taught and mentored by me and other Threshold Evangelists.In addition to their spiritual formation, academic and theological study will be undertaken at St. Stephen’s University and other partnering schools.Over the course of three years, the students will invest in experience- based learn-ing in the field, as they are supervised and mentored by our seasoned evangelists.Let me introduce you to five of our candidates/Evangelists-in-Training:

WITH DEAN OF FORMATION RUTH JARVIS COLEMAN

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Britney ShawBritney is a recent graduate from the University of New Bruswick in Fredericton with a pysch degree in counseling. She has a great passion for people and for her Lord; she also loves coffee. She has worked as an assistant in the L’arche community and is currently working in Saint John. Britney grew up in Saint John, NB, and will be starting our formation program this fall.

Rob PitmanRob has had a life time of association with Threshold Ministries. He’s be working at St. Luke’s Anglican church since 2005 lead-ing outreach, coordinating meals, cooking and befriending those who come into “The Loaves and Fishes Ministry” which operates in the hall of St. Luke’s in Saint John. Rob will begin his formation with Threshold this

fall with the support of his wife Linda and two children and his local parish. (Rob shown with his family)

Carol-Anne FotyCarol-Anne Foty works as an assistant to the executive director at the Stonegate Ministry Outreach Store in Etobicoke, ON. Carol worked as a pharmacist for many years and since early retirement, has been serving and seeking the Lord in many different ecumenical endeav-ors, wherever the Lord has led her, with the Order of St. Luke the Physician, the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, the School of Healing Prayer (Toronto), and within her parish community, Christ Church St. James Anglican Church.

his fall, we are re-opening the doors of Taylor College for continuing education and formation. We are planning to provide some courses in the evenings and on weekends. Janet Edwards has been leading the charge

to freshen the library. We hope to have a series of readings that will encourage people to come, check out our books and make use of our extensive collection of reading materials. Stay tuned to our website for more information about classes and reading series - www.taylorcollege.ca

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Threshold Ministries Evangelists Lisa and Rod BrantFrancis are a vital part of the small (population of 1,267) northern Cree commu-nity of Wemindji, QC . Located at the mouth of the Maquatua River along the east coast of James Bay, Wemindji is one of nine Cree communities located in northern Quebec. Becoming a part of the community wasn’t easy, Rod and Lisa admit, with lots of cultural and language barriers to over come.

From Southern Ontario, Lisa was commissioned in 1990 and was sent to Saint John, NB to work as Atlantic Children’s Mis-sioner. Rod grew up in central Newfoundland and was similarly commissioned in 1994. He was sent to Saint John to work as port chaplain at the Seafarers’ Mission.

In 1996, they were married.

When their ministry contracts ended, they both entered the secular workforce, spending 2 years in prayer and discernment, both together and with others, as to where God was calling them. They were drawn to return to their roots in Native communities. The call came to them through a series of distinct and different dreams over those two years, dreams that Lisa had prayed for.

One Monday in October 2004 the couple met with Bruce Smith, and by the following Monday they were on their way to Timmins, ON for an interview with the Bishop of Moosonee, Caleb Lawrence. He’d known Lisa for some time as she had worked with him during her training, and he had been praying for her ever since. When they arrived he said, “I’ve been praying for your arrival. I believe the Lord has sent you here.” Bishop Lawrence believed the Lord was call-ing the BrantFrancis’ to Kashechewan, ON, but wanting to make sure they were prepared for their placement, Caleb sent them for a five-day visit. During their stay they led evening ser-vices, a Sunday morning service, kids church, a funeral and lots of visitations. Many people gathered at the rectory after evening service. “What brought you here? Why did you come from so far away?” they asked. Lisa and Rod told the locals about the dreams and about the length of time they and others were praying. An elder in the group with a very limited under-standing of English listened to their story and said, “I understood everything you said and I know why you are here.” He then spoke in Cree to the people outside the church telling them that God had sent the couple to their commu-

MINISTRY IN THECREE COMMUNITY

Lisa and Rod

Lisa and Rod BrantFrancis’ Story

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nity.

When Rod and Lisa left the next morn-ing, they both knew they’d be return-ing. They became part of the Diocese of Moosonee and moved to Kashechewan Feb. 1st, 2005.

Life in Kashechewan was a struggle the 2 years the Brantfrancis’ lived there. The community, being very poor and over-populated, was in constant crisis. Dealing with flooding and evacuations became a monthly, if not weekly event. Throughout the lows, the people came together for weekly prayer meetings and gatherings. They describe this time as a wonderful introduction to the customs and way of life of the Cree people of James Bay. The final flood and evacua-tion they experienced in Kashechewan left their home and church condemned, leaving them with only the items in hand, homeless and very sick from mold.

For 6 months they prayed for direc-tion while living out of a backpack and staying with family, with frequent visits to the hospital. This is when they got the call from Bishop Lawrence to go to Wemindji QC for, what they thought, would only be a temporary placement.It took a year or two to adjust to life in Wemindji for two main reasons: 1.) The community had an understanding that

Photos of Rod and Lisa’s Ministry in Wemindji, Quebec

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they were only supposed to be there for a few months, which made it take a lot lon-ger for people open up. 2.) Kashechewan relationships were built much faster due to the community coming together in crisis and emergencies through song and prayer.

Eventually, however, they became an in-tegral part of the community. Today, Lisa and Rod have been building their ministry in Wemindji for 7 years. Strong friend-ships have developed and they’ve had many ministry opportunities in building and sharing faith which include preach-ing three services every Sunday (one for 3 different languages), youth, afterschool, and Sunday school programs, ladies and elders gatherings, with the regular funer-als, weddings, building openings, ceremo-nies and school events crammed between. Monthly baptisms are numerous, with an average of 3-4 children per month being baptized. This has turned into a great way to connect with the young families in the community. To date they have baptized almost 250 people!

Rod and Lisa ask for prayer to raise up more leaders and committed members in their church. They would like to send a big THANK YOU to you, the supporters, for all your prayers. Prayers that helped bring forth fruit for God’s kingdom through their ministry – “A life of sharing and car-ing for the people to show them Jesus.”

NATIONAL2013GATHERING

It was the best of times and… the best of times, as Evangelists, Board Mem-bers and friends gathered in Toronto to revisit the very reason for this movement, Threshold Ministries.

They came from as far north as Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit, as west as Victoria, east as St. John’s, and as south as Aliquippa Pennsylva-nia. Lay and ordained, Anglican, Unit-ed, Baptist, Pentecostal and Vineyard, – all gathered to give thanks for how and why this mission was launched 141 years ago in England and nearly 85 years ago in Canada.

All were reminded of this basic truth: to understand the reason for Thresh-old Ministries, we need to understand the founder, namely Wilson Carlile.

Following his conversion to Christ, Carlile penned the following:“I have seen the crucified and risen Lord as truly as if He had made Him-self visible to my bodily sight. That is

for me the conclusive evidence of His existence. He touched my heart, and old desires and hopes left it. In their place came the new thought that I might serve Him and His poor and suffering breth-ren.”

This passion would soon serve to rally many others into an evangelistic movement – with the same vision and commitment to encourage and enable ordinary Christian people to live the good news of Jesus Christ in such a way that others would be attracted to follow Him.

Such are the roots of this ministry and such is the passion today. Threshold Ministries strives in ‘helping to bring people from all walks of life into a living relationship with Jesus Christ and with His people” and enabling them to do the same.

It is crucial, for any ministry and for every Christian, to remember their roots and call. scripture shows

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ACTIO

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that the word ‘remember’ occurs at least 166 times – 130 of those in the Old Tes-tament, with another 36 in the New.

Walter Marshall, Director Emeritus, led us in daily morning devotions designed to help us remember the Christ we are following, the world we are serving, and to ‘fix our eyes on Him’, staying true to the call, no turning back. Presentations were shared concerning our international and national history, along with testimonies and memories from Wally Corey (class of ’57) and Terry Buckle (class of ’62). We were also honoured to have Wally Stuckless (class of ’59) and Don Paterson (class of ’56) present to inspire and motivate us in keeping the course.

Dr. Wanda Malcolm, psychologist and lecturer at Wycliffe College, emphasized the need for evangelists to keep well, in body, mind and spirit. Curtis Legiehn led the gathering each evening into a place of worship and thanksgiving. Prior to Da-vid Parsons leading us in the Lord’s super, Shawn Branch reminded us of the need to honour our roots by serving as evangelists in and through the Church, working with all who share the same heartbeat for the Gospel.

With final goodbyes, the gathering became a scattering once more, remembering our roots while reimagining a future where men and women will walk in free-dom, in love, truth and peace, and in the light of the Lord.

Prayer with David Parsons

Terry Buckle (lf) & Wally Corey (rt)

Morning devotions with

Walter Marshall

Worship withCurtis Legiehn

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“Who is our community?” Tommy Tsui, English pastor at Hamilton’s Grace Mandarin Alliance church, was surprised at how long it took to answer this question. Tommy has been attend-ing the Hamilton Equipping Evange-lists Network since it started earlier this year. He has been bringing several of the younger, second generation stu-dents with him to the Network. To his delight the 16 year olds were very inter-ested and it provided a great environ-ment to dream. The main congregation is focused upon reaching the Chinese community, but for the second generation students, defining who their community was, wasn’t as obvious. Eventually they de-termined it was the lives of the people within their circle of influence; those with whom they rubbed shoulders with every day. “I know it seems obvious now,” admits Tommy, “but before we articulated who our community was we didn’t know what we were doing. Once we identified our community we were able to concentrate on reaching out to

www.EQUIPPINGEVANGELISTS.com

ENABLING EVANGELISTS TO SERVE THE LOCAL CHURCHWritten by Merv Budd

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them.”It was the very first introductory DVD, Living as the Church in the Borderlands, by Gary Nelson, which really got them thinking about how they can go to their community. They found that because they were a predominantly Chinese congregation, when Caucasian friends did attend they didn’t feel comfortable. This is where the idea for a lunch drop in center near Westdale high school began. Although they aren’t allowed in the high school, they were able to rent a room from another church next door. They launched just six weeks before the end of the school year, offering pizza and conversations every Thursday. The students really jumped at inviting their friends to what they call “the Westdale Venture.” By the end of the year they even had a Bible study which the stu-dents really enjoyed.They are planning on holding some video nights to help keep connected and follow up over the summer and then re-launch in the fall. Students at-tending other schools have heard about

it and have expressed interest in a drop in near their schools also! Regarding his E2 Network, Tommy has found it really helpful. “One of the concepts that was really revolutioniz-ing to me was that evangelism is not just something you do, but integral to the whole church. Sometimes we think that evangelism is just having a Gospel Rally or event, but it’s so much more.” The participants have found that the Network has helped them to ask some really fundamental questions and they love how the network pushes one another and holds one another ac-countable to not just meet but to do something. “It’s not a small commit-ment for participants.” They also love learning from other Network partici-pants. Not only can they glean advice but they find it so encouraging to see other churches and Network leaders attempting ideas to bring evangelistic change. Tommy said, “I would highly recommend an E2 Network” If you would like to see an E2 network in your community, we’d love to help make it happen. The process is simple, together we arrange a date for a cata-lytic event where pastors and church leaders are invited for lunch or dessert to hear an inspiring message about the need for evangelism and about what’s involved in an E2 Network. Those who

are interested will sign up for more information. An E2 Associate will be trained and a launch date will be arranged. Those who are interested will come to the Network launch with people from their church who have been designated by the church leadership to help to equip their churches to grow in their evange-listic faithfulness. If they like what they see they will register and pay their net-work fee for the first phase. Please visit the Equipping Evangelist website for more information or con-tact Paul Simons to begin conversa-tions about a Network in your com-munity.

CATALYTIC

The Revd Merv Budd is the leader of Equipping Evangelists

and Senior Pastor of NorthBurlington Baptist Church.

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STREET HO

PE This past summer we at have had the privilege of responding to the

needs of many people through one on one ministry. We held several park outreaches that have offered people an opportunity to be fed physically and to be nourished spiritually with the love of Christ; we also got involved in the community through our Mercy Centre. And of course, we held our annual Father’s Day golf tournament to raise funds for our continued min-istries in Peterborough.

Our summer outreach took on a new ministry opportunity this year by of-fering people living in the downtown area a free barbecue in Victoria Park. These barbecues included live music, preaching, and lots of food for people

to enjoy! The gatherings gave our volunteers an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with needy people in

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practical ways by offering friendship and a listening ear as people enjoyed food, conversations, and Gospel music. It was also a pleasure to proclaim the message of God’s word to hungry souls in these outreaches. Jesus said in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Another way we have been meeting the needs of individuals this past summer is through our Mercy Centre, where we offer free furniture and clothing to help people make a new start. Recently we were able to help a lady and her four children to furnish their home with beds, dressers, lamps, and other items as she continues to re-establish her life in this city. Another man who desper-ately needed furniture in order to have his children live with him was blessed with beds, dressers, small appliances and other items for his apartment. What a joy it is to see God using items that people would just throw away to help people find hope for their lives. We are so grateful for the many people Jesus has touched to call us and offer their trea-sures for us to share with others!

On June 15th, 77 golfers gathered at the Tamarac Golf and Country Club in Enn-ismore, ON to participate in Street Hope Peterborough’s 4thAnnual Father’s Day Golf Fundraising event. A Kia Soul, our hole-in-one prize, was positioned just inside the entrance to the club. The pos-sibility of winning a car generated much excitement among attendees, as did a

SIMPLYRESPONDING TO NEED

Written by Darrin Gaudreau

A Street Hope volunteer delivering free furniture and clothing.

hole-in-one prize of $5,000 at hole 2, generously donated by the Investors Group.

The golf course was beautiful and the weather could not have been more perfect; we enjoyed a cool breeze throughout the day with sunny skies overhead. When participants reached the clubhouse at hole 9, everyone enjoyed a delicious barbecue with a variety of salads, pre-pared by the golf club. At the end of the tournament, the golf club tallied the scores for each team and the winning team received a complimentary en-graved hat and first pick at our prize table. The winning team was defending champions from last year, and their names will be placed on our golf trophy once again!

Following the ceremonies at the country club, we traveled to The Mercy of God Church to enjoy a wonderful prime rib dinner with other supporters. Approxi-mately 50 people gathered to enjoy a delicious meal followed by a hymn sing with The Mercy of God worship band and Jayne

This project is fully funded by your generous donations. If you would like to donate clothing,

furniture or funds to this ministry,please contact Darrin at

darrin.gaudreau@thresholdministries.caor call (705)768-5550.

You can also give online atwww.thresholdministries.ca/

peterborough

Todd. We were able to give away many prizes to people during our evening program as well. The total fundraising number from the day was approximately $4000! Thank you so much for all of your support in helping to make this day such a great success.

What a great summer it has been to demon-strate the love and mercy of Jesus with lost hurting people! We look forward to resuming our Movie and Meal, Equipping Evangelists Network, and other outreaches as well dur-ing our fall season of ministry. Thank you for all of your prayer and financial support for our work and outreach in the city of Peter-borough. This ministry could not continue without your generous support!

SIX TIPS FOR EVANGELISM

Know Your Story: In Mark 5, Je-sus heals a demon possessed man. When the man begs to follow

Jesus, Jesus instructs him to tell his testi-mony to others: “But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them every-thing the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them” (Mark 5:19-20). Your testimony is a powerful tool for helping others to understand the personal and miraculous power of Christ! Know your story, and be ready to share.

The Impact of Prayer: Be praying for the people around you. Make a list of people you

know who are seeking faith, and pray over those names every day, even if just briefly. Offer to pray

for family, friends, and neighbours who express their concerns to you. Be sincere and honest when talking about prayer with non-believers; you may be sur-prised by how much most people appreciate a genuine offer of prayer.

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2

Build Genuine Relationships: Think of all the Scriptures about Paul becoming fast friends with those he evangelized to. They wept when he left, and when he returned again they rejoiced together. Paul had person-

al and genuine relationships with the people he was sent to share the gospel with, and as a result, they loved, trusted, and respected him and his beliefs. Creating relationships with the people you meet and evangelize to is impor-tant! Make sure others know that you (and Jesus) care about them; if people trust and respect you, they’ll trust and respect the things you place your faith in as well!

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CREATING

To help and encourage you in sharing your faith with your community!

Be a Community Activist: Jesus spent much of his time traveling from place to place, being a part of various communities, both preaching the word and helping those in need. Don’t be afraid to get involved in your community! Strike up conversations in coffee shops and super market

line-ups and soccer games; get involved in local outreach and community service. By following the example of Christ, you can live a lifestyle of genuine service that’s Biblical and practical.

Make Faith Connections: Have you ever asked a friend, acquaintance, or even complete stranger about their faith? Whether they are an athe-ist, a Christian, a Moslem, or of any belief system (or non-system!),

most people have an opinion on faith and what it means to them personally. Instead of talking only about your faith and beliefs, ask someone else about theirs, and allow the shared trust and experience that will grow between you to open doors and soften hearts to the gospel message! Sometimes the greatest thing you can do for another person is to listen, rather than talk.

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4

Be What You Believe: Jesus said in Matthew, “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person

produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.” (Matt. 12:35). Simply have a Christ-like atti-tude in everyday life. When you live and act in a way that’s holy and above reproach (and often set apart from the ways of the world!) you will turn heads. Trust in the Lord to use your lifestyle to open doors of opportunity, and when the Holy Spirit leads you to share the gospel, don’t be afraid!

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September 1.) Youth Retreat presented by the Diocese of Yukon – Christ Church Cathedral, Whitehorse (August 30 - September 1)

24.) Check It Out Reading Series - featuring C.S. Lewis - Taylor College

October 5.) Annual Ottawa Supporters Luncheon, with guest speaker Harold Percy - St. Richard’s Anglican Church, Nepean, ON

14-21.) Formation Week - Saint John, NB

20.) Threshold Commitment Service for Evangelists-in-Training. 6:30PM at All Saints Church, 35 Park Avenue, Saint John, NB. A warm welcome to all supporters and friends in the area as our evangelists-in-training mark the beginning of their formation and training.

22.) Check It Out Reading Series - featuring Jean Vanier - Taylor College

November 19.) Check It Out Reading Series - feat. Anthony Bloom - Taylor College

20-21.) Catalytic Information event by Equipping Evangelists

30.) Supporters Advent Lunch - 11:30am – 2:00pm. RSVP required - Rich mond Hill Country Club - 8905 Bathurst Street, Richmond Hill, ON.

2014 Save the Date Late January - Vancouver Island Support Event

February 2.) Threshold’s 85th Anniversary

May 13-16.) National Gathering

THRESHOLDEVENTS CALENDAR

SUMMER INTERN

For more information on these events and others, please visit www.thresholdministries.ca/events/ or phone (506)642-2210

Threshold was blessed with a summer student to help out at the National Ministry Centre this summer. Alexa Dakin is a college student from Saint John, NB. She is returning to New York for her second year at Houghton College. Join us in praying for Alexa and her studies this school year!

Written by Hilary A. Branch

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I’ve heard many stories of the historic Thursday Night Prayer Meetings on Brunswick Avenue in Toronto ON - the fellowship, breakthroughs, teach-ings and community that was developed.

It wasn’t Thursday night that was special - it was spending time with one another in worship and in prayer. As Threshold Evangelists and Support-ers, we are a dispersed group of people, and at times it seems impossible to support one another, let alone keep up on what has been happening. Just as God’s love is far wider, longer, higher, and deeper than we can com-prehend, so is the bond that we share in doing the work of the Kingdom together.

For those in the Saint John NB area, please join us this Fall as we relaunch our evening prayer and worship at the National Ministry Centre. Begin-ning Monday, August 12, 2013, from 6:30 - 8:30, we will gather on 2nd & 4th Mondays to share, to pray, and to give thanks. For those at a distance, we are looking into opportunities for you to join us.

For more information, contact Hilary:email: hilary.branch@thresholdministries.ca

web: www.thresholdministries.ca/prayernight

WHEN TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED

Hilary leading worship at the National Gathering

CATALYTIC

Written by Hilary A. Branch

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