vocations package

In 1882 a young pastor based at St Mary Abbots Church, London UK named Wilson Carlile saw a Church that was disengaged with many people, and was out of touch. He wanted the church to do more to share faith through words and action by mobilizing ordinary people to share the good news of the gospel.

In 1929, under the leadership of Arthur Casey, a team launched the Canadian branch, with the same vision and commitment that Carlile and his team shared - reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through words and actions

Over 80 years later, the cultural context throughout the country has changed several times over since the first group was trained in Toronto ON and so has our ministry but our purpose has remained constant -

Threshold Ministries exists to help bring people from all walks of life into a living relationship with Jesus Christ and His people.

We are becoming more responsive to the changing mission context that we are in. We are striving to become more of a movement than an institution.

We have an expectation that people who apply to join us as evangelists are willing to move away from home to train and engage in ministry.

Canada is quickly becoming a challenging mission field.

Candidates Department, Threshold Ministries, 105 Mountain View Drive, Saint John, NB E2J 5B5T: (506) 642-2210 ・ T: 1-888-316-8169 ・ E: [email protected] ・ W: www.thresholdministries.ca

We are looking for peoplewho are gifted and called

to work withthe churched, the unchurched and among

those who are marginalizedthroughout the country.

purpose, values & vision

Preface:As an interdenominational Order of Evangelists, we value our historic relationship with the Anglican Church. The further development of our ministry will honour this relationship while intentionally increasing our additional partnerships with the wider Christian church.

Purpose:Threshold Ministries exists to help bring people from all walks of life into a living relationship with Jesus Christ and His people.

Values:We will strive to follow our values in all we do -• Listening to God: We take time to be open to God, willing to listen and open to change.• Respect: We recognize that all people are created in the image of God and that all people are

valued by God.• Professionalism: We strive for the highest standards in all that we do.• Partnership: We are part of Christian community, called to work with each other, with compatible

organization and the wider church

Vision:To be a leading organization in the training, equipping and releasing of Evangelists, to assist the Church in becoming more ‘Jesus-shaped’ in communicating the Gospel.

Threefold Focus:Catalytic Ministriesworking with local churches; equipping men and women to reach out into the neighbourhoods; giving the tools and resources to effect Kingdom change.Creating Thresholdsplanting missional communities for those who might not attend a ‘traditional’ church; and seeking to transform broken communities.Street Hope street-level drop-ins across the country; that come alongside those on the streets to mentor, bring hope and help re-integrate them into their communities.

in action

Threshold Ministries evangelists work in a variety of different contexts and ways. We have a broad understanding of evangelism that will include people coming to a living faith in Jesus and serving the needs of people and communities. We share our faith through words and actions.

If you want to find out more about the different ways we work, we would be happy to arrange a visit with one of our local evangelists.


what sort of people become evangelists?

Evangelists come to Threshold Ministries from an enormous variety of backgrounds. There are people who have plenty of academic qualifications while others come with virtually none. We have people of all ages and traditions within the Christian Church.

All applicants will have been involved in evangelism and some will have started up new pieces of outreach. Some have been Christians all their lives; others have come to faith recently.

Threshold Ministries has designed a means to explore your calling to see if Threshold Ministries is the right place for your ministry. This is a continuous process of assessment and we will be there with you and your family as you seek God’s will for your future.

During the process we will seek the guidance and opinions of others within your church, from the wider church and from other Threshold Ministries Evangelists.

You will need to be able to access email.

This process will help you to present your experience, skills, character and potential as an evangelist in various contexts.

The areas that we explore with you are:• Your calling• Evangelism• Can you thrive and cope with full-time ministry?• Your spiritual life• Are you a learner? • Do you have the right mind set to benefit from training and

grow in ministry?• What it means to be a part of this community of evangelists

known as Threshold Ministries.

We will also check a few practical matters:• You must be willing to offer 5 years service after training.• You need to be at least 18 years of age. We will treat applicants over 55 years on an individual basis.• You will need to be a regular member of a Christian church.• You need to be a legal resident of Canada.• If you have served a custodial sentence, you will need to have completed several years of productive

rehabilitation.• If married or engaged, then your partner will need to supportive of your sense of call.• If single, you will need to be celibate.• If divorced, you will need to have worked through all the implications of this.• You will need to have settled all major financial commitments and be free of unreasonable levels of

debt.


The initial response of many people is a feeling of not being good enough or not measuring up to the criteria. Perhaps that is how you are feeling as you read this. We might feel inadequate, but God is not! The training that we provide will go a long way to help you prepare for a call to the edge.

If you are worried, contact us. We will be happy to talk about your personal situation.

discernment process

The selection process that Threshold Ministries uses is to help Threshold Ministries and candidates discern whether full time ministry is right for a candidate and that they are ready and able to benefit from the training that we offer.

These criteria are used to determine the suitability of candidates wishing to train with us for ministry and to discern God’s call. During training, candidates undergo continuous assessment as to their progress and suitability for full-time ministry.

The following criteria defines the qualities, experiences, skills and potential that we are looking for in someone who wishes to train to become a Threshold Ministries Evangelist. These criteria include a description of what we are looking for.

Selectors will look at each candidate individually and the weight that certain criterion will have in a candidate’s progress may differ from that of others. What Selectors will be looking for is an overall balance of criteria, that determines whether a person’s calling is the right fit for Threshold Ministries:

CallingA candidate for Threshold Ministries must be an evangelist who has a sense of calling on their lives. That call may come from within themselves or from others. That call must be realistic, given who they are and their potential; they must be able to fulfil their vocation and have the aptitude and capacity to undertake the proposed ministry after training. That call will be evidenced by a love for people and how they have obeyed God in their lives.

A candidate must understand the cost and implications of that call on their lives and the lives of their family and have that call tested and owned by others within the church. We will be asking candidates to recall times when they have had to take a risk or made sacrifices in their faith journey.

Evidence of EvangelismWe are looking for candidates who are already engaged in evangelism and service to those within and outside the church. We need to be satisfied that candidates are evangelists and that they are exercising

that gift with the opportunities that they have.

InitiatorWe are looking for candidates who demonstrate the potential to start up a new project around perceived opportunities. They need to demonstrate creative and innovative thinking to problems and opportunities.


VisionaryWe will be looking for candidates who are able to tease out what God is doing, who can demonstrate “out of the box” thinking and can inspire and encourage people with vision.

Reflective PractitionerA candidate must be someone who can reflect on situations, learn from them and make appropriate changes for the future.

Team: Leader & memberThere are many different types of leaders. We will be looking for people who can take a lead in starting up new Christian communities and activities and who can inspire and encourage others to follow them. A leader is someone who others can emulate and follow. We will be looking for people who are able to function as part of a team and be an asset to the teams that they belong to.

Communication SkillsAt the heart of evangelism is the ability to communicate the good news. We will be looking for candidates who can demonstrate effective use of a wide range of communication skills. These will include person to person skills; public speaking and other forms of communication.

Candidates, who have not had many opportunities to exercise a wide range of communication skills, must satisfy the advisory panel of their potential to acquire and use these skills in training.

Robustness & TenacityAll ministry can be tough on people and we will need to be assured that candidates and their families can cope with these pressures.

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate a commitment to people and contexts, especially during tough and difficult times, who know the limits of their own personal resources and are able to maintain a sense of balance in their lives.

Cope with DiversityWe minister to a wide range of people and contexts. We are looking for candidates who are able to cope and be comfortable with a diverse range of people, contexts, churches and situations

Faith & SpiritualityWe select candidates from a wide spectrum of traditions and backgrounds within the Anglican Church and beyond. We are looking for candidates who have a relationship with God that has transformed them and enabled them to bring transformation to others.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate a vibrant relationship with God that is nourished and underpinned by the regular practice of spiritual disciplines. In addition we are looking for candidates who have a maturity in their discipleship. This maturity is not necessarily marked by the number of years a candidate has been a Christian, but by what they are doing with their faith.

Willingness to LearnWe are looking for candidates who are willing to learn and grow from a wide range of sources. We are looking for people who know that they need to grow and develop.


Ability to LearnLife long learning requires certain skills and attitudes. Threshold Ministries needs to be assured that candidates have these attributes and the skills to benefit and cope with training.

Belonging to Threshold MinistriesThreshold Ministries is a movement that seeks to mutually support, encourage and equip evangelists to work in pioneering contexts. It is a place where evangelists can feel that they belong. We are looking for candidates who will see participation in corporate activities as being an important part of ministry.

how we select evangelists

The selection process that we use has been designed to help you, and us discern if Threshold Ministries is right for you. The process is divided into 3 phases, and there are specific activities and tasks that need to happen in each phase. At the end of each phase we will help you to reflect and assess your experience of the selection process. We will encourage you to keep a journal to help you in this task. You will be supported throughout this process.

You will be expected to participate in a minimum of 2 panel interviews. The panel will then make recommendations as to how best you can proceed and develop your application with us. Our hope is that through this process you will be able to discern your full potential in Christ.

Below is a description of each phase. This process can take anywhere from 6 - 9 months.


Phase 1:Application

Application FormReferences

Declarations

You’ll need to complete an application form, life story (testimony) and provide us with 4 references - one of these must be your minister and another a person who has benefitted or seen you in evangelistic activity.

In addition, we will need to receive signed declarations forms and a completed criminal record check.

Phase 2:Discerning

PortfolioQuiet DayInterview

You will need to reflect some of the items listed in your application form. How you do this is up to you and will provide some guidance and prompts to help you.

We’ll ask you to participate in a quiet day to reflect on your relationship with God.

You’ll also meet with the National Director.

Panel Interview You (and your spouse) will meet with the panel, to assess your progress and make recommendations.

Phase 3:Fit for Purpose

48-hr Mission-Base VisitMedical Report

Assessment

We will arrange for a 48 hour visit to a Threshold Ministries project. It is expect that you provide a response from your visit.

You will be required to complete a medical and have an assessment with an Accredited Counsellor.

Panel Interview You (and your spouse) will meet with the panel, to assess your progress and make recommendations.

training & equipping evangelists

Threshold Ministries has a long reputation for training and equipping evangelists of whatever ages, educational background or tradition.

Training with Threshold Ministries happens “on the job”. You will be required to move to a mission base. This would involve you working in a mission context, as part of a team, mentored on site, gathering periodically with other students in a cluster, and coming together for regional and national ministry gatherings and study intensives. It is in that context that you will train and put into practice the knowledge and skills that you have and have acquired. Mission bases are located in various Canadian centres.

You should be prepared to move from home in order to start training. Some of these bases will include community work, work with vulnerable people, young people, church planting, and work with the elderly.

Initial training can take up to 3 years. Upon completion you will have a Diploma and/or Masters in Ministry through distance learning with St. Stephen’s University (SSU). This course of studies will include two annual 2-week intensives in St. Stephen NB.

St. Stephen’s University’s Department of Ministry Studies provides a rich training ground for people who are called to Christian leadership and would like to devote their working careers to

various forms of church or missions, as well as to callings in the marketplace and workplace. The goal is to provide a way forward for people who would like to grow as thoughtful, caring Christians who will love God, be led by His Spirit and effectively care for people in whatever circumstances they find themselves.

The Ministry Program being offered by St. Stephen University (SSU) is distinctive in several ways:• SSU is trans-denominational in approach with a strong respect for ancient, traditional,

contemporary and emerging forms of church leadership.• SSU blends a serious focus on academics with additional emphases on

practical training and personal spiritual formation• The intention of the program is to develop healthy spiritual leaders

who will be able to build healthy Christian communities.• SSU encourages an ‘ancient-future’ paradigm by studying classical

Christian writers as well as brand new writers and discussing their insights for pastoral care today.

• SSU deeply values the ongoing work of renewal that the Holy Spirit brings to the church in many different ways. The goal is to help each student become a practitioner, not simply an observer.

• SSU includes travel, prayer, study, community life, worship, conversation service a mission as essential elements of Christian formation.

Threshold Ministries believes that by having our students linked with the ministry of SSU, each student will be enriched, deepened, stretched in their understanding of God’s Word and God’s world. The program will help in fashioning the individual student to become the kind of person who will share the good news of Christ in ways that make sense in a quickly changing cultural context.


As a licensed evangelist with Threshold Ministries, you will be expected to continue learning throughout your ministry.

The Diploma and/or Masters in Ministry is based around the methodology of blended work-based learning. You will not only be learning skills that are directly relevant to your future work as an Evangelist but also your daily experience on the mission base will be that of directed learning.

The Training experience is designed to help you in these keys areas:• personal development• being part of the story of the people of God• being part of Threshold Ministries• diversity awareness training• building effective teams• working with the Church• working with secular agencies and networks• communication, sharing faith skills• contextual listening• ministry with the marginalized.• creating a Christian community• project management• growing Christian community.

funding your training

Students with Threshold Ministries have access to grants for financial aid. While the provision of lodging is the responsibility of the host-mission base, the study program through St. Stephen’s University is an expense that is eligible for grant assistance.

Financially resourcing training and ministry is a constant challenge for Threshold Ministries. In any one year it costs approximately $22,000 to support each Evangelist-in-Training through one year of studies. We ask you to join us in this challenge.

The Evangelist Self-Support (commonly referred to as ESS) provides the framework for our approach to individual fundraising. It is based on three concepts: Prayer, Support & Giving.

You will be asked to raise $5000 for a single Evangelist-in-Training and $9000 for married Evangelists-in-training, where both are training. In either case it is expected that you will raise a minimum of $2000 prior to commencing your training.

We are confident that your vision and calling will enable you to find people who will support your vocation. Right from the outset we believe that you are unique and that requires tailor made support to help you raise the finances required to underpin training and ministry.


SupportOnce selected for training, and during the period leading up to training, you can expect one-on-one support from our national team to achieve the minimum target. You will be given full support to attain your personal target. We will assist you in gaining an introductory knowledge of ESS and how you can utilize this in your home setting. Together, an ESS leaflet will be developed that details your present circumstances and your vision for the future. This ESS leaflet will have a clear request to the reader to consider supporting your training. Proper records are kept to ensure supporters are thanked and feel that they are a special part of your ministry long-term.

PrayerWe end where we began, in prayer; believing that God has the vision for your ministry and as such will take you to the doorways, where the resources for your ministry are located. So ask God to take you to that place of abundance! Pray persistently and ask firstly that your supporters pray for you and your ministry.

Neither the hair shirt nor the soft berth will do. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. – Frederick Buechner

For more information, or to pursue your vocation as an evangelist, please contact us:

THRESHOLD MINISTRIESCandidates Department

105 Mountain View DriveSaint John, NB E2J 5B5

T: 1-888-316-8169E: [email protected]


vocations package

Documents

ordinary people

anglican church

traditional church

wider christian church

gospel of jesus christ

living relationship

st mary abbots church

historic relationship