Shame is one of the most universal human experiences. Whether we are young or old, students or teachers, leaders or followers, all of us can identify with the sting of failure. For many pastors and ministry leaders this season of division and loss has brought with it deep feelings of inadequacy and exhaustion. How do we combat the feeling in our souls that we aren’t enough, or that we don’t measure up?

If you are looking for a piece of advice this Easter season, I can provide one from the outset: Never move a piano. At the very least, never try to move one on your own.

As we enter Holy Week, let’s remember Barabbas, who might enrich our sense of Easter. Usually we recall how this man, who killed in a failed rebellion against Rome, was released by Pontius Pilate and how Jesus took his place on the cross. Yet when Scripture becomes silent, Barabbas fades from our attention.

Will I ever be like Jesus in this life? Will I ever really have Christ’s insight and wisdom? Could I ever be that free of the love of money or the need for human approval? Could I ever gladly die for someone who hated me and wanted to kill me? Could I be that surrendered to the Father’s will? That’s a big question, isn’t it?

Conference Council members met by Zoom on November 20, 2021, starting at 10 a.m. CT, to give opportunities for boards to report and make recommendations on the work of the Conference.

First wave of refugees: 1980s

from the Soviet Invasion

The Soviet invasion caused the first wave of Afghan refugees as millions flooded into Pakistan, Iran and India.

At the same time, Afghans began to resist the Soviets and Kabul government, which birthed the Afghan mujahideen (holy warriors). The U.S. saw an opportunity to oppose the Soviets by supporting the Afghan warriors. Islamic enthusiasts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and elsewhere, joined with the mujahideen in “short-term mission” service—an ideal chance for young radicals to practice jihad. Osama bin Laden was one such warrior, and he started the al-Qaeda Islamic party

Winnipeg, Manitoba

On October 17, 2021, Kingdom Life Church (KLC) members met together at St. Vital EMC in Winnipeg, Man., with whom they have established a formal partnership. This service marked the official opening of KLC as part of the EMC, under the leadership of I and P, workers supported by the EMC Church Planting Task Force.

An interview with a single man

Life stories can be told in many ways. Come with me for a bit. I’ll take you through the chapters of my life, starting with my childhood.

I grew up as a missionary kid in Pakistan. We had a jungle gym in our backyard and, very often, my sister and I would sit on the swings and play a game in which we would imagine we were grown up and living out the most ideal life we could think of: we were missionaries in the Peruvian jungle, with about 10 kids each. We homeschooled our kids and were, of course, the perfect missionary families.

I remember the first time meeting the post-secondary student advisor from my home reserve of Fisher River Cree Nation, I had never met anyone from here before and I was nervous.

Have you ever seen a vehicle where the dash in front of the driver is full of papers or books? It has scraps of notes, receipts, work sheets from a project or any other such thing cluttering up the top of the dash.