Conference Council delegates gathered on November 25, 2023, in a hybrid meeting. While 22 participated on Zoom from various locations across Canada, 92 met in person at Blumenort Community Church (BCC) in Blumenort, Man.

Discussion summary about “The Four White Pills” — Kid’s Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Biblical Integration, and Genuine Experience.

“Who’s IN?” was the provocative title of the EMC Ministerial meeting held on November 24, 2023. The 79 ministerial members assembled at Pansy Chapel spent the day discussing four variations of that question.

I grew up in Winnipeg until I was sixteen years old. I begin with two brief stories of this formative period that are illustrative of the themes we will explore at the 2024 Leadership Conference to be held at Steinbach Bible College on March 15–16.

The salvation God provides in Jesus (whose name means Deliverer) is the fulfillment of the Scriptures, but it is not the final chapter of this great story nor is it the first. In Noah’s flood, much earlier in the biblical timeline, we see another powerful account of divine intervention to save.

Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra once stated, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” When we are young, the world is before us, and the possibilities seem endless. Then, one day, we wake up on what seems to be a normal day, and we realize that most of life is now behind us and the future just ain’t what it used to be.

The most unforgettable Christmas for me and my family was Christmas of 1972. Just two and a half months earlier, Hilda and I with our two young sons had made the 5,000-mile trip from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, to the fascinating Republic of Nicaragua, our new home and mission field. We had just settled into a unique house in Jinotepe and were trying hard to befriend our neighbours and learn to communicate in Spanish.

Is the good news really good? Many of us believers are feeling less confident about our faith—perhaps even embarrassed by aspects of it.

Do you ever feel a burning pressure inside to sing the visions in the book of Revelation? Strange question.

Every now and then events in history come together in the power of the Spirit and the apocalypse of Jesus explodes in the church with stunning power, and the expectation of Christ’s return is stoked again.

When I share with people about my new work as the EMC Director of Next Generation, many people respond with some comment that indicates they are glad someone is doing this. They often say that this generation is facing more challenges being a follower of Jesus than at any time in history. Well, maybe they don’t say it exactly like that, but I do find that often the conversation turns to the challenges young people face today that those of us who are a little older didn’t face.

On June 3, 2023, Conference Council delegates gathered at Rosenort (Man.) EMC and online on Zoom to manage the business of the EMC. This included approving the closure of Good News Community Church in Steinbach, Man. and approving amendments to the EMC Constitution.

During the June 2, 2023, Ministerial meeting, Cameron McKenzie, Board of Leadership and Outreach (BLO) chair reviewed several documents that have been in process for a few years. The Ministerial Misconduct Policy and the Ministerial Ethics Commitment were both approved by the ministerial and are offered as resources to churches and pastors.