FOMO. I keep hearing that word, which stands for fear of missing out. It reminds me of another word loneliness. As Sheldon and I work in our member care role, people often tell us how lonely they are and how much they long for deeper friendships. I think FOMO and loneliness are pretty common. To be honest, I have struggled with them too.

I have had the privilege of living out what I once only dreamed of as a young man. I remember asking God to make it possible for me to work as a singer-songwriter in a way that would allow me to provide for a family in a stable and healthy way. For more than thirty years now, that prayer has been answered, and I am deeply thankful.

♪As we begin another year, the world we live in encourages us to start new habits, set new goals, and accomplish new achievements. Whether this approach helps you or not, living with purpose takes intentionality, including engaging in spiritual disciplines.

I don’t have a smartphone. Never have. My lack of smartphone does not make me better than others. I know full-throttle phone addicts who are more present, patient and prayerful than me. Pope Francis apparently had 50 million Twitter followers. But, while my status does not confer moral superiority, it does give me a rare viewpoint.

God is a worker. The first thing God reveals about himself in Scripture is that he is a creator and a worker. God chooses to work, and the work of his hands is good. According to Genesis, we were made to be workers to reflect the image of the ultimate Worker.

Due to negative stigma, many Christians distance themselves from the title “fundamentalist,” and I cannot blame them given the current cultural perception. Yet are we right to so readily abandon this designation? While I may have distanced myself from adopting this title given the modern-day interpretation and definition, I am also wary of throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.

The past number of years have seen significant staff changes in the EMC office. One of the consistent staff members for the past 19 years was Erica Fehr. Erica retired at the end of November. Also announcing his resignation is Peter Doerksen. Peter has filled the role of western ambassador for the last few years.

Readers respond to the Sept/Oct 2025 issue, and to the ‘appeal’ series in The Messenger.

♪When resolutions and goals can feel rigid and restrictive, with a pass or fail element to them, there’s a pull toward the freedom to be found in a one-word theme to guide the coming year. While I haven’t chosen a word for the year, “abide” recurs as a theme for this issue.

“As a believer, and an image bearer of God,” Nita says, “my goal in my imaginings is that the life-giving nature, the truth and beauty of God would be made manifest in my work.” Nita’s imagination expresses itself through stained glass.

In an era of loneliness and isolation, one of the gifts we can give is to listen well to others, asking follow-up questions and giving them even more opportunity to be heard.

I am rarely guided by God in decisions the way others report being directed. God never told me to become a pastor, marry my spouse, or go to school. God certainly never told me to live in Winnipeg. God is rarely my spiritual GPS.