The National Ministry Team At Work

Diaspora Churches, assessing our disciple-making efforts.

In the idyllic country setting of St. Jacobs, Ontario, the CCMBC National Ministry Team (NMT) met May 11-13 to deliberate strategic aspects of the national vision to “Cultivate a community and culture of healthy disciple-making churches and ministries faithfully following Jesus in his mission.” The NMT includes the vocational leadership of the provincial Conferences (e.g. our SKMB DM Phil Gunther), Multiply, Legacy, MB Seminary and CCMBC. The NMT is charged with collaboratively developing and supporting strategic efforts in four priority areas: Spiritual Health & Theology, Leadership Development, Organizational Health and Mission.

The following are some highlights that came out of the NMT deliberations:

• Ministry pertaining to DIASPORA CHURCHES (African, Ethiopian, and Eritrean churches) that are members of CCMBC or currently connected and seeking to join CCMBC membership. Deliberations focused primarily on how to build stronger relationships with these diaspora churches and how to support their leadership. Also discussed were the challenges of bridging differences in language, culture, and church praxis. On June 5-7, a congress of African churches and MB representatives will meet in Steinbach, Manitoba, to lay the groundwork for addressing these challenges.

• NMT approved the beta testing of a new SURVEY TOOL to assess how MB churches are doing in disciple-making in their context. Several churches in every province will be asked to complete the survey. The purpose behind this survey is to gain a baseline for understanding how the denomination is doing in the area of disciple-makers. Knowing this will give NMT a sense of how to proceed in helping churches become more effective disciple-makers.

• NMT engaged in ongoing planning around EQUIP 2027, focused on the nature and work of the church. Centred upon the Great Commission and Great Commandment, EQUIP 2027 will be Christ-centred and highly practical. There is a major crisis in Canada over its population decline and its impact. This event will address that crisis with an emphasis on being healthy disciples who make healthy disciples – being missionaries in our land.  The dates are October 19-21 at Cornerstone Community Church, Virgil, Ontario.
  SKMB Communications

SKMB Communications