2

ISSUE: SEPTEMBER 2015

3

SEAS

ON

...is a chorus that we sang many years ago but this truth is still the same today. Recently I was in the home of one of our families on a reserve in BCYD, with mom not doing so well physically, with the family of all generations gathered, as they were trusting God to hear their prayers. This family had served the Lord many years ago, but had walked away for various reasons BUT this day were gathered together hoping that God is still good and God still answers prayer. AND THE LORD heard and answered their prayer—God provided a miracle of healing for mom and

God made a way for this family to reunite with each other and to reignite their passion for Him. God is so good!

I have served as Section Pastor for the Aboriginal section since April 2013 and have seen and heard the Good News working throughout our district. I thank God for each of our leaders that serve so faithfully every day. Throughout this past year, we celebrated God’s goodness through worship, preaching and teaching the Word, praying for miracles, fellowship and outreach to our communities.

I honour our leaders and pray that He would strengthen each one, that faith will abound, that we will be rooted and grounded in love and that we would look to Him to who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think—for His Glory.

In this Aboriginal News, I would like to highlight and share some reflections on this journey of Reconciliation. In recent years, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada have been working together with the Aboriginal church leaders to make progress towards achieving a meaningful reconciliation.

PATT

I VIC

TOR

/R

EFLE

CTIO

NS

GOD IS SO GOOD... GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

4

SEAS

ON

RECONCILIATION IS... So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look,

what is new has come! And all these things are from God who

reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to

himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message

of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (NET Bible)

God cares for all nations and peoples. The full ministry of reconciliation addresses the personal and corporate relations between people. “It is not enough to seek to save the souls of people and care nothing about the places of ethnic and racial divides that are plaguing our nation” (Orlando Crespo, InterVarsity).“Reconciliation is about forging and maintaining respectful relationships. There are no shortcuts” (Chief Justice Murray Sinclair, Truth and Reconciliation Commission).“Our future, and the well-being of all our children rests with the kind of relationships we build today.” (Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Reconciliation Canada)Reconciliation is relationship...walking together in love, respect and dignity.

Reconciliation is the goal, the high calling of God, for all of us to live together in right relationship. It must be maintained and held in high esteem in every generation motivated by the love of God for all mankind. Reconciliation is acknowledging the horrific history, understanding the impacts of that history, working towards justice and making place for healing to take place in the hearts and minds of all people then walking in that new, balanced, loving relationship that God is committed to.

In order to fulfill the calling of God to reconciliation, the Church must (a) overcome stereotypes, biases, and fears(b) begin to see each other as image bearers of our Creator(c) strengthen our connections (d) discover our need for one another

Chief Justice Murray Sinclair, chair of Truth and Reconciliation Commission, “Understand that it is a journey, not a quick and easy solution. We need to wrestle with questions like: “where do we want to be in several generations from now—in our relationships”, why does it matter; why should I care?”

Once we have done some personal wrestling then corporately we need to begin to talk –with our peers, with our families, with our churches, with our realm of influence. This is not a time to come up with a solution but a time to come to the conclusion; we do want a better relationship with Aboriginal people.

5

SEAS

ON

Then we can begin having significant relationships with Aboriginal people, the dialogue can begin and together we can determine what that new relationship should look like. If we can agree on that high standard that is required to restore balance to our relationship then we ask the question “what can we do today that will contribute to that objective?”

Examples include facing injustices and protecting natural resources together. It is only when government begins to acknowledge the injustices in current legislation and policies and make significant changes that will honour and benefit the Aboriginal people will real change take place. Changes to the policies and legislation must take place in funding for health care and education—it is unjust for funding to be less for Aboriginal people just because they are Aboriginal. Meaningful dialogue and opportunities given to share the valuable resources of the land must be present to bring justice for the Aboriginal people.

God is calling us to action—it is his heart for justice for all; it is his heart for reconciliation for all. Our walk with God includes all aspects of life, not just life in the four walls of our church but it also means standing for righteousness, for justice in every area.

IN THE PAOC...On May 9, 2012 in Ottawa, ON, General Superintendent Dave Wells apologized on behalf of the PAOC and asked forgiveness of the PAOC Aboriginal church and Aboriginal communities for the church’s insensitivity to the pain and suffering of the Aboriginal community. The PAOC Aboriginal leaders accepted the apology and extended forgiveness. The PAOC Aboriginal leaders apologized and asked forgiveness for attitudes, actions and words that has broken unity within the body of Christ.

On April 30, 2013 in Victoria, BC, the BC and Yukon District of Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada made the public declaration that we will be reconcilers with the Aboriginal churches and Aboriginal communities.

Our commitment in BCYD is to continue the path of reconciliation in our region and in our individual communities and churches. We know that reconciliation is God’s heart and this journey begins with prayer, is sustained in prayer, and only in prayer are hearts transformed so that we can all walk in reconciliation. In this issue of Aboriginal News, I would like to share some of the stories—showing that the path of Reconciliation is varied, unique, personal and progressive. Our journey will look at three specific areas: Reconciliation through Education; through Children; and through Relationships.

6

SEAS

ON

RE

CO

NC

ILA

TIO

N T

HR

OU

GH

ED

UC

AT

ION Education can take various forms, venues, and platforms. It can be as simple as sharing across the kitchen table

with your neighbour to a more formalized approach at school, church, university, community hall as well as at education conferences, ministerial events and Aboriginal regional education events.

Missions Fest Vancouver has been one opportunity for Aboriginal organizations, churches, along with organizations that are working for the Kingdom of God to bring the message of hope to Aboriginal people to work together at a “Friendship Zone.” This space included a story corner for people to share their personal story of faith, a traditional story from their Aboriginal territory, and part of the history of Aboriginal people. It was also an opportunity for Aboriginal artists to share their gifts with others—one carver told his Indian Residential School story while he carved a healing pole and invited others to join in the journey by carving on the pole; another artist shared the gift of cedar bark weaving through demonstrating making a cedar hat. It was a wonderful 3 days of sharing life together with other believers; to begin the dialogue and to make a commitment to continue the journey of reconciliation in our respective churches and communities.Churches throughout the Lower Mainland are interested in knowing more about Aboriginal history, worldview, and walking the journey of reconciliation. Aboriginal Days of Learning have been presented in various churches and halls, facilitated by Aboriginal Christian leaders so that the Aboriginal voice is being heard. It has been said by many of the folks attending these Aboriginal Days of Learning that the hardest truth that churches hear is how the church has so failed the Aboriginal community—not only in the presentation of the Gospel but also in the notion that Aboriginal people must become “white” in order to be accepted in the church. Repentance must follow the truth-telling in order for reconciliation to begin. The journey is taking small steps, in the right direction, following the heart of God.Educators in the public school system, independent school system and the University setting are becoming more aware of their need to know the whole truth of our shared history and not just the parts that are easy to read and to teach. There seems to be a growing awareness and a growing desire to teach what is right, what is truthful while at the same time, for many non-Aboriginal educators, there is fear of repeating the same mistakes as in the past. There is fear that they will be disrespectful and not do a good job of teaching this material to their students. Aboriginal educators and Aboriginal organizations are doing a good job of providing relevant, culturally sensitive education tools for teachers to use as well as providing resources such as Aboriginal knowledge-keepers, Aboriginal elders, survivors of Indian Residential Schools to be available to come to the schools to present first hand their stories and share their knowledge. Building relationships with the Aboriginal communities near the schools and universities is a key component for reconciliation through education to continue and be fruitful. Workshops and conferences that focus on reconciliation through Indigenous education are becoming readily available to educators. First Nations Education Steering Committee has just released the new Grade 5 and Grade 10 curriculum about Indian Residential Schools as well as the Grade 10, 11, 12 English and Math curriculum—it is readily downloadable from their website.Reconciliation through Education reveals both the need and the path to reconciliation. First of all, there needs to be a desire to learn about and from Indigenous people. This begins with relationship and learning takes place in the relationship. Stereotypes and biases are revealed; entrenched attitudes and thinking are challenged; understanding begins to take place; and the transformation work of the Holy Spirit begins as hearts and minds are opened to hear the heart of God for the Aboriginal people.

7

SEAS

ON

RECONCILIATION THROUGH CHILDREN Reconciliation is the heart of God and the heart of His children, even those young in age. Christian ministry leaders and educators have a wonderful opportunity to engage the young people in the walk of reconciliation. As their hearts are open to the truth, their sense of righteousness and justice are awakened and their desire to be part of the solution arises.

Children are encouraged to research truth and present truth about our shared history as Canadians. As Aboriginal history is shared, understanding begins to take place and the realization of the need for systemic change in our education system, legal system, social justic system, and even in our church system comes to light.

There is now an abundance of educational resources that are age-appropriate and culturally sensitive that help with the journey of reconciliation in the hearts and minds of our children. Children are not just learners but they are also our teachers. Recently a Grade 5 Aboriginal student went to the Provincial Heritage Fair in Victoria to present a Comparison of the Indian Residential Schools in Canada with the Indigenous Boarding Schools in Australia. This student was invited to share at the BC Elders Gathering and also danced a healing dance for the Indian Residential School survivors.

Another research project by an elementary school Aboriginal student was shared at a regional Christian gathering, highlighting the unique relationship between the First Nations and the early Chinese settlers.

8

SEAS

ON

This poster was signed by staff, parents and students to honour the Indian Residential school survivors for their

courage and was presented to a local Elders group.“We were reminded of the residential schools and the sadness around the residential school era, as well as our desire to build bridges with First Nations communities,” says principal John Zeidhoff. “This was indeed a very tragic time

for them, and we wanted to show our support.”From the President of this Elder’s Group, these words were spoken: “For these children to learn about it has touched our heart deeply,” says Shirley Leon. “That is tremendous.” To me, all that money spent [on residential school reports] is not going to do as much good as what these little children did, in this small little community in little old Agassiz,” says Leon. “It’s hard to find the words to express how wonderful it was

to have that gesture and acknowledgement.”Reconciliation is important for the next generation and they

can also lead the way in this journey.

9

SEAS

ON

Reconciliation is impossible without building relationships. Relationships develop personally and corporately; relationships are nurtured through

dialogue and spending time together; and relationships come out of a desire

to know one another. Friendship Feasts are one good way for intergenerational relationships to be nurtured. I have found that the elders love children and young people and want to be connected with them. The children and young people love to hear the stories and there is no greater joy than to hear the laughter and joy in a room when we gather together around the table to share a meal and to share in each other’s lives.

Relationships that lead to reconciliation build upon shared interest about caring for the environment and our natural resources. God has called us to be good stewards of the land and Aboriginal people are leading the way in environmental issues in our BC and Yukon District. As Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people join together in a common cause, stereotypical thinking and attitudes dissipate.

Relationships that enable us to walk together in the journey of healing is paramount for reconciliation to take place. Through the past several years, we have walked with Indian Residential School survivors as they told their stories; we have sat in the circles of healing to learn and offer hope and encouragement; we have travelled to

distant places to be a vessel of God’s love and healing at significantly important events like the demolition of the Indian Residential School in Alert Bay. We need to continue to walk together in love and grace; in forgiveness and healing.

Worshipping God together is a good way for reconciliation to commence. When our common ground is Jesus Christ and our common motivator is the love of God, reconciliation needs to our heart in obedience to God’s high calling. Setting aside our own agendas and our own preferences for worship, the Body of Christ makes room for each other to worship God, as God created them not only honours God but honours his heart as Creator of the nations. In the Lower Mainland, many of our ethnic churches have caught the vision and heart of God to have services with all nations welcomed and participating together; many other denominations are seeking help from the Aboriginal churches to lead the way in reconciliation and helping their churches to come to an understanding of Aboriginal worldview, culture, and worshipping God in traditional Aboriginal ways. As our communities begin to worship God together as One; the barriers of ethnicity and denominations come down, reconciliation within the Body of Christ becomes a reality.

RE

CO

NC

ILIA

TIO

N T

HR

OU

GH

RE

LA

TIO

NS

HIP

S

10

SEAS

ON

HOW CAN I HELP ABORIGINAL MINISTRIES?• General support: Mail a cheque to PAOC BC & Yukon District today. Please write Aboriginal Ministries in the memo.

• Church support: Influence your church to donate regularly.

• Prayer: Commit to praying regularly for Aboriginal Ministries.

OTHER MINISTRIES I CAN HELP?

• Aboriginal Ministries support: Mail a cheque to PAOC BC & Yukon District today, with memo ‘Aboriginal Ministries’.

• Cross Cultural Outreach Society: Serving mostly newcomers toCanada. We have been assisting them with their immigration and settlement needs. Mail a cheque made out to Cross Cultural Outreach Society to the PAOC BC & Yukon District Office.

• All Nations College Foundation: 5 campuses teaching lay leaders to plant churches. Mail a cheque made out to All Nations College Foundation to the PAOC BC & Yukon District Office. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor a student.

• Church Planting: We are very active in planting new churches. Mail a cheque to PAOC BC & Yukon District today, memo Church Planting

• Prayer: Commit to praying regularly for all our ministries.

As a reminder - please remember to continue to send in your tithes. The money goes for training and church planting sessions throughout the year, as well as the

Native Pastors/Leaders Summit at the end of September each year. “Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will

also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

11

SEAS

ON

UPCOMING EVENTSSEPTEMBER 2015SEPT 23 SEE YOU AT THE POLE (GLOBAL WEEK OF STUDENT PRAYER)SEPT 26 BCYD NGM: YOUTH LEADERSHIP CLINIC (DELTA)SEPT 28-30 BCYD: LICENSED MINISTER NETWORK #1 (STILLWOOD)OCTOBER 2015OCT 2-3 CREATED FOR INFLUENCE CONFERENCE (VICTORIA)OCT 2-3 FREE TO LEAD WOMEN’S CONFERENCE (FORT LANGLEY)OCT 2-3 STILL BEAUTIFUL CONFERENCE (KAMLOOPS)OCT 2-4 CONFERENCE (BETHEL CHAPEL, 100 MILE HOUSE)OCT 2-4 55TH ANNIVERSARY PENTECOSTAL HI-WAY TABERNACLE (FORT NELSON)OCT 3 BCYD NGM: YOUTH LEADERSHIP CLINIC (VANCOUVER ISLAND)OCT 3 BCYD NGM: CHILDREN’S MINISTRY LEADERSHIP CLINIC (KAMLOOPS)OCT 3 ANCF: THE CONCERT (RICHMOND)OCT 5-7 BCYD: CLUSTER LEADERSHIP RETREAT (STILLWOOD)OCT 18 BCYD: CAMPUS MINISTRY SUNDAY (DISTRICT-WIDE)OCT 22-23 GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT (LANGLEY)OCT 23-25 GLAD TIDINGS CHURCH CONFERENCE (VICTORIA)OCT 24 SUMMIT PACIFIC COLLEGE AUCTION (VANCOUVER)NOVEMBER 2015NOV 8 INT’L DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCHNOV 13-14 BCYD NGM: SPARK PRETEEN CONFERENCE (ABBOTSFORD)NOV 13-14 CANADIAN YOUTH WORKERS CONFERENCE (KELOWNA)NOV 20-21 WORSHIP CENTRAL WORSHIP CONFERENCE (VANCOUVER)NOV 20-21 STIR YOUNG ADULT CONFERENCE (KELOWNA)NOV 21 ANCF: GRADUATION (RICHMOND PENTECOSTAL CHURCH)

2016 UPCOMING EVENTSJAN 15-17 BCCM: EMERGE RETREAT (HOPE)JAN 22-23 CANADIAN YOUTH WORKERS CONFERENCE (ABBOTSFORD)MAR 7-9 BCYD CONFERENCE ON THE MINISTRY (LANGLEY)MAY 2-5 PAOC GENERAL CONFERENCE (QUEBEC)MAY 20-22 BCYD NGM: HISTORYMAKER CONFERENCE (CHILLIWACK)

12

SEAS

ON