August 1, 1970, St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Robert Goodnough and Christine Vance stood side by side, answered questions posed by Rev. Kenneth Vickers and were pronounced husband and wife. Today we go by Bob and Chris and marvel at the journey. We have lived in five provinces of Canada, and attended many … Continue reading It’s been quite a journey
new birth
Baptizing with too much water
I was visiting with a Baptist pastor and somehow the conversation got around to baptism. He felt the church to which I belong did not baptize correctly because we did not immerse. I referred him to two passages in the New Testament. In 1 Peter 3, Peter speaks of the ark as an example of … Continue reading Baptizing with too much water
There is no valid baptism without the new birth
First posted five years ago The beginning of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite in Western Canada owes much to the spiritual vision of one man. Peter Toews was the Elder of the largest part of the Kleine Gemeinde (Little Church) which had separated from the main body of the Mennonite church on the … Continue reading There is no valid baptism without the new birth
Humility: What is it?
The signification of the Greek word that is translated humility in the New Testament is “lowliness of mind.” That indicates a lack of pride, not thinking of myself as better than others, whether because of ethnic origin, economic status, education or because of anything that I might claim to have achieved. Jeremiah10:23 says: “O LORD, … Continue reading Humility: What is it?
How Mennonite became an ethnic label rather than a religious one – Part five
The Kleine Gemeinde Klaas Reimer was elected minister of the Flemish Mennonite church in the Danzig area in 1801. He began to study the Bible, the Martyrs Mirror, and other books and came to the conclusion that there was no future for the Mennonites in the Danzig area. In 1804 he and 30 members of … Continue reading How Mennonite became an ethnic label rather than a religious one – Part five
How Mennonite became an ethnic label rather than a religious one – Part four
My mother left the Mennonite church of her parents when it sunk in that the German language was more important than the faith. My father’s parents had been Wesleyan Methodist, but that church got swept away with the Social Gospel and ened up as part of the United Church of Canada. When I was 11 … Continue reading How Mennonite became an ethnic label rather than a religious one – Part four
Strong leaders and feeble followers
A dynamic leader, solidly grounded in the Scriptures and with a vision of how the gospel should be lived and shared for this particular group of Christians in this particular place, captures the loyalty of his congregation by the clarity and strength of his conviction. He plans, organizes, tells, and the congregation does as they … Continue reading Strong leaders and feeble followers
How to read the Bible
I grew up in a home where the Bible was read every day, my father often talked bout things he read in it. We attended a church, the Anglican Church of Canada, where every service had a reading from the Old Testament, another from the New Testament, and several other passages from the Bible were … Continue reading How to read the Bible
Practical Christianity
For the past two months my head has been occupied with number crunching to the point that there was little opportunity for wordsmithing. Income tax season officially ends tomorrow and I think I have finished anything pertaining to that for this year. Now I can try to capture and organize the thoughts that have been … Continue reading Practical Christianity
The faith of Menno Simons
Thus we do not contend with carnal, but with spiritual weapons, patience and with the word of the Lord, against all flesh, world and devil, trusting in Christ. Nor shall there ever be found other weapons with us. Therefore, be not afraid of us (behold, in Christ Jesus I lie not); for we do not … Continue reading The faith of Menno Simons
Flatlander Faith 