 By Sarah Stutler If you’ve ever felt disconnected at church, you may relate to the way Bev Dyck felt in the years following COVID. "It was just a dry and weary land," she says. "There was really nothing — no groups, nothing. I felt very disconnected from everybody." She had just become her church's Christian Education Director. The congregation, Christian Fellowship Chapel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, had fewer than fifty regular attenders. Bev was looking for signs of life. She found one. "The women wanted to get together." Bev Dyck and Linda Edwards had been meeting together for years — every week, just the two of them, to pray for their church. Linda has attended since she was twelve years old. Bev had come to Winnipeg in 1979 and never left. They had prayed through seasons of growth and seasons of loss, and now they were praying through a season of quiet. Out of that quiet, something began to stir. They decided to start a women's Bible study, small, low-pressure, structured in four-week sessions so women could commit without feeling overwhelmed. They would offer it four times a year, one session per season. They would see if anyone came. Before they promoted anything, they asked Carla, an artist in their congregation, to paint something that captured what they were sensing. They knew the theme they wanted to teach: abiding in Jesus, drawn from John 15. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. What Carla produced was a painting of a vine — grapes and leaves, organic and flowing — that resonated immediately with both women. It became the image on their invitations, the opening slide at each gathering, and on small prayer cards they gave to every woman who came. If she had a prayer request, she wrote it on the card and shared it with the group. If she didn't, she could use it to write an encouragement to someone else.  Painting by Carla Dyck. Click the image to see more from Carla. The name followed naturally. Ladies Fall Abiding. Ladies Winter Abiding. Ladies Spring Abiding. Ladies Summer Abiding. Each season its own study. Each gathering a continuation of the same root.
Around nine or ten women showed up that first Wednesday evening, a significant number for a congregation their size. "It felt like a little flame we were fanning," Bev says. To understand what Ladies Abiding is, it helps to understand what it is not. Linda and Bev were the last two leaders of their church's previous women's ministry before it folded. "It was becoming burdensome," Bev says. "Young moms were supposed to run this group and we had to do this, this and that. It just became burdensome." This time, it's intentionally different. When they get together, their agenda is to form a supportive group for each other, where you know you can come and you're safe and you're loved. “We focus on building each other up,” Linda says. “So often in our churches it's performance based or evangelism based. You need the love of each other and experiencing the love of Jesus before those things happen. But often those things are put first and then people are just worn out because there's no inside energy coming for the things that we're supposed to do.” The group holds what they call "group identity statements": a few simple commitments that set the culture from the start. One is that they are under the authority of God's Word. Another is that they are safe. What is shared around the table stays there. "We had a very strong, giving group," Bev says of the women in their church. "We could all give, give, give. But we needed to learn how to receive love freely, just like a baby would. It's something we have to learn. We shouldn't feel anxious about it or feel we don't deserve it. That's not how God wants us to function. We need to just be able to relax and receive love." Linda frames it in terms of what Christian maturity actually looks like, and what it doesn't. "Maturity is being able to receive the love of Christ and pass it on and have that love shape your character. It's not knowing a lot about the Bible. It's not how many times you go to church or how you perform." More than two years in, the group has grown. The tables in the back of the sanctuary have multiplied. The women span every generation: new mothers, unmarried women, grandmothers, great-grandmothers. "The best group for growing is a group that has all ages," Linda says. "Everybody learns from each other." Each gathering begins the same way. Linda plays the group's theme song on a Bluetooth speaker and the women sing together. "Our Salvation is Bound Up Together” by Paul Zach "It sets our hearts to worship," Linda says. "We sense the Holy Spirit. It's very, very powerful." Between sessions, a WhatsApp group keeps the community alive. Prayer requests come in. Good news comes in. When someone has a need, someone with the capacity to meet it simply does, without a committee, without coordination. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) "When the Holy Spirit prompts us to love one another and tells us what to do, we can do it," Linda says. "When it's His love in the group, things aren't hard. They're easy." Ladies Abiding has not been sheltered from grief. Linda's mother, Irene, was part of the group. They even held several sessions in the meeting room of Irene's assisted living home. When she passed away, Bev organized a tribute for her. "The ladies were very, very supportive to me," Linda says. "I felt very supported." Other women in the group have walked through the sudden loss of a husband, the slow accumulation of sorrow, the hard seasons that arrive without warning. "We've walked hard journeys of grief together," Bev says. "Jesus promises comfort, and it's good comfort. He does bring good comfort to the group." Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3–4) These women are walking through every season together. Linda shares, “We've had deaths, we've had a wedding, we have showers, we've had baby showers. There are so many things to celebrate.” For women in other FEBC churches who wonder if something like this is possible in their congregation, Linda and Bev offer counsel that is characteristically uncluttered. Start with prayer, Bev says. "God gives a little seed. And that seed — it just looks like an idea, like this is where it seems to be going. But the seed holds the blueprint of the plant. You just can't see it yet. And then it just slowly starts to grow." Stay in a posture of listening: "You have to be expecting that God is going to tell you something." Linda adds desire. "You have to want it. Pray about it, talk about it. If the idea resonates with both of you or the three of you, you kind of just go with it and see what happens." And love, they both insist, cannot be manufactured. "We lead by example," Bev says. "If we're not loving, we're sabotaging the group. It really has to burst out of love." That love, she is quick to add, is not theirs to produce. "Love is something that is from the Lord. We can't drum it up on our own. It has to come from God." It is not complicated, Linda says. It just takes someone willing to do it. Two women in Winnipeg decided to be those people. They started with prayer, nine or ten women around a table, and a painting of a vine. Almost three years later, the tables have multiplied. The women keep coming back. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. (John 15:4) Tags:
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 By Gary Krehbiel Unity: God’s Order in the Midst of Conflict It’s hard to know whether we live in the most divisive time in history or whether that feeling comes from pervasive hyperbole. What is clear is that the information age makes us acutely aware of nearly every struggle people face today, and conflict is everywhere. Chaos, confusion, and disarray are signs of Satan’s activity, not God’s work. The church and believers should be set apart from the animosity that drives content and division. From the start, God’s work was to bring order out of chaos. 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” At creation, when the earth was formless and void, God established structure and harmony that govern both the physical world and the lives of believers. That ordering carries into the life of the church through the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus, we are indwelt by God’s Spirit, which transforms us into the image of Christ. Paul describes this relationally: we have been crucified with Christ so that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us (Galatians 2:20); we are also new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because believers bear Christ’s mark, the church should reflect the unity and harmony God has already brought to creation and to individual lives. This is how believers can be salt in the world. Unity is therefore a central concern for God’s people. Psalm 133:1 declares, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Unity is not merely an aspirational goal for the church. Unity is one of the ways we identify with Christ and demonstrate His presence among us. In other words, unity is the church’s reality as well as its calling. Biblical foundations for unity
Paul develops this theme explicitly in Ephesians. After explaining the mystery of the church, he turns (beginning in chapter 4) to practical instructions for how believers should live together. He does not start with church structures or theological distinctives; instead, he insists that unity is the church’s present reality because Christ removed the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile. Galatians 3:28 emphasizes this inclusion: “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Because Christ’s work and the Spirit’s sealing have restored oneness, Paul exhorts believers to preserve what God has already accomplished. Ephesians 4:1–3 lists the personal qualities necessary to sustain that unity. These qualities shape relationships and guide behavior within the body of Christ:
Consider how each of these would contribute to unity within our churches. Then ask yourself if you are acting with these qualities in your relationships with other believers. Humility — "not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less."
Meekness / Gentleness — "power under control."
Patience / Long‑suffering — "endurance that does not surrender to circumstances."
Tolerance / Forbearance — "continually offering grace to allow God to work in another’s life."
Diligence — "actively preserving the unity God has given; making it a priority"
Taken together, these foundations and virtues show that unity is both a gift we have received and a responsibility we must assume. As believers, we are called to embody the harmony God brought to creation so that the church visibly reflects Christ’s reconciling work in the world.
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 American higher education is shifting. College enrollment has declined for years. Christian colleges in particular face steep financial challenges, and many are shrinking or closing. The cultural landscape is increasingly fractured, anxious, and distrustful. Though the cultural landscape can feel daunting, a brighter story unfolds in the faithful efforts of those serving students with wisdom and hospitality.  For many in the FEBC, Tim Johnson is a familiar name. For seventeen years, he pastored Rock Valley Chapel in Beloit, Wisconsin, shepherding a congregation marked by biblical depth, solid elder leadership, and a steady commitment to the gospel. Though the church became part of the FEBC only in his final 3–4 years there, Tim has been, and remains, joyfully ordained within the fellowship. His years in Beloit were fruitful and faithful, filled with preaching, discipleship, funerals, weddings, youth camps, and the steady, unseen labor of pastoring a local church. So, when Tim sensed the Lord drawing him into a new work a little over a year ago, he wasn’t looking for a career change as much as asking the Lord, “Is there anything else You might have for me in these next years?” What he discovered was a ministry that seemed to weave together every thread of his past - teaching, shepherding, apologetics, leadership, even military discipline, and even previous fundraising experience - into one role. What he stepped into was something you may or may not have heard of: the Christian Study Center movement.  Tim now serves as the Executive Director of The Bradley Study Center, a ministry just two blocks from the campus of Virginia Tech, a major public university of more than 32,000 students. In a cozy building just off campus, students gather at tables with coffee, textbooks, and laptops. Volunteers bring in trays of home‑cooked meals. A quiet fireplace flickers. And everywhere you look, students are talking about theology, ethics, Scripture, engineering, philosophy, science, and how their faith makes sense of the world they’re about to step into. This environment is the result of deliberate, prayerful leadership. As Executive Director, Tim shapes the rhythms and relationships that define the center. He oversees a growing array of programs, from weekly Fellows gatherings to short courses and faculty initiatives. He meets regularly with students and fosters the kind of hospitality that encourages honest conversation. He leads fundraising efforts, manages staff and volunteers, extends the building’s hours to meet student needs, stewards donor‑supported resources, and works to expand the center’s physical space as interest grows. It is a pastoral, intellectual, and organizational calling all at once, and a ministry of presence as much as programs. Tim sees a pattern emerging across campuses nationwide: Today’s students are desperately hungry for community, stability, and truth. Attendance at the weekly Fellows program has more than doubled since Tim started in September. Students stay long past closing hours, not wanting the conversation to end. “It’s a home away from home,” Tim explains. It is also, in his words, “a place where we help people think Christianly about the world for the glory of God.” But what draws them isn’t entertainment or programming. There’s something deeper, cultural, and even generational. This generation grew up in the shadow of terrorism, school shootings, cultural fragmentation, and the isolation of COVID‑19. Many feel unanchored. Their questions are not philosophical abstractions; they are cries for clarity and meaning.  Study centers speak to this moment by offering hospitality, intellectual depth, genuine community, and a place where honest questions meet honest answers. Tim says, “We’re the grandchildren of Francis and Edith Schaeffers’ L’Abrí, stepping into a stream that began long before us.” To fully understand the power of this model, we must go back to where this stream began. The StreamIn the 1950s, Francis and Edith Schaeffer moved to the small Swiss village of Huémoz and opened their home to anyone seeking honest conversation about life, faith, and culture. They called it L’Abri, meaning “the shelter.” Their ministry emerged during the turbulent 1960s and 70s, when Western culture was being reshaped by new ideas, political movements, and spiritual uncertainty.  Francis Schaeffer became known worldwide for his ability to engage art, cultural criticism, philosophy, and politics through a deeply biblical lens. His book Pollution and the Death of Man anticipated the philosophical foundations of the environmental movement decades before it became mainstream. He offered Christians a way to understand and engage culture without fear. Edith, often working quietly in the background, provided the spiritual and emotional architecture of the ministry. She organized meals, welcomed strangers, prayed continually, and created an atmosphere of warm, thoughtful hospitality. Helen Cloyd, a current member of FEBC’s Crosspoint Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska, stepped into the stream in the early 1970’s. Frustrated by shallow teaching and longing for depth, she read Edith’s book L’Abrí and knew she had to go. She sold what she owned and traveled to Switzerland with a friend.  For three months, she studied taped lectures by Francis in the mornings, worked in the afternoons, and gathered for long conversations and worship with people from around the world. She typed Schaeffer's correspondence from a Dictaphone of his recorded voice, a front‑row seat to the pastoral mind of one of the century’s most influential Christian thinkers. She saw the Schaeffers’ marriage up close, remembering how they listened carefully, spoke slowly, and prayed before responding. The hospitality, honesty, depth, and intellectual discipline she experienced at L’Abrí have shaped the rest of her life. Back in the States, she has opened her home for years to young women, students, and ministry workers. She has quietly practiced what the Schaeffers embodied. From Switzerland to Vancouver to Virginia One of the major offshoots of L’Abri was Regent College in Vancouver, founded in 1968, not to train pastors, but to shape everyday Christians to think deeply and biblically. From Regent came the next development: the Christian Study Center movement. There are now nearly forty centers across the United States, grounded in hospitality, conversation, intellectual seriousness, and the integration of faith and learning. The Bradley Study Center is part of that lineage. The Bradley Study Center: A Modern Shelter When Tim arrived in Blacksburg, he stepped into a ministry already rooted in prayer and vision. Young adults, shaped by cultural upheaval and longing for stability, are drawn instinctively to a place where truth is spoken with love, where Scripture is honored, where hard questions are welcomed, and where hospitality reflects the heart of Christ. What began in a Swiss chalet is now shaping conversations, convictions, and callings in a Virginia town thousands of miles away. God is still using the same simple ingredients: hospitality, truth, prayer, and a willingness to welcome honest questions. And He is using obedient Christians, like Tim Johnson and Helen Cloyd, to walk alongside a new generation of thinkers.  ABOUT THE AUTHORSarah Stutler grew up attending an FEBC church and became the editor of the Fellowship Focus in 2025. She enjoys interviewing and reporting on stories God is writing across the fellowship. She and her husband, Josh, live in Fremont, Nebraska, where they both work at Midland University. Tags:
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 By Jim JanofskiIt's a snowy day, but the church is open, and the church family is gathering in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. One by one, the people turn to Pastor Jim and give their total chapters read for the week: “This week 21,” “57,” “about 10 or so,” “84 again," "not many this week, maybe, uh, 5?...” The number of chapters read ranges from a quick head shake of 0 for some to over 80 for others. The Randville Chapter Challenge is in operation and alive and well: God's Word IS being read! It's a joyful gathering as the church family walks up the stairs into Randville Bible Church. Glad to see each other, thankful for safety on the slippery roads, and happy to add their individual chapter totals to the “Randville Chapter Challenge.” It's a team effort and a practical encouragement to read God's Word. (And often those absent on a given Sunday will have called in their totals also). The concept is basic but has been very effective in our church family: people simply keep track of the total chapters they read each week. These are then added together and totaled for the group. The roots for this idea go back to Pastor Jim's 17 years of teaching as a band director. His incentives for his instrumental students to practice on the weekend have been adapted to become practical encouragements for the RBC church family to faithfully read God's Word - the “Randville Chapter Challenge.” Let's turn the clock back some 35+ years to a typical Friday afternoon in the band room. Rehearsal was nearly over. “Mr. J,” as usual, asked the band members, “I wonder how many total practice hours we can get this weekend?” The musicians raised their hands- each finger represented 15 minutes of planned individual practice time. More hands were raised, and the count of the planned practice hours was added together. Mr. J nodded as he mentally added these together: “Okay, we are now at 49 hours; anybody want to add a little more? I'd love to see our total get over 50 for this weekend.” Some contemplation and thought, then more hands raised, more fingers added; the students responded, and 49 hours became 50 hours, more hands popped up, and the total became 52, and now edged upwards toward 55. The climb continued, and more practice hours were planned. The idea for the Randville Chapter Challenge grew out of this successful group incentive. And it's been a joy and an encouragement to see the increase in the total number of chapters read week by week by our church family as more and more have embraced the vision and joined in the count. And a further highlight is a low-key “contest” at various times of the year: each person estimates how many total chapters have been read by the entire group over a certain number of weeks in that period of time. Those who come the closest to guessing the cumulative total are given Culver's Gift Certificates, and “honorable mentions” are awarded certificates for free ice cream. (The combined totals, even with our small congregation, tend to run in the thousands of chapters- people joyfully participate!) It's so important to be in the Word of God; however, too often we see a spiritual “chasm” from belief to actual practice in our spiritual lives. We believe strongly that God's people need His Word, yet too often our weekly diet is very meager, even to the point of being nearly non-existent in some cases. Our fellowship with our Savior in His Word at times is less than a daily priority. The Randville Chapter Challenge has been an effective, practical, and positive encouragement to spend time with the Savior in the Word. The Chapter Challenge has been a joyful blessing to our church family, and our prayer is that the concept may be a blessing and an encouragement to other congregations in our fellowship as well. ABOUT THE AUTHORJim Janofski pastors Randville Bible Church in Iron Mountain, Michigan. Tags:
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Our Identity in Christ4/1/2026  Who am I? What is my identity? When we meet someone new, we tend to ask three immediate questions.
We ask these questions because they seem to give a quick overview of someone’s identity, but do they really? Knowing my name gives someone a surefire way of getting my attention, but our culture doesn’t put any significance on first names, at least as far as character goes. Knowing my last name can be helpful in terms of making family connections and trying to move past the awkward stranger phase. In some cases, our last name may carry significance, but only if it connects us to someone who is already known, either by their character or their status. Knowing where I am from can be helpful in making connecting points; either because you know someone from my area, or because it helps give us something to talk about. Our past has an impact on our development and character, and learning that is a way of drilling down past the surface of a relationship. Knowing what I do as an occupation can also be helpful in making connecting points; either because we share common abilities, or because it gives us something else to talk about. Our occupation can give a glimpse into our skill set and passions, and it is another tool to help us get to know each other. For many people in our culture, the above answers form the nucleus of their identity, or if they don’t, can be easily substituted with questions about family, hobbies, sports, etc. But, for the Christian, these answers are a poor substitute for our real identity. Romans 8:16-17 says, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (NASB). If you are a believer, then you are a child of God. In one literal sense, a Christian male is a son of God, and a Christian female is a daughter of God. No, this does not put us on the same plane as Jesus, the only true Son of God. His identity is an expression of His essence; our identity is an expression of our position. It speaks dramatically of our relationship to God. Paul used this kind of specific language in 2 Corinthians 6:18, “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty.” This is the last verse of the chapter, and in verses 16-17, Paul quotes from the Old Testament to teach these believers that they must not be united with unbelievers. Verse 18 is not a direct Old Testament quote, but it is written as a reference to Scripture, so which verse did Paul have in mind? There are several to choose from (2 Samuel 7:14-15; Hosea 1:10), but I will quote Isaiah 43:6-7, “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.’” In our day and age, this might sound redundant, but I want to emphasize that men and women have equal standing before God; men are called “sons of God,” and women are called “daughters of God.” How much time have you taken to meditate on this remarkable truth? It is no small thing which God has done! God has both saved us from His wrath and adopted us into His family. Salvation is both being delivered from condemnation and being destined for heaven! It is a present reality and a future glory. Even as I think on it, I cannot fully comprehend it. Jesus died on the cross for my sin, coming under the full wrath of God in the process. When I receive salvation, God declares that I am righteous. But insofar as a relationship with Him goes, God would be fully justified in only declaring me His slave. In one respect, that is true; I am God’s slave. Upon receiving salvation, I am delivered from one master, but I come under another. I am free from slavery to sin and from serving Satan, but am now a slave to righteousness and must serve God. Paul wrote of this in Romans 6 and 1 Corinthians 6, with 1 Corinthians 6:18 giving a nice summary. “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” If that was the extent of the relationship, we would be recipients of much grace, far more than we deserve, since we deserve condemnation. But God has done much more than just redeem us as His slaves; He calls us His sons and daughters. I quoted from Romans 8:16-17 earlier, but now want to give you verse 15, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” Paul wrote similarly in Galatians 4:6-7, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” I love how the Bible is filled with pictures. In both verses, Paul refers to God as our “Abba,” the equivalent of our “Daddy.” Regrettably, when I think back to the years when our children were young, I don’t remember taking note of that look of complete trust from our children. I’m sure it was there, but I was too busy with life to stop and contemplate the significance. Now, as a grandpa to young grandchildren, I see that look regularly. I notice that look of complete trust which says, “As long as I am with you, I am safe.” The little body relaxes, the little face is at rest, and hand-in-hand the child willingly follows mom or dad. This is my identity. I belong to God. He is my Abba, and He cares for me with unlimited power and wisdom. He is never overwhelmed; He is never distracted; He is always able to protect. Why then, do Christians struggle with self-esteem, insecurities, or feelings of inadequacy? Why do we have fears and doubts? Why do we try to prove ourselves to others? Why do we look for validation in what we do? Why do we rate our worth by other people’s opinions? Sadly, I have spent most of my life projecting an image of confidence, while inwardly feeling inadequate and almost worthless. For years, I measured my value by my performance, and found that I was always striving to do more, because only when I exceeded expectations would people be impressed. Eventually, though, I burned myself out, because I have a limit of how much I can do. God, in His infinite wisdom, worked on me with great patience and perseverance. This is embarrassing to admit, but only within the last year have I really begun to live as a child of God first, and everything else, second. I am not a pastor first, I am not a father first, I am not a grandfather first, I am not a Canadian first, I am not Trevor Kirsch first; I am one of God’s chosen sons first. This pierces right to the heart of my worth, my confidence, my joy, my peace, my trust, and my contentment. I must continue to pursue excellence, but not so I can prove my worth. I must do so, because one day I will stand before Jesus and give an account of my actions. I came across a phrase several years ago, “Remember my audience of One.” Whatever my responsibilities, there is only one whose judgment matters, and that is God. Others might be impressed and speak highly of me, but if I live and work to build my name and my legacy, God is not impressed. On the other hand, if I live and work to bring glory to God, then God is pleased, regardless of what other people think. I expect that everyone who will read this article already knows this truth, but I doubt that everyone lives it. Even as I write, the words convict my heart again, because I battle with my heart every single day. Fortunately, God has given us an easy measuring stick to gauge our hearts, and we can do some quiet reflection at any time. Have I been hurt or offended by someone recently? Why did it bother me? Maybe it was because the Holy Spirit pricked my conscience, in which case I need to ask forgiveness and change my behavior. Or maybe it bothered me because I regressed to finding my value in that person’s opinion. How is your heart today? Where do you find your value today? Is it in your work, your family, your friends, your hobbies, your skills, your wealth? Do you crave attention? Do you seek validation from the praise of others? Do you work to prove that you matter? Do you trust God with your problems, or do you need to solve them yourself? Does reflecting on your identity before God give you peace and contentment? Living within my true identity is very freeing, because we know that we cannot please all people all the time. It is much simpler, in fact, to only be concerned with pleasing God. He is a good Master; He knows my limits and does not expect me to work beyond them. He knows my skills and abilities, for He gave them to me. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” ABOUT THE AUTHORTrevor Kirsch has been serving at Compass Immanuel Church since 1998 and as senior pastor since 2019. He loves to teach. He and his wife, Twyilla, have three adult children and four grandchildren. Tags:
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To The Least of These2/4/2026  “Lord, open doors of opportunity so our community can see that we love them—and that Jesus loves them too.” Those weren’t the exact words of our Elders’ prayer, but they captured our shared burden. We long to be a church that does more than offer programs designed to draw people into our building. We are asking God to open opportunities to show our community His love, even if they never step inside our church. When those opportunities came, we hesitated. Would this truly fulfill our calling as Christians? Would the community welcome us? Did we have the skills and resources? Would people volunteer? We learned quickly that those answers don’t come all at once. What we do know is that today we are serving our community of 1,800 people through two programs deeply connected to our local schools. Literacy Partnership In the spring of 2024, news across our province focused on growing concerns about students lacking adequate classroom support, especially in their early developmental years. Many children struggle to learn to read and do not receive enough support at home, while schools have limited access to support staff. Regardless of where blame may lie, these children are falling through the cracks, and the long-term consequences of poor literacy skills are significant. We at Dalmeny Bible Church began consulting with K–6 school administrators, who welcomed us to come into classrooms during school hours to provide a volunteer-led Literacy Program. Initially, there was understandable hesitation from teachers, likely due to concerns that we might have an agenda to evangelize students. Over time, trust grew as they recognized that our motivation was compassion, not coercion.
School Nutrition Program Elders continued praying for more opportunities, and another door opened—far sooner than we expected. We received a call asking if we would consider applying for a School Board grant to start a student Nutrition Program. The timeline was tight, but after brief consultation with the Elders and our Property and Finance Committee, we moved forward. Conversations with school administrators confirmed a clear and pressing need. In June, we were stunned to learn that our application had been approved. We later discovered we were the only grant recipient in the entire school division. Implementing what is now known as the Dalmeny School Nutrition Program has been a steep learning curve for our church community. Our existing kitchen lacked the space required for new equipment and proper food storage, so we had to create and prepare a new inspected area by the end of August. While the grant supports the program, we are responsible for purchasing the food. God has faithfully provided through generous support from our church, community members, local businesses, and food suppliers. When we shared the vision with our congregation, 50 people attended the initial information meeting. One important decision was whether to offer the program universally or selectively. To avoid marginalizing students with nutritional needs, we chose to provide healthy food for all students. The program continues to develop. Four volunteer teams rotate weekly responsibilities for food preparation and delivery, including baking and hot meals. Elementary students receive nutritious snacks or fresh baking twice a week, while high school students have access to a daily nutrition break with fruit or prepared snacks. In addition, we provide school-wide hot meals monthly or bi-weekly, always mindful of severe allergies. The response from school administrators and teachers has been deeply encouraging. Strong, healthy relationships have grown between our church and the schools. One teacher shared that the program has made a significant difference in her classroom. Some students arrive without enough food; others bring food that is not nourishing. Nutritious meals help students regulate, focus, and learn. Fulfilling Our Mandate Should literacy and nutrition programs be part of a church’s mandate to make disciples? Three years ago, we would not have thought so. Today, we see differently. We’ve adopted the motto “to the least of these”, now stitched onto the aprons our volunteers wear.
When people ask why we do this, it gives us the opportunity to share how our crucified and risen Lord compels us to love others as He has loved us. These initiatives haven’t replaced teaching or outreach at DBC. Instead, they have created tangible ways for our people to live out their faith in the community. It’s been a challenging and humbling journey, and we continue to pray that we would be followers of Jesus who are united, patient, merciful, generous, kind, and loving. We would gladly share what we’ve learned, but above all, we encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to open new doors of opportunity—so you can love your community, and so they might know that Jesus loves them too. By DENNIS FRIESENDennis Friesen is the Pastor at Dalmeny Bible Church in Saskatchewan. Tags:
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An Ode to the “Rope Holders”4/11/2025  “So, what are you young people doing?” My future wife, Wendy, and I were standing in the lunch lineup at the annual missions conference at Briercrest Bible Institute. We were greatly encouraged that a pleasant elderly couple took the time and interest to befriend a couple of young people totally unknown to them. Like us, Archie and Grace McCaskell had driven many hours to attend the conference. We explained that we hoped to get married, and then work towards serving the Lord on the mission field. We learned that they lived on a farm near Redvers, Saskatchewan. They told us to be sure to come and visit them. And so began a decades-long friendship, paused only when the Lord Jesus in His wisdom and time called His faithful servants home to be with Himself forever. What especially impressed us about Archie and Grace was their unselfish love and interest in others. We could see Jesus in them! In Philippians 2:20, Paul wrote about his beloved Timothy, “For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.” Archie and Grace sincerely loved and cared for others. They never possessed great earthly riches, but they freely shared with others of the treasures they did have. For Wendy and me, that was a source of encouragement and strength. They became part of our team of prayer warriors and rope holders. Who or what is a rope holder? The concept is taken from Acts 9:23–25 as Paul was delivered from those seeking his life in Damascus. These friends delivered him by lowering him through the wall in a large basket (presumably using ropes). Before William Carey, the father of modern missions, left for India, he told his friends, “Saving souls can be likened to a man drowning in a deep well and a volunteer can do nothing unless there are people who will hold the rope for him to be lowered till he reaches the drowning man, and then pull them up to safety.” Carey added, “I will go to India as a volunteer to seek sinners drowning in the well of sin. But I can’t do it alone. I need rope-holders. Will you be my rope-holders?”  The Character of the Rope HolderWhat helped shape Archie and Grace so that they became such beautiful rope holders? A few glimpses from their lives will help us understand their success. In fact, these glimpses reveal that it was not in their own strength they lived and served, but through their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. As they steadfastly submitted to the often difficult circumstances the Lord allowed, Archie and Grace increasingly became conformed to His image. Our first glimpse is from World War 2. Archie and Grace had married, but the distance of war separated them as Archie served overseas. While he was in Europe, their son Keith was born. When Archie finally returned, Grace and young Keith met Archie at the railway station. When Keith saw his dad for the first time, he enthusiastically ran towards him and shouted out, “Daddy, daddy!” How could he do that, when he had never even seen his dad? Only because his loving mom had through faithful prayers instilled in their young boy a love for the dad he now was about to meet for the first time. No doubt, she had also shown him a picture or two many, many times. Grace and Keith had faithfully prayed for their loved one. That quality of keeping the memory alive is rope holding at its finest! As Wendy and I served overseas and in Canada we were privileged to benefit from the same quality of commitment and obedience to the Lord. The McCaskells lived in a small and simple farmhouse, a little more than 6 miles west of Redvers. A powerful glimpse revealing the hardships they at times endured is when, during a particularly harsh winter, their dear Redvers friends, Carl and Mary, decided to drive out to the isolated farm for a visit. They did so in late February or early March. When they arrived, Archie and Grace told them, “You are the first people we have seen since Christmas!” We conclude that the character of Archie and Grace was not developed in a vacuum, but as the Lord tenderly guided them through both joys and hardships… The farm thrived, and so did the McCaskells’ involvement in church. Well into retirement years, they served faithfully in the local church and through home groups. They took Bible correspondence courses, as they wanted to continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus and His Word. And, they continued to help Keith and the family on the farm. On one precious visit Wendy and I were even privileged to help out with the potato harvest! In the years leading up to Wendy and I departing for the mission field (and while we were home on furlough), Archie and Grace continued to encourage us. They helped arrange so that we could speak in local churches and at home meetings. They supported us financially and through their faithful prayers. Even though my family to this day can’t see or know the full impact of those prayers, I am sure it was considerable. Archie and Grace helped hold the ropes, for which we are eternally grateful. We were the beneficiaries of that faithfulness which by the Lord so carefully had been honed during the preceding often challenging decades.  Holding FastFollowing our service on the mission field and some further studies, our family served in a church not far from Redvers. Of course it was through Archie and Grace we had come in contact with the church in Maryfield. Again we benefited from their faithfulness. And because we lived nearby we could be there when the Heavenly Father in His wisdom decided that it was time to call His servants home to heaven. We were honored to visit Archie in Redvers Hospital, shortly before his home-going. Even though he was quite weak, he was clearly encouraged when I said to him, “At this point, you may be physically frail, but that light of the Lord in your eyes still shines brightly!” How encouraging to see a godly man finish well! Some years later Grace joined her husband in the heavenly mansions. At Archie’s funeral service I read a Bible passage reflecting his deep love for the Word of God. The passage, Psalm 119:30–35, describes well his life of dedication and obedience, and why he and his precious Grace were able to serve as such steadfast prayer warriors and rope holders.
 Wendy & Hans Elgby A Rope Holder’s LegacyThis article is not written just to remember and honor Archie and Grace, but also to see what lessons we can learn from them. We must beware lest our fast paced and secular world rob us of the true riches and service such as Archie and Grace clearly had found. The Lord lovingly shaped and guided this fine couple. Jesus lived in and through them. Archie and Grace remained faithful through both joy and at times deep personal sorrow. They continued to look beyond their own sphere, to see how they could be used by the Lord to be a blessing to others. The challenge for us then must be to seek to emulate them. Let us also take a genuine interest in others. Let us live for more than what benefits just us. Let us live to be a blessing in the lives of both friends and strangers. Under the Lord, let us make and take opportunities to minister. We certainly should do this for the sake of others, but ultimately so that Jesus Christ may be honored and glorified. For both those hoping to serve the Lord on the mission field and for the rope holders, may we not neglect the basic disciplines of the Christian life but be faithful in prayer, Bible study, hospitality, and giving. “Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” 
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  A call is heard from far away From over sea and land Of lives expiring every day Like an hourglass of sand. To the ears of our hearts They call without words, From the world’s farthest parts They’re desperate to be heard. With broken souls and hungry bones They cry for what they do not know; With blind eyes and hearts of stone Day by day their needs grow. They don’t just need water, But they crave the Water of Life The orphan and slave made son and daughter, They’re craving peace an end to strife. You know what they crave Though they do not; From heaven to cradle to cross then cave One man, one God their lives He bought. Only the Way, the Truth, the Life Only this God, this sacrificial Man Can bring relief to their souls and end their strife; Will you hear their call and be His hand? How will they learn what they do not know? How will they hear if we do not go? Go. Make. TeachAnd Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. – Matthew 28:18-20 Go—it can be a scary word sometimes, but it is what we are called to do.
We are called to go. Go to people who long for something more, to people who are broken, to people who are lost. We are called to go to those far away and those nearby because they are all far away from the kingdom and the kingdom is what they need. We are called to go, and we are called to make. To make broken hearts whole, empty bellies full, and wounded bodies mended. We are called to make an orphan beloved, a sinner a saint, and a lost one found. To make disciples of wandering souls. We are called to go, to make, and to teach. To teach the blind to see and the deaf to hear and dead to rise. We are called to teach the beloved to love, the saints to forgive, and the found to find. Go. Make. Teach—tasks that would be impossible for us to do on our own. But we are never alone. Jesus has filled us with the Holy Spirit and He will be with us, helping us and guiding us, until the end of the age when Christ returns. So, we never have to be afraid to go. We never have to be afraid to make. We never have to be afraid to teach. Let us therefore go and make and teach in the Name of Christ who commissioned us. Tags:
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Putting It All Together8/1/2023  “Some assembly required.”
As long as I’ve been able to read, those were always welcome words. I loved to put things together, whether children’s toys, cheap furniture, or Lego bricks. So, it’s probably natural that I enjoyed working with Fellowship Focus. A magazine requires a lot of assembly. There are no instructions, and parts don’t seem to fit, either by topic or length or mood. Editors usually try to build a loose template, so when a story comes in, they have an idea where it should go. The back cover, and the pages inside the back cover are what people look at first, so you try to put the good stuff there — good stuff like people stories, heartwarming stories. A few years before I became editor, the Fellowship adopted the vision statement “We will be a fellowship of churches that equips and inspires one another so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed by every member of every church at every opportunity.” This led to a column called “Catch the Vision” on the back cover of each issue. This was a personal interest story about how a reader found an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. We solicited stories from our readers, they responded, and usually we had a pool of stories to choose from. The centerfold pages are valuable real estate in a magazine because they display a long story or a lot of photos. Each spring the centerfold promoted the annual Connect meetings and the Connect project. One of the best centerfold stories to run while I was editor was Terry Schultz’s “Too Busy for Outreach” (Jan/Feb 2016). By using a flow chart and hard questions, Mr. Schultz helped us determine whether we were really too busy to talk about Jesus, or whether we were making poor excuses. Tags:
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6/3/2026
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