Introducing our 2023 Breakout Sessions:
This year we have 12 one hour workshops available throughout the day on Saturday, February 4!
|
#1 - Supporting a Culture of Life
Description: With the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US and the increasing push for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada, there is a heightened interest and need to learn about abortion, MAiD, and how Christians can support a culture of life. This session will give an overview of abortion and MAiD in the Canadian context, including the history, rationale, and where we go from here. Presenter: Susan Penner is the Executive Director of Life Culture Canada. She is dedicated to educating and equipping Christians and the broader public on the value of life, as well as providing practical support for women who are in difficult situations. Saturday, February 4 at 11:45am, in the Chapel. |
|
#2 - Church for Newcomers to Canada
Description: As more international newcomers make Winnipeg their home, each church needs to decide how ministry to them will look. Important considerations are maintaining the unity of the body, faithfulness to the gospel and appropriate evangelism, discipleship and worship for those coming from different cultural worldviews. Our panelists will share about different models for ministry to newcomers to Canada to learn from one another’s experiences. Presenters: Tim Noble has extensive experience in missions both overseas and in Canada. He has been a member of OMF International since 1996, with 20 years of experience in Thailand and now serving on the Community Engagement Team as its Deputy CE Team Leader. Adding to this, Tim is the Regional Coordinator for the Perspectives course for Manitoba, as well as serving on the national administrative team and helping with the nationwide virtual Perspective courses. Richard Salas is a Team Lead with Life Transformation Ministries Canada which uses outreach and discipleship to help international students, newcomers, refugees and Canadians to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Additionally, Richard serves in Cuba through teaching, mentoring pastors and missionaries on discipleship and leadership. Tim Nielsen and his wife Sue feel specifically called to work in Winnipeg with former refugees from many different nations. In 2008 they led a team of believers to plant City Church, an intentionally intercultural church, the majority of which are former refugees from many different nations. Wei Deyi has been one of the pastors at the Winnipeg Chinese Alliance Church for 20 years, starting as the Mandarin pastor. In 2014 Wei stepped into the role of Lead Pastor, leading their three ministries - Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Shoaib Ebadi, Executive Director of Square One World Media, is an Afghan Christian who has spoken about the plight of Afghan believers in many countries. Shoaib was instrumental in establishing the CHAI Immigrant Centre (Christians Helping All Immigrants) in 2007 to help refugees and other newcomers settle in Canada. Saturday, Feb 4 at 11:45am, in the Theatre. |
|
#3 - The Changing Face of Global Missions
Description: Immigration, global migrations, missionaries being sent ‘from everywhere to everywhere.’ We hear these phrases but how do we translate these realities into the way we and our churches pray, support, and mobilize for our ongoing commitment to the Great Commission of Jesus? Who do we invest in? Where do North Americans ‘fit’? And how do we decide our priorities? Presenter: Paul Borthwick serves on the staff of Development Associates International, a training group dedicated to the character and ministry development of leaders in the under-resourced world. His ministry focuses on leadership development, influencing the next generation towards world missions, and mobilizing the church for outreach and cross-cultural ministry. In 2015, Paul concluded over 30 years of teaching at Gordon College in the area of Global Christianity. He also served as an Urbana / Missions Associate with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship from 1999-2015, and has written over a dozen books about Christian missions and ministry. Saturday, February 4 at 11:45am, in Room K1. |
|
#4 - Leveraging Technology for Gospel Purposes
Description: Brian will talk to us about how business can enhance and support the spread of the gospel. In this session, we will hear about how a group of local Manitoba agricultural entrepreneurs are doing that. Listen to their story and perhaps God will give you some ideas on how to leverage your business to do the same. Presenter: Brian Dyck has been a production farmer and over the years, there has been a growing awareness that there are farmers in this world who are not able to produce enough food to meet even the basic needs of their families. Brian and his wife, Ruth, have always had a sense of responsibility towards the Lord and missions so when I got an opportunity to manage a farm project in South Sudan, I decided that I would go rather than missing an opportunity that the Lord had clearly called me to. Brian will talk to us about how business can enhance and support the spread of the gospel. In this session, we will hear about how a group of local Manitoba agricultural entrepreneurs are doing that. Listen to their story and perhaps God will give you some ideas on how to leverage your business to do the same. Saturday, February 4 at 11:45am, in the Youth Room. |
|
#5 - Discussion on Reconciliation Between Indigenous & Non-Indigenous Peoples
Description: Todd & Krystal Wawrzyniak are the director team of Indian Life Ministries. ILM is dedicated to restoring hope, healing and honor within Indigenous communities across North America through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The ministry focuses on producing encouraging Christ centered literature, written by Indigenous believers, for Indigenous people. Todd & Krystal will be joined by Kene & Milly Jackson as they discuss reconciliation between Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in Canada. Presenters: Before joining Indian Life Ministries as the director team in 2020, Todd & Krystal were serving alongside the ‘untouchable’ people in Nepal, sharing the love of Jesus. Kene Jackson is the director of the Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and together with his wife Milly, they are native gospel musicians, traveling coast to coast to coast spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in Indigenous communities. Saturday, February 4 at 1:15pm, in the Chapel. |
|
#6 -Opportunities for the Church Created by Recent Immigration to Canada
Description: In this seminar we will: 1) Discuss changing immigration patterns in Canada as revealed through an analysis of immigration, ethnocultural, and religious data from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Population Census, and 2) Explore the opportunities this creates for churches to develop pathways to Jesus for the new Canadians in our neighbourhoods. Presenters: Rick Love is the Director of Love New Canadians, a ministry that has worked with 432 churches and ministries in eight provinces of Canada and 16 countries around the world, helping churches develop pathways to Jesus for immigrants in their neighbourhoods. Saturday, February 4 at 1:15pm, in the Theatre. |
|
#7 - How Redefining Church is Hurting Missions
Description: Biblically, successful Gospel presentations produce Biblically defined churches. However, there is a popular tendency to redefine "church". The distortion changes the goal, and affects the methodology, process and assessment of church-planting in Missions. This workshop examines how this trend is redirecting attention and resources from the Great Commission and substituting alternatives that are hindering the completion of the great Commission. Presenters: Doug Harkness serves with Ethnos Canada as Campus Chaplain promoting missions at Nipawin Bible College. Raised in Hamilton Ontario, he graduated from Bible College in 1984 and was ordained in 2001. He has two sons, three grandchildren and enjoys motorcycling. Saturday, February 4 at 1:15pm, in Room K1. |
|
#8 - Summer Camps
Description: What are you doing TODAY, to prepare for missions tomorrow? Do you dream of someday being involved in missions? Taking the gospel across an ocean, learning a language, becoming immersed in another culture for Jesus? The odds of that happening are very slim UNLESS you are doing something now, where you are, with the people that are a lot like you. So how can you prepare yourself for those tomorrow days? One way is by becoming involved as a staff member or volunteer at a Christian Camp Ministry. Manitoba is blessed with an active group of Camps and all of them are looking for people with a love for Jesus to help reach campers for Jesus. This session will feature Directors and representatives from multiple Camp Ministries in Canada sharing their Elevator Speeches to tell you about how being involved at their camps can help you learn and practice skills that will help you no matter what you are going to do or where you are going to serve Jesus in the days ahead. Presenters: You will be able to hear presentations from Camp Arnes, Camp Cedarwood, Fisher Bay Bible Camp, Pioneer Camp, Red Rock Bible Camp, Roseau River Bible Camp, and Simonhouse Bible Camp, and will be able to ask questions to the panel of presenters. The session will be hosted by Amber Skrabek, founder of Indizo Productions and Director of Digital Communications at Church of the Rock. Saturday, February 4 at 1:15pm, in the Youth Room. |
|
#9 - Missionfest Manitoba: Past, Present, Future
Description: Missionfest Manitoba began as a conversation among a small group of mission-minded individuals in 1988. By 1989, the necessary documents were received and Missionfest Manitoba was born. Although the event has evolved through the years, venues changed, challenges faced, the vision formed in those original conversations continues to serve as our passion. This session will tell the story of how Missionfest Manitoba began, how it has navigated through the years, and the heart and vision that will carry the organization into the future. Presenters will include members of the MfM Board, as well as Executive Directors throughout the festival's history. The session will also feature conversations with the individuals who were a part of those first conversations more than 30 years ago. This will also be the official introduction of the newly appointed Missionfest Manitoba Executive Director, Tim Noble. Presenters: Ted Hull, former Director of the Winnipeg Christian Counseling Group, Board Governance Consultant, and longtime Missionfest Board Member. Dr. David Robbins, Founder of Advancing Indigenous Missions and early catalyst for Missionfest Manitoba. Bill Ehlers, longtime Winnipeg pastor and part of the original MfM conversations. Gord Gilbey, Early MfM Event Coordinator and later Executive Director of Missionfest Manitoba. Brian Hamilton, International Director at Ambassadors for Christ and former Executive Director of Missionfest Manitoba. Tom Castor, Founding Partner of Clear and Simple Media and current Executive Director of Missionfest Manitoba. Tim Noble, Field Representative for OMF and newly appointed Missionfest Manitoba Executive Director. Saturday, February 4 at 4:45pm, in the Chapel. |
|
#10 -Evangelism in Turkey in the 21st Century Description: 60 years ago, Turkey counted two Jesus Followers. Today we count over 7,000. We will present proven evangelism strategies and how Christian workers endured a variety of hardships in Turkey, including deportation prison time. All of this comes out of a very intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Presenter: David Block lived for 33 years among Muslims. His focus is – discipling young people to lovingly lose their lives for JESUS. David & Sherry focused on six places where - ONE per one million knew Jesus. Now their three young daughters are long-term missionaries. Born in Switzerland, Christoph Koebel served as a church planter in Austria for ten years. Since 2005, he has been serving as a Mission Mobilizer with Operation Mobilization. Over the last 15 years he served on three Short-Term Mission Teams in Turkey. David Byle is the leader of a missions team working among Muslims in Berlin, Germany. David served in Istanbul, Turkey for almost 20 years, both in the leadership of the Bible Correspondence Course and as an open-air street evangelist before being forced to leave in 2018 after multiple arrests and court cases. David is also actively involved in training groups for short-term missions and training for pastors and local believers in evangelism. Saturday, February 4 at 4:45pm, in the Theatre. |
|
#11 -The Future of World Mission & the Role of Mission Efforts
Description: Building on the historical development of mission activity over the past century, and including an analysis of what has worked and flourished recently in sharing the gospel and making disciples worldwide, Dieter Trefz will show evidence of new effective trends in the wide world of missions. Important and surprising questions will be addressed, such as: Is there any role in the new mission future for western missionaries, including missionaries from Canada? from Europe? What is happening now with regard to the sending of missionaries TO and FROM places like Africa, Asia, and South America? What will be the effect of the conflict in Eastern Europe on missionary activity in the region? Presenter: Dieter Trefz hails from the town of Wüstenrot, Germany, where he leads as Director for Kontaktmission International, which serves in 58 countries with missionaries from 41 countries. He serves in Canada with the board of Kontakt Canada, which belongs to Kontaktmission. Through his innovative and consistent leadership with KM, he became well known among the largest evangelical Germany-based mission umbrella organization, the AEM (Arbeitsgemeinschaft evangelikaler Missionen), representing many organizations and approximately 4500 missionaries all over the world. Dieter has served in the key leadership position of the AEM for the past 5 years, and has been re-elected to continue in this role for the near future. Because of his connection to so many mission organizations, mission ideas, and mission leaders, Dieter has become an exceptionally qualified speaker on international trends in world missions and on local efforts toward the world mission endeavor. Saturday, February 4 at 4:45pm, in the Room K1. |
|
#12 - Feature: Colleges & Universities
Description: What are you doing TODAY, to prepare for missions tomorrow? Do you dream of someday being involved in missions? Taking the gospel across an ocean, learning a language, becoming immersed in another culture for Jesus? The odds of that happening are very slim UNLESS you are doing something now, where you are, with the people that are a lot like you. So how can you prepare yourself for those tomorrow days? One way is to get an education. Prepare your mind and soul to know Jesus better around people who are trying to do the same thing. This session will feature representatives from multiple Bible Colleges, Universities, and Training Institutions sharing about their schools and what it takes to start (or continue) to prepare yourself and sharpen your skills as a disciple of Jesus. Presenter: You will be able to hear presentations from Horizon College & Seminary, Millar College of the Bible, Nipawin Bible College, Prairie College, Providence University College & Theological Seminary, Capernwray Harbour Bible Centre and Vanguard College and will have the opportunity to participate by asking questions to the panel of presenters. The session will be hosted by Amber Skrabek, founder of Indizo Productions and Director of Digital Communications at Church of the Rock in Winnipeg. Saturday, February 4 at 4:45pm, in the Youth Room. |
