Deeply grateful for the heritage that has been entrusted to us:
http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/P335.html
We are in the same family: The growth of Chinese MB churches
http://old.mbherald.com/40-21/family.html
The recent pastoral trends survey conducted by the Canadian MB Conference indicates that one in ten pastors cite “inadequate conflict management skills” as the reason they left pastoral ministry. Some might look at that statistic and argue one in ten isn’t bad. Some people just don’t like conflict.
But adequate conflict management skills can be learned, even by those who don’t like conflict. Pastors in particular and people in general can grow in their ability to harness the catalytic potential of conflict and avert conflict’s destructive power. Three things can contribute to healthier approaches to church conflict:
If we view all conflict as sin, we’ll avoid it at all costs. Yet not all conflict is sin. Developing a healthy attitude towards non-sin conflict is vital. In fact, something very good could come out of it. In Acts 15:1–35, for example, disagreements were given voice and consensus resulted in the establishment of new patterns that seemed acceptable to all, including the Holy Spirit.
Useful parallels can be drawn between conflict and fire. As Edgar Stoesz notes in Doing Good Better, an uncontrolled fire can be deadly, yet a controlled fire cooks, warms, cleanses, and smelts.
By addressing and resolving conflicts, individuals and groups develop internal rigour, enhance mutual understanding, sharpen their mandates, and deal proactively with important issues. Conversely, broken relationships, patently unsatisfying emotions, loss of momentum, failure to achieve goals, and pastoral resignations all flow from unaddressed conflict.
Most churches don’t have well-developed mechanisms for dealing with non-sin conflict. If asked what their conflict resolution mechanism is, they may cite Matthew 18:15–17. But this text specifically addresses sinful behaviour.
Churches need an Acts 15:1–35 model as well.
Conflict resolution patterns may be thought of as a set of simple rules that harness a conflict with a view to directing it towards a positive outcome. These “simple rules” can be compared to lines painted on a highway that direct the flow of traffic. The lines reduce confusion and accidents. In a similar way, “painting lines” for conflicts – that is, introducing mediation patterns – increases the likelihood of positive outcomes to conflict.
There are two patterns or models that are good starting points for mediators: the success model (sometimes called the problem solving model) and the transformation model. The two models seek different ends. The success model attempts to improve a disputant’s situation, whereas the transformation model is interested in improving the disputants themselves.
Mediators can’t know in advance precisely how to prepare for each possible type of mediation. Instead, like experienced carpenters who have a variety of tools in their toolboxes and are able to select the appropriate tool for the task, mediators are able to draw on experience, intuition, and common sense in cobbling together mediation models for the conflicts they mediate.
Mediators are made, not born. They may possess helpful innate qualities and personal characteristics (like courage or people skills) that make them well-suited for the job, but most mediation skills are learned.
The skill set must include, for example, the capacity to help disputants see the difference between interests and positions. Consider the example of a man and woman quarrelling over an orange. When neither would give in, they decided to slice the orange in half. The man took his half, ate the fruit, and threw away the peel. The woman took her half, used the peel to make a cake, and threw away the fruit.
The myopic tendency of disputants embroiled in conflict is to merely divide the assets in question to reach a fair solution. In the case of the coveted orange, half of it was wasted!
An effective mediator, focused on interests rather than positions, would have determined that one wanted the peel, the other the fruit. Effective mediators learn skills that create space for productive conflicts.
Conflict is part of daily life, even life in the church. Some people fear conflict, while others put conflict to work. The latter do so largely because they believe that well-handled conflict can make an important contribution to the church. They tend to have established patterns for dealing with conflict. And they readily rely on and even train effective mediators.
聖誕其實有甚麼值得快樂呢？「聖誕快樂」可能不過是商人為刺激市民消費而製造的假象‧‧‧‧
對沒有基督信仰的人而言，耶穌的降生與他們無關。聖誕快樂，是因為那五光十色的燈飾佈置？是因為那讓人垂涎欲滴的聖誕美食？是因為那兩天多出的公眾假期？還是因為那普天同慶的節日氣氛？
實際上，在地球上可以享有豐足聖誕的只佔少數，我們只是其中一羣幸運兒罷了。豐盛的大餐，精美的禮物，背後是無盡的浪費與揮霍。聖誕快樂也許是一張美輪美奐的禮品花紙，包裹著一切敗壞和傷感的事物，美麗的包裝一旦被拆開，聖誕其實不怎麼快樂。
聖誕，真的快樂嗎？祭作舍原創話劇【聖誕！快樂？】，七個關於聖誕節的短篇故事：【瑪利的快樂聖誕】、【小天使】、【星夜奇緣】、【快樂常歌唱】、【二人世界】、【聖誕‧老人】及【基督降生】，沿劇中人物的經歷與情懷，讓我們一起踏足尋找快樂之途。
快樂何價？何謂真正的快樂？快樂始於聖誕‧‧‧‧
公演日期：二零零九年十二月五日星期六
演出時間：晚上七時三十分
演出地點：基督教頌恩堂 (2855 E. 1st Avenue, Vancouver, B.C.)
查詢電話：604-255-6199
粵語演出，免費入場！
為期七星期的第六屆「危疾關顧」基督徒訓練課程，為協助基督徒關顧者認識自我的角色，明白危病患者及其家人的心理狀況，進而裝備關顧者在溝通、探訪、關顧及分享福音等方面的技巧和方法。
課程由基督徒專業人士授課，包括醫生、物理治療師、護士、院牧及牧師等，內容十分精彩和實用，我極力推薦！(我是他們的第一屆畢業生)
今晚看到我們的教會有四位弟兄姊妹一同畢業，為他們感恩之餘，明年教會的關顧事工又多幾員大將囉！
We are seeking a full-time English ministry pastor to lead and shepherd our English congregation. The primary focus of the pastor will be to minister to college students, young adults, and married couples. The Pastor will provide leadership in a ministry that focuses on making disciples, equipping leaders and reaching out to the community around.
Pacific Grace MB Church comprises of Cantonese, Mandarin and English Ministries. The pastor must have formal education from a seminary or Bible College and past experience in pasturing in a church setting is essential. Intercultural communication skills and some understanding of the immigrant family will be definite assets.
Please send your resume to
Pastoral Search Task Force
Pacific Grace MB Church
2855 E. 1st Avenue,
Vancouver BC V5M 1A9
Email: pstf@pgmbc.com
昨天在「建道神學院110週年感恩午餐聚會」中坐在曾思瀚博士旁，有機會聽他暢談講道和釋經的心得，真是難得的機會。
他主修聖經研究，並曾任美國海外神學院（Overseas Theological Seminary）副院長，現任教於香港浸信會神學院；人們說他擅長將學術研究變得簡明易懂....所以，今晚我又拋妻棄子，去了聽他的聖經講座。
果然名不虛傳！如果難明的書卷也可以講解得如此清楚，很有 insight & relevant，真是不枉此行。
現正閱讀他的大作【以西結書 - 海角天涯創新機】(有他的親筆簽名的)....
竟然可以如此解釋「以西結書」，大開眼界也！
