MJAC Conversations

Guests Kirk Cowman and Brian Westnedge join us on the pod this week to tackle these questions about the future of our church! What are you anticipating the church landscape will look like in Canada as we emerge from COVID? How did the transition team arrive at the proposed merger document? Is this a done deal? What happens to MJAC Vision and Values statements? What are Living Hope's Vision and Core Behaviors? Where might a creative ‘out of the church box' experimenter find a fit in the LH vision statement? What is LH's practice with women in leadership? How will Sunday services be put together post-merger? (Who will preach?) Will LH staff oversee the MJ ministry areas such as worship ministry and children's ministry? What happens to our current staff? What happens if we discern and vote NOT to merge? Is there a plan B? Please circle your calendars and register for the upcoming Listening Gatherings on June 6 (in-person) and June 9 (via Zoom). Discernment Gatherings on June 14 (in-person) and June 22 (via Zoom). Here's the link to register! https://mjac.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/88/responses/new

MJAC Conversations podcast is back with a series of candid conversations with your Board and Transition team members about the proposed merger between Living Hope Alliance and our church. Our next episode is called 'Releasing MJAC to merge with Living Hope--not everything that is buried is dead.' Thank you for sending your questions into the office! The questions we'll be tackling this upcoming week are: -For those of us who are unfamiliar with Living Hope, can you give us a nutshell description of what they're like? How are they different from MJAC or other churches in Moose Jaw? Are there similarities to us or other churches in Moose Jaw that you see? -What specific aspects of Living Hope are we hoping to lean into through this merger? -Will there be space for our local church culture to have its own flavour because we're in a different geographic location and consist of different people? Or are we imagining we'll become a satellite/replica of Living Hope? -Has the Board discussed what specific aspects of MJAC we need to retain? Recognizing the merger agreement is still in discussion with the transition team, what are you imagining or hoping we'll preserve through this merger? -Over this last season at MJAC, we have talked a lot about something being birthed. Now we seem to be talking about MJAC needing to die to be reborn again. Can you unpack what that ‘death' language means (or doesn't mean)? -What do we do with all those things that were birthed during this past season? -Do you have suggestions for how we process this together? For example, some people in our church will need to grieve this merger as a loss, and others may be relieved or celebratory. Will there be events that bring closure to our shared MJAC experience before we move into a merger? "

Our podcast, MJAC Conversations, is back this week, with the first in a series of episodes exploring the future of our church. This week on the pod we'll talk about the backstory of the proposed merger between Living Hope Alliance in Regina, and MJAC. We've been gathering your questions and a member of your Board and a member of the merger Transition Team will candidly discuss the behind the scenes. Please continue to pray for our MJAC leadership community as they discern through this unprecedented time! Some of the questions they'll be addressing are: When did the idea of a merger first come up in your discussions? What other proposals did the Board explore? What's the deadline like here? (Why can't we just extend Kirk's contract another year?) What are the ongoing concerns that any proposal for the future of MJAC needs to address? When did the board of Living Hope become part of this discernment process? What were some of the words or images from the Spirit that the two Boards received and discerned through?

It's the last episode of 2020, so settle in for a good long chat about coping with COVID Christmas, Mark's cooking secrets, entering into grief as a practice that makes us more human, and where Jesus is in our seasons of darkness. How you're marking this COVID Advent season. What's different this year? What are you missing? Cooking winter dishes to cope, and the secret of Mark's delicious food. Let's talk about Sunday! Grief & disappointment in the story about the death of Lazarus. Mark & Steph's personal grief journey. Practicing being human by allowing yourself to grieve the small things. Links and resources: Advent: The Jesse Tree https://www.seriouseats.com/

Finding good things in the midst of the ordinary, dealing with shame, and trusting friends with your crap. Sometimes literally. Anthony Skepple shares his journey with Crohns disease over the past year.

Picking up the phone to get through this COVID winter, playing 'Among Us' with all the MJAC friends we miss, and healing past wounds.

Competitive jump rope, looking for stuff to say sorry for, and the risk of reconciliation. Melissa brings her expertise as a counsellor to our conversation about what steps towards reconciliation look like when trust as broken. Rachel and Melissa share personal stories of forgiveness and reconciliation from their work and family life.

Finding ourselves in Biblical characters, fear of failure, and how to move through our fears courageously.

Proud papa moments, the origin of Jeremy's love of sword fighting, and how to break free from negative habits to build new, healthier ones. Bruce shares about his journey with a generational sin pattern of anger in his family, and his hopes as a dad for his grown-up children.

A tale of stolen video games, two flawed kings and the difficulty of repentance. Jeremy and Mike share stories about getting punched in the face and doing time in their conversation about sin and saying sorry.

Doing soul care around a fire, feeling our feelings about new COVID restrictions, and getting freedom from identity lies that hold us back from the full life Jesus has for us.

Burning bushes, changing seasons and slowing down to notice both our feelings and the presence of God.

Today we're talking about canning peaches, mold in the root cellar and how comfort just might be overrated.

Today we're talking about hand sanitizer, home churches, and picking up our conversation about the way this pandemic is changing the way we think about and do Christian community.

Join us this week as we talk about pirate ships, second surges and how communication impacts our community as we try to follow Jesus' example.

Today we talk about whether masks are against our Christian religion, Hamilton's King George, and encountering God in the liminal spaces of vulnerability and sacrificial love. Show notes: King George sings 'You'll be back' Gospel Coalition writes about wearing masks

We're back after our summer break! Today we're talking about our COVID summer, Saskatchewan's school re-opening plan, and our highlights from the last three weeks of our sermon series on 1 John, the master class on growing up in love. Links and resources from Family Hope: Keeping Calm and Providing Supportive Parenting During the Coronavirus Learn about anxiety in children

Join us this week as we continue the conversation on spiritual growth, and dive deeper into Daniels sermon this past Sunday.

Holstein hooves, skinny jeans, and passing on a pattern of church engagement to our kids and grandkids. It's a multi-generational conversation with Mark and his mom Marlie, long-time (life-time!) MJAC members. We also open up about what's hard about being vulnerable and risking conflict for deeper relationships with one another.

All the red shoes off screen, singing through a mask, and how this pandemic is changing the way we do church, not just in MJAC but in every church in Moose Jaw. We get to know our new lead pastor Kirk Cowman a little better and enjoy a conversation about his love for tech stuff and the way this season of isolation impacted his family and his staff team. We process our mixed feelings about the recent decision to wait to reopen the MJAC building until after Thanksgiving. Rachel gives us the scoop about what reopening has been like for some of our church neighbours, including Church of God and Hillcrest, and why some, like the Church in Caronport, have decided not to reopen their buildings yet. We start to imagine what church outside the building, in our homes and yards, could look like, including some of the safety concerns that might come up. In the last third of our show we discuss the way confession impacts our relationships and Jeremy and Kirk's messages on 1 John. Settle in for a long, wide-ranging conversation, friends!

COVID testing, finding spaces to lead as women in church, and being a foreign kingdom embassy. We get to know the newest member of the MJAC Elder team, Pat, and chat about Brian and Tanisha's message from June 28: Jesus as 'Coming King.'

Join us for a conversation with Tristan, Jeremy, & Paul about Jesus as Sanctifier and Healer!

Natural curls and grey hairs, the cross-country marathon of sanctification, and leaning in to hear Black, Indigenous and People of Color in our church. Corey shares out of her experience in her inter-racial marriage, and Stephanie brings her familiarity with the grief journey. Links and resources: 'Hair Love' short film Brene Brown podcast interview with Ibram X. Kendi on 'How to be an anti-racist' 'I Have Lived Here Since the World Began: an Illustrated History of Canada's Native People' - by Arthur J. Ray Podcast outline with timestamps: Introduction and hair convo 8:12 Stephanie, what have these months of COVID isolation looked like for you? 10:36 Rachel forgot to turn her phone off... 10:49 Corey, tell us about how you and Tristan met? 16:00 Let's talk about Sunday! 32:18 We process the latest news cycle, part 2 of our conversation about growing in our awareness of systemic racism in order to love others in a way that is a picture of Jesus. 36:45 Stephanie, when did you become aware of your own prejudice? 46:40 Corey, how have you grown in awareness and stepped into this work of anti-racism, in your life and marriage? 1:10:08 Rachel, tells a story about her Mennonite farming forebears and their Indigenous neighbors and how she first came to realize what it meant to inherit privilege. 1:20:14 Wrestling with what we do with the heartbreak of that history when we beome aware of it? A conversation about listening and leaning in. 1:40:21 Wrap up and blessing.

COVID hugs, systemic racism and the gospel. Tristan opens up about the way the George Floyd news story impacted him and his family personally, as well as giving us a peek into his extensive shoe collection. Links and resources: If you're looking for a starting place for you and your kids to learn more about Black history in Canada, check out the Canadian Museum For Human Rights online: https://humanrights.ca/stories 'The Hate U Give' is a highly relevant book/movie to start conversation with your kids 12+. Available to rent wherever you purchase and stream your movies.

Making summer plans during a pandemic, and being the person who who believes in spiritual warfare in an age of spiritual skepticism. We talk about Sunday's message on Ephesians 6: One common enemy

Loving your neighbour in a time of COVID conspiracy theories, questioning the Bible, and mutually serving one another in Christian marriage. We dig into Brian's message on Ephesians 5:21-6:9 'One new pattern for relationships'.

Cow therapy, masks, and creating safe space for mental health in the church. Ruth-Anne and Jeremy share their story about how their Christian faith journey has been intertwined with their mental health journey. We all chip in on ways we dream the church could become a place of healing and hospitality for people with mental health issues. Start-20:10: How's your pandemic this week? Melissa, Ruth-Anne and Melina share how they're taking care of their mental health during this pandemic. Melissa shares about the online webinars Family Hope counseling centre is offering. See links below! 22:35 Let's talk about Sunday. Ruth-Anne shares her story about her mental health journey and trying to find a church space that's hospitable to her children with special needs. 30:38 Jeremy's story about discovering he was a person with depression while serving as a pastor. 43:39 Rachel and Jeremy chat about taking the posture of 'lead learner' as a pastor, getting off the pedestal, dropping the mask, and encouraging others to do the same to grow up together. 45:04 Rachel swears like a church granny and Melissa shares how prevalent a struggle with mental health is for all ages in Canada. 48:24 Round table share about what part of church life together has helped our mental health, and how do you wish the church would grow up to be and do in order to care for one another in the area of mental health. Links and resources: To register for the upcoming Family Hope live webinar 'Hot Topic: Healthy Screen Time,' or to access their previous webinar 'Responding to Anxious Thoughts and Feelings: Children, Teens and Adults' email admin@familyhope.ca. Or visit http://www.familyhope.ca/ for more information.

"Authenticity, hospitality and learning to love the church again. Carlie and Rachel share their contrasting stories about their church experience, and begin to dream about what MJAC might look like when we re-open our building. Start-7:27 - Introductions. How's your pandemic this week? 7:27 - Rachel, how was the process of preparing to speak on Eph 3:16-4:16 this week? 15:09 - Rachel shares her story of growing up in church and finding her hurting non-Christian friends didn't experience welcome there. Carlie shares her story of finding new life in Christ because of the hospitality she experienced in church. 28:31 Carlie brings the fire! "Authenticity is hospitality. When you ask someone a question and they talk from.their story and their life, you feel so welcomed in and cared for." 44:54 What happens when we can meet in person again? What if neighbors come in our doors for the first time looking for spiritual guidance in this time? How do we prepare to welcome them into our life together?"

"All the beards from Sunday livestream, worship songs that are speaking to us right now, and how our pictures of God have grown and changed since we were children growing up in church. Plus, two of our middleschoolers share what they've learned about getting along with your sibling housemate during a pandemic. "We packed so much into this episodeI If you're home alone missing friendly voices this one is for you. Here's our conversation with timestamps so you can find your way to the parts of that interest you most. "Intro-6:30 Nevin and Nora on getting along during a pandemic. 6:50 Intro of the beards from.Sunday: Trevor Devries, Tristan Norton and Jeremy Zecharias. 9:15 Stories from Tristan's childhood that were not as embarrassing as I hoped lol. 12:50 How's your pandemic this week? 18:38 How are you staying connected with others? 23:46 Let's talk about worship music with Trevor. 39:09 Recap of Eph. 2 sermon and convo with Tristan. 49:44 What's your 'dead to life' story look like when you've grown up in church? (Trevor) 56:21 Jeremy 1:05:59 Tristan 1:12:59 How did your picture of God grow and change? 1:31:29 Conclusion and prayer of blessing."

Social distancing in small-town Saskatchewan, Zoom fatigue and sourdough fails. Plus a conversation about egalitarian church, and Brad's story of letting go of his identity as a Captain in the Canadian military to follow a call into military chaplaincy.