Blog – Living Hope Native Ministries

Hopelines June 2024

A Time for Prayer

By:Andrew Lang

Have you ever felt like there’s not enough time to do everything you need to do?

With 4 kids, a couple jobs and a house to build there’s no end to the demands on my time. On our staff prayer retreat this year we discussed “the ruthless elimination of hurry” and the line that stuck out to me the most was… “are you too busy to follow Jesus?”.

In ministry it’s easy to get busy doing things for God that you forget to spend time with him. Or we get caught going through the motions and not connecting on the level that we so desperately need.

As you read through and pray over the staff of Living Hope, pray that we would connect with Jesus each day, that our hearts would be filled to overflowing with his love and That we would be able to say to those that we are interacting with, follow me as I follow Jesus.

Hopelines March 2024

Miracles and Answered Prayer
By Rodney Martin, Thunder Bay

Miracles. When it comes to miracles in the Bible, we often see an event or situation that involves a powerful move or a powerful display of God’s power. The display often surpasses our natural laws or understanding. These miracles are extraordinary occurrences that can only be explained and attributed to the supernatural work of God. Whenever God does miracles in the Bible, it is to reveal Himself: His character, His love, and His purposes to us.
Miracles can provide evidence of God’s power and presence to the world and demonstrate His authority and love on behalf of His servants. A miracle can be performed directly by God or through His servants. Other words used to describe God’s miracles in the bible are signs and wonders (often used together), powers, and mighty works. And quite often, as believers, we share these testimonies of God’s miracles to encourage one another.

On the Path to Reconciliation

By Andrew Lang

I recently attended a gathering put on by the former students of the Mennonite-run residential schools. During the gathering I was able to listen to many stories from the former students about their experiences while at residential schools. Those stories included physical abuses, an encounter with the one true God, sexual abuses, memories of loving staff sharing their love for God with them, neglect, the formation of life-long friendships, and cultural abuses amongst other experiences.

Partnership

Living Hope hired Rodney Martin in August as Public Relations Director. He is originally from Constance Lake and pastored in Sachigo Lake for a time. His contribution to the organization is invaluable. Here is his perspective on partnership:

What does partnership look like? The question when posed seemed to baffle me, because it was something I never really thought about. So when I looked up the definition, this is what I found: A partnership consists of two or more people who combine their resources for a greater purpose.

Christmas Update

By Andrew Lang

As 2023 draws to a close, I am amazed at how I’ve seen God at work through our staff and associate team this year. It has been such an encouraging journey, and I am looking forward to what God will do in this coming year. Since reflecting and celebrating is such a major theme in the Bible I thought it would be fitting to talk about some exciting things we’ve seen God do through us and what we are planning for the future.

Here’s what we are excited about:

VBS started back up with a team going to Pikangikum.
We hired Rodney Martin for the position of Public Relations Director.

Looking Forward

By Andrew Lang

The mission of Living Hope is to equip and empower local churches that matter. We are shifting energy as an organization so that we can more effectively do that, specifically with partnership in mind.

I’m excited that we have been able to trial a number of events, and are building relationships to help build up the local church in northern communities. We’re hoping to build on the momentum we’ve gained this past year, reach even more people, and be a resource to more First Nations Christians in Northern Ontario.

Hopelines December 2023

Partnership

Living Hope hired Rodney Martin in August as Public Relations Director. He is originally from Constance Lake and pastored in Sachigo Lake for a time. His contribution to the organization is invaluable. Here is his perspective on partnership:

What does partnership look like? The question when posed seemed to baffle me, because it was something I never really thought about. So when I looked up the definition, this is what I found: A partnership consists of two or more people who combine their resources for a greater purpose.

And that was when I began to feel very uncomfortable. “Two people combine their resources…” What could I, as a First Nation person, possibly bring to the table that has any value? My native mindset is telling me, “this will be a very unbalanced, one sided partnership.” (Kind of like my partnership with Christ…but that’s another topic.) But if I’m honest, in my mind this will seem more like a white dominated partnership where once again I’m defaulted to live on handouts and sympathy, having made no real contribution to this relationship.

A Community that Cares

By Andrew Lang

Recently, I was in a car accident and what struck me (days after the mishap) was how quickly my church family was there to check in on me and to help our family with our needs. We didn’t have to advertise it or ask for help; it was just there. I was so moved by how caring and generous the people in my community were to my family. I had more phone calls checking in on me than from my direct family, which is not a dig on my family; it’s just a sign of how invested the church community is.

There’s a saying that “people don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.”

Discipleship Direction

By Jeff and Mary Kirkpatrick

It’s hard to say when it started, but discipleship has been a growing desire for our family. When our home church in Pennsylvania announced that the topic for their annual conference this year would be “Making Disciples Who Make Disciples,” we decided to extend a family visit so we could attend. It wasn’t just good teaching for us, it was professional development!

True disciples make disciples. We want to do more than just keep youth off the streets or start a Bible Study (as much as we are crazy Bible nerds and LOVE that). We want to follow Jesus and bring other people along to follow him too – to be people who also bring others on the lifetime journey of following Jesus. It’s about the life we live, not about more knowledge or the “sinner’s prayer” we prayed one time…or over and over again.

The conference speaker was Galen Burkholder from Global Disciples. Their organization makes disciples in difficult situations around the world, but they claim it’s a simple process….

Go, Make Disciples

By Andrew Lang

Matthew 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus has very explicit instructions for us here; he commands us to go, a call that isn’t tied to spiritual gifting or skills. This is a universal command for all of us who believe. We must all be active in spreading God’s word. It doesn’t mean we have to go far, but we do need to be an active agent in bringing the word of truth to those in the world.