34 - 980 Adelaide St. S.
London ON N6E 1R3
877.690.1009 ph
519.690.1618 fax
[email protected]
www.abwe.ca
ACROSS
BORDERS FOR
WORLD
E VA N G E L I S M
mission statement
July 2015
ABWE Canada exists to glorify
Ministry Activity
God by assisting local churches
Long Term Missionary
to achieve their Canadian &
D Brandon:
Theological
Education, Philippines
M & M Bouma:
ME Conference, USA
E & K Cooper:
ME Conference, USA
G & M Dickinson:
ME Conference, USA
L Flietstra:
ME Conference, USA
N & K Rachevsky:
ME Conference, USA
D & C Smith:
ME Conference, USA
J & J Taylor:
Ministry Trip, Central
Europe
B & V Ward:
Home Assignment,
Canada & USA
T & R Wright:
First Term, Radio
Ministry, Montreal
international mission objectives.
Short Term Volunteer
(1 week - 2 years)
E Blosdale:
Ministry Trip,
Romania
Huron Park Church
Team, Woodstock:
Youth/Adult Ministry,
Portugal
Stoney Creek Church
Team, London:
Children’s Ministry,
Portugal
Staff & Representatives
L Durk:
Ministry Trip,
Portugal
Counter Culture…
Imagine the culture shock that Daniel
experienced, when he was forcibly taken
to Babylon, a place that was foreign
to anything he knew. Even though he
was away from his family and familiar
things, he determined that he would
maintain his integrity and his faith in
God. Daniel demonstrated his creative
ability to adapt to the Babylonian culture
and demands, but he still maintained
his commitment to his beliefs. He
determined that the culture would not
destroy the commitment he had to God,
even if it meant opening himself up to
persecution and death. Because of this
determination, Daniel was used by God
in several instances to make a difference
in the culture.
Missionaries need to learn to adapt to changing
cultures too. Language learning is one of the
major challenges in their adaptation to the
culture. Without an effective grasp of the heart
language of the people, the missionary will be
ineffective in trying to make a difference for the
gospel. I am blessed by the commitment that I
see missionaries make to learn the language in
order to communicate effectively. The Apostle
Paul demonstrated this commitment to the
communication of the gospel when he wrote
in 1 Corinthians that he was willing to adapt his
culture in order to reach people with the Gospel.
That does not mean that we can adapt our faith
or the Bible to the culture. We believe that the
teaching of the Bible is absolute. Paul made sure
to explain that he still maintained his commitment
to obeying the law of God. Our culture in Canada
is always changing. It is becoming increasingly
evident that in general our Canadian society is
not as committed to the authority of Scripture as
we are.
What does that mean for us today? What can
we learn from the example of Daniel? He was
able to work and contribute to the Babylonian
culture, while still maintaining his commitment
to his faith. It took courage and a trust in God to
protect him as he stood for his Biblical culture. He
was an agent of a counter culture that eventually
had great influence on the highest levels of
Babylonian leadership. May we be as strong
and wise as Daniel to determine where we can
adapt, and to know when our adaptation would
violate the precepts of Scripture. When we find
a challenge to our integrity, may we be strong to
stand up for the truth.
Thank you for standing with ABWE Canada’s
missionaries as they seek to be agent of the
Biblical counter culture. They need our prayers
and support as they navigate cultural change.
Daring as Daniel,
David W. Smith