Page 10 - PC Winter 2023-24

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PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2023
presbyterian.ca
Camp Compassion, an ecumenical day camp in the heart of Saskatoon.
Rural and Remote
Ministry in the Prairies:
Reverse Mission
Bible Vacation Week at Norman Kennedy Presbyterian Church, Regina.
Picnic after Ecumenical Sunday service at the Old Bekevar Church, Kipling (Hungarian Community).
By Nehemia Neuhisa, student at Vancouver School of Theology/St. Andrew’s Hall
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Luke 10:2).
I never imagined myself doing mission work, especially as an Indonesian in my twenties here in Nor th America. But, for the past three months, I see that work that I did through the Rural and Remote Ministries program is a new way of mission to and with the peo- ple in Canada, particularly in the province of Saskatchewan. The mission is to serve congrega- tions, who for years have not had their own minister to offer pastoral care, to serve Indigenous com- munities with their unique and val- uable teachings and experiences, to serve children who might never
After preaching at Knox Presbyte- rian Church, Whitewood.
have heard about Jesus or who had never been to church, and to serve siblings in Christ who find themselves in financial difficulties and unable to meet their primary
needs, in downtown areas of Regina and Saskatoon.
I met all of them on different occasions and through programs that included summer ministry, which made me feel grateful for the experience and relationships I made, for the teaching I gave and received, and for the ministries that took place over the summer.
While the Bible might not specif- ically use the word “mission,” the concept is rooted in biblical truth. Mission itself signifies purposeful movement—being sent from one place to another for a reason. The apostles of Jesus were among the first to be sent out on a mission to share what Jesus was proclaim- ing. And if my people were recipi- ents of mission works from Eu- rope hundreds of years ago, now I can see myself doing a similar
thing: travelling far away from my home to share God’s good news to the places where Christianity once was a “thing.”
Here’s why I subtitled this ar ticle “Reverse Mission”: “Reverse Mis- sion” itself is understood as a mis- sionary movement that started not long ago. It’s where churches or individuals of the classic “recipient countries” of missionaries, pre- dominantly in the southern hemi- sphere, par ticipate in the world- wide commission of Jesus Christ by doing mission to places where Christianity or even having a reli- gion is not a necessity anymore.
It’s not my first time doing this, but it always feels like I learn something new each time. Try- ing to learn and teach at the same time, ministering to folks from the youngest—through Vacation Bi- ble School and Summer Camp— to the oldest, and living in differ- ent cultures and practices, are marvellous and meaningful ex- periences. And the fact that I did this mission in the prairies, which I am not familiar with at all, since I was born and grew up in busy city area in Indonesia, meant I learned a lot of new things about mission, about church, and about cultures that were very different from my previous experience growing up as Christian in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim- majority country in the world.
The journey as a summer min- ister student for the Synod of Saskatchewan, moving from one community to another, preaching from church to church throughout Saskatchewan, and connecting with people from different back- grounds and experiences provided me with amazing experiences. I never imagined that God had such an interesting plan with intentional encounters between me and those I do ministry with, and unintention- al meetings with random people that gave me a chance to share my faith journey and how God works wonderfully. It all pushed me out- side my comfort zone to do things that I never imagined before.
Overall, as an Asian-Indigenous person who was born and grew up at least 8,000 miles away from this land, I am really grateful for the gift that I can share and for the opportunity to do this min- istry. Rural and Remote Ministry not only helped the congregations that I visited in the Synod of Sas- katchewan, but also enriched me with experiences to know more about sharing the gospel, espe- cially in the post-Christendom era. Without this ministry, I would never be the person I am right now, with experiences that I can use for my ministry as a theol- ogy student, as a “newbie mis- sionary,” and as a minister in the future, wherever God sends me.
Connection
Presbytery Animator
The Presbyteries of Ottawa and Seaway-Glengarry are looking for someone to
help engage and re-engage youth and young adults in the region, primarily through digital environments and by supporting youth leaders at our churches. The successful candidate will be a dynamic and creative person with expertise in working collaboratively in digital spaces.
If you’re interested in sharing the love of Jesus online, visit: presbyterian.ca/presby-animator
The rural and remote ministries grant is a funding program from The Presbyterian Church in Canada that provides ministry students with opportunities to serve in rural contexts so that they can get a taste of the joys of serving within a rural context. The hope of this program is to bring leadership and support to congregations in rural contexts and to encourage rural ministry. Participants in this program receive a stipend and housing allowance from the ministry where they are serving and a $5,000 grant from the Life and Mission Agency to put toward their theological education.