DanSheffield

the haystack monument

While travelling in Massachusetts a few weeks ago, on holiday, we came across this monument on the back streets of Williamstown, Mass -- home of Williams College.  The inscription says that a group of students, sheltering from rain under a haystack in 1806 , gave birth to the American foreign mission movement.  Those students went on to form the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission (ABCFM) an interdenominational body largely made up of Congregational churches.

The notion of college students (young adults) spurring on the recovery of commitment to taking the 'good news' to people who have not yet had access to the story of Jesus, has been a recurring theme in Christian history. A century later the Student Volunteer Movement also made similar commitments.

One of the leaders of ABCFM in the mid 1800s was Rufus Anderson one of the early proponents of an indigenous methodology:  

The end of the mission was to be "a scriptural, self propagating Christianity" not dependent upon foreign personnel.

An interesting little discovery just wandering through the Berkshire Mountains...

 

ordination service, Ghana-style

Last Sunday (Feb 17) I had the great pleasure to be involved in an ordination service at Grace Free Methodist Church (Kwabenya) in Accra, G hana. My role was acting as the representative of Bishop Keith Elford, conducting the ordinations on his behalf. Superintendent Rev. Charles A Tetteh and myself worked together on official duties.

The day's program started at 9am with a bible study on 'the meaning of ordination' led by lay leaders, with the whole congregation divided into discussion groups. The formal service carried on at 10am, through until about 1:30pm. All the program was organized by the Ghanaian leaders, including the use of 'graduation' gowns and special clergy robes for the bishop's representative. Following the ordinands replying to their ordination vows, they turned around and served communion to the whole assembly (more than 200 from 5 different congregations across the city). After serving communion they received their credentials and removed their student caps.

Each of these ministers have completed 2 years of pastoral education, and at least 4 years of supervised ministry experience (as church planters, pastors or denominational leaders). Each knows that the challenge of pastoral ministry is not something that you enter into lightly. Ministry in Ghana is not lucrative (unless you preach a different kind of gospel:(); these pastors have other jobs to supplement their income.

The whole celebration was very urban African, which is definitely a 'mash-up' of cultures!

green building methods in Niger

Had an interesting visit this morning to a building site here in Niamey, Niger. Our FM team here is building a worship/ministry centre that fits into the local architecture and building methods with 21st century applications. These bricks are 'rammed earth' technology, a method used for hundreds of years here in the sahel region of West Africa.

Red laterite soil (think adobe bricks) mixed with 5% cement and just enough water to make the mix clump in your hand. Then placed in a compressor where the mix is 'rammed' in a mold, one brick at a time.  Bricks are dried under plastic for a week (retains humidity) then dried in the sun for two weeks. The bricks (10"x12") have a notch design so no mortar is required when laid.

Costs are less than conventional blocks and don't retain heat -- today the temp is over 40C! The Nigerien architect was very happy to work with us in applying this method to our project. 20,000 blocks required for this 2 story building.

encountering new york city

last week was my first encounter with new york city -- or at least the midtown-Manhattan version. the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Santa Claus Parade had been on my wife's 'bucket list' for a long-time; i figured it was time to finally follow through on getting her there. in fact, we made this part of our 25th wedding anniversary celebrations. we travelled with our long-time friends, Carole & Steve (Kathy & Carole had been roommates before we married).

we had several challenging trips on a sight-seeing bus [I don't recommend this company!]. we went to see/hear the Jersey Boys show (the Frankie Valli story). we stood for 3.5 hours on Thursday morning waiting/watching the parade [I was 30 feet from Kanye West and Jessica Simpson :)]. we ate 'thanksgiving dinner' at the Istanbul Cafe -- we were offered traditional 'thanksgiving' fare -- turkey -- but opted for traditional Turkish food [highly recommended]. we went to the top of the city at the Rockefeller Centre, about 11:30pm. I went to the Met for 3 hours [I sat in front of a Cezanne, Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Pollock and many more :)], while the other 3 did a backstage tour at Radio City Music Hall. we window-gawked by all the Christmas-decorated shops on 5th Avenue. We had lunch at the 8th floor cafe in Macy's, right across the hall from where Santa Claus sits in the Miracle on 34th Street.

A great time with Kathy, our friends and briefly exploring this amazing city. a bit challenging for the introvert in me.

visit to Sri Lanka

I'm heading to Sri Lanka this week, where the civil war continues. This Washington Post article highlights the situation today.

Where I will be is in the central and eastern areas of the island; quite a long ways from the northeast where government troops are in the last stages of their fight with the Tamil Tigers. As the article mentions, the crucial issue is what the government will do include the Tamil areas in the political and economic life of the rest of the country. If an appropriate solution is not enacted quickly, the Tigers will regain moral ground.

encountering lisa kudrow

so I'm standing at immigration in the Vancouver airport on our return from Cambodia (one of those long back and forth snake lines through the stanchions). I see this vaguely familiar woman standing in front of me with 2 friends and say to the person beside me, does that look like who I think it is? She affirmed. There you have it, I'm within touching distance of Lisa Kudrow. 

what was interesting then was to note people's reactions during the 20 minutes or so winding through that snaking line up to the counter. Typically Canadian, not one person approached her, as people began glancing and nudging their travelling companions. She almost made it... just as she was the next person to go up to the counter, this East Asian guy (likely from my flight from Taipei) walks right up to her and starts talking, saying how much he likes the show, etc. etc. She nods, shakes his hand, smiles the Phoebe fake smile/sneer, and turns away quickly.

this week in Cambodia

I've been in Cambodia this week with a small group of people from the church I attend in Hamilton. We spent a few days in Phnom Penh with friends and then 6 days in Kampong Chhnang about 2 hours north of PP. We stayed with Sok & Savy Em, our long-time friends, who are developing a pastoral training college there. I taught a course all week and my friends did some small construction projects. On our last day we took a boat tour of the floating villages on the Tonle Sap.