ST Highlight

2 March 2018

Camp Bighorn Team Arrives

Jim Ministry glimpses, Missions, Prayer and Praise, ST Highlight 1

Last night Rod, David and I went to pick up the team from Camp Bighorn, which will be in Mexico for a month but in Ixtapaluca area for about a week.

Camp Bighorn Team enjoying tacos It’s been good to start to learn a little more about Camp Bighorn. Their Journey program actually reminds me quite a bit of what we did with Friends & Followers at VTI. Of course at VTI the focus was the arts, and at Camp Bighorn the focus is more outdoor adventure.

That being said, at least two people on the team have some interest in drama, and so we enjoyed talking about Shakespearean English and improv over tacos. 🙂

The team is from the US, but there are a couple of Canadians on the team. However, they kept us well separated, lest we talk about how many medals Canada got in the Olympics as compared to the US. Then again, the embarrassing topic of Olympic hockey could come up.

Anyway, we gave them a good introduction to Mexico City traffic last night, and they’re back downtown today checking out the sites. I’ll meet up with them again tomorrow.

For the rest of their visit Rod has organized lots for them to do. They will be helping with community centre classes, youth ministry, English classes at a local high school, a special event or two… and of course they will experience the adventurous side of Mexican cuisine.

26 February 2018

MKs Transitioning to Life in Canada

Jim Family, Missions, Prayer and Praise, ST Highlight 1

As many of you know, Hannah is hoping to go to school this coming fall in Canada. But how does that work, when you’ve lived two thirds of your life in another country?

After all, you don’t have the many shared experiences of your peers, or their vocabulary, and you don’t know what they know and they don’t know what you know.

Well, that’s where ReBoot fits in, of course!

Reboot is a retreat put on by the Canadian MK Network (under the MORE Network), whose vision is: To provide a safe place for Canadian MKs to review their life stories, be refreshed through worship and peer relationships in order to re-enter and navigate the transition to Canadian life and culture with God’s grace.

There are retreats in Alberta and Ontario. The retreat that Hannah hopes to go to is in Calgary this August, hosted by Ambrose University. It’s for MKs age 17-20.

However, there’s a catch – the organizers want to see if there are enough students before they commit to running the program. By March 31st they want to have around 15 students registered, or they might *gasp* cancel!

So would you help us spread the word? If you know any MKs who may be transitioning to life in Canada, or even who have returned to Canada over the past year or two, tell them to consider ReBoot. There’s lots of information in that link, including videos and testimonials.

If you would like to help Hannah attend ReBoot, you can give to her school fund here.

16 February 2018

Copying the Cottrills?

Jim Practical matters, Prayer and Praise, ST Highlight 0

So, we love my parents, and we certainly want to emulate them, most of the time.

But, perhaps this is not the way to do it.

As usual, we haven’t reached their high standards, but – well, when my Dad completely lost his voice (while preparing to preach on Sunday), I decided that some voice problems, and a cough, would be the closest I could get. And yes, I’m preaching on Sunday as well. Hopefully!

Aarrrrrggghhhh So I’m sure the Cottrill men would appreciate your prayers! Actually, I think I’m starting to finally get over this sickness I’ve had for almost two weeks. But the bug is attacking my voice as its last stand.

And since my Mom has been struggling greatly with back pain, Shari decided to join the club, and sadly has been suffering a lot. She’s actually planning to go to a conference tonight, I’m not sure how she’s going to do it, but I’m sure that both the Cottrill women would appreciate your prayers as they try to serve in spite of the back pain.

(In case you somehow actually think we decided to copy my parents on purpose, I’m adding this addendum to clarify things for the most literalistic readers. The point is, the health hasn’t been great lately, and we would appreciate your prayers as we try to serve through this weekend!)

13 February 2018

Where did the Bible Come From? (seminar)

Jim Practical matters, ST Highlight 1

When we travel in Canada, we usually offer several seminars to churches, schools, small groups, etc. – you can see the current list here.

The “Where did the Bible Come From?” seminar may be a little harder to picture than most, so I want to share a bit of an outline of some of the things we cover. This was originally put together in Spanish as 8 studies, but last time we were in Canada I translated and “Canadianized” it, and condensed it into “part 1” and “part 2”, which could be a Friday evening/Saturday morning, or a morning/afternoon.

So here is a bit of an overview, with some of the things we do and cover in the seminar. If you’re in Alberta or Saskatchewan, and are interested, we can talk!

Where did the Bible Come From?

Day 1 (or morning)

The Four Witnesses

What is “evidence”? (Laura Secord and the Bible)
The surprising new religion of the first century
The Resurrection
Video: Can you respond to Deepak Chopra?
The claims of the Da Vinci Code
Group Activity: Compare a Gospel with a “Lost Gospel”

The Hebrew Scriptures

Wait – do we have too many books? Or too few? (Canon part 1)
Who wrote the “Books of Moses”?
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the copying of the OT

Day 2 (or afternoon)

Copy, Copy, Copy
Can we possibly know what was originally written?

Group Activity: Examine the ancient texts of Javier the Louse (and experience for yourself the brilliant way that God preserved His Word)
Common copying errors
Which books? (Canon part 2)
Answering the Da Vinci Code

Field Trip: The Bible Translation Museum

Today’s Bibles

Today’s Bible Versions (and where they came from)
The Bible: Key Words to know
Group Activity: Can you respond to these actual comments from Canadians about the Bible?
The Bible Origins Contest
(hand out prizes)

Final Review

So – where did the Bible come from?
9 Key Points to Remember
Key Passages
Final words from Ignatius of Antioch and the Apostle John

This seminar is for teens to seniors, suitable for a minimum of 5 people. Some set up time, tables and chairs, and the ability to show PowerPoint/video are needed.

As you can see, I mean to make this very practical, to help you in your own study of Scripture, and to help you answer what you see in the media, hear from a friend, or learn in high school/university.

Again, if you’re interested, contact us and we’ll see what we can do!

12 January 2018

Preparing for Upcoming Studies!

Jim Ministry glimpses, ST Highlight 0

One of the exciting things about the new year has been studying God’s Word, in preparation for upcoming studies, sermons, etc. There is no doubt that God has a lot to teach us in 2018!

I imagine unbelievers really can’t comprehend why we find so many answers to life’s problems in the Bible. And sometimes Christians are guilty of simplistic answers –

problem + verse = happyhappy!
That’s not the way it is, of course. In fact, it’s the deep, balanced messages of all Scripture that address the complex realities of life in challenging and complex ways.

Sunday School handout January 2018 We’re finishing up the Gospel of Mark this month, with the climax of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We started Mark a year ago. We’ll be looking at the wonders of our justification and sanctification as well in the next couple of weeks. And we continue with a discipleship study three times a week, taught by three different people. My first study of the year is tonight.

We’re also looking ahead to what we’ll be doing during our time in Canada (AB/SK) later this year (here are some of the things we’re offering churches and small groups). Can you believe it? Over 25% of our Sundays are already booked! (And we booked our flights back to Mexico today. Thank you, WestJet, for the great prices on direct flights!)

Here’s one of the passages I’ve been meditating on as I’ve been preparing for Sunday…

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Hebrews 10:11-14

21 December 2017

Wheelchair and Earthquake Outreach – Please Pray

Jim Ministry glimpses, Prayer and Praise, ST Highlight 0

Yesterday Shari and Hannah joined Rod and Mayra and others related to our community centre for a special wheelchair presentation here in the neighbourhood of Santa Barbara. Several people in need of a wheelchair received one through our community centre and the Free Wheelchair Mission. There was a program with family and friends, in which the gospel was clearly presented. Tracts and Gospels

Please pray for everyone who heard God’s Word. Even with a “clear presentation”, there is so much confusion from false teaching here that it takes a miracle for people to understand and accept the gospel. Then again, it is always a miracle, in the truest sense of the word, when someone understands and accepts the gospel!

It’s amazing how many people are involved in a simple event like this. Obviously those who support the missionaries here are involved. But people were also given the earthquake tract provided through Camino Global, and also a Gospel of John. The Gospels were provided to us by the Pocket New Testament League.

Wheelchair outreach - December 2017

Please pray for the earthquake outreach that’s taking place today and tomorrow. We’re not going ourselves, but through our community centre and gifts donated through Camino Global (thank you!), we have a part in what’s happening.

We have a friend who is involved in building houses for earthquake victims. It’s an amazing process – I’ll have to tell you more about it sometime. Actually, for those of you who donated, we will try to send out more information in the new year.

A group from one of our related churches is going again to share the gospel and provide help in a community very much affected by the quakes. We’re able to provide four tents for four families. There are some who not only have no home, they don’t even have access to an outhouse.

The community centre is also very much involved in providing help in the state of Oaxaca, where we have contacts. We’re focusing especially on providing comizcales, which are special ovens that people use to provide food and income for their families. Many of these were destroyed in the quakes. As one woman in the region said,”I would rather have my comizcal than a pantry full of food”.

The words of one of our contacts in Oaxaca could be in the mouths of anyone trying to serve the people of Mexico in this difficult time. “Please beg God to keep in the hearts of the Christian Church their brothers and sisters in this region of the country… because this way, at least someone cares about us and remembers to pray for us.”

So please pray for all those travelling today and tomorrow to share God’s word and help those who are still so much in need after the quakes. And pray for those who are receiving, that they will understand the greatest Gift that God is offering them.

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