Kingdom Matters
Recommended Resources
• A Faith Worth Believing, Living and Commending by dennis ngien (wipf & stock,
2008). reflections on god, preaching,
From Online Sermons
death, and spirit-filled life
by a professor of theology
at Tyndale seminary, Toronto.
• We Preach Not Ourselves:
Paul on Proclamation by Michael p. knowles (brazos,
2008). McMaster divinity
College professor offers
an insightful and practical
discussion of preaching
based on 2 Corinthians.
• Ninety-Nine Windows:
Reflections of a Reporter
From Arabia to Africa and
Other Roads Less Travelled
(epic/essence, 2008). a
compilation of columns
by Canadian Christian
journalist Thomas froese.
www.thomasfroese.com
• The Life and Thought
of David Craig, Canadian
Presbyterian Missionary, 1937-2001 by Jason
Zuidema (Clements academic, 2008). Craig was
an ontario missionary
who served in nigeria and
Quebec, especially in french reformed
evangelism and theological education.
One of Greg Gordon’s favourite
quotes is from preacher Andrew
Gee: “God’s time for revival is
the very darkest hour.” It’s an apt choice
for Gordon. At 16 Gordon ran away
from home and became mired in drugs,
alcohol and criminal activity until sinking to his knees one night in a desperate
prayer for God’s help out of his “hell.”
That was 13 years ago. After a prodigal return home, Gordon settled into
school and then a job before quitting in
author lives in Babylon
Is a meaningful relationship with Christ still
to be found in churches and within the
walls of organized religion? paul vieira of
winnipeg, author of the self-published book
Jesus Has Left the Building, thinks not. at least
not for him and not for many other younger
people who find something is missing from
what he calls the institutional church.
rick hiemstra at The evangelical fellow-
ship of Canada says he’s seeing more books
about people dropping out of church. as
director of the efC Centre for research on
Canadian evangelicalism, he also knows
the statistics about the “weakening of de-
nominational affiliation in Canada. in the
2001 census, a large growth of people de-
scribed themselves as Christian, as opposed
to naming a denomination. That tells you
something.”
vieira may be a typical example. an ac-
tive churchgoer from an early age, he was
a worship leader at the age of 15. in 1988
he created a monthly saturday night service
of worship and healing for youth in win-
nipeg. Come to the Cross attracted up to
700 young people a night.
but in 1992 vieira felt god calling
him “to take this stuff and do it outside
the walls.” around the same time the in-
novative service came to an abrupt end.
it was bewildering, and vieira tried other
approaches to ministry in a painful search
for god’s will for his life.
Jesus Has Left the Building came out of
that search. and ever since its publication
in 2006, vieira has been on a journey that
he likens to the exile of the
israelites. vieira compares
himself and others like him
to the exiled Jewish youth
daniel, placed by god
within the secular society
to be messengers of god’s paul vieira
grace and love.
vieira now works as the co-ordinator
of an english program for newcomers to
Canada at the university of winnipeg. he
has also joined a band called why and has
created a series of 45-minute podcasts to
provide an orientation to the first five books
of the old Testament.
when asked what he does for church
now, vieira replies, “The truth is, my wife,
my four kids and my close guy friends – this
is my church.”
May / June 2009
May / June 2009
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