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A mandate from sea to sea

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Update on the C2C Network

Gord

Gord Fleming

In his book, What Happened to Christian Canada? Mark A. Noll writes, “Put generally, in 1950 Canadian church attendance as a proportion of the total population exceeded church attendance in the United States by one-third to one-half, and church attendance in Quebec may have been the highest in the world. Today church attendance in the United States is probably one-half to two-thirds greater than in Canada, and attendance in Quebec is the lowest of any state or province in North America.”

Less than half a century ago, according to Noll, 67 percent of Canadians could be found attending church. In 2000, less than 20 percent of Canadians darkened the doors of any religious institution: church, cathedral, synagogue, temple, mosque or otherwise.

The story of the C2C Network is a mandate for catalytic change, a vision for hope and a charge to proclaim the gospel news of Jesus Christ across this great land of ours in the face of ever-increasing secularization and declining church attendance.

As a network, C2C doesn’t actually plant churches; we come alongside individuals, churches, denominations and other networks to facilitate the planting of churches, support the multiplication and reproduction of established churches, and further the spread of the gospel in our unique Canadian context.

C2C exists to serve the mission and message of Jesus Christ in Canada.

Three values

Within our missional mandate, we have three values that undergird our work and serve to define who we are and what we do.

Gospel Centred. C2C is all about Jesus Christ and the message that his life, death and resurrection are the means by which God offers forgiveness from sin, reconciliation with himself and transformation from death to life. Loving Jesus, making Jesus known, seeing lives changed by Jesus and Jesus glorified is what we’re about and why we exist.

Spirit Led. That which is made by humans will not have lasting impact, nor will it transform lives. We rely completely upon God’s providential direction and guidance through his Holy Spirit to plant churches and see lives changed. When the Holy Spirit is moving, hearts are made tender, movements begin, people are transformed and God’s kingdom advances. Our prayerful request is “Come Lord Jesus, have your way with us! Use us to the glory of your name, the fame of your renown and the dominion of your kingdom.”

Mission Focused. As the church of Jesus Christ, we are sent from Jesus, for Jesus, to the praise of Jesus’ name and the redemption of his people. As a network, we’re on mission to facilitate and help the church in fulfilling its missional mandate of reaching those who are far from Jesus. Together, we are God’s sent people labouring on behalf of his church. That is our mission and our focus.

You’ve heard it said, “Only money makes the world go ’round!” but, as the old Thompson Twins song “King for a Day” reminds us, “All the gold won’t heal your soul!” In a world filled with a cacophony of competing voices proclaiming salvation and deliverance through human-made solutions, we’re reminded that this salvation is the Lord’s work and it will be accomplished “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).

Partnerships

As C2C seeks to facilitate the planting of churches across Canada, we recognize that fulfilling this catalytic mandate is not possible apart from the Lord’s working, nor is it possible in isolation. The C2C Network has the privilege of labouring with other churches and denominations on behalf of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. We believe this unity in the Spirit will speak loudly to a waiting and watching world of the salvation that’s possible through Jesus. After all, that’s why we exist and why we do what we do.

Would you join us in continuing to pray for C2C, the church planters who are labouring across Canada and the partnerships that are being formed for the proclamation of the gospel? Would you consider adding C2C to your church’s mission/outreach budget? Thank you for your support. It is needed and greatly appreciated.

May God’s Word be proclaimed from sea to sea!

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