Missions
Jesus instructions to the first disciples were to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28: 19-20)
The plan was to start where they were and move out to the whole world. He directed them to in Acts 1: 8 be his witnesses in Jerusalem (those in close proximity, family, co-workers, classmates, neighbour) Judea (those living with-in your city, town or province) Samaria (those of a different culture or ethnicity) and to the ends of the earth (those who are living in other countries). Presently our church supports 2 local missionaries , one missionary family in Lebanon and three mission agencies .
Missionaries
Benjamin Osei
Br. Benjamin Osei is one of the local missionary who we support as a staff member with Youth Unlimited. Our church helps to facilitate the community boys program for 8-25 years old that is under Benjamin Osei’s leadership – Hoop 2 Hope basketball programs.
Betty Bailey
Betty is a staff member with Youth Unlimited doing community outreach in the Jane Finch area. coordinates, plans and organizes the activities for our Seeds of Hope programs. They provide a place where all participants experience the love of God in life transforming ways. This includes the summer day and overnight camp, and the Seeds of Hope After School club. In addition, she facilitates weekly mentorship programs for Seeds of Hope Moms, and a program for girls in partnership with Lisle Memorial Baptist Church in the Jane Finch community. These evangelistic and discipleship programs seek to build leadership skills of our youth and to encourage the campers and their families in faith and family life.
Missionary Family
Emand & Almess Botros
Emad and Almess were appointed by CBM in January 2015 to serve at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) in Lebanon, where they first met and studied.
Emad serves as a lecturer in the areas of Old Testament and Islamic studies at ABTS. His desire is to equip and empower students with sufficient tools to develop their understanding of the Old Testament and to learn how to apply it in their Middle Eastern and North Africa setting. Emad is also developing resources and models for ministry in that context. While both Emad and Almess are involved in mentoring students in ministry and leadership skills, Almess will also explore opportunities to work with Iraqi and Syrian refugees.
They have two boys Timothy and Nathaniel.
Support
Supporting Churches, schools and communities
Mission for Advancing Theological Education/ Friends Committed to Caring
Mission for Advancing Theological Education (MATE) was born in 1985 out of one man’s love for the Lord Jesus Christ and a desire to see Bible Schools and Seminaries better equipped with much needed books that could enrich the lives of men and women preparing for ministry. This vision of Delvin Alexis was shared with his pastor, Dr. John Moore, and his home church, Willowdale Baptist, who greatly encouraged and supported him.
Many schools and seminaries throughout the Caribbean, Asia and Africa were beneficiaries of books shipped to them in the sum of over 50,000 volumes, in the first 10 years. Some institutions were able to proceed toward acquiring their accreditation with the appropriate additions to their libraries.
To date we have sent over one million volumes to 142 institutions in 44 countries. These books went to Bible schools, seminaries, public schools, universities and hospitals. Some of our larger shipments have been 3,200 volumes to Myanmar (Burma) and about 20,000 volumes to India.For the next 14 years we saw an explosion in the ministry where an additional arm - Friends Committed to Caring (FCC) - a Health Care Ministry which provides Health Education, Training and Clinical Services was introduced to complement what was already being carried out. Now we are taking medical teams each spring to South America and each summer/fall to Africa to provide clinical services to the community, and professional development for local health care workers.
Other areas of ministry have been to supply equipment, tools and the setting up of projects that will provide employment and assist the nationals in becoming more self- sustainable.
We give God thanks and glory for all that has been, and continues to be, accomplished.
“Little is much when God is in it.”
Supporting the Persecuted
Presently in Canada the church is not undergoing severe persecution, nevertheless we are to identify with those brothers and sisters who are suffering because of following Jesus. Through prayers and finances we give support to two mission organizations that serve our persecuted brothers and sisters.
As the persecuted church count the cost of following Jesus because of the risks they face, they are the perfect mentors for our faith. As we learn about them, we also learn lessons of courageous faith from them.
Now more than ever before, the global body of Christ needs to stand united, both parts serving the other, and together helping each other follow Jesus all over the world, no matter the cost.
Open Doors
Our Purpose is:
For over 60 years Open Doors has worked in the world's most oppressive and restrictive countries, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ's light in these places. When Christians are strengthened in the Lord, they begin to demonstrate God's forgiveness and reach out in love, even to their oppressors.
One of the greatest challenges to Christians living under oppression is isolation - from God's word and from the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:26 says “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”
Open Doors empowers persecuted Christians by supplying Bibles and Christian literature, training Christian leaders, facilitating social/economic projects and uniting believers in the West in prayer for Christians, who are the most persecuted religious group in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries.
Mission Statement of Open Doors
To strengthen and equip the Body of Christ living under or facing restriction and persecution because of their faith in Jesus Christ, and to encourage their involvement in world evangelism by:
Providing Bibles and literature, media, leadership training, socio-economic development and through intercessory prayer;
Preparing the Body of Christ living in threatened or unstable areas to face persecution and suffering; and
Educating and mobilizing the Body of Christ living in the free world to identify with threatened and persecuted Christians and be actively involved in assisting them.
We do so because we believe when one member suffers, all members suffer with it (1 Corinthians 12:26), all doors are open and God enables His Body to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.
Values of Open Doors:
We are part of the Body of Christ; A people to people people
We are persecuted church driven
We are people of the Bible
We are people of prayer
We live and work by faith
We are devoted to Jesus Christ and His commission
We are motivated solely for the glory of God.
Voice
Voice Of the Martyrs
Vision: We see a world where all persecuted Christians are remembered and supported within the body of Christ.
Mission: Glorifying God through serving His persecuted church, as we seek to fulfill the words of Hebrews 13:3.
"Remember the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are in the body also."
Purposes:
To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission.
To give relief to families of Christian martyrs.
To undertake projects of encouragement, helping persecuted Christians rebuild their lives and witness.
To equip persecuted Christians to love and lead their enemies (persecutors) to Christ.
To promote the fellowship of all Christian believers.
To infuse, distribute, and exhibit to the Canadian church constituency, the faith and testimony of those Christians in the world who are persecuted for Christ.
To give voice to those Christians whose cries of pain and proclamation of praise go unheard.