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District Diaries April 2026 Edition
by Marvin Penner Let’s think a little bit about motivations. We all know that the same thing done with different motivation is a different thing. For example, imagine one of your children or grandchildren grabbing your back pocket while you both laugh and run after a beach ball at the lake. Now imagine a threating teen you don’t know grabbing your back pocket in a dark alley. Very different right? The universal human experience of fear is created by the second scenario, but the Bible encourages us towards trust, courage and peace rather than fear. “Do not fear, for I am with you … I will strengthen you and help you.” This verse from Isaiah (41:10) does not deny life’s dangers, but encourages confidence in God’s character, His promises, and His saving work through Jesus Christ. If God is truly with us, then fear loses its power and love becomes possible. When you dig down all fear is rooted in our greatest enemies – sin, death, and separation from God. Yet through His death Christ destroyed the one who holds the power of death and freed those who were held in slavery by the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15). This means that fear is not just an emotional struggle, it is a spiritual issue tied to what we believe about God’s sovereignty and salvation. 1 John 4:18 states, “Perfect love casts out fear.” God’s love, demonstrated supremely through the cross, assures us that we are fully accepted and secure in Him. Fear often arises from uncertainty, judgment, or loss, but God’s love addresses each of these concerns. In Christ, we are no longer under condemnation (Rom. 8:1), and nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38–39). This security provides a foundation for living from a motivation of love rather than fear. 2 Tim 1:7 reminds us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” The indwelling Spirit enables us to have the courage to love. This is not self-generated bravery, but a supernatural strength that enables us to face trials with confidence in God’s faithfulness rather than being fearful. We are called to live from the heart of love. God is love (1 John 4:8). Jesus demonstrates the love of God by first loving us (1 John 4:10). The greatest commandment is to love God and our neighbor (Mark 12:28-31). But what does all this mean in real life? Take for example discipline, either self discipline or the discipline of others. Do you do it because of the fear of looking undisciplined or out of love for God and others? What about your health? Do you seek better health for fear of death or to be better able to love God and others? Taking the same actions from a different motivational core makes a big difference. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)
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District Diaries February 2026 Edition
by Marvin Penner Three words: I don’t know. How do they make you feel? Do you find they slide from your mouth or get stuck? The disciples of Jesus often found out that they did not know as much as they thought they did. They thought they knew who God would judge, but Jesus was gracious (Luke 9:51-56). It seemed obvious to them that children should be kept away from the action, but Jesus invited them onto his lap (Matt 19:13-14). They were quite certain that they knew how to budget appropriately and were shown their error by a woman with a flask of oil (Matt 26:6-13). At least one of them expected that Jesus wanted to be defended but Jesus was more interested in healing (Luke 22:47-52). I wonder how many more accounts you can find where it would have been better for them to say, I don’t know? I wonder how often I follow their example and feel certain of things that in fact, I do not know? It can be a profitable exercise to read your Bible with an eye for those things that only God can do. For example, 2 Peter 2:9 lets us know that “the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.” We tie ourselves in knots trying to explain God’s justice and determining which struggles are for our punishment and which are lessons to be learned. It seems God has no problem telling the difference - but maybe you and I do not. In another controversy, I am embarrassed as a Christian, to remember how many times in my life respected leaders have been convinced of prophetic fulfillments only to find that Jesus was right when he said “no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36). I think the most extended discussion on the topic of not knowing comes to us in the book of Job. Job’s friends were convinced beyond doubt that Job’s problem was a cause-and-effect issue: Job had sinned, and if he confessed his sin, God would remove the punishment. Yet Job (and God) insisted that he was righteous. When Job demanded justice, God confronted him with the unexplainable wonders of creation, leading him to the conclusion that he did not know as much as he thought he did. We get a little peek behind the curtain but in the end all that Job could say about the circumstances of his life was, I don’t know! Of course, there are many things that we can know to be true. We can and should have certainty in these things. There is also the confidence of things not seen (Heb 11: 1) that is central to living by faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ. Determining those things about which we should say, “I don’t know” is a topic for another article. Today I simply wish to remind us that, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). A humble person does not find the three words “I don’t know” uncomfortable. I wish to argue in defense of not knowing, because even if I don’t know, God does. District Diaries December 2025 Edition
by Marvin Penner I don’t know about you but sometimes I get caught up in a lot of planning, vision casting and goal setting. These things are good but I’ll admit that they can distract me from sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. I have been thinking about the call that I have, and we have, in the Alberta Parkland District to live out the great commission. Acts 1:8 says that “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Our “Jerusalem” and “Judea” are your hometown and the area of the APD. I couldn’t help but notice that a few chapters later we see this happening, not through the planning of people but through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3) I’d like you to notice two things that this group of disciples were doing. They were worshiping the Lord and they were fasting. A lot of things can be said about worship, but I think we can at least agree that in worship we focus on enjoying God for who He is and deepening our relationship with Him. I understand fasting to be a way of expressing to God with our whole being that we hunger for God even more than our physical needs. Acts 13 is describing a rather intense expression of devotion to God. It doesn’t seem that they were seeking direction or imploring the Lord for anything specific. They were seeking after God, not what God can give or do. In this context we read that the Holy Spirit spoke. It is a little like Genesis 1, when God’s word brings new things into existence. Only in this instance, the something new required the participation of the people God is speaking to. When they knew God’s direction, they simply did it. It seems like they are living out what Paul later taught us; “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10) What are the works that God has prepared for the church in the APD and how can we become the people who hear what He is saying to us? Can we learn from the example of the disciples in Acts 13? This example shows us that God wants to lead His people towards mission. We learn that when we know His direction we should be ready to go, whatever that means or costs us. But we also learn that we would do well to prioritize knowing God in worship above all else through fasting and prayer together. I don’t think it is enough for me to simply write down some devotional thoughts. What am I going to do? What are we going to do? I will commit to you two things. I will fast and pray at least once a month. I will set up a way for those who want to pray together to meet up online for this purpose. If you are interested, watch for the invitation to join together for worship and prayer. District Diaries October 2025 Edition
by Marvin Penner I hadn’t thought about my grade school friends or the locations we hung out at for years. Driving through the town where I grew up brought those memories all back in a flood. The one that surprised me the most was the sudden awakening of an intense longing for the local mom and pop burger and shake drive in. The memories of connection with friends and family that revolve around that place have an important place in my formation. I’m thinking about longings because I was reading about the longing that the apostle Paul felt for the believers in Thessalonica. “Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.” (1Thes 2:17-18) Have I ever “tried again and again” to meet with Christians in another place from another church? Have you? It is clear that Paul placed a high value on face-to-face contact. It was much more difficult and expensive to travel in those days than it is now, yet he made every effort to visit the Christian brothers and sisters he knew and loved. I am the last person to dismiss the value of information tech that helps us all communicate. The value of tech is an augment, rather than a replacement, for real in person relationship. My experience traveling from church to church around the district tells me that you have fully embraced the value of meeting in person in your church buildings, homes, and communities. But I’m talking about something that goes beyond this. The longing to know our fellow believers in other places is something that the apostle Paul expressed in many of his letters. I remember a time when I would attend five APD and EFCC gatherings every year (District Conference, National Conference, Pastor’s and wives retreat, National Ministerial meetings, and APD men’s retreat). All of these gatherings were well attended, and I got to know many people across the EFCC within just a few years. I don’t know what happened to us all between then and now but I feel an intense longing for those gatherings. It would be nice to go back in time and have a milkshake with my family but that is not possible. It would also be nice to gather with everyone from across the APD and EFCC several times a year. I wonder if this would be possible. Do you long to be together with your brothers and sisters as well? Do we long for this with enough intensity to try again and again to make it happen? District Diaries August 2025 Edition
by Marvin Penner This past Sunday I worshiped at Knox church. A song, a parable and a conversation mixed together in a way that I’m still thinking about days later. The song was “Lord, I Need You” by Matt Maher. The words, “Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more. Where grace is found is where You are.” have stuck with me. Is it true that grace is more? Does my life reflect this belief? The parable was, “unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies it produces much grain.” It seems obvious that for Jesus this meant the cross, but how does it become a reality in my life and yours? The conversation had to do with the realization that because of the conditions under which we live in this world we sometimes find ourselves in situations where there doesn’t seem to be any path forward that does not involve doing wrong. The account of Moses’ childhood comes to mind. His parents were in an impossible predicament. If they did not protect their child from Pharaoh, they would be irresponsible and if they made a reed basket and left him to the river they were also acting irresponsibly. They put their “kernel of wheat”, Moses, into the basket and hoped for the grace of God. In a more challenging story Jephthah vows to offer to God as a sacrifice the first thing to come out of his tent if God gives him the victory (Judges 11). When his daughter emerged from the tent to greet him, he immediately enters a moral dilemma. Does he sin by breaking his vow or does he do wrong by keeping it? While you and I might disagree with the choice he made it seem that the grace of God was more! All of this so far is hypothetical for me. What about real life? I remember a decision I had to make. If it went one way it would be difficult for members of my family and if it went the other way it would be difficult for members of the church. As pastor I have responsibilities to protect both. Either way I seemed to be wrong. What do I do? When faced with such a situation where he believed every possible course of action involved sinning Detrich Bonhoeffer did not justify his action but accepted that he was taking guilt upon himself as he wrote, "when a man takes guilt upon himself in responsibility, he imputes his guilt to himself and no one else. He answers for it... Before other men he is justified by dire necessity; before himself he is acquitted by his conscience, but before God he hopes only for grace." While this is all challenging enough, the real test comes when the wrong is against me. When other people are faced with a complex situation in which there seems to be no action that does not involve wrong, and the choice they believe to be wisest hurts me, I am faced with the reality of Jesus’ words, “unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies it produces much grain.”. Will my pride, my will and my preferred outcome die so that where sin runs deep, God’s grace is more through my actions and attitude? District Diaries June 2025 Edition
by Marvin Penner I was present for all of these proceedings and acted as a scrutineer during the election. I had the opportunity to talk with many people from across the EFCC during the Theology Summit. I have a lot of thoughts but will share three of the things I am thinking about here. The first thing I want to say is that I love and support every one of our Alberta Parkland District churches. The controversies that surround the BOD’s decision to no longer support salaried Serve Beyond missionaries have understandably generated strong emotion, actions and reactions. Some of our APD churches decided to utilize provisions in our EFCC bylaws to call a special business meeting. This is good and proper. These provisions are in our bylaws for exactly such a time as this. There are strong differences of opinion, and this process provides a way for these differences to be brought into the open where we can deal with them. The second thought I will share with you is that disagreement and the challenges the EFCC faces as a result should not really be surprising to us. The EFCC is made up of people and churches that see the world from different and diverse perspectives. There is nothing sinful about disagreeing. What is important is that when we disagree, we continue to act and think with godly character towards one another. The question is not whether or not we will find ourselves in disagreement. The question is will we raise to the occasion and learn and develop in the ways that God desires for us? And finally, I want to say that the ministry of reconciliation belongs to every one of us! If we are in fact a grassroots organization then it is the responsibility of the grassroots to understand one another and come together again. Our leaders will follow us if we do the work that lies before us. I find myself feeling a lot like I feel when counseling couples. One thing I know is that a couple will never overcome their differences until they learn or remember how to practice active listening. This means to repeat what the other has expressed back to them in your own words until they become confident that you have understood their perspective. Many of you know someone or know of someone who holds a different point of view on the present controversy than you do. Why don’t you contact them and ask if you could listen to their point of view until you understand it. Perhaps they will return the favor. You will gain an understanding and probably a friend. I’m not suggesting you try to persuade one another or change minds. What I mean to suggest is that the way forward together will open up when we truly honor and understand each other. It is easy to wait for the other person to put aside pride and make the first move. All I know is that if God waited until I asked for forgiveness before he sent his Son to show me that forgiveness is possible, we would all still be waiting. He made the first move, and I hope to be more like Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. District Diaries April 2025 Edition
by Marvin Penner My wife and I were going to meet my brother and his wife at the bakery in Ladysmith. We were not sure where the bakery was. When we got out of the car, we only had to follow our nose to the location. We caught the scent of the baked goods from a distance. In a similar way we read that faith becomes known in what we do (James 2:18). I wonder, do others notice the scent of faith in my life? Psalm 51, the confession prayer, can show us the path towards a fragrant life. The first 9 verses are what you and I would probably consider a standard prayer of confession. According to God in this Psalm a proper confession is only half finished at the end of verse 9. True confession has follow through. The prayer is not complete when the sin has been unloaded. Verses 10 – 12 mentions three things that God does in the prayer. God recreates, renews and restores. Once we have confessed our sin to God we then in humility receive this new life. Verses 13 – 16 leads the prayer into Christian service through teaching and evangelism and brings the confessing individual into praise and worship before the prayer of confession is fully formed. By this point in the prayer the scent or fruit of confession is beginning to spill out of the prayer closet, but the prayer is not yet finished. In the last three verses, sacrifice enters the prayer. There is a strange tension between, “You do not delight in sacrifice” and “then you will delight in the sacrifice”. What lies between these phrases is critical to a fully formed confession. A proper confession bears the fruit of a broken spirit and a contrite heart. This is not a momentary condition that exists only during the confession. This is what is built into the confessor through God’s renewing power. It matures when we teach and bear witness. The final development of the heart matures when praises escape out of the lips and spill out into the world. Then, and only then, when our confession reaches maturity, the sacrificial actions and words of our contrite hearts become a pleasing aroma. The scent of confession will be noticed on the street leading others to find their way to God's house. District Diaries February 2025 Edition
by Marvin Penner I recently took part in an online seminar on “Facilitating Conflict in Congregations” by the Transitional Leaders Network <transitionalleadership.org>. The presenter, Darrin Hotte, said something that has stuck with me. He said, “Conflict can be both constructive or destructive. In the “striking together” involving a hammer, it can drive a nail or smash a thumb. One is positive and constructive, the other is unproductive and destructive.” Conflict is often experienced as having only two options, but this seminar got me thinking about a third way. God’s word is full of stories that seemed to only have two options until God brought about a third. Abraham and Sarah thought they had to choose between the option of having no son or utilizing concubines. God had another way. Abraham was faced with the option to disobey God or sacrifice his son. God provided a ram. Jonah choose between going to Nineveh or Joppa. God thought a third option by way of a fish was appropriate. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo were faced with the option to bow to Nebuchadnezzar or burn. They entered the fire but walked out untouched. Peter was sure the only two options were to follow Old Testament dietary laws or be excluded from the church. God convinced him of a more gracious understanding of the gospel. All of these are personal examples of the universal human condition. The options are, be holy as God is holy or face the judgment for, “The wages of sin is death…”. As far as your ability and mine, there are the only two options “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” No one expected that Jesus would walk out of the grave. Because He did, we still sing of the way of forgiveness that was opened to us. I know these Bible stories seem remote. But what happens if we reflect on the idea that the creativity, love, and grace of God can open an unanticipated way forward in difficult times? Would it be reasonable to think of this idea as hope? Conflict can be constructive! Are you seeking a third way in the relationships where you experience friction? District Diaries December 2024 Edition
by Marvin Penner The last thing we did at the 2024 Alberta Parkland District conference was to ask the question, “What do you dream about that we could do in the APD when we work together for a common purpose?”. All of the responses were focused around two priorities.
You can participate in these two priorities right now by:
The Erskine EFC did an amazing job hosting us. Dr. Tyran Laws encouraged and challenged us from God’s work while prof. Kelly Steffen lead us in table discussions. Marvin Penner was elected to a second 3-year term as District Superintendent and Greg Clairmont (CHET coordinator) and Tim Besuijen (Vice Chair) were added to the APD. Board. The recommended donation amount per attendee for 2024-2025 is $66. The APD has anywhere from 5-20 donors each month. Please consider making consistent monthly donations as this would make budgeting and planning much simpler for the APD board. If you would like assistance in automating monthly contributions, or if you would like to change your automated contribution amount, please contact APD Treasurer, Bryce Leschert at [email protected] / 403-741-5988. Even as we look towards developing leaders and gospel ministry we can not forget that we have some small churches that could use a boost. To this end we took up an offering at the conference towards the building fund of the Eckville EFC. If you choose to participate in this offering, designate your gift appropriately. District Diaries October 2024 Edition by Marvin Penner My wife and I have a hanging in our bathroom that has Psalm 46:10 on it. It’s been there so long that we have had to replace the original with a new decoration that simply quotes, “Be still”. Sometimes it seems like the bathroom is the only place where I can put everything else aside for a moment and be still.  I’ve been working on a Pastoral Sabbatical policy for the Alberta Parkland District. In order to do this, I’ve had to get my head and heart around the place of rest in the work of discipleship. What I have been learning is that God’s word presents us with the truth that a good and godly life involves rhythm. There is a time and a place for work, but it should be balanced with rest. Yet many of us would describe ourselves as busy. We say this with a little pride, but also with a nod to the thought that it would be better if things were more in balance. How is it that we tilt out of balance towards the inability to rest?
The revelation of God begins with rest, “…He rested from His work…” (Gen. 2:3) and ends with rest, “…they will rest from their labor…” (Rev. 14:13). But the ability for humans to find rest in God is not relegated only to those extremes. It is promised to the followers of Jesus in the here and now. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened [could we use the contemporary word “busy” here rather than weary and burdened], and I will give you rest.” (Mat. 11:28). This discussion reminds me of the account of the manna from heaven in Exodus 16. If you remember the story, you know that the food God provided was miraculously out on the ground every morning. The people could collect only as much as they could eat that day. Those who did not trust God to provide again the next day would collect more than enough for one day and it would all go bad and be full of worms by the next day. Then on Friday God provided enough for two days so the people could rest on the 7th day. By that time, the people were used to having fresh food every day and some still did not trust God when he told them (through Moses) that the manna would keep overnight on Friday. They ended up with nothing to eat on Saturday. I like this example of trusting God and finding a healthy rhythm of work and rest because it’s on the kind of small scale that I encounter every week. It teaches me that there is a connection between my business and my struggle to trust God. Do I believe that God will be able to take care of things while I sleep and when I put down my work, or do I think I am so important that everything will fall apart if I rest? I wonder how people would respond if I answered the question, “How are things?” with, restful, or balanced rather than with the most common answer, busy? Could I honestly answer that I am not weary and burdened, but restful? Could you? If my answer is, NO, I have a problem with trusting God. My prayer is, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). |
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