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2017 Fall Winter Newsletter 2017 Fall Winter Newsletter.Qxd - MFA NewsNews Fall / Winter 2017 “FIND Y OUR PPURPOSE, MAKE AA DDIFFERENCE” Missions Fest’s goal is to help individuals find the place where their interests and abilities can best be put to use in the Great Harvest. Three-Fold Purpose: to inform and celebrate what God is doing all over the world; to educate Christians about their responsibility and involvement in world evangelization and missions; to challenge believers to pray, give, send, and go. PPRAYER FFOCUS “Do you want The King to come? PRAISE GOD FOR: -- encouraging our hearts to reach the lost. -- the Partnering churches, for the financial support and . then finish The Job!” for the people who plan and support the conference. -- testimonies of individuals whose lives have been changed because of the influence of Missions Fest Alberta. -- the opportunity Missions Fest has to offer a global ISSIONS EST LBERTA glimpse of what He is doing. M l F A 2018 PRAY FOR: th Annua “24 ce” -- the salvation of billions still in need of Jesus. feren February 23 - 25 -- Con our Christian brothers and sisters around the world WEST EDMONTON CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY that live under persecution everyday. 6315 - 199 St., Edmonton -- that many lives will be impacted and challenged and respond as God reveals His heart for the nations. -- divine appointments in the Exhibit Hall, Assemblies, Children’s Ministry and all other sessions. -- spiritual covering and safety from attack – protection: MFA Team, MFA Office and West Edmonton Christian Assembly. -- the volunteers who are so invaluable to MFA. -- greater awareness of missions in our churches as we seek to work in unity to proclaim Jesus to the SHOAIB PAUL REVEREND MARALEE whole world. EBADI ESTABROOKS HYEON SOO LIM DAWN -- publicity and promotion of Missions Fest so that Square One HOPE Outreach Light Presbyterian Maralee Dawn more churches will hear and get involved in world World Media of Canada Church, Mississauga Ministries evangelism. -- financial blessing to meet our budget. -- Missions Fest Alberta 2018, February 23 - 25 Conference Location: West Edmonton Christian Assembly, 6315 - 199 St., Edmonton FFINANCIAL SSUPPORT Missions Fest Alberta gratefully receives some of its funding from exhibitors and partnering churches. Missions Fest Alberta is an annual three-day family oriented missions confeconference,rence, supported and organized by individuals and congregations from several evangelical denominations. The remainder of our support comes from individuals Our goal is to challenge people to get involved in the Great Harvest by sending, praying, giving, and going. who strongly believe in the value of the conference for Come and be challenged by world-renowned speakers, learn more during ttrainingraining days and seminars, building up the Body of Christ. We deeply appreciate and celebrate with a variety of ethnic music and worship. those who faithfully stand with this ministry each year. CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES IINCLUDE:: To assist Missions Fest Alberta financially throughout the Prayer Room; Children's Ministry; Youth and Young Adult Night & Activities; General Assemblies; Panel Discussion; year, please donate by mail, on our secure website, or at the Worship: Traditional & Contemporary; Sing to the Nations; MFA Luncheon**; Praying for the Nations; MFA office by Cash, Cheque, Debit, Visa, MC or AMEX. Intensive Training Days**: Great Commission Coaching**, Connections for Women**& Men on a Mission**; Seminars: Friday, Saturday & Sunday; Mission Project; Exhibit Hall (local, national & international mission Preauthorized giving can be arranged by organizations, camps, Bible colleges and universities); Missions Search Centre; MFA Store; and much more. contacting the Missions Fest Alberta office. **Tickets & Pre-Registration required only for noted activities, details will be posted on our website. Free-Will Offerings will be taken during Assemblies and at the Donation Centres. “Scent/Fragrance Free” Conference Missions Fest AlbertA office Address: 14323 - 107A Ave., MFFAA M si ois n S etat me :tn www.m a.tsef c.b ac edmonton, Ab t5n 1G2 ““FFIND YOUR PURPOSE, MAKKEE A D FI FFEEREENNCE” 78 4-0 5 0-1 080 e: [email protected] www.mfest.ab.ca p: 780-451-0080 f: 780-451-0643 20182018 KKEYNOTE SSPEAKERS Shoaib is the Executive Director of Square One (S1) World Media. Paul is a veteran foreign missionary with a deep concern for Shoaib was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan. He became a Christians in restricted countries. He has completed thirty-eight follower of Jesus Christ in 1999 in Pakistan where he was living as a years of ministry to Persecuted Christians with Open Doors refugee, before immigrating to Canada in 2000. Shoaib comes to Square International. One with a rich educational background, years of experience in Paul is also a story-teller who loves to share the joys and producing Christ-centred media content, and is fluent in three languages: triumphs—as well as the challenges—of members of the part of English, Russian and Persian/Dari. the Body we call the Persecuted Church. With a graduate degree in Law, Shoaib first worked for the United Over the past thirty-eight years Paul has distributed Bibles, Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uzbekistan. brought encouragement, training and other assistance to Upon arriving in Canada, he joined the staff at Concordia Hospital as an Christians living in areas where they are persecuted or are SHOAIB EBADI accountant before moving into ministry in 2006 when he was PAUL restricted in living out their faith...encouraging them to reach out instrumental in establishing the CHAI Immigrant Centre. In 2009, Shoaib became involved in ESTABROOKS to others around them. media ministry for Afghanistan, taking on the position of Global Worker with Pamir Productions, Paul joined Open Doors-Asia in 1979 as Research Manager for the Asia region. Prior to a division of OM (Operation Mobilisation). joining Open Doors, he served with the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) in Manila, The following Q and A gives us a glimpse into Shoaib’s life and ministry: Philippines as head of Overseas Radio Programming. There he studied the Tagalog language What was it that drew you to become a Christian in Pakistan? Who? and why? and he and his wife adopted a Filipino baby girl – Melinda (host of the women’s web video I was living in Pakistan as a refugee. I became a Christian in 1999 through reading the Bible. A program “See, Hear, Love” from 100 Huntley Street). couple from North Carolina started a Bible Study with me. The Bible answered my questions about It was during those years of considerable travel throughout Asia for FEBC that Paul beginning of life, and how to be saved from sin: that this is only possible through faith in the Lord developed an awareness and concern for Christians in spiritually needy countries like China, Jesus Christ. My first reason was to learn English by reading the Bible. But God had different plans Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Burma. and He changed my life through reading the Bible. He was the project coordinator for the delivery of one million Chinese Bibles (232 tons) to tell us something about your experience with uNhCr in uzbekistan. Shantou, China in one night -- June 18, 1981 -- called Project Pearl. TIME magazine called One thing I saw was how much people suffer when they escape the hardships in their countries. it “Risky Rendezvous in Swatow,” but Paul says, “for me it was the most exciting night of Also, how much they wanted to tell their stories; they wanted to have their stories told so that the my life! The subsequent testimonies of Chinese people who received those Bibles suggest it world would know and do something about it. The same applies now for Syrian refugees. was also the most significant activity of my life…as well as for the other nineteen men on What do you like about media ministry? Media ministry is a powerful tool to communicate the the team.” This project is the subject of one of his books and a DVD documentary. He also gospel and the love of God to unreached people, especially to places like Islamic countries where served Open Doors for three years as Southeast Asia Coordinator -- based in Singapore -- as the local laws do not allow Christianity. Also, media is important for discipleship. “Not only well as the first full-time Director for Open Doors Canada for five years (1986-1991). throwing the seeds, but also discipling those who become followers of Jesus.” Paul is the author of five books and a number of booklets. One is a major training manual What do you like about Square one? The Square One team is a very dynamic and unique team used around the world in 43 languages titled STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE with different gifts in media ministry who have a heart to reach out to children, youth and young STORM (SSTS). His latest volumes are ESCAPE FROM NORTH KOREA, NIGHT OF adults. The facility has a very high potential to serve in the media ministry in Winnipeg, across A MILLION MIRACLES: The Inside Story of Project Pearl and DAILY INSPIRATION Canada and around the world. S1 is a well-established ministry – it has a history of almost 70 years FROM THE LION’S DEN: Devotionals to help you “Stand Strong Through the Storm.” of sharing the gospel in six different languages: Spanish, English, Russian, Arabic, Low German Paul has led mission trips to Asia for many years. In the summer of 2010 he led a team of and Ukrainian. These 6 languages cover more than 1 billion people in the world – all of them need sixteen on a prayer walk to northeast China and North Korea. to hear the gospel. We cannot cover all the people of these languages; we can only do our best to As a representative of Open Doors, he has visited Christians in numerous restricted countries and communicate the gospel through our programs.
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