Mike’s Sea2sea Blog

Michael Linnen is a “District Missions Consultant” for the churches  and International Workers of the Eastern Canadian District of the C&MA in Canada. The Alliance churches of our region are part of a joint partnership (called “Global Ministries”) with the goal of making disciples of Jesus and planting locally-led churches among people in our world who have little or no knowledge of the good news about Jesus Christ.

Foundational to all of this is the local church living out her true identity. It seems far to easy for the people of God to lose sight of His greater purposes, and the special dignity he gives to the church in those plans. What does recovery of that purpose look like? Here’s one idea:

“Picture Ontario churches becoming like greenhouses for the next wave of leaders ready to serve and suffer for Christ, where God’s unfolding plan to reconcile the world to himself affects everything we do:  Corporate prayer that’s strategic, passionate and persevering….Young adults financially outgiving what their grandparents generation gave at their age….….and where churches are saying “Yes” to the fresh promptings of the Spirit, loving the workers they send and sharing their burden to see God’s work accomplished.“

Michael was Associate Pastor at East Gate Alliance in Ottawa for 11 years. He began working at the District office in the area of missions in the spring of 2008. He is married to Michelle, and live in Oshawa. They have two boys, Christopher and Nicholas, aged 13 and 15.

Why blog?

“I have a friend who once said, “I wish you could get a PhD from hanging around brilliant people”. I feel the same way after spending time with our pastors and international workers –the privilege of  partnership opens up our eyes like a great education. We learn so much when we talk over important matters in informal settings, whether with peers or people we admire for some kind of excellence they model. “

This blog will regularly refer to ideas and to issues which emerge from conversations and relationships within our family of Alliance people and our hope of changing the world.

ECD? C&MA?

The Eastern Canadian District is a group of diverse Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in Ontario including Toronto, and extending eastwards up to Ottawa, with some churches in Nova Scotia. The C&MA in Canada’s vision prayer asks God help us be a movement of churches that are transformed by Christ, and that are transforming Canada and the world.