The Aging Population . 1

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People of faith need a framework to understand retirement. There is a common term used in our culture regarding the unprecedented growth of people over 55: the great tsunami. But tsunamis are destructive and leave devastation in their wake.

The Aging Population . 2

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Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Myths of Retirement

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I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

Redefining Retirement

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Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

Factors for Healthy Aging

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Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Ideals for Healthy Aging . 2

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Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Church and Retirement . 1

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24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

ORIGIN OF THE BAPTISTS

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Baptists have three points of origin: The New Testament, the Protestant Reformation, and Puritan and Separatist congregations. Being over 400 years old, Baptists have always been first and foremost people of the Book, Christological in focus, passionate about religious liberty and with sharing the faith. It is because of this that Carey Theological College is named after one of the great missionaries of the 18th century, William Carey.

WHO WERE THE BAPTISTS?

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The first Baptists were known as general atonement Baptists, due to their belief that Christ’s death on the cross was for whosoever believed in it. Yet 30 years later the Separatists would arise, placing themselves alongside more Calvinist beliefs. Then there came the Sabbatarian Baptists, who believed in strict Sabbath laws, and the Leg of Mutton Baptists, who celebrated the Passover rituals. Though different, each group kept the Bible close, and read it closely. Baptists would grow at an exponential rate, numbering over 10,000 only 75 years after the rise of the first Baptists, and yet they all were a part of an identifiable group known as Baptists.

THE VARIETIES OF BAPTISTS IN CANADA

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The first Baptists to come to North America were English speaking, and organized on English principles. Not all Baptists were English based: Welsh congregations soon arrived in North America and were the first ethnically oriented congregation.Then German Baptist settlers arrived, followed by settlers from all over Europe and Asia. As North America became a garden of variety, so too did Baptist congregations.

HOW BAPTISTS PLANT CHURCHES

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How do Baptist churches come into being? What do Baptists mean when they use terms such as “meeting” or “gathering”? And who establishes these meetings: an elder, or God? This video helps to navigate why Baptists might use different terms, and their particular historical developments. And keep an ear out for the more interesting particulars of some early Baptist Congregations.

CONGREGATIONS, CHURCHES, AND THE KINGDOM

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What is the life cycle of a baptist congregation? Most Baptist congregations move through five stages: a beginning, growth, maximum effectiveness, uncertainty, and finally to plateau, close, or blend with another congregation. But these congregations are always voluntary, never coercive. Where do Baptists stand on the Kingdom? It is a thing here, but also coming.

THE BAPTIST CONGREGATIONS

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Imagine a contemporary Baptist congregation. What do you see? Pews, chairs, platform for lectern, a choir, a glass partition for baptism. But these were not always the standard. Early Baptist meetings were intimate, with everyone sharing and talking. Yet, these is consistency. Preaching the Word, the Lord’s Supper, and Believer’s baptism are central to the life of the congregation. These congregations would be led by a strong pastoral office, but supported by deacons, as well as the priesthood of all believers.

THE ASSOCIATIONAL PRINCIPLE

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How do Baptists interact beyond the local congregation? It is through association with one another (not a scriptural term, but a practical term by practical people) that Baptists form Associations, Conventions, Unions, and even the Baptist World Alliance. But none of these are superior bodies, but cooperative. They are not held together by coercion, but voluntarily.

BAPTISTS AND MISSIONS

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Synonymous with the word “Baptist” is the word “Missions.” At first, Baptist mission meant sharing the gospel by an elder or pastor, and growing a congregation where a congregation had not existed yet, usually nearby. But as the world opened up, places like Africa, China, India, and North and South America became new fields for mission work.

BAPTISTS AND OTHER CHRISTIANS

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What relationship do Baptists have with other Christians? Baptists initially were dissenters, much like Quakers, desiring to establish religious toleration in their societies. Baptists were willing to join with other Christians in schools, mission fields, social projects, and evangelism.

THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST

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An important overarching theme in all Baptist writings, thought, and work is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. With all other Christians, Baptists affirm Jesus as saviour and Lord, and the Trinitarian nature of Jesus. Baptists also affirm the fully human and fully divine nature of Jesus: He is also Lord of all creation, our Saviour, and the resurrected Lord, who will come gain. Jesus as Lord, then, means Baptists are called to be more like Jesus, to follow in his footsteps.

RENOWNED CANADIAN BAPTISTS

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Over the course of their 250-year history, numerous men and women have stood out for singularly important contributions to their family. Among them whom we discover in this final segment of the Series on Baptist Identity are: David George, Hannah Maria Norris, Archibald Reekie, Pioneer MacDonald, William McMaster, Silas T. Rand, Madame Feller, and Tommy Douglas

THE WORD OF GOD

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God has opened himself up for all to know Him. He has given us His word to understand Him. Knowing that God loves us and wants to know us, how does this change our understanding of God?

THE LAW OF GOD

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Just as God freed the Israelites from bondage and oppression for relationship with God and one another, what is something in your life God wants to free you from, and what would that free you for?

VIDEO SERIES – WHO IS GOD?

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We have suggested that spiritual practices are small steps that we can take that will put us in a place where God can work. And nowhere is that more true . . . than in the spiritual practice called simplicity. When I first hear the word, I think immediately of how disjointed my life can be, how I typically feel pulled in so many different directions at once, how many things compete for my attention, how difficult it is to figure out a focus and stick with it. Our world is not simple at all. Our lives are not simple. At any given moment, we are generally all over the place.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – STUDY

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Often, people think of “study” as dry, boring, and tedious. But that’s not the flavor that we find in 2 Timothy 2:15. What we find there is passion, desire, and even desperation. Study is a classic spiritual discipline. Study calls us to the passionate pursuit of God and his word – so that we might be transformed into the people that he created us to be.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – WORSHIP

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Few aspects of our faith are more familiar than worship. At the same time, we struggle to understand the depth and meaning of this central expression of our response to God. In simplest terms, worship declares that God is worthy of adoration, praise, and reverence.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – PRAYER

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This spiritual practice called prayer is so mysterious. Scriptures tells us in many cases how to pray, and yet, we’re not quite sure exactly how prayer happens, or how it works, or what the result is. But we can be sure that when we pray, we need to begin with an absolutely humble attitude.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – MEDITATION

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Every one of us will fill our mind and our heart . . . with something. Whether we mean to or not – whether we intend to or not – we will find something to dwell on, think about, and ponder. Meditation on God and his ways leads to transformation, repentance, and obedience. More than that, meditation also allows us to enter into the presence of the Living God – and in his presence – to sense and hear and know his voice. And if we do this, we will be changed.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – SOLITUDE

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Often, the idea of being alone can be intimidating or even frightening. Even more, we may feel that, given the noise and busyness of our world, solitude would be impossible. Even so, God’s people for centuries have cherished the discipline that opens the door for rest, quiet, relief, and time with God.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – SIMPLICITY

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Simplicity is the spiritual practice that calls us to a singleness of focus. One purpose, one goal, one heart.There’s something inside of us that hungers for simplicity. Through practicing simplicity, we experience spiritual transformation and growth.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – FASTING

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We might think that fasting is essentially choosing to go without food for a spiritual purpose, and that’s part of what’s happening, but more important than simply choosing to go without food, is deciding where exactly we’re going to put our focus and what things in life are most important to us.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES – SERVICE

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We know all about serving, but often we don’t take the next step, and actually serve. We have to get up, and we have to take steps, and we have to move in a certain direction. Paul knows that the Christian life that we talk so much about won’t happen automatically, or magically. This is the spiritual practice of serving: doing what we can do to meet the needs of other people.