February 6, 2008 - Ambrose Seminary and the Western Canadian District of the C&MA are teaming up to offer a lifelong learning event entitled WWWChurch. While in the Ambrose Seminary calendar the course is called, Missions in the Local Church (WM 645.2), it was renamed WWWChurch (world-wide work of the Church) to also attract non-credit participants from local churches.

The course is being offered off-campus at Airdrie Alliance Church over two weekends; January 25, 26 and February 15, 16. Participants come from Grande Prairie, Sherwood Park, Innisfail, Wimbourne and Calgary and include church elders, pastors, missions committee members and other global point people. Sixteen people are enroled in all; three taking it for credit and thirteen for audit.

The first weekend placed a major emphasis on short term missions which was resourced by Drs Emma Emgard Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies and Charles Cook Professor of Global Studies and Missions from Ambrose. Beulah Alliance Missions pastor, Eric Persson, providing the Beulah Alliance Church model for short term missions and STM coordinator, Brent Davis, from Samaritan's Purse gave an aid agency's perspective. Participants gained insights and went away with sample documents and templates to improve their STM programs.

The second weekend will focus on enhancing the local church's missions program. This section will be resourced by Ambrose's Tim Moore Associate Professor of Youth Ministry (youth and missions) and IWR Ron (connecting with and supporting workers in creative access countries). Missions Pastor with Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church, Fred Friesen, and Pastors Carla Olsen Draper and Ian Trigg of Foothills Alliance Church will provide local church case studies.

Course lectures include sections on: missions across the street and around the world, a theology of suffering and risk, caring for international workers, a theology and history of missions.

WWWChurch was designed and facilitated by Dave Ingram, International Worker in Residence at Ambrose, and Dr Ron Brown, Missions Coach with CMA-Canada.

Contact:
Dr Ron Brown, Missions Coach with CMA-Canada.
Email:

Dave Ingram, Ambrose International Worker in Residence
Email: DIngram@samaritan.org