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Native Life
Celebration - First Nations Conference Northwest Foursquare Church Federal Way, Washington – March 20-22, 2009 |
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Here is
brief report on the three-day Native Life Celebration conference held at Northwest Foursquare church in
Federal Way, Washington just south of Seattle. I was invited to attend and
meet Native leaders from the Northwest and Alaskan area. Last year I attended
a Native Summit in Anchorage and this conference in Seattle was an opportunity
to get reacquainted with old friends and meet new ones as well come under the
teaching and mentoring of respected native and non-native leaders.
The
conference was sponsored by the Northwest First Nations under the leadership
of Jeff Yellow Owl, the Foursquare First
Nations District Supervisor, and was hosted by the Northwest Foursquare
Church for the fifth year. Pastor Steve Schell
and his congregation worked alongside First Nations saints and achieved
remarkable three-days of fun, fellowship and enlightenment for all who
attended. Part of
the event was a weekend-long Native Market held in the gymnasium of the
church. Native wares from at least twenty vendors were displayed and offered for
sale including drums, necklaces, artworks, books, memorabilia and food! The
food was available all weekend and included breakfasts, lunches and dinners
with such delicacies as native tacos, chili and the third food group –
muffins, Danishes and other sticky buns! Mom. Here
are some general views of the Native Market.
Conference Highlights I
arrived on the Thursday afternoon and attended the leaders planning meeting
that evening and enjoyed meeting many new friends as well as several from Alaska
who came down to participate in the conference. There was a team of over
twenty who came down from Alaska and that was certainly was a highlight for
me. I had met many of them last year at the Indigenous Ministries of Alaska
(IMA) summit held in Anchorage. (See my report at http://www.threecordministries.org/Anchorage_Report_February_2008.htm).
It was especially good to see Pastors James &
Yvonne Brenn of Skyline Foursquare Church in Anchorage. Several
First Nations leaders from this area went up as well and it was good to get
reacquainted while in Seattle.
Pastors James & Yvonne Brenn
from Anchorage receiving a blanket from Corb Morgan Praise & Worship The
main conference started Friday morning and registration was brisk. I never
did find out how many attended the conference but it looked like several
hundred came through for all or some part of the three days. The praise and
worship was led by several groups including a husband and wife duet from
Indiana called Rain Song.
Terry & Darlene Wildman are exceptional
musicians and song writers but their main gifting is taking their audience to
a worshipful place like no other I have heard. A highlight for me was their
renditions of Bible stories and Bible passages put in English-native language
and music.
Terry & Darlene of “Rain
Song” Terry at the display
table of “Rain Song” As
well, Kenny Pretty-On-Top (Jr) from Crow
Agency, Montana and his worship team lead at many of the sessions. Kenny is a
very gifted guitarist who again brings into focus the worship of our Lord
Jesus Christ. They did an excellent blend of newer and older contemporary
Christian music.
Kenny Pretty-On-Top Jr and his
Praise Team led powerful worship on several occasions During
other sessions as well as in the Native Market Guy Peters
from Alaska led worship. Grand Entry Saturday
night saw the highlight of the conference in the open to the public Native
Life Celebration Concert with a Grand Entry, music by several people
including Guy Peters from Alaska, Kenny Pretty-On-Top and Rain
Song. In addition, there were many dancers in regalia that were called
upon not only at the concert but several other times by the various Praise
Groups to dance before the Lord. The church
sanctuary was packed and the large overflow area was filled to capacity.
Pastor Steve he has never seen so many people in his church for an event. He
was blessed and blessed others by his words that evening. Here
are some pictures from the evening.
The Grand Entry was fantastic
and included many Veterans and Native Leaders
Chief Ernest Gadwa from Alberta,
Canada Pastor Steve Schell spoke
blessed us all
Dancers performed many times and
were called on frequently by the worship Groups. |
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Workshops and Messages On
Friday and Saturday several workshops were presented on topics including
“Getting to know Foursquare First Nations” by Frank
East, “Protocol in Indian Country” by Kenneth
Pretty-On-Top Sr, Preaching Principles that Cross Cultures” by Bruce Nordquist. As
well, Jerry Chapman led a session on Native
Drumming (he is an excellent and Spirit-filled drummer), Rita Lundry led a
session on Mission and Vision and Jan & Corb Morgan facilitated a session
on Children’s Outreach in Indian Country. All in
all, there was something for everyone. I especially appreciated the workshop
on Protocol and learned a lot from a senior native statesman – thank you
Kenneth.
Bruce Nordquist on Preaching Principles
across cultures |
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The
main session messages were powerful by speakers such as Jeff Yellow Owl (Blackfoot), James Brenn of Skyline Foursquare Church in Anchorage, Ken Pretty-On-Top (Crow) from Montana, Mike Curtis (Athabascan/Inupiat) from Alaska as well
as Pastor Steve himself. The messages were powerful and certainly spoke to my
heart about what is happening in ‘Indian Country’ and how the Lord is moving
in powerful ways using any whose heart is open to Him and to Native Ministry.
Jeff Yellow Owl – bringing a
good word to the Conference I made
a few notes and just want to share some of them with you. -
If you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit,
you will not produce 'fruit' immediately because this indwelling is the early
rain that starts the growing process. It is the latter rain - that late rain
that did the final ripening of the crop that produces the Fruit of the Spirit
and comes later after humility and submission. |
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Old and New Friends - thanks I want
to mention some of the many brothers and sisters that I met for the first
time during this conference. The Lord has a plan and purpose for bringing his
children together and it was evident during the three days. I
especially enjoyed meeting Charles and Brenda Twist
of Buffalo Lodge First Nation Ministries from
Bakersfield, California. Thanks for your friendship and wonderful humor. It
was equally good to meet Gary & Pat Walker
of Firestarters Ministries and Pastor Jim Edwards of Dallas, Oregon. Another couple who blessed me was Marshall Tall Eagle and
his wife Lauretta White Sparrow of Tall Eagle Ministries. Also, it
was good to meet Pastor Bruce Brown of Vancouver
Native Pentecostal Church. I met one of his associate
Pastors in Toronto just a week earlier. It was great to meet up with Richard Twiss of Wiconi International
again and with Leonard John of Fairbanks,
Alaska and with Doug & Gloria Yates also
from Alaska. There were so many great saints there at the conference and I
want to bless you all and thank you for accepting this ‘Canuk’ from the East
of Canada! I
cannot forget to mention Corb and Jan Morgan –
the organizers of so much of the conference. I had been in e-mail contact
several times and it was so good to meet them. Thanks to Pastor Steve for his
welcoming church! As well, it was a pleasure to meet Sharon
Lueck of the church who I could see was such a great organizer of the
conference that flowing as smoothly as it did – thanks Sharon. |
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Here
are a few other photographs of the Conference. |
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JR Bird, Ken(Sr) & Kenny(Jr)
Pretty-On-Top. Pastor Bruce Brown from Vancouver
with Leonard John from Alaska
Enjoying the Native food.
Pastor Mike Curtis (Alaska)
preaching and his wife Barbara with her beautiful necklaces.
Doug Yates (from Alaska) &
myself Evangelist Gary
Simple of Sacred (He is some fantastic
artist!) Ground
Ministries – Alaska
Frank & Mary East of
Foursquare First Nations – a blessed and blessing couple It was
such a blessing to be part of the Conference and to be looked after so
royally by all there. I want to especially thank my hosts who opened their
home and their van to me. Thanks so much to Chuck and
Peggy Paul of Des Moines! Bless you.
My wonderful hosts - Chuck &
Peggy |
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© Three
Cord Ministries – 2009 |
