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Native Life Celebration - First Nations
Conference Northwest Foursquare Church |
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Here is
brief report on the three-day Native Life Celebration conference held at Northwest Foursquare church in
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 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 Several
First Nations leaders from this area went up as well and it was good to get
reacquainted while in
Pastors James & Yvonne Brenn
from 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
Terry & Darlene of “Rain
Song” Terry at the display
table of “Rain Song” As
well, Kenny Pretty-On-Top (Jr) from
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 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 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
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 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 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 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 |
