Sharing Your Faith
The Evangelism Habit
Living a Life of Sharing Christ
John and Nancy were my youth leaders. They instilled in our youth group the idea that we don't have the choice of participating in evangelism. They didn't put us on a guilt trip, like, "If you don't tell people about Jesus, then He doesn't love you." Instead, they had the attitude of "Why wouldn't everyone want to hear the Good News, and why wouldn't you want to be the ones to tell people?"
For most people, engaging naturally in evangelism will take a paradigm shift. We need to see that we don't do mission, but that life is mission. Evangelism is about sharing Jesus as a habit—like drinking coffee in the morning. What if communicating the love of Christ was that natural—like turning the coffeemaker on? Imagine church bodies coming together and rejoicing because we can share Christ—rather than saying, "Do we have to do this?" We get burned out on the doing when the reality is that evangelism is about being.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses" (NIV). The power to witness comes from Jesus in you. You just need to be you and look for God-given opportunities. Jesus was with sinners—tax collectors, a prostitute, a woman caught in adultery. The relentless pursuit to be where sinners are and to love them no matter what, like Jesus did—that's the kind of lifestyle that needs to be in vogue.
Witnessing starts with common ground. Jesus didn't ask people to come to Him; He went to where they were. And the Apostle Paul, in his strategy, also went to where people were. He went to the synagogue, to the marketplace and to where people were congregating.
What do you already love to do? What are you already involved in? What excites you? What are you passionate about? Do those things for the glory of God by finding people who like to do those things and loving them.
Pray something like, "God, give me the time and the resources to get engaged in this activity, and I will find people who don't know You and establish common ground." Pray bold prayers.
Common ground leads to conversation, and conversation leads to connection. If people don't know I care about them, they're not going to talk with me, and they're not going to connect with the message I believe to be true so that ultimately they might move to the stage of conversion. Faith often comes in stages; it doesn't always happen overnight. Stick with your friends through those stages.
Be inspired by Acts 11:20-21: "Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord" (NIV).
What kind of fresh vision is waiting for you if you ask God to break your paradigm, to break your way of doing things? What kind of ministry is waiting for you if you'll open yourself up to the Spirit of God?
God in heaven, break us from mind-sets that are old and stale. Break us from traditions that are meaningless. Break us from barriers we've raised to those who are not yet Christians. We ask You this in faith, believing that You will stir us as You stirred the early Church. In Jesus name Amen.
Originally posted by RBHILLSharing Your Pension for Possible Tax Savings
Sharing Your Faith
What does "pension sharing" mean?
Married or common-law partners who are together (not separated or divorced), who are both at least 60 years of age, and who receive Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pensions can share their pension benefits on the portion of the benefit earned during their time together. This may result in tax savings. If only one is a CPP contributor, they share that one pension. The overall benefits paid do not increase or decrease with pension sharing.
You must apply to share your pension.
How does pension sharing work?
Pension sharing adjusts the amount of the monthly retirement pension each spouse/common-law partner receives from the CPP. The following example explains how it works.
Pat and Jean have been living together in a common-law relationship since 1979. They are both over 60 and both receive a CPP retirement pension.
Jean's monthly retirement pension is $400. Of that, $100 is based on income earned before moving in with Pat; this amount will not be affected by a pension-sharing arrangement. The other $300 is based on income earned during their relationship.
Pat was not working before this relationship. Pat's monthly retirement pension of $550 is based entirely on income earned while living with Jean.
Their pension payments, added together, total $950. After subtracting the portion of Jean's pension that is based on income earned before moving in with Pat ($100), their "shareable" pension amount is $850. With pension sharing, they would each receive half of $850, or $425. In addition to the $425, Jean would also receive the $100 that is based on earnings prior to this relationship with Pat. Jean's total monthly CPP payment would be $525, while Pat's would be $425.
Their T4 slips will show the amount each received during the previous year and will be used when calculating their income tax.
How do you qualify?
To qualify for pension sharing, at least one of you must be a CPP contributor. You and your spouse/common-law partner must also:
both be at least 60 years old;
apply for or already be receiving a CPP retirement pension; and
apply for pension sharing.
What documents do you need to provide?
The documents required will depend on when you apply. If you apply for pension sharing at the same time as you apply for your retirement pension, you will need:
your original birth or baptismal certificate,
your social insurance number,
your original marriage certificate or proof of your common-law relationship, and
your spouse/common-law partner's birth certificate (if he or she is not already receiving a CPP retirement pension).
If you and your spouse/common-law partner are already receiving CPP retirement pensions, only your original marriage certificate or proof of your common-law relationship is needed. This is because you would already have supplied the other information to the CPP when you applied for your pension.
When will your pension sharing end?
If you are married, your pension-sharing arrangement will end if you and your spouse separate or divorce, or if one of you dies. If you are living in a common-law relationship, the pension-sharing arrangement will end if your common-law union ends or if either partner dies. The pension-sharing arrangement will also end if both of you request that it be cancelled.
Please note: The Quebec Pension Plan also has a provision for pension sharing, but with different eligibility requirements. If you are receiving a retirement pension from the Canada Pension Plan and your spouse/common-law partner is receiving a retirement pension from the Quebec Pension Plan, you may still apply. Your eligibility for pension sharing will be based on the legislation for the respective plans.
Contact Us
If you need more information about pension sharing or other benefits available under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Old Age Security (OAS) program, please contact us.
By telephone (toll free): 1 800 277-9914
If you use a TTY machine: 1 800 255-4786
Our lines are busiest at the beginning and end of the month. If your inquiry can wait, it's best to call at other times. Please have your social insurance number ready when you call.
On the Internet or for e-mail, please visit our web site.
http://www.sdc.gc.ca/en/isp/pub/factsheets/sharing.shtml