“Stories of Discipleship” is a way to lift up stories of faith and discipleship from members throughout MNO Synod. These stories come out of the synod’s ministry priority of “Empowered Discipleship” and the invitation to discipleship received in and through baptism. We want to share how faith impacts and guides the life of our members, and how we can see God acting through the lives of others. We hope this will inspire us to look for where God is present for us, encourage us to grow in our own discipleship, and reassure us that we are not alone in living out our faith. If you would like to share your story of discipleship, contact the synod office.
An interview with Dallas Kostna. Dallas is the COO of Keener Jerseys, and the MNO Synod Council chair person
What congregation do you participate in?
Abundant Life, East St. Paul, Manitoba
What are some ways your faith shows up in your daily life?
Faith helps give me purpose and hope. It also helps me to work on humility and being a better person, in general.
Who are some people who have impacted your faith or inspired you in some way?
Definitely my family has impacted and inspired me—especially my mom, my wife and my children. Also–various pastors and church members have impacted me in different ways. Besides that, though, I am impacted and inspired by the bishop and synod staff, as well as by the other members on the synod council. It’s a long list.
What hymns, songs, scriptures, or traditions are particularly meaningful for you?
My mom taught me the importance of prayer before bed. As an adult, I found myself picking up children’s songs that my wife and I helped to teach in Sunday School. I especially remember “Rise and Shine” (the arky, arky song) – so good! Not just because of Ned Flanders on the Simpsons, either, though that helped. Many Christmas songs are meaningful to me.
What else would you like to share about the role or value of discipleship in your life and in the church?
I still feel that people want to separate faith from the workplace. That has made it a bit challenging for me to share my faith. Some people really frown on mentioning anything about church. I also get concerned about offending others who might have different religious beliefs.
Getting past that isn’t easy, but it is valuable.
What is one message you hope people hear from the church?
Be good to one another.