It’s Monday Again
Two loaves of fresh, locally baked bread were delivered to 175 homes – one to eat and one to share. Dale MacDonald & Neil Horner (Woodstock) share in the link below about this innovative and effective church-wide campaign leading up to Easter. Pass the Breadconnected with every church family and equipped each home with a delicious gift to pass on to anyone they chose. A brilliant plan, well executed with many stories of celebrated impact.
This impactful idea – or a similar one you develop for your context – could be used to engage with your church family and inspire them to reach out to others in the weeks or months ahead. CLICK HERE for a full overview with Dale & Neil in this 20+ minute interview. Why not share this in a staff or board meeting in the next few days? #contextualeffectiveness
The Jesus Film was shown in Kenenday Village, Sierra Leone, this week with over a hundred responses – PTL! Cornerstone (Denn Guptill) is in a multiple year partnership with this village through World Hope International. they are in discussion with Global Partnersand World Hope about paying the expenses for training the new pastor. God has done great things and has many more in store for this village partnership! #globalcollectiveOther District News…
- Congratulations to Jacob Ebbett on receiving a unanimous congregational vote yesterday for a four-year Pastoral Recall at Lower Brighton!
- Crosspoint announced yesterday that, pending the continued need for an Interim Lead Pastor in July, Tim Guptill will succeed John Symonds in this capacity following the TBD dedication of the new worship facility at The Lighthouse this summer.Tim & Gayla were onsite in Fredericton for the good news – this transition is likely to occur in late June or early July! Thank you for your continued prayers for the Crosspoint LBA (and John Symonds’ Pastoral Staff for ongoing service) as God’s provision is sought for the right leader at the right time to conclude this lengthy pastoral search.
- Welcome to Samuel Prime as he joined the Deep Water (AJ Thomas) Pastoral Staff this month as Youth Pastor.
All credentialled Atlantic Ministers should have received an email this Friday from HQ with login instructions for TWC HUB, our new online reporting system. If you did not receive this email please check your spam folder.CLICK HERE to access the excellent instructional videos for all reports due – especially your Annual Service Report (ASR), Please do not contact Karrilee at the District Office for assistance until AFTER you have viewed the instructional video and are still having difficulty completing your report.
The Local Church Statistical Report (LCSR) email will go out directly from HQ to all Lead Pastors on May 1st. Note to Lead Pastors: Keep in mind there is a separate box to record online attendance which we look forward to celebrating at unprecedented levels in this pandemic year of ministry. Please kindly resist the temptation to include ANY virtual stats in the Primary Worship Average for in-person attendance.
The spring session of the Kingswood University Board of Trustees convened by Zoom this week. One highlight included a report from Erik Ireland, Director of Kingswood Extended, regarding positive developments in online options and enrolment. Another celebration point was the very out-of-pattern increase in the student body full-time equivalent (FTE) in the spring over fall semester resulting from strong retention and enrolment. President Lennox’s pandemic leadership was applauded with gratitude for his wise direction and for the sacrificial support of many which has actually strengthened the school’s financial position in these days of challenge. #raisingleaders
Introducing our new Atlantic District Marriage Celebrant Registrar – Ryan Genereaux (The Ridge)! While this function has traditionally been administered by the District Secretary, Ryan has been appointed by the DBA for this position to serve all Atlantic Ministers in their annual registration with Vital Statistics and for Temporary License application when performing weddings outside your own province/state. Just contact him at ryan.genereaux@kingswood.edu any time you have questions regarding your Marriage Celebrant License. Special thanks to Scott Prime (New Hope) for his leadership in this matter over the past 14 years.
The National Health Insurance Committee of The Wesleyan Church of Canada convened this week. There will be no increase in the National Blue Cross Medavie premiums (now 4 consecutive years, with only one increase in the past 11 years). There will also be an announcement in the weeks ahead regarding an added service with access for up to five virtual medical appointments per client family per year. Special thanks to National Superintendent Steve Elliott for his leadership! #strongertogether
ATTN Children Ministry Workers: Registration in still open for NEXT Conference. This will feature a Keynote Presentation by Natalie Frisk (Curriculum Pastor @ The Meeting House).Timothy Dalrymple Points to Ponder (CEO/Editor of Christianity Today)
ATTN Children Ministry Workers: Registration in still open for NEXT Conference. This will feature a Keynote Presentation by Natalie Frisk (Curriculum Pastor @ The Meeting House).Timothy Dalrymple Points to Ponder (CEO/Editor of Christianity Today)
- The longer we give ourselves to media gluttony, skimping on the deeper nourishment that cultivates Christ within us, the less we will have in common.
- We [must] turn from a culture of celebrity to a culture of sanctification, where leadership is less about building a platform and more about carrying the cross of Christ.
- The church should model what it means to care for one another in spite of our differences on social and political matters and affirm the incomparably deeper rootedness of our identity in Christ.
Caton’s Island camp registrations are at a record high for this time of year with a 91% increase over this time 2019 and a 112% increase over last year. All camps are capped at 90 (six pods @ 15 campers) – for an update on which camps still have openings CLICK HERE. It is still a good idea to add your child’s name to the waiting list for full camps as the Province of NB may increase pod size before July.
CLICK HERE to listen as Parker Davis (Framework) shares an exciting announcement about Riverside Camp this summer!
Many Next Gen (Youth & Children) Ministry leaders enjoyed FUEL on February 19-20 with hundreds of participating churches. CLICK HERE to access sixteen video breakouts for your church staff and volunteer training.
World Hope Canada CEO Tanya Nace highlights that their annual Mother’s Day and Father’s Day project has been gaining popularity for the following reasons:
- Churches don’t have to worry about unintentionally hurting individuals who have not been able to be mothers or fathers
- This project saves the church time (and often money) because no shopping or preparations are needed to honour mothers and fathers
- This year, a financial gift in honour of mothers and fathers will relieve some of the pressure from COVID regulations of giving items to people
- The church as a whole gives a gift to help mothers and fathers who are vulnerable and hurting around the world
- The church promotes an outward need that is global in nature while honouring the parents (whether biological or heart) in their congregation.
This year, we are using our tapped water project, TapEffect for our Mother’s and Father’s Day project! Grab more info in this PDF here and click here for a video to share with your congregation!
The Future is Bright: An online gala event!
Join World Hope International Canada on May 14 @ 8:00 p.m. AST / 7:00 p.m. EST for the second annual online gala event! CEO Tanya Nace shares, “Come hang out with us, have fun, and be inspired by the transformative projects that empower kids so they have a chance at a bright future!” CLICK HERE to RSVP.
CLICK HERE for A Special Announcement from President Steve Lennox
We’re concerned about the effects of the ongoing pandemic on churches and pastors. Those of us at Kingswood University want to help. We’re offering several free resources for local churches and pastors:
- Sermons: We’ve recorded two sermons which churches can use to provide a respite for those preaching. We plan to provide more sermons in the coming weeks.
- Greeting and update: We have included a brief video update on how God has been working at Kingswood University during the past 10 months. Churches deserve to know how we’re stewarding their investment.
- Free classes: Pastors may welcome the opportunity to sit in on a virtual class session to learn more about a topic of interest. The care package contains a list of classes and syllabi for those classes. Anyone interested can contact our Registrar for more information or to register (rodgersonm@kingswood.edu or 506-432-4406).
- Seminar on Personal Wellness: We’ve provided a video file to a seminar presented by Dr. Allen Lee, Professor of Christian Counselling at Kingswood University.
- Youth group: Seasoned youth speakers, Shaun Miller and Zach Painter, are happy to lead a virtual youth service for an evening. If COVID-related restrictions allow, this could be done in-person. Anyone interested should contact enrolment@kingswood.edu.
A tentative plan has been approved that will allow for an on-site six-day Beulah Family Camp 2021! Here are a few of the plans which are based on the assumption of at least a Maritime Bubble. Final decisions will be determined by the DBA as July approaches.
- The six-day camp will begin with an evening service on Tuesday, July 6 and concluding with a morning service on Sunday, July 11.
- A full four-day program for kids and youth will be scheduled during the mornings of Wednesday – Saturday and each of these days will offer a morning and evening service in the Tabernacle.
- District Conference will be held on Thursday, July 8.
- Ordination will be held for the Class of 2020 & 2021 on Friday, July 9 with President Lennox preaching and National Superintendent Steve Elliott presiding.
- Save-A-Seat online registration has been purchased and will be used to preregister all services, programs, and dining hall meals which will be limited based on physical distancing regulations.
- Our Camp Evangelist will be Rev. Jon Wiest (pending border/quarantine restrictions)
What if COVID-19 is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
for leaders to think more strategically
about doing church?
(Will Mancini)
for leaders to think more strategically
about doing church?
(Will Mancini)
Check out these great resources above at www.wesleyan.org – we are blessed by the many ways our denominational leadership serves the front lines of the local church.