It’s Monday Again

Caton’s Island ministered to 150 campers this week during Teen Camp. With pandemic restrictions easing over the summer, approximately 1200 campers were influenced by the Gospel. There were ZERO campers or staff who tested positive for COVID-19 both this summer and in 2020. Best of all – the cumulative total of spiritual impact resulted in 98 recommitments to Christ and 130 first-time decisions to accept Jesus – PTL!!!

Director Dean Stephenson (pictured above left) led another impressive staff as he completed his 26th summer of service. Dean shared, “It was a great summer season. Very positive feedback.” We are so blessed by the countless ways Dean & Carroll and their senior staff have provided stellar leadership. A special word of appreciation to Assistant Director Ian McMath who announced he will not be returning next year. Ian, we are grateful for your many years of effective ministry as you served alongside Dean!

Nearly 70% of Atlantic District churches participated this week on either Tuesday or Wednesday in a duplicate offering of the 90-minute Session #1 of this Mobilization Pipeline Cohort. It was exciting to see more than 50 lay leaders and pastors engaged together to reconsider how to be more contextually effective in raising up and deploying disciple-makers. Executive Director Jon Wiest (Groundswell) highlighted the six primary shifts that leaders need to inspire in the local church to keep the word “GO” as a priority action in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Healthy churches make disciples AND mobilize disciple-makers. The pathway and pipeline of this double-helix forms the DNA of each church in how it fulfills the Great Commission. Most churches participating in this cohort have both a pastor AND a lay leader who will co-create a contextual Mobilization Pipeline blueprint over the six sessions offered in three-week intervals this fall.In the New Year as churches consider initial implementation of their Mobilization Pipeline blueprint, Executive Director Tami Mutch-Ketch will be available upon request to offer executive coaching for the lay leaders and/or pastors who have been appointed by Lead Pastors to construct the blueprint plan over the coming 1-2 years.

Brad Eisan (Faith) held a Vacation Bible School this week which ministered to several families. CLICK HERE to enjoy a pictorial summary of the week as Kingdom seeds were sown in young hearts that will reap a lifetime of harvest!

DBMD Chair Dale MacDonald (Woodstock) convened the DBMD Executive this week to complete the annual review of the the Minister’s Annual Service Reports (ASRs). We are blessed by these leaders who love our ministerial tribe and are committed to serving their calling as pastors.

Journey (Matt Maxwell) held it’s semi-annual Newcomer’s BBQ yesterday with perfect weather and a great turnout! Matt shared, “We have had well over 150 first-time attenders since the beginning of the pandemic lock down.” An encouraging word as pandemic restrictions are being lifted and in-person ministry is beginning to regain momentum.

NEXT is Global Partners’ mentored cross-cultural immersion experience for young adults. Pass along the NEXT website to anyone in your church who is searching for meaning and their place in God’s kingdom work. Download and share the 2-minute NEXT video in your service or in your church newsletters. The best next step for anyone interested is to fill out the inquiry form, and they will be contacted for a follow-up conversation. The website is constantly updated with the upcoming internship opportunities for spring, summer and fall.

The number one way Christians grow in their faith is through their personal time alone with God in His word. Join National Superintendent Steve Elliott for a 60-day challenge this fall to read and journal through a significant portion of the Old Testament. Cost of the Journals and reading schedule is $7.50/each (includes shipping). Send an email (stephen@wesleyan.ca) to get the schedule/journals mailed out. Readings begin on Monday, September 13th.

The 2021 Atlantic District Journal is now available. CLICK HERE to access this information. Prior District Journals are available from District Office upon request.

The Summer@Beulah Schedule is coming to a close this weekend at Beulah Camp & Conference Center. Sharon Guptill (Hillside) preached yesterday morning at the Beulah Tabernacle. There was a special sense of God’s hand at work and many came forward during an impromptu time of prayer.If you missed Beulah’s Got Talent (August 21st) you can CLICK HERE to enjoy this family-friendly evening of camp fun (recording courtesy of Justin McGuigan).

If you have students from your church that are heading to university or college this fall, you know that their faith will be tested in critical ways over the next number of months. The pressures they face could honestly end up breaking down the faith that they’ve built during their years at your church.But that doesn’t have to be the story. In fact, recent research shows that if someone from your church helps to build a bridge to Christian community in a student’s new town, the chances that they’ll stay connected to the local church doubles. It’s for that reason that Jeremy MacDonald (Moncton) has put together the resources to do that in a unique and special way — by inviting your graduating students to become Post-Secondary Missionaries. Sent from your church to their new communities.

Everything you need is located in this folder: https://bit.ly/3gnm7hU. You can also reach out to Jeremy with any questions or help you’d like with your youth ministry as his organization, the Youth Worker Community, is helping churches across our country better disciple students each week. He can be reached at jeremy@youthworker.community.

Another excellent resource to impact our youth headed into young adulthood is the “Pray for Me Campaign” – CLICK HERE to learn more.

Ellen joins me in expressing condolences on behalf of the Atlantic District to the families of Ruth Crozier & Angie Thurston on Tuesday’s passing of their mother, Mrs. Kay Morehouse. Rev. Ron & Kay Morehouse served faithfully over the years in many Kingdom assignments on the Atlantic District. We stand on their shoulders today in our Kingdom service as they have been reunited this week.

A celebration of Kay’s life will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, August 31st @ 3:00 p.m. ADT in the Beulah Tabernacle. CLICK HERE for her obituary with opportunity to share words of comfort and support to the family.Points to Ponder

I want Jesus but I really like my comfort too. When it makes me uncomfortable, I want someone else to be like Jesus. (Sharon Guptill) #lovelikeJesus
Walking in the Spirit begins with accepting you are fully known and unconditionally loved. (David Green)
We opt for power instead of intimacy. (Henri Nouwen)

You are encouraged to take advantage of this free special opportunity to attend the Church Mental Health Summit 21, hosted by Hope Made Strong on September 10, 2021. The Summit is a one-day virtual event equipping the church to support mental health in their communities. (ChurchMentalHealthSummit.com)

There are over 40 speakers with sessions that cover 4 categories:

Global Health – Addressing cultural impacts and those who serve in missions around the world.
Community Health – Equipping churches to support those who struggle with mental health in their community.
Church Health – Building a church culture that supports and serves mental health through programs.
Leadership Health – Strengthening leaders’ mental health and addressing issues around compassion fatigue and ministry burnout.

Church Mental Health Summit 21 was created with the local pastor and church lay leader in mind by hopemadestrong.org, founder Laura Howe.

Director of Next Gen Ministries (Church Multiplication and Discipleship), Zach Coffin, recently shared some good news as we prepare to launch student ministry in the fall….

Our friends at Ministry Architects have a new FREE resource library just for YOU and your Kids’ & Student Ministry leaders. It includes many helpful templates, dashboards and resources for Kids’, Student and Young Adult Ministry. They are excited to share these resources with you and hope this library will come at the right time as you begin looking forward to the next school year. To view this resource library, click here!

It’s time to get your foursome registered for the 25th Annual KU Golf Classic on September 10th! CLICK HERE for more information and/or to register your team today! This event plays a central role in providing tuition scholarships for ministry students from all across the region.

SAVE THE DATE: As announced during A Campfire Chat, District Ministerial will convene at the Valley location of Kings (Brent Ingersoll) on January 19-20, 2022 (more details TBA – begins @ 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday and concludes with the evening rally on Thursday).

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