It’s Monday Again
Attitude is a choice. This week Dave Hockley (Yarmouth) posted an excellent reminder of the privilege we share in ministry – even in this challenging pandemic season. CLICK HERE to read the full post. Atlantic churches are blessed to have leaders like Dave modelling this perspective of Godly humility in our calling. Thanks Dave for such a passionate reminder of the honour we steward in Kingdom service.
As part of Cornerstone’s (Denn Guptill) village partnership with World Hope International (Canada), 60 children have recently been sponsored! These children will be attending the Wesleyan School that Cornerstone help to construct this fall in the village of Kenenday. Since Pastor Deborah Gilbert (pictured above left) initiated this partnership in 2019, Cornerstone has raised in excess of $115K. The child sponsorship represents an additional $30K annual commitment.
All pastors who were registered for District Ministerial will soon be receiving a copy of The Emotionally Healthy Leader. This will be the primary resource for all Pastor Clusters until the fall. Some books are being mailed, others are available at a pick-up location. Karrilee will contact you with the location specific to you if your book has not been mailed. More detail will be available next IMA on the benefits of engaging this incredible resource. Any pastor who was not registered for Ministerial but would like to join a Pastor Cluster to share in this journey may contact me to be assigned to a group and will also receive a copy of Scazzero’s work.
I am grateful for the ongoing opportunities I have on a weekly basis to serve our Atlantic pastoral team – especially our Lead Pastors. This week Luke Anderson (Connection) reached out to dialog about ministry strategies for this season of his leadership. While pandemic restrictions have limited the options to gather in-person, it was encouraging to learn that since the beginning of his ministry in Truro in July 2020, 42 of the first-time-attenders have continued to attend as part of the Connection family! What a fantastic metric to measure and celebrate when so many things about our pre-pandemic scorecard for contextual effectiveness have changed over the past couple of years.
Caton’s Island registration for the summer of 2022 will be open in early February! Start planning now to register next month to guarantee access to your preferred camp and dates. Stay tuned for more detail next Monday!
Marc Jolicoeur (Moncton) recently launched Jolly Thoughts as a way to share his personal and pastoral reflections for the benefit of any who choose to subscribe. He recently shared musings on “a/the church/Church” – CLICK HERE to enjoy!
- In this extended season of recalibrating our understanding and practices in ecclesiology, our General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt provided pre-pandemic definition that has proved to be a reliable rubric. CLICK HERE to be reminded about the core answers to, “What’s A Church?“
What’s Marc reflecting on this week? Here is a sneak peek…
“In this Friday’s episode (January 28th) of the Jolly Thoughts podcast I’m joined by Kingswood University President, Biblical scholar, and all-around good-guy – Dr. Steve Lennox. We talk about “the abyss” of Scripture, the double-edgedness of the Reformation(s), when one becomes educated “enough”, and… well, a lot of other things that I found quite interesting, and perhaps you will too! The primary book that sparked off the conversation was the popularized & revised version of his dissertation work, A Holiness Hermeneutic.”
Ellen joins me in expressing condolences on behalf of the Atlantic District to John & Willo Ann Symonds, Debby Symonds, and the entire Symonds family on Saturday’s passing of John’s dear sister, Ruth Dennison. The second oldest sibling of the six children of Rev. Gordon & Eva Symonds, she had just celebrated her 90th birthday early this month. CLICK HERE to enjoy this heartfelt tribute offered by her niece and namesake Ruth Woodworth.
Our sincere condolences are also offered to Randy Shanks on the January 17th passing of his dear wife, Kathy. Kathy served in many Kingdom roles in several Atlantic Wesleyan Churches and also served for several years at Kingswood University. CLICK HERE for her obituary and opportunity to share words of support for Randy and their son, Tyler. Your love and prayers are deeply appreciated for both of these families.
Points to Ponder
- Ministry is representing Jesus and loving people in His name, which does NOT require a title or an office. (Dave Hockley)
- Ambition is when you close the gap between your circumstances and your expectations. Entitlement is when you expect others to close the gap between your circumstances and your expectations. (James Clear)
- Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing. (Laurie Buchanan)
For local church leaders looking for a practical resource to address polarization in our congregations, the Global Leadership Network of Canada and Jesus Collective are partnering to provide this excellent experience. CLICK HERE for more details and to register online for this virtual offering in February.
Registration is open for Kingswood University’s Fall Vision Tour Cruise. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Debbie Benson (506-432-4411 or bendsond@kingswood.edu).
Have you been struggling to know how to pray for your church family in the ongoing pandemic challenges and tensions that have carried over from 2021?
- CLICK HERE to listen for the next nine minutes to the heart of Dale MacDonald(Woodstock) as he preached the final point of his New Year’s Sunday message. Our churches are tempted with continued polarization. Thank you, Dale, for modelling the wisdom of a faithful shepherd in this truth and for showing us how to pray for reconciliation in 2022.