Monday Again
Remembrance Day (Canada) and Veterans Day (USA) are both observed today, Monday November 11th. The incredible freedoms we enjoy here in North America were won on far away battlefields by veterans, both living and dead, whom we honour this day.
Grace is free but it is not cheap. So too is freedom, and we who are recipients of grace that can only be described as amazing should, of all people, rejoice in the freedom of our countries and the freedom of our relationship with Christ. “Him that the Son sets free, is free indeed.”
Mindy Dunn, wife of Dr Jim Dunn, Executive Director of the Church Multiplication and Discipleship (CMAD) Division at our HQ, passed away last week at the age of 44. All of us who were honoured to know her understood fully that here was a woman, wife and mother who was indeed a fully devoted follower of Christ. I have expressed our sympathy both personally and on behalf of our tribe to Jim and their children Caleb and Courtney.
Her home-going celebration was held on Friday and her final earthly journey was in a style befitting a classy lady.
It’s Monday Again (IMA) continues to enlist more subscribers who not only sign up, but actually read the thing. Last week, our open rate exceeded 70% for the first time – a % far above the industry average. Word about our tribe is spreading – onward and upward.
SUMMIT 2013 took place by way of a bus tour last week in North and South Carolina. The event was sponsored by CMAD and focused on church planting and the explosive growth of multi-site church development and repurposing. It was an inspiring and idea-generating time – highly energizing. AJ Plaizier, AJ Thomas, Brent Ingersoll and Denn Guptill travelled with me and we shared synergistic vision casting together that has dynamic possibilities for our district going forward. We hunkered down in our special corner of the bus as we travelled along and no idea for Kingdom impact was off limits.
We also shared in a low country boil and visited Southern Wesleyan University where we were treated to a beautiful buffet courtesy of SWU. While there, we visited the Freedoms Hill Church, the first Wesleyan Church in the deep south, built in 1848. Due to the anti-slavery stand of our church, bullets were fired through the door of the building and one man was hung nearby – because freedom may be free now, but it was not cheap. It is moving to stand in the shadow of a building once filled with people of our tribe who were committed to what is right even if it cost them their lives. Such is our heritage that must never be lost. Remembrance Day is a great time to, well, remember.
I met Mark Gorveatte and Scott Rhyno in the airport in Moncton early on Wednesday morning as they were traveling to South Korea. Kingswood is connecting with a large holiness denomination there where there are possibilities for student recruitment and also for intern placement.
Kings Valley has produced a Christmas music CD entitled Holy Light to be released on Nov 17th. Check out the website for more info and/or to pre-order.
The Wesleyan Retirement Plan Webinar first offered in October will occur again this week – tomorrow the 12th at 11 AM AST. The connect info was sent to all plan participants in a memo on October 24th. The Webinar is circa 45 minutes in length. If you were not a part of the October event, you may want to sign in tomorrow morning.
The funeral of Avis Hicks, widow of Rev. Bertram M Hicks, was held on Wednesday of last week. She was the mother of four including Janice Thomas, wife of Pastor Reg Thomas. She was a steadfast Christ follower and faithful spouse to and co-labourer with her husband across a life time of ministry. Our sympathy is expressed to the extended family.
Gloria and I were in Black’s Harbour yesterday for the installation of Pastor Nelson Koonce. We welcome Nelson and Holly to Black’s and wish them the Master’s best. Gloria and I moved to Black’s in 1971 to pastor our first church and what a wonderful group of people they were to serve – great to be back yesterday.
THOT: Slow down. Listen up. Value patience. Elevate others. Offend slowly. Apologize quickly. Trust Jesus. Reflect Kingdom. – Ed Stetzer