Pastors Gatherings

One of the highlights of each month (well, about 9 months of the year anyway) are the pastors lunch gatherings. We have 2 groups that meet. The Vancouver area gathering is on the 3rd Tuesday of the month and the Fraser Valley gathering is on the 3rd Wednesday. Just to prove that it is true, the photos above were taken this past week. The informal shot of the Valley Pastors gives the profile of the backs of the heads of three amazing pastors. I was going to offer to take anyone out for lunch if you could identify these pastors, but the "posed" photo reveals their identity. The picture just above this writing is the Vancouver group.

These gatherings are mostly the lead pastors, so we also have a youth pastors monthly gathering besides these. I am truly thankful for the partnership we have in the work of God's Kingdom here in Mennonite Church BC.

The Crazy Busy Fall

Throughout my years of pastoring people have often mentioned that the summer slowdown must be nice in my work. I have usually said that the change of pace from scheduled events to planning and connecting with people less formally is nice, but I haven't really seen the kind of slowdown that is imagined. In fact, the language of catchup is probably more correct that slowdown. Summer does give space for a vacation break and that's great. The break is probably more real for the members and volunteers who are able to take a break from church by being away on weekends because their ministry responsibilities stop for the summer. Regarding the crazy busyness that doesn't really stop during the summer for pastors - we do it to ourselves because we love what we are doing.

Regarding the fall - this year it all came from every direction at once sometime in the middle of last week. There were meetings - and the related tasks that always come out of meetings, the need to make a quick trip to Kelowna to care for some church matters, the need to do some writing - for this blog, and out of that, some reflections for News 'n Notes, getting ready for this year's Pastor/Spouse Retreat, working out some computer glitches, and doing my volunteer responsibilities as the communications coordinator for the Place of Refuge board (the board for our recently opened drug and alcohol recovery house in Vancouver).

Of course, there is the need to juggle things to accommodate my fitness schedule (i.e. the fall hockey schedule). I can't always change the busyness of work, but I can keep my life healthy in the midst of it by giving appropriate attention to my fitness and diet.

It is interesting that we don't have any pastoral installations, licensings or ordinations this fall. I believe it is the Lord's timing to allow for these other priorities to receive their due.

So, your prayers are appreciated - for me, and for all our pastors in MCBC as we serve and lead in the work of the Kingdom.

Our son, Mark, has a job - and more

Just before Mark moved to Saskatchewan to start a new job as sports writer for the Prince Albert Daily Herald, he and Lisa got engaged! They are planning their wedding for next August (2010). Yeah, it's a little tough to move 20 hours away when you are newly engaged - thank goodness for Skype! They can talk to each other every day on the internet, and see each other while they're doing it - for free! If we had only had Skype when we were in Africa more than 20 years ago. Actually, email would have been amazing - anything more than recording audio cassette tapes of our kids talking and sending them in the mail.

Mark started his work at the beginning of September. This is the job of his dreams, the thing that he spent four years studying for. Every article is a good read, and usually accompanied with a really good photograph - but then who am I to speak, I'm just his Dad. No, he really does good work. Hopefully his work will be noticed by the Vancouver media outlets. Actually a daily paper in a small city is great experience on many levels.

A New Start in Burns Lake

On August 16th, we celebrated a new start for First Mennonite Church, Burns Lake. Actually, Helmut and Eve Isaak already started as interim pastors in the middle of January of this year, but it soon became evident that they were the right people to lead the congregation into the years that lie ahead. The mid-August installation service simply served as the affirmation of this calling. Helmut and Eve have settled well into the congregation and the community, and are very well received.

It has often been difficult to have a meaningful partnership with our congregations that are further away from the Lower Mainland, but I believe that we have forged a very good relationship in the last couple of years - even though it has been through adverse times. There has also been a strengthening of the partnership between First Mennonite Burns Lake and Church of the Way in Granisle. Church of the Way was a church plant of First Mennonite, a little over an hour up the road, years ago. The current leadership of both congregations have a particular interest in nurturing this relationship. This is very encouraging.