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.

MCBC Motorcycle Ride 2009

Our second annual Mennonite Church BC Motorcycle Ride took place on the weekend of August 8th and 9th. This year there were 6 bikes with 7 riders (compared with 20 bikes and 23 riders last year). We went to Vancouver Island, making it a 2 day trip. Our connection on the Island was the United Mennonite Church at Black Creek (1/2 way between Courtenay and Campbell River). There are a couple of riders among the people at the Black Creek Church, but it only worked out for one couple to be involved. Gary and Gloria Cashman were wonderful hosts for the weekend. We stayed overnight at their home on Saturday.

Our place of meeting, and official start of the ride was on Saturday at noon at the Black Creek Church. Our destination was Gold River. This road is a beautiful ride with lots of nice twists and turns that only a motorcyclist can really enjoy. The weather was nice, but a bit iffy. We got rained on kind of in the middle of the ride both on the way out and on the way back. I don't think anyone complained too much. It was a lot of fun. The photo above is at the end of the road. Beyond the community of Gold River, the road continues down to the dock where a whole new opportunity awaits those who want to get out on the water.

When we got back to the Cashman home, Gloria had dinner ready for us! We had a great evening of connecting stories.

On Sunday we joined the Black Creek Church for their morning worship service. It was a neat show of support for a congregation that often feels it is quite removed from the majority out in the Lower Mainland. Not only were the bikers there, but 2 youth groups from the Lower Mainland were there, partnering to help them run their Vacation Bible School program. I was the preacher.

After worship we were all treated to a bbq at the church. Because most of the riders wanted to catch a ferry back to the mainland at a decent hour, we decided on a bit of a storter afternoon ride. We went up Mount Washington (the Island's ski resort). Upon arrival at the top, we realised that this was the end destination of a major motorcycle rally. I'm sure there were at least 100 bikes up there. It was fun to look around and watch them take off. Of course, there was a Starbucks, so that was our mountian top stop. Sunday was a warmer, sunnier day.

The ride down the mountain is the most beautiful part, with the views of expansive land and sea. We parted ways at the bottom of the mountain - I stayed with the Cashmans for another night because I wanted to do some stuff on the Island on Monday; the rest of them headed back to Nanaimo to meet the ferry.

Half way through the ride, some were already asking what the plans are for next year. The main idea was to do the Duffey Lake road. This is from Vancouver to Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet, and down the Fraser Canyon. We'll see, once the day gets closer.

Mennonite World Conference - Paraguay 2009

We had the most wonderful time for 2 1/2 weeks in Paraguay and Brazil. Our main purpose was to attend the Mennonite World Conference Assembly 15. Every day was a learning day. I would say that the greatest highlight of the assembly itself was just being together with 6000 Anabaptist/Mennonite people from around the world.

It was meeting friends from home and friends from other parts of the world that we had not seen for some time. It was the experience of not having English as the main language, but Spanish. We had to wear headphones in all the sessions in order to hear the translation into English. This helped us to understrand what is like for so many people who come to Canada and need help to understand anything. This brought to my mind an experience I had when I was pastor at the Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver. I remember sitting so many times in the context of our Refugee Food Bank and hearing people speaking Spanish but not understanding it. For these people it was a relief to be able to be with people of their language. But, in the real world on the street, all these people would have to learn "my" language to function in "my" country.

Being present to hear stories of the activities of the global Anabaptist church over the past 6 years was a real privilege. We also heard representatives of many of the world communions of other churches. I was blest to hear the representative of the World Lutheran Federation speak of their preparations to officially acknowledge that their persecution of the early Anabaptists in the 16th century was wrong. The theme "Come together in the way of Jesus Christ" was addressed from many angles each day with sermons and stories from around the world.

I was particularly blest when I learned from friends in the Chaco (in the community of Loma Plata), that they watched the live stream of the conference sessions on their TV each evening of the conference.

It was meeting new people for another part of the world and hearing their story, such as the choir from Zimbabwe. Here in the picture, they were singing on the outdoor stage in the Global Village area behind the main convention centre. While they were waiting for their turn on the stage, Diane struck up a most interesting conversation with one of the choir members (English is the international language spoken in Zimbabwe).

Later, back in Canada, I found out from a Dutch friend in the Black Creek Mennonite Church on Vancouver Island, that the women of the Dutch Mennonite Church raised money for the last number of years in order to sponsor the choir from Zimbabwe to go the the Mennonite World Conference. When I showed this picture in my sharing in her congregation a couple of weeks ago, she was so blest.

The assembly itself was held in this amazing new church building. I say "new" because it wasn't even finished. It is a building that seats 10,000 people. One year ago, the leaders of the congregation that will worship here said that the building will not be ready for the Mennonite Conference. The organisers said that it must be ready, because we have no other venue. The Mennonites in Paraguay provided up to 200 workers to help them complete the building. While it was fully usable for our purposes, when one looked up in the expansive front entrance, the drywall on the 2nd floor was only taped and had not yet been painted. Also, in talking with one of the worship team members, he said that the speakers were being mounted in the sancturay while they were practicing underneath on the stage. He said that the first full sound check for the system was also the sound check for the world conference - only the day before the assembly began. Praise the Lord - it was ready just on time!!

We're off to Paraguay

On Friday, July 10th, Diane and I are off to the Mennonite World Conference gathering in Paraguay. For those of you who don't know, this happens about once every 6 years. It was last held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (2003), and previous to that in India (1997). The one previous to that is the only one Diane and I have ever attended - Winnipeg 1990.

We look forward to meeting many old and new friends; old friends from our connections across the Mennonite Church over the many years, and new friends as God gives opportunity to build relationships with some of the almost 6,000 people who will gather. I understand that there are 7 people going from my congregation alone (Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver), although some of these have roots in Paraguay and are also taking opportunity to "go home".

I don't know what opportunities I will have to get on the internet, but if I do, I hope to send some updates as we go along. We are part of a tour group. We start in Iguazzu Falls, Brazil, arriving on July 11th. We will take a bus from there to Asuncion, Paraguay, visiting Mennonite colonies along the way (Apparently these folks have developed amazing dairy operations, and supply a good portion of the milk for the whole country). The conference is from July 14th to 19th. After that we will go to Menno Colony and stay in the community of Loma Plata. There are several friends who are formerly from Sherbrooke Church who live there, and we already have plans to meet them. On July 22nd we return to Asuncion, and on the 23rd, Diane I go our separate ways from the tour group.

We are making a 3-day visit to Brazil. Our main interest is to go to Curitiba, where friends from Sherbrooke Church have roots. We have already hooked up with a sister of one of our friends who is a travel agent there. She has set up our travel itinerary, and the bonus is that we get to also stay with her family.

We arrive home in Vancouver on July 27th.

Talk to you from out there.