Direct Connect Newsletter #4
District Assembly:
The District Assembly and Conventions held at our Guildford Church in Surrey were very well attended by people from our churches across our district. The people of our district are indeed grateful to host Pastor Robert Gray, the Guildford pastoral staff, the church board and the many volunteers led by the local planning committee, led by Judy Bartram and Sharon Poon for their careful preparations and their warm and generous spirit of hospitality. Response has been positive both to the changed format of the gathering and to the content. Delegates and friends commented favourably regarding the opportunity to participate in ministry related workshops which were both informative and inspirational. Thank you to those who agreed to lead workshops or were otherwise involved in serving our people during this time together.
District Summer Camps:
Again this summer, camps were held for our Boys and Girls, Jr. High Teens, and Families at Hope Bay Bible Camp on Pender Island during July 10 – 24. Our Sr. High Teen Camp was held August 20 – 23 at Camp Squeah. Attendance increased over the past year and our Camp Directors mentioned their sense of the Spirit of God among them as they ministered to the campers. The Directors were: Heather Johnson (Kidz); Bruce Wergeland (Jr. High); Ron MacLeod (Family); Pat Wiens (Sr. High). Laura MacLeod served as our Pender Island Site Coordinator. An annual appreciation dinner was hosted recently for our camp leaders to express, on behalf of the entire district, our support and gratitude for their sacrificial leadership of this essential ministry. Thank you to those who led and to those who served on the staff of one or more of our summer camps. Your investment of time and effort will no doubt continue to be used by God as a result of this summer’s ministry.
Rev. Doreen Greenwood
Doreen served as pastor of our Chetwynd congregation until her passing just after 6:00 pm on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. Pastor Doreen had fought a long and difficult battle with cancer. Her courage, grace and optimism had a great affect on those around her, family and friends alike. This has been a time of tremendous sadness for all of us but especially for her family and for her church family. Would you please continue to remember to pray for Doreen’s family and the people of our Chetwynd Church?
The funeral service was held on Tuesday, August 3, at 2:00pm in Chetwynd. Earl and Vernita Wood travelled to Chetwynd to be with Doreen’s family and the people of our church there, as well as to participate in her funeral service.
Haiti Update:
The Church of the Nazarene is serving the people of Haiti through the ministry of over 100 local churches. Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is fully engaged in responding to the needs of the people. Del Marie Wergland (Victoria Compassionate Ministries Warehouse Director) reports that containers of donations have been prepared and are on the way to Haiti with the possibility of more to follow. Thank you for your support of this important ministry. There are several Haitian Churches of the Nazarene on our Canada Central and Quebec Districts. Many of the people in these congregations have lost family members and close friends due to the earthquake. Please continue to remember the people of Haiti as well as our church in Haiti during these difficult days of rebuilding.
Pakistan:
The past few weeks have been particularly difficult for many thousands of people displaced by devastating flood waters. Your prayers and donations will be gladly received by people reeling from disaster.
Betel Church Ministry Update:
Pastor David Maldonado reports; “…we had an event on Saturday, September 18th, called People in Victory. The premise was the celebration of Independence of some of the countries our congregation represents but the intention was also to let the Spanish population in the city, and the people of our neighbourhood know that we are here.
The event was a success on many fronts…We had a ‘carnival’, sort of, outside, with food from different countries, displays with information, live music, ice cream for the kids and so much more. We estimated that about 350 people walked by the parking lot, including the Honourable Peter Julian (MP New Westminster/Burnaby) and the Honourable Raj Chouhan (MLA Burnaby/Edmonds). We were able to raise about $2000 that is going to help improve our audio/video equipment. In the evening we held a free concert which was a blast; although some people say more, the count I am taking was 130 people in the sanctuary praising our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In the end I think we achieved our purpose. The two Vancouver Spanish language radio programs announced our event for weeks, and there was promotion in the newspaper and on social networks online. The seed was sown, and I am sure we will see fruits in the days ahead.
As a separate note…the radio program that I am hosting online has been picked up by a radio station in Guatemala and from another Spanish Language station in Canada. The good news is that we can share the message of holiness, now without limits over the internet.
Thank you for your support and encouragement, please keep on praying for our ministry.”
Pastoral Placements:
Abbotsford – Rev. Pat and Peggy Wiens announced that their final service as pastor of our Hope Church took place on May 30th. The Hope Church leadership team, in consultation with the District Superintendent are making plans and seeking God’s direction for ongoing ministry to the people of their congregation and community. The focus on a compassionate, loving response to the people of Hope remains a vital part of the mission of the congregation.
Chetwynd – Pastor Richard Hoard, licensed minister on our district has been appointed (with unanimous support from the Chetwynd Northern Lights Church Board) as pastor of the church. Please pray for Pastor Richard and his wife Patricia.
Ambrose University College:
We remind everyone of the good news that Ambrose’s application to offer the Bachelor of Music, the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Bachelor of Education (After Degree) programs has been approved. It is our prayer that these degree programs will encourage many young people from Churches across our district to consider enrolling at Ambrose to pursue higher education at our university college.
Recent Events:
PALCON 2010, a Pastoral Leadership Development Conference was held August 24-27, 2010 at the Ambrose University College campus in Calgary. The conference featured worship services and workshops designed to provide both practical and inspirational input into the lives of those who seek to lead at the local church level throughout the year. Twenty two participants registered from across our district. Our pastors reported that this event was a helpful resource to them. Of particular note was the diversity of cultural representation, the scope of ages represented, particularly the strong concentration of younger leaders and the strong representation of female participants. A travel subsidy was provided for folks from our district. Thank you to our church boards for providing for your pastoral staff to attend this time of worship, fellowship and inspiration.
Upcoming Events:
- Pastors’ Appreciation Month is held each year in the month of October for the entire month. This is a wonderful opportunity to be proactive in expressing appreciation and support for your pastor and pastoral staff.
- The Canada Pacific District NYI council would like to invite your teens and leaders to their fall retreat. It is called LIFE BETWEEN THE TREES and is a weekend focused on social justice and service. This year the event will be hosted by the Victoria First Church on Friday, October 22 at 7pm until Sunday, October 24 at 2pm. The Facebook event page for more information is: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/event.php?eid=145228745513450&ref=ts
- Pastors’ Professional Development Days November 2-3, 2010 featuring Rev. Cam Roxburgh of Church Planting Canada and Forge Ministries Canada (www.forgecanada.ca) who will be leading a seminar looking at our communities with a missional mindset in an attempt to discover effective ways to serve our neighbourhoods and bring the good news of the gospel to needy people whom God loves.
- Ladies Retreat March 4-6, 2010 at Camp Squeah, east of Hope.
- Mission Possible’s annual Gala Fundraiser is November 10th. This year they will have a seating capacity of 500, so they won’t run out of seats. The Gala is their premiere fundraising event and they hope to raise a significant portion of their annual budget for 2011. Director, Brian Postlewait says: “I would love to see as many Nazarenes at this event as possible. Thanks for your support.”
People News:
Congratulations to Rev. Rick Burk on his appointment as Director General of Chaplaincy, providing Canada Corrections Services with leadership and supervision of Chaplaincy services in Federal Corrections facilities across Canada. Rick is a Nazarene minister who lives with his wife and family in the Ottawa area and is active in our Church of the Nazarene.
