Five Minutes on Friday- May 5th

Dear friends,

Good Friday morning!

In my early days as a district superintendent, I visited a struggling church on a Sunday morning. There were thirteen present, including me, the guest speaker. Three of us were on the stage, and ten sat scattered in the pews. As we began the service, I said to the pastor that I would like to get off the stage and go join the people. He said to me, “To become a big church, you need to think and act like a big church.” While there is merit in what he said, I also believe that we need to start with an honest assessment of reality, and build from there.

This week, a pastor described his church as a “small big church – or a big small church.” This described the church well. It had retained some of the personal characteristics of a smaller church, yet it had also adapted to become a larger multi-staff church.

It happens. A church plant might enjoy the intimacy of a ten person fellowship. When the group grows to become twenty – thirty – fifty… it gains ability to serve and it also has potential to lose the personal, unstructured and informal characteristics that drew people together in the first place.

Gary McIntosh, in his book, “One Size Doesn’t Fit All,” offers a “typology” of church sizes. It is a useful tool to understanding the dynamics and characteristics of different size churches. By understanding this, we can minister and lead appropriately.

Whatever the size of your church, celebrate it and lead appropriately. The message does not change. Our core values and principles do not change. Our methods, structures and style can change as needed.

May God bless and keep you as you look to the Lord, and trust him for his good work in the week ahead.

Five Minutes on Friday, May 5, 2017

In Jesus,

Rob

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 LPD Women in Ministry Facebook Page. Karen has set up a Facebook Page, and invites all  women church ministry staff and pastor’s wives to join. The purpose is communication, encouragement and prayer for one another.

To join the Facebook Page, please simply search “LPD Women in Ministry” and click ‘Join”  Pastors – please inform your spouse of this opportunity.

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• Please remember Sointula Community Church – our LPD “Church” of the Week (see attached). Thanks to Anna (Ben) Crumback at Sointula Community Church for producing the Church of the Week!

 Upcoming Events:

• EFCC Theological Summit and Annual Meeting, May 18,19 – in Okotoks or simulcast – For info and registration
• You can also attend locally via simulcast.
• To register attend a simulcast, please contact the local host church. The $40.00 per person simulcast registration will be collected by them and forwarded to the EFCC.

• Central EFC: Office Administrator, Vicki Willms

• Fort Langley EFC: Office Administrator: Emily Reesor:

• Vancouver Chinese EFC: Office Administrator: Jane Leung:

• LPD Pastors and Staff Cruise – Wednesday, May 31 – please mark your calendars.

• Camp Evergreen – August 7-12. http://www.campevergreen.ca/

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In 2017, our Lower Pacific District is assisting in the birth and revitalization of churches. We have also stepped out in faith with local churches through providing financial support and seed money.  To this end, we appreciate the gifts of many district churches and also of individuals.  You can participate through both cheques and online through PayPal at our website.