Post-Church, Post -Truth and Politics; Five Minutes on Friday with the LPD

Please remember,

North Delta Evangelical Free Church

– our  LPD Church of the Week.

Thanks to Anna (Ben) Crumback at Sointula Community Church for producing the Church of the Week!
We can read a lot today about why millennials and others have left church…

Much of what is written will speak to the “style” of church or the perceived relevance of the music or message. We are told that we are in the age of “post-truth,” and that there is little appetite for either apologetics or scientific truth.

While there is no doubt some truth in this, there is also more to the story…

In a recent  “Fox News” story, reference was made to Pew Research’s findings as to why younger people are leaving church. Here are two links to follow:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/09/09/young-christians-are-leaving-church-here-s-why.html

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/08/24/why-americas-nones-left-religion-behind/

So, truth does matter!

Unfortunately, many younger people will experience a conflict between
what they have learned at church and what they learn in school, etc.

In such cases, one might simply “walk away” from one’s faith.

It is not that their faith has been disproven. It is that their faith is not deemed to be compatible with contemporary opinion, or what they are being taught in school or college.

A recent CBC radio program, “Ideas,” presented an excellent program, entitled, “The Politics of the Professoriate.” This podcast describes the situation we have perhaps personally experienced on campus. Essentially, there is no room for any opinion other that the one that the majority of the leaders/professors hold to. It is not about what is true so much as it is about what is deemed be an acceptable opinion. Here is the link:

The Politics of the Professoriat: Political diversity on campus 
https://podcast-a.akamaihd.net/mp3/podcasts/ideas-jkcjgr7c-20180828.mp3

I found this podcast very encouraging, in that there is a growing awareness of the imbalance of thought on the campus.

In reading 1 Corinthians, I was taken by the short and concise call of 1 Cor. 16:13,14, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

– a good call to be both firm in our faith and loving in our actions on campus, and in our daily lives.
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Speaking of being firm in our faith and loving in our actions, we invite you to our, “Pastoral Approaches to Same Sex Attraction Workshop,” Saturday, October 20 at Richmond Chinese EFC.

Here is the info:

• “Pastoral Approaches: The Church & Same-Sex Attraction.” Saturday, October 20 at Richmond Chinese EFC, 9AM – 4PM. This is a follow up and further resourcing of our LPD Conference presentation. All pastors and lay-leaders are welcome! Cost: $10.00 per registrant. Here is some info: Pastoral_Approaches_to_Same_Sex_Attraction_Oct._20_RCEFC.pdf

 Please register online at our LPD Website: https://www.lpd-efcc.ca/

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Pastor and Staff Cruise

Also, Please mark Wednesday, October 31 on your calendar for the Fall “Pastors and Staff Cruise,” and watch for details in the weeks ahead!
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Seniors Ministry
Johanna Campbell, of Abbotsford EFC is available to speak to seniors’ groups in our churches on the the topics of aging, care giving and preparing for our heavenly home, based on her experience with caring for her husband for eight years before he passed into glory.  She has written a meditation/devotional on Psalm 71, a psalm of David during his last years and will be integrating this psalm into her presentations.  Please contact the LPD Office if you wish to arrange for a presentation.

Johanna has been a professor at Trinity Western University, and is a regular speaker to seniors and on the subject of Christian Marriage.

Please pray for:

• Pastor Sammy Kabyemera, who is on a two-month visit and ministry to the Kyaka Refugee Camp  in Uganda. Please pray for him and for the brothers and sisters in Christ who are in poverty. Please see the attached letter and photos from Sammy, and also how you can support these dear people. Ugandan_Refugee_Mission_2018.pdf
• Your church, and Sister Churches in the LPD – as we launch into this new season of ministry.
• Carl Lindstrom, a faithful member and volunteer at New Westminster EFC, who has been recently diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.
• LPD Board. We meet on September 19! Board members are Randy Lemke (Allana) – Chair, Patrick Chan (Sarah) – Property and Finance, Ben Crumback (Anna) – Island Liaison, Charles Labun (Carolyn) – Church Board Liaison, Rob Stewart (Karen) – DS, Tim Stewart (Emily) – Innovative Ministries, Kenneth Tsang (Mabel) – Chinese Church Liaison; Paul Yang (Jin) – Korean Church Liaison; Phil Yung (Grace) – Church Planting and Josephine Papp, LPD Office Administrator – Recording Secretary.
• Quadra Island Bible Church in their pastoral search.
• Christ Community Church (Ucluelet) in their pastoral search.
• North Delta EFC, in their search for an Associate Pastor for  youth.
• Grace EFC, in their search for a part-time youth pastor.
• White Rock Community Church, in their search for a youth pastor.
• Pastor Lorin and Jeanette Bergin, as they trust the Lord for health and their future. Pastor Lorin has accepted a position at Elim Village in Surrey as Campus Pastor, beginning in October.
• FLEFC, as they seek the Lord for his future plan for their church.
• For Jorge and Emily Lin, new LPD Church Planting Missionaries.They are in a residency program at New West EFC, in preparation for planting a church to reach all nations.
• The Steveston Project Team – Allen and Hannah Chang and Daniel and Joyce Wong.
• Central EFC in Courtenay/Comox – as they ready their new building for ministry, and prepare to dedicate the building in September. Our district is glad to assist them with a mortgage for this.
• Steve (Gillian) Sharpe, in his ministry as LPD Missionary of Church Planting Development, serving both our LPD Missionaries and Church Plants and church planting in the EFCC.