Trust – Not to be taken for granted

Richmond Chinese 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!

 

Richmond Chinese EFC, birthed out of Vancouver Chinese EFC in 1983, was the second Cantonese-speaking church planted in the LPD.

In 1983, there was a large influx of immigrants to Canada from Hong Kong. Much of this was motivated by the then pending return of Hong Kong to China (1997).

In recent years, immigration to Canada from Hong Kong has greatly slowed, and with this, our Cantonese Churches have matured, developing English ministries as well. While the Cantonse dialect is somewhat threated in Hong Kong, as Mandarin promoted, Greater Vancouver has a thriving Cantonese community, and this is also true in our churches.

Please pray for our Chinese Churches in our LPD Family, as they minister in Cantonese, English and now also in Mandarin. May God guide them as they bridge both language and culture.
 

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Karen and I are away to Alberta for a few days, to see her mom and to attend the wedding of one of my nieces.

As we are away, I have been praying for our district leaders and churches, and also  enjoying some reading along the way. As we are on vacation, I am going to abbreviate my comments this week, but I will share with you an article on trust. Please take time to read this and to look to prayer requests and upcoming events below.

As leaders, we want to believe that we are both trustworthy, and that those we lead trust us, our character, our motives and our leadership. As it turns out, we should not take this for granted. Here is an article from Dan Reiland that I believe speaks to this well.

TRUST

3-reasons-why-people-may-trust-you-less-than-you-imagined/

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Please pray for:

• Vacation Bible Schools, Day Camps and Summer Programs in district churches. Hundreds of children, youth and families will be touched by the various summer ministries of district churches. May God use these as the Gospel is shared by word and deed.
• Camp Evergreen. August 5-10. No need to send your child to a summer camp far away. Camp Evergreen, affiliated with the LPD provides and excellent Christian camping experience nearby – and it can be a part of your church outreach and follow-up ministry.
• Joshua and Nicole Fast, new Children’s Ministry Intern at Parkdale EFC, who is also now a LPD Missionary, as he begins “Priceless Youth Ministries,“ a ministry to families of special needs children/youth.
• The Steveston Project Team – Allen and Hannah Chang and Daniel and Joyce Wong. Pray for them, as they lead this developing work of God, and give thanks for the lives being touched through the Gospel.
• New Westminster EFC. Pray for Transitional Pastor Ralph (Karen) Hardy and Church Planters Jorge (Emily) Lin this church family, as they seek the Lord for the “new” work.
• Tom and Sandy Ford and family, as he awaits transplants, made necessary through the impact of his diabetes.
• Quadra Island Bible Church, as they seek the Lord in their pastoral search. They are interviewing a potential candidate, and we trust God to guide all in this process.
• Christ Community Church is considering options for pastoral ministry for the future.
• Carl Lindstrom, a faithful member and volunteer at New Westminster EFC, who has aggressive prostate cancer. Praise the Lord that he is responding well to chemotherapy.
• LPD Board. 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) – D.S., Tim Stewart (Emily) – Innovative Ministries, Paul Yang (Jin) – Korean Church Liaison; Phil Yung (Grace) – Church Planting and Josephine Papp, LPD Office Administrator – Recording Secretary. Please pray for provision of a Chinese Church Liaison.
• 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.

Upcoming Events:

“Arise Ministers Conference”

We are thankful for Pastor Sammy Kabyemera (Eva), who pastors Jesus Grace International Church, a church in Vancouver. Sammy, Eva and their six children came to Canada as refugees from Congo, via an Ugandan Refugee Camp.
 

While their church ministers primarily to African Immigrants, they retain a heart for the people and church of Africa. Sammy is troubled by the spread of the “prosperity gospel” in Africa, and is burdened to see that pastors are grounded in the Word of God and equipped to teach and guide God’s people.

Sammy is trusting God to travel to Africa for a mission trip to train and equip African Pastors through a conference that he has been asked to speak at.

Please see the attached email, to learn more of this conference, and the need in Africa, and how we can support this important ministry to brothers and sisters in Africa.  

Arise_Pastors_Conference_2019.pdf

Please prayerfully consider giving towards this mission

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CAMP EVERGREEN

August 5-10

This local summer camp is affiliated with the Lower Pacific District, and provides a great opportunity to extend your church ministry through camp, and to follow up afterwards. Many district families, including ours have benefited through this ministry, both in the children’s camp and leadership development in the LTD program. This summer, there is a children’s camp (Aug. 5-10), a teen camp and the LTD Leadership Program. Check out their website for details:

https://www.campevergreen.ca/

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LPD/EFCC Pastor and Staff Orientation

All pastors staff and interested volunteers are welcome too this opportunity to learn about the history, ethos, doctrine and ministries of the EFCC. Orientation is a requirement for all persons seeking credentialing in the EFCC, and is valuable for everyone in EFCC churches.

Here is the info.

Pastor_and_Staff_Orientation_2019_Invitation.pdf

You can register online at:
https://www.efccm.ca/wordpress/pastors-orientation/

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Best Practices for Mission Workshop
 

The Best Practice for Church Missions Workshop, developed by Fellowship International and Northwest Baptist Seminary, has benefited almost 50 churches across Canada. It has been designed to help churches navigate the maze of missions options to become effective and strategic partners in God’s mission to the world.

This one-day workshop provides church leadership and missions committee members the opportunity to revisit and clarify their missions program. The interactive format encourages vision and passion as participants see a role and purpose for their leadership in missions involvement.

Join others in a day of discovery and decision making that will give clarity, purpose – and a plan – for impacting missions participation.

Book your table soon, there is only room for 6 churches.

Date: Saturday October 5
Time: 9.30 – 3.30
Cost per church (includes lunch): $80 (up to 6 participants), $100 (7-10 participants), $120 (11-15 participants)
Venue: Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Free
3295 E Broadway (at Rupert)

Missions_Committe_Workshop_brochure.doc

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LPD Pastor and Spouse Retreat

Nov. 22-24, 2019

Hello LPD pastors, we’d like to invite you to join us on Nov. 22-24, 2019 for a Pastors’ retreat!  We’d like to encourage you to take a breather in late November (before Advent begins) with your fellow pastors at Camp Charis in Chilliwack.

Registration is open on our LPD Website. Please see:
https://www.lpd-efcc.ca/event/lpd-pastor-and-spouse-retreat/