Those who hang around me will know that one of my themes in ministry is to “see what God is up to.” We look for signs of God’s work and we seek to align ourselves with what we believe He is intending to do.
Jesus Is Our Salvation Church (JIOS) is certainly a church that lives by this theme. Founded in Surrey, this church has been composed primarily of immigrants from the Philippines, and always with the vision of planting more churches.
JIOS Surrey gave birth to New LIving Assembly in Chilliwack, and Pastor Noel (Lynda) Macasaet appreciated Charlz and Ruth Sebastian sharing the ministry and leadership with them. Charlz and Ruth completed the LPD Church Planter Assessment, and have a heart to plant a church as God opened the door.
Some people from Agassiz began attending New Living Assembly, and key among these were Steve and Edith Davies. They, as residents of Agassiz, had been praying for a church in Agassiz, and in January 2020, JIOS Agassiz was birthed. This church plant comes with the blessing of New Living Assembly and the partnership of JIOS Surrey. Today, many of those from JIOS Surrey have integrated into other local congregations, so now their legacy is to birth a new ministry and church in Agassiz.
Please pray for church planting pastor Charlz (Ruth) Sebastian, as they provide servant leadership to this new work. No sooner had they launched their services, than they have been forced to provide services online via Facebook – God is using these to reach a large audience, and their ministry is a blessing to both the people of Agassiz, but they partner with and support the ministries in the Philippines. Their Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/JIOSAgassizChurch/
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Of Dogs and District Superintendents
When our beloved dog “Sidney,” died at the age of 13, we found that there are two “schools of thought” when it comes to adopting a new dog. One school says to wait a year or more, to allow time to grieve and to avoid comparison of the “new” dog to the dearly departed one. This can make good sense, especially if one is looking to “replace” the former dog with one of the same breed, with all of the same personality and behaviours.
The other school of thought is to go ahead and get another dog, but one of another breed, and to enter a new chapter, a new season of dog ownership and relationship. With the dog being of a different breed, we can avoid comparison and the “new” dog having to live up to the pattern and behaviours of the former. This is the school of thought that our family has embraced.
We loved “Sidney,” our Spaniel. He was a water dog, and would dive for rocks in local streams, bringing them to the surface in his mouth. We also loved “Murphy,” our Poodle/Sheltie cross. “Murphy” means “sea warrior” (though he hated water – he didn’t even like to get his feet wet). His successor, “Angus,” (“Gus” for short) is a Pappion/Sheltie cross, and is equally loved, but is also a different personality than either Sidney or Murphy. He is great with our grandchildren and a loyal companion.
All three dogs are very special – and have served us well through the changing seasons of our family.
You may ask, why do I write of dogs today???
As you are aware, our Lower Pacific District has entered a season of succession for the position of District Superintendent. This has not come as a surprise to me 🙂 – it is at my request.
I am convinced that one of the most important – and also most difficult decisions a leader must make is to know when to leave one’s position. I have seen some leave too early – I have seen others stay too long. I refer to this as “faithfulness,” “fickleness” and “stubbornness.”
I came to think of the above while seeking the Lord about leaving our ministry at North Delta EFC to become district superintendent. I had been invited to become district superintendent of another district a few years earlier. While honoured, I did not feel any release from my pastoral ministry for me to do this. I sought the counsel of our elders, and they affirmed me to stay put.
In 2002, it was different. When invited to become district superintendent of the LPD, my first response was to simply remain at North Delta. The Elders affirmed me staying, and I was comfortable in pastoral ministry. As I wrestled with this, however, I realized, that while I could say that remaining at North Delta was “faithfulness,” perhaps it would really be “stubbornness,“ staying with what I knew, rather than trusting God and stepping out in faith. I also asked myself if leaving would in any way be “fickleness,” where I was hoping to escape something in my current ministry – was I looking for a way out? Some people move on as an escape, rather than seeing things through.
In the end, I believed that God was calling me to serve as superintendent of the LPD, and this has been affirmed over the years. I am thankful that Karen and I stepped out in faith, and God has been good and He has been faithful. My heart remains in the local church, and I trust that our ministry is an encouragement and resource to you.
As I was leaving North Delta, I offered three points of counsel:
Here are reflections as I concluded ministry at North Delta in 2002:
Finishing_Well_Rob_Pastors_Perspective_2002.pdf
Today, I offer the same counsel to our Lower Pacific District. I love this ministry, and it is an honour to serve you in the Name of Christ. I also recognize life’s odometer, and that we are coming to a season where we in the LPD need to set our sails for the next leg in our journey of ministry for the years ahead.
While Karen and I trust that we will continue to be used in ministry after March 2022, it will not be as district superintendent. We look forward to focusing on the upcoming generation of our grandchildren and churches. My counsel is the same as it was to North Delta EFC (now Northside) nineteen years ago.
Three points of advice:
If I might return to my “dog analogy,” don’t look to replace Rob – to “get one of the same breed.” While we have enjoyed a “good run” together, the next DS will build on what has been done, and will also bring different gifts and style to further our mission of, “being an encouragement and resource to our growing family of churches to reflect Jesus Christ.” Personnel may change – but our mission, principles and values do not.
I am so thankful that God has brought together a skilled and competent Succession Committee for our Lower Pacific District. Chaired by former LPD Board Vice-Chair, Charles Labun, this team is working prayerfully and diligently to ready the search process. In fact, they have asked me to include the Information Package for the DS Search in this Five Minutes on Friday. I gladly do this, and invite you to pray for the Succession Committee (Charles Labun, Randy Lemke, Josephine Papp, Craig Murdoch, Josh Lok and Ben Crumback) – and for my successor.
Please also continue to pray for Karen and me as we gladly continue to serve. May we “finish well,” and continue to be used of the Lord. It is my hope to visit you and your church in the months ahead as things “open up.”
