Good Friday morning from the LPD.
We trust that your week has gone well. As I write this, I have just come in from the Thursday evening session of the ANACEFC Conference – a good evening in which Kenneth Tsang, John Auxier and Josh Lok were participants on a panel discussion on embracing new ministry models.
One of the topics of discussion at the ANACEFC Conference is change. Change is almost always challenging. While we might wish for change to be made at the speed of light, it might seem to be more like glacial speed. As pastors gather, we all like to speak about change – the need for change; resistance to change; how to change…We all bear scars from having sought to implement change, and all of us have probably sought to make change that in the end was not worth it.
Change takes time – and change is different than transformation. Some change is for change sake. Other change is necessary for us in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ and to be effective in the mission to which he has called us.
In a recent article, “How Long Will It Take for My Church to Really, Actually Change?” Cary Nieuwhof, walks us through the process and yes the pain of instituting change in a local church. What do you think?
In reading the article, I hope that you are encouraged by the fact that change is possible. I also trust that, while you can learn from the experience of others, you will not seek to replicate the experience of others. Ministry is more than methods and formulas. It is about prayerful servant-leadership within the context to which God has called you.
This Sunday, Karen and I look forward to joining with Redeemer’s Grace Assembly. This church, with a core of Filipino immigrants meets in Surrey. Pastor Gideon Perez came to Christ in Saudi Arabia, and there planted a church. Redeemer’s Grace Assembly is now prayerfully considering joining with us in the LPD/EFCC.
Pastor Nathan (Amber) Kinsey, of Quadra Island Bible Church, has been invited to join with a team from a MB church in Campbell River on a mission to India in late October. I am glad for this opportunity for Nathan to serve overseas and also to experience God’s work in another culture. For your information, I have attached a copy of a brochure describing the mission. If you are able, and it is on your heart to do so, donations to assist Nathan on this mission can be sent can be sent directly to him, or if you wish a receipt, send them to Discovery Community Church, with a note regarding India. The address is 250 10th Avenue, Campbell River, BC, V9W 4E3. Let’s pray for Nathan on this mission, and for Amber and family as he is away.
If you haven’t all ready, please check out the new LPD website with new photos each week. There are resources for you and your church, information on sister churches and LPD Churches of the Week. We also have introduced the PayPal option for giving to the ministry of our Lower Pacific District. Please see our new LPD website.
Please also see the attached Five Minutes on Friday, with news and prayer items from the LPD, and also see info on Hope City Church, our LPD Church of the Week.
Please note the following dates:
Here are some topics to be covered:
Dr. Christopher Yuan teaches the Bible at Moody Bible Institute and speaks around the globe on faith and sexuality. He speaks at conferences (such as InterVarsity’s Urbana, as well as the Moody Pastors’ Conferences and Men’s Conference), on college campuses and in churches (such as Saddleback Church and Willow Creek Community Church). He is featured in the award-winning documentary “HOPE Positive: Surviving the Sentence of AIDS,” and has co-authored a memoir with his mother – Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son’s Journey to God, A Broken Mother’s Search for Hope. Christopher graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 2005, Wheaton College Graduate School in 2007 with a Master of Arts in Biblical Exegesis, and Bethel Seminary with a doctorate of ministry in 2014.
Please see this link for all the info and a brochure with instructions for registration.
Please note Islanders: We are planning to provide a simulcast at a central Island location. Please watch for details in the weeks ahead!
May God bless and keep you as you look to the Lord, trust him for his good work through the week ahead.
In Jesus,
Rob
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This year, as our Lower Pacific District assists in the birth and revitalization of churches, we also step 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. See LPD website for more info.
