Feeling Blue? Five Minutes on Friday with the LPD

Good morning friends,

Well, we are half way between New Years and Blue Monday (Blue Monday is considered to be the most depressing day of the year. Christmas is over, the weather is dark, damp and cold and the credit card bills will all start to arrive on Monday, January 18 – considered to be the perfect storm for depression).

Januaries can also be a “down time” for those in ministry. we expend a lot of energy into Christmas ministries, and then we are into January ministry and likely an annual meeting.

In a recent article, “Learning from My Season of Discouragement in Ministry,” John Dickerson reminds us of what is central to all of us who would minister in the Name of Christ. Discouragement will come, and we can get through it only in healthy relationship with our Lord.

Speaking of leadership, at Christmas, I gave our district board members a booklet by Chuck Swindoll on leadership. My first choice was his classic book, “Leadership, Influence that Inspires,” but as this is out of print, I settled for his more recent,  “Courageous Leadership in a Corrupt World.” With this, I included some highlights of his earlier book, as compiled by Doug Nichols. These provide a checklist for self-reflection. Effective leadership in Christ’s Kingdom has different goals and different values than leadership patterned after the world. Here is the link.

Please remember the refugees

• This week, the Surrey Leader Newspaper had a front page feature on the ministry of the Middle East Friendship Centre in North Surrey. Adel Masoud, once a Imam in Islam, and now a brother in Jesus Christ through a miracle of God’s grace, directs this centre, along with his wife, Layla. This centre serves and reaches out to immigrants from the Middle East. They offer English classes, and a variety of services, and while doing this share the Good News.

Adel believes that the Centre is well situated and equipped to reach out to the coming refugees, and welcomes our partnership with them. There are both ministry opportunities and financial needs. Adel invites us to join them in ministering to the refugees already coming to our region. There are opportunities for donations, for volunteers and for those who will step forward to minister to these people from afar.

Please see their website for more information, or call Adel at (604) 288-5588. 

• Please see the attached Five Minutes on Friday, with news and prayer items from the LPD, and also see the attachment featuring The Church of the Sent for Life Proclamation, our LPD Church of the Week.

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Upcoming Events:                                                                     

• LPD Conference – March 4,5 – 2016 –on the theme Coaching and Mentoring. Please see the link, and note that the Friday COACH workshop is  designed for and relevant everyone – pastors, church staff and volunteers!

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

In Jesus,

Rob     

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In this New Year, our Lower Pacific District trust to continue assisting 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.