Please remember,
Wildwood Community Church
– our LPD Church of the Week.
Thanks to Anna (Ben) Crumback at Sointula Community Church for producing the Church of the Week!
Have you heard any Good News stories lately?
It seems that there is not a lot of good news these days. Between trade wars, pipelines and growing national debt – and personal debt, there is not always a lot of good news to celebrate.
As pastors and leaders met for our bi-annual Pastor and Staff Cruise on Wednesday, it was good to hear some good new stories. We heard about a Buddhist, who came to faith while studying statistics, when he found that God answered his questions in a way that presented mathematically impossible odds.
We heard about Mohammed, now known as John (meaning Yaweh is gracious), who came to faith in Christ after encountering God’s people in Victoria. We heard about a pastor’s son, who at the age of 54, will be baptized by his father on Father’s Day. He has come to Christ after a life of addiction and attempted suicide.
As we in the EFCC have been focusing on the theme of Revitalize over the past two years, these stories are some among many that could be told. We long for more stories, as we are moved to become more “Gospel-sharing people.”
Revitalize is more than simply and organizational theme – it is a stirring in our hearts – we long to be those who truly live and share our faith.
Revitalize is also personal – as I and as we pray to and serve the Lord of the Harvest.
One of the dangers of ministry is that we can get so busy in “running” and “managing” church, that we can feel isolated from the very people and message we entered into ministry to share.
While Revitalization is a theme of the EFCC and we within it, there is also a need for a corporate revitalization in our local churches. While churches begin to reach out, the natural tendency is to end up reaching inward, and focusing on the “stakeholders.”
Here is an article on the traits of Churches that have revitalized.
Here is another article on how your church can become “younger.”
… and another on characteristics of declining churches
Please pray for:
- Grace Hanin Community Church, as they celebrate their 15th anniversary this weekend. I look forward to joining them for this, along with Neil B. and LPD Board member Charles Labun.
- Parkdale EFC Men, as they have a retreat on Mayne Island on Friday and Saturday. I look forward to joining them and to speaking to these young leaders.
- Weston and Rebecca Lundgren, as they prepared to move to Medicine Hat, Alberta, to pastor Grasslands Fellowship. They are to start on July 1, so please pray for their preparation and as they conclude interim ministry at White Rock Community Church.
- Joel and Ingrid Chiri. We have appreciated them as a part of the Rock Christian Fellowship, and now they seek the Lord to open a new opportunity for them to serve.
- 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) – 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 and small groups.
- Pastor Lorin and Jeanette Bergin, as they trust the Lord for health and their future, and also FLEFC, as they seek the Lord and journey together with Lorin and Jeanette in the days ahead.
- For Jorge and Emily Lin, new LPD Church Planting Missionaries.They are entering a residency program in preparation for planting an international church.
- The Steveston Project Team – Allen and Hannah Chang and Daniel and Joyce Wong.
- Central EFC in Courtenay/Comox. The purchase a building for their church and ministries was completed on Thursday of this week. 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. Pray for Steve and Gillian as they are serving, along with Ralph and Karen Hardy in transition and renewal at New Westminster EFC. Pray for affirmation of God’s direction as the congregation meets on Sunday.
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- Camp Evergreen: 2018 Camp dates for children, youth and LTDs are August 6-11. See http://www.campevergreen.ca/ for information. This is an excellent opportunity to extend your church’s ministry to children and to also train young adults as Christian Leaders.
“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.
