Pastor Dan
Report from the Senior Pastor
A Year Like No Other
The last 12 months have been a year like no other!
It started with a “Summer to Remember” when we met in the gym and Youth Centre while the foyer and sanctuary were being renovated. The summer experience was great teaching from Pastors Jason, Shawn, and Jordan Cavanaugh who each provided a good message for us. There was also a great community feel as we mingled and lingered in the café before, between and after the services.
A highlight for me this summer was the baptism we did in the Youth Centre. In a small space, it felt like we were able to pray and worship over each person being baptized – a day to remember!
Moving into the Fall, we relocated back into the sanctuary and began a series called, “Back to the Heart of God” based on the Minor Prophets. In so many ways it seemed to prepare us for what was to come. We didn’t quite finish it – at least from our perspective, but not only our church, the whole world changed in March.
Two highlights worth mentioning from the Fall:
The Missionary Retreat in October. With your prayer and financial giving, we were able to bring our missionaries together from various parts of the world to a retreat centre near Nordegg and minister to them for a week. It was a rich time of pouring into them and it came at just the right time for many of them.
The other Fall highlight to mention was having Ron Pearce from Empower Ministries speak to us. Ron gave us an unforgettable tour of the persevering church in several countries of our world. He broadened our vision, encouraged our hearts, and gave us some practical ways to pray for our brothers and sisters in other countries.
With the onset of COVID-19 in March, our world changed. We have had to learn how to stay connected and gather in different ways than we have been used to.
However, God is always at work - as we were reminded from the book of Esther. We have had tremendous increase in “attendance” on Sundays, averaging approx. 5000 connections every week and length of time watching has been up to 49 minutes. I noticed our audience has been much broader than central Alberta with people watching from Northern Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and Seychelles Island in the Indian Ocean and on it goes.
One great story that come out of all this is concerning a small church in central Alberta who is joining us on Sundays during this time. As they looked over our website they noticed Alpha and as a result started an online Alpha course of their own. They are very excited because they didn’t know what would happen but have 1 pre-Christian watching with them. A huge win for them!
As we continue to travel this road on which we have never been before, here is for me and I hope for us, the sure road signs:
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 – we are not to move off this!
- We are the Church – not the building – we can still pray for our neighbours, witness, worship, give and serve.
- Gratitude for what we still have opposed to discouraged for what we have lost
- Head.Heart.Hands.
– the way we follow Jesus right now – that is a clear head, surrendered heart, and open hands.
By keeping these road signs in front of us, we can continue on this road making wise choices and moving in the direction that God has planned for us. We need to keep His plans as the major part of the journey, focusing on Him and not all the chaos and changes around us. Together, we the Church, can make great progress for God’s kingdom.
If you would like to dig deeper, on my updates on May 13th and May 20th I left you with some questions. You can go back and revisit those updates to get the questions in context; but here they are for you:
May 13:
- What is in me, Father, that needs to change?
- Where am I ignoring the poor and marginalized in my life?
- Where am I turning away from my own flesh and blood?
May 20 – Clear Head, Surrendered Hearts, Open Hands:
- What have you learned during this time?
God is up to something
- What can you celebrate?
God is doing good things, look around and count them, be grateful for what He is doing!
- What do you need to leave behind?
What habits, mindsets and perspectives do you need to leave behind?
I suggested on those updates to journal the questions and then take the time you need to answer them, spending time with God hearing His heart for you and your family!
We are in a season of discipline! Hebrews 12 states that 'no disciple is pleasant, but through it you can reap a harvest of righteousness'.
Thank you for the opportunity of serving you and for all of your support!
