Atlantic Connexion

What a weekend in Browns Flat as Beulah Camp & Conference Center hosted the annual Family Winter Carnival. The top picture of the Browns Flat Fellowship (Jay & Sharon Guptill) Sunday Service was held at the River Road Hub Community Centre with 150 present – incredible!

• A new couple who just moved to the area came to the toonie breakfast. It was their first time at Beulah, but it won’t be their last!

Jay & Sharon shared, “We had a great weekend. The community service was awesome. The Family Winter Carnival weekend was packed with activities in partnerships with the Hub, Evandale and Beulah. So great to connect with the community.”

There is a growing spirit of anticipation for the future of Miramichi (Anton Topilnyckyj). Anton & Louise have mobilized our church family to strategically serve many new Canadian families who are now attending with their families. It was encouraging to see 50 gathered for worship on Sunday.

• Solid Rock (Peter Hayes) is also experiencing a strong winter as pandemic rebuilding continues even in the midst of recent heavy storms. Peter shared recently, “We had 66 at church, 21 at Bible Study, 80+ at Pancake supper last Tuesday, and so far – 7 men are heading to XY Conference.”

Pastoral Transtions/Recalls

• Jason Vienneau received a unanimous vote last week from the Corbett LBA to renew his Extended Call as Lead Pastor.
• LBA/LAC meetings are ongoing with several of our congregations in process of seeking their next Lead Pastor – prayers appreciated!

Woods Harbour (Tim Conrad) is experiencing a resurgence in mid-week discipleship. Tim shared, “We are now having 20+ people in our building on a Wednesday night. Moms and Dads together. Teens watching children. And our seniors mingling with younger adults.

• What changed? We decided to try something new. This required some sacrifice on the part of our most commitment prayer warriors. And they rose to the challenge. We transformed prayer meeting into a faith “practice” night with a strong emphasis on relying on each other to pull it off. We challenged the church to lean into this and sign up to attend and to serve: either through bringing food, setting up, or cleaning up, or helping with an organizing element. The sheet filled right out.

There’s something about a right-sized communal challenge that can mobilize people. People are stepping into new roles of service as a result. We’re seeing new relationships form as we work through practicing faith in Christ together!”

Executive Director Tami Mutch-Ketch joined in a Zoom this week hosted by Dr. Steve DeNeff and GS Wayne Schmidt to sow seeds for upcoming Marketplace Multiplier Conference in April at College Church.

• Tami shared, “The passion and fervour of the group for discipleship in the workplace as people of peace was contagious! We are developing a strategy of an offense mindset in which we serve our workspaces as anointed places of ministry.”

The Pastor must bless and commission.
Marketplace Multipliers must lead.
(Steve DeNeff)

Summer may seem a long time off, but this week both the Caton’s Island (top pic) and Beulah (bottom pic) Sessions of the Camp Board convened to prepare for the months ahead.

• The Caton’s Session was a dynamic meeting in which strategic planning addressed infrastructure needs, income generation to keep costs affordable for campers, and summer programming and staffing.

The Beulah Session approved a new Review & Response Panel as a new process for receiving recommendations from constituents. The Board also established four team leadership values for serving those who enjoy Beulah – Deepening Community, Improving Communication, Prioritizing Safety, and  Renewing Spirits. Discussion continued regarding next steps for addressing deferred maintenance and the Tabernacle Terrace project ahead.

• A mid-afternoon town hall meeting on Saturday, May 11th will discuss these items in more detail and will follow our annual Spring Work Day that morning. These are encouraging days of provision and momentum for the future of Camp Ministry on the Atlantic District – we are so blessed by Tami’s leadership and the impressing management team leaders who serve both Caton’s & BeulahHappy Family Day!!

We have two announcements for you this week:

1) Our new Caton’s Island website will be launching today (Tuesday, February 20th) @ 5:00 p.m. Atlantic Time.

2) Camp Registration will be opening on Wednesday, February 21st at 6:00 p.m. Atlantic Time.

We are excited to show you the new website a day before registration opens. You will be able to get familiar with navigating the website as well as see all of the camps, dates, ages, and prices before registration opens. As always, you can email us at campoffice@catonsisland.com if you have any questions!

This past week, the Board of World Hope International (Canada) was convened by CEO Tanya Nace. We heard firsthand stories of how Wesleyan churches are connecting with the world to see transformational development take place in some of the poorest communities around the world. In January alone, World Hope brought water to more than 5000 people in West Africa and the Oxygen Plant at the Wesleyan Hospital on the island of LaGonave, Haiti is now up and running! World Hope welcomed two new board members: Bryan Wiens (Deep Water, Halifax) and Edward Rajaratnam (Tamil Christian Fellowship, Toronto). The future is bright, and it is a joy to see Canadians give generously for Kingdom work around the world.

• Read daily. Sabbath weekly. Serve biweekly. Tithe regularly. Pray continuously. Press on. (Austin White)
• Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare. (Angela Duckworth)
• Lord, You have made us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You. (Augustine)

Growing up in a ministry home can be like living in a glass house. This can leave our children feeling even more isolated than we as pastors often times do. How do we care for our families, guarding against isolation and burdensome expectations? How does the pastoral family navigate crisis?

• CLICK HERE to join this helpful webinar on Thursday @ 2:00 p.m. Atlantic Time.

Congratulation, Dr. Bob & Brenda Bagley on your retirement from Global Partners! On February 27th, Global Partners is celebrating the 42 years of career Missionaries Bob & Brenda Bagley. Bob’s leadership as Africa Area Director provided a wise transition to National leadership. The Bagley’s have provided key senior-level influence through many roles as GP has adapted and embraced 21st Century models of missions under Dr. Don Bray, Dr. HC Wilson, and Dr. Dennis Jackson.

It’s never too early to make plans for the men in your church to be challenged and encouraged at XY MEN’S CONFERENCE – CLICK HERE for details. This year Kings (Brent Ingersoll) will be offering this at a new location – Moncton Wesleyan.

• CLICK HERE to be reminded by James Emery White why men need to be discipled in our calling to serve our families, churches, and communities.

CLICK HERE to visit Kingswood Learn and enroll for FREE high-quality, engaging, and practical micro courses.