It’s Monday Again
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Easter weekend was celebrated across the Atlantic region with negligible pandemic restrictions for the first time since 2019. Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday services included several baptisms, with many planning for more this coming week. Nothing matters more than the finish line of Holy Spirit transformation represented by this sacramental act of testimony. Every number has a name, and every name has a story in eternity.
- As we near the end of this pandemic marathon, remember this: It is not a time to focus on returning to or regaining what once was – now is the time to rebuildsomething new as God shows us the way!
It was a very Good Friday in Amherst (Evan Oxner) as two baptisms were highlight moments of celebration. The Gospel was clearly presented by Heidi Oxner with a memorable object lesson for kids of all ages demonstrating the power of God to wash away the sins of the world.
Good Friday at West Head (Vince Robertson) included escape rooms for families based on Jesus’ parables followed by a community service with four other churches. Nearly 100 gathered on Friday and more than $600 was raised for the ministry of the local Christian school. Vince shared, “The kids led worship on Easter Sunday with 84 present – the largest in-person service since pre-pandemic.”
Lower Hainesville (Peggy Yetman) celebrated 290 years of sunrise services yesterday morning in the tradition started by the Moravians in 1732. God is bringing a new day for this special church family through Peggy’s leadership and passion.
The River (Mark Soone) experienced what may be a Kingdom-first in our Atlantic tribe yesterday morning. Four children of God entered the waters of baptism. But listen to this! Mark shared, “The coolest part for me was when Wendy got baptized – her first act as a baptized Believer was to baptize her daughter, Megan!” CLICK HERE to watch a brief video of this incredible day for this mother and daughter. A heartwarming moment that will inspire you in our shared mission!
Kings (Brent Ingersoll) celebrated Easter in four locations with 53 baptisms – PTL! The fifth location is already underway for a fall launch in St. Stephen.
Rev. Dave & Kim Dixon will be at Hillside to candidate on May 1st. Thank you for your continued prayers as the Dixons and our Hillside family seek the Lord’s guidance in the days ahead. The Hillside LBA is to be commended for their diligence and discernment over the past few months. CLICK HERE for more details about the Dixon family.
My week began with a Monday morning staff meeting at New Hope. Scott Prime has served there more than 20 years as Lead Pastor and also serves as our Assistant District Superintendent. One of the best parts of my current Kingdom role involves times like these to invest in high-capacity teams and to encourage them in the challenges we all face as Undershepherds in the race set before us.
Executive Director Tami Mutch-Ketch convened a planning team on Thursday for Beulah Family Camp 2022. Beulah’s back! It is encouraging to see such a strong number of high-octane leaders stepping up to the plate with their expertise and energy for Kingdom impact through Camp Ministry. BFC details are listed below – CLICK HERE for a JPG download of the poster for announcement loops and social media promotion.
Points to Ponder
- When we forget what God has already done, we are tempted to stop believing in what God will do! (Doug Hanna) #rememberMe
- Unity is not found in sameness, it is found in Jesus. (Wayne Schmidt)
- You must do what you cannot do with what you do not have for the rest of your life. That is ministry. But if you will give Him what you DO have, He will do what HE can do THROUGH you for the rest of your life. (Dwight Nash)
One Conference was formed out of the desire to see churches in our region united in their pursuit of Jesus. Over the last few years, we’ve gone from being in ONE arena with massive crowds and energy, to being exclusively online during the pandemic. This year, we are excited to take a step toward having everyone together again soon! One Conference will be hosted at three sites throughout the region this year in Halifax, Moncton, and Saint John! Combined, these three sites will be able to accommodate everyone who wants to attend, and we’re thrilled to make this transition toward being together in ONE room once again in 2023. CLICK HERE for more information about how to register your youth group for your preferred location.
CLICK HERE to visit the official HQ website for UNLEASHED, our 14th North American General Conference. The full schedule and all of the Memorials (resolutions for voting) are available. Thanks in advance for praying for the Atlantic District Delegates as we take part in these historic days of leadership in our denomination.
By action of the Atlantic DBA this week – Beulah Family Camp is back for the summer of 2022!!! CLICK HERE for the Camp Evangelists’ bios. CLICK HERE for a downloadable PDF version of this poster to print off for your church bulletin board. CLICK HERE for a JPG download of the poster for announcement loops and social media promotion. We can’t wait to see you all again as we pack into the Tabernacle to praise our God and to be challenged with a fresh call to holiness through the theme: Now Is the Time for Renewal!
National Superintendent Steve Elliott (The Wesleyan Church of Canada) is calling Wesleyans to partner financially with World Hope International (Canada) as our official relief and development arm. CEO Tanya Nace gives stellar leadership to this world-class, highly effective and trustworthy organization. World Hope International is working with global and local partners in response to the invasion of Ukraine and the outflow of refugees into neighbouring countries. CLICK HERE for more information on how to give through WHC.
I joined David Zigler (Coastal Community) and AJ Plaizier (Yarmouth) in February to share our perspectives and experiences in developing and implementing what Pete Scazzero calls a Rule of Life. This was a companion conversation for the panel discussion offered on February 10th regarding Emotionally Healthy Leader. If you are new to the idea of having a Rule of Life, you will find the following resources helpful:
- CLICK HERE to watch the recording of our conversation about having a Rule of Life (Feb 24th Zoom).
- CLICK HERE to review why Emotionally Healthy Leader is so different from just any book on pastoral leadership (Feb 10th Zoom).
- For those of you just getting started, CLICK HERE for an excellent resourceprovided by Dave Zigler to walk you step-by-step through the creation of your own Rule of Life.
- CLICK HERE for access to additional materials that will help guide you through the prayerful creation of your own Rule of Life.
Pastor Cluster Leaders are encouraged to use these resources to inform and inspire the journey of renewal unfolding in the months ahead in our Clusters. I completed my 48-hour retreat in February to develop my own Rule of Life. I will be praying for each of you to make it a priority sometime before summer to go on a personal retreat as you ask the Lord to show you better ways for better days of abiding in The Vine.
Registration for Caton’s Island camps skyrocketed in the opening week of February 15th with 397 registrations plus 45 families for the two family camps. Registrations are continuing to roll in! Don’t delay registering to ensure the camps/dates you want for your family summer schedule are still available.
Registration is open for Kingswood University’s Fall Vision Tour Cruise. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Debbie Benson (506-432-4411 or bendsond@kingswood.edu).