It’s Monday Again

It was a big weekend at Faith (Brad Eisan) with a baptism celebration on Sunday following a Saturday night concert hosted by the church for the community with 88 in attendance.

Kings (Brent Ingersoll) celebrated 120 baptisms (yes, you read that number right!) this weekend in all services at three locations – Praise God for this unprecedented single weekend testament to eternal transformation! Every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story brings Heaven on Earth for His Glory. #spiritualfoundations

Lower Hainesville (Scott Lewis) enjoyed a milestone few churches on the Atlantic District have ever achieved – a 130th Anniversary. Scott reports, “We had a wonderful Spirit-filled weekend. Approximately 40 people came out for an afternoon of music and a delicious meal followed by more music and the spirited preaching of Rev. Mel Norton. Again on Sunday Morning at 11 am we were blessed by Pastor Mel’s ministry.”

Joel Liechty of Education and Clergy Development offered an excellent 45 minute overview of the Linchpin Leadership resource this week to four Atlantic Lead Pastors and four LBA members. A copy of the introduction to this high quality leadership training tool has been provided to all Lead Pastors and Vice-Chairs and may be used in your LBA in the coming months.

It is always a monthly highlight and hour of insight, challenge, and encouragement to meet by Zoom with General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt and several of the DS leaders who choose to participate in one of three identical meetings.

The following Canadians are helping World Hope International produce clean water in the Bahamas. The above map shows that as of late September, WHI is currently the largest producer of emergency water on the affected islands.

6 Canadians are joining in this process and contributing greatly.

• Deb Gilbert & James Penney (both from Halifax, NS) just returned to Canada last week
• Ken Wright (Saint George, NB) was this past week
• Lewis Thibault (Halifax, NS) & Ethan Mullen (Weymouth, NS) arrived on Saturday; Jon Westrup (Moncton) joined us yesterday.
• Dave Rowe (Fredericton, NB) will join the mission on October 6

These individuals were trained to run the Katadyn desalination unit last Summer during the World Hope Canada Fresh Water Production training in Halifax.

Click here to see an update on World Hope’s response to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.

Our first Atlantic District Youth Leaders BaseCamp gathering was a great time of fellowship and learning together.  Over 30 youth pastors, volunteer youth leaders and youth ministry students gathered at Kingswood University to study discipleship pathways and strategies, how to lead students who feel a call of God on their lives and multiple discussion groups.  Keep your eyes open for BaseCamp 2 in the New Year. Special thanks to Co-District Youth Presidents Martin Stehouwer (SJ1) and Drew Donovan (KU).

Full details for how your church can take advantage of this National Church initiative can be accessed online HERE. This will be an excellent addition to local discipleship efforts as one of the greatest predictors of spiritual growth is spending time in His Word.

Points to Ponder:

• We must use every possible method, in every possible place, at every possible time, to reach every possible person for Christ. Everything we do and everything we are is for that purpose. (Pastor B)
• A leader is a person who has learned to obey a discipline imposed from without, and has then taken on a more rigorous discipline from within. (J. Oswald Sanders)
• Jesus wants to do amazing things in you, so that He can do amazing things through you. (Jason Parker)