Monday Again

Our District Ministerial was held last week at the Delta Beausejour Hotel in Moncton. Peter planned, organized and conducted this high quality event and did amazing work – his report follows:
“Here are just a few of the favourite parts of ministerial expressed in the 70+ voluntary evaluations received from the 120+ ministers and spouses who attended District Ministerial at the Delta Beausejour in Moncton on February 6-7.

• Loved and appreciated the focus on Soul Care for the Undershepherd!
• Excellent presenters, focus, and the Escape Room was a fantastic team building experience.
• Hearing from folks from outside “the tribe”
• Connecting with fellow pastors in the district and talking about real issues that focus on what I need as opposed to what the church needs.
• Forced me to do some long overdue thinking in a clear way.
• Felt like I was being taken care of.
• Sitting next to Graham Perry & Wayne Robertson.

Highlights of this time together included times of worship led by Natasha Dongell,  keynote presentations by Rob Nylen (River Cross – Saint John), our own Jay Guptill, Garth Williams (Associate Executive Director of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada), and Allen Lee (KU Counselling Program Director).  Breakout seminar sessions also included a spouses’ session with Joy Guptill and a focus on spiritual retreats by a special guest, Kirk Winters (lead pastor of the Rock Churches of Maine).
As a practical next step in application for our ministerial tribe, an optional spiritual retreat will be held at Beulah Camp on February 27^th – March 1^st.  This Retreat to Advance will include teaching on the contemplative disciplines and will provide opportunity for individual spiritual direction sessions with Dr. David Higle (E&CD) & Laura Zigler (Coastal Community).”

Last week I was privileged to be in Vancouver to attend Multiply 2017, the powerful conference of the C2C church planting movement held at Westside Church. Very inspiring and informative through both the Main Stage speakers and the seminar leaders.  Great energy in the event and the heavy majority of the attenders were young and fervent followers of Christ. Brent Ingersoll was on the Main Stage to briefly tell the Kings Church story and did a great job. Seth Fancy and Dan Lamos were also in attendance.
Luis Palau, at 82, brought a great message on the Main Stage and was enthusiastically received by an audience where the majority was less than half his age. A highlight.
C2C is doing amazing Great Commission work across our country, including in the Maritimes. Chad MacDonald and others of their leaders are true friends to the “W’s” as Chad calls us. Great days and collaborative possibilities for the Cause are there to be developed and maximized.
Go to the Multiply 2017 website – you will want to check out some the powerful teaching there. The Spirit is stirring the Canadian church – you could sense it in the air.

• The funeral of Aleen Hicks, wife of Rev. Les Hicks, was held at the Salisbury Funeral Home on Wednesday of last week. Peter represented our district as I was on the west coast. Our sympathy is extended to Rev Hicks, Gary, Donnie, Nancy and the extended family.
• Rev. Allen Lee has recently been appointed as Clergy Care Director for our district and will be working closely with the district office to provide ministry to our pastoral families.
• Peter met with the LBA’s at Woods Harbour and Island Wesleyan last week as their pastoral search/transition is ongoing.
• I met with the Search Committee at Moncton last Monday evening and again last night as their search continues – excellent committee and encouraging progress.
• Ongoing dialogue also continues with candidates and lay leaders relative to Halifax Metro and Grand Manan Lighthouse pastoral searches.
• Pastor Nick Graham had the privilege of baptizing a husband and wife yesterday – PTL.
• The LBA at Havelock, NS voted unanimously to accept and implement the recommendations of the Maximizing Impact report issued on our recent MI weekend visit to the church.
• Pastor Linda Fillmore from Westchester held a baptism last week in the pool at the YMCA in Amherst – very cool!
• Ward McComiskey has resigned from Seal Cove and has accepted a one-year call at Immanuel Community Church on Grand Manan.
• Peter was at Hartland yesterday for a routine visit.

THOT: “One road leads home and a thousand roads lead into the wilderness.” – C S Lewis
ON SECOND THOT: “People don’t  buy what you do, they buy why you do it. What you do simply proves what you believe.” – Simon Sinek
BONUS THOT: “ The only thing worse than training employees and losing them is not training them and keeping them.” – Zig Zigler

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Kingswood’s Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology’s Upcoming Course Announcement:
Speaker:  Dr. Bob Whitesel (D. Min., Ph.D.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZrSXKqJsB4
Course: “Missional Pastor: Evangelism and Discipleship”
Where: Kingswood Campus
When: May 1-5, 2017
Who can attend: MAPT students and anyone can take up to two MAPT courses for credit or audit without enrolling in the MAPT program
Want to know further details? Contact Dr. Ken Gavel at gavelk@kingswood.edu.
https://www.kingswood.edu/academics/programs/master-of-arts-in-pastoral-theology

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