Monday Again

I was privileged to enjoy lunch this week with Carl & Evelyn Brewer (Hope). Their leadership as Co-Pastors in the Shelburne restart has been nothing short of stellar. The church continues to see steady growth with Sunday attendance in the 60 mark and a core of leaders emerging. People are getting saved, baptized and discipled – thank God for the example and ministry of the Brewers!


 

• Aaron Birtch (Metro) was installed yesterday morning. He and Tracy and their children Crystal, Jamie, & Rachel, are a wonderful addition to the Atlantic Tribe. The Metro family has warmly welcomed their new Lead Pastor and his family and there is a palpable spirit of optimism for this new chapter.
• Andy Philips (Jonesport) held a Celebration & Rededication Service yesterday.  With the significant revamp of the sanctuary, this was a special day to commemorate the 105 years our Jonesport family has been a spiritual lighthouse on the shores of Maine. Perry & Jean Ingersoll brought greetings on behalf of the district at this celebration which included participation from former pastors Glen McVicar and Rich Thomas.
• Speaking of anniversaries, Mark Brewer (Crosspoint) celebrated the one-year anniversary yesterday of the South Campus with 120 present, and a total weekend attendance of more than 540, and at least 10 baptisms since summer – praise the Lord!
• God is on the move in Halifax through our Atlantic Tribe. In 2000, there were three congregations in the HRM with a combined primary worship of 279. In 2007, the average of four churches was 563. On October 8th there were 992 worshipping in Halifax Wesleyan churches, and last week with Kings launch there were five churches (Cornerstone, Deep Water, Hillside, Kings Halifax, & Metro) with a total of 1,231. Yesterday AJ Thomas (Deep Water) had the largest attendance in the church’s history with 526. PTL for the Kingdom momentum during these days in Halifax!
• Please be in prayer for Bud Fancy (Presque Isle) as he experienced a difficult weekend. The following quote was posted on the PIWC Facebook Page Sunday evening – updates will be posted as he receives treatment. “He has an infection in his system, including pancreatitis, which has gone to his bloodstream. He is on antibiotics and is responding to this treatment well so far. He is utterly exhausted and in some pain, but making progress. Whether his treatment will continue here or if he will head down to Bangor has yet to be determined.”
• Jacob Ebbett (Lower Brighton) reported an attendance of 57 on October 15th (lya – 43) with 117 at the evening service with a special promotion for giving to missions. Support for an upcoming short-term team has topped $10,000 in the last few weeks.
• Stuart Marples (Solid Rock) presented an appreciation award to Former Mount Pearl Mayor, Randy Simms, on Civic Appreciation Sunday. Mr. Simms served on council from 1989 to 2007 and then as Mayor from 2007 to 2017. Also at the service were Mrs. Simms and two members of the newly elected council. An excellent way to build bridges with the community!

Kingswood University Board of Trustees met on Thursday and Friday for our semi-annual session. At the conclusion of the meeting, President Lennox lead in the rededication of Bridgeo House as the newly upgraded and repurposed Enrolment Welcome Centre.

Older & Wiser Thot: [Aging] invites us to come alive in new ways. It invites us to let go of the life we had or might have hoped for so we can have a life that is waiting us with new possibilities. (David Benner)
On Second Thot: There are two kinds of trouble – the kind you get in not serving God or the kind you get in serving God. Choose wisely. John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble…” (Mike MacNeil)

Your support and encouragement for our pastors is indispensable – we are grateful. Here is an excellent word from Thom Rainer on how to express gratitude to your pastor during this special month of the year.

GPAtlantic Missions Roundtable: I am excited about an upcoming opportunity for those on the Atlantic district with missions as a part of their ministry portfolio. On November 8th we are planning a day at district office that is geared just for you. Presenters will include Jackie Fussner from Global Partners as well as Dr. Matthew Friedman, Program Director and Professor of Global Ministry at Kingswood University as resource people that day. Our goal is to provide opportunity to share best practices and strategies for connecting our churches with GP and Kingswood and the resources that they can provide. The roundtable will begin at 10:30 a.m. and conclude by 2:30 p.m. Program costs and lunch are complimentary. Please email me to register (denn@cornerstonehfx.ca) – questions/suggestions welcome!

It will take time for life to return to normal again for people living in many areas in Cuba. At this point, they are in survival mode.
Fortunately, we are continuing to receive information from our Wesleyan network about how we can best help. Infrastructures – health, education, power, and communication – have all been heavily impacted.
Your support of the CERF helps provide medications, water filtration systems and food to meet the immediate needs of those who are suffering.
Just to give you an idea of the costs, please refer to the list included. It is a guideline only and does not include shipping to Cuba or the cost of distribution in country.
There are many needs in the world today. It is easy to get overwhelmed but Canada is in a unique position to provide assistance to this little island paradise that Canadians enjoy so much!
Let’s stand in solidarity with Cuba and reduce the needless suffering. Thank you for donating to CERF today!
Assit Cuba Now

Kingswood University’s dynamic youth event ENCOUNTER is happening October 13-14. ENCOUNTER is designed to engage youth (grades 8-12) in worship, through music and the Word, and to challenge them to explore the call God has placed on their lives.
Only $60 per student. Early-bird rate deadline September 19th. For more details and to register: https://kingswood.edu/encounter

Harvest Women’s Conference
Worship – Guest Speakers – Food – Friends – Fun – Annual Women’s Conference located in Quispamsis, New Brunswick. October 27 – 28, 2017. harvestconference.ca

Awakening youth rally is geared towards both Junior/Senior High students and will occur on November 17-18 at Hillside’s Parkway Campus of Hillside. Check out awakeningrally.com  for more info on speaker, band, and registration.

Have you heard of CMASH? CMASH stands for Canadian Medical and Surgical Healthcare. As part of Global Partners Health Network (GPHN) we send teams of medical professionals who offer their expertise to Wesleyan mission fields internationally. For the last 7 years we have been focusing our efforts on Haiti and the Wesleyan hospital in La Gonave. We are now looking at other countries like Zambia. Not only are our teams helping the poor and the sick but the experiences are touching team members lives as well. You can find out more about CMASH on our website www.cmash.ca.