Monday Again

Every month our General Superintendent, Dr. Wayne Schmidt, provides three identical Zoom sessions to allow for face-to-face interaction with the 30 District Superintendents in North America. Annual membership reaffirmation was briefly mentioned in our Thursday session with follow-up reference to the variety of downloadable documents and videos available at www.wesleyan.org/discipleship/membership to encourage new and renewed membership. I trust these resources will be of value as you lead your respective LBA in determining the best course of action for this important annual task to encourage active engagement in the discipleship journey of your local church family.

Andrea Gunter led the Beulah Session of the Camp Board on Monday. Plans were discussed for the addition of a new sheltered picnic area – stay tuned for details. Details were confirmed for Super Saturday on July 7th – save the date for this exciting kick-off day to Beulah Family Camp.

• A Connection (Ken Banks) mission team of 8 (comprised of 3 churches) traveled to Nicaragua from February 6-13. Time was spent in Matagalpa with the Schmitz family helping a local school. Ken shares these highlights, “We taught lessons, helped finance and work on a foundation for two new classrooms and a library. We also took part in two church services at locations we had previously served at. We were able to celebrate baptisms with 6 people at one of these locations. This was the 4th trip to Nicaragua from our church. Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in our hemisphere – with some folks living on just $1 US per day.”
• Amherst (Evan Oxner) had almost 30 people out to a Spiritual Gifts Seminar on the first Saturday of February with Stephen Elliott (Kingswood University). This was an exceptionally valuable time of learning and preparation for what God is doing in through discipleship pathway of this church family.
• On Thursday, the pastoral staff of Havelock, NS (Shawn Craven) along with a key lay leader traveled to Barrington, NS to check out a group for mothers of young children that meets every week. The group is under the leadership of Assistant Pastor Carolina Parker (Woods Harbour). Shawn shares, “We are in the exploring stage of starting a similar ministry at HWC and used this as opportunity to find out how we can be effective with this important ministry.” Always great to see the ways we can share learning for effective ministry.
• Troy McKnight (Corbett Avenue) resigned yesterday morning and will conclude his initial two-year call at the usual time of pastoral transition. We wish Troy & Teresa and their family God’s best as they explore options to return to local church ministry on the west coast. I met with the LBA on Tuesday as Troy shared his resignation and the LBA began the process for pastoral change.
• West Head (John Symonds) has scheduled a vote this coming Sunday (February 25) for Vince Robertson as their next Lead Pastor.
• I preached in Blacks Harbour (Greg Card) yesterday morning.  Bruce Cheney will serve as Interim Lead Pastor through the end of June. Greg & Angie will remain in Blacks Harbour with full compensation through the time of usual pastoral transition. The service concluded with an anointed prayer offered by Bruce as the church family gathered around the Cards. My Thursday LBA meeting opened the conversation regarding next steps for yet another leadership change. Please be in prayer for the Cards and this church family.
• District Director of Children’s Ministry, Linda Lamos (Kings), provides excellent resources and coaching links on a regular basis on the Atlantic District Children’s Ministry Facebook page. If you are involved in local church children’s ministry please like this page and share it with your leaders. Also, check out the announcement in Upcoming Events below to register for the NEXT CONFERENCE. First 100 Wesleyan registrations get a 50% discount!
• I enjoyed the opportunity to teach a 75-minute class with 39 Kingswood University students on Friday. This Intro to Ministry class gave opportunity for me to underscore the importance of Ordination and encourage enrollment in the credentialing process for the respective denominations and districts represented. Exciting to see the future of the Church in the hearts of these prophets-in-process!

Thot: Who we are as preachers is more important than what we say – the prep of the messenger is as vital as the prep of the message. (HC Wilson)
On Second Thot: Truth without love is imperious self-righteousness.  Love without truth is cowardly self-indulgence.  Both are selfish. (Tim Keller)

Uprising Conference 2018
February 23-24
It is with great excitement we invite you to join us for a God-breathed weekend at Uprising 2018.
We are so thrilled to have Andrea Lucado with us this year and are sure you will love her as we do.
It will be our joy to host you again this year as we press in to all that God has for us. May God in all His goodness continue to encourage in you grace, and peace, and life in abundance.
Check out the website for more information and to register.

Anti-Human Trafficking Event @ Kingswood University
Pastors & Lay Leaders are invited to join Open Door Centre to end modern slavery in Atlantic Canada. Youth as young as 11 and 12 are forced or manipulated into the sex trade right here at home. Join the Kingswood University student’s Pulse Day to learn from Open Door Centre, a Christian faith-based team from Halifax, working to end local slavery – i.e., sex trafficking. Through the Helping Exploited Youth (H.E.Y.) program, Open Door Centre is standing in the gap against sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Watch this short video on our website about local trafficking.
Kingswood is opening the student’s Pulse Day to pastors and lay leaders in the District interested in opposing human trafficking. Join the students at Kingswood University’s Wesley Hall on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from 9:30-11:30AM in Sussex, NB. Come learn about local trafficking and how you can engage your church “to bring justice”. Pastors are invited to take part in the special breakout session which will equip pastors in how to mobilize their congregations to oppose trafficking. Please RSVP by letting us know if you are a pastor or lay leader by March 16 to christina@opendoorcentre.com. Lunch can be purchased from the Kingswood Cafeteria following the sessions.
We are so honoured to partner with The Wesleyan Church to oppose modern slavery. It was a privilege to speak at Beulah Family Camp last summer, this Spring at Kingswood, and we look forward to co-hosting events with your wonderful community in the future. We hope to see you at KU in April!

Pastor’s reserve your leaders a spot at the NEXT CONFERENCE for 50% off on April 14.  This is a full day conference, including lunch, for all Children’s Ministry Volunteers and Leaders. The first 100 Registrations from Wesleyan Churches get 50% off the conference fee!   Contact Linda.lamos@kingschurch.cc. for the DISCOUNT CODE and get your leaders registered soon.