Monday Again
Last week I represented our General Superintendent at the District Conferences in Iowa/Minnesota and Mountain Plains. In Iowa, I had the privilege of ordaining four candidates and in Colorado Springs I ordained seven. One of the seven is the wife of our own Jason Hurd. It is so encouraging to see these 11 sharp people answering His call to ministry. With some free time on Friday, I drove to the top of Pikes Peak – what awesome scenery on a beautiful clear day.
Our church in Woodstock partnered with the Woodstock Baptist and Jacksonville Baptist churches in a joint VBS last week. Great reports from this cooperative venture that ministered to upwards of 200 children. Well done!
In spite of a shortened camp and three days without power that reduced the crowd early in the camp, Beulah 2014 offerings were over the top! The regular camp offerings topped $50,000 which may be the highest regular (non special project) offerings ever. Thanks to so many of you for this great affirmation of the Beulah experience.
Charles Bain and Tim Long officiated at a baptism in Havelock, NS just before Beulah. What a fitting conclusion to their positive year of transitional ministry there. The new pastor Shawn Craven will arrive in just a few days to assume his duties there.
On a recent Sunday, Amherst received 14 new members into the fellowship there. Congrats!
The George Canyon concert scheduled for the Beulah Tab this week is a ticketed event. The ticket fee is set by George and/or his sponsors and is not a Beulah fee. We do not receive any portion of the fee but anticipate that the concert will expose some new people to Beulah. The earlier cancelled concert would have been a free will offering arrangement since we would have had several hundred people on the grounds at that time as camp meeting was beginning.
Canada Day rolled around while we were preparing for Beulah2014. The caravan above was in the spirit of the day and showed up outside the office.
Overheard at Conference this week – attendance is an indicator of influence.
Peter is back at Global Partners completing his service there. He will be in the district to begin his duties here in the first few days of August. He and Ellen have secured a home in Moncton. I am looking forward intently to our partnership together for the sake of the Cause on Atlantic.
The Gathering registration is now available online. I completed my registration last week and received an email receipt confirming my registration. If you are a credentialed minister appointed to a local church, the district will cover your registration as earlier announced. You will need to register and then forward a copy of your registration receipt to our office and we will reimburse you. This is only possible because of strong USF payment by our churches.
Riverside has begun their youth and kids camps for this year. The kids above are greeting their parents at the close of the first camp last week. Ten kids invited Jesus to be their Saviour during the week.
THOT: “The cross is bigger than your mistakes, bigger than your regrets, bigger than the secrets you hold. The cross stands above all.” – Nicky Gumbel
ON SECOND THOT: “To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” – Thomas Paine
Best Years Fellowship – Aug 15-17. Details to follow from director Rev. Mel Norton. Save the dates.