Under Sail
Halifax – Deep Water celebrated their 3rd Birthday this past Sunday. They pulled out all the stops and threw a big party. Their goal was to have 300 people present and they had 307! The largest attendance previous to this was 230 on September 12th. Lead Pastor, AJ Thomas, delivered a message that laid out who they are as a church, and more importantly, who God is as our Heavenly Father. He challenged people to follow Christ and 4-5 people crossed the line of faith and committed their lives to Him. Awesome day! Awesome God!
Pastor Bud Fancy, Senior Pastor at Presque Isle Wesleyan (PIWC), shares that in October they had their annual Prayer Summit in Jackman, Maine. It was the largest group ever for this ministry event. 70 men gathered for prayer, worship, small group study, and fellowship. Pastor Bud says it was an amazing time. The fellowship was sweet, and God’s presence was powerful. Many lives were transformed. The theme for the weekend was: “The man who walks with God never walks alone.” The fruit from this continues to spill over daily in the church, and in the individual families of the men involved.
On another note, PIWC had their annual Hallowe’en substitute celebration called “Big Top Bash”. They turned the church into a “kid zone” on Sunday night, October 31st. One of the main attractions was a Christian clown who was in area schools on Friday and then with PIWC on Sunday. There were 650-700 people present and it was a great chance to “love the lost.” This was all made possible by 100 volunteers serving with big smiles. It was a chance to share Jesus by loving the people, and through the Gospel message presented by the guest “clown.”
Truro-Central Nova Wesleyan had 210 kids and 152 parents (362) show up for their “Trunk or Treat” event. This was their largest attendance for this event in the five years they have been doing it. Positive connections were made with the community. One family asked about service times; another family new to the area was given opportunity to get to know people, and was encouraged to visit the church to continue building relationships. Other positive connections were made as well. Further, as a way to follow up with families, the congregation offered a dinner and a movie for kids on November 6th, for a “toonie.” Ken Banks is the Senior Pastor.
Pastor Vaughn Martin, Assistant Pastor at Easton Wesleyan reports that they had their largest Trunk or Treat event in the five years they have been doing this program. There were 187 people in the church sanctuary as Senior Pastor Rob McDowell presented the gospel. They also had 48 volunteers from the church helping with the carnival games and the Trunk or Treating. They were able to hand out tracts and other Christian materials. Pastor Vaughn says, “The goal was to plant His seeds in the hearts of as many children and their parents as possible on a night that traditionally does not honor Him.”
Pastor Mel Norton, Hartland Wesleyan, shares that their annual Trunk or Treat Outreach for kids and families hit an all time high with over 240 people turning out to participate. Pastor Mel considers the event a “smashing success” (no reference to pumpkins implied!). The car trunks were decorated very creatively, and one of the church’s small groups provided a wonderful on-site lunch for the parents who accompanied their children.
Hammonds Plains – Cornerstone is now fifteen years old and they have been in their present location for five years. Pastor Denn Guptill is the Lead Pastor. I was at Cornerstone October 31st for the morning services. The first service was their largest to date for that hour with 114 in attendance, and it was their largest “regular” weekend attendance to date with 273 for a total attendance. The congregation took part in Harvest for the Hungry October 31st. Their youth group collected over 1900 lbs of food on Halloween night for this worthy cause.
Pastor Ben & Bailey Medel, Hope Wesleyan in Shelburne, NS, are just over three months into their new assignment. There is a positive, up-beat spirit in the church. The Medels are building relationships in both the church and the community. There were approximately 65 people present in the morning service this past Sunday (lya 40). I installed Pastor Ben, dedicated Ben & Bailey’s new baby boy, Jasper Dragutin Medel (who was born October 3, 2010), brought greetings from the District, and preached the morning message.
Pastor Jay LaScolea, Bangor-Pathway Wesleyan, shares that they had 85 people who came to Pathway for a movie night on Friday, October 22nd. A number of the people who came were invited by friends, and were given a chance to accept Christ into their lives after the movie ended. Pathway was one of 2,500 churches who showed the movie I AM (www.iamthemovie.com) in October before it was released to DVD on November 2nd. I AM is a movie that shows the heart of God for His people. I AM is the Biblical name of God, and the title character of a film in which God aids ten people in Los Angeles as they struggle with the effects of failing to follow the Ten Commandments in the modern day.
Pastor Dee Lower, Fort Fairfield Wesleyan, reports that they had a “mini-retreat” for ladies on Saturday, October 23rd, and had 27 women in attendance. They had a breakfast (prepared by the men of the church), two sessions/services with Dianne Mercer as the speaker. People from five different churches in the area were present, as well as some with no home church. The event was received positively, and they hope to do it again in the spring.
Rev. Bert Hicks, one of our retired pastors, underwent surgery on his lower back on Friday, November 5th, at the Moncton Hospital. This was a serious operation, and at his age of 93, there were real concerns going into the surgery. We are happy to report that Brother Hicks came through the surgery well. His wife, Avis, expresses appreciation for this answer to prayer. He will be involved in rehab to recover the strength in his legs. Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers.
Mary Kent, mother of Rev. Oland Kent, passed away in her 98th year on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at the Yarmouth (NS) Regional Hospital. Her funeral service was conducted at St. Ambrose Cathedral in Yarmouth, November 3, 2010. We extend our prayers and condolences to Pastor Oland and Elsie Kent, and their family connection.
George Saunders, grandfather of Rev. Brent Ingersoll, Assistant Pastor at Kings Valley Wesleyan, and father of Rev. Michael Saunders, Pastor of CrossWay Community Church in Willow Grove, PA (part of the Penn-Jersey District), went to be with the Lord on November 2, 2010. He was active for many years in his hometown church, Fredericton-Olivet Wesleyan (now Crosspoint). He is survived by his wife, Shirley, five children, twelve grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. We offer our sympathy to the extended family. Please keep them in your prayers during these days of adjustment.
Pastor Jason McCutcheon, Associate Pastor at Digby Wesleyan, has accepted the position of Worship Arts Pastor at Centennial Road Wesleyan Church in Brockville, ON. He and his wife, Chrissy, will be moving to Brockville in January, 2011 to take up their new responsibilities. Jason has been in Digby for almost 10 years (January 2001). We thank Jason for his contribution to the Digby Wesleyan Church and the Atlantic District.
Moncton Wesleyan’s Living Christmas Tree is scheduled for December 1 – 5, 2010. Living Christmas Tree Tickets are now on sale. Visit Moncton’s website, THE LIVING CHRISTMAS TREE, for seating and ticket information.
Atlantic District Snowbirds, mark your calendars. The annual Atlantic District Snowbird Breakfast will be held in Brooksville, January 8, 2011. This event is for the folks connected to the Atlantic District who have gone south (or will). More details to follow at a later date.
The Gathering ’11, a Wesleyan ministry conference which will be held in Jacksonville, FL, January 4-7, 2011, is only eight weeks away. Local church boards and congregations across the Atlantic District are investing in their pastors and pastoral staffs, and making provision for them to attend this important event. The Atlantic District has provided scholarships to our District pastors to assist them in getting to The Gathering. To date, we have 102 people (with spouses included) who have registered. As of last week, there were 1,500 people registered for the event. The early-bird savings of $50 per registration has been extended to November 30th.
“A firefighter who can keep his cool in the kitchen is more likely to remain level-headed when things go horribly wrong at a fire.” – Tom Downey
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