Dear friends,
As Shakespeare penned the closing couplet for King Claudius in Hamlet Act III Scene iii, “Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” Today’s note is to provide some thoughts that will help us to frame our prayers for the CBWC family. I thank you for your prayers, and ask that you would continue to offer them.
- Please pray for your camp that is most closely associated with the ministry of your church. For many on Vancouver Island, it will be Camp Qwanoes, Imadene, or Zao Outdoor Ministries. For those elsewhere, it will be any one of the CBWC camps listed below:
Keats Camps (Keats Island, BC)Gull Lake Centre (near Lacombe, AB)Mill Creek Baptist Camp (near Pincher Creek, AB)
The Quest at Christopher Lake (near Prince Albert, SK)
Katepwa Lake Camp (near Fort Qu’Appelle, SK)
Zao Outdoor Ministries (Vancouver Island, BC)
This is an exciting time at camps, with preparations in full swing. They’ve actually been “in swing” for the last nine or ten months since last summer’s camps ended. Rather like any gestational period, the actual birth comes with a lot of excitement, some anxiety, and a lot of work (e.g. preparing a cabin is one thing; when it’s filled with a dozen human beings it’s quite another).
- Please pray for those churches going through transitions. There are many in this category. Three that come to mind are Emmanuel in Saskatoon, and two churches of my childhood and adult years: Strathcona in Edmonton and First Baptist in Vancouver, who discern this month around a pastoral candidate.
- SERVE 2015 is meeting in High River, Alberta. Their usual attendance is just over 200; so far this year over 325 youth are registered, who will be led by 25 leaders. This is an increase of over 60%! Please pray for Brent Weick and the High River planning committee. SERVE is in a discernment process as to how frequently these events should occur. There are many other missional opportunities for youth, and it will require a robust time of discernment to assess what we should be inviting our youth to participate in.
- We’ve already agreed together to pray for our new board. I would remind you once again to pray for its Executive: Laura Nelson (president), Tim Kerber, Kayely Rich, and Michael Hayes.
- Please pray for Rob and Bonnie Ogilvie as they pass the midway point of Rob’s sabbatical.
- Please continue to pray for our brother Brian Stelck and his wife Caryn during his treatment for cancer.
- I don’t have a complete overview of those taking sabbaticals, so I would invite you to pray generally over that omission. Do pray for Ryan and Sandy Sato during Ryan’s sabbatical.
- Canadian Baptist Ministries is in the middle of a search for a new Executive Director. Please pray for Malcolm Card, the new chair of the CBM board, as we give thanks for Ken Bellous who is just coming off as board chair.
- Please pray for Sam Chaise as he transitions from the CBM role to new opportunities.
- The Carey Hall board is meeting at the end of this month; Carey Theological College will also be celebrating its convocation ceremony on June 28. They are working on many new opportunities that those of us nearby are very encouraged about.
- Please pray for those of us who are assessing Assembly 2015, and for how to apply lessons learned during that experience while giving thanks for it. Please also be in prayer for the planning process for the online Assembly next April, and that the speakers that we choose for the Banff Pastors’ and Spouses Conference and the experience of those who attend are beneficial to all, and glorify God.
- We are experiencing a very disappointing underperformance in raising money, and will need to make some financial cuts going into the summer. While that is true on the one hand, and some churches are experiencing great difficulty, at the same time church contributions are up from the same time last year, for which I know that we are all deeply grateful.
- On a personal note, I have struggled with some health and work/Sabbath concerns over the winter, and have seen a strong turnaround in health over the last couple of months, for which I am thankful.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy Bell
