I want to share a “memo in progress” this week. Several parts of the Union leadership have received the outline of a project I have been working on since I begun last summer. The project is rather cumbersomely called “Zonal” or “Area” Missional and Resourcing Visits.
These visits seek to create a culture in the Union that listens individually, by church and by clusters / areas to what God is calling us to. To listen and then to live into that calling while encouraging, resourcing and strengthening one another in Christ.
The memo is self-explanatory, it is about two weeks old (and 7 months in the making) and the ideas are there for further thought, prayer, reflection and input. Simply reply to this weeks news and notes via Alice Paradis (we are working on a more direct system) and either John Prociuk or I will respond to your comments.
I feel very excited about these times together (it may be argued that I am generally excitable). I am genuinely excited and in great anticipation of what God will do in our midst and in our land. Go ahead, ask the four questions personally and see where they will lead you.
Memo
Re: “Zonal” or “Area” Missional and Resourcing Visits in the Union
I have discussed these visits to geographic or missional clusters of churches since my appointment. This is a brief description of what I mean by them; a suggested list of areas, a list of participants and a set of dates. John Prociuk has offered to do the set up of such meetings and he will be supported by tasking that I give to Shelby Gregg and Linda Kilburn plus assistance from Area Administrators when required.
I believe we need to greatly improve several areas of our ministry by these visits.
- Sense of joint ministry throughout the Union
- A greater understanding of resources available to churches
- A dependence on God for directing us in ministry
- An interdependence on each other for ministry
- Setting concrete outcomes for our work together
- Placing faithful expectations before God
The meetings will be the gathering of church clusters in at least fourteen areas around the West.
Each cluster will be asked to respond to four questions two months before the meeting:
- What has God called you to as a church?
- What resources has he given you for that call?
- What resources do you still need to meet the call God has given you?
- What outcomes and goals do we covenant together as churches over this next year?
Each church in each cluster will be asked to send staff and leadership (not to exceed 30 people per church) to the gathering. Each gathering will last about four or five hours and shall contain the following elements:
- Welcome and purpose statement
- Worship and prayer
- Church Responses
- Matching needs to resources
- Outcome statements and exchange of covenant
- Closing Prayer
Whenever possible a series of two or three cluster meetings will be held together covering several areas, so as to use resource people wisely
Areas (Draft Groupings): Winnipeg, West Manitoba, Northern Heartland, Regina and South Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Central Saskatchewan, The Peace River, Central Interior, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver Island, The Okanagan, Lower Mainland, Central and Northern Alberta, Southern Alberta (we need to establish a “miscellaneous” meeting site for those churches in remote areas, any suggestions?)
I suggest we prepare our resources and personnel and attempt one date in June as a trial run. I am open to suggestions about this date.
I suggest the following ministries and personnel be present at these gatherings: Carey Hall, BUDF, Area Ministers, CHAPS, Family and Children’s Ministry, Dennis Shierman, Youth, Women in Focus, David Holten, Bill Mains, John Prociuk, Marshall Miner, Area and office support, Jeremy Bell. (Plus any Area Union Board People who wish to be present)
Any comments or further thoughts? A more detailed framework will be available in June.
Warmly,
In Christ
Jeremy Bell
Lent 2006
The Call
My blood so red
For thee was shed,
Come home again, come home again:
My own sweet heart, come home again!
You’ve gone astray
Out of your way,
Come home again, come home again!
Anonymous, 17th Century – taken from the Lion Christian Poetry Collection
The Basin and the Towel
In an upstairs room a parable
is just about to come alive;
and while they bicker about who’s best
with a painful glance He’ll silently rise.
Their Saviour-servant must show them how,
through the will of the water
and the tenderness of the towel.
And the call is to community,
the impoverished power that sets the soul free
in humility to take the vow
that day after day
we must take up the basin and the towel.
In any ordinary place,
on any ordinary day,
the parable can live again
when one will kneel and one will yield.
Our Saviour-servant must show us how,
Through the will of the water
And the tenderness of the towel.
And the space between ourselves, sometimes,
is more than the distance between the stars.
By the fragile bridge of the servant’s bow,
we take up the basin and the towel.
And the call is to community
the impoverished power that sets the soul free
in humility to take the vow
that day after day
we must take up the basin
and the call is to community;
and day after day
we must take up the basin and the towel.
Michael Card – taken from Celtic Daily Prayer from the Northumbria Community