Quite a title! It is so necessary to do some catch up from time to time. Some of it inspiring and some mundane… most of it exciting.
As you read this several of the staff and board are involved in a series of meetings this week.
Wednesday, September 6th is the beginning of an “IT” (Information Technology) Summit with Alice Paradis, on IT resources along with an array of Union users. Ken Thiessen will chair these sessions assessing needs, a ministry audit of our present systems an setting up training.
Thursday, September 7th the Executive Staff meet (remember Sam Breakey on sabbatical and Hugh Fraser who is the Alberta interim). Jack Borchert has been in Israel, Brian Stelck has begun to catch up on study and vacation accumulated over the years. This is an ongoing and reporting time. We will particularly be looking at the Fall Zonal meetings in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon. Please pray for John Prociuk as he prepares for the meetings and Jo-Ann Cosier as she manages some of the logistics. Please remember personally and as churches the 4 prepatory questions for these visits.
What has God called you to?
What resources can God give you for that calling?
What resources do you lack?
How Might we covenant together to fulfil those needs?
Let us covenant together for this ministry and call to live into God’s call this year.
Friday has Bruce Gordon, an Associate of Campus Crusade and Birkman testing leading the senior staff in a ministry and team building time.
Planning and Priorities will begin meetings on Friday and through to Saturday as they plan under Sam Chaise’s leadership for the Board meetings in October.
Just 2 weeks prior to these meetings Beth Millard, our Union Vice Chair of Planning (formerly of Edmonton, now of Victoria with husband Jim) led us in budget meeting. In on the gathering were David Connop (VP of Finance), David Holten (Chief Administrative Officer), myself and Sam Chaise. I find these really encouraging and exciting times as Beth reminds us that vision and ministry must inform dollars not the other way around.
This Monday, September 11th will see the Calgary office hold a lunch for Pam Stevenson after years of great change and hard work in the Union.
I want to report on our initiatives in outreach and justice. Please read the following report from Rod Olsen… it is the initial comment on our first year of Urban Camping.
Please continue and read Michelle Miller’s initial report on Human Trafficking.
Well, there is still far too much to tell. I guess it will have to spill over into another newsletter sometime soon.
I’ll sign off with one of my favourite Canadian authors of my youth. She was Edith Jose from Old Crow in the Yukon, a devout Christian and great “summer-up” of life. “So, this is Edith Jose from Old Crow and this is the news from this week.” Indeed it is but a small portion of what God is doing and continues to do in our midst.
Warmly
In Christ
Jeremy Bell