Just a brief primer about some travel in the week of November 3-9th.
My wife and I travelled from Calgary to Lethbridge on November 3 where I picked up for a few hours with the Lethbridge/South of Calgary ministerial who were available that day. Bruce Martin hosted the gathering and I thoroughly enjoyed people from four regional churches.
Sunday the 5th brought us to First Baptist Lethbridge’s opening of the new building addition, which was built to accommodate community (church and neighbourhood) gatherings, Christian education and offices. FBC Lethbridge has a long and profound history (and present) of supporting, leading and facilitating many good things in the Baptist Union and internationally through CBM.
Sunday evening found us in Banff with Monday given over to a meeting of Executive Staff and preparing for the Banff Pastors’ Conference, which began that evening.
Thanks go to many folk, but especially to Jo-Anne Cosier, Lisa Shierman, Shelby Gregg, John Huh and Jeff and Juli Logan who planned Banff for all our benefit. I say for all our benefit because the Banff talks will begin to appear on the Union’s web site in early December. Some will be audio and some will be direct feed video. They will include:
Tom Cowan: Jesus and Prayer in John 17
Rod Wilson: Clergy Formation and Pastoral Identity
Jonathan Wilson: Public Witness in the Late Post-Modern World
Reg Bibby: Christian Faith in Canada on Breaking the Shackle of the Myth of Secularisation.
On a final note we did some things differently this year, they include the following:
• We included babies (especially infants)
• We instituted an academic paper
• A hospitality room for those who were new
• The prayer room (suggested by Joyce Peasegood)
• Included material for guided prayer and “Structured reflection”
• We initiated morning Bible Study
• “Media Site” enabled us to release DVDs of the presentations
Those were just for starters.
Bless you.
Please pray for the “Listening to God, Listening to each other” Sessions in Regina and Saskatoon this weekend.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy Bell
