We gathered together in the cool (-25 degree) weather of a Saskatoon Winter’s night to hear God’s faithfulness and our commitment to one another and to Him. Our hosts were Emmanuel Baptist Church. We responded to both last year’s questions and this year’s new questions. You will notice that this year’s responses tended to embrace the idea that individual church communities were not asking for things as much as they were offering to others.
Last year’s questions:
- What has God called you to?
- What resources has He given you?
- What resources do you lack?
- How might we partner together over the next year to see God’s call lived out in your ministry and community?
And this year’s follow-up questions:
- In what ways does your church engage and make a difference in your community?
- In what ways does your church partner to minister with other churches?
- In what way can your church energize or enhance the work of our denomination (our family of churches in Canadian Baptists of Western Canada) in the next year?
Two last features that were particularly significant for me were John Prociuk’s invitation to each church to spontaneously reflect on the past year and how God had encouraged and met them. The second very moving part of the gathering was when John lit candles for those churches that were not able or had chosen not to be present.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy Bell
Lent 2008
Saskatoon Gathering– 4 participating churches
Emmanuel, Saskatoon – will have all our departments consider how we can invite and include sister churches in ministries they are doing that may be useful to them
Asquith – will provide leadership training to our leaders, and recongnizing the strength and ministries of the CBWC and all of the ministries in which they are involved
First Baptist, Saskatoon – will commit to participating in programs of the CBWC; blooming where we are planted; praying as we go forward in faith
First Baptist, Prince Albert – will pray and provide for the CBWC