“Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.” 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NRSV) It seems to me, based on conversations I’ve been having with people lately, as well as my own […]
We’re In A Marathon, Not a Sprint Read More
Due to COVID-19 and social distancing, everyone is experiencing church in their homes. A friend recently asked if this reminded me of my house church days. It got me thinking that she didn’t really understand what house church was all about. Our family was part of a house church in
Church in a House is Not House Church Read More
During these strange days, we have been hearing a lot about the church needing to reveal God’s love in real and tangible ways. This isn’t a new thing. God (and others) have been saying this for a very long time. When a need arises or a crisis happens, we are
I Know What You Need … or Do I? Read More
I was preparing a liturgy for my congregation; words and passages from scripture that would lead them into the sacrament of Bread and Cup. It’s a very different thing to know if the words you have prepared will invite people to partake, alone, in isolation. And yet, this is something
Missions and Sacrament in Isolation Read More
It is an understatement to say we have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some more than others. Due to its prolonged nature, COVID-19 has caused social, emotional, physical, mental and even financial trauma to individuals and churches alike. In a recent Christian Magazine survey, 6 out of 10
Hope in the midst of Financial Trauma … Read More
The very first New Leaf Learning Centre we hosted was to invite a Canadian Epidemiologist/Pastor, Michael Garner, to speak to us. It was very early on in the pandemic and having our very own expert that we could ask questions of was incredibly helpful in those early days. For me
Starting in a Pandemic Read More
While the pandemic caused the cancellation of General Conference, it did not cause the cancellation of prayer. After our last General Conference, Bishop Cliff and the BOA realized that if our movement was going to reverse the trend of decline we were experiencing, we needed to make prayer a priority
The FMCIC’s First National Prayer Summit Read More
Have you seen COVID-season pictures of major world cities without fog? Beautiful. In Toronto, traffic was down 73%! You can almost hear creation groan in sad expectation of Canadians choosing to return to the old “normal”. What if we actually choose to remember what we are learning in this season?
So I know what you are thinking – Isn’t it a little early to be thinking about General Conference? I mean, it isn’t until May. We have Christmas and Easter and Groundhog Day and lots of other stuff to get to. Maybe, but General Conferences don’t just happen. They also
GC 2020: Watch and Pray Read More
In a world oriented to online shopping and self-gratification, the world ‘FREE’ gets our attention for all the wrong reasons. But the call to ‘Be Free’ is such a welcome inspiration…. I recently read a blog about someone, who after spending a summer over-indulging on eating out was looking to
