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Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a wonderful week!

Mine is going well, though it’s going to be more tied up in meetings than usual. As many of you are aware, this week our denominational body, the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC), is having its annual Assembly—a kind of AGM for the larger fraternity of churches with which we are affiliated. So, I’ll be in Calgary from Thursday through Saturday, attending Assembly with our other WVBC delegates.

Some people will automatically groan on hearing this news, and you may feel compelled to pray that I and our other representatives will either be miraculously spared from this trial or given a special measure of grace to endure it!  Thank you for your prayers, but really, it’s not as bad as all that. In the first place, Assembly is a time of worship and fellowship as well as business. We will see friends and colleagues from other churches around Western Canada. We’ll worship together and take advantage of some stimulating and helpful seminars. So, the event will be enriching on that level.

And even the business isn’t so very terrible. Yes, there are routine reports to read and approve—but they are an opportunity to learn a little more of what’s been happening in the ministries of Carey Theological College, Canadian Baptist Ministries, and other agencies and offices supported by our community. We’ll hear some encouraging stories of God at work in Canada and around the world, and we’ll be invited to join in prayer for some of the challenges that affect the church as a whole. It’s true that most of us won’t be too stirred by approving the auditing company for next year’s financial statements, but whether we’re excited by it or not, we need good auditors to help us manage finances in a responsible way that reflects integrity. So, the routine stuff does need to be managed.

There will also be a few decisions to weigh about possible adjustments to our CBWC bylaws and terms of reference. This year, none are earth-shaking, though these things do help us to keep our relationships strong and to keep focused on our mission. So hopefully they will go smoothly and bring good results. Your prayers are certainly welcome for us all as we work to that end. Thanks for your prayers for safe journeys and good health, and effective participation as well. If you’re remembering our WVBC representatives specifically, the group who will be attending on behalf of our church includes Sandra Sharma, Ken Davis, and Neil Bell as well as me.

I’m looking forward to coming back and joining together in worship this coming Sunday. As we’ve announced for the past couple of weeks, we’re going to have a Community Day again this week. The service will be shortened, rearranged a bit, and we’ll get to hear from some other members of our community who don’t normally speak on Sunday morning. It’s always great to get better acquainted and to learn a little more about what God is doing in our friends’ lives.

We’ll also have something of a “ministry fair” after the service. Members who lead various ministries will be available to talk about what’s happening, making us all better aware of the full scope of our church’s ministry. It’s always encouraging to hear more, and for all who are looking for new ways to connect with others and to get involved, the information will be helpful. Of course, this means we’ll also have an extended time to visit with each other, to share stories and encourage one another. That’s always a good thing!

Given the Community Day theme, we’re going to take a brief break from our new study in the Old Testament prophets. We’ll come back to it again soon, but if you’re wanting a Scripture passage to read in anticipation of Sunday morning, I invite you to read through Romans 16. This passage is a little like 1 Corinthians 16, which we examined a few weeks ago, though of course it has other details and opens up some other lines of reflection. I won’t say too much about where it will take us, other than to invite you to consider how the passage might serve as an introduction to our Community Day.

Meanwhile, may your week be safe, fruitful, and joyful. Thanks for remembering us as our group of representatives fly back and forth to Calgary and participate in Assembly. We look forward to gathering together again this coming Sunday.

God’s richest blessings on you all!

Pastor Ken