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Hi everyone! I hope your week is going well.

This week, there are 2 special events on our calendar: the Shore-Wide Worship night on Friday, and the Family Ministry Forum on Sunday after church. I’m excited about both. For the moment, though, I’m thinking it might be helpful to say a few explanatory words about the Forum, since it’s the more unusual of the two events.

Let me start with an odd illustration. Across the street from my home, there’s a community center. It’s one of the important hubs in our community, with a beautiful facility and lots of activity going on each week. We love having it nearby (except on the rare occasions when it brings noise from late-night traffic).

In some ways, a church is a lot like a community center. Both have a selection of classes and activities, weekly, monthly, and on an annual cycle, all designed to enrich the lives of various groups of people and to bring the community together. Both plan for activities that are relevant to a wide variety of age and interest groups. Both operate with the help of some core staff as well as people who volunteer their time to make events and programs happen.

But in some ways a church is also very different from a community center. A community center is like a business where someone else “puts on” activities that you can join; a church is more like a family where the activities are all self-supporting and “we” make it happen together. A community center offers activities in time slots, all disconnected from each other, where you come and play badminton or do pottery for a couple of hours, then go and leave it all behind. In a church, ideally all the things we do are connected to all the other things, and we don’t stop being the church when we leave the building. A community center is something you get involved in here and there if you want; the church is a community that Christians engage over their entire lives. Ultimately, a community center is an optional service - enjoy it if you like, skip it if you don’t. If the message of Jesus is true, what the church offers has eternal consequences - it’s a life-and-death matter.

Common to all those differences: a community center plans a roster of activities to see if you’re interested. In a church, we hope that the Spirit of God guides us together into what He has for us.

That’s why we’re having a Family Ministry Forum. WVBC isn’t a community center that puts on programs (for families, kids, and youth) to see if someone shows up. We are the Body of Christ, called to worship our Lord together, to help each other grow as disciples of Jesus on a lifelong journey, and to be a place where others can meet Him and grow in Him. We’re called to listen to the Spirit’s voice together, then to serve together in ways that help all our members to grow. Families are at the center of this, and we want to do a better and better job of serving our families and helping them to grow. So, we need to keep thinking about good programming to help our families, our kids, and our youth. But we do this as the Body of Christ - together.

To do that well, every now and then we need to gather to talk, to dream, to reflect, and to pray. That’s what we’ll be doing this Sunday afternoon for a couple of hours. In the process, I hope we will (a) build and reinforce a common vision for our family and youth and kids ministries, so we’re all pulling in the same direction; (b) identify and get input on some practical next steps to help us grow in these areas; and (c) establish a pattern of prayer for these important ministries. Our agenda for the afternoon will revolve around these 3 key goals.

I’m delighted that we have the chance to gather for this purpose. Obviously, in a couple hours, we’re not going to solve all the questions about our church’s future ministry. But I anticipate a good time of sharing, discussing, proposing ideas, getting input, and praying together. It will also be a time for all of us to reflect on ways God may be prompting us to get involved as we go forward. Not everyone is going to be a teacher, leader or organizer, but maybe some of us will sense the Spirit inviting us to try some new things. And our ministries benefit from the wisdom everyone shares, as well as the prayer support everyone brings. 

As we’ve said over the last few Sundays, everyone who has an interest in our family, kids, and youth ministries is welcome. You’re welcome, whether you’re a parent, grandparent, teacher, leader, interested observer, former leader, or whatever. You don’t have to commit to anything in order to come, and you don’t have to have a bunch of things in mind that you want to say. This isn’t designed to pressure everyone to join - we know it’s not for everyone, that many of you have ministries in other areas, and that people’s schedules are busy. But the invitation is open. And if you’re not able to join, please take this as a request to pray for us, both in the meeting and in the days that follow.

A couple of practical words of follow-up: 

  • We’ll start at 12:15 sharp. Probably in the Fireside Room, unless the group gets too large, in which case we’ll shift to the Stage Room.
  • We’ll provide a light lunch in between for those who are staying. It’ll be simple, but we don’t want anyone fainting from hunger.
  • We’ll have food and activities for kids and youth, so that parents who’d like to stay don’t need to worry about them.
  • If possible, please let us know you’re coming in advance so we know how much food to arrange and how many tables to set up. If you haven’t connected already, please register here ly Event Registration or give us a call at 604.922.0911.

Thanks for your prayers. We’re excited about this time together.

On a different note, we’re doing the 2nd of 3 weeks in Philemon on Sunday. This time, we’ll focus on things we learn about Paul. So, I encourage you to reflect a bit on what you know about the Apostle, and you’re certainly welcome to read the letter again. It’s only 25 verses!

See you soon! Richest blessings.
—Pastor Ken