A BIT ABOUT...
March 28, 2013
... YOUTH MINISTRIES
I’m sure that many of you have noticed all of the fundraising that is taking place for the Youth Retreat coming up in May. We are so thankful for the support we receive from our church family and I would like to take this opportunity to share with you what this means for our teens.
I would like to introduce you to my friend Steven Hartin. When Steven first came to us last spring with his sisters, he was what many would say a typical 15 year old boy. He did not want to be here. He was uninterested, disconnected, and very up front about how he felt about having to come to a church youth event. I remember him sitting, arms crossed, against the wall of the gym during a Minute-to-win-it event, and the same in Sunday school.
Only it didn’t take long to see a change in Steven. Despite his efforts to resist, he started to enjoy himself. (That, and I think he realized we were not going to let him be miserable and un-involved easily!) He was suddenly at every event we had, every Wednesday, every Sunday. He was happy and excited - the fun, silly Steven we see today. It was so exciting to see the way God was be-ginning to work in Steven’s life. Then it came time for the spring youth retreat. Steven and his sisters attended and when they came back, wow, what God had done!!!! Steven was overjoyed to share with us the ways he had connected with God on that retreat. He was an absolutely different person, even more so than the earlier change we’d seen. Steven was talking about his faith and even asked if he could do the closing prayer that evening.
Ever since then, I can always count on Steven to be a huge part of our discussions, praying openly for our group from time to time, and encour-aging others. He has a love for God and people around him that is very contagious. He has brought out two friends who have instantly wanted to be a part of our youth group, and he is the first to welcome anyone new who walks through the doors of the port-able and make them his new ―best friend‖.
After seeing the difference this retreat made in Steven’s life I realized this was something we all needed to be a part of. Nine of us went to the fall retreat and, once again, I saw how amazing these retreats are. The cost of these retreats is a real financial stretch for many families, so we are so thankful for the support we have been getting from everyone!
Amanda Mayer
Youth Ministries Director
... SALT & LIGHT MINISTRIES
So it’s April already. And, I’m excited to say, it’s almost National Volunteer Week - April 21-27!
Did you know that there are over 13.3 MILLION volunteers in Canada? And that probably doesn’t include those who volunteer in our church! Speaking of which, we are having a Volunteer Potluck Luncheon after Sunday service on April 21, 2013. Please watch for a sign up sheet, and please plan to attend!!!
Thank you to each one of you who volunteers your time, inside this church and in our fabulous community! You are special and appreciated. The vision of our church is to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbour. Can you think of a better way, than being a volunteer?
There are so many opportunities to help out. Let’s start inside our church…what about folding the bulletins for Sunday morning? What about coming in early to get coffee ready? How about teaching a Sunday School class? How about repainting the bathroom doors? How about helping out at an outreach event?
And don’t even get me started on the MANY, MANY, MANY opportunities there are in our city to get involved! We are called to be salt and light to this earth…so let’s be! Everything we do for some-one else, every small way we volunteer makes a difference!
Here are a couple of websites you might want to check out...
www.volunteer.ca (facebook page – Volunteer Canada)
www.getvolunteering.ca (facebook page – Get Volunteering)
And because who doesn’t love a good quote or two…
"Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can."
- John Wesley
"When the story of these times gets written, we want it to say we did all we could, and it was more than anyone could have imagined."
- Bono
Krista Halbert
Outreach Ministries Director
... NMI/COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES
What does your Nazarene Missions International Council do?
We talk a lot about missions and missionaries. We put up boards with pictures of folks who repre-sent the Church of the Nazarene in various places around the world. We display books which you may borrow to learn more about the many ways your church is working. We raise funds for World Evangelism and give out Alabaster boxes to hold your donations to build churches and schools. We ask for your support through monthly Bake Sales and FundScrip orders so that, on behalf of our congrega-tion, we can send money to countries experiencing crisis of many kinds. We send money to help our sister churches in Cuba and to support a child in the Do-minican Republic. Locally, we give financial assistance to our Youth Group and the Day-care, stock a Food Cupboard and give help to Youth Haven. We could do none of this without your contributions. You have every right to feel good about how you have demonstrated the love of Christ through all of these ways.
But, have you ever wondered if you could do more? We don't mean by giving more money (although we will gratefully accept it)! All of the good works mentioned above are done 'at a distance'. None of us is personally involved in a hands-on way.
However, there is a mission field in which each of us can work intimately. That is the mission field in which we live and work. For many people the whole concept of a relationship with God is unthinkable. But a relationship with us is something they can comprehend. We can invite them to the outreach activities of the church. We can simply extend to them the love of Christ through an act of kindness or a word of encouragement and understanding. God equips us with some special talent or skill which we can use to bring Him closer to those around us. So we don't have to travel to an overseas mission or work in a downtown shelter to be 'missionaries'. Remember as you leave the church building today -
YOU ARE ENTERING YOUR MISSION FIELD
Linda Pascoe,
NMI President
... CAROL GRAHAM
You may be saying to yourself as you read this column, "I thought we were going to hear more about NEW people in our church!" Well, I decided to spend some time talking with Carol Graham recently. I suspect that many of you know Carol but may not know very much about her, because she’s so quiet and unassuming!
Carol Graham has been a part of our congregation for more than 20 years. Her Nazarene roots go back more than 20 years before that, so Carol is an ideal person to tell us about some of the changes she has seen in our church over the years! There was a brief period of time when Carol left our church, but when Pastor Mark came here, Carol came back, and has stayed. She says that she has always loved this church and that it’s like being at home—it’s comfortable; it’s her family.
What are some of the changes Carol has witnessed in our church over the years? "Many, many more children, youth and families, changes in our worship style and presentation, and the level or participation and activity in our faith community" top the list.
As well as being a natural born encourager, Carol has been involved in Children’s Ministries, the Daycare, both the church board and the daycare board, and Women’s Breakfasts.
Her family is very much a priority for Carol, and they worship here at Ferris Lane with her — her sister Joyce, nieces Marsha and Lisa and of course, Carol’s pride and joy, four year old Sofia. More recently, Dave (Potter) has become part of the family, and Carol is looking forward with great joy to the safe arrival of a little sister for Sofia later on this year!
Please pray for continued health and strength for Carol so that she can keep up with the demands of a busy family. Also, Carol has asked that we pray for Sofia’s dad Nigel to find work in Barrie.
Pastor Carrie Tweedle
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