Messenger summer 2013

The Messenger Summer 2013

Also Inside: Spiritual Direction, JAM, AGM response, and more...

From the Director of Ministry Support

Contents:

I grew up in a church that my parents had participated in starting. I thought it was pretty cool that the office had a framed document with the charter members’ signatures. My parents had signed that document. I couldn’t help thinking about this during one of our early launch team meetings of what would become Holy Community Covenant Church in Winnipeg.

From the Dir. of Ministry Support Transitions From Jeff’s Desk CovKids Congo Trellis Foundation Old Life, New Life

p. 2 p.2 p.3 p.4 p.5

By Natasha Westerhoud

p.6

Gavin Jensen, the church planter, asked each of us why we decided to leave Faith Covenant, an established church, and join this new entity that didn’t even have a name yet. I had lots of “good answers” swimming around in my thoughts. The response that kept surfacing, however, was this: My parents helped start the church that contributed to my discipleship for 18 years—and now it’s my turn.

Starting Churches

Anyone intimately involved with the planting of a church will tell you that it can be a terrifying endeavor. There are challenges to a new church that existing churches haven’t had to worry about for years or even decades. Questions about space, people, finances, identity, and governance all need to be answered.

That same uncertainty also brings with it a lot of energy. It’s the kind of energy that comes when you step out of your comfort zone and into God’s agenda.

In this edition of The Messenger we bring you stories of stepping into God’s agenda. Glenn Peterson, Director of Church Planting outlines the process of planting a church in the ECCC. Erik Anderson tells us what it is like to be a parent to a new church. Natasha Westerhoud writes about her experience of leaving one ministry to begin another. Randall Friesen shares how Spiritual Direction can help individuals discern with another disciple the will God has for them.

I pray these stories will encourage and bless your faith.

Blessings,

Julia Sandstrom

By Glenn Peterson

Church is not Swimming Lessons

By Erik Anderson

p.8 p.10

JAM p. 12 AGM Follow Up p. 14 An Introduction to Spiritual Direction

By Randall Friesen p.16 Recent Transitions: Corinne Stoter from Hope Community Covenant Church (Strathmore, AB) Upcoming Transition: James Wheeler from Kensington Road Covenant Church (Calgary, AB) Glenn Peterson from Lighthouse Community Church (Sarnia, ON) to Hope Community Covenant Church (Strathmore, AB)

This edition of The Messenger is in memory of Rev. Albert Josephson.

July 23, 1924-April 30, 2013 The Albert Josephson memorial fund for the development of ECCC leaders will accept donations in memory of Albert at the ECCC office via cheque or online at: https:// www.canadahelps.org/ dn/1115

From Jeff’s desk Jeff Anderson, Superintendent Over the past twelve months I’ve been part of anniversary services at a number of our congregations: Blackstrap (10 years), Faith/Winnipeg (20 years), Emmanuel (25 years), College Park (50 years), and Melfort (100 years). In reading a bit about the history of College Park Covenant in Saskatoon I was struck by dedication of so many folks in the initiation and grounding of this congregation: Of the goal to start five congregations during the 1960s, College Park (CPCC) was the only healthy church.

Existing Congregations, Norquay, Hyas (merged with Norquay in 1980), Melfort and Durban all provided loans or labour for CPCC in the early days.

ECCC Covenant Women provided a fridge, range, and 50 stacking chairs for use by the new congregation in the basement of the parsonage.

The $70,000 in assistance given by the ECCC in the 1960’s and 1970’s would be equivalent in value to some $400,000 today.

The church has steadily supported the work of the Covenant including sending out Drs. Leo and Linea Lanoi to Congo (then Zaire).

This is a partial story of just one congregation. Our church planting record is not remarkable in terms of the number, but many of the church plants since CPCC have a strong impact on our present ministries: 1970-1979: Green Timbers Covenant, Surrey, BC. 1980-1989: Emmanuel Covenant Church, White Rock/Surrey, BC 1990-1999: Faith Covenant Church, Winnipeg, MB and Hope Community Covenant Church, Strathmore, AB 2000-2009: Blackstrap Covenant Church, Dundurn, SK and Lighthouse Community Church, Sarnia, ON 2010-2013: Lake Ridge Community Church, Chestermere, ON, Avenue Community Church, Markham, ON and Holy Community Covenant Church, Winnipeg, MB. The words of ECCC Historian Wendell Anderson as found in the history he wrote for the 90th Anniversary of the ECCC are telling: “The work in Canada has not been without results. The Church has called for sacrifice and service has been rendered. The ministry has had results that defy statistics. And the future awaits our continued efforts to faithful service. Be patient, be diligent, be faithful. The work of the Covenant is God’s work. He will bring all good things to pass.”

And then from a report by Keith Fullerton when he was pastor at College Park: “I refuse to let statistics be the sole criteria for effectiveness.”

We stand on the shoulders of others. The view from where we are today implies that we are responsible to move farther and faster than in previous decades. Church planting reminds us well that this is God’s work and unless he builds the house we will labour in vain. Kingdom work is about so much more than statistics. At the same time we are called to labour well and labour hard. Today we are stewards of many great gifts handed down by our forefathers and foremothers. Sometimes it takes an anniversary or two to remind us of these facts!

THANK YOU to all who sponsored a child through Covenant Kids Congo in the last year. We have nearly reached our goal of 200 sponsorships throughout our 25 churches. So far 197 children have been sponsored. If you do the math, this means that Canadian Covenanters have pledged $92,196 to sponsor for one year. At $39 a month, 197 children in Congo are having their lives and community changed. Praise God! A well project is already under way in Ledia. It will provide clean water for the entire town of Gemena.

Training will also be provided in proper sanitation and hygiene. For updates on the projects in Congo, visit the CovKids Congo blog: blogs.covchurch.org/covenantkidscongo/ If you would like to sponsor a child, please go to www.canadacovenantchurch.org/cov-kids-congo.

The ECCC is now working with World Vision Canada to extend our work in the Congo through a three year project. Details will be available for churches in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Kirsten Waldschmidt, Chair of the Covenant Bible College Transition Board, stepped up to the microphone with a cumbersome easel and sheet covered poster at the Annual General Meeting this spring. After setting her yet unveiled display up on the stage, she explained the progress the CBC Board has made in the last year.

Among many decisions the board has made, there are three that stand out. First, they decided to appeal to the Canadian Revenue Agency for redesignation of CBC as a charitable institution to a foundation. This change will allow the foundation to make grants to qualified recipients (see inset for details) from assets of CBC. Those assets amount to approximately $1.9 million.

The second decision was how to invest these assets responsibly and for posterity. The CBC Board entered into several conversations with investment experts. After much research, the board decided to partner with a larger foundation called the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada Foundation. This partnership allows the smaller new foundation to gain access to investment managers that deal with many millions of dollars. Kirsten noted that the assets of CBC will be kept in their own separate fund where the CBC Foundation board will have full control.

After explaining the details of each decision, Kirsten turned to the easel and unveiled the third major decision the CBC Transition Board has made. The foundation will be named Trellis Foundation: A Legacy of Covenant Bible College. The delegates to the AGM applauded with enthusiasm for all the work that has been done to make this new ministry come to life out of a much loved Canadian Covenant institution.

Kirsten explained the idea behind using a Trellis to symbolize the foundation. A trellis supports the branches and vines that grow on it. A trellis assists in the growth of a plant. CBC was often likened to a green house where plants begin to grow and are then transplanted. The metaphor continues as Trellis Foundation seeks to support ongoing discipleship growth in the ECCC. At present, Trellis Foundation is awaiting approval from CRA. Logo designed by Steve Waldschmidt

Who qualifies to receive grants from Trellis?

Donations were made to CBC by many generous givers in Canada and the United States. CRA regulations require a foundation within Canada to make grants only to qualified donees. Qualified donees in this case include: ECCC Affiliated Ministries within Canada Additional Criteria will be determined at a later date by the Trellis Board, but will include: No grants to individuals Grants to be used in the area of discipleship

One woman’s journey from Pastor to Counsellor and Mother

By: Natasha Westerhoud

After leaving youth ministry at Malmo Mission Covenant Church, I was excited to find a society in

Alberta that has a passion for caring for people. I joined a group of seven other Burden Bearers in Alberta. We all have the same concept of helping individuals, no matter what it takes. Each Burden Bearers is run separately. In Wetaskiwin, we are run by a board of eight individuals who have a passion to see people come to a healing place through Jesus Christ.

Our purpose is to provide professional counselling to the hurting and in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Burden Bearers Counselling Society of Alberta was formed to provide an accountable non-profit umbrella agency that could allow academically qualified Christian counsellors to practice their clinical skills as part of a like minded and supportive network.

Starting a non-profit organization and setting up a board is a lot of work. However, God has set people in motion to come alongside my vision. He had people donate financially to start up the practice, and He

had people in place with office space to donate rent free─for a year. We have also hired an additional counsellor who will be working full time starting in September in our office in Wetaskiwin.

God had a big plan.

My vision was to see Wetaskiwin Burden Bearers Counselling Centre come into existence. I see the need and the hurt that is in our community and that many do not have a safe place to go and share what is on their hearts and minds. Most of my clients are teenagers and young adults—some from churches, some referrals, but mostly people that know me or know of my work with youth. It was important for me to be able to continue to care for the people that God has put in my life and I knew that many could not afford the fees that are associated with a counselling session. That is where Burden Bearers comes in to play.

People give donations to the organization so that all individuals can come and receive the care that they need. That is what resonated with my heart—we turn no one away. I feel what I am doing, walking along- side people individually, is an extension of what I was doing in the church—caring for people oneon-one.

Some days I miss working in a church setting; specifically, the community of people, and working with other pastors. When you are in a church you see people every week. You see change and sometimes you don't, but you stay in their life. That is the part I think I find the hardest—being a counsellor in an office.

Sometimes I will only see a client once and wonder how they are doing with the issues we discussed? Are they are ok? Are things worked out?

I am also excited to add a new counsellor to our staff. There is a pressure that is being released now as we can seek out new clients and we can refer them to the new counsellor. Being a full-time mom to an active toddler has shifted my life drastically in the last year in regards to work and ministry. Going from a busy life of ministry to the busy life of a stay-at-home mom has opened my eyes to a whole new world.

Children really make you want to be a better person.

My priorities are my children and I am excited to see how God will use me in this way. It does make for a bit of complexity when I’m called in to work, but I have set my boundaries as a mom and that seems to be working out great for me. It has been an interesting series of events—from God instilling Burden Bearers into my heart, starting the process, to two months later when we received a call from the adoption agency that we were to head to China to pick up our daughter, Hana. Things happened so fast! I am learning from all of this is that I have to have my priorities and boundaries set up as a working mom.

It was a challenge at first. I felt that I could not let go of all the other things in my life, feeling that I may be lost in all of this. God in His amazing wisdom was already slowly stripping all things away from me to make room for this little amazing bundle of joy in my life. God knows who I am and what I can do. He had prepared me ahead of time. Now I know that being a mother is a wonderful gift to embrace, but I also know I am made up of many other things that I have a passion for and have a desire to do. It's about balance and my husband, Mike, and I have found a good balance. This was the biggest adjustment of my life and a year later I can say, it's a great thing. It's a really great thing. And I still am who I am, four inch heels and all. I still love what I do and still have a heart for ministry.

We are currently in the process of our second adoption, hoping that we can one day bring home a sister for Hana.

Life will get more complicated and messy and busy, and change will happen time and again. But it will be rewarding. The one constant that never changes is that God is good, all the time.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————Natasha can be reached through the Burden Bearers Website: www.burdenbearerscounselling.ca

STARTING

Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada

CHURCHES

In June 2011, the Leadership Board of the ECCC prayerfully committed to starting 20 churches over 10 years… How?

By: Glenn Peterson

“I PLANTED THE SEED, APOLLOS WATERED IT, BUT GOD HAS BEEN MAKING IT GROW.” 1 CORINTHIANS 3:6 God is at work planting a movement of new churches.

How can we be involved?

It was great to be together as a community of churches in Melfort at our ECCC annual meeting.

Many people shared their excitement in how we are advancing God’s Kingdom through our missional priorities. Knowing that we are developing leaders, serving globally, intentionally pursuing discipleship and starting and strengthening churches is so encouraging! As we’ve entered into a new season of starting churches as a community, many have asked this critical question: how?

As shared during the Starting and Strengthening Churches Seminar at the AGM, here are some of the key elements in our plan to cooperate with God to see churches started across Canada.

Expanding God’s Kingdom in Canada, one person… one church at a time...

Identify Missional Leaders: Jesus doesn’t encourage his followers to ask for more churches… but for more workers. Healthy Missional Churches require Healthy Missional Leaders. As we seek to respond to God’s call on our lives, we are actively networking and recruiting healthy missional leaders who have the unique call of God on their hearts and lives to start churches. This is happening and needs to happen from both within and outside of our existing ECCC churches.

Identify Projects, Partners and Opportunities: Many people are asking, “where are we looking to start churches?” The answer is simultaneously, “wherever God leads and wherever strategic opportunities develop.” We are watching, listening, and Prayer: Arguably, the most effective means of evan- discerning with our existing churches for ways to gelism in North America is church planting. More support, encourage, and partner in the work of startpeople meet Jesus through a church plant than any ing churches. We are looking for existing churches to other expression of evangelism. In Luke 10, as Jesus provide the foundational resources of people, fisends out his followers, he invites them to “ask the nance, and prayer that help us discern where church Lord of the harvest to send more workers into the plants are most viable. fields…” Prayer, intentional asking and listening to the voice of Jesus as we seek to start churches is Assessment: Having prayerfully discerned and critical to all of our efforts. We don’t want to labor identified leadership as well as potential locations in vain. and partners, the ECCC joins with our denomination for a formal assessment/discernment stage for po-

tential church planters. All Evangelical Covenant Church Planters who receive denominational financial support go through this assessment process.

Training: Starting Churches is hard work. People need all the help they can get. Each new church gets extensive training and support.

Each Church Planter attends an intense, five day training experience along with Church Planters from across the Covenant exploring critical spiritual, leadership, and organizational realities in starting a new church. This is vital training. Along with this, the ECCC works with the local church planter to do a training event with their local core group. This reminds the newly formed launch team that the work of starting a new church is not that of pastor/leaders alone, but a shared work of the whole Body.

Coaching: Along with the training experiences, each new church and leader receives ongoing coaching and support from the Conference Director of Church Planting. Beginning as weekly calls and lessening as time goes by, these coaching calls provide a safe place for planters to explore and pursue critical questions, challenges, and frustrations, as well as sharing successes, stories and reasons to celebrate. Another form of support, started this past year, was a monthly online (“3rd Tuesday”) conversation between the ECCC church planters, the Director of Church Planting, and often a special guest. This monthly cohort is a great expression of our connectional value as a conference, as planters are reminded that they are not alone in this work and that many of the challenges they are facing are also not theirs alone.

Replication: Lastly, critical for our plan to start 20 churches in the next 10 years is the reality that each new church that is started is committed to either planting or significantly partnering in the planting of another new church within the first five years of its existence.

Statistically, churches that do not replicate themselves within the first five years of their existence rarely do so at all.

Hopefully, this brief sketch of our church planting strategy gives you a window into how this work may take place. Ultimately, it’s God’s work… He makes the Church grow, but we are called to plant seeds and water the plants along the way. If you have further questions, or comments about our vision for Starting Churches or our strategy for helping this become a reality, please contact Glenn Peterson, ECCC Director of Church Planting. (glennspeterson@gmail.com)

Please Pray for…

- Evan and Christin Dewald (Lake Ridge Community) - John and Tammy Cho (Avenue Community) - Gavin and Liz Jensen (Holy Community) - Glenn and Bekah Peterson - Our Future Planters and Leaders...

Church is not Swimming Lessons

By Erik Anderson

Our church (Faith Covenant Church in Winnipeg) recently took a leap of faith and commissioned one of our pastors and a group of about 30 people to plant another church on the other side of the river in our city. I was asked to share about the process and behind the scenes story of how our little church took the plunge into church planting Why plant? Whose idea was this anyhow?

To be plain, we hope and believe this was, is, and will continue to be God’s idea. As a church we have had some successes, leanings, and, yes, failures in this area before. We tried twice in the early to mid2000s to start a new ministry and plant a second church in another part of the city. Both previous attempts did not end as we would have liked.

Were these earlier attempts our idea and not God’s? Do we now we somehow have it right? I think not. As I comb through the pages of Scripture and re-read our history as a Christian Church you can not but see that church planting is the primary way God grows God’s Church. It is my personal conviction that church planting is always good and from God. The only real question is one of timing: "When do we plant?”

Perhaps the timing was not right on our previous attempts. This is not to say that God wasn’t primed and ready for us to get planting. I think we were trying to say "yes" and release people and resources, but as we held out our hands they were not always open. I think we wanted it all without paying the price. I think we wanted "heavy on the Jesus" and all those great benefits, but wanted to go "light on the cross." This is not an uncommon

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narrative to any of our churches or any of our lives. to any kind of dividing for the common good, but Still, Jesus calls and says, “Pick up your cross and we now had no option. We had to make a choice come, follow me…” (and, yes, choosing to do nothing is always an option, though not a really good one...).

In 2006, by God’s grace, Faith Covenant Church was in a harvest season. The church was filling up. In the spring the leadership group decided to flip We bought an old facility in a small neighbourthe orientation of our Sanctuary and create some hood, but we didn’t do so well in our attempts at additional seating space. We had a large stage beginning multiple worship services. People which would now become a “balcony” or overflow wanted to stay together at all costs. seating; we put a small stage in what was one of the back corners. We all thought this was a very By 2011 we had grown more and some weeks we creative solution. were certainly beyond the dreaded 80/20 rule.

This is the rule that gives church leaders the goThe pastoral staff had begun doing some planning ahead to move to an additional service or ministry for the fall season, but we were mostly just scratchso everyone still has a buffer seat between them ing our heads. It seemed as though we needed to and their neighbours in the pew. I can remember do something bigger even though we had just done weeks when there wasn’t a chair without a bum. a facility change. As we thought about additional We all knew we had a checkered past when it came programming ideas, we realized, with more clarity

than ever, that church itself is God’s great program for helping us to love both God and neighbour.

How are we a year later?

Grace abounds. In April of 2012 we commissioned Pastor Gavin and his family and about 30 folks I think—for far too many—church is looked at as if from the church family to become Holy Commuit were swimming lessons. Okay, maybe we don’t nity Covenant Church. see it this way, but we often act this way. Church becomes something we can go to once a week, at We continue to miss many of our friends as we no least seasonally. "Hey, it's good for the kids." We longer see them at our (FCC) Sunday morning can learn some new techniques, and stay gatherings. Part of the good news of sending “balanced” and “in shape,” and—who knows?— friends out is that new people have now stepped some day it may even save my life. This may be a into opportunities to serve, attend and participate little dark but I think it is pretty much how it is, in ministry at FCC. Many of these folks would more than we would care to admit, in your church likely never have done so if we didn’t make space and mine. Church planting is a good antidote to in our lives and church structures for them. this sad picture.

We continue on in life and ministry as two little What are the fears involved with planting? What churches who struggle to make budget, and seek did the Leadership do? to abandon our "swimming lessons" mentality of church for the deep way of being that is life in Money + People = Security. I think these are alChrist. I personally look forward to the churches' ways the main fears when it comes to this venture. struggle and growth, and the opportunity to plant We like to be together and we like to have everyagain—this time with the resources of two estabone chipping in. These aren’t bad things, but there lished churches. are more people who need God’s love and there are always more dollars in pockets, even if we have I believe we are moving into something beautiful to dig a little deeper. that continues to unfold in new and grace filled ways for the ECCC. I encourage you and your We brought up the idea of starting a new church at church to consider what you can do towards this a church council meeting in the fall. We gave peo- end. ple time to think about it and circled back two months later to have a full evening conversation, Jam 2013 was awesome according to the Jr. expressing our fears and our excitements.

Highers in attendance. 25 students from EdmonIn the end, the leadership concluded that we needed to open our hands as best we could in this new thing. We put forth a proposal to be voted on by the congregation for our AGM which included commissioning Pastor Gavin Jensen, 25 members of our church, and $25,000 to seed a new church in another part of Winnipeg. As one member put it, “we are Faith Covenant Church not Fear Covenant Church,” and so we put our best foot forward and opened our hands.

The vote was passed overwhelmingly, even though we all knew there would be a price to pay and a cross to bear beyond our calculations.

Erik Anderson is Lead Pastor at Faith Covenant Church in Winnipeg, MB.

ton, Strathmore, Norquay, and Minnedosa came to experience games, worship, hay rides, swimming, paint balloon throwing (water balloons filled with paint) and more.

Hanne Johnson and Chelsey Doerkson of Winnipeg ran the event with help from Gavin Jensen leading worship and Nate Severson from Kansas doing the speaking.

The photos to the right provide a 4,000 word summary—assuming a picture really is worth a thousand words. :) Plans are already underway for next year. Mark off your calendar for May long weekend!

Special thanks to all the volunteers who made the weekend a success!

spread conference. The staff does their best to budget flights and car travel well, but the increasing costs of travel will mean a significant portion of the budget will go to travel. Therefore, the administrative costs will be high despite the fact that each trip is a ministry function of the conference.

Salaries make up 20% of the overall budget. Two full time staff and three part time staff make up a total cost of $198,500. This number includes benefits for the ministry staff. This is the highest administrative cost to the conference. Churches spend a large por? % 4 3 t tion of their budget on salaries as well. A brief review What’s in tha on CRA Charities listing found that ECCC churches spend about 40-50% on salaries. In a comparison to other denominations, the ECCC spent a higher percentage on salaries. The Canadian Baptists of Western Canada spend 18% and the Mennonite Brethren At the AGM in Melfort a question was raised regard- spend 14%. ing the 34% percent administration costs of the Additional areas of administrative expenses include ECCC. While this percentage seems high there are a rent ($5,400), banking fees ($4,000), memberships number of reasons for this which show the ECCC is ($2,000), telephone, internet, office supplies, postusing a large portion of those funds for ministry. The age ($17,200), audit ($6,000), printing ($1,000), inprimary reason for a 34% administrative cost is surance ($2,750), legal ($1,000), staff development travel and salaries.These are explained more fully ($2,500) and discretionary ($1,000). The total is below. However, it is important to note that most $42,850 or 4.3% of the total budget. Removing travel charitable organizations include salary and travel ex- and salaries from the administrative picture shows a penses in their overall ministry budget and not under very lean administrative budget. administration. We have chosen not to do this. In part this is because we have staff who do a number of It is difficult to determine the exact cost of ministry various tasks and splitting their salary into the differ- and administration as they blur into one another. ent ministry categories would be nearly impossible. Can you have an event without sending promotional material? Can you do ministry without competent A large portion of the administrative budget is for staff? A charity that spends more on administration travel. When Glenn Peterson goes to Winnipeg to do can often be more effective because it is investing rechurch plant training for the newest ECCC church sources into its people and structure. plant, his travel is under administrative costs. When Jeff Anderson goes to a church to meet with leader- With that said, the ECCC is committed to good stewship in a time of crisis, the travel costs associated ardship of all resources. We are always looking for with it are under administration. This is true for ways to save without compromising the quality of Julia Sandstrom’s work in discipleship and Gerald ministry to churches and people. This is why much of Froese’s work in church vitality. These trips come our communication has been moved online. We dewith no cost to the church. Additionally, when the sire to be transparent with the funds that are enleadership board gathers to make decisions and cast trusted to us by individuals, churches, and The Trelvision for the conference, the cost of travel is allolis Foundation. You may request a copy of the full cated to the administration budget. budget by contacting the ECCC office at 204-269Travel makes up 8% of the total budget. Travel is part of our ministry reality in a geographically wide-

3437 or CanadaECC@gmail.com.

ECCC Finance Committee: Sally Carlson, Colin McClure, and Rich Drinovz

AGM Roundtable Discussion Themes A brief synopsis from the Leadership Board Heading into the AGM, the ECCC Leadership Board was excited to hear from the delegates during the round-table discussion. At their June meeting the Leadership Board reported back and discussed what they heard. A number of clear themes were articulated by the delegates. Below is a bullet list of those themes: Church Planting and Congregational Vitality were important themes that were highly affirmed by the body.

The need for more effective Communication was clearly communicated ;) The importance of significant Connections within the ECCC was mentioned numerous times.

The importance of increased Competency levels within leadership of a growing group of churches was noted.

There were a number of comments affirming the place of a Challenge being made to the wider fellowship (for instance the goal of 200 Covenant Kids Congo sponsorships).

The observation that our Corporate health is good but can definitely be better.

There were many observations that Zeal for ministry is noticed and is important to our future.

There were comments that increased Clarity of mission and ministry is helpful as we seek to join together in common work.

The work is good, but there is more work to do. The November Leadership Board meeting focuses on future planning. They will be revisiting many of these issues and look forward to growing the ECCC deeper in Christ and further in mission. Any comments or questions can be sent to the ECCC office at CanadaECC@gmail.com.

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S R A D EN L A C R U O Y nts e K v e R C A C M C E g n i m Upco 2013

2014

August 15-18: Triennial XIV San Diego, CA

January 27-31: MidWinter Chicago, IL

October 7-9: Pastor/Spouse Retreat Banff, AB

May 1-4: AGM Erickson, BC and Winnipeg, MB

October 18-20: ALIVE Canmore, AB

May 16-19: Jr. High Jam Saskatoon, SK

I continued for the next 45 minutes, in some amazement, to review all the things God was showing me about my relationship with my child. For me in that holy place with God, there were new levels of healing.

It was later that morning, while doing some homework for a class that I was taking, that God showed his masterful way of loving me. I was handed a picture from an old calendar that I was to use as a An Introduction to theme to write a prayer about. A simple picture of a Spiritual Direction kitchen door slightly ajar and on the mat inside

By Randall Friesen were two sets of rubber boots. One set for an adult and another set for a small child. I did a double take "To listen a soul into disclosure and discovery is the as I saw that the child's boots were identical to the greatest service one human being can do for anset my child had had when they were just three other." years old.

—Quaker Saying I was overwhelmed. I laughed quietly to myself. God It was a regular Wednesday morning when I went to really does love me the best. meet with my Spiritual Director and I honestly did- -----------------------------------------------n’t feel there was much to talk about that morning. Spiritual Direction is a process through which an That’s how it is sometimes, nothing profound or individual becomes more aware of their relationship amazing to share, just life. However, the gift of hav- with God. Through conversation, prayer, and time ing someone willing to listen with me, and to me for spent with a Spiritual Director, an individual comes an hour is an amazing gift to any human being. So I to a deeper awareness of the presence and activity of continued on my way.

God in their own life.

I arrived and my director opened our time together by creating a comfortable space for silence. Silence was what I needed that morning; the comfort of another soul present with me—with no expectation that I do or say anything.

As you meet together and share the ongoing story of your life, the Spiritual Director will help you to notice and respond to the activity of God in your life.

The Director is a listening and supportive person who creates an environment where you can take time to honestly look at your relationship with God. He or she will walk alongside you as a soul friend and listen with you, for the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Then, in that quiet place, God began to gently prod me forward, showing me a heavy place in my heart.

I began to explore the darkness out loud, as a conversation between myself and my Spiritual Director.

It was about my relationship with one of my grown We understand that God acts in every area of our kids and how it had affected me. lives. God is there in our doubt as well as our certainty, in our weakness as well as our wholeness.

As I talked there was sudden emotion as God That is why there is no need to focus solely on showed me my heart in its broken state. The words "religious" topics as if spirituality were a separate poured out of me as I identified the pain and even section of our lives. The primary relationship will be the legitimacy of the pain. I was surprised that it between the directee and God, the director acts as was there still, even after the years. an extra set of ears and eyes for the individual seeking to grow with God. My director created space for it to unfold as the ————————————————————hour went on. Asking occasional questions when Randall Friesen is a pastor at Malmo Mission Coveshe saw I was perhaps missing or denying somenant Church. He would be happy to connect you to a thing. Supporting me, identifying an emotion I was Spiritual Director. Email him at feeling but unable to name. Mostly just being a wit- randallfriesen@gmail.com ness of my conversation with God. Photo: © Kmitu | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Registration until Aug. 15th □ Couple $330

□ Individual $275

Registration until Sept. 15th □ Couple $380

□ Individual $325

Registration includes hotel and three meals (two breakfasts, one lunch) Program only participation (no meals) □ Couple $100 □ Individual

SCHEDULE Friday, Oct. 18th 2:00 pm—Early bird seminar 6:00pm - Registration 7:00pm - Worship & Teaching

Saturday, Oct. 19th 8:00am - Breakfast* 9:30am - ECCC Ministry Updates 10:30am - Coffee 11:00am - Worship 12:00pm - Lunch* 1:00pm - Free Time 5:30pm - Dinner (on your own) 7:00pm - Worship & Teaching 8:30pm - Auction

Sunday, Oct. 20th 8:00am - Breakfast* 9:30am - Communion and Worship * meal included in registration

A Vague Sense of Unease: New Answers to Old Questions Come and learn new habits of the heart. Life is not a flat journey, it has ups and downs, peaks and valleys, successes and failures. We are called to walk by faith, but faith isn’t a recipe or a program with step by step guidelines. Paul Lessard will help us explore what it means to follow Jesus on the journey when you find yourself somewhere in the middle of life’s road.

Register online at www.canadacovenantchurch.org/alive

PO BOX 34025 RPO FORT RICHMOND WINNIPEG, MB R3T 5T5 Ph: 204-269-3437 Fx: 204-269-3584 CanadaECC@gmail.com www.canadacovenantchurch.org

The Messenger is a publication of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada.

Editors: Julia Sandstrom and Rob Horsley Staff: Jeff Anderson, Superintendent/President Julia Sandstrom, Director of Ministry Support Gerald Froese, Director of Congregational Vitality Glenn Peterson, Director of Church Planting Margaret Aikenhead, Bookkeeper