CBOQ Alumni News| January 2016
A CBOQ Retiree Newsletter
A NEW BEGINNING My introduction to you is long overdue. But you know how quickly the weeks and months go by when one is retiring from one job and beginBill Norman ning another, if only on a part-time basis. And this new job is a work in progress; there was no predecessor whose successes could be copied or whose mistakes could be avoided. No, in this job all the mistakes will belong only to me.
grands live close enough that we normally see them about once a week. That, of course, is one of the great joys of our life. As my 65th birthday approached, my plan was to ease into retirement which I assumed would mean interim pastoral positions (which I still hope will happen) but a job posting from the CBOQ caught my attention—Clergy Care Associate. The job title is accurate; I am to provide as much care as is possible to the pastors of our church family.
My name is Bill Norman. Here’s the story: graduated from McMaster in 1974 and over the next 41 years served five churches in our convention, Calvary Baptist in Cobourg, Temple Baptist in Windsor, Markham Baptist, Whitby Baptist (interim) and finally Blythwood Road, Toronto.
Now the disclaimer—the older I get the less I appreciate spin, ecclesiastical spin is no exception—with 700 plus accredited pastors in our denominational family, it is the 375 active ones who are going to get the bulk of my attention. I am on the job two days per week; our retired pastors will not hear from me on a regular basis.
A year before I began full-time pastoral ministry I was married to Christine. We have four adult children and five grandchildren. The
But I am available. The best way to contact me is by email at bnorman@ baptist.ca or by phone at 416-5204956. The telephone is turned on
most days and turned off most nights. If you have a concern with which you think I might be helpful, please get in touch. I can’t promise to find an answer to every question and a solution to every problem, but I will listen and I will do what I am able to do. One last thing. Our retired pastors reflect our denominational family; we are not clones, we are very much individuals. One of our number recently said to me, “Some of us are waiting to find out what’s next for us in ministry.” Is that your issue? Let me know what’s on your mind and how you think your church family can help you find the answer.
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CBOQ Alumni News| January 2016
THE QUIET AFTER THE STORM It’s the blessed silence that I often notice the most, since I retired a few weeks ago—I spent the last ten years at Murray St. Baptist Dale R. Soble Church in Peterborough. At the risk of sounding as if I have retired none too soon, I’m not hearing all the voices of ministry ringing around in my head. You know, those constant, nagging voices that keep you awake at night worrying about the future of the church, the insistent voices of people who are clamoring for your time, the hurting voices of those who need some pastoral care, the plaintive voices of those in need, the insistent voices that demand your leadership, the sharp voices that criticize your leadership, the administrative voices that dictate your time—all the voices of much beloved people, leaders, community, staff and ministry.
There are days now that I can almost hear myself think, or better yet, I catch the still small voice of God in this rich, new-found silence. My prayer life is a little less intense; more time instead for listening, reflecting, meditating, being. I have stopped being in such a hurry all the time, running to catch up to the next voice! Don’t get me wong; I loved my 40 years in church ministry, including my 10 years as an Area Minister for the CBOQ. Short of being, maybe, a major league baseball player, (baseball being my other passion), there is nothing else in the world that I would have asked God to lead me into. It has been a wonderful career for sure. Yet, I will confess that I am so enjoying the quietude… for now. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him,” (Ps. 37:7). I can do that! I need to do that! Dale Soble writes a blog twice a week. Find him at: theunconventionalbaptist.blogspot.ca.
CBOQ wishes a very Happy Birthday to: Jack Bart Dorman Quinton John Lekx
Nov. 10 Nov. 21 Jan. 13
Did we miss your birthday? Send it to Sheila Dyck at sdyck@baptist.ca or call 416-620-2933.
IN RECOGNITION AND WITH DEEPEST GRATITUDE All of us at CBOQ would like to acknowledge the incredible faithfulness and work of Mrs. Margaret Freeland, editor of Over the Backyard Fence. She has been a tireless advocate for CBOQ’s retiree community, keeping our incredible pastors and their families connected.
Margaret Freeland
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Mrs. Freeland began her work on Over the Backyard Fence over 30 years ago, in response to the need to keep widow/ers connected with
the community following the death of their spouse. Over time, the newsletter expanded to include all retirees. Many of you have been blessed by Margaret’s care and ministry over the years. We encourage you to continue to remember her in your letters and prayers.
The Next Chapter
PRAYER
Legacy for Ministry is a stewardship education program jointly sponsored by CBOQ, CBWOQ, and CBM.
As this is the first issue of The Next Chapter, we do not yet have your prayer requests. However, please do consider praying for the following:
Our Will and Estate Planning Workshops are offered through the local churches and ministries of the CBOQ at no cost to the participants or sponsoring organization. These Workshops address stewardship issues including legal documents such as wills, the appointment of guardians, Power of Attorney for Property and for Personal Care. They also discuss how to order your affairs for a smooth transition to the next generation, including tax considerations and charitable gifts. Workshops are available in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
• Pray for the staff at CBOQ, that we would be able to follow God’s leading as we serve our churches • Pray for our churches, that they would be strengthened and able to reach the communities around them with the good news of Jesus • Pray for those who are mourning the loss of much-beloved relatives and friends in our family of churches.
For more information, contact: Sabrina Spooner Legacy Coordinator 416-620-2950 legacy@baptist.ca legacyforministry.ca
IN MEMORY
We are grateful for the lives of service that these men and women lived for the sake of Christ. We celebrate their lives and mourn their loss with their families. Rev. Dr. Earle Cameron Jan. 9, 2016 Rev. Elmore Boomer Jan. 3, 2016 Rev. Philip Karpetz Dec. 30, 2015 Rev. Bill Cook Dec. 3, 2015 Rev. John Caswell Nov. 30, 2015
If you have a prayer request to share, Rev. Elmer Anderson please send an email to Sheila Dyck Nov. 30, 2015 at sdyck@baptist.ca, or send a letter Rev. Eustace Meade to: Nov. 3, 2015 CBOQ Attn: The Next Chapter 100-304 The East Mall Etobicoke, ON M6B 1E2
Rev. Joseph Ban Sept. 17, 2015 Did we miss someone? Please let us know!
If you would like to volunteer with CBOQ, let us know! We have many different volunteer opportunities, from helping with the mailing to building furniture at Assembly. If you have a gift that you would like to use, we are most grateful for your time. For current volunteer opportunities, please call us at 416-622-8600. 3
CBOQ Alumni News| January 2016
YOUR NEWS
CBOQ NEWS
If you have news you’d like to share with the rest of your Canadian Baptist family, please let us know! We may not be able to publish all your news, but we will certainly try.
As to news around CBOQ, Avalanche and Blizzard, our annual youth retreats are in full swing over the next few weeks. Please consider praying for the young people who are going to go deeper into their relationship with Christ and each other on these special weekends.
In this first issue, your news is scarce, but here are a few highlights: 60th Wedding Anniversaries Gerald and Kathrine Hunt Jim and Margaret McGee 65th Wedding Anniversary
CHURCH NEWS
We are also looking forward to celebrating CBOQ Sunday on March 6. We are releasing some special resources for the event, so find out if your church has signed up to make sure you get your copies.
Stan and Audrey Smurthwaite God bless you all with health and love.
You can find our more at baptist.ca/cboqsunday, or call our office.
NEW CHURCHES Flow Without Bounds Ministries, Markham Maitland Street Church, London Wismer Baptist Church, Markham Cornerstone Asian Church, Mississauga
CHURCH CLOSURES Sparta Baptist Church Calvary Baptist Church, Sudbury Community Baptist Church, Port Elgin Brooke-Enniskillen Baptist Church First Baptist Church, Aurora
DEPARTED FROM CBOQ Full Restoration Gospel Church, Hamilton Grace Romanian Baptist Church, Waterloo Cedarside Baptist Church, Flesherton First Baptist Church, Picton
We are dedicated to our churches—to their health, their growth and their ability to serve God in their community well. We are committed to providing them with the best support possible to extend God’s kingdom into a world that needs the love of Christ. You are invited to be a part of what God is doing in our Canadian Baptist family. Please pray for us, consider volunteering with us or send your donation today. baptist.ca/donate | 416-622-8600 A family of churches, transformed by Christ, revealing God’s kingdom
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