2013 Annual Report
Message from Pastor Leanne Looking back on 2013 leaves me feeling awed, amazed and a little tired!! Personally, this was a difficult year for our family. I journeyed through the loss of my sister after her eight year battle with cancer. My family also faced the serious boating accident involving my father and my two nephews. I will be eternally grateful for the love and support of MHBC during the hardest season of my life. You gave me the time, the love and the care I needed to not only care for my family during these struggles but also to begin my own healing. God loved me through each of you. What is really special about this year, of course, is seeing God at work during this time. This is the year when we will add 75 names to our church directory. It’s the year when the kids seem to be multiplying each week. It’s the year when we got to year’s end $20 000 AHEAD of our budgeted givings. And, as this is the year when I have been away from the church for significant amounts of time, we do not take any credit! God has been good. He has answered our prayers. He has worked in His people. He has used us. He is still working. This is the year we said “Yes! And…” to God. The And has been even greater than I could have ever dreamed. We give God all the praise. As we begin a new year and what seems to be the next phase on MHBC’s journey, let us continue to pray that God will keep using us, that we will be wise, that we will remain unified, and that we will keep praying “And…”
Pastor Leanne
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s 5 Y e a r I n R e v ie w 9 C e l e b r a t in g & R e m e m b e r in g 3 B o a r d o f D ir e c t o r s1 T e a m U p d a t e s 1 4 M is s io n a l T e a m 2 1 H o s p it a l it y T e a m 2 4 P r o p e r t y T e a m 2 5 D is c ip l e s h ip T e a m 3 1 W e l c o m e T e a m 3 3 C a r e T e a m 3 4 F in a n c e T e a m 4 1 P u m p k in P a t c h D a y c a r e 4 3 N H A M e e t in g
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A n d t h e p e o p l e s a id ., W e w il l s e r v e t h e L O R D o u r G o d a n d o b e y h im . J o s h u a 2 4 : 2 4
Y e a r in R e v ie w J a n u a r y
-We began our new year with a series called “Living in the Tension.” Continuing with our “Yes! And...” theme we talked about living with Faith and Doubt and Certainty and Uncertainty. -We had our first “Women's Night” at the church with a great attendance! -Our Newcomers Lunch on January 27 had a great turnout at the Friesens.
F e b r u a r y
-We declared February “Show the Love!” month. Each Sunday we thanked a group or person from our church with cards signed by everyone. Tuesdays we met for an opportunity to “Show Love.” One week we made cards for people in the church and another we made cards and prayed for our Missions Partners in Kenya. One Tuesday we had a scheduled a prayer walk (which moved to March because of the weather!). And on February 14 we had our 2nd Annual Agape Dinner at the Friesens. -It was a busy month with True City. On February 2 we took part in a pulpit swap. Matt Pamplin came to MHBC, Leanne went to Wentworth Baptist and Dallas went to the Commons. We also were part of the True City conference at the end of the month with many people from MHBC taking part and learning about “Falling Into Place” -At our annual meeting on February 10 we were thankful for a great year together.
M a r c h th
-In March we continued with our 90 Days of Prayer as part of our 90 Anniversary Year. We created a book with prayer items for each day for people to use. We also continued with our Lent series which focussed on prayer. -We commissioned our Board for a year of service on March 10 -The men of MHBC attended a night with a special speaker at West Highland Baptist Church -Our youth took part in their annual “Give Back” day during March Break. They helped at Neighbour to Neighbour Foodbank. -March was movie month! On March 13 we had a church movie night, attended by a big crowd and lots of friends. A week later we hosted a movie night for Queensdale Elementary School through our Missional Team.
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-In response to our “Yes! And...” theme Bruce Smith ran the Around the Bay Race AND an extra 100 kilometres to raise money for St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation! -On March 29 we had our Good Friday service together with the Spanish congregation. In the afternoon we met for our second Good Friday hike.
A p r il
-What a wonderful way to start April with the celebration of Jesus' resurrection! We met for a breakfast before the service. During the service, our choir performed with Mike Helpard. Leanne laid flowers across the front as a symbol of the flowers we lay at grave sides. We ended the service by picking them up as a reminder that the resurrection has defeated death!! -After Easter Dallas began a new series about the Idols in our lives. -We enjoyed worshipping “In the Round” with a new configuration of the church chairs! -There were so many new people in such a short time that a last-minute Newcomers pizza lunch was held at the Friesens on March 21 -We said good-bye to our student Michelle Daniel
M a y
-On May 5 Terry Smith came to speak with us from Canadian Baptist Ministries -Members of our congregation stepped into the preaching role while Leanne and Dallas were away following the death of Leanne's sister -On May 25, people gathered to prepare our Community Gardens in partnership with Neighbour to Neighbour
J u n e
-As our “Yes! And...” theme came to a close, we heard more incredible Yes! And stories from congregants: Andy Moore, Lorne MacDonald, Rod Elliott & Alex Montague. - On the last Sunday in June we had a celebration service. Andy made a video (it did take us a few tries to see it) celebrating our 90 for 90 campaign. In the end we gave out 113 gifts of $90 to our community and neighbours! Praise the Lord! After the service we had a potluck and a dessert auction, with all of the money from the auction going to our partners in Kenya. -On June 8 we had a Sunday School picnic at Bruce Park. We were thrilled to see the return of Bowling for Groceries!! -Representatives from our church attended the annual CBOQ convention in Toronto
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J u l y -Our Impact Hamilton Team kicked into full swing. They hosted a movie night on July 5 and ran their first camp July 22-July 26. On July 13 they facilitated a Yard Sale with proceeds to Neighbour to Neighbour and the Bridge -We met for prayer on Tuesdays at Noon -We started our summer “Select –A- Sermon” series, and invited people to give ideas for sermons they'd like to hear. Each week we voted between two topics for the following week's sermons. -On July 7 the Ellises shared with us about their upcoming missions work. At the end of the month we heard from Eucharist Church. Their worship team also led us in worship -We gathered for a “Pizza Picnic at the Park” after the service on July 28 -Our women got together each Wednesday night to “Lose the Junk!” For one hour they would exercise together and then spent an hour in Bible study, challenging each other to get rid of the “junk” of things like negative voices, materialism or damaging relationships.
A u g u s t
rd
-Impact Hamilton ran our 3 Clothing Giveaway on August 10 and also ran a Junior High aged camp -We rejoiced in two weddings and a baby dedication! -We sent our graduates off with love and blessing to the next part of their journey: Suzanna Nyaga to Ryerson, Collin Gallant to Western and Derek Goodwin to play Triple A hockey up north. We also said good-bye to our student Seán McGuire after two years with us.
S e p t e m b e r
-We started a new year with a new theme: Together as God's Family, and looked forward to spending the fall learning what it meant to be part of the family of God -We started our “I'd Like Tea Get to Know You” challenge, inviting people to give a card with a tea bag to someone they'd like to get to know better to initiate a visit together - We welcomed student ministers Joan Bowick and Graham White -We had a record number attend our Elim Ladies Retrat – 37! -We kicked off the new school year with a potluck together after church on September 29. We barely had room for everyone! -We began a six week study at the Friesens’ called the “Reason for God.” -Our women began meeting once a month on Fridays for women's nights
O c t o b e r
-We had our third Newcomers Lunch of the year with another packed house on October 20 -Special guest Mark Scandrette joined us for the weekend of October 26. He led a one day workshop on Saturday and shared in the service the next day -We had our third movie night with our kids showing “The Croods”
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N o v e m b e r -We congratulated the newly graduated Rev. DOCTOR Dallas Friesen after the service on November 3 with a cake and celebration together -Our Board went on a one day retreat together on the topic of “Discerning God's Will Together” -Stephanie Chabot and team hosted an amazing Roast Beef Dinner on November 23 – we crowned Ms. MHBC – Muriel Wolanski! -We celebrated our 91 Anniversary with a Baptism Service on Nov 24. With joy we baptized six people. As we piled at the front for our annual photo, we cheered OsKeeWeeWee!! (At least they gave it a good shot...)
D e c e m b e r
-For Advent we had a theme called “Gifts of Grace.” Besides our preaching series, we also put together a book of readings written by the congregation about times they had received a Gift of Grace to read each day during Advent. -We welcomed the season together with our “Carols and Coffee” night on December 6, led by our worship team -On December 8 we welcomed new members into the congregation -We once again campaigned together for toys for the YMCA childcare centre that meets at MHBC and for our Christmas hampers. After setting an initial goal of 55 hampers, we ended up delivering 67 hampers on December 18, as well as toys for every child at the centre -We were sad when we had to cancel our service and Children's pageant on December 22 due to weather, but glad that the power returned in plenty of time for our Christmas Eve services. Once again we had a service for people grieving at 3 p.m. and a Family Friendly service at 5. Who knew Pastor Dallas looked so good in a tutu?
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Our Christmas Choir
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C e l e b r a t in g & R e m e m b e r in g W e l c o m e .
Eli Jacob MacLennan April 11, 2013 He is the third child of Ian and Sharlene MacLennan and little brother to Mattea and Nikola.
Daniella Parras May 2013 She is the first child of Sam and Gracie Parras.
W e a r e a l s o e x c it e d t o h a v e o t h e r b a b ie s w it h u s t h a t h a v e b e e n b r o u g h t t o M H B C s in c e t h e y h a v e b e e n b o r n ! Anastasia Maria Nicole Wickens December 30, 2013 She is the first child of Arthur Wickens and Patti Schnell.
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G o o d b y e .
Gerald Wasserman and his wife, of 62 years, Mildred, attended MHBC for many years. Jerry passed away on February 22, 2013 and we remembered his life on Wednesday, February 27th.
Gerald Wasserman
Irvin Wiles
Irvin Wiles started attending Mount Hamilton with his wife Freda in 2005. Irvin passed away on Monday, January 21, 2013 in Milton. We celebrated his life on Saturday, February 2nd.
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F a it h C o m m it t m e n t s Arthur Wickens, Aubrey Simpson, Helmut Laubenbacher, Denise Allen, Nathan Krampitz and Stephanie Perron entered into the waters of baptism. It was wonderful to hear their testimonies and the stories of what God has been doing in their lives.
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W e d d in g s
Amanda Mills and Jamie De Santis got married on August 17th. Jan Leacock and Bob Bradley got married on July 13th.
Violet Francis and Joseph Daniel got married on September 8th.
Kathleen Owen and Will Steadman got married on August 17th.
B o a r d o fD ir e c t o r s M e m b e r s : J a m e s B o w ic k ( V ic e C h a ir ) ,J a m ie D e S a n t is ,R o d E l l io t t ,L e a n n e & D a l l a s F r ie s e n , P h y l l is K o k o s k i,J o a n M c C o s h ,B r u c e S m it h ( S e c r e t a r y ) ,T a r a S m it h ( C h a ir )
It is an exciting time at Mount Hamilton Baptist Church. We are growing as a church, we have people serving in ministries that they are excited and passionate about and each week we have pastors who use creativity to help us understand God’s Word. This year it was obvious that people at MHBC give their time and resources generously as we continue to live and learn together as a community of faith. Your Board of Directors typically meets twice per month. One meeting focuses on business while the second focuses on what it means for us to be Connected, Christian and Missional. Board Members also serve as Board Representatives on all of our teams and provide regular updates about each of those teams. Other Board responsibilities include meeting with baptismal and membership candidates, serving communion, selecting staff and participating in True City Board training events. We regularly spend time in prayer for the ministries at Mount Hamilton, the concerns of the people at Mount Hamilton and our community.
I would like to thank Adriaan Cupido, Brian DeKleine, Anne Krampitz and Richard Nyaga for their service to the Board of Directors. I would also like to thank the current members of the Board for their dedication to Mount Hamilton. We are blessed to have Leanne and Dallas as our pastors. We value their leadership, their teaching, their strength and their commitment to Mount Hamilton. This year, we mourn with Leanne in the loss of her sister Roxanne and we celebrate with Dallas on the completion of his Doctorate. We are thankful for the Pumpkin Patch Day Care which continues to provide Christian Education to children in our community and the members of MHBC who serve on our Day Care Board. We are also thankful to be part of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec and more locally the Niagara Hamilton Association. We would invite you to uphold the ministry of the Board of Directors in your prayers as we seek to discern God’s direction for Mount Hamilton Baptist Church.
Tara Smith Chair of the Board of Directors
M is s io n a l T e a m M e m b e r s : D ia n e V a n d e n H o v e n K in g ,R o d E l l io t t ,M e l is s a W e s t l a k e ,D ia n e B a k e r ,B r e n d a H e l p a r d , A n n e K r a m p it z ( b o a r d ) ,D a l l a s F r ie s e n ,L o r n e M a c D o n a l d a n d L is a M a c D o n a l d Hampers Each year at Christmas, in partnership with Pumpkin Patch daycare, we give out boxes of food and vouchers to those that could benefit from an extra hand at Christmas. This year our hamper team set two goals: (1) to increase the number of hampers given from 45 to 55, (2) to create more partnerships with other churches and groups. We began collecting food items and recommendations for names early in December. It soon became clear that there was need for more than 55 hampers. By the end, our list had grown to 67. We are thankful for all the food that was donated – we ended up needing to just purchase vouchers (for people to buy a turkey or what have you) and a few extra items. We thank Pumpkin Patch for once again providing all the perishable items. It was also exciting to see all the partnerships that did indeed happen. Grindstone Valley Church in Waterdown collected all our peanut butter for us. In exchange, we provided three hampers which they brought to Adelaide Hoodless school (an area where they are planning to start a church plant). Here on the mountain, we connected to the Queensdale Elementary and Hill Park Secondary School community. Once again, we also gave 5 hampers to our sister church, Wentworth Baptist, to distribute as they saw fit. In the end, here is the breakdown of where our hampers went: 16 hampers – Families from Pumpkin Patch daycare 5 hampers – Wentworth Baptist Church 5 hampers – Families from Hillpark Secondary 3 hampers – Families from Queensdale Elementary School 3 hampers – Used by Grindstone Valley Church 35 hampers – Families from or connected to MHBC We are also grateful for all the amazing help to make this happen. We had groups come to sort, pack and deliver. It was an amazing enterprise, and it is amazing how much our little church can accomplish when we work together!
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This year we also wanted to once again bless our students. For all our undergraduate and college students we provided a gift bag with toiletries, memory sticks and other items. We also passed on grocery vouchers to students that could use them. In total we did 11 student hampers (I guess that brings our true hamper total to 78!) The Bridge Last year we provided a large Hamper for The Bridge House – a home for men coming out of prison. This year we designated specific funds so that some special gifts could be offered to them. This included clock radios, Tim Horton's cards, gloves, etc. YMCA Toy Drive Our Toy Drive was once again a huge success. We were able to give all 47 children from the YMCA Childcare Centre a wonderful toy. The gifts were much appreciated!
Diane Simpson packing toys
Phyllis Kokoski
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We are part of a group of churches that work together for the good of the city called True City. This year we continued to serve God in partnership with others. Here are a few of the ways that we have worked better together: - There were two meetings this year among the leadership of churches on the mountain who met and discussed how to do mission better together. We look forward to continuing to talk about how to support each other in mission to our community. - Dallas helps facilitate a group that provides resourcing opportunity for church boards. In the fall, MHBC hosted one of these events about how to build up leaders. Board members from across the city and across denomionations joined us. - This summer, our Impact Hamilton Team spent a week of their time serving at the Vacation Bible School at a True City sister church, Immanuel Christian Reformed Church. Several of our kids attended. - We partnered with Grindstone Valley Church for our Christmas hampers. They provided all of our peanut butter and in turn we provided them with three hampers which they distributed. We also gave hampers to Wentworth Baptist Church. - Many from MHBC participated in the annual True City conference and 24/14 prayer room (it ran for 24 hours for 14 days). Leanne finished her term on the True City leadership team in the spring but continues to serve on the Conference Team. May God continue to build the spirit of unity and service that is growing in our wonderful city!!
True City Conference 2013
M e m b e r s h i p I m p a c t H a m il t o n Our Impact Hamilton team this year consisted of three members: Sean McGuire (leader), Olivia Nyaga, and Allan Bassi. They did a tremendous job! Here is what they fit into one short summer: Discovery Camp (Ages 5-10) Kids from church could bring a friend to camp for free. We ended up with nearly 30 kids from our church and community. They had a wonderful week of learning together, singing, games and making new friends. Discovery Camp (Ages 11-14) This was a smaller camp for our Junior Highs, and included more trips. It included a trip to Wild Water Works and the Science Centre in Toronto. Community Gardens This year the Missional Team partnered with Neighbour to Neighbour to create community gardens. We had four gardens near our parking lot that were maintained by MHBC and one plot near the daycare entrance that the kids had a wonderful time looking after. The Team coordinated our weekly volunteers to water and tend the gardens. We were excited that our four gardens yielded a lot of food for Neighbour to Neighbour and that we also had lots to offer to our congregation at the end of the summer and to the Day Care as well. Yard Sale In July, the team coordinated a Yard Sale in partnership with the Bridge. We raised over $800 for Neighbour to Neighbour and the Bridge to split between each group. Clothing Closet In August, the team coordinated our Clothing Closet. There was a lot of clothing donated and a great turnout to be blessed with clothes as kids headed back to school. The leftover clothes were donated to Helping Hands. Other The team also ran a movie night in July and participated in our weekly prayer meetings and the Prayer Truck in downtown Hamliton. It was a great summer or Impacting Hamilton, and we are thankful to everyone who made worked to make it a great year!
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Pictures from Impact Hamilton this year...
Ethan and Karen Martin enjoying the slide!
Team Leader Seรกn McGuire filling up water balloons Olivia Nyaga
Leanne leading the kids in fun songs!
Allan Bassi teaching about Jonah
M m b e r s h iv p M is s ie o n s G i in g We are proud as a church to tithe (give 1/10) of our givings to missions. The Missional Team decided, as we have in the past, to split the giving between local and national/international partnerships. Recognizing that there are many wonderful groups we can support, we focus on those which are our ministry partners or who have an ongoing relationship with MHBC. This year these funds were allocated in this way:
Global STEP Program
$ 7500
AIM Schmidts
$ 500
OMS Weils
$ 500
Canadian Baptist Ministries Morgans
$ 500
Total Global Giving
$9000
Local TrueCity
$ 1650
CityKidz
$ 500
Oneida Baptist Camp
$ 500
IFC (Spanish Church)
$ 430
Wentworth Baptist Lunch Program
$ 500
Parkview Church
$ 430
Amanda De Santis The Navigators of Canada
$ 1500
The Joy and Hope of Haiti STM - Andy Moore
$ 500
Radio Bible Class Daily Bread Books
$ 100
True City Conference Scholarships
$380
LOCAL TOTAL
$ 6890
Total Mission Givings
$ 15,980
GLOBAL This year we continued in our third year as a STEP partner with Kenya. This meant that our global givings focussed on our partnership with that country, supporting, in particular, Guardians of Hope (which supports people impacted by HIV and AIDS). We also supported our partners through the sending of letters and cards written by people from the church last year. In the spring the proceeds of our dessert auction went to Kenya. We were pleased in the spring to have a representative from Canadian Baptist Ministries come and share with us in our service. It was also exciting to be able to support Shannon Baines as she went on a personal teaching trip to Kenya, allowing us to strengthen our connections with that country.
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H o s p it a l it y T e a m M e m b e r s : L y n n G a t e s ,D ia n e S im p s o n ,D e a n n a M a s o n ,J o a n n e B e c h t e l ,T e r e s a E l l io t t , B r u c e T h o m p s o n ,M ik a y l a C o r r in ,M a r y E l l e n G il l ie s ,J o l e n e M a s o n ( c h a ir ) , P h y l l is K o k o s k i( B o a r d ) ,D ia n e B a k e r “The act or service of welcoming, receiving and entertaining guests.” In 2013, the hospitality team put on many events. These events include coffee every week, Easter breakfast, refreshments after Good Friday Service, and decorating the church for Christmas. We also put on a baby shower for Gracie and baby Daniella as well as a wedding shower for Kathleen and Amanda. We would like to thank the families of group members as well as many wonderful members of our church family that will help on a number of events.
Jolene Mason
Y o u ,m y b r o t h e r s a n d s is t e r s ,w e r e c a l l e d t o b e f r e e .B u t d o n o t u s e y o u r f r e e d o m t o in d u l g e t h e f l e s h ; r a t h e r ,s e r v e o n e a n o t h e r h u m b l y in l o v e .F o r t h e e n t ir e l a w is f u l f il l e d in k e e p in g t h is o n e c o m m a n d : “L o v e y o u r n e ig h b o u r a s y o u r s e l f .” G a l a t ia n s 5 : 1 3 1 4
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S p e c ia l E v e n t s R o a s t B e e f D in n e r To kick off the Christmas season we were able to enjoy a fabulous Roast Beef Dinner. Stephanie Chabot coordinated an amazing event with the help of her team. Besides having the opportunity to crown the new Ms. MHBC (Congratulations Muriel Wolanski!), we also raised over $800. We split this money between our hamper ministry and disaster relief in the Philippines.
M a r k S c a n d r e t t e In November, we were blessed to have Mark Scandrette join us from California. He is the author of Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most. He led a workshop on this topic for a group from all over Hamilton. We also heard from him on the Sunday morning during our worship service. Many of us are taking the invitation to simplicity seriously and working in small groups to delve deeper into this topic.
C a r o l s & C o f f e e For the third year in a row we gathered in December to sing songs and reflect on the story of Christmas in a coffee-house style event. Thanks to the worship team for leading a wonderful evening for us!
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Pictures from the Roast Beef Dinner...
Our servers for the night - Alex Gardiner, Alex Montague, Diane Simpson and Theron Simpson
Rhonda Allen, Cathy Drysdale, Denise Allen and Lynn Gates
Mr. & Mrs. MHBC! Muriel Wolanski and Brian Baillie
Mrs. MHBC contestants Rachel Andrus, Amanda De Santis, Darlene Goodwin, Muriel Wolanski and Diane King
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P r o p e r t y T e a m M e m b e r s : B r ia n B a il l ie ,B r a d B e c h t e l ,A d r ia a n C u p id o ,M a r y E l l e n G il l ie s , D a l l a s F r ie s e n ,M ik e K in g ,B r ia n D e K l e in e ,B o b G r a y ,J a m e s B o w ic k ( b o a r d )a n d J e f f S im p s o n The responsibility of maintaining God's House is one your Property Team takes seriously. 2013 was a year when we saw the benefits of our renovation, with many activities previously held in our much smaller gym now able to be held in our multi use Sanctuary. “Praise God�. Maintenance of the buildings is always a challenge and I cannot thank Brad Bechtel enough for his continued behind the scenes work. Mount Hamilton is truly blessed for Brad's quiet approach to just getting the job done. The co-ordination of activities of God's House continues to present problems, but with the leadership of Dallas Friesen, these problems are happening less and less. I am so blessed to be around the YMCA Daycare staff and children almost on a daily basis. I see first-hand the impact these teachers are having on the incredible children. I have received many thanks from parents for the Christmas Gifts the Church provided to them, they were truly touched. I am so grateful to the congregation on Mount Hamilton for your trust in the Property Team. You enjoy the benefits of our work, not realizing what we have done behind the scenes to allow us all to enjoy the benefits. 2014 will have changes in how the Property Team will look; I ask for prayers for the transition.
Brian Baillie
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D is c ip l e s h ip T e a m M e m b e r s :D a r l e n e G o o d w in ,A m a n d a D e S a n t is ,T a r a S m it h ,L e a n n e F r ie s e n The Discipleship Team provides oversight, training and encouragement for the Nursery, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Retirees & Connections Groups. We appreciate all the hard work and creativity that goes into discipling our children, our youth and our adults. We would like to thank all the leaders who are involved with these important ministries.
C o n n e c t io n G r o u p s Our Connection Groups are small groups usually between 6 to 15 people that gather various times throughout the week in various locations. These groups are designed to give people a group experience to learn together, share together and pray together. We currently have groups led by Tara Smith, Teresa Elliott, Nathan Krampitz and James Bowick. This fall Jamie and Amanda De Santis have begun a new group. We are so blessed to have numerous leaders and hosts who are providing direction and a safe place for people to explore matters of faith.
M e n ’s a n d W o m e n ’s N ig h t s We are pleased to see the growth of our women’s and men’s ministries. At the beginning of 2013, the Women of MHBC began to meet every second month for an evening of fellowship and an opportunity to hear important stories from the lives of women at MHBC. In July, Mikayla Corrin and Pastor Leanne organized a 5 week series entitled “Lose the Junk”. In September we had women attend the Elim Ladies Retreat outside of Peterborough. In the fall, our Friday night out became a monthly event. We are thrilled to see more and more women come out to our events to listen to each other’s stories and to encourage one another. In December, the men began to meet for a monthly men’s breakfast. Thanks to Derrick Holbrook for all his hard work planning and organizing these events.
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S p e c ia l S t u d ie s In 2013, we continued to meet with our group “Cynical & Seeking.” We had 8-10 attend every other Sunday. In the fall, we ran “The Reason for God.” Our Cynical & Seeking group continued to come along with many others.
E l im W o m e n ’s R e t r e a t This year we had the biggest group of ladies we’ve ever had attend the Baptist’s Women Retreat at Elim. The speaker was Rev. Pam Cullen-Barron and as this was the 40th anniversary of Elim the theme was Celebration. It was a great weekend of getting to know each other better as we were also invited to grow in our walk with God. And, as always, there was lots of prayer, lots of tears, a little bit of mischief and not a lot of sleep!
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S u n d a y S c h o o l We have almost 50 children and it takes many volunteers to make it happen! We are so thankful for all the teachers and helpers that care and spend time with our children. Our Sept 2012 - June 2013 focus was to teach the children the “Fruit of the Spirit.” Each month, we picked a fruit and discussed bible stories to help us build & learn about each fruit. On the 4th week of each month they had an opportunity to scrapbook what they learned that month. We also taught the children The Lord's Prayer and John 3:16. All children accomplished the goal of learning the fruits of the spirit through learning a song that names them. 6 children could recite the Lords Prayer and John 3:16. We are so impressed with our children! We also had a great Sunday School Picnic in June! We had 3 Movie Nights throughout the year! Families got together with some pizza, games and of course a movie! Some of these nights had up to 80 people! Our Fall/Winter 2013 theme is “Children in God's Family.” Our Preschool Goals are for children to be able to say “I am a child of God!”, to know that God loves them and to grow accustomed to Sunday School and be prepared to enter primary class. Our Primary/Elementary goals are for children to be able to say our six truths: 1) I am a child in God's family 2) God has a plan for my life 3) God gives me strength and power 4) I can talk to God 5) God loves me 6) I show God's love to others We also want our children to be able to memorize this Bible verse: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3: 1) Christmas Hampers - The children wanted to be a part of giving toward our hamper ministry and raised money to buy Kraft Dinner for the hampers. And raise money they did! Not only did they raise enough to buy 160 boxes of KD, but also 67 bottles of ketchup (one for each hamper) to go with it! The teachers and the kids worked hard to prepare a Christmas Pageant, but unfortunately due to weather they were only able to perform their songs on the following Sunday. We look forward to seeing them perform next year!
N u r s e r y The children's nursery room supports families with children from birth to age 3 years. I consented to take the Nursery back from Judy in September of this year, so not much has changed. We could have as many as 14 children or as little as 2. I'd like to Thanks the awesome volunteers, Deanna Mason, Judy Baillie, Sandra Smith and Aubrey Simpson.
Joanne Bechtel
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Softball game
Chris Conley, Brian DeKleine, Ian MacLennan, Christy Conly, Melissa Westlake and baby Eli MacLennan
Dallas giving Seรกn a pie in the face! Zachary Hedden with his prize from Bowling for Groceries
Bowling for Groceries!!!
Y o u t h M in is t r y What a remarkable year it has been! First, we would like to say that it has been an honour for Jeff and I to serve as Youth Leaders again this year. Some of the highlights of the year have been: Avalanche, where 5 guys and Richard had an amazing time growing together and building community, our Tech Free Sleepover where we had 15 youth attend, Canada's Wonderland in May where youth and families of the church and spent the day having fun and building relationships in chilly temperatures that day and our Welcome Back Sleepover in September. The sleepover brought new grade 6s to the group and was attended by some of the Senior High Youth Group students who are developing their leadership skills each time to grow in their faith. We had a great time at Acquire the Fire in Mississauga with 20 people attending (16 youth and 4 adult leaders). Thank you to Jennifer Bechtel, Diane Simpson and Jamie De Santis for journeying with us to ATF this year. Our Worship and Drama Nights have taken off to give the students the opportunity to develop their gifts and talents through skits, drama and worship songs. Also, thanks to Jennifer Bechtel for helping us out at the Sleepovers to facilitate the girls who have been attending. We also had Bob Bradley join us to help out this fall. We are thankful that you are willing to help us out. Also, thanks to Neal Jensen who has provided some amazing breakfasts for our events too. Jeff and I are praying that 2014 will be a year of growth. Our hope is that the students will see the importance of meeting together and also parents involving themselves. We think it is important to have adults involved in the lives of our youth. Please consider how you can help us out in 2014. Hebrews 10:24, 25. A quote from a parent who is not connected to the church,�I appreciate what Richard and Jeff are doing to ensure that my son has a safe place to come and grow. He looks forward to each event and invites his friends to join him as a result of the group making him welcome. Thanks Richard and Jeff for loving and caring for my son.�
Richard Evelyn & Jeff Simpson Youth Leaders
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R e t ir e e s L u n c h Our Retirees Group is for people 55+. We gather on the third Thursday of the month. We usually gather at Sackville Community Centre on the corner of Mohawk and Upper Wentworth at 12pm noon for lunch. Then we come back to the church for a guided discussion or a group learning opportunity. This year Sackville was closed for a few months for renovations and so for those months we gathered at MHBC. Pastor Dallas generally leads the group or invites someone else to lead it in his absence. The group has some great times of fellowship. Dallas often says that it is one of his favorite regular gatherings and that he is so grateful to be in a church where his Retirees are so flexible, nurturing and faithful to God.
P r a y e r M e e t in g s Prayer is an important part of the life of MHBC. We look for many different ways to help our community engage in prayer with and for each other. This year we: - Took part in “90 Days of Prayer” during which we prayed for our church, our city and our world - Went on a prayer walk to pray blessings over our neighbourhood - Continued to prayer through our “prayer chain,” maintained by Elaine Macmillan - We began a “post-service” prayer time, having a board member available to pray for people after the service in the prayer room - Gathered for times of prayer each week. This fall we began meeting on Thursdays from Noon- 1 p.m. We are so thankful for those “prayer warriors” of our church who sustain us in prayer. Truly, we have seen amazing answered to prayer in our midst and we praise God for His work.
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W e l c o m e T e a m T h e s l o g a n f o r M H B C t h a t h a s s t o o d t h e t e s t o f t im e h a s b e e n ,“C o m e a s y o u a r e ”b u t w e ,a s a c o m m u n it y ,d o n ' t w a n t t o “s t a y a s w e a r e ” W e w a n t t o c o n t in u e t o b e a w e l c o m in g b o d y t h a t a l l o w s a n d e n c o u r a g e s in d iv id u a l a n d c o m m u n a l g r o w t h ,t h u s t h e n e e d f o r t h is t e a m . M e m b e r s : A d r ia a n C u p id o ,B r ia n D e K l e in e ,R o d E l l io t t ,T e r e s a E l l io t t ,W a l d e n S c h m id t ,J a m ie D e S a n t is a n d L e a n n e F r ie s e n . In review of this year, the welcome committee is excited to report it has been a busy one. Given the increase of people attending services, multiple Newcomers Lunches were hosted at the Friesen home. These potluck meals are a great excuse for good interaction and conversation between long-time members of MHBC and newer attendees. Getting to know everyone coming through the doors these days has proved to be quite the task with approximately 75 new people checking out MHBC this year. My thanks to the Welcome Committee for hosting these lunches and for helping build fresh connections which help everyone who comes to MHBC feel valued. Our congregation had great success this year with our "I'd like to get Tea know you" campaign, which was an opportunity for congregants to invite others to get together outside of church. Reported back to the Welcome Committee were stories of congregation members making concerted effort to connect with people over a casual tea or coffee and finding this to be a great ice breaker to further get to know each other. What a great idea to continue in the new year! With the help of the administration office we will continue to update our church directory and keep the lines of communication available internally at MHBC. Thanks again for a wonderful year. "Welcoming" all this next year may bring.
Jamie De Santis
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Pictures from our Good Friday Hike...
Walden and Elfriede Schmidt
Wayne Elshaw
Theron Simpson
C a r e T e a m M e m b e r s : E l a in e M a c M il l a n ,G e o r g e M o n t a g u e ,J a n e t t C u p id o ,D ia n e B a k e r , E l f r ie d e S c h m id t ,W e n d y H e r b e r t a n d M a l c o l m C u r t is ( S e c r e t a r y ) We continue to have a group of people at our church who look out for those who are struggling or hurting in a special way. A number of people from the Care Team have people they regularly visit. We also go to the Care team when there is a need to support a family in crisis. As we enter 2014 we look forward to strengthening our Care Team and hopefully finding ways to care for our church family across many different phases of the life span.
B e n e v o l e n t F u n d Each month during communion we collect a special offering that goes to our “benevolent fund.� This fund supports those in need. This year our benevolent fund was used to help many in need within or connected to our church. Here are just a few examples of some wonderful opportunities we had to bless others through our Benevolent Fund this year. Due to confidentiality there are many more that we cannot share, but know that God's work is being done! - Admission to our Impact Hamilton Kid's Camp for kids who needed help with costs - Expenses for three children to go to Oneida - Help with the cost of Elim for some women who could not afford the full amount - Financial assistance for people needing extra help during seasons of job loss, the death of a loved one, etc. - Provision of grocery vouchers for many in need - A gift for a family whose house burned down just before Christmas - A donation to the Hillpark School Breakfast program - Support for a family in the Philippines affected by the typhoon We also use our Benevolent Fund to support our Hamper Program. This year we bought nearly $1700 worth of gift vouchers as well as $500 worth of other needed items. Thank-you to each of you who give so generously so that we can give to others as God calls us!
F in a n c e T e a m M e m b e r s : D a r l e n e A n d r u s ( E n v e l o p e S t e w a r d ) ,D e b N a y l o r s ( T r e a s u r e r ) ,D a l l a s F r ie s e n , S a m P a r r a s a n d R o d E l l io t t ( B o a r d ) The year 2013 brought many changes to the Finance Team. First, we want to say thank-you to Richard Nyaga for his many years of service on the Finance Team. Richard served as the Board of Directors Rep on the Finance Team for many years. Richard’s banking experience, laugh and thoughtfulness are remembered and cherished. Rod Elliott took over in the spring as the Board Rep on the Finance Team. Rod’s business experience and delegating abilities are a welcome addition to the team. We also had changes in the roles of Treasurer and Envelope Steward. We are very grateful for the three plus years of service that Lori spent as Treasurer for the church. Her service and perspective was a blessing to our congregation. In the summer, Deb Naylor stepped in to be the new Treasurer. Deb brings extensive accounting experience, a tremendous eye for details and a heart to see the ministry of MHBC flourish. Deb had been serving as our Envelope Steward and Chair of the Finance Team. Deb has spent many hours in the fall of 2013 working on tidying up a few accounting areas. With Deb moving to the role of Treasurer we needed someone to take on the role of Envelope Steward. Darlene Andrus started in the summer of 2013 in that role. Darlene has a keen attention for detail and we are grateful to have her on the Finance Team. Some highlights from 2013 include: -Continuing to provide the support and oversight of Eucharist Church ministry financials. -Creating and implementing some new guidelines and processes around the Teller process. “Tellers” are those who count the offerings we receive on Sundays. -We are so grateful for those who gave so generously in 2013. Our givings were up over $20,000 from the year before.
A n n u a l G iv in g s General Offerings $200,000 $150,000 $100,000
General
$50,000 $0 2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
G iv in g C a t e g o r ie s 2013
General Missions Building Benevolent Memorial TFT Total
$188,487
6236 4215 7829
2012
2011 $ 147,512 $ 168,600 $ 12,839 $ 40 $ 6,663 $ 5,079 $ 1,430 $ 3,517 $ 15,909 $ 38,272
$206,767 $ 192,642
2010 2009 $ 153,314 $ 163,459
$ $ $
$ 117 2,965 $ 2,196 3,943 $ 2,957 63,924 $ 76,953
$ 207,219 $ 224,146 $245,682
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Mount Ha m ilton Ba ptist Church
Ye a r-End 2013
Com pa ra tive Incom e Sta te m e nt A ctual Jan 01, 2013 to Dec 31, 2013
Budget Jan 01, 2013 to Dec 31, 2013
REV ENUE
Re ve nue General Of f erings Plate Of f erings Total General Budget Of f erings Total Rent Rental Income (do not use) Pumpkin Patch Lease Pumpkin Patch Interest Interest Today f or Tomorrow /Mortgage Reduct.
184,765.12
168,473.00
3,722.05
3,500.00 188,487.17
171,973.00
56,055.80
0.00
0.00
55,000.00
0.00
40,332.00
16,129.23
0.00
142.77
0.00
7,829.76
0.00
Total Re ve nue
268,644.73
267,305.00
TOTAL REV ENUE
268,644.73
267,305.00
116,053.87
106,016.00
EXPENSE
Payr oll Expe ns e s Wages & Salaries HRDC Salary Grant
-10,449.00
0.00
EI Expense
2,992.49
2,987.00
CPP Expense
4,553.17
4,635.00
WSIB Expense
1,409.66
824.00
11,558.56
12,360.00
126,118.75
126,822.00
Extended Health/Pension Benef its Total Payr oll Expe ns e
Te am Care Team Hospitality Team Welcome & Community
0.00
150.00
1,470.18
1,500.00
208.27
350.00
Worship Expense
1,939.80
1,500.00
Music Equipment & Supplies
3,559.74
1,500.00
Total Te am Expe ns e s
7,177.99
5,000.00
Dis ciple s hip Te am Christian Education Program
1,663.04
500.00
Children's Ministry - Curriculum
193.49
400.00
Guest Remuneration
500.00
500.00
Children's Ministry Supplies
313.75
500.00
Leadership Training
300.00
150.00
Y outh
75.08
300.00
Retirees
27.09
100.00
295.39
150.00
Connection Group & Other Library Total Dis ciple s hip Te am
0.00
250.00
3,367.84
2,850.00
Missional Team Impact Hamilton Other Outreach Events/Seminars Missions-Partners Missions Promotion and Development Partnerships (CBOQ, NHA) Specific Ministries Total Missional Team
1,493.09
2,500.00
259.14
250.00
17,350.04
16,800.00
88.57
100.00
14,000.00
14,000.00
-21.48
0.00
33,169.36
33,650.00
Facilities Water Heater Rental
276.76
275.00
Water & Sew age
2,696.98
2,000.00
Insurance
6,080.15
6,000.00
Law n Maintenance/Snow Clearing
2,578.41
1,500.00
Maintenance & Repairs
9,224.79
8,500.00
Projects
858.27
1,576.00
Caretaking Contract
13,391.11
14,000.00
Caretaking supplies
2,719.92
2,500.00
0.00
40,332.00
CBOQ Mortgage Payment CBOQ Mortgage Interest
16,408.18
0.00
Utilities-Hydro
5,681.39
4,500.00
Utilities-Gas/Heating
5,937.51
6,500.00
Security Total Facilities Maint. & Equip
541.09
400.00
66,394.56
88,083.00
673.69
1,000.00
2,663.16
2,000.00
Adm inistration Assembly/Convention Telephone/Internet Legal/Professional/Gov. fee
30.00
50.00
Copier Lease
1,824.19
2,500.00
Copier Costs
1,410.18
1,000.00
Office Supplies and Expenses
2,791.39
2,000.00
135.18
200.00
Bank Service Charge Interest Expense
13.91
0.00
Entertainment/Mileage
970.94
1,000.00
Continuing Ed - Pastors
339.27
500.00
Pastor's Retreat
0.00
300.00
Travel/Mileage - Congregants
0.00
100.00
Staff Training and Development
0.00
250.00
10,851.91
10,900.00
247,080.41
267,305.00
21,564.32
0.00
Total Adm inistration Expenses
TOTAL EXPENSE
NET INCOME
Mount Hamilton Baptist Church
Year-End Balance Sheet
Comparative Balance Sheet As at Dec 31, 2013
As at Dec 31, 2012
16,048.77
4,683.90
ASSET
Current Assets Ham Community Cr Union (Chequing) Share Capital Account TD Account Hamilton Community Cr Union - US Ac Eucharist bank account
182.46
182.46
48,301.06
49,821.08
605.21
605.21
40,430.19
36,673.97
Total Cash
105,567.69
Accounts Receivable
0.00
Eucharist Accounts Receivable
0.00
91,966.62 161.00 613.12
Total Receivable
0.00
774.12
GST Receivable
1,340.89
9,858.01
PST Receivable Total Current Assets
3,492.66
24,156.55
110,401.24
126,755.30
Capital Assets Church Building
435,078.12
435,078.12
Net - Building
435,078.12
435,078.12
Long Term Lease
259,803.74
299,006.51
Total Capital Assets
694,881.86
734,084.63
TOTAL ASSET
805,283.10
860,839.93
5,425.44
3,356.24
LIABILITY
Current Liabilities Accounts Payable Eucharist Accounts Payable
0.00
-996.46
Eucharist Ministry
40,430.19
38,283.55
Benevolent Fund
3,862.71
7,921.37
Memorial Fund
3,915.00
1,430.00
Missions Trips Fund
1,364.24
1,364.24
Seniors Fund
557.10
557.10
Youth Fund
388.14
Total Fund EI Payable CPP Payable Income Tax Payable Canada Revenue Agency Payable Vacation payable
388.14 50,517.38
49,944.40
0.00
278.81
0.00
-623.48
-30.00
341.40 -30.00
-3.27
0.00
-1,281.33
Pension Payable
0.00
-2,883.81
CBOQ Mortgage
218,906.87
305,670.45
Total Current Liabilities
274,819.69
353,806.22
TOTAL LIABILITY
274,819.69
353,806.22
Retained Earning
508,899.09
500,360.92
Current Earnings
21,564.32
6,672.79
Total
530,463.41
507,033.71
TOTAL EQUITY
530,463.41
507,033.71
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
805,283.10
860,839.93
EQUITY
Retained Earnings
N o m in a t in g R e p o r t Office
Nominees
Date Elected or Nominated
Retires in 2014
Retires in 2015
Retires in 2016
Retires in 2017
End of Term
Auditors 2013 1 Year Term
Richard Nyaga Adriaan Cupido
2013 2013
Auditors 2014 1 Year Term
*Richard Nyaga *Adriaan Cupido
2014 2014
Clerk 3 Year Term
Diane Simpson
Feb. 2012
Treasurer 3 Year Term
*Deb Naylor
Envelope Steward 3 Year Term Life Deacon Mt. Hamilton Baptist Day Care Board 3 Year Term
*Darlene Andrus
August 2013 (to complete previous term) August 2013 (to complete previous term)
Board of Directors 3 Year Term
Niagara Hamilton Association Representatives Pastoral Relations -Church Rep -Leanne Rep -Dallas Rep
Mike Shaboluk Andrea Montague Sandy Smith Wendy Herbert Judy Baillie Richard Evelyn Teresa Elliott *Bruce Smith Rod Elliott (Nyaga) Tara Smith Phyllis Kokoski James Bowick Jamie DeSantis *Darlene Goodwin Walden and Elfriede Schmidt
*______________ *Mary-Ellen Gillies *Brian DeKleine
May 31st 2009 May 29th 2011 May 29th 2011 Nov. 2012 Feb. 2013 Nov. 2013 Feb. 2011 May 26, 2013 Feb. 2012 Feb. 2012 Feb. 2013 Feb. 2013 Feb. 2014
1 st Term
1 st Term 1 st Term
End of Feb. 2015 1 st Term
End of Feb. 2017
1 st Term
End of Feb. 2017
2 nd Term 1 st Term 1 st Term
1 st Term st
1 Term 1 st Term 1 st Term 1 st Term 1 st Term 1 st Term
June 2015 June 2014 June 2014 June 2015 June 2016 June 2017 Feb. 2014 Feb. 2015 Feb. 2015 Feb. 2015 Feb. 2016 Feb. 2016 Feb. 2017
Feb. 2014
* some positions are waiting to be finalized
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Pictures of some of our Worship Team Members in action
P u m p k in P a t c h D a y c a r e M a n y y e a r s a g o ,M o u n t H a m il t o n s t a r t e d P u m p k in P a t c h C h il d c a r e C e n t r e a s a m in is t r y t o o u r c o m m u n it y .T h is c e n t r e h a s g r o w n t o b e c o m e a h ig h l y r e s p e c t e d p l a c e o f l e a r n in g in o u r c it y .M H B C s t il l m a k e s u p t h e m e m b e r s h ip a n d t h e m a jo r it y o f t h e b o a r d a t P u m p k in P a t c h . I t is l o c a t e d a t 4 4 0 U p p e r W e n t w o r t h S t r e e t . The world of Early Learning and Care is an exciting place to be these days. There are many new things happening all at the same time, all of which you can learn about on the Ministry of Education web site. On December 3, 2013 the government introduced Bill 143, the Child Care Modernization Act, 2013 that, if passed would amend three Acts. · The legislation, if passed, would repeal and replace the Day Nursery Act with the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2013 · In addition to the repealing and replacing of the Day Nursery Act, the proposed legislation also includes amendments to the Education Act to support access to developmentally-responsive before- and after-school programs for 6 to 12 year olds, building on the successful implementation of Full Day Kindergarten; · Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007 (ECEA) The Ministry of Education launched a new Child Care Licensing System this month; all of the licence renewal and on-going reporting now takes place online. At the same time, the City of Hamilton is in the process of launching a new online waiting list system, so any parents looking for child care would log on to “One HSN” and apply to various child care centres through one coordinated system.
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As we do our best to keep up with all of these changes, we remain focussed on the most important thing; providing high quality care to children and families. Our focus remains on the Working with Others program and nurturing children's emotional and social well-being in a Christian environment. When building TRUST with the children we teach the following skills: eye contact, taking turns, calling people by name, sharing, working with anyone (not just our friends), including others, offering help and seeking help when we need it. Once again, it was a privilege to be a part of the food hamper program this past Christmas. Pumpkin Patch contributed $1026.55 to purchase the perishable items for the hampers and 15 of our day care families were grateful to receive this blessing.
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N ia g a r a H a m il t o n A s s o c ia t io n Dunnville First Baptist Church hosted the meeting Saturday, May 25, 2013. We then gathered in the sanctuary where the meeting was called to order by moderator Peter Dempsey (Pastor at Dunville First Baptist). There was a time of worship followed by guest speaker Pastor Phil Brown from Peterborough. Phil and his wife (also a former pastor) had served in the Niagara area many years before, as well as being missionaries in Brazil and in Africa. Phil talked about the founding of the New Testament Church, referring to Peter, and that upon this rock the Church would be built. We are to be holy, and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4). We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (I Pet. 1:18 -19). When did the Church come into being? It was conceived in the very heart of God in Eternity. Foundationally, it was born on the Day of Pentecost. The Church was composed of a Praying People; a Persecuted People; a Witnessing People; a Worshiping People. Worship is not about us, but about God. The early Christians needed God so they could face the world, and that's what we need today. Pastor Leonard Lewesso of “The Restoration Full Gospel Church” was introduced and gave his testimony. They are ministering to refugees from the Congo and are now meeting at Wentworth Baptist, with about 80 coming out regularly. Although the group began under the association of AGC in Grimsby, they did not feel comfortable about the non-admittance of women into the ministry, and decided they would like to join the CBOQ. The motion was made and carried to recommend this group for formal membership and entrance into CBOQ's family of churches. The question was raised: Are churches not interested in the NHA or is it really a matter of prior commitments? (There were only about 15 present today). It was suggested that a fixed date be established for the NHA to meet. Then there should be no excuse for people not coming out due to prior appointments. We really need each other so we can come alongside to help each other. Let us strive to go ahead with this in mind. It was suggested that maybe we should look into a fall event, and perhaps focus more on something for the whole family. (Most of the representation today was in the 70+ age range). “The Communicator” is put out only via the Internet to save on postage. Anyone can join Face Book by clicking “Like it”. Churches are invited to advertise their special events there as well. The meeting was adjourned with prayer.
Walden & Elfriede Schmidt