Pastor's Message - Axel
As I write, it has turned hot. I find myself trying to make myself more comfortable. How quickly things change. It was just days ago I wished for summer weather to start. Now I find myself “ducking it,” at least somewhat. We humans can be hard to please. Life is full of changes. They often throw us off-balance. How we respond makes a big difference. Do we complain about the disruption or do we look for the new opportunity embedded in most changes? Do we look to see what the Lord has in store for us or do we simply try to protect ourselves from the impact of change? Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
Our Regional Minister, Larry Schram, will speak about New Beginnings this Sunday. He may help us process the changes we are going through.
Some of you have heard that Chris Kibble had an accident on his bicycle on Monday. As I write, it is very hopeful that Chris will recover well, though there will be some surgery to correct damage to his face. We are delighted with this prognosis and will keep praying for Chris as he recovers.
Finally, this Sunday we will observe a minute of silence for the discovery of so many deceased aboriginal children in Kamloops this past week. I am very glad the truth is coming out. We will have to deal with this reality. Am I the only one who is in anguish that those who claim to follow our Lord Jesus could have allowed themselves to participate in such a system? We will have the opportunity in our silence to repent of any attitudes we have held that reinforced this exploitative system.
Special Announcements
Website: The NEW WVBC website was launched successfully on Tuesday, June 1. Please take a look and scroll through the website. We look forward to implementing other features of the Tithe.ly software package such as service livestreaming, the weekly newsletter, etc. Training will be offered for our ministries to maintain their own part of the site in due course. Let us know what you think!
Giving: Our new website has a unique feature when donating online - you will have the option to set-up an account. This gives the ability for donors to set up recurring donations and to view your giving records online. Information on how to sign up are provided on the website. We will also be contacting our current recurring donors with options in transferring their information to the new provider. For those who wish to give using their mobile device, you will also be able to download the Tithe.ly app from Google Play or App Store. For all giving queries, contact Judy Thompson at jthompson@westvanbaptist.com. Judy will be in the office on Mondays.
Small Group leader training: if you’ve not led a small group or would like a refresher on small group leading, why not join Jane Sidjak and Chris Kibble at 7:00 p.m. on the evening of Thursday June 17 by Zoom for a training session. And if you’re a veteran leader, why not come and share your experience? If you’d like to be part of the evening, or if you have any queries, please drop a note to Jane at jane@westvanbaptist.com. (The date of June 17 may need to be postponed)
Calling all grads: on June 13, we’ll be honouring grads in our service. We’d really like to pray for you at that time – so if you’re graduating, please let Toni know in the office, giving us your name and where you’re graduating from.
Prayer Chain: this foundation ministry has been refreshed! If you would like to be part of the prayer team or need more information, please contact jane@westvanbaptist.com. Please be assured our prayer chain is confidential, prayer requests are received by email and no experience is necessary. Prayer requests: Please email Jane with prayer requests, (or contact the church office and they will be forwarded to Jane). Requests can be made HERE.
Church and office openings: We are now in stage 1, which is quite cautious. It only allows us to host indoor gatherings of 10 people. Since most of our groups are larger in number we will continue under present arrangements. Stage 2 is tentatively targeted to begin on June 15. It will allow for indoor gatherings of up to 50 people—though they have to be seated! At that time, we can start to make some appropriate plans.
Staff will be in the office more freely now. If you wish to meet one of us, let us know and we will look forward to talking/working with you. We thank everyone for their patience as we keep Public Health Protocols regarding the pandemic.
Diaper Drive for the Harvest Project: we are continuing this year again with a Father’s Day diaper drive. We will be collecting diapers and wipes during the week of June 15 to 17th. Please watch for more details.
Exercise at Home: Join Donna Weston, certified personal trainer, for a free weekly 30-minute workout via Zoom on Wednesdays. For more information call the office for contact information.