Wednesday, March 26, 2014

some visitors


After the rush of the fall, visiting churches, attending missions conferences and meetings, there is always a period of quiet. Our year is much like a roller coaster, the fall is the slow climb up from the accelerated woosh of the summer. We labour through the fall and reach the top, enjoying a period of time at the plateau as we look down into the coming year. In February we can feel the roller coaster crest the hill of the next year and we begin the descent as the Spring and Summer programs rapidly race toward us. It’s an exciting time of year, filled with anticipation and potential. Right now we are in the midst of planning several of our upcoming events and programs, and our enthusiasm is building as we consider the possibilities that each of these ministries hold.



This past week we welcomed Mark and Ruth-Anna Dana on their visit to New Brunswick. Mark and Ruth-Anna have moved into the role of Eastern and Northeastern field directors with NCEM. It was wonderful to have several days to spend with them and get to know them better. As missionaries with NCEM we undergo evaluations with our field leadership annually. This is not a time of undue scrutiny of our ministry, but an opportunity to examine the work we are engaged in and set achievable goals, perhaps re-evaluate our focus and ministry description. It was encouraging to look back at the past year and see blessings and progress in ministry, it is exciting to look forward into 2014.

Mark & Ruth-Anna brought with them one of NCEM’s newest candidate missionaries; please pray for Karen Emke as she seeks to find the place where the Lord would have her to serve with NCEM; perhaps it will be here in the East!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

A Gospel opportunity..


I had an opportunity last week to travel with the youth group from our church to a youth event in Fredericton hosted by Devon Park Baptist Church. Micah Hiltz, the youth pastor at Devon Park, hosted the event and asked if I would come out and share the gospel with the teens. We had a large group from our church in Cumberland Bay, taking 23 teens to the Amped event was a wonderful opportunity for our youth leaders and pastor.

To be honest it made me pretty nervous to consider it. I've become accustomed to speaking to groups of people over the past several years; but the opportunity to share the gospel with a group of teens, many of whom would likely not know the Lord as their personal Savior, impressed a heavy burden on me. The burden to handle well the gospel, and present it in a clear and comprehensive way. A lot of prayer went into the evening, and I was humbled and pleased to be able to speak to the teens.