​A MEETING OF MINISTRY MINDS

We held our annual ministry leaders’ “summit” this past Wednesday. As always, it was exciting to hear the reports of what God is doing in each ministry area. Here are some highlights:

 Ministry leaders are seeing many people who are new to Bethel joining their ministries.
 At least one person came to faith in Christ through Alpha, and several others were renewed their faith. Several of the fall Alpha attendees will be joining a Bible study group together to continue their faith journey.
 The Oasis women’s ministry, has welcomed several new and not-yet Christians this year.
 The Healing Prayer Ministry continues to grow, with more people asking for healing prayer appointments month after month. Even people from the local community have requested prayer appointments.
 Viola Dueck has a dream for the GEMS Girls’ Club. As a way of strengthening the ministry and discipling more girls, she plans to invite girl’s grades 9-12 to become junior counsellors in the program.
 Families who are introduced to Bethel through one ministry, often will join, or send their children to, another ministry. Some people have even started coming to church.
 The Willow Wood Preschool added two new students in recent weeks.
 The Dove Taekwondo Ministry cannot keep up with the demand for the program.

They have a waiting list of around 20 people. This is a lot to be thankful for. God is changing lives through Bethel’s ministries! --Pastor Tom 

​CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT?

We have a new sermon series to start our new year called Can We Talk about That? It will consist of nine messages about topics we sometimes prefer to avoid.

It is vitally important for a church to go to these uncomfortable places, at times. It will negatively affect our health as a congregation if we avoid hard topics, and only talk about safe ones. Superficial conversation leads to superficial relationships.

The idea for this series came to me when I was meeting with a group of Bethel young adults to learn about their perceptions of our church. One thing in particular stood out to me from that meeting. The group said they found the church to be strangely silent about issues that were of burning importance to them. Many of these issues were prominent in the news and on social media, and yet they were not being talked about in the church.

These young adults were asking “why can’t we talk about these things?”—and that is an important question. As Christians, and members of the same church family, we should be able to talk about all kinds of things and find light from God’s Word on them. This sermon series is an attempt to do just that.

In the next weeks we will be looking at topics that include: doubt, sexuality, same sex attraction, living justly, care for the environment, and mental health. Some of these topics are delicate because they are deeply personal while others are delicate because they can be controversial. I am hoping the messages will start many healthy conversations.

​ All of the topics in this series are vitally important to God. So let’s talk about them!–Pastor Tom 

​2019 IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR
2019 was a significant year for our church. It was filled with joys, challenges, and lots of reasons for thanksgiving. Let me mention a few:

 We celebrated 40 years of being a church: In February, former members and pastors joined us to celebrate 40 years of God’s faithfulness.

 We gave birth to a church: Much of this year’s challenge and joy was related to the launch of Bridge Church. We said “goodbye” to Pastor Ryan, Jessica, and their children after 10 years at Bethel, and we commissioned nine other Bethel families to join the church plant. All of our sacrifice resulted in the birth of a new, vibrant church in Fort Saskatchewan.

 We welcomed many new members: We receive 22 new members this year and celebrated 12 baptisms. Eight of those baptized were starting a new life with Jesus. We heard the Koyu family’s unforgettable testimony about their journey of faith from Islam to Christianity. After John (formerly Musa) and the children had made a decision to follow Christ, Sandy Koyu saw a vision that resulted in giving her life to Christ.

 We forged new links to our church’s neighbourhood: We partnered with the Community League in the first ever Bannerman in Action event—“a day for doin’ good in the hood.” We also committed $25,000 to support the local After School Program.

 We found a second pastor: After 18 months of searching we called Cris Harper to be Bethel’s second Pastor. We look forward to welcoming Cris and Christy and their children Ruth and Gabe in about two months.

 We became a more vibrant church of prayer: For the second year in a row we had a week of 24-7 prayer. During every hour of that week, day and night, at least one person was in the church building praying. People prayed weekly during and after worship services, and we saw an increasing number of people ask for prayer through our healing prayer ministry.

 We grieved the loss of beloved church members: Kieran Otteson and Joanne Huitsing passed away this year. We felt a deep loss for each and surrounded the grieving families with love. Genevieve MillerElsner lost her husband Glen recently. This week, Netty Fennema passed away. Though not a member of our church, Netty was among its first members and was the wife of Bethel’s first pastor, Chuck Fennema.

 We started new things: We created a new “Dream for Bethel”—a five-year ministry plan for our church. We launched a Growing Young Team to study the attitudes and needs of our church’s young adults. This resulted in the start of an Intergenerational Team that will take action in response to our findings.

​ Time and space does not allow me to talk about all the ways our ministries changed lives or all the new friendships that were started or all the people who journeyed through illness, and received visits and meals, and sometimes startling healing, this year. These few things show us, though, that we have lots of reason to praise God and look forward to the future.—Pastor Tom 

​A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR BETHEL!
Christmas came early for our church, this year. We received a gift from God in the form of a second pastor.

Last Sunday, we voted overwhelming to issue Cris Harper a call. Cris could have taken three weeks to respond; instead, he and Christy decided not to make us wait. They feel certain God is calling them to Bethel. So soon, Cris, Christy, Ruth, and Gabe will be headed our way to become part of the Bethel Church family.

I asked Cris when he knew God was confirming his call to Bethel. He told me that he and Christy had been sensing God’s leading to come here for some time. However, it was on the Monday evening of their visit during their meeting with our church’s Council, that they felt certain of it. Cris explained that, up to that point in their visit, they had met many Bethelites and they were feeling a strong connection with our congregation. When they experienced that same connection with our church’s leaders, their hearts were at peace. They would come to Bethel if they were called.

Janet and I hosted Cris and Christy during their stay here. We experienced firsthand what sincere, authentic, Christ-loving people they are. Cris is passionate for Young Adults, he has a vision for building community within the church through small groups and hospitality, and he is not afraid to take on big challenges. Christy is very talented, as well. Together they make a dynamic team. Personally, I could not more thrilled with our choice of a second pastor.

During these last 18 months of searching for a new pastor, we have experienced some disappointments. At times the waiting seemed interminable. We interviewed several candidates without success, and we even called one candidate who declined. However, I now believe I see why God asked us to wait patiently. Our church has grown through the search process, and I believe we are getting the pastor (and pastor-couple) who best fits Bethel. It was worth the wait.

We don’t know when, exactly, the Harpers will make the move to Edmonton; however, Cris said they definitely want to be here before midMarch. Our area Christian Reformed Churches will meet for their Spring Classis meeting on March 13-14, and Cris wants to be here in time to be examined for ordination.

​Keep the Harpers in your prayers as they prepare to pull up stakes and move to Edmonton. If you want to introduce yourself to Cris or write a note of encouragement, Cris’s email is: harper.cristopher@gmail.com. —Pastor Tom

​DIALOGING WITH OTHER FAITHS
I received an unexpected and interesting invitation this past Sunday. It was put to me by two Muslim gentlemen who spoke to me in my office between worship services. They were inviting me to represent Christianity at a gathering of six different religious leaders who will introduce their religion’s founder and explain His basic teachings.

I was not sure what to do with this invitation on first hearing it. On the one hand, it seemed to present a wonderful opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus in an open forum. (I firmly believe that dialogue, not confrontation, offers the best hope of getting a hearing for the Gospel.) On the other hand, I worried that these two men might be coopting me into an event that would not treat each faith as evenhandedly as promised—they seemed to be very aggressive in their desire to spread their own faith.

In the end I agreed to do it. I believe Jesus Christ is the Lord of all, and that He is God’s way of salvation for all people. It is hard for me to say “no” to an invitation to tell people about Him. My simple aim will be to speak personally and sincerely about Him and His claims. I will trust the Holy Spirit to use my words to whatever affect He wants.

The date of the event has been set for Thursday, January 30. The time and place are yet to be determined. I will keep you abreast of details.

​Assuming the event goes forward as planned, I invite you to come, to meet people from other faiths, to learn about their sincere beliefs, and to pray that I can faithfully present Jesus to all present.—Pastor Tom

​CHRISTMAS AT BETHEL
The festive decorations around the church bear witness that Christmas as arrived at Bethel. Besides our regular Sunday worship services, we have a lot going on to celebrate the season.

We will worship together: On Saturday, the 21st, we will experience a first at Bethel. We will hold a special service for people who need space to lament. (Christmas isn’t an easy time for everyone.) It is called “The Longest Night.” Our Christmas Eve services will be held at 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday the 24th . As in other years, we look forward to welcoming many visitors. There will be childcare for children up to four years of age. For children who stay in the sanctuary, we have activities to engage them in worship. The service will include candle-lighting. Apple cider will be served afterward. On Christmas day, we will have a single, 10:00 worship service. Childcare will be provided for children up to kindergarten age.

We will have large and small group celebrations: Our Christmas dinner is planned for Saturday, December 14, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. The evening will feature a warm holiday meal, activities for the kids, and Christmas carols. Besides spending time with fellow Bethel members, we look forward to welcoming an anticipated 400-500 guests—community leaders and other friends from the Bannerman Community. We pray this meal will especially encourage people who experience loneliness at Christmas time or who suffer from food insecurity.

Many smaller group celebrations will take place around Bethel as well. The Oasis women’s ministry, the Cadet Boy’s Club, the Gem’s Girl’s club, the youth group, and the seniors group—just to mention a few—will wrap up their year with a Christmas party. The staff will go out to lunch on December 17, and then distribute Christmas cards and gifts to our Church’s neighbours. (This annual luncheon is a high point for the staff, and it is a gift from you, Bethel. Thank you!)

We will help others to have a happy Christmas: We have numerous efforts focused on helping others. Many of you have taken a gift-tag from the Christmas tree in the foyer. We hope give gifts to 75 children this year. We also expect to provide Christmas hampers for 24 families. The youth are collecting items for Vault and Cellar Youth Centers to support youth at risk. We have also been collecting clothes for other organizations.

Forgive me if I have failed to mention something you are a part of this year. I’m sure there are many more thing planned. Jesus gives us a lot to celebrate!—Pastor Tom

​MEETING CRIS AND CHRISTY HARPER Cris and Christy Harper, our pastor candidate and his wife, are scheduled to arrive in Edmonton on Friday, December 6. They will stay until the following Wednesday morning, December 11. Here is what we have planned for their stay so that our congregation can get to know them, and they can get to know us.

Late Friday evening Janet and I, will pick them up at the airport and bring them to our home. They will wake up to a low-key Saturday. Tom and Cris will talk about what it would look like to work together. We have invited the Harpers to enjoy Saturday evening out on their own, something that is, no doubt, a rarity for these parents of two children.

On Sunday morning we will all get to meet Cris and Christy. They will be introduced to the congregation, and Cris will bring the message at both services. Following the second service everyone is invited to enjoy a light luncheon in the lower level where we can all meet and chat with the Harpers.

On Monday, Cris and Christy will meet for lunch with a local Christian Reformed pastor couple who, like them, are from the States. Since this couple recently moved to Canada they will be able to share valuable information about the immigration process. Later that day, the Harpers will meet with council members and their spouses for a pizza supper and afterwards have a more formal talk with representatives from the Elders and Deacons.

Tuesday will be the Harper’s final full day here. Cris will meet the staff for lunch. That evening they will have a wrap-up supper with the Search Team. (One final item on the agenda will be a meeting with a group of young adults. We are not sure, yet, where this will fit in the schedule.)

​I hope you are as excited as I am about meeting the Harpers in person. Let’s extend our warmest welcome to them. Take the opportunity to introduce yourself and ask any questions you may have. We will vote on the motion to call Cris as our Second pastor on Sunday, December 15. Should we vote “yes” Cris and Christy will have three weeks to decide if they will accept our call. —Pastor Tom

Many of you completed the “Growing Young” survey that was sent out in September.  Through it, you shared your perceptions of the experience of Young Adults in our church.   The results are now in.  Let me tell you what we learned.
 
We found out that our church is doing some things very well.  Survey participants believe that our church scores high in two areas important to young adults:  We are faithfully telling Jesus’s message, and we are a positive contributor to our church’s neighbourhood.
 
On the other hand we have some growing to do.  Both older and younger adults believe that:  1. we are not turning over the keys of leadership to the next generation very well, 2. we don’t know the world of young adults as well as we should, and 3. we are not hands-on enough when it comes to helping young adults connect to all of Bethel’s ministries.
 
This survey is good news because it tells us where we need to apply ourselves to fully engage the interests and energies of our young adults.  The Growing Young Team plans to meet later this month to create an action plan to lead us forward.
 
Already things are happening.  At our recent Leadership Retreat, we made all our church’s leaders aware of the survey results. We asked each ministry leader to consider how they can be intentional about inviting young adults into their ministry.  Also, we are in the process of forming an Intergeneration Team whose aim is to create greater connections across all age groups.
 
Our long range goal is that our young adults will love Bethel Church, know they are valued, and feel completely connected.  Some already do, and they are part of the team that is trying to make this true for all young adults at Bethel.  All of us can help by reaching beyond our generation to welcome into our hearts people of all ages.                                                                                                                 
Pastor Tom

​ALONE WITH GOD

As I write this, I am sequestered in the cabin of one of our church’s members. I’ve come here to pray and plan my next months of sermons.

Retreat times like these have come to be very important for me. In the book of Acts, Peter explains to the church that, as an apostle, he must not allow himself to get sidetracked from “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:3-4). While I am not an apostle like Peter, I am still charged with these dual responsibilities.

In my time here I have prayed about my sermons. I have prayed for God’s protection and blessing on our church, for our staff and leaders, and for specific issues our church is facing. I have prayed that God will allow our church, along with Bridge Church, to see 300 people come to faith in Him. I have prayed for people in our church dealing with difficult circumstances. While I have not been able to completely unplug from electronic communications with the office, I have still had significantly more time for prayer than my normal week allows.

Someone compared our lives to a jar of silty water taken from a stream bottom. When we spend time in solitude, the silt has a chance to settle so that the water can become clear. We all need times free from distraction where we can draw near to God and focus again on what really matters in life.

I hope you can find time alone to pray. If you have a family, I hope you can find time together to pray. As the poem by Tennyson says, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” --Pastor Tom 

​LET’S ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

I had a profound experience of church this week. The “service” didn’t take place on Sunday. It didn’t even take place in our church building. It happened on Monday evening in the home of one of our members.

I was in this home at the invitation of a small group. One of the group’s members is housebound, and the group wanted me to join them to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in this man’s home where they typically meet.

The man in question is Merra Mentie. A man with an accomplished work life, he is now incapacitated by Lyme disease at age 52. The sickness has ravaged his body leaving him confined to a wheel chair with limited mobility and speech.

We started the evening with Bible Study. The study was based on the series By Faith, Seeing the Unseen. We were talking about keeping faith when God’s ways seem slow. In light of this family’s affliction, the study took on a deeper meaning.

So did the Lord’s Supper. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we think about the Lord’s death for us, our unity in him, and the hope of a New Heaven and Earth which his death makes possible. This group made all of these things come vividly alive for me.

Their love for their hurting member was evident. And when Merra and his wife Sara shared, they didn’t focus on their hardships but on the faithfulness of God. All of this bore testimony to the reality of God’s promises expressed the Lord’s Supper.

We need to continue to encourage one another until all of God’s promises come true. Let’s be the church to one another on Sundays and on every other day of the week.
​ --Pastor Tom