Melissa Van Dyk
I moved to BC from Ontario in 2005 and have only looked back a few times. (Hello, mountains!) :D I love the church and being an active part of it. I get a real kick out of developing leaders and asking good questions. I'm currently spending my days serving with a non-profit in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, a neighbourhood where there is a large number of people who struggle with poverty, homelessness, addiction and mental health.
Posted in: What is a Reformed Charismatic?
Sam, Thanks for the great post! I have to admit, I cringed just a wee bit when I read #5, and the last sentence about trusting a wide variety of sources "except the voice within me". I understand the need for caution and absolutely agree that we should look for/expect affirmation and confirmation that comes from the Spirit in many ways. However, I also know that we can learn to recognize God's voice in our lives, and grow in our discernment of his voice, among the others in our lives. Even prophets, elders, mentors and sermons can be sinful, or off the mark. Life in the Spirit is deep and mysterious, and I wouldn't want to put any box around how the Spirit moves, including saying "never through the voice in myself". The evidence of a Spirit-filled life is always in the fruit.
Posted in: The Inbreaking Kingdom
I got goose bumps reading this! :) God is GOOD!
Posted in: The Inbreaking Kingdom
Thanks John! :) It was a profound and delightfully unexpected moment!
Posted in: Teach Your Children Well (and Teach Them to Tithe)
Reg. This made me laugh. :) I appreciate the ways you are including the children into the life of the congregation through giving. And I wouldn't mind some cake.
Posted in: Worship Glue: Sticking the Pieces Together
I've really come to appreciate the way we do worship planning at First Vancouver. We have a number of worship teams (which is fun because different people get to contribute with their unique gifts) who are responsible for planning the service. Whoever is preaching will give the text and a paragraph about what the focus/theme/message will be. The whole service is inputted on ServiceBuilder (servicebuilder.net) where the bulletin editor can then get all the information. It's been working out really well for us! It's definitely more work to be intentional in this way, but it is also much more meaningful.
Posted in: As Easy As A.B.C.D.
A 1-hour webinar about this book is happening November 30th, 12pm EST. Register by following this link: https://cc.callinfo.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=10ocazr4goi4w
Posted in: The Stewardship Series
Leon - it seems like that could be a great resource for other churches to use! Thanks for sharing!
Posted in: The Stewardship Series
I agree! Giving to the budget is never inspiring, and giving out of guilt is not in line with a spirit of generosity! I've also found that pastors avoid the financial stewardship discussion because their salaries are part of that and it can feel awkward. I'm hoping that this will be a forum where we can start these conversations going. Are there any resources in particular that you would recommend?
Posted in: Diakonia Remixed Report To Synod
Check out this new issue of Partners (a diaconal newsletter from Diaconal Ministries of Canada) which spells out a few of the changes recommended to Synod by the Diakonia Remixed Task Force http://www.diaconalministries.com/resources/documents/PartnersDec2012.pdf
Posted in: What We Don't See [Video]
You're right - we don't always see things as injust - but perhaps we need to be challenged to! There are systemic issues that perpetually keep people marginalized. How can we better love and serve our refugee, aboriginal or immigrant friends? What does it look like for us to stand with those who have disabilities, mental illness, are homeless or in a state of poverty? It's important to see needs - but it's also important to see the injustice that creates the need. And call a spade a spade (or injustice, injustice). :)
Posted in: Deacon Webinar Alert!
Grace, you're absolutely right. I'm sorry I didn't relay this information sooner. During the webinar we lost sound (twice) for a bit - is that the part that is missing, or is there more missing?
Posted in: Deacon Support Networks
Wendy - this is a great resource! Thank you for sharing.