The Highest Aim of a Captain …

Christ Community Church

our

LPD  Church of the Week

On the West Coast of Vancouver Island, a group of believers seeks to be salt and light to the people of Ucluelet and the nearby  Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ First Nation in the community of Hitacuh, on the eastern shores of Ucluelet Inlet.

This church has a rich history, and many stories of people being loved and served in the Name of Jesus, and the ministry  and mission continues in the midst of COVID.

Dave and Megan DeJong are  providing interim leadership to the church, and the church has been meeting via ZOOM and outdoor  gatherings, and they are now beginning a hybrid service, offering both “live”and ZOOM. Dave and Megan are familiar with the area  through their former ministry with Young Life.

Interestingly,  Pastor Namgyu (Heejoung) Lee and  volunteers from the Church of the Sent For Life Proclamation (our first Korean Church Plant – 2002)  have made a real connection with both the church family and the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ First Nation. Our Korean brothers and sisters have a real affinity with our First Nations people, and Namgyu, Heejoung and their church have bonded with them through fellowship and teaching ukulele.

Pray for Christ Community Church, as they minister on the Island, and to reflect the light of Jesus to Ucluelet,  Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ  and beyond. Their website is: http://www.cccucluelet.org/
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When I attended Providence Seminary, south of Winnipeg, we visited the Manitoba Museum. Featured in this museum is a replica of the HMS Nonsuch, a sailing ketch that first sailed from England to Hudson’s Bay in 1668 in order to transport furs back to England. This successful voyage led to the establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company.

The replica ship was built in England in 1968, and after a voyage of some 14,000 kms, over both salt and fresh water, landed at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. It now stands as a static, indoor display.

As I viewed this ship. I was both impressed and saddened. Impressed that such a vessel could have been designed and constructed in the 1660’s – and again in the 1960’s. Saddened that such a vessel, designed for and capable of exploring the open ocean, was now safely preserved indoors, and would never go to sea again.

As we met for our Pastor and Staff Cruise on Wednesday of this week, I shared the following quotation from Thomas Aquinas.
 

As a boater, I relate to this quote and to the story of the modern Nonsuch. Many boat owners I know are perpetually working on their boats, sharing hopes of sailing both locally and globally, but in reality, never venture from the dock. Their boats look ready and seaworthy, but they never fulfill  their true purpose – to head to sea to carry the crew and their possessions to their destination.

This can be true of boats. It can be true of lives. It can be true of churches.

In these days of COVID, pastors and churches are challenged, both by the mission to set sail into the open sea, and the “crew” (congregation), who are divided between the desire to remain in port and the mission which demands heading out  into what can be a stormy sea.

All pastors can relate to the range of opinions over COVID protocols, over the pros and cons of “re-opening,”and over different means and methods for “delivering services.”

It is a lot of work – to deliver a service online – and also a “live” service; to seek to provide pastoral care when we are not gathering; to communicate vision, direction, events…  No matter how hard we try, we  will likely hear that”another is doing it better.”

Let’s not worry about all this…
We are the local bodies of Christ. We minister to one another, and in a way that is consistent with our local church’s mission and congregation.

Let us be committed to mission. While we may need to do ministry differently these days, we do need to keep on mission. As a ship is not designed to remain in harbour, but to  head out to sea on mission, so are our churches called to go and make disciples and to reflect Christ to our world.

Let us be committed to unity. May we “bear with one another,” both within churches and between churches, as we all grapple with the changing  COVID realities, and our personal and corporate needs.

Let’s be committed to support one another. As I awoke yesterday morning following our Cruise, I took take time to pray for each of our district churches, church plants and missionaries. Each is serving faithfully. Each will  minister to the culture and context that it serves. I hear your weariness as you minister in this unscripted reality of COVID-19, and  we are here to be an encouragement and resource to you.
Here are some articles for your encouragement this week:

The first speaks to the danger of comparison and “FOMO.” We are encouraged to seek to serve the Lord, not compete.

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what-church-leaders-fear-missing-out-on/
The second article addresses the “theological” challenges  you may be facing as you consider re-opening, masks and ministry.

4-theological-questions-your-church-has-about-regathering/

The third article addresses the question, “Is the church being influenced by the world or influencing the world?” While there is  a place to be relevant to our world, are we exerting a positive influence to our world?
the-surprising-way-the-world-has-influenced-the-church/
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Upcoming events:

Together for Good

National Day of Marriage

Presented by Family Life Together

Saturday, November 21

By signing up, you can stream this free event from your home
Here is the link for information and registration:

familylifecanada.com/event/tfg-2020/

Here is a preview video:
https://vimeo.com/473122887

Registration is filling up, so please check this out today, and forward this  information to your church

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Please Remember our LPD Missionaries:

Here is the link to their information and how to support them:
Please remember all of our LPD Missionaries (and all missionaries) at this time. 

https://www.lpd-efcc.ca/donations

LPD Missionaries:

Dan and Sharon Williams (Osoyoos Project)
Steve and Gillian Sharpe (Missionary of Church Planting Development)
Jonathan and Harmony Ng (Inner City Ministry)
Noel and Lynda Macasaet (New Living Assembly)
Jorge and Emily Lin (Church of All Nations/”new”New West EFC)
Joshua and Nicole Fast (Priceless Youth Ministry)
Allen and Hannah Chang (Steveston Project)
Daniel and Joyce Wong (Steveston Project)
Nathan and Amber Kinsey (Winsome Games)

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HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR CHURCHES REGARDING COVID-19

We in the LPD are here to serve you and your church through this time.  Josephine has been continually updating our information, so has the most current information available on resources available to you and your church in this time. Please email Josephine
Please contact us for info on:

1. Congregational Meetings – whatever your bylaws state, the BC Government is accepting “virtual meetings” for annual and general meetings. Here is a link to the government communication about this:  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/not-for-profit-organizations/societies-agm-covid-19
2. Current Information on the Federal Government Wage Subsidy Program. Recent changes will positively impact the eligibility of grants for churches. Please contact our office for information.
3. Resources regarding “restarting” and regathering in your church, and regulations for doing this. Several churches have been “re-opening,” as regulations permit.  We are posting information on our website: https://www.lpd-efcc.ca/ By law, your church will need both a plan and a policy, and we can help you with this. Please check with us, as government policy is changing weekly, even daily!
4. Online Giving Options for your church – helpful, especially when your church cannot physically gather.

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Please pray for:

• Pray for our “new” government in BC,  for our federal leaders and for the US election. Whatever our politics, we are called to pray for our leaders – may our witness be used of the Lord. “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. his is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:1-4).
• This Sunday, I look forward to joining Northside Community Church, as they conduct their first “live”service, alongside their ZOOM.
• Pray for the Church of All Nations, and for church planting missionaries Jorge and Emily Lin.
• Pastor Tom and Sandi Ford and family.  Here is a video update and greeting from Tom: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DD_BazLq2t4f016y1g0gk6s-tbasmiMs/view
• Henry and Kim Ngugi – EFCCM Missionaries to Kenya: https://movedchurch.org/ Please see their latest newsletter.
• Nathan and Amber Kinsey. Nathan (Coach K) has just been approved as a LPD Missionary, in order to lead Winsome Games, a ministry to reach out to children and youth through sports.
• Our LPD Board. Board members are Randy Lemke (Allana) – Chair, Patrick Chan (Sarah) – Property and Finance, Ben Crumback (Anna) – Island Liaison, Charles Labun (Carolyn) – Church Board Liaison, Rob Stewart (Karen) – D.S., Tim Stewart (Emily) – Innovative Ministries, Sang Hyun (Sam) Cho (Eun Young) – Korean Church Liaison; Phil Yung (Grace) – Church Planting, Philip Leung (Karen) – Chinese Church Liaison and Josephine Papp, LPD Office Administrator – Recording Secretary.