Hi all. Sorry its been so long since my last post. I hope you're all well.
It's Summer here again in Vancouver, which to be honest, has thrown me. It doesn't seem long ago that I was celebrating Christmas, and just a few days before that, was Summer 2007. The time has gone so quickly. So here are a few updates..........
Youth Ministry.
Its been a fantastic year. I've learnt so much, and feel a lot more prepared to go into 2008-2009. We've seen a real increase in the decrease. Translation: we saw a drop in numbers of students that attend Youth. But we've seen an increase in their interest, attendance and enthusiasm. Its been nice having a smaller group, and to be brutally honest with you, to have a few less of the kids who stir up and disrupt. I love them, but there is a larger yield for those who are interested if they're surrounded by kids with similar hearts.
I have a girls bible study once a week with 2 girls, Abbey and Crystal. They are amazing and we have fantastic discussions. They're very pro-active and do personal studies during the week, they tell me about their growing prayer lives and how they bring notebooks to Church during the Summer, when the students stay in the service, and take notes on the sermons! Last week they prayed out loud in the group for the first time too. I love them.
We also have a new Intern who is joining the Youth Leader Team this year. It was an interesting decision, but one that I really believe was lead by God. Students from our local Theological Graduate Seminary, Regent, apply as a part of their courses, to Churches for internships. Jonathan, applied to our Church having been a Youth Pastor and grown up in a family that seems to breed Pastors and Church planters. Geoff and Christina, my Senior Pastors, prayed a long time about where they could put Jonathan, and decided that he would work with me as my mentor and a youth leader. He's older and wiser and will guide me, encourage me and work with the kids too. So far its been great, and a great encouragement and reminder that God has called me to this Church as a Pastor despite being uneducated in Pastoral things and, young!
Next year [which is really September.........AH!!] we are launching............JUNIOR HIGH ministry! I cannot tell you how excited I am! We have a group of 16 Junior High students [10-13 year olds] who will have their own Bible study once a week on a Friday afternoon. They're excited, ripe for teaching and really enthusiastic for their own group. Abigail, the Childrens Co-Ordinator and I are going to head it up with a group of leaders who will teach. We're blessed with a Ministry called Simply Junior High who provide weekly podcasts of wisdom, resources for a cheap price and plenty of forums and discussions online. Check it out! www.simplyyouthministry.com
God is working here at our Church. We're seeing a lot of things change, get added to us and a lot of blessing. I could talk for hours about the things that are happening here, but for now I'll just say that Jesus is indeed on the move.
Me.
I stared my BA[Hons] back in February and its been an interesting journey being a distance student. I spent four months slogging through a boooooooring module called 'Research and Study skills'. I had to take it because I was a 'mature' student, but I learnt a lot about practical things for the rest of the coming 6 years. I've just started my Old Testament Survey which so far, is fantastic.
Bas has finally got a job and started about 2 months ago. He came over for a visit in late March to look for a job, but nothing really came of anything. Then suddenly, out of Heaven, dropped this amazing job with a Dutch Company that wants to open an office in Vancouver. So, to cut a long story short, he's a 'fresh-out-of-University-' Masters Graduate who will head up the Canada office for the company he works for, that works in trading standards for bio-fuels coming through Vancouver. He's been training for the last 2 months in Europe, the USA and northern BC, Canada. He even managed a surprise trip to see me for a week! It's a true blessing from God and is just another confirmation from God about our relationship.
I've had a spiritual battle for a while, with anxiety attacks that would flare up in the middle of the night and during random times of the day. It was getting quite distressing and I went to the Elders of our Church for prayer. Since then, I've had some good nights of rest, but also a renewed sense that there is so much for me from God that I should be pursuing. I forget that I need God, because I spend all my time at the Church. This was a stark reminder. My life is not just being in Ministry, but also being in Communion with my Saviour.
There is a lot on the horizon here. Whispers of Revival, people being renewed Spiritually, Ministries evolving, students growing, relationships through Pais, with Schools evolving. I could span on and on and on, but I'll spare you! Jesus really is on the move here. The Holy Spirit is doing some deep work for a preparation of something big- we think a revival of people's hearts opening to Christ in our community.
I miss you all, and hope to see you at Christmas.
Do keep in touch, please! I love hearing from you.
Much love
Amy x
ps. Picture of Crystal and Abbey below.
amy@universitychapel.org
001-778-668-3081
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