Photos from the Alan Hirsch Missional Church Conference at Regent College

Today was a wonderful opportunity to learn from Alan Hirsch, Dr Ross Hastings, and Cam Roxborough teaching about the Missional Church.

Alan Hirsch teaching at Regent College

Alan Hirsch shares his Jewish Australian humour and his deep love for his Messiah Jesus

Rev Barclay Mayo a church planter with Mountain Valley Mission (ACiC) in Squamish BC

Dr Ross Hastings and Cam Roxborough respond to Alan Hirsch's presentation

Please pray for Rev Barclay Mayo as he is church-planting in Squamish BC with Mountain Valley Mission

Dr Ross Hastings and Cam Roxborough are key strategists in the Missional Church movement

Alan Hirsch listening carefully to Dr Ross Hastings and Cam Roxborough's feedback

Anthony Brown of Forge Ministries speaking with Alan Hirsch

Rev Barclay Mayo of Mountain Valley Mission, Squamish, consulting with Dr Ross Hastings

Dr Ross Hastings shared in his workshop about the theological foundations of being missional

Dr Ross Hastings shares about the three 'greats' in Mission

Flyn Ritchie, the former Publisher of BC Christian News at the Alan Hirsch conference

Pastors Matthew and Winnie Low from Agape Church Burnaby

It was a great privilege to spend Saturday at the Alan Hirsch missional conference

Giving Thanks for Partners in Hope ministry, Vancouver

Here are some pictures from the Shrove Tuesday Volunteer Appreciation dinner for Partners in Hope. PIH’s Executive Director is Elsie Quick, who is one of the missionaries to whom St. Simon’s NV gives partial financial support in our annual budget.  PIH focuses on “Offering hope, support and healing, helping people out of harmful circumstances, and walking them through the process of building productive lives.”

Elsie Quick the Executive Director of Partners in Hope, Vancouver

Roger Adams, the President of the Board of Partners in Hope

Elsie Quick leading in worship music at the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Elsie Quick sharing about the vision for Partners in Hope's new directions

Rev Barclay Mayo, a PIH Board member who runs a Food Co-op at Mountain Valley Mission, Squamish

Rev Paul Carter, one of the earliest supporters of the Partners in Hope ministry

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength

Richard Campbell of Immanuel Church Vancouver

Rick and Kelly, longterm supporters of Partners in Hope

Help! I’m Drowning!

By Rev Ed Hird

 

While on a school field trip, I found myself river-rafting through dangerous rapids near Squamish, BC.  I had been assigned by my wife to accompany my youngest son on his school outing.  My bottom-line assignment was to bring him back alive.  Unlike certain adults, my son had no fears of drowning.  In fact, his greatest delight was to jump into the icy-cold river not once but three times in a row.  It left me feeling that perhaps I should sign him up for a junior life-saving team! 

 

Two weeks later, upon leaving the gut-wrenching movie experience of The Perfect Storm, our family walked into a less-than perfect Calgary, Alberta, storm.  Rushing madly to our car, it felt momentarily like the whole skies had opened up and we might drown in the parking lot!  Our rational side knew that 50% of our fears had been Hollywood-induced from just having seen so many watery disasters.  Even so, we were glad to make it safe and sound into the watertight car. 

 

After seeing The Perfect Storm in Calgary, our next agenda was to find a nice waterproof hotel.  With thunder and lightning striking on every side, we hit a massive traffic snarl.  It was so bad that some trucks started driving up over the perimeter and jumping the guard rails.  As we crawled through the traffic jam, we came upon a brand-new ‘lake’ that had been created by the Calgary storm right in the middle of the highway.  Seeing no way out, we plowed through the ‘lake’ leaving a massive wake behind us.  As we woke up the next morning safe and secure at the Best Western, we were greeted by a Calgary newspaper with front-page pictures of flooded cars that hadn’t made it through our ‘lake’. 

 

While our Alberta storm was minor compared to the tragic Red Deer tornado that hit that same week, it was enough to cause us to cry out to God ‘Help! I feel like I’m drowning’. 

 

In The Perfect Storm, there was great emphasis put on realism and courage.  Each of the fishermen were notably flawed and yet lovable in their own unusual way.  Each of them left behind loved ones who worried each time they pulled out of the harbour.  Each of the fishermen showed remarkable bravery and resilience when the chips were down.  One of the most Christ-like moments in The Perfect Storm was when one fisherman selflessly risked his life for his sworn enemy. 

 

As I looked at those weather-beaten seafarers in The Perfect Storm, I was reminded of Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John.  Most of Jesus’ earliest followers were weather-beaten seafarers on the Sea of Galilee.  They were courageous, hard-bitten, and loyal.  Many philosophies and religions have been dreamed up by intellectuals and academics in ivory towers.  How many have been led by fishermen?

 

My wife and I had the privilege of going a number of years ago to the Sea of Galilee.  The closest thing that I can compare the beautiful Sea of Galilee to is Lake Okanagan in the BC Interior.  Despite its remarkable beauty, the Sea of Galilee has many wind tunnels which can cause ugly storms to rush down from the nearby mountains with virtually no warning.  In one situation, Jesus’ fishermen followers were so overwhelmed that they too cried out: ‘Help, I’m drowning’.  They even accused Jesus of not caring because he was asleep in the boat.

 

Those fishermen sounded a lot like us when tragedy strikes, when the ‘Perfect Storm’ hits our family and friends.  We may sometimes wonder if God is asleep on the job.  We may wonder if God really cares after all.  We may fear that we will ‘drown’, that we are ‘going down for the last time’ in our families and careers.  Jesus responded to the Galilee Storm by saying ‘Quiet! Be Still’, and it was so.  My prayer for each person reading this article is that the Good Shepherd may speak to the storms in our lives, bringing quietness and stillness.

 

The Reverend Ed Hird, Rector

St. Simon’s Church, North Vancouver

Anglican Mission in the Americas (Canada)

http://stsimonschurch.ca

-award-winning author of the book ‘Battle for the Soul of Canada’

http://www.battleforthesoulofcanada.blogspot.com

p.s. In order to obtain a copy of the book ‘Battle for the Soul of Canada’, please send a $18.50 cheque to ‘Ed Hird’, #1008-555 West 28th Street, North Vancouver, BC V7N 2J7. For mailing the book to the USA, please send $20.00 USD.  This can also be done by PAYPAL using the e-mail ed_hird@telus.net . Be sure to list your mailing address. The Battle for the Soul of Canada e-book can be obtained for $9.99CDN/USD.

-Click to download a complimentary PDF copy of the Battle for the Soul study guide :  Seeking God’s Solution for a Spirit-Filled Canada 

You can also download the complimentary Leader’s Guide PDF: Battle for the Soul Leaders Guide