Live2lead billeting

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Our local high school, Kindersley Composite School, is hosting a region wide (which includes a good part of the province) gathering of leadership youth.  When the idea was first forwarded in the community many of us had one thought?  Where are you going to put 750 kids.  Of course, the final numbers will be a bit different, but even so . . . that’s a lot of kids.

Our local motels are constantly filled with oil workers – you can’t get a room during the week if you tried.

The final realization?  We as a community have to billet the kids!  I guess our society has gone so much to hotel and motel use that it’s “inconceivable” that local homes would be available.

I would like to say – We did it!!  As part of the hordes of homes, we are having four girls stay at our place.  9:30 tonight I pick them up.  At 8:15 in the morning we are back at the high school.  At 11:30 that evening I pick them up again (after a dance that goes way past my bed time!).  Friday, their final morning with us, they are back at the school at 8:00. 

Should be fun – if I can stay awake!

Church from the other side of the world

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Over this past weekend, Don Love, international worker from Japan, spoke at our church.  One of the discussion points we had with him after the formal services was regarding house churches.

In Japan affording a”facility” is pretty well out of reach for most people.  A church building to accommodate 20 people can be in the millions (or at least into the million mark).  For that reason, church (the people) have to do without church (the building).  Small groups of people create church that is not related to a building.  The idea of a house church is to break forth into a community with the good news of Jesus, without feeling burdened by debt, worry and depression related to finances.

The problem of transfer of the term “house church” to North America is one of context.  Here a house church is more a “break away” style than a “break forth” style.  People join house churches to form their “own thing.”  They become isolationist – feeling that their way is the only way.  We have one example of a building in the same block as our rather larger church building.  Twice in the past few years our town administration has asked us who owns the building.  All they have is a box number – and they would like to put a face to the inhabitants of the building.

We don’t know!  Other churches in town don’t know.  Some people have been seen there, but we don’t know who they are.  When a house church becomes such that there is no community involvement, I really wonder if they are a church as Jesus intended.  Going into the whole world should mean at least those on the same block know who you are!

I like break forth churches, but not so much break away churches!

Japan Relief – Tsunami

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Check out the sermon tab at www.kindersleyalliance.com for two talks given at our church today by Don Love, international worker in Japan.  The talks centered on Japan relief and dealing with grief and suffering.

Japan meets here!

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We are sitting in our home listening to Japanese.  Our international worker, Don Love, is sitting at our kitchen table.  Over Skype he is conversing to a small group of Christians in Tokyo.  I’m not sure I understand the conversation – Don indicated that he would doing some “pastoring” work with them.

There is laughter and discussion.  Sound like a great group.  At one point Jill and I stepped in front of the camera and spoke to the group.  They were amazed to see us in long sleeves (it’s a bit cool here today).  They are in a hot season. 

Their thanks are for our prayers during the tsunami.  And even today we continue to pray for them.

If you would like to hear Don speak a bit about his work in Japan, and some of the relief work he did in the last while – he will be at the Kindersley Alliance Church tomorrow (Sunday) at 11:00 in the morning and at 7:00 in the evening.  Both meetings will include different content – if  you can attend both, please do so!