Author: Ron Baker

My sister, Nadia, and her family, have lived just down the road from us.  For this last year that means seven hours away.  They’ve dropped in a few times but the trip is long.

Today, my brother-in-law, Doug Smith, announced that he was resigning his pastoral position at the Flin Flon Alliance church and will be moving to the Rosetown Alliance Church.

For the last twenty years we have not lived close to any of my immediate family.  We would meet in British Columbia for family reunions.  Then we would depart to Oregon, or Germany, or Alberta, or Manitoba or . . .  I now have two sisters in the same province — a new record.  Who knows, maybe the family will all migrate back (as the old saying goes, “Fat chance!!”).

Regardless (or is that “irregardless”, depending on the location of your grammar!), we are down the road one hour from my sister and her family.

Each new move brings us closer together.  It’s all relative!

Tonight was music night out.  Over at St. Olaf Lutheran church a family group, the Daae familiy, was singing.  Country and blugrass with smooth vocals and delicious harmonies.  The mother was accompanying the family of four children with two spouses. 

Family harmony is often close and the vibrato, breathing and emphases come naturally.  More than once I sat back and just enjoyed the sense of being carried along with notes of beauty.

At the end of the concert I met the mother, Cathy Daae.  In the concert she mentioned that she had been in Regina.  We found out she had lived on the same street we had when we lived in Regina.  She knew some mutual friends.

Then we asked what her maiden name was.  DYNNA!!  Well, we know some Dynnas in Prince Albert — I had even recorded music with Dean Dynna and had listened to Dixie work her magic on the drums. 

Were they related?  Yes!  Although they did not know each other we gave them the blog address to get to Dixie’s blog.

Want to check them out?  Go here

Ever had one of those conversations?  You are just discussing business and ideas.  And one of the ideas just strikes you — bowls you over and you are pinned to the floor trying to figure it out.

I was talking with a missionary we are working closely with (Note the positionally challenged preposition).  We talked of a visit they will have here shortly.  And of the structure for the weekend.  Talked of religions in their country of Japan.

Then, he was just speculating on returning to Canada.  He noted that perhaps larger centers could use the small church model more effectively to reach their mega-populations.  And the small town churches (whose churches often comprise 5 – 10 percent of the population of the town) should look to mega-church structures for guidance.

Now, I’ve been in church leadership on one level or another for over thirty years.  I’ve heard of small churches trying to do what mega-churches do — and the wreckage has been horrendous. But what if we approached this backwards.  What if small town churches considered themselves mega-churches already. 

How would they approach things differently?  Would they begin to be teaching churches for all the mega-churches around?  Would they start to provide worship teams (slightly different in makeup but equally effective) to the mega-churches?  Would the small town church begin to shape their communities without feeling inferior?

A whole bunch of questions for those of you who have seen the transitioning of the church in the last few years.  The emerging church in large centers is fighting for a small town model of church.  I wonder how we in small centers will respond?

We graduated together from Campbell Collegiate in Regina.  The year book had Dave down as “He wears Army boots.”  Dave was one of those who lived life to the full — extreme sports would be his approach!  He became a committed Christian in high school.  His life was one of reaching out to others.  These last few years he has been in Cairo — pastoring a church.

There are many memories that I cherish — no one else could take an Austin Mini around a corner on two wheels quite the way Dave could.  No one else just attracted other people quite like Dave could — they just wanted to be with him.  My parents considered him as part of the “gang” who arrived at our house quite often for “fun, food and fellowship.”  And, if you were walking with Dave, you knew there was another companion on the road with you, his friend Jesus.    

Yesterday Dave accidentally fell from a balcony. 

Today he walks with his friend, Jesus.