Thank you all for your prayers and kind words during this process of discernment and waiting. As most of you know my last few entries have included requests for prayer and discernment on my participation in the Elevation program both on behalf on myself and the church I am serving with. So today I share with you the results of the conversations around this topic.
Although initially I had many reservations, through prayer and discernment both on my own and with mentors I felt that this program and my continued service with this church is where the Lord was placing me. The church held an initial meeting where several objections were raised to the money that would be required to keep me. I left that meeting feeling discouraged and mentally preparing myself for a later rejection, but I kept on praying for myself, the church, but mostly that Gods will be done in this situation. On Wednesday April 13th the church held another meeting about inviting me onto the staff. The meeting started off with me answering a few questions and then being dismissed so the congregation could talk freely. The setup was that of a sharing circle where everyone present had an opportunity to hold the mic and say their peace about the situation, and then everyone had an opportunity to respond to what had been said. After the mic made its way around the circle 2 times they had a vote. It was a secret ballot to prevent anyone from being called out who may have wished to differ from the oral consensus. I do not know the exact number of members who attended the meeting, but I do know that there were many more at the second meeting than who attended the first, including most of those who voiced initial objections. (have I made you wait long enough yet?) The vote was unanimous in favour; with the exception of one who chose to abstain. I am told by the chair of the church council that this person approached him later to share that they were not quite ready yet, but were close and they did not want to vote no, but needed a bit more time before they could vote yes, so they abstained.
I did not hear the circle discussion, but I am told that there was overwhelming support for me and the ministry I have been doing with the people of this church. So on June 1st I will officially be hired by the church as a part time staff, and shortly after that I will enroll with Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary as a part time masters student!
For quite some time I have been concerned that my sense of call has been faulty in some way. I felt that my difficulty in finding a ministry to lead and serve with was somehow indicative of the Lords desire for me to do something else. This year has been a time of incredible affirmation in ministry and I have been so blessed by the opportunity to serve in this way.
It turns out that in hindsight one of the biggest reasons it took me so long to find a path, was my own pride. A few years ago, (possibly less than a year before I started TREK) I would not have considered Trek, let alone the Elevation program primarily because they are only small positions that require me to fund-raise, and ask for donations from friends and family. But between friends and family, and the church I am serving with I received funds/pledges to cover all my expenses by the time the TREK program started. For the Elevation program most of my initial reservations also had to do with my own pride, being an apprentice and having to fund-raise 1/3 of my salary for 2-4 years is not exactly prestigious. But I am trusting that the Lord will provide for me in this as well. I do not have all the fundraising details at this time, but I will be acquiring and circulating them in the next week or two.
Please pray for supporters and ministry partners as I start the process of raising the funds needed to continue serving in this place/way. The goal is 10,000 a year (12 months starting in June) that will be matched by both the conference and the church, to make up my annual salary. I am not 100% clear on what happens if I can't raise it all, but my current understanding is that the money from the church and conference is to match my own, meaning that if i raise 5,000 only, then I only get a total of 15,000, to cover living/school expenses for the year. So while ten thousand seems like a lot to raise, every dollar will be tripled by the generosity of the church and conference. Please pray that the funds come in, and perhaps consider continuing to support me financially if you are able.
I continue to look forward to what God has in store for me both at the church I am serving with, and in this new program.
God Bless
- Stefan Klassen
