Good Afternoon Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderers!
I hope you have all had an amazing November and have been enjoying the first few days of December. There is less than three weeks until Christmas, and I do not know where the time went. Overall my November was pretty good, that being said there have also been a few notable disappointments as well.
Thanksgiving
As I have already said this year I am taking a practical course that involves a lot of reflection and self evaluation. As a part of this process I am to regularly meet with mentors, people who I have invited to speak into my life, my ministry, and give me feedback on how to grow. I have been supremely blessed by all of these people, in different ways. Of particular note this past month was a meeting I had with a mentor from the Trek program which started me on this path. He is a man I intrinsically trust and so within 10 minutes we were talking about some of my deepest fears and thoughts. As is his fashion that soon led to prayer and a process of inviting Jesus into those spaces and places in my heart which I did not even realize I had held back. In this 90 minute conversation I was able to hear Jesus in a new way, it was something I did not realize I desperately needed. After that meeting I have had a profound decrease in stress and anxiety, in some really important areas of my life. This was one of three profound meetings I have had with spiritual mentors and co-ministers who have blessed my socks off lately.
Another blessing this month has to do with the young adult group at my church. The first few events of the year are always poorly attended and I was feeling very discouraged about this group in September. Yet in the past month our attendance has risen and participation is really growing. Near the end of the month we had a potluck with almost twice as many people as those who regularly attend our Tuesday meetings. That being said I have been encouraged by our Tuesday Bible Studies as well. Almost by accident last year I started a bible study by asking a question related to applying the scripture we were studying, since then I have been regularly encouraged to continue doing that, and we have had some really stimulating conversations. Yesterday when we met it felt like an off day, yet I was pulled aside by one of the regular attenders for them to encourage me that my presence and these studies have been a source of safety and comfort for them to work through struggles. That blessed me and I am so thankful for the words of encouragement because that is exactly what I want to be doing, and I am so glad that my home and ministry is a safe and encouraging place.
Finally this month we had a new youth leader start! I am so excited for her to speak into and offer guidance to our youth. This has been a regular and consistent prayer for this year and I am so excited to see how God is going to work through this young woman. As our group grows predominantly with Jr. High girls the need for strong godly female leaders grows with it.
Prayer request
So as I feared last month the woman things did not end up working out with the woman I was seeing. As expected this was difficult and disappointing for me as she in particular seemed like a really good match. I do not know what is holding me back from finding the right person, I honestly think that God is at work preventing this. So please join with me in praying that I would meet whoever God has for me soon.
Another prayer request that come out of this month is in regards to a difficult person I have had interactions with this past month. I have had several difficult interactions with this person and I am at a loss as to how to effectively communicate with them. In the most recent interaction this person told me that everything I was doing need to change because I was doing a poor job. Suffice it to say this was difficult to hear. On the one hand I do not think the person was being malicious, but it was still tough. I prayed about it and asked those I trust to speak into the truth of this statement. Ultimately we all concluded that this person is incorrect, and in fact in response to this I received some welcome encouragement. Yet I would still value your prayers for wisdom as I interact with this person in the future. Also wisdom to know when to take a critique seriously and when to let something slide off of me.
My final request this month is for some of the people I have been interacting with lately. As a part of the growth in the ministries I oversee I have had a chance to hear more stories of people who are hurting and in need of Jesus. In a few cases I have been invited to speak into the lives of the people in a more direct way and so I would ask you to join with me in praying for these people, that they would come to know Jesus, to find comfort and encouragement in the presence of the Lord. Pray that I would faithful represent Christ to everyone I interact with.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers. They have been felt this month and I know it is because of them that December will be a good month!
God Bless
- Stefan Klassen
Preaching
Preaching during the main service at church
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
October, Youth Conferences, Papers, and Banquets
Good Morning Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderers!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my Blog! This past month has been extremely full and tremendously busy, but that has mostly been in a good way.
Thanksgiving,
So this month, as a part of my crazy insane class called Supervised Ministry Experience, (SME) I have been interviewing and meeting with people and leaders who I respect, including one counsellor, on the topic of ministry longevity and stress reduction. This process which started out as being very onerous has become tremendously fruitful as I have received and overflow of encouragement and blessings from many different avenues. In that I have realized that in my mind when I speak to myself I am often very negative, much more negative that I am even to others in my own mind. So it has been a project of mine to work on this for the next little bit and try to correct the way I think about myself. So far even being conscious of it has made a tremendous difference in my outlook and anxiety levels.
This month due to the excessive business of my schedule I was planning on not attending the annual youth leader conference. I had made this plan and then in conversation with my lead pastor I was encouraged to actually attend. I am so glad that he did so because the conference was a profoundly rich experience that I am sure I will be debriefing for many weeks after. The main speaker was a guy by the name of Tim Huff and he spoke at length about the difference between homelessness and houselessness. Tim works primarily with street youth and shared that kids become homeless long before they become houseless, that the main goal of a church or ministry should be to be that home for youth and young people. Because once church becomes a safe place, once the kids know that the adults and leaders are on their side, so much can be done with and for them.
Another thing to be thankful for this month is that I have met someone. I do not normally share about dating and relationships on here, but last month I felt deeply discouraged and perhaps it is because I wrote about this but a few days later a friend of mine introduced me to a pretty amazing woman. It is still early, very early, and so perhaps nothing will come of this, but I am cautiously optimistic. Thank you for your prayers, in every category. For this reason, and so much more I have had an increased awareness of the Lord's presence and how he is caring for me even when the situations do not seem to indicate it.
Prayer Requests,
My studies continue to be a source of stress and anxiety. Recently a professor has been assigning significant extra reading about halfway through the week, and expecting it all to be done by the same time as the readings given twice as much time. I have approached her to explain that I do my school work early in the week when I have time, and cannot get it done when assigned so late. She was not sympathetic to my cause. After having prayed and spoken to a mentor I have doubled down and not done this additional reading, I am even meeting this afternoon with another professor to see what options I have if this affects my grades. Please pray that my grades would not overly be affected by a lazy professor, and that I would be able to meet all the academic requirements placed on me this semester and the coming year, as they seem to increase each year, not decrease.
This month during the churches annual fall banquet I had two unfortunate conversations. The fall banquet is possibly the highest stress event the church does, and so everyone who volunteers is running on a shorter fuse. With that I had two interactions with church members which I did not feel good about. The first was with a woman who was to organize the tables during the event. My role was mostly to help where needed and someone else had assigned me this task since I guess she was late, or perhaps we were early, yet I did not know that I had been taking over for her and so when she tried to instruct me I was cavalier and dismissive, which she snapped at, and I then also spoke shortly to her after she snapped. I regretted it immediately, and apologized shortly after but I would appreciate prayer for mindfulness in the future. Shortly after I had a different but also negative encounter with another volunteer. I was instructed to tell everyone to wear gloves to distribute food, yet when I passed this along one person was quite resistant to this instruction and became incredibly argumentative when I made the request. The person eventually acquiesced and I thanked them, but i did not know how to move forwards and sat there dumbfounded for several minutes until then. So I would also appreciate prayers for mindfulness in how to respond to confusing situations as well.
Finally I want to thank you and ask for prayer regarding my financial support. As of November I am funded until the end of March. that is so amazing and encouraging to see. As you may know I am in my third year of four working at my church, and that means that I still have to raise a little over a years worth of funds. So as you think of me, please pray that the finances will continue to come in and that the Lord will provide the resources for me to finish well.
Thank you all for your support both prayerful, and financial. I could not do even a fraction of what I am without your love and generosity.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my Blog! This past month has been extremely full and tremendously busy, but that has mostly been in a good way.
Thanksgiving,
So this month, as a part of my crazy insane class called Supervised Ministry Experience, (SME) I have been interviewing and meeting with people and leaders who I respect, including one counsellor, on the topic of ministry longevity and stress reduction. This process which started out as being very onerous has become tremendously fruitful as I have received and overflow of encouragement and blessings from many different avenues. In that I have realized that in my mind when I speak to myself I am often very negative, much more negative that I am even to others in my own mind. So it has been a project of mine to work on this for the next little bit and try to correct the way I think about myself. So far even being conscious of it has made a tremendous difference in my outlook and anxiety levels.
This month due to the excessive business of my schedule I was planning on not attending the annual youth leader conference. I had made this plan and then in conversation with my lead pastor I was encouraged to actually attend. I am so glad that he did so because the conference was a profoundly rich experience that I am sure I will be debriefing for many weeks after. The main speaker was a guy by the name of Tim Huff and he spoke at length about the difference between homelessness and houselessness. Tim works primarily with street youth and shared that kids become homeless long before they become houseless, that the main goal of a church or ministry should be to be that home for youth and young people. Because once church becomes a safe place, once the kids know that the adults and leaders are on their side, so much can be done with and for them.
Another thing to be thankful for this month is that I have met someone. I do not normally share about dating and relationships on here, but last month I felt deeply discouraged and perhaps it is because I wrote about this but a few days later a friend of mine introduced me to a pretty amazing woman. It is still early, very early, and so perhaps nothing will come of this, but I am cautiously optimistic. Thank you for your prayers, in every category. For this reason, and so much more I have had an increased awareness of the Lord's presence and how he is caring for me even when the situations do not seem to indicate it.
Prayer Requests,
My studies continue to be a source of stress and anxiety. Recently a professor has been assigning significant extra reading about halfway through the week, and expecting it all to be done by the same time as the readings given twice as much time. I have approached her to explain that I do my school work early in the week when I have time, and cannot get it done when assigned so late. She was not sympathetic to my cause. After having prayed and spoken to a mentor I have doubled down and not done this additional reading, I am even meeting this afternoon with another professor to see what options I have if this affects my grades. Please pray that my grades would not overly be affected by a lazy professor, and that I would be able to meet all the academic requirements placed on me this semester and the coming year, as they seem to increase each year, not decrease.
This month during the churches annual fall banquet I had two unfortunate conversations. The fall banquet is possibly the highest stress event the church does, and so everyone who volunteers is running on a shorter fuse. With that I had two interactions with church members which I did not feel good about. The first was with a woman who was to organize the tables during the event. My role was mostly to help where needed and someone else had assigned me this task since I guess she was late, or perhaps we were early, yet I did not know that I had been taking over for her and so when she tried to instruct me I was cavalier and dismissive, which she snapped at, and I then also spoke shortly to her after she snapped. I regretted it immediately, and apologized shortly after but I would appreciate prayer for mindfulness in the future. Shortly after I had a different but also negative encounter with another volunteer. I was instructed to tell everyone to wear gloves to distribute food, yet when I passed this along one person was quite resistant to this instruction and became incredibly argumentative when I made the request. The person eventually acquiesced and I thanked them, but i did not know how to move forwards and sat there dumbfounded for several minutes until then. So I would also appreciate prayers for mindfulness in how to respond to confusing situations as well.
Finally I want to thank you and ask for prayer regarding my financial support. As of November I am funded until the end of March. that is so amazing and encouraging to see. As you may know I am in my third year of four working at my church, and that means that I still have to raise a little over a years worth of funds. So as you think of me, please pray that the finances will continue to come in and that the Lord will provide the resources for me to finish well.
Thank you all for your support both prayerful, and financial. I could not do even a fraction of what I am without your love and generosity.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
September, New Classes, Funeral, and Stress
Good Afternoon Friends, Family and Internet wanderers! I hope your September has been a positive one and that the sudden sign of snow in these first few days of October does not fill you with to much dismay.
Thankfulness
This month I have much to be thankful for, the first and foremost is the support structure in which I have built around me in friends, family, the church, and the conference. Earlier this month when the lead pastor at the church was away on vacation a relative of a church member passed away. This was tragic and while not entirely sudden, neither was it expected. Yet for me as a young pastor I was faced with, in the middle of my classes and starting ministries, with walking a family through grief and a funeral. This was a tremendously nerve inducing process as I had no prior experience and was also dealing with all my other responsibilities. That being said the people around me, and the people around the grieving family were amazing and a huge resource. The conference gave me resources on how to do a funeral, the church helped out by covering things which needed to get done, an everyone else was a huge support. So as a result I led my first funeral this month and from the feedback I believe that it was not just a success for me, but that the family really felt cared for and supported by the church.
This being the beginning of my fourth year at my church (third year in my program) I am encouraged to see that many of the ministries of which I am a part people are looking to me as a leader. This year I have really begun to feel like less of a learner and more of a known quantity a leader which others can turn to as needed. I cannot point to anything specific here but rather there has been many small things which have been a good source of encouragement to me that God is indeed moving and using me where I am at.
One of the ways I have been encouraged this past month is actually with how a sermon of mine had been received. In the midst of funeral planning I also had a sermon to deliver and while I felt the sermon went well, it did lack a little of the polish that I usually like to add before I deliver it. But while I would not have called this one of my better sermons God was working through it anyways in the form of a young adult who thought it perfect to share with a friend who has been struggling. That friend also got a lot out of what I said (we record the services) and know I am planning to meet with them to talk about my sermon and process what this person is struggling with. This is an amazing privileged for me to know that God is using what I am doing to build up his kingdom, and I pray that whatever we end up talking about that God will be glorified.
Prayer requests
Youth has started already this year and it started well, but we are still looking for another leader to nurture and support our growing number of young girls. Please pray that God would bring along a female leader to help our team, we have almost 10 girls and only one leader, and while she is awesome we really need at least one more to help nurture these girls.
My second prayer request has to do with school and the workload. I know last month I asked for prayer about this and now that classes have started it has become clear that there is indeed a lot more required of me in this one class than has been before. Specifically the class is essentially twice the amount of work as another class and I find myself having to cut corners in order to meet deadlines. Please pray that I would work efficiently in all my classes and would schedule myself well, that I would be able to know when to say 'no' and when I need to do something.
My final prayer request this month is loosing all pretense. I have prayed regularly and consistently for a wife over the past 5 years+ I have been dating a lot (for me at least) and so far nothing has worked out, almost all of them have been her breaking it off. I do not know what the Lord has planned for me, and for a long time I thought it was and hoped it was to find a wife. But the wait has been long and shows no sign of ending soon, and so I would ask that you pray for me about this. That the Lord would give me some sort of sign or encouragement one way or the other because it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to have hope in this place.
Thank you to everyone who reads these and supports me both prayerfully and financially, I literally could not do this without you.
Thankfulness
This month I have much to be thankful for, the first and foremost is the support structure in which I have built around me in friends, family, the church, and the conference. Earlier this month when the lead pastor at the church was away on vacation a relative of a church member passed away. This was tragic and while not entirely sudden, neither was it expected. Yet for me as a young pastor I was faced with, in the middle of my classes and starting ministries, with walking a family through grief and a funeral. This was a tremendously nerve inducing process as I had no prior experience and was also dealing with all my other responsibilities. That being said the people around me, and the people around the grieving family were amazing and a huge resource. The conference gave me resources on how to do a funeral, the church helped out by covering things which needed to get done, an everyone else was a huge support. So as a result I led my first funeral this month and from the feedback I believe that it was not just a success for me, but that the family really felt cared for and supported by the church.
This being the beginning of my fourth year at my church (third year in my program) I am encouraged to see that many of the ministries of which I am a part people are looking to me as a leader. This year I have really begun to feel like less of a learner and more of a known quantity a leader which others can turn to as needed. I cannot point to anything specific here but rather there has been many small things which have been a good source of encouragement to me that God is indeed moving and using me where I am at.
One of the ways I have been encouraged this past month is actually with how a sermon of mine had been received. In the midst of funeral planning I also had a sermon to deliver and while I felt the sermon went well, it did lack a little of the polish that I usually like to add before I deliver it. But while I would not have called this one of my better sermons God was working through it anyways in the form of a young adult who thought it perfect to share with a friend who has been struggling. That friend also got a lot out of what I said (we record the services) and know I am planning to meet with them to talk about my sermon and process what this person is struggling with. This is an amazing privileged for me to know that God is using what I am doing to build up his kingdom, and I pray that whatever we end up talking about that God will be glorified.
Prayer requests
Youth has started already this year and it started well, but we are still looking for another leader to nurture and support our growing number of young girls. Please pray that God would bring along a female leader to help our team, we have almost 10 girls and only one leader, and while she is awesome we really need at least one more to help nurture these girls.
My second prayer request has to do with school and the workload. I know last month I asked for prayer about this and now that classes have started it has become clear that there is indeed a lot more required of me in this one class than has been before. Specifically the class is essentially twice the amount of work as another class and I find myself having to cut corners in order to meet deadlines. Please pray that I would work efficiently in all my classes and would schedule myself well, that I would be able to know when to say 'no' and when I need to do something.
My final prayer request this month is loosing all pretense. I have prayed regularly and consistently for a wife over the past 5 years+ I have been dating a lot (for me at least) and so far nothing has worked out, almost all of them have been her breaking it off. I do not know what the Lord has planned for me, and for a long time I thought it was and hoped it was to find a wife. But the wait has been long and shows no sign of ending soon, and so I would ask that you pray for me about this. That the Lord would give me some sort of sign or encouragement one way or the other because it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to have hope in this place.
Thank you to everyone who reads these and supports me both prayerfully and financially, I literally could not do this without you.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
August - The end of Summer and the beginning of a new year.
Good Afternoon Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderors!
I know that January 1st is the beginning of the new year, but for me it has always felt like August 31/Sept 1 is when the year should start. I know that probably has to do with having spent more of my life in school than out, but at the same time people are returning from vacations, and ministry is starting up as well. So Happy New Year! I hope your summer was amazing!
Thanksgiving
As many of you know in August I turned 30 and while a bit of me was nervous about the milestone, it was a good time of spending the afternoon with family. I often take for granted the love and support of my family and it is good to spend time together and celebrate, especially if there is pie! Thank you to everyone, friends and family alike who took the time to write or call and send me birthday wishes, I very much felt loved this year.
Also as some of you know I used my vacation time in August to do another round of swimming lessons following the ones I took in July. After the July classes I felt more comfortable in the water but still could not do much on my own. So I decided to take the course again, and this time with a friend. Having a friend along and having done this before I learned much more than I had the first time. While I am still nervous around deep water I am improving dramatically in the core skills and now can swim almost indefinitely on my back, still working on getting the breathing right to stay on my front. It is my hope that my friend and I will be able to return to the pool regularly in order to be able to practice what we have learned until we feel ready to take the next level.
Finally this month I was able to re-connect a bit with a friend I had not seen since leaving my previous church. While we were never terribly close we have often shared a sense of camaraderie as we both have wholeheartedly pursued our faith. This month she was an encouragement to me and I hope I was to her. It is my hope that we will continue to be able to encourage each other in our respective ministries.
Prayer
As the new year approaches there are still a few things that need to be sorted out and I would cherish your prayers over.
With the new year comes a new opportunity to invest in the lives of youth. This is my favourite part of the year, but this year we have still yet to find a second female youth leader. Our group has grown from 4 students when I started to having the potential for 15 this year (10-12 expected for sure). I love to see the students growing in their faith and new kids showing up, but in order to keep this up I need more adults who are interested in investing in the lives of students, particularly young women as 10 of that 15 will likely be ladies. Please join me in praying that God will show us where to look and who to find to help these young women grow as beloved children of God.
Similarly this is not just a new school year for the youth, but also for me as I am now in year 3 of 4 for my Masters Degree. This year is unlike the previous years in that a large portion of my work will entail reflection and critical analysis of my work at the church, it is called Supervised Ministry Experience. So with uncertainty comes the need for more prayer. Please join me in praying for this school year, pray that I will use my time well that I will learn what I need to and use that learning to impact others for God's kingdom.
Thank you for your prayers and for your support both financial and prayerful. Without the generosity of people like you I could not serve as I do!
I know that January 1st is the beginning of the new year, but for me it has always felt like August 31/Sept 1 is when the year should start. I know that probably has to do with having spent more of my life in school than out, but at the same time people are returning from vacations, and ministry is starting up as well. So Happy New Year! I hope your summer was amazing!
Thanksgiving
As many of you know in August I turned 30 and while a bit of me was nervous about the milestone, it was a good time of spending the afternoon with family. I often take for granted the love and support of my family and it is good to spend time together and celebrate, especially if there is pie! Thank you to everyone, friends and family alike who took the time to write or call and send me birthday wishes, I very much felt loved this year.
Also as some of you know I used my vacation time in August to do another round of swimming lessons following the ones I took in July. After the July classes I felt more comfortable in the water but still could not do much on my own. So I decided to take the course again, and this time with a friend. Having a friend along and having done this before I learned much more than I had the first time. While I am still nervous around deep water I am improving dramatically in the core skills and now can swim almost indefinitely on my back, still working on getting the breathing right to stay on my front. It is my hope that my friend and I will be able to return to the pool regularly in order to be able to practice what we have learned until we feel ready to take the next level.
Finally this month I was able to re-connect a bit with a friend I had not seen since leaving my previous church. While we were never terribly close we have often shared a sense of camaraderie as we both have wholeheartedly pursued our faith. This month she was an encouragement to me and I hope I was to her. It is my hope that we will continue to be able to encourage each other in our respective ministries.
Prayer
As the new year approaches there are still a few things that need to be sorted out and I would cherish your prayers over.
With the new year comes a new opportunity to invest in the lives of youth. This is my favourite part of the year, but this year we have still yet to find a second female youth leader. Our group has grown from 4 students when I started to having the potential for 15 this year (10-12 expected for sure). I love to see the students growing in their faith and new kids showing up, but in order to keep this up I need more adults who are interested in investing in the lives of students, particularly young women as 10 of that 15 will likely be ladies. Please join me in praying that God will show us where to look and who to find to help these young women grow as beloved children of God.
Similarly this is not just a new school year for the youth, but also for me as I am now in year 3 of 4 for my Masters Degree. This year is unlike the previous years in that a large portion of my work will entail reflection and critical analysis of my work at the church, it is called Supervised Ministry Experience. So with uncertainty comes the need for more prayer. Please join me in praying for this school year, pray that I will use my time well that I will learn what I need to and use that learning to impact others for God's kingdom.
Thank you for your prayers and for your support both financial and prayerful. Without the generosity of people like you I could not serve as I do!
Friday, August 3, 2018
July, Conference, Performance Review and Vacation Time!
Good Morning Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderers!
I am so happy that you are reading this and I hope all is going well with you, as it certainly has for me. This past month has been both full and restful, a combination that I do not usually get to experience and I am excited to share with you how God has been at work recently.
Thanksgiving
Early in July the lead pastor and I rented a car and drove out to Saskatoon for the Canadian conference's national gathering. This event was a blessing in many ways for me. The first blessing came in the form of good conversation and connect with my lead pastor. We have always had a good relationship but being that our offices are not in the same place I do not connect with him more than a couple times a week. This was a good chance for socializing and relationship building which I valued. When we arrived at our destination we bumped into the head of our conferences mission organization who invited us out to super. Now I do not like to use names here but this guy is one of my personal hero's as I see Jesus in everything he does. So spending time around a table hearing stories and being generally encouraged was worth the trip on its own. The conference itself was also a huge blessing as I got a chance to briefly re-connect with people from TREK a few years ago, and meet some new people doing cool new things. (One guy found a way to make eyeglasses for less than $5 and in 5 minutes. He is going to 3rd world countries with this technology to bless them). 2 big highlights from the conference were listening to one speaker recite from memory the book of Ephesians and talk about the benefits of the practice of memorization. The other highlight was hearing from the head of our Brazilian conference and his stories of faithfulness and the overall desire to promote unity in our churches. The trip was condensed into four 16 hour days and when returning I was both tired and energized by the experience.
This past month I received my annual performance review as well. This is still something that gives me a degree of anxiety as the review is primarily based on a church survey, in which members and attenders are invited to give feedback on me specifically. Yet because I focus primarily on youth and young adults it was a bit discouraging to see a good chunk of respondents write that they felt they did not know me very well. Yet overall this still goes into the positive and thankfulness section of this post. The review was overwhelmingly positive and while there are a few points of improvement that stand out for me to work on I overall felt encouraged in this process.
This past month I was also blessed to be able to take some vacation time. Since I do not have a lot of resources at the moment, I did not have any plans to go anywhere, instead I decided to work on improving a skill over the week and I took my first ever swimming lesson. For whatever reason as a kid I never took swimming lessons and I have spent most of my adult life afraid of water deeper than my waist. I had originally intended to take this class with a friend in a similar situation, yet he changed his mind. The class I signed up for listed itself as adults only and so I figured I would have the pool to myself and the class, this was not the case and I ended up learning alongside many children in the pool. It was a humbling experience, yet I feel like I gained so much for it. The biggest issue for me was simply being comfortable in the water and while I still have a long way to go I feel much more confident and have a lot more skill than I did before.
Prayer Request
This month I received another financial update and boy do you need to read those carefully. Since the generosity of people such as yourself has made fundraising relatively simple for me I have not paid much attention lately to how I am doing. Now as it stands I am still ahead of the need for funds and have the next 4 months of funds raised, yet when I read the report, I misread something and for about half an hour thought I had run out. Minor panic attacks aside I am so grateful for the generosity of everyone. Right now I am over the halfway period of elevation, which means for the past 2 years, 3 if you include Trek, people like you have faithfully been contributing to my fund and have literally supported my serving this church and its people. My funding right now is good for another 4 months which means I will still need a little more to end the year, and hopefully a bit more still so that the trend can continue of having a few months already in the bank ahead of time.
As regular readers will remember this past year the youth team lost leaders due to them moving away. Thinking about the coming year the church still very much needs another female youth leader. One person has been approached but she seems hesitant, and while the church does have several women who I feel would be good leadership candidates it seems like there is still a lot of stigma against working with youth in the church. Perhaps it is just personality types but youth work has always been a joy for me even when it is exhausting and I do not understand why so many seem resistant to the idea of being a leader. Please pray with me for God to bring us a female youth leader to serve our growing group of young women
Then my final prayer request involves trusting God and being bold. As much as I often talk a big game I find that I am guided a lot more by fear than by anything else. Doing a lot of introspection lately has revealed this to me and I do not want to go where fear leads. There are specific examples I am thinking of but in general please pray for a holy boldness. To have confidence in the word God speaks to me and then the boldness to act on it.
Thank you so much for you continued support both prayerful and financial, without you this would not be possible!
I am so happy that you are reading this and I hope all is going well with you, as it certainly has for me. This past month has been both full and restful, a combination that I do not usually get to experience and I am excited to share with you how God has been at work recently.
Thanksgiving
Early in July the lead pastor and I rented a car and drove out to Saskatoon for the Canadian conference's national gathering. This event was a blessing in many ways for me. The first blessing came in the form of good conversation and connect with my lead pastor. We have always had a good relationship but being that our offices are not in the same place I do not connect with him more than a couple times a week. This was a good chance for socializing and relationship building which I valued. When we arrived at our destination we bumped into the head of our conferences mission organization who invited us out to super. Now I do not like to use names here but this guy is one of my personal hero's as I see Jesus in everything he does. So spending time around a table hearing stories and being generally encouraged was worth the trip on its own. The conference itself was also a huge blessing as I got a chance to briefly re-connect with people from TREK a few years ago, and meet some new people doing cool new things. (One guy found a way to make eyeglasses for less than $5 and in 5 minutes. He is going to 3rd world countries with this technology to bless them). 2 big highlights from the conference were listening to one speaker recite from memory the book of Ephesians and talk about the benefits of the practice of memorization. The other highlight was hearing from the head of our Brazilian conference and his stories of faithfulness and the overall desire to promote unity in our churches. The trip was condensed into four 16 hour days and when returning I was both tired and energized by the experience.
This past month I received my annual performance review as well. This is still something that gives me a degree of anxiety as the review is primarily based on a church survey, in which members and attenders are invited to give feedback on me specifically. Yet because I focus primarily on youth and young adults it was a bit discouraging to see a good chunk of respondents write that they felt they did not know me very well. Yet overall this still goes into the positive and thankfulness section of this post. The review was overwhelmingly positive and while there are a few points of improvement that stand out for me to work on I overall felt encouraged in this process.
This past month I was also blessed to be able to take some vacation time. Since I do not have a lot of resources at the moment, I did not have any plans to go anywhere, instead I decided to work on improving a skill over the week and I took my first ever swimming lesson. For whatever reason as a kid I never took swimming lessons and I have spent most of my adult life afraid of water deeper than my waist. I had originally intended to take this class with a friend in a similar situation, yet he changed his mind. The class I signed up for listed itself as adults only and so I figured I would have the pool to myself and the class, this was not the case and I ended up learning alongside many children in the pool. It was a humbling experience, yet I feel like I gained so much for it. The biggest issue for me was simply being comfortable in the water and while I still have a long way to go I feel much more confident and have a lot more skill than I did before.
Prayer Request
This month I received another financial update and boy do you need to read those carefully. Since the generosity of people such as yourself has made fundraising relatively simple for me I have not paid much attention lately to how I am doing. Now as it stands I am still ahead of the need for funds and have the next 4 months of funds raised, yet when I read the report, I misread something and for about half an hour thought I had run out. Minor panic attacks aside I am so grateful for the generosity of everyone. Right now I am over the halfway period of elevation, which means for the past 2 years, 3 if you include Trek, people like you have faithfully been contributing to my fund and have literally supported my serving this church and its people. My funding right now is good for another 4 months which means I will still need a little more to end the year, and hopefully a bit more still so that the trend can continue of having a few months already in the bank ahead of time.
As regular readers will remember this past year the youth team lost leaders due to them moving away. Thinking about the coming year the church still very much needs another female youth leader. One person has been approached but she seems hesitant, and while the church does have several women who I feel would be good leadership candidates it seems like there is still a lot of stigma against working with youth in the church. Perhaps it is just personality types but youth work has always been a joy for me even when it is exhausting and I do not understand why so many seem resistant to the idea of being a leader. Please pray with me for God to bring us a female youth leader to serve our growing group of young women
Then my final prayer request involves trusting God and being bold. As much as I often talk a big game I find that I am guided a lot more by fear than by anything else. Doing a lot of introspection lately has revealed this to me and I do not want to go where fear leads. There are specific examples I am thinking of but in general please pray for a holy boldness. To have confidence in the word God speaks to me and then the boldness to act on it.
Thank you so much for you continued support both prayerful and financial, without you this would not be possible!
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
May and June, - Retreats, War, and the end of another year.
Good Morning Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderers
It is that time of year again where I must apologize for forgetting last month and blame it on the business of ending a ministry year. That being said a lot has been done and while stressful it was all very good.
Thankfulness
In the middle of June I had my final youth event for the year, it was a lock-in. For those who might not be familiar with the terminology a lock-in is an event where the students spend the night at the church. For this event myself and one other leader committed to staying up all night to maintain supervision and to spend time with the students a few of which almost made it the whole night. This event while draining was a lot of fun and even featured a surprise visit from the fire department on Saturday morning when some bacon grease smoke triggered our buildings alarm. I feel really privileged to be able to speak and pray and live into the lives of the students in this place. But I am exceedingly thankful for two specific things which occurred recently. The first is that one of my youth, the oldest current youth made the decision to get baptized and I was invited along with another church leader to baptize him. This is perhaps the most exciting part of my role as a youth leader, to get to see students share about how they have experienced Jesus. To be a part of that decision both as a leader in the preceding months and years, but also to be the one with them in the water, it is exhilarating and an answer to prayer. My second point of thankfulness around youth is that I have tentatively found a new female youth leader. I say tentative because her life is also pretty busy but she has a heart for youth and a desire to serve. Please join me in praying for her and her final decision, I am still awaiting her 'non- provisional' acceptance.
The past two months have also featured a summer course at CMU called War and Divine Violence in the Bible. This class has been taught by one of my favourite professors and one who I also feel that i have a growing peer relationship with as we have spoken many times on various subjects outside the classroom experience. In this course I was able to look critically at some of the most difficult passages in the Bible, particularly the conquest of the promised land by Joshua and the often labelled genocide of the Canaanites. In my study I found many reasons both for why this event occurred, and that indicated the event was much less violent than is often understood (it was still really violent though). But the fundamental learning for me from this course has to do with the difference between Gods actions in the Old and New Testament. As I understand it the Old Testament God acted violently/harshly more often, because the conditions needed to be exactly right to create the correct environment for Jesus to be born into. Overall I found the course incredibly stimulating and expect to get a B+/A as is my new norm.
Finally in the middle of May my church had our annual general meeting. This meeting as usual featured reports from different ministries and the volunteers who lead them, giving the church as a whole an idea of what has taken place over the past year. Leading up to this meeting I had been feeling discourage as my goals for youth and for the young adults this past year had not been met. Yet when speaking to the church, and giving my reports of how the youth, the young adults, and my other ministry responsibilities have progressed I was met with spontaneous affirmation from many in the church. Normally there is a time of questions after each person shares, and as I saw many hands go up I was unsure what to expect, but it was not what I received and the blessings that my church shows me over and over are a clear testimony that God has placed me in the right place for this time.
Prayer requests
So with my writing this I have officially been in summer mode for about a week or two now and my first request is that I would use this time well and wisely. This year has been full of ups and downs and overall has been great, but I have definitely been looking forward to a bit of a break. Please pray that I would be able to both rest this summer but also to be able to prioritize and prepare well for September and the new ministry year.
Implicit in a new year are new courses, and next year I am taking what is called Supervised Ministry Experience (SME). SME is a course which involves me working in a church and reflecting critically both on my experience and my success. But what makes me nervous about this course is that it is both unknown to me and from what I gather mostly about me making my own goals and trying to meet them. So on the one hand this could and I hope it does allow me to think and grow in very specific areas of ministry, but on the other hand this could very likely put a lot more on my plate and make for an even busier year. Please join me in praying that this course and experience will be one which helps me hone my ministry skills and not one which takes away from what I am already passionate about doing.
My final prayer request is that I would grow as a leader. As I wrote above the youth group is going well and I feel strongly that the next year will be our best year so far. Yet our growth is slow and intermittent and I often feel like there is more I could be doing. Recently a colleague of mine recommended Simple Church, it is a book about simplifying what your ministry is doing rather than the seemingly default desire to add complexity. I am still in the first third or so of the book but it is all about clarifying vision, and doing a few things really well. Last year our youth group clarified its mission, we exist to Know, Grow, and Sow the love of God. Yet this past year I used it very infrequently please pray that those I lead would grow in their faith, and that I would not get stuck doing enough to get by, but that our students would really know, grow, and sow the love of God.
Thank you for joining with and supporting me, I could not continue without your prayers and I am so blessed by them and by you.
Blessings
- Stefan Klassen
It is that time of year again where I must apologize for forgetting last month and blame it on the business of ending a ministry year. That being said a lot has been done and while stressful it was all very good.
Thankfulness
In the middle of June I had my final youth event for the year, it was a lock-in. For those who might not be familiar with the terminology a lock-in is an event where the students spend the night at the church. For this event myself and one other leader committed to staying up all night to maintain supervision and to spend time with the students a few of which almost made it the whole night. This event while draining was a lot of fun and even featured a surprise visit from the fire department on Saturday morning when some bacon grease smoke triggered our buildings alarm. I feel really privileged to be able to speak and pray and live into the lives of the students in this place. But I am exceedingly thankful for two specific things which occurred recently. The first is that one of my youth, the oldest current youth made the decision to get baptized and I was invited along with another church leader to baptize him. This is perhaps the most exciting part of my role as a youth leader, to get to see students share about how they have experienced Jesus. To be a part of that decision both as a leader in the preceding months and years, but also to be the one with them in the water, it is exhilarating and an answer to prayer. My second point of thankfulness around youth is that I have tentatively found a new female youth leader. I say tentative because her life is also pretty busy but she has a heart for youth and a desire to serve. Please join me in praying for her and her final decision, I am still awaiting her 'non- provisional' acceptance.
The past two months have also featured a summer course at CMU called War and Divine Violence in the Bible. This class has been taught by one of my favourite professors and one who I also feel that i have a growing peer relationship with as we have spoken many times on various subjects outside the classroom experience. In this course I was able to look critically at some of the most difficult passages in the Bible, particularly the conquest of the promised land by Joshua and the often labelled genocide of the Canaanites. In my study I found many reasons both for why this event occurred, and that indicated the event was much less violent than is often understood (it was still really violent though). But the fundamental learning for me from this course has to do with the difference between Gods actions in the Old and New Testament. As I understand it the Old Testament God acted violently/harshly more often, because the conditions needed to be exactly right to create the correct environment for Jesus to be born into. Overall I found the course incredibly stimulating and expect to get a B+/A as is my new norm.
Finally in the middle of May my church had our annual general meeting. This meeting as usual featured reports from different ministries and the volunteers who lead them, giving the church as a whole an idea of what has taken place over the past year. Leading up to this meeting I had been feeling discourage as my goals for youth and for the young adults this past year had not been met. Yet when speaking to the church, and giving my reports of how the youth, the young adults, and my other ministry responsibilities have progressed I was met with spontaneous affirmation from many in the church. Normally there is a time of questions after each person shares, and as I saw many hands go up I was unsure what to expect, but it was not what I received and the blessings that my church shows me over and over are a clear testimony that God has placed me in the right place for this time.
Prayer requests
So with my writing this I have officially been in summer mode for about a week or two now and my first request is that I would use this time well and wisely. This year has been full of ups and downs and overall has been great, but I have definitely been looking forward to a bit of a break. Please pray that I would be able to both rest this summer but also to be able to prioritize and prepare well for September and the new ministry year.
Implicit in a new year are new courses, and next year I am taking what is called Supervised Ministry Experience (SME). SME is a course which involves me working in a church and reflecting critically both on my experience and my success. But what makes me nervous about this course is that it is both unknown to me and from what I gather mostly about me making my own goals and trying to meet them. So on the one hand this could and I hope it does allow me to think and grow in very specific areas of ministry, but on the other hand this could very likely put a lot more on my plate and make for an even busier year. Please join me in praying that this course and experience will be one which helps me hone my ministry skills and not one which takes away from what I am already passionate about doing.
My final prayer request is that I would grow as a leader. As I wrote above the youth group is going well and I feel strongly that the next year will be our best year so far. Yet our growth is slow and intermittent and I often feel like there is more I could be doing. Recently a colleague of mine recommended Simple Church, it is a book about simplifying what your ministry is doing rather than the seemingly default desire to add complexity. I am still in the first third or so of the book but it is all about clarifying vision, and doing a few things really well. Last year our youth group clarified its mission, we exist to Know, Grow, and Sow the love of God. Yet this past year I used it very infrequently please pray that those I lead would grow in their faith, and that I would not get stuck doing enough to get by, but that our students would really know, grow, and sow the love of God.
Thank you for joining with and supporting me, I could not continue without your prayers and I am so blessed by them and by you.
Blessings
- Stefan Klassen
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
April, Rest, Youth and Young Adults
Good Afternoon Friends, Family and Internet Wanderers,
April has been a good month of ministry as I have been able to do some new things, and do well with some not so new things.I received my grades for this semester (B+&A+), and was able to slow down just a bit and focus less on school for a month before my class starts in May.
Thankfulness
In January I was asked to give my testimony at a gather of several house churches as they send their students to my youth group. This year and last they gave my church money to help them fund me and so they wanted to know a bit more about who they were supporting. That testimony took a few different turns and transformed into the myself and the students running the afternoon service. Well that service was a few days ago and it went exceedingly well. This was the first time I had ever done a youth led service, and it was with a group of people I did not know. Yet despite some last minute changes the whole program went smoothly and not just in that their were no big mistakes. As best we could I worked with the students to make sure they remembered that even though we would have elements of fun and silliness we are still sharing the gospel of Jesus to everyone. It felt oddly self service to have students introduce me, but I wanted to make sure they all had a chance to speak in some way. So I experienced a profound blessing when the student who is furthest from faith spoke to 50 people about how he has personally grown and felt supported by me. I often wonder how big an impact I am making, and words like his are the most profound encouragement I can receive.
This year our young adults program has been all over the place as we have had many transitions and schedule changes among participants. Yet lately I have seen more young adults invited to church than I have since I started attending. I have even had the opportunity this month to go for lunch with some, and to invite others over after church. This past young adult gathering, it seemed like no one would come, and then 5 people arrived late and we spoke for a good hour later than usual about our topic and the struggle a few people have in our community. It was an amazing time of growth in our group and community. I still do not have a clue what God is doing with our young adults, or how much of a value I am bringing to the group, but lately things have been happening and we are growing.
This month I also attended an orientation for a 9 month class next year called Supervised Ministry Experience. It was originally outlined to me as a class in which I have to do school work and start a new ministry as well. I was thankfully incorrect as this will be a class where I spend time intentionally reflecting and looking on the ministry that I am already doing to see how I am doing and how I can improve. So instead of a class that looks to add significantly more work, it is a class that looks at the work I am doing and helps me to do it better.
Prayer Request.
This month my lead pastor noticed that he had not assigned me as many sermons this year as last, and so in summer I am now preaching 4 times instead of 2. This on its own is not too bad but the final youth event, my final paper for a summer course and the first sermon of the extra two are all a few days apart near the end of June. Please pray that I will manage my time well and give each assignment the attention it deserves.
I mentioned this last month, but it bears repeating. Two of my youth workers are moving away and I find myself in need of replacements, especially a female leader as we now only have one. Our youth group is starting to grow (one parent asked if her kid could bring 6-10 extra kids to an event, has not happened yet) but to meet this growth I need leaders, adults who are willing to invest and take interest in the lives of kids. Please pray that God will bring a strong female leader to support and walk alongside our female youth.
Thanks so much for your partnership in prayer, and for all of the different ways you support me and the ministry I am doing at my church!
April has been a good month of ministry as I have been able to do some new things, and do well with some not so new things.I received my grades for this semester (B+&A+), and was able to slow down just a bit and focus less on school for a month before my class starts in May.
Thankfulness
In January I was asked to give my testimony at a gather of several house churches as they send their students to my youth group. This year and last they gave my church money to help them fund me and so they wanted to know a bit more about who they were supporting. That testimony took a few different turns and transformed into the myself and the students running the afternoon service. Well that service was a few days ago and it went exceedingly well. This was the first time I had ever done a youth led service, and it was with a group of people I did not know. Yet despite some last minute changes the whole program went smoothly and not just in that their were no big mistakes. As best we could I worked with the students to make sure they remembered that even though we would have elements of fun and silliness we are still sharing the gospel of Jesus to everyone. It felt oddly self service to have students introduce me, but I wanted to make sure they all had a chance to speak in some way. So I experienced a profound blessing when the student who is furthest from faith spoke to 50 people about how he has personally grown and felt supported by me. I often wonder how big an impact I am making, and words like his are the most profound encouragement I can receive.
This year our young adults program has been all over the place as we have had many transitions and schedule changes among participants. Yet lately I have seen more young adults invited to church than I have since I started attending. I have even had the opportunity this month to go for lunch with some, and to invite others over after church. This past young adult gathering, it seemed like no one would come, and then 5 people arrived late and we spoke for a good hour later than usual about our topic and the struggle a few people have in our community. It was an amazing time of growth in our group and community. I still do not have a clue what God is doing with our young adults, or how much of a value I am bringing to the group, but lately things have been happening and we are growing.
This month I also attended an orientation for a 9 month class next year called Supervised Ministry Experience. It was originally outlined to me as a class in which I have to do school work and start a new ministry as well. I was thankfully incorrect as this will be a class where I spend time intentionally reflecting and looking on the ministry that I am already doing to see how I am doing and how I can improve. So instead of a class that looks to add significantly more work, it is a class that looks at the work I am doing and helps me to do it better.
Prayer Request.
This month my lead pastor noticed that he had not assigned me as many sermons this year as last, and so in summer I am now preaching 4 times instead of 2. This on its own is not too bad but the final youth event, my final paper for a summer course and the first sermon of the extra two are all a few days apart near the end of June. Please pray that I will manage my time well and give each assignment the attention it deserves.
I mentioned this last month, but it bears repeating. Two of my youth workers are moving away and I find myself in need of replacements, especially a female leader as we now only have one. Our youth group is starting to grow (one parent asked if her kid could bring 6-10 extra kids to an event, has not happened yet) but to meet this growth I need leaders, adults who are willing to invest and take interest in the lives of kids. Please pray that God will bring a strong female leader to support and walk alongside our female youth.
Thanks so much for your partnership in prayer, and for all of the different ways you support me and the ministry I am doing at my church!
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
March, Easter and the end of Classes. Volunteering and Charity
Good Morning Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderers
Christ is Risen! I hope everyone has had a meaningful Easter and has been able to celebrate the Risen Christ with friends and family. When I was a child days like Easter were exciting only because of the various chocolates I was sure to receive. As an adult I find myself much more excited for this season that I ever was as a child, Easter was and continues to be a chance to remember and invite others into a transformative relationship with the risen Christ. On Good Friday we mourn because all seems lost, on Holy Saturday we wait in the silence of the grave, and on Easter Sunday we proclaim that Christ is Risen to be followed up by the congregation declaring "He is risen indeed!" On Easter we celebrate the triumph of Christ over the powers of this world and the grave itself.
Thankfulness
This month I have had much to be thankful for. As exciting as the Easter season is there is a lot of work that goes into planning and coordinating the different services and their various aspects. Being an apprentice I had less responsibilities than many other pastors I know, but it was still busy. For Good Friday our church meets with a few others to remember together the sacrifice of Christ. This is an exciting time of interacting with other denominations. This year the pastor was helping with the worship team prepare for the singing and thus I was put in the role of point person. I think I handled it well, but what I am most thankful for are the continued opportunities to try new things and tasks. In my apprenticeship I am blessed to regularly be exploring new areas of ministry. So with Easter done I am both thankful for the opportunity to serve in a more direct way, and the rest that comes from a completed task.
Similarly March saw the end of my classes for this semester. For most students and classes there would still be another week and exams after, but due to the way my class was scheduled I finished the last week of the month, and finished my final assignments a few weeks before. I must admit that after my final paper was submitted I realized a different direction that I could have and perhaps should have taken the paper. That being said I am still expecting a B in that class and an A in the other class this semester. With these classes done I have about a month or so before my summer class starts up.
Finally I have noticed this month several different little encouragements that others in my community have been offering to me. People in the congregation have come up to me and told me about how my weekly devotional messages have been helpful. I have been approached by many others to tell me about the growth they have seen in the maturity of the youth in our church, not that I think that has nearly as much to do with me as it does with the Lord. This month a student approached me and said they wanted to meet to process things with me as they feel themselves growing in faith. I was even caught of guard when the pastor and my supervisor off hand told me how impressed he was with something small I did. Each one of these interactions is small on its own, but together they have been a solid encouragement to me that I am making a difference in the lives of those I am seeking to minster to.
Prayer
As encouraging as this month was there is still a lot I would ask you to join me in bringing before the Lord. First and foremost is the ending of the ministry year which is only 2 and a half months away.
As of writing this I have finished the outline for what the rest of the year will look like for youth, yet I want to make sure we make the most of the opportunities we have to teach and lead the students. Please pray for our youth group, that the year will end well, that students will be impacted by the teaching and that Jesus would be glorified by our time together.
On that note I am still looking for a female leader for youth next year. looking for volunteers seems like a non-stop challenge not just for the youth ministry, but for all the ministries of the church. Among some people there appears to be a feeling of burn out, others speak of having 'paid their dues.' This may just be my perception but the hesitancy to serve in certain areas or beyond a certain point seems odd to me. Certainly some people have to many other things to occupy their time, yet many seem to have other things which are standing in the way. I may be odd but in my own past experiences I loved being asked to serve in different areas even when the expectations were high. Please pray for the service culture at my church. Pray that leadership will be illuminated to the struggles of the volunteers and how to help them. Pray that we will see people lifted up for important service roles, like a female youth leader for next fall.
Changing gears a little, near the beginning of this month I received a random phone call from a stranger. This is not particularly new since I get a wrong number call at least once a week. Yet this was not a wrong number, but someone who got my number from the churches website and was looking for help. I have encountered people on the street like this but never before someone seeking me because I was a representative of a church. This person told me their story about travelling from the east coast and was new to town with no money and wondered if I could help them, the story the gave involved many locations and some inconsistencies (or at least the person was not very clear). They wanted money to stay in a hotel for the night and hoped I would pay for it. As a rule I do not give out money to people I do not know, and so I turned this person away. Yet as I did this I felt overcome by grief and anger towards myself. I know that this person likely could have or would have used my generosity in a poor way yet that night as I slept in a warm bed I could not help shake the feeling that I had erred. I wondered if I was a stranger in a new country or province, if I did not have family to depend on where would I go, could I go to a church and receive their charity? What does our charity look like when there are all these provisions attached? Please pray for this person, they may have been looking to scam me, or they may have been in genuine need, pray that they find any help they need. Please pray for me as well, to not become complacent and to offer charity to those who ask, not because they deserve it, but because that is what Jesus would do.
Finally and on a more personal note, I was stood up on a date this month. I have been trying to date a fair amount, to make a concentrated effort on finding whoever God may have for me. That being said it has not been going well. Many of the women I have met are really nice but their is no spark, but others like the person from this experience are really frustrating and discouraging. Please join with me in praying that God will bring me and my future wife into each others path soon.
Christ is Risen! I hope everyone has had a meaningful Easter and has been able to celebrate the Risen Christ with friends and family. When I was a child days like Easter were exciting only because of the various chocolates I was sure to receive. As an adult I find myself much more excited for this season that I ever was as a child, Easter was and continues to be a chance to remember and invite others into a transformative relationship with the risen Christ. On Good Friday we mourn because all seems lost, on Holy Saturday we wait in the silence of the grave, and on Easter Sunday we proclaim that Christ is Risen to be followed up by the congregation declaring "He is risen indeed!" On Easter we celebrate the triumph of Christ over the powers of this world and the grave itself.
Thankfulness
This month I have had much to be thankful for. As exciting as the Easter season is there is a lot of work that goes into planning and coordinating the different services and their various aspects. Being an apprentice I had less responsibilities than many other pastors I know, but it was still busy. For Good Friday our church meets with a few others to remember together the sacrifice of Christ. This is an exciting time of interacting with other denominations. This year the pastor was helping with the worship team prepare for the singing and thus I was put in the role of point person. I think I handled it well, but what I am most thankful for are the continued opportunities to try new things and tasks. In my apprenticeship I am blessed to regularly be exploring new areas of ministry. So with Easter done I am both thankful for the opportunity to serve in a more direct way, and the rest that comes from a completed task.
Similarly March saw the end of my classes for this semester. For most students and classes there would still be another week and exams after, but due to the way my class was scheduled I finished the last week of the month, and finished my final assignments a few weeks before. I must admit that after my final paper was submitted I realized a different direction that I could have and perhaps should have taken the paper. That being said I am still expecting a B in that class and an A in the other class this semester. With these classes done I have about a month or so before my summer class starts up.
Finally I have noticed this month several different little encouragements that others in my community have been offering to me. People in the congregation have come up to me and told me about how my weekly devotional messages have been helpful. I have been approached by many others to tell me about the growth they have seen in the maturity of the youth in our church, not that I think that has nearly as much to do with me as it does with the Lord. This month a student approached me and said they wanted to meet to process things with me as they feel themselves growing in faith. I was even caught of guard when the pastor and my supervisor off hand told me how impressed he was with something small I did. Each one of these interactions is small on its own, but together they have been a solid encouragement to me that I am making a difference in the lives of those I am seeking to minster to.
Prayer
As encouraging as this month was there is still a lot I would ask you to join me in bringing before the Lord. First and foremost is the ending of the ministry year which is only 2 and a half months away.
As of writing this I have finished the outline for what the rest of the year will look like for youth, yet I want to make sure we make the most of the opportunities we have to teach and lead the students. Please pray for our youth group, that the year will end well, that students will be impacted by the teaching and that Jesus would be glorified by our time together.
On that note I am still looking for a female leader for youth next year. looking for volunteers seems like a non-stop challenge not just for the youth ministry, but for all the ministries of the church. Among some people there appears to be a feeling of burn out, others speak of having 'paid their dues.' This may just be my perception but the hesitancy to serve in certain areas or beyond a certain point seems odd to me. Certainly some people have to many other things to occupy their time, yet many seem to have other things which are standing in the way. I may be odd but in my own past experiences I loved being asked to serve in different areas even when the expectations were high. Please pray for the service culture at my church. Pray that leadership will be illuminated to the struggles of the volunteers and how to help them. Pray that we will see people lifted up for important service roles, like a female youth leader for next fall.
Changing gears a little, near the beginning of this month I received a random phone call from a stranger. This is not particularly new since I get a wrong number call at least once a week. Yet this was not a wrong number, but someone who got my number from the churches website and was looking for help. I have encountered people on the street like this but never before someone seeking me because I was a representative of a church. This person told me their story about travelling from the east coast and was new to town with no money and wondered if I could help them, the story the gave involved many locations and some inconsistencies (or at least the person was not very clear). They wanted money to stay in a hotel for the night and hoped I would pay for it. As a rule I do not give out money to people I do not know, and so I turned this person away. Yet as I did this I felt overcome by grief and anger towards myself. I know that this person likely could have or would have used my generosity in a poor way yet that night as I slept in a warm bed I could not help shake the feeling that I had erred. I wondered if I was a stranger in a new country or province, if I did not have family to depend on where would I go, could I go to a church and receive their charity? What does our charity look like when there are all these provisions attached? Please pray for this person, they may have been looking to scam me, or they may have been in genuine need, pray that they find any help they need. Please pray for me as well, to not become complacent and to offer charity to those who ask, not because they deserve it, but because that is what Jesus would do.
Finally and on a more personal note, I was stood up on a date this month. I have been trying to date a fair amount, to make a concentrated effort on finding whoever God may have for me. That being said it has not been going well. Many of the women I have met are really nice but their is no spark, but others like the person from this experience are really frustrating and discouraging. Please join with me in praying that God will bring me and my future wife into each others path soon.
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
February, Generosity, Pastoral Counselling, and Young Adults!
Good Afternoon, Friends, Family and Internet Wanderers!
This past month has been another full one that it is almost the middle of the march before I am able to sit down and tell you about February. This month has mostly been pretty ordinary and full of a lot of School work, different meetings with church and conference, but there have also been a few amazing surprises.
Thanksgiving
There have been a few surprises this month but by far the biggest one has to do with the car I was looking into and purchasing last month. Most months I do not have that much extra money and even the steal of a deal I got was hard to come up with on short notice. So when one of you heard this I was generously lent all of the money I needed to cover the cost of the purchase of that vehicle and told to pay it back when I could. Similarly when I was looking into purchasing a car to replace my damaged one I had been told by someone that once I had purchased said vehicle I should let them know because they wanted to help me out with cost. I was really appreciative and thankful, expecting maybe a few hundred at most. But I found out that this person was asking for someone else and I was anonymously given $4000 to cover everything but the taxes of my car! This has been such a blessing in so many ways. Financially it has been so helpful to not have to worry about where I am going to find the money, or how I am going to pay back the other person. But more than that I am blessed to see the network of support not only catch me but put me in a better place than I was before. Thank you so much to whoever it was who generously supported me, and to all the others who help and continue to help along the way.
Another point of thanksgiving this month has been finishing school work quickly. Last semester was a very difficult one school wise, but this semester has been much lighter. This is in large part to taking an intensive class over reading week. Instead of taking a week off like most students I decided to take a whole class in that week. This class was a bit of a mixed blessing. On the one hand I did not learn a lot from the professor, but on the other I found a lot of value in debriefing with my peers and hearing there stories. It was also really encouraging to find out that I already knew a lot in terms of Pastoral Counselling. But the biggest blessing here was just sitting in the class with a few other pastors I do not know well, but wanted to know better and chatting in breaks/taking notes. Taking this class all at once freed me up to do the work at my convenience instead having to schedule another class. I am so thankful both for the lighter load that this class was and for being able to network while learning.
Thirdly this month I was invited to the home of a family in our church to celebrate Chinese New Years. I was unsure what to expect but it was a really cool time of connecting with some of the young adults in our church. The food was amazing and talking/learning a little about another culture is always awesome. But specifically with a lot of transitions in our young adult population it was a really good time of connecting with some people who I wish I could connect with more.
Prayer Requests
On the subject of young adults, our numbers have been dwindling and while I know numbers are not the indicator of growth in faith, I have been praying that our community grows in the depth of their faith and that involves telling others about it. On that front God seems to be answering my prayers as I have seen 4-5 new young adults come to church this past month, some of them more than once. Please join me in praying that the church and I would be a welcoming presence, that they would feel comfortable coming out to and participating in Bible studies and other events.
As I am writing this I am finishing my final assignments for classes as March is pretty much the end of the semester. Please pray that I will do well both on these assignments and as I prepare for my summer classes. In one class I have a paper worth 50% of my grade and while I am progressing well and will finish on time, I am still nervous as to its quality.
Finally please continue to pray for my mother and her battle with cancer. Recently she has been doing better and her spirits are up as well. She still has good days and bad days, but as summer gets closer she will want to be mobile and work in the yard/garden. Please pray for her continued healing and that she is able to enjoy the good weather as it comes.
Thanks so much for your continued support, both financial and prayerful. I could not do what I am without each and every one of you supporting me!
This past month has been another full one that it is almost the middle of the march before I am able to sit down and tell you about February. This month has mostly been pretty ordinary and full of a lot of School work, different meetings with church and conference, but there have also been a few amazing surprises.
Thanksgiving
There have been a few surprises this month but by far the biggest one has to do with the car I was looking into and purchasing last month. Most months I do not have that much extra money and even the steal of a deal I got was hard to come up with on short notice. So when one of you heard this I was generously lent all of the money I needed to cover the cost of the purchase of that vehicle and told to pay it back when I could. Similarly when I was looking into purchasing a car to replace my damaged one I had been told by someone that once I had purchased said vehicle I should let them know because they wanted to help me out with cost. I was really appreciative and thankful, expecting maybe a few hundred at most. But I found out that this person was asking for someone else and I was anonymously given $4000 to cover everything but the taxes of my car! This has been such a blessing in so many ways. Financially it has been so helpful to not have to worry about where I am going to find the money, or how I am going to pay back the other person. But more than that I am blessed to see the network of support not only catch me but put me in a better place than I was before. Thank you so much to whoever it was who generously supported me, and to all the others who help and continue to help along the way.
Another point of thanksgiving this month has been finishing school work quickly. Last semester was a very difficult one school wise, but this semester has been much lighter. This is in large part to taking an intensive class over reading week. Instead of taking a week off like most students I decided to take a whole class in that week. This class was a bit of a mixed blessing. On the one hand I did not learn a lot from the professor, but on the other I found a lot of value in debriefing with my peers and hearing there stories. It was also really encouraging to find out that I already knew a lot in terms of Pastoral Counselling. But the biggest blessing here was just sitting in the class with a few other pastors I do not know well, but wanted to know better and chatting in breaks/taking notes. Taking this class all at once freed me up to do the work at my convenience instead having to schedule another class. I am so thankful both for the lighter load that this class was and for being able to network while learning.
Thirdly this month I was invited to the home of a family in our church to celebrate Chinese New Years. I was unsure what to expect but it was a really cool time of connecting with some of the young adults in our church. The food was amazing and talking/learning a little about another culture is always awesome. But specifically with a lot of transitions in our young adult population it was a really good time of connecting with some people who I wish I could connect with more.
Prayer Requests
On the subject of young adults, our numbers have been dwindling and while I know numbers are not the indicator of growth in faith, I have been praying that our community grows in the depth of their faith and that involves telling others about it. On that front God seems to be answering my prayers as I have seen 4-5 new young adults come to church this past month, some of them more than once. Please join me in praying that the church and I would be a welcoming presence, that they would feel comfortable coming out to and participating in Bible studies and other events.
As I am writing this I am finishing my final assignments for classes as March is pretty much the end of the semester. Please pray that I will do well both on these assignments and as I prepare for my summer classes. In one class I have a paper worth 50% of my grade and while I am progressing well and will finish on time, I am still nervous as to its quality.
Finally please continue to pray for my mother and her battle with cancer. Recently she has been doing better and her spirits are up as well. She still has good days and bad days, but as summer gets closer she will want to be mobile and work in the yard/garden. Please pray for her continued healing and that she is able to enjoy the good weather as it comes.
Thanks so much for your continued support, both financial and prayerful. I could not do what I am without each and every one of you supporting me!
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
January, New Beginnings, Personal Growth, and Unexpected Accidents
Good Afternoon Friends, Family and Internet Wanderers!
January has been a busy and eventful month full of new beginnings as I go back to school, personal growth specifically in terms of learning to submit to those in authority over me, and unexpected costs/accidents like my car being written off! All in all, there is much I have to be thankful for and much I would like prayer about.
Thankfulness:
I would like to thank everyone who has been praying for me about this semester of University. Last year I made it known that school was taking a significant emotional and psychological toll on me. I still do not know if it was the particular classes or if perhaps something else had been going on. That being said, as I am writing this I find myself a third of the way through the current semester and experiencing only about a third of the anxiety of last year. This has been a profound answer to prayers as last year I was starting to even find it difficult to complete assignments in a timely manner. Now while I still have some stress in regards to school, it seems to be much more in the realm of what one might expect.
While it may not seem like a thankfulness piece the outcome of the situation has been quite positive. In early January as I spent an evening at a friends house I came out to see that my car had been smashed and the culprit was nowhere to be found. After taking it to the police and MPI it was determined to be a write off, primarily because the age of the vehicle and the Kilometres meant the vehicle was not worth the cost of repair. This was difficult for me since the car itself had been a huge blessing as it was a gift and had very minor maintenance costs. Yet that being said I was aware of a few upcoming expenses that I was waiting until tax return season to take care of, not to mention that this morning when I tried to drop it off at MPI the vehicle had an engine failure and broken down completely. The trouble is that not having much money in the bank I could not afford to even look at a replacement until tax season, and depending on what I was given perhaps not even then. But upon finding this out a generous family member offered to loan me the money I needed to purchase a replacement vehicle. The vehicle I found was a 2008 Nissan Versa, with only 125,000 km for around $4500. For the vehicle, year, and KM's this was a steal of a deal, especially since my mechanic checked it out and gave it the all clear as well. Thanks to everyone who was praying for this process and those who helped with funds and giving suggestions on how to purchase a car. This was both my first write off and my first time purchasing a car, despite it being my third car.
Finally I am so thankful for the youth group I get to lead and the leaders who partner with me to do it. Our group is still relatively small but it looks to be growing especially with young women. So this past month one of my female leaders and I were able to take three of our Jr. High girls on a day long retreat to learn more about how God knows and cares for them. It was a time of fun, and of growth for these young women. One of my fears has been that the growth of our youth group has been almost exclusively young women and while I am so excited about the growth, I was also concerned as I must rely more and more on my leaders to bless our young girls. Yet those fears have proved to be unfounded as all of my leaders have really stepped up in the last year, especially this past month. I am so thankful for the leaders we have who are willing to invest in these kids!
Also thank you to all who donate to my support fund, right now I am funded until August! Your generosity continues to astound me!
Prayer Requests:
As positive as this month has been for me please continue to keep my mother in your prayers. She received some disheartening news this past month. She was working at home and fell hurting her leg and after a doctors visit she found that the cancer has spread to her bones now, making it hard for her to get around right now. Despite the negative news I have been so encouraged to see how strong she is, yet I also see the toll this is taking on her and how much she fights to be positive. Please pray that Jesus would draw close to her in these troubling times. Please join me in praying for hope and for healing; that she would see positive progress in her fight against cancer. Please also pray for the family around my mom, that we would be supportive and she would know our love. In particular please pray for my sister who has taken it upon herself to support mom significantly at home as she is having difficulty with a lot of her usual responsibilities.
This month I also found out that 2 of my youth leaders are leaving the city to try their hand at farming in rural Manitoba, and as a result they will not be with us next year. On the one hand I know that this is something that they have been discerning for some time and I am very happy for them. That being said this means that both the youth group and the young adults group will loose key leaders/members. Please join me in praying for this couple that their transition would be a positive one. Please also join with me in praying that God would raise up other leaders in their place, specifically female leaders as I wrote above that we seem to have many young women and only a few young men.
Finally this month I found out that a small part of my tuition which was previously covered by my program is no longer covered. Effectively this means I am paying an extra $80 per semester which really is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, yet for some reason this rubbed at me the wrong way. I started to experience some trepidation in regards to finances as I keep a pretty tight budget without much wiggle room. Yet what I want prayer for is not an abundance in finances (although I'll take it if it comes :)) but a heart willing to readily submit and trust in God. God has been incredibly gracious to me financially and otherwise, yet for some reason I had trouble seeing that in this moment. Please pray that I won't be foolish, but that I will continue to trust in God who has already carried me so far, and that I would not get in my own way when something unexpected happens.
January has been a busy and eventful month full of new beginnings as I go back to school, personal growth specifically in terms of learning to submit to those in authority over me, and unexpected costs/accidents like my car being written off! All in all, there is much I have to be thankful for and much I would like prayer about.
Thankfulness:
I would like to thank everyone who has been praying for me about this semester of University. Last year I made it known that school was taking a significant emotional and psychological toll on me. I still do not know if it was the particular classes or if perhaps something else had been going on. That being said, as I am writing this I find myself a third of the way through the current semester and experiencing only about a third of the anxiety of last year. This has been a profound answer to prayers as last year I was starting to even find it difficult to complete assignments in a timely manner. Now while I still have some stress in regards to school, it seems to be much more in the realm of what one might expect.
While it may not seem like a thankfulness piece the outcome of the situation has been quite positive. In early January as I spent an evening at a friends house I came out to see that my car had been smashed and the culprit was nowhere to be found. After taking it to the police and MPI it was determined to be a write off, primarily because the age of the vehicle and the Kilometres meant the vehicle was not worth the cost of repair. This was difficult for me since the car itself had been a huge blessing as it was a gift and had very minor maintenance costs. Yet that being said I was aware of a few upcoming expenses that I was waiting until tax return season to take care of, not to mention that this morning when I tried to drop it off at MPI the vehicle had an engine failure and broken down completely. The trouble is that not having much money in the bank I could not afford to even look at a replacement until tax season, and depending on what I was given perhaps not even then. But upon finding this out a generous family member offered to loan me the money I needed to purchase a replacement vehicle. The vehicle I found was a 2008 Nissan Versa, with only 125,000 km for around $4500. For the vehicle, year, and KM's this was a steal of a deal, especially since my mechanic checked it out and gave it the all clear as well. Thanks to everyone who was praying for this process and those who helped with funds and giving suggestions on how to purchase a car. This was both my first write off and my first time purchasing a car, despite it being my third car.
Finally I am so thankful for the youth group I get to lead and the leaders who partner with me to do it. Our group is still relatively small but it looks to be growing especially with young women. So this past month one of my female leaders and I were able to take three of our Jr. High girls on a day long retreat to learn more about how God knows and cares for them. It was a time of fun, and of growth for these young women. One of my fears has been that the growth of our youth group has been almost exclusively young women and while I am so excited about the growth, I was also concerned as I must rely more and more on my leaders to bless our young girls. Yet those fears have proved to be unfounded as all of my leaders have really stepped up in the last year, especially this past month. I am so thankful for the leaders we have who are willing to invest in these kids!
Also thank you to all who donate to my support fund, right now I am funded until August! Your generosity continues to astound me!
Prayer Requests:
As positive as this month has been for me please continue to keep my mother in your prayers. She received some disheartening news this past month. She was working at home and fell hurting her leg and after a doctors visit she found that the cancer has spread to her bones now, making it hard for her to get around right now. Despite the negative news I have been so encouraged to see how strong she is, yet I also see the toll this is taking on her and how much she fights to be positive. Please pray that Jesus would draw close to her in these troubling times. Please join me in praying for hope and for healing; that she would see positive progress in her fight against cancer. Please also pray for the family around my mom, that we would be supportive and she would know our love. In particular please pray for my sister who has taken it upon herself to support mom significantly at home as she is having difficulty with a lot of her usual responsibilities.
This month I also found out that 2 of my youth leaders are leaving the city to try their hand at farming in rural Manitoba, and as a result they will not be with us next year. On the one hand I know that this is something that they have been discerning for some time and I am very happy for them. That being said this means that both the youth group and the young adults group will loose key leaders/members. Please join me in praying for this couple that their transition would be a positive one. Please also join with me in praying that God would raise up other leaders in their place, specifically female leaders as I wrote above that we seem to have many young women and only a few young men.
Finally this month I found out that a small part of my tuition which was previously covered by my program is no longer covered. Effectively this means I am paying an extra $80 per semester which really is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, yet for some reason this rubbed at me the wrong way. I started to experience some trepidation in regards to finances as I keep a pretty tight budget without much wiggle room. Yet what I want prayer for is not an abundance in finances (although I'll take it if it comes :)) but a heart willing to readily submit and trust in God. God has been incredibly gracious to me financially and otherwise, yet for some reason I had trouble seeing that in this moment. Please pray that I won't be foolish, but that I will continue to trust in God who has already carried me so far, and that I would not get in my own way when something unexpected happens.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
December, Finish Lines, Rest, and Prayer for Family
Good Morning Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderers!
I am so glad that you took the time to read my little blog about how my ministry is going. This past month has seen a lot of different things finish up and as a result I had a very low key and much needed time of rest around the holidays. That being said I find myself feeling ready and excited to start this new year and see what the Lord has in store for both me and my ministry.
Thanksgiving
December was a month of many blessings and not all of them were as I might have expected them. December has been full of cards, notes, small gifts, and kind acts by the people in my community simply sharing the different little ways I have been an impact on them. Stopping by the church to get some mail I was 'forced' into having a light lunch with the quilting group. I received e-mails from people in the church I do not interact with significantly to hear how I have helped them. I have been invited to meals, and received cards with simple blessings and words of appreciation. So while the end of November had me very stressed, all throughout December I received little affirmations which blessed me greatly.
Another way I have been thankful this December is with being able to finish several projects well. I finished my final paper in one course, an exam in another, and as a result received my now customary A and B+ respectively. This year I was a small part of the Sunday School production and it went splendidly. Similarly with our growing youth group I decided to change what our end of the year event looked like and it seemed to go over well for all who attended. But the biggest blessing was that for about a week and a half I did not have anything due and was able to take a few afternoons off for some low stress Christmas shopping while many people were still at work. This time also allowed me to help support my mom in her ongoing heath struggles, without feeling like I was missing or falling behind at work. The added rest and low holiday stress was a real blessing this month.
Finally I am exceedingly and routinely thankful for the blessing of my faithful supporters. As it stands now I am still 6 months funded in advance and this has been a huge blessing to me. In fact this past month a monthly donor's giving expired and they told me about it before I even noticed to make sure I got them the right forms in time for them to continue giving. On that note the church has been having a bit of trouble with their own finances over the past few months which made me feel a bit guilty because I know that part of the reason for this is their desire to be generous with me. But much of that has been alleviated as another group I work with decided to support Crossroads because of me to the tune of $3000 which really helped the church budget. Overall December has been a month of many blessings and none of which could have been possible without each and every person who is reading this blog and praying for my success.
Prayer
This past month at a conference event for youth pastors and those who work with youth I had a chance to overhear a discussion on prayer. In discussion around this someone simply shared that they prayed as their form of evangelism. To which another responded that it is also important to go and 'do something'. Sitting and listening to this conversation I found myself really resonating with this second statement, until the first person responded. You see the first person responded very simply that prayer IS doing something. I don't know about you but often I forget that, and so I want to say an extra special thanks for those who keep doing what they have been to support me, my family, and my ministry.
As encouraging as December has been for me, it has been really tough on my mom whose health continues to be a source of stress and fear. As many of you would remember my mom is struggling with a late stage breast cancer which has decided it will no longer be contained. As a result mom has been trying a variety of different things to help fight the cancer, and though the combination of intense prayer, drugs, and procedures it appeared if she was approaching relief. Unfortunately while the cancer has seemed to shrink in some places it was also revealed that it may have moved to other places in her body, and she is awaiting more tests to see if the two potential areas it may have moved to are indeed cancerous as well. Please join with me in praying for her health and well being. I continue to help as best I can, but this is a difficult time for my family.
With January here and kids returning to school my schedule also returns to a degree of normalcy, which is good but also a little nerve wracking. Last semester was particularly difficult in a lot of different ways and my request is that you pray with me that this semester will not be as difficult, that I will manage my time and commitments well, and that the ministries in which I oversee would not remain static, but would grow. On that note I ask for specific prayers for our young adult ministry which due to scheduling and marriage is now dwindling. I have seen this area be a blessing in the lives of the young adults in our church but lately that has not been the case and I am not sure what I can do to revitalize it.
Thanks so much for your partnership in prayer
Happy New Year
-Stefan Klassen
I am so glad that you took the time to read my little blog about how my ministry is going. This past month has seen a lot of different things finish up and as a result I had a very low key and much needed time of rest around the holidays. That being said I find myself feeling ready and excited to start this new year and see what the Lord has in store for both me and my ministry.
Thanksgiving
December was a month of many blessings and not all of them were as I might have expected them. December has been full of cards, notes, small gifts, and kind acts by the people in my community simply sharing the different little ways I have been an impact on them. Stopping by the church to get some mail I was 'forced' into having a light lunch with the quilting group. I received e-mails from people in the church I do not interact with significantly to hear how I have helped them. I have been invited to meals, and received cards with simple blessings and words of appreciation. So while the end of November had me very stressed, all throughout December I received little affirmations which blessed me greatly.
Another way I have been thankful this December is with being able to finish several projects well. I finished my final paper in one course, an exam in another, and as a result received my now customary A and B+ respectively. This year I was a small part of the Sunday School production and it went splendidly. Similarly with our growing youth group I decided to change what our end of the year event looked like and it seemed to go over well for all who attended. But the biggest blessing was that for about a week and a half I did not have anything due and was able to take a few afternoons off for some low stress Christmas shopping while many people were still at work. This time also allowed me to help support my mom in her ongoing heath struggles, without feeling like I was missing or falling behind at work. The added rest and low holiday stress was a real blessing this month.
Finally I am exceedingly and routinely thankful for the blessing of my faithful supporters. As it stands now I am still 6 months funded in advance and this has been a huge blessing to me. In fact this past month a monthly donor's giving expired and they told me about it before I even noticed to make sure I got them the right forms in time for them to continue giving. On that note the church has been having a bit of trouble with their own finances over the past few months which made me feel a bit guilty because I know that part of the reason for this is their desire to be generous with me. But much of that has been alleviated as another group I work with decided to support Crossroads because of me to the tune of $3000 which really helped the church budget. Overall December has been a month of many blessings and none of which could have been possible without each and every person who is reading this blog and praying for my success.
Prayer
This past month at a conference event for youth pastors and those who work with youth I had a chance to overhear a discussion on prayer. In discussion around this someone simply shared that they prayed as their form of evangelism. To which another responded that it is also important to go and 'do something'. Sitting and listening to this conversation I found myself really resonating with this second statement, until the first person responded. You see the first person responded very simply that prayer IS doing something. I don't know about you but often I forget that, and so I want to say an extra special thanks for those who keep doing what they have been to support me, my family, and my ministry.
As encouraging as December has been for me, it has been really tough on my mom whose health continues to be a source of stress and fear. As many of you would remember my mom is struggling with a late stage breast cancer which has decided it will no longer be contained. As a result mom has been trying a variety of different things to help fight the cancer, and though the combination of intense prayer, drugs, and procedures it appeared if she was approaching relief. Unfortunately while the cancer has seemed to shrink in some places it was also revealed that it may have moved to other places in her body, and she is awaiting more tests to see if the two potential areas it may have moved to are indeed cancerous as well. Please join with me in praying for her health and well being. I continue to help as best I can, but this is a difficult time for my family.
With January here and kids returning to school my schedule also returns to a degree of normalcy, which is good but also a little nerve wracking. Last semester was particularly difficult in a lot of different ways and my request is that you pray with me that this semester will not be as difficult, that I will manage my time and commitments well, and that the ministries in which I oversee would not remain static, but would grow. On that note I ask for specific prayers for our young adult ministry which due to scheduling and marriage is now dwindling. I have seen this area be a blessing in the lives of the young adults in our church but lately that has not been the case and I am not sure what I can do to revitalize it.
Thanks so much for your partnership in prayer
Happy New Year
-Stefan Klassen
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