Good Morning Friends, Family, and Internet Wanderers!
Thank you all for taking time to read about how I am doing and what has been going on in my life and ministry. I also must apologize for not sending out a May update as has been my norm. All of May and the first half of June were incredibly busy and I decided that this was something I could skip for a month. Moving forward I think I will continue this new trend and send out updates every other month as thankfully my life and work have both been relatively stable.
Thanksgiving
Thank you to those who faithfully prayed for the youth trip that we were to take in May. As is so often the case when I plan youth events this was incredibly stressful right up until everyone was in the vehicle and we were on the road. It is almost as if once I can no longer make changes my anxiety drops almost completely. The youth conference was amazing and I got to take a team of 5 students and 1 other leader to intentionally invest in our faith. The drive went smoothly both ways, and by in large the team worked and played well with each other. Some personal highlights were seeing some of the younger students take notes (something I have never witnessed before), and having deep and meaningful conversations with some of the older students. It was also a real highlight to be able to invest in the other leader who came with me. One of the best parts of my role is seeing how students and leaders grow overtime, and at one point one of my students shared with me an insight I know I had shared with him over a year ago!
Another huge blessing that came near the end of May was being able to attend the MB Pastors retreat. This event is always a bit of a mixed bag for me, as I wonder how to think of the event. On one hand it is set up as a retreat and a restful experience, on the other hand it is a huge networking opportunity with great teaching. This year the teaching was particularly good as they had invited Bruxy Cavey of the Meeting House, a large church in Toronto. I do not know how he would describe himself, but he seemed to me to be a classic Anabaptist, and offered many useful insights. The one which stands out the clearest to me is how he disparages the idea of calling Jesus saviour. This is not because the term is not accurate, but because when we refer to Jesus as saviour we then see our connection as one of only receiving. Instead he suggested we refer to Jesus as Lord. Lord includes the traditional understanding of saviour but also implies that we have a duty to respond to him.
The third blessing of these two months started out as a bit of a concern when the professor for one of my classes ended up cancelling the class last minute due to illness. I was understandably concerned, perhaps a bit too selfishly, that I wasted a lot of time preparing for a class that would not happen. Thankfully after a week or so of uncertainty the class was reformed and shifted into a more independent study project. This new format is actually 10X better for my schedule as it both freed up some time that I had allotted for the class, and allows me to work at my own pace. As it stands I am now very nearly finished both of my summer classes.
Prayer
The beginning of June marked the start of my fifth and final year at the church where I have been serving for the past 4 years. I have learned and grown so much in this time and now it is time for me to start thinking about next steps. Related to this I had a conversation with a Manitoba pastor at the retreat about their needs for a youth pastor. There is a lot of details up in the air as they had a candidate for the position. That being said about two weeks ago I was contacted by that pastor again because for whatever reason the candidate they had did not work out. I shared that I was committed to my current church for another year, and I was still asked to apply. So this weekend I am updating my resume and apply for this position. Please pray that the Lord guides me and this church to making the decision He wants, whatever that looks like.
Along the same vein I would ask for your continued prayer for my relationship with my girlfriend. Our relationship continues to grow strong and we have now met each others families and most of our respective friends. It continues to be exciting, and also eye opening as I begin to know another person in a much deeper way than I ever have before. As we look to the future and begin to think of what that might look like, please pray for us both that we would hear God clearly and follow His direction in both of our lives.
Finally please continue to pray for my mother. As most if not all of you know her condition while not deteriorating, has also not improved the way we would like to see. We are still optimistic that the new treatment plan she is on will do what it is supposed to, but with cancer nothing is certain. One of the particular difficulties for mom is that her new reality has meant adjusting her diet significantly which has not been easy. Please join me in praying for her healing and for strength of mind and she deals with not only the physical toll, but also the mental strain.
Thank you for your continued prayerful support. I could not do what I do without your intercession.
God Bless
-Stefan Klassen
No comments:
Post a Comment