Community Gatherings with David Ruis

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We’ve been mentioning for awhile now that David Ruis (our National Director and WCV founding pastor – both roles shared with Anita) will be with us the weekend of May 11 – 12. We now have a few more details for you to put in your calendar and hopefully stir you up.

We’ve had David and Anita, as well as a few other National and Regional Vineyard leaders (Joyce Rees, Ruth Rousu, Nathan Rousu, Rik Berry) be with us over this past season. These visits have infused life in our community and have been very helpful for the leadership team. While their times in Winnipeg have been super helpful in encouraging and advising the leadership, we know that the rest of the community gets limited interaction  with these guests on Sunday mornings. This time around we want to maximize community time with David. To that end, we want to invite you to an afternoon with David, Saturday, May 11 from 2 – 5pm. This will be an intentionally curated time together during which members of the Leadership Team (Pastoral & Lay Elders and BOD) alongside David will be able to address issues, answer questions, provide feedback and offer support as needed. We will be holding space address topics like building trust, leadership, WCV health, forward vision, and others, with lots of opportunity to give and receive feedback. Additionally, David will share some exciting perspectives on Vineyard Canada, what God is up to among our wider Vineyard family, and some foundational stories of WCV.

The primary purpose of this time is to create a non-hurried space for dialogue as a community and with David. We hope to see you there!

He will be sharing with us on Sunday morning as well (May 12).

>>Saturday, May 11, 2pm – 5pm

>>782 Main St.

New Elder Process & Roles – an invitation

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The Role of the Elders at WCV

In the Vineyard, Elders function as overseers who tend to the spiritual health and vision of the community.  They are a small group of seasoned leaders and followers of Jesus who gather regularly to prayerfully seek God’s direction and counsel for all visionary matters relating to church life. There are two kinds of elders in Winnipeg Centre Vineyard – Pastoral Elders (typically paid staff members)* and Lay Elders (volunteers from the church community).

There are a number of examples of Elders’ roles in scripture including: leading the church [1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1–2], teaching and preaching [1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9], encouraging, challenging and protecting the church according to scripture [1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:13–17; Titus 1:9], visiting the sick and praying [James 5:14; Acts 6:4], and weighing issues of doctrine [Acts 15:6]. They are charged with the care of the community – to help, equip and lead.

In WCV, the Pastoral and Lay Elders work together, however the Pastoral Elders have the added responsibility of implementing the daily tasks associated with our vision. Currently the Elders are led by our Pastoral Executive who is accountable to the whole leadership team.

The Pastoral and Lay Elders have the authority to tend to the needs and spiritual affairs arising from the vision of the church community. However, if their proposed actions will have an effect on the legal, managerial or financial affairs of the church community, they must obtain the approval of the Board of Directors before moving forward.

In order to create a sense of cohesion between all Leadership Teams at WCV, we recently have begun Joint Leadership Team meetings where the BOD and Elders (pastoral and lay) gather together to pray and discuss macro plans, goals and objectives. This way we can be moving forward together.

Current Pastoral Elders:

  • Andy (Pastoral Executive) and Beckie Wood
  • Jodi and Mike Labun (stepping down Summer 2019)
  • John and Violet Rademaker (non-paid)

Current Lay Elders:

  • Paul and Sherry Ansloos (stepping down Summer 2019)
  • Krista (Elder Point Person) and Cliff Heide (started March 2015)
  • Rod and Elisa Jersak (started March 2016)
  • Theresa and Jason Eheler (Stepping down end of April 2019)

*Note: Not all WCV staff members are automatically Pastoral Elders.

What we look for in Elders:

1. Biblical requirements for Eldership as explained in 1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1.

2. Walking out and dialoguing with our 15 Core Practices. Of particular note are: Devotion to Jesus (elders should be devoted to their walk with God), Circles of Sharing (a hallmark of eldership is hospitality) and Generosity (elders should be tithing to the local church).

3. A good fit with the current team and the season the Vineyard is in. While there are many people who generally qualify as elders, the current elders must prayerfully discern who is the best fit for right now.  What skills and gift mix will best suit the team already? Do we have a good representation of the voices of our community in our leadership (young, old, male, female, married, single, etc. )? This is not a popularity contest – it is a serious process to discern who God has prepared and gifted to serve the whole community at this time.

4. Already serving in ministry in some form in the church (worship, children, youth, house group, hospitality, etc.). Elders carry a pastoral heart for the community which must find expression.

5. Elders, while not always older, are all seasoned leaders and followers of Jesus.

6. Elders can be married couples, singles, or one partner in a marriage.

A few points to keep in mind:

  1. Leadership is servanthood. It’s not about ordering others around, but rather serving others (Luke 22:25-27). Being an elder isn’t a promotion. Rather, it’s a recognition of the way a person is currently serving and influencing our community.
  2. Leadership is action. It’s not about position or titles. While specific roles can be very helpful, true leadership is never about titles. If someone has a position of leadership, but doesn’t have anyone following, then they’re just going for a walk.

What Serving as a Lay Elder Looks Like:

While we normally choose elders who are already eldering in our community in some sort of fashion, there are several added responsibilities for those serving on the Eldership Team.

  1. Communication and Minutes. Elders are put on the email thread for weekly staff minutes, BOD minutes, and other church leadership news items. Elders should be reading these forms of communication to keep a pulse on what the leadership is working on. They should also ask questions, and add input as needed, as well as regularly pray for the workings of the church.
  2. Monthly Elder Meetings. The Pastoral and Lay Elders gather together once a month. The purposes of these meetings are two fold: a) to spend an time in worship and prayer, listening for what God is doing in our midst, and discern what He is inviting us to. b) Talking through spiritual needs in our community, and making plans for extending care.
  3. Regular Joint Leadership Team Gatherings. New this year to our Leadership structure is regular Joint Leadership team Gatherings between the Elders, Pastoral staff, and Board of Directors. The purpose of these gatherings are for our various leadership spheres to be face to face with one another as we seek God’s vision and direction, and collaborate in aligning our strategies to walk forward together. We hope to develop a rhythm for these to happen 3-4 times a year. Though, in more complicated seasons, these gatherings will happen more frequently.
  4. Yearly Retreat. Once a year (typically May / June) the Elders go on a two day retreat with a focus of praying and seeking God together. During this time we reflect on the highs and lows of the last year, and begin to dream and envision the next year.
  5. Regular Connection with Community. Elders need to commit to being available to serve and extend care to the community. This involves welcoming newcomers, gathering to pray for those in need, showing hospitality, and meeting with congregants to listen to questions, concerns or suggestions.

 

New Lay Elder Process:

New Lay Elders are nominated and selected through a several month process. The suggested term for elders is three years, though at times this has been extended.* In the past WCV has engaged in the process of bringing in new lay elders every few years as current elders step down.

Here is a detailed look at what the new Lay Elder Process looks like:

  1. Nomination and Discernment . During this time the community and the elder team nominate those they see are currently functioning as elders (even if they don’t have the position). Prayerfully ask, “who do I naturally look to for counsel, support, care, etc?”  Chances are, those are the people who are already functioning as elders. At the same time, the Pastoral and Lay Elders are prayerfully discerning if people qualify and are a good fit for the current team and season of life the church is in.
  2. Proposal & Mutual Consideration. The Pastoral Elders will contact potential new elders and invite them to prayerfully consider. This is a period in which we see if this “seems good to us and the Holy Spirit”.
  3. Prospective Elder Period.  This is a three-month period during which prospective elders come to monthly elder meetings and are in communication with Pastoral Elders.  At the end of this period it’s determined if it is a fit.
  4. Membership Vote. Those who are formal members of WCV are able to vote on the prospective new elders. If the new elder is ratified, this begins their 3-year term.  Bear in mind that this is a vote, not on who should become elders, but on whether those who’ve been identified via the above process are the right decision for the Vineyard at this time.

*Changes to look for in the future:

After this strenuous season in our church where the demands on leadership have been heavy, we are more aware of the value of being diligent in both inviting in and rotating out those serving as lay elders. Though we do not have this all figured out, we are in the process of developing healthy and sustainable term lengths, evaluation and extension processes, and a yearly strategy to bring in new elders. Our community is full of so many gifted and capable leaders, we look forward to seeing a more regular rotation of this fresh life into our leadership.

An Invitation:

We invite you to prayerfully consider who the Lord may be inviting to step into serving the community for the next season of our life together. We will be using the above criteria to prayerfully discern who to invite into this area of leadership and service. Please submit names to the office or Andy during the month of May, 2019.

 

Schools of Spiritual Formation ~ This Fall 2019

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This fall, there are two Schools of Spiritual Formation offered through Sustainable Faith. You may have heard about them: The School of Spiritual Direction, and The School of Mercy and Justice. Here’s a bit of information on these two amazing schools.

The School of Spiritual Direction (SOSD) is a two-year program, the first of which is intended to provide a well-rounded introduction to the ministry of spiritual direction, and the second of which is intended for those who envision spiritual direction as a fairly significant feature of their vocation. A real highlight of the school is the opportunity to offer spiritual direction early on and receive peer and formal supervision while doing so and, in the second year, engaging in an annotated version of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

  • SOSD Year One
    • Oct 4-5, 2019
    • Nov 22-23, 2019
    • Jan 24-25, 2020
    • Mar 20-21, 2020
    • May 8-9, 2020
  • SOSD Year Two (Dates TBD)

 

The School of Mercy and Justice (SOMJ) is a one-year program particularly for those who desire to cultivate a deep, vibrant interior life with God and engage effectively and healthily in the practical work of mercy and justice in the world. It’s spiritual formation for those who long to embody a contemplative posture while engaging in an active life with those on the margins of society.

  • SOMJ
    • Oct 18-19, 2019
    • Dec 6-7, 2019
    • Feb 7-8, 2020
    • Apr 3-4, 2020
    • May 29-30, 2020

>>>Please see the Sustainable Faith website for more information and registration.

Prayer & Fasting – so what did God say to you?

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What an amazing weekend. Our Good Friday service engagement with the Stations of the Cross was “the best ever” (many of you said this to us) and Easter Sunday was a joyful celebration of resurrection and life. In between these times, many of you were engaging in a time of prayer and fasting. It isn’t always the point of fasting to “get something” from God… but just in case some of you did, and just in case that “something” might be for the whole church, we’d like to know about it. Please let us know! You can simply email the office and it will be processed appropriately amongst the leadership.

A Community Update: including AGM2, Prayer & Fasting

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Hey folks,

We want to say thanks, again for hanging in there during this season. God is shaking things… but we know that times of shaking are inevitably both difficult and clarifying… Let’s keep pressing into Jesus, into community, into vulnerability, humility, grace and love, and we will continue to emerge from this Winter into Spring (despite the snow we see today!).

Speaking of community, there are many good conversations being had. The Pastoral and Lay Elders had a great meeting last Monday discussing both where we’re at as a church and next steps moving forward. The BOD is engaged in a number of initiatives that will bring organizational, structural and financial health to WCV (more on that at our AGM Part 2). Many of you are engaged in dialogue and input via the Talking Circles, our community Survey, within House Groups, meetings with various leaders, etc. We are deeply appreciative of all the dialogue that helps us move in a positive and healing direction.

In the interest of keeping communication flowing, we want to let you know of a few plans on the horizon as we look forward:

April 19, 7pm: Good Friday Service & Stations of the Cross 

This year we’ve acquired an amazing art exhibit that showcases the Stations of the Cross and creates an interactive atmosphere to engage with Jesus on his journey to the cross through scripture and art. Read more about it here. Fully engaging in Good Friday makes our celebration on Easter Sunday all the more amazing…

April 19 – 21: Prayer & Fasting

We are calling the community to a fast from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday. Andy will be teaching on it this coming Sunday to help us prepare.

April 28 (Sunday morning): AGM Part 2

At our previous AGM we weren’t able to cover everything we needed to. In order to give maximum opportunity for our church family to attend and be involved we are going to have this AGM Part 2 on a Sunday morning during our regular gathering (after worship and kid’s are released).

May 11 – 12: David Ruis

David (Vineyard Canada National Director) will be sharing on the Sunday morning (May 12), as well as on the Saturday before (May 11). He will be speaking on recapturing the heart of the Kingdom. Mark your calendars.

Drop-in:

There has been a recent initiative that is designed to hear from people directly in the Street Parish. We’ve been asking questions like “What do you want?”, “What do you feel is necessary in this part of WCV”, “What do you feel God is doing?” and other such questions. Watch for more on this.

Good Friday Stations – Fasting & Prayer – Resurrection Sunday

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The events celebrated during Holy Week are epic. Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, burial and resurrection are not only central to the Christian calendar, they are the central events of all of history. However, most of us skip over the discomfort and pain of Good Friday preferring to jump straight to Easter Sunday – joyfully imbibing all the excitement and energy of the resurrection. We are right to be excited and energized by Jesus’ resurrection (and our eventual resurrection too, by the way!). However, in our excitement for Sunday, we miss the gifts offered in Good Friday and Holy Saturday. If we resist the urge to short-circuit, and if we linger in the way of the cross on Good Friday, and the nothingness of Holy Saturday, our celebration on Sunday will take on a whole other quality. Light is most brilliant when juxtaposed with darkness.

Here’s what’s up this Easter at the Vineyard:

Palm Sunday (April 14, 10am):

Andy will be teaching about Fasting in order to prepare us for our community fast from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday.

Good Friday (April 19, 7pm)

Stations of the Cross Service & Exhibit

This year we will be worshipping together, and considering the Stations of the Cross through the eyes of one particular artist along with meditations from Scripture. Here’s what he writes about the images like the one above:

“The Stations of the Cross began as a practice of pilgrims going to Jerusalem who would retrace the final journey of Jesus to the hill where He was crucified. For the many who wanted to pass along the same route, but couldn’t make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form of the Stations of the Cross that you can find in many churches today.

This journey to the cross is not only a meditation of Jesus accomplishing what He came to do – the redemption of humanity through His own willful sacrifice – but its also a contemplation of Jesus silently participating in some of the worst aspects of being human. Being tempted. Being betrayed by a friend. Being convicted in an unjust system. Physical pain. Mockery. Broken family relationships. Public humiliation. And a lot of our greatest fears… having to die. These are all aspects of human life that he was not insulated from. In fact on the cross he quotes King David saying “My God My God, Why have you forsaken me?”… as if to say ”Why is it like this?” He was one who was not separate from our own pain.

I don’t think our deepest question is “Is there a God?”
I think our deepest question is “Is there a God that’s with us in all this?”

These stations are a cross-section of elements, ideas, and objects from Jesus’ journey of being with us. As you work through these stations, may you see the that we are not troubled guests in this world… that we are not forgotten… and that the good news of this season was expressed best by Jesus when he said “in this world you’ll experience many trials. But take heart…. I have overcome the world.”

~ Scott Erickson“

Fasting & Prayer: Friday – Sunday

Our Fasting will begin on Friday continue through Holy Saturday, a day of apparent nothingness, and be broken on Sunday.  The seed placed in the ground. Waiting. Our fasting echoes this “giving up” that Jesus did. This discipline isn’t to earn favour, nor is it an attempt to twist God’s arm into getting something you want. Rather, it’s a physical act of solidarity with Jesus. It’s a discipline and it’s a pain. Every time your stomach reminds you that you’re hungry you can recall what Jesus did and is doing, and you can offer a prayer – you can be reminded that ultimately we rely on Jesus for sustenance. When we break the fast on Sunday morning, we are rising with him – emerging from darkness to the glorious light of his resurrection – feasting on the new life He has for us and the whole world!

 

Resurrection Sunday (April 21, 10am)

Of course, this brings us to Easter Sunday. We will party, worship and celebrate God’s accomplishment all morning. Emerging from the shadows of the weekend, and blinking from the dazzling, blinding light of the resurrection, we will celebrate the first stunning glimmers of the new creation – and we’ll invite more (and He’ll show up)!

You are encouraged to contribute to the festive atmosphere in any number of the following ways:

>>Bring an acoustic instrument (drums, rattles, guitars, etc) or any other tool of worship.

>>Bring plants or flowers to decorate the space with signs of life.

>>Bring your Dancing Shoes (literally and figuratively).

 

Community Survey

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One of the follow-up actions from our recent AGM Community Meeting was to initiate a survey as one more avenue for discussion and providing input. This survey will provide the leadership team with insight into how the church is doing and help us as we plan for the next season. We want to lead with integrity and humility, following Jesus and listening honestly to each other. This doesn’t mean that everything that is shared will become action. However, it will mean that everything that is shared will be heard and deeply considered.

As we continue to deal with the fall-out of the past season, and as we look to the future, we know God is with us. We also know that we want to move forward together in a good way. This venue, among others, is meant to facilitate that.

Thanks so much for taking the time to prayerfully consider these questions!

We will leave this survey open until April 9.

Please Note: due to technical difficulties the Survey was closed on April 11. If you didn’t get a chance to fill it out yet, please pick up a paper version at the church on Sunday and bring it to the office by Sunday April 14. Thanks!

 

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Talking Circles

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Sundays, in the Comfy Couch Room, 12 -1:30pm. Bring a bag lunch (check in about childcare).

>>What is a Talking Circle and what are we going to do?

In the first Talking Circle this past Sunday, we identified the topics those present felt are of greatest importance for healing and moving forward together as a church. These will be categorized and used as topics at subsequent circles. These Talking Circles are not decision making times. Rather their purpose is towards healing and moving forward together.

We will form separate talking circles for each topic – one per Sunday. We will assign different topics to different dates so that people are free to participate in the discussions that are of importance to them. For example, if there is a group who is concerned about the type of coffee we are brewing, they will meet on a different Sunday than the group who feels we should sing more hymns (silly examples but you get the idea!). In short, anyone is welcome to participate in the group/s that interest them. Our desire is that people will participate not just to be heard and validated, but to hear and validate others, even those whose questions and concerns may look and feel different from our own.

Each Talking Circle will have its own group facilitator whose interests will be in maintaining safety and a respectful discussion. We plan to continually rotate topics and allow each group to determine its own timeline, so there is no rush. We believe that listening to each other will be an antidote for the isolation and shame some people are experiencing not knowing who else (if anyone) feels the same. We believe that even if our wounds have different shapes and sizes, there will be a collective “me too”, which will be an opportunity to experience compassion and grow in empathy towards each other. This process is a way of getting unstuck, pursuing healing, and continuing to move forward together as a group. We know that there are people who are feeling fragmented and disconnected from each other. Our hope is that this experience will naturally rebuild a sense of community.

Brent and Stephanie Woelke
Jeff and Amanda Leighton

Follow-up to our AGM / Community Meeting

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Dear WCV,

Thank you to everyone who came and participated in our AGM / community meeting on Monday evening. It was our most well attended and passionate AGM in years. This is wonderful, primarily because it indicates that you care – deeply. Thank you as well, for everyone who shared their thoughtful questions, insights, emotion, confessions and suggestions. It was very helpful for the leadership team as we continue to navigate this season… and we believe God was honoured by the whole evening.

We ran out of time, but thankfully, there will be more opportunities to be together, ask questions, ratify the budget, and share together. We want to outline those opportunities here as well as let you know of a few actions that are a direct result of hearing from you on Monday.

Drop-in:

We so appreciated hearing the heart and dismay behind the loss of Suhail’s position and the suspension of Drop-in. This sentiment was very clear. We’ve resolved to not just pause Drop-in until we can re-envision it, but rather to work at getting it going again as soon as possible, and then engage a re-visioning process with all the stake-holders. Like was stated on Monday, none of these decisions were easy to make. The BOD and Lay Elders agonized over the salary decisions (Andy, Jodi & Suhail weren’t involved in these specific discussions). We knew that these reductions would have a direct impact on various ministries as the staff worked out the implications on reduced time. At this point we can see that we should have kept Drop-in going. We will work to make it right. If you’re interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact the office.

Input and Care:

Like we mentioned at the meeting, we have a number of initiatives planned. None of these will be perfect nor will any one initiative work for everybody. For example, not everyone will have the time or the personality to speak up at a community meeting. We hope, however, that cumulatively we will reach as many of you as possible. While these initiatives are not necessarily decision making times we do want to listen deeply, and lead carefully, all towards healing and moving forward together. To that end:

1) Survey

Watch for a simple survey that will be an opportunity to input into the life of the church. We need to know where you’re at, what you’re feeling, what you view as the greatest challenges, as well as our unique opportunities right now.

2) Talking Circles

We’ve had one, we’re going to have more. This Sunday (March 17), 12pm. Bring a bag lunch – childcare will be provided onwards from April 7th till May 12th (excluding Easter). These are opportunities to share where you’re at, unto healing. There will be a number of them planned around curated topics.

3) Next Community Meeting

At this point our next window for a meeting is the end of April. Spring break, the Imaginarium, the Men’s Retreat, and Easter are all factors in this timing. Watch for the date.

4) Reach out

We are open to hearing perspectives, concerns, prophetic nudges, etc. Please reach out to the Elders, who represent you in leadership. Both the pastoral and lay elders are available.

We encourage you to read the AGM booklet – physical copies are available at the info table, or you can email the office to ask for a digital copy. Unfortunately, there is no audio recording available of the meeting. There were some technical difficulties.

Lastly, a huge thank you for hanging in there during a difficult season. Thank you, too, for your prayers, support and encouragement. We are in this together, and God is with us. This, of course, is our great hope! Good things are in store for us as a community as we press in. Let’s keep it real, keep it focused on Jesus, and keep leaning into God as we do the work of loving God and each other. Let the Kingdom come!

Retreat… Retreat…

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Sometimes life can feel a little overwhelming, busy, lonely – like life is waging a war against your sanity by hurling all kinds of… um… manure at you. Sometimes it’s good to go into retreat mode – to get away from the regular in order to relax and recharge. That’s exactly what we’re going to be doing on our Men’s Retreat, April 12-14 (starting Friday evening, ending Sunday afternoon) at Camp Arnes.

You are invited. Whether you’re young or old, a newcomer or a long-time Vineyardite – whether you can afford it or not, or if you feel like you need it or not – you’re all invited.

It will be a relaxed time to be together, hang out, be refreshed, renew old friendships and make new ones. Also, during a few sessions we will explore the theme “Tending our Hearts” with special guest, Richard Jones (from Fatherheart Ministries). Amenities include archery, swimming pool and hot-tub, the great outdoors, etc!

When: April 12-14

Where: Camp Arnes, MB (100 km North of Winnipeg on the shores of Lake Winnipeg)

Cost: $90 (accommodation and food included). If you need subsidy, or cannot afford this, please contact the office. We don’t want the cost to limit anyone!

Who: Every guy

Reserve your spot with a payment.

 

>>>Thank you to everyone who registered for the retreat! Registration is now closed.

 

 

Street Art credit: Banksy

Lent – an invitation to Life

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Ash Wednesday (March 6) marks the beginning of the Lenten season in the Western Christian calendar. These 40 days (excluding Sundays) culminate in the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Lent is about preparation, self examination and meditation on Jesus’ life and suffering. It’s about journeying with him to become like him. It’s about taking up our cross prior to being raised with him.  Before being raised to life on Sunday, Jesus was lifted up on Friday.

Lent is about finding life – the true source of life

Our culture shuns anything that remotely hints of denial. “Why should I have to give up anything?” we ask, if not with words then through how we conduct our lives.  Examining the deep inner contours of our hearts is not something we do naturally – yet it is what followers of Jesus have done for centuries during this season and have found deep life in the process. This, of course, is the point.  Lent is about finding life – finding the true source of life – the very author of life.  In Lent we give up other embraces to make room to be more fully be embraced by Jesus.

This season, you may want to embark on a journey asking the question, “what in my life is crowding out the very source of life?” This is the essence of fasting – another practical marker of Lent.  Jesus wants to bring us to a place of being more fully alive and yet he won’t do it without our partnership.  As we posture ourselves toward him, the Holy Spirit will transform our self-centred lives into new lives of community and justice. Lent prepares us to live worshipful lives of compassion, generosity and all embracing love.  This sounds like a good definition of being fully alive to me – how about you?

 

Here are a few resources that may help on your Lenten journey:

Pray As You Go

A daily contemplative podcast that leads the listener through a series of meditative prayers and scripture readings.  Each episode is about 10 – 13 minutes long.  You can listen right from their website or subscribe to it via iTunes podcasts.

Lent for Everyone

This is an online devotional created by N.T. Wright.  It includes daily scripture and a well-crafted and thoughtful devotion by one of the foremost New Testament scholars of our time.  (You have to sign up to view it).

Living Lent Daily

Features prayers, thoughts and more each day to inspire you throughout your Lenten journey. A new article will become available daily throughout Lent.  These are quite short.

And a few WCV inspirations:

Lenten Devotional

There is a guided Lenten devotional centred around the book “Sacred & Desecrated: 40 days with Wendel Berry“. It includes daily readings and various challenges designed to deepen our connection with God while preparing us for Good Friday and Easter. The group meets Wednesday evenings beginning March 6th, 7:30-8:30. Contact Amanda for more info.

Empty the Pantry – a Flatlanders Lenten Tradition

The folks in Flatlanders Inn have been doing this for 9 years or so – you may want to try it in your living situation.

“Each year during this season, we dig out the accumulated boxes, tins, and bags from our cupboards and make a deliberate choice to use up the food that we wouldn’t usually choose to use.

Doing this helps us to remember that not everyone has the luxury of choosing what they want to eat. Many people simply have to find ways to use up what they have. Doing this also reminds us to be grateful – on a regular basis, we actually get to choose what we want to eat. We have enough food to have all of these extras.

At the end of Lent, we calculate how much money we have saved on groceries, and then use that money to bless others.”

 

Feature Image credit: Jenson Stidham

 

 

The Vineyard Creative Imaginarium

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Mark your calendars! On April 4, 5, 6, 2019 Vineyard Creative is hosting an Imaginarium gathering in Winnipeg, MB. What in the world is an imaginarium you ask?

Here’s how Wikipedia defines it:

“An imaginarium refers to a place devoted to the imagination. There are various types of imaginaria, centers largely devoted to stimulating and cultivating the imagination, towards scientific, artistic, commercial, recreational, or spiritual ends.”

What that looks like for us is a Christ-centered gathering of Imaginators that is a creative, safe, sacred space. A space to share our work and our dreams, to be inspired, challenged and listened to. It means engaging with and exploring the imagination of God, the great Imaginator of it all. It means feasting together, worshipping together and creating together. It means coming to the table and breaking bread and the wine together.

We will be specifically exploring creativity as a healer and as a story(truth)-teller.

This gathering is being facilitated by Vineyard Creative Catalyst Leaders Kris MacQueen and Krista Heide. Rik Berry, acclaimed painter and Valley Gate Vineyard pastor will be joining us as well.

We will start with a Dinner Meet & Greet on Thursday, go all day Friday and Saturday, ending with a celebration / party Saturday evening.

There is a registration fee of $70 (early bird pricing of $50 until March 15)

 

Registration includes dinner together Thursday night and fun party food/appetizers on Saturday night. Attendees responsible for all other meals.

>>>Register here.