Canadian Evangelism

This almost slipped my mind, but it's just another example of how I'm convinced God orchestrates things while making them seem like coincidences. I was on my way to my meeting at the Wold Creek Community Church in Lacombe last week. I had previously spoken with the administrator and arranged the date, time and space. On the highway on the way down I called the church and got the following message, "Our office hours are 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Tuesday to Friday." Obviously, every time I had called must have been within these hours, but this was the first time I was aware of these hours - and I was planning to be there by 11:30 to set up for lunch. My heart sank. I was in trouble. I pictured having to wait, along with all my expected guests, outside a locked building until the administrator arrived at one o'clock. So, just like the last time , I shot up an arrow prayer that God would somehow redeem this disaster. The rest of my drive was spent alternately cursing myself...

Wanda, Elaine and I (I'm the one in the middle, lest there be any confusion)   It has taken me a while to get this post done. I posted here on my plans for last week. Things went approximately according to plan, but by the time Thursday rolled around, I was pretty well beat. I always tell people I love Alpha and I love driving, so I have the perfect job, but even I, I have realized, have limits. The drive to Grande Prairie is about 5 hours. That was my wife and I with Elaine Young, Sunday afternoon after church. After a fitful sleep on a rather hard bed (my granddaughter lent me hers, as we saved a hotel bill by staying at my daughter's place in GP), we hosted a two-hour Relationship Central meeting at the Christian Fellowship Assembly  on Monday morning. Numbers were a bit disappointing, as at least two churches who had committed to attending were not there, but the response from those who did attend was quite encouraging. From there it was a two and a half h...

What a great encouragement it is to have Wanda Ho come to town. Wanda is our national Chinese Alpha Coordinator, and as much as I enjoy Wanda's company, that's not the only reason. No; among other things, the reason I like her visits is that we get to visit with Chinese Churches. Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were spent in a number of meetings in various areas of Edmonton, seeing and hearing what is happening in the Chinese community. There are a number of Chinese churches running Alpha in Edmonton (and elsewhere, of course) and a real growing interest in our Relationship Central materials , the Marriage Prep Course, Marriage Course, Parenting and Parenting Teenagers courses. I am not a sociologist or whatever kind of ologist I would need to be to have my opinion carry any kind of professional weight, but there are some things I see in our Chinese communities. There are at least two communities, if you like, the Cantonese- and the Mandarin-speaking. Many Chines...

From here... This excerpt seems almost like another language, "pretentious businessese", to coin a term, but it is interesting that HBR references Alpha as a model of something new and effective. Consider also an initiative that grew not out of Silicon Valley but out of a church in London. The Alpha Course is a template for introducing people to Christian beliefs. Anyone wishing to host a course can freely use its materials and basic format—10 meetings devoted to the central questions of life—with no need to gather in a church. Catalyzed by a model that empowers local leaders, the course has reached 24 million people in living rooms and cafés in almost every country in the world.  What’s distinctive about these participatory behaviors is that they effectively “upload” power from a source that is diffuse but enormous—the passions and energies of the many. Technology underpins these models, but what drives them is a heightened sense of human agency. All things to all men, I ...

I picked up Elaine Young yesterday afternoon. She flew in from Halifax for a bit of a whirlwind tour. We presented a training seminar this morning at Leduc Alliance Church on Alpha's Marriage, Marriage Prep and Parenting Courses. Registrations were not as high as we would have liked but the seminar went very well and every bit of feedback was very good. Right after church tomorrow it's off to Grande Prairie for a meet & greet Monday morning at the Christian Fellowship Assembly, then a stop off at the Whitecourt Family Worship Centre on the way back at 3:00 PM. Tuesday, I'm down to Lacombe for a Pastors' lunch, while Wanda Ho, our National Chinese and ESOL Alpha arrives, and will be visiting various Chinese churches in Edmonton on behalf of the Marriage and Parenting courses, chauffeured around town by Elaine. Elaine leaves for home Wednesday morning and I take over driving duties for Wanda and myself , visiting other Chinese churches on behalf of Alpha.   I love the...

This is one of my favourite stories. It is about the heart of Alpha. It is about the power of Christ and his Spirit to transform lives. It is about the way God can make everything right. The words to the old hymn by Fanny Crosby just popped into my head; "For I know whate'er befall me Jesus doeth all things well." (from All the Way My Saviour Leads Me) And again, from the prophet Isaiah  "...[to] provide for those who grieve... ... to bestow on them a crown of beauty  instead of ashes, the oil of joy  instead of mourning, and a garment of praise  instead of a spirit of despair." Indeed he does. Blessings, John

I'm writing this post for a reason. I intend to send it to as many churches in Alberta as I can. It's all about opportunities and needs. How many are there? How many ways and places are there to run Alpha? These are both needs and opportunities. First of all I think of the Youth Film Series and the many opportunities there are to run it in schools. We can't do it. By, 'we,' I mean adults, leaders, pastors. It has to be the kids. and it has to be a very special kind of kid. One who has a heart for it and the courage to approach their principal (with the backup support of a church, a Youth Pastor or a Christian teacher) with a proposal to run it in their school. It is being done. There are at least 20 Alpha's being run in high- and junior high schools in Edmonton alone. We now have a very committed and knowledgeable Youth coach for Alberta and there is lots of help to get things going. Campus Alpha. Do any of you churches out there have students in universities, c...

PS: Today was another good day. I went to Wetaskiwin. Had another encouraging conversation with Pastor Greg at Wetaskiwin Full Gospel Fellowship, then called on Sacred Heart Catholic Church. This is a Catholic parish I have been praying about and pursuing for some time. The first Tuesday of each month they have an evening service called, "Effusion," which I attend whenever I can. It is a praise and worship service with a great guitar player, albeit with some Catholic aspects with which I am not entirely familiar. But Sacred Heart is a wonderful, Spirit-filled parish and will be the ideal Alpha church when (not if, because I'm praying) they discover, run and commit to Alpha. Last night was a testimony by a young man whose wife, Cristy, has just taken the position of Youth Minister there. Cristy has just come from Miami (yes, Florida) to take on this position. We had a nice chat this morning, and I resisted the temptation to make any smart-alec comments about her move to ...

I was a little bit down Monday. I get that way sometimes. It's often because I wonder if I'm doing enough in my position with Alpha. I remember that in my former position with Raven Truck Accessories, I composed the company training manual. My advice to store managers was this: either you should be doing something for the good of your store or you should be thinking of what you can be doing for the good of your store. So that is also my attitude with Alpha. My constant prayer is that for the effectiveness of this ministry and my part in it. But sometimes I just get the feeling I'm spinning my wheels. So yesterday, God told me, almost out of nowhere, "Go to Tofield." So I did, and called on one of my favourite places, Tofield Mennonite Church . I also called on three other churches, but Tofield Mennonite was just what I needed. Pastor Ken is a real Alpha fan. In fact, he was first introduced to Alpha when he was in Nicky Gumbel's own small group at Holy Trinity...