Part-time job

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." ~Jesus, Luke 10:2

"Also, I heard the voice of the LORD saying, 'Whom shall I send? and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am; send me.'" ~ Isaiah 6:8

WARNING: The following post is a direct plea for help to our fellow Christians outside of Canada. Please read with this in mind, and then join us in prayer. You may find yourself being part of the answer...

We are earnestly praying and asking the Lord to send others to join us here in Edmonton. There is much to be done and only two of us to work at it. Perhaps at one time or another you have had a thought to come visit, or maybe you've even heard the cry, like Paul, "Come over here and help us" (Acts 16).

Do you feel like you might like to come up but committing to moving is just too big a step right now? No problem! Why not consider coming when you can? If that means a weekend, a week, a month, great! We'll take part-time workers gladly.

     What men can do: evangelism with Dejan in the city, prayer by neighborhood, join Dejan during the assisted living ministry Mondays, Sunday set-up and take-down and ministering to the church body

     What ladies can do: pray, be available during the assisted living ministry, assisting with the children's church during service and child care before and after service, bulletin prep, craft prep

Here are some ideas for how you can find time to get involved in the work of the Lord here in Edmonton (remember, we are only a day's drive from our home church and a relatively brief flight from just about everywhere else.):

• students/teachers: come for part or all of Christmas break, during your spring break, summer!
• workers at 8-5 jobs: come for a long weekend, save up sick days, use part of your vacation and turn it into a ministry vacation!
• retired: make us your destination on a northern sightseeing, camping or road trip!
• anyone: come for American Thanksgiving and forgo-gasp!-Black Friday shopping (Canadian Thanksgiving is in October), if your job allows take a period of time off just like you would for any other outreach trip

The first step is to dare to come, then to pick a time, and then we can work out logistics of accommodation and meals. Trust God to lead in all things--He is faithful!

Our absolute biggest need is for willing hearts to join in evangelism, as this is how the Lord adds to the church. Our second and third priorities are things pertaining to the Sunday service and covering the city systematically by prayer (prayer from anywhere is great, but praying through the city is what we mean here, specifically).

We are so excited about what the Lord is unfolding before us as we serve Him! We hope to hear from some of you as soon as the Lord moves you to take up Edmonton part-time.

Location, Location, Location!

This is such a memorable slogan for the real estate industry, and it encapsulates our most recent development. As of this Sunday, September 1, 2013, we will be gathering for our weekly Sunday afternoon worship services in a new location!

Upon our arrival in Edmonton last November, we began meeting for Sunday worship, Bible study and fellowship just east of the city in someone's home. Fast-forward six weeks and it moved to our own home in Edmonton proper, a somewhat central location.

We have enjoyed having everyone in the home setting, but we believe that the door has been opened to us to meet elsewhere. A nearby church is allowing us to use their building on a weekly basis, for the cost of insurance as a measure of Christian good will.

Dejan met with the pastor at St. Timothy's Anglican Church just after the team left a couple weeks ago, and after signing the insurance contract and paying the small fee, we now have building keys and a weekly meeting location!

We will be meeting in a small chapel which is just beside the main sanctuary and is accessible through its own set of double doors (pictured here). The children's worship space will be in the nursery which faces both chapel and sanctuary. There are no stairs to climb for those who may need assistance, and the walkway is also not terribly long for shovelling in winter. The building also has a kitchen and enclosed courtyard.

We are so thrilled to be given this opportunity to meet in an existing church building! From a practical, logistical standpoint, we don't need to buy, haul, store or set up chairs. (Hooray!) We don't need a sound system due to the acoustics. And as long as we don't meet in the evenings, our use of electricity will be minimal, as the entire building was constructed with skylight ceilings. It is also fairly close to where we live.

From a spiritual perspective, we hope that by being in the community there will be no barriers preventing any and all who will from coming out. We recognize that meeting in a home is more personal, but for many it is a setting that exceeds their comfort level. It also means we have practically unlimited room for growth (this was a particular concern for our space at home for the children).

Praise God for His gracious provision! We are trusting on His promise in Jesus that "I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18). It is a privilege to serve Him here in doing this!

In Their Own Words

The team left us last night after a blessed time of fellowship and prayer and talking over the events of the week. We were so boosted by their hard work this past week! Our words cannot adequately describe the varied experiences we shared as a group, so here is a summary of the outreach, in their own words.

"This week has been amazing! It was a great encouragement having friends sharing the Gospel along with us and showing us the way. When we were tired or feeling down the girls always managed to make us laugh. The trip was such a blessing and so much more than I ever expected!" ~Naomi

"This week has been a true blessing. We had trouble at first, but the Lord helped us through it. The Heritage Festival was great. I got to talk to the most people in my life. Even if we have trouble, the Lord will help us (Hebrew 13:6)." ~Spencer

"I grew a lot while on this trip. I had lots of love towards other people like strangers. I like to read about Moses in Exodus 4, how he thought he couldn't be used, but God really used us on this trip. Such a blessing to help Dejan and Julie plant a church." ~Nick

"It was a blessing to see every member of the team have a willing heart to be used by Jesus for the purpose of spreading His Gospel." ~Rick

 "Wonderful experience! Absolutely blessed to have been able to do the outreach at the festival! The Lord is going to do a mighty work!" ~Pastor Jeff

"How wonderful it was to serve alongside you. I had such a great time... May God bless your ministry. I will be praying for you." ~Greg

"I love your city - such beautiful cultural diversity - so rich! It was a joy to encounter so many different people in conversation! God will establish His work - His church! 'Be still and know that He is God--He will be exalted among the nations'!" ~Christina

"What a blessed trip! Around the world in three days, seeing firsthand what the Lord's heart truly is - to reach the lost. This trip produced growth in boldness, trust, and love for the nations in a new way. What an encouragement to see faithful hearts in our dear family in Edmonton. We pray for continued strength for them. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness and love. Overall a beautiful trip blessed by the Lord." ~Christine

Continue in prayer for the seeds sown and watered in the city this week. We got a glimpse of what team mission here in Edmonton can do, and we are still praying for more laborers to join us!!