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Hopeful Story, August 2, 2015

  In the summer, people live under the illusion that nothing much happens in the church. Nothing could be further from the truth.
  For starters, July is the time that a lot of churches host a daily Vacation Bible School. That’s exactly what we did at Hope Fellowship as forty volunteers spent five intense mornings with one hundred children. Zion CRC ran the same program at their church in Oshawa and drew sixty-five kids.
  Summer is also the time for weddings performed in churches, backyards and community centers. Pastors, couples and families spend a lot of time preparing for these special events. It may interest you to know that I will have performed seven weddings by November, not to mention walking my oldest daughter down the aisle in August.
  Pastoral care also continues unabated during the summer. Kids break bones, people lose loved ones, and health concerns suddenly surface that often require hospitalization. Despite the beautiful weather, some of us still suffer from depression and anxiety. Then there are the babies that continue to be born regardless of the season.
  The Succession Planning team, the Vision Leadership Board, the pastoral elders, the deacons and the staff have also continued their work as needed this summer. The BLAST program for moms and tots has continued to meet weekly in local parks. Our young adults group, Ignite, has also gathered weekly. Volunteers of all ages have travelled far and wide to serve the Lord in missions and service projects. And our property committee has been very busy organizing volunteers on two consecutive Saturdays to paint the exterior of 1711 Bloor Street, where three Christian Horizons clients live, as well as overseeing the painting of the entire East Wing.
  Oh, I almost forgot to mention our church services which require lots of planning, rehearsing, visual aids, sermon writing and support services like greeters and nursery attendants.
  So much for the notion that nothing much happens in the church during the summer months!
- Pastor Peter

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