Every three months, there’s a breakfast meeting of the “Three Chairs and the Pastor.” It includes Ann, the chairperson of the deacons, Dick, the chairperson of the pastoral elders, Brian, the chairperson of the Vision Leadership Board, and me. In these meetings we encourage each other, advise each other and look for ways to stay united on the same page so that the pastoral elders, administrative elders and deacons do not operate as independent silos.
On Thursday morning we met again at Molly’s Restaurant in Courtice. Ann told us about her life changing experience in the Dominican Republic where a team from Hope Fellowship built a home for a family and helped feed more than two hundred children who come for a meal of rice and beans three times a week. “For many of them, those three meals are the only meals some of these children have each week,” Ann said, wiping away tears.
We went on to talk about our desire to have more and more people at Hope Fellowship have such life transforming experiences. We dreamed about putting specific local, regional and global service and missions opportunities before our church so that others can also feel the excitement of serving our God and our neighbours. It was an animated conversation and before we knew it, it was time to pray and go.
When we stood up to pay the bill, the waitress told us that it had already been paid. “What?” we chorused, looking at each other in disbelief. “Yes,” the waitress confirmed with a smile. “A gentleman paid for all of you with the request that you pay it forward.” We couldn’t believe it. We were the recipients of a random act of kindness. “I feel a chill right now,” Dick said. “Me, too,” I said.
In this way God blessed us with a wonderful start to a day that began with a dynamic conversation about sending the people of Hope Fellowship into our community and the world with words and deeds of hope. We parted company with our eyes open for an opportunity to pass it on and give someone else the same injection of joy!
- Pastor Peter
On Thursday morning we met again at Molly’s Restaurant in Courtice. Ann told us about her life changing experience in the Dominican Republic where a team from Hope Fellowship built a home for a family and helped feed more than two hundred children who come for a meal of rice and beans three times a week. “For many of them, those three meals are the only meals some of these children have each week,” Ann said, wiping away tears.
We went on to talk about our desire to have more and more people at Hope Fellowship have such life transforming experiences. We dreamed about putting specific local, regional and global service and missions opportunities before our church so that others can also feel the excitement of serving our God and our neighbours. It was an animated conversation and before we knew it, it was time to pray and go.
When we stood up to pay the bill, the waitress told us that it had already been paid. “What?” we chorused, looking at each other in disbelief. “Yes,” the waitress confirmed with a smile. “A gentleman paid for all of you with the request that you pay it forward.” We couldn’t believe it. We were the recipients of a random act of kindness. “I feel a chill right now,” Dick said. “Me, too,” I said.
In this way God blessed us with a wonderful start to a day that began with a dynamic conversation about sending the people of Hope Fellowship into our community and the world with words and deeds of hope. We parted company with our eyes open for an opportunity to pass it on and give someone else the same injection of joy!
- Pastor Peter
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