RF brings encouragement to GA commissioners.
Renewal’s board of directors made a strategic decision this year to concentrate the Executive Director’s (ED) travel budget on our presence at General Assembly. It’s about getting the best bang for the buck – where we can reach the greatest number of people in the PCC. GA is a gold mine of opportunities to provide encouragement to anyone who needs it and make new connections. We developed a four-point plan:
- Prayer Room at the Assembly. The principal clerk quickly granted our request for a room somewhere on campus. An added bonus this year was General Assembly Office’s offer to distribute an information sheet to commissioners.
- Zoom Prayer Room, organized by the ED and staffed by RF directors and supporters.
- The ED being a visible presence at Assembly, talking to as many people as possible, renewing acquaintances and making new connections.
- The ED would bring the Sunday message to a local congregation.
From departure to the airport to arrival back at home, it was 104 hours of listening, talking, preaching, socializing and praying – with a few hours of sleep here and there.
Some highlights.
Zoom Room Marathon. A very dedicated group of faithful, Spirit-led prayer warriors led the charge, remaining online during the opening sederunt on Sunday and then for approximately 12 hours straight on each of the following three days.
We opened the room shortly after 7 a.m. Eastern to allow Zoom pray-ers to participate in the GA Prayer Room morning devotion. The Zoom Room stayed open until the closure of the evening sederunts. During each sederunt, the ED kept the pray-ers informed via chat. The Zoom pray-ers would come and go during the day but the room remained open. Between sederunts, someone would enable their screen and play worship videos. We are grateful for the Zoom Room leadership of Glynis Faith, Sybil Mosley, Nan St. Louis, Patricia Allison, Candace Bahadoor, Norine Love, Ronda Bosch, Linda and Ian Shaw and Christopher Jorna. Our apologies and empathies go to faithful friends who tried to participate but technology gremlins prevented them from entering.
The faithful few – truly alive! It was an honour for the ED to bring the message to the combined Elmsdale St. Matthew’s-Hardwood Lands congregation in the Halifax area, giving minister Beth Mattinson a break. (See message excerpt Page 7.) As with many smaller congregations, they have fewer people. But those who remain are spiritually alive and are eager to engage with the community. St. Matthew’s July VBS is held at one of the local fire halls – a great partnership. I encouraged them to pray early and often over the unchurched families attending VBS – may they be touched by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
After the potluck lunch, I was about to depart when one of them stopped me and wondered if we could have an impromptu prayer meeting. Faith works in the moment. A half dozen of us gathered in a circle and prayed for all kinds of things. It was honest and unscripted. My prayer: “Holy Spirit, bless the hearts of the faithful ones, may they refuse to be discouraged by decline, may they look to Christ to do the heavy lifting.” What this world needs is more people who are willing to stop, drop – and pray.
Meeting of Minds. The Prayer Room was also handy place for kindred souls to gather if they needed a quiet place to talk. It was also the place where the commissioners of both Han-Ca presbyteries met with the Clerk of Assembly for an off-the-record discussion of the controversial recommendation to place limits on liberty of conscience.
People, people. Every meal was an opportunity to meet new people. The Renewal Fellowship contact list grew by a dozen names. And those who adhere to the unchanging authority of Scripture were reminded that they are not alone.