Our New Office

I’m excited to announce that we’ve been blessed with fantastic office space in a perfect location. The office is within 2 blocks of the Legislature and is located in the Community Ministries Centre of Church of Our Lord. (The CMC is on the left hand side of the church.)

Church of Our Lord is the oldest church in all of Victoria and is a familiar landmark in the downtown core. It’s within a few blocks of the Legislature which is fantastic. It truly goes beyond what we had dared to hope, ask or imagine.

There are some pictures in an earlier post of the painting and construction, but here are some with the furniture in place. I just got a call that our carpet will arrive early next week!

This is a view from the door area. There's a park outside the window with some beautiful old trees in it. The office is on the second floor which gives a great view of the squirrels in the tree.

This is the view from behind the desk of the conversation and meeting area. I apologize for the poor lighting, but I took this with a camera phone. The burgundy chairs will be replaced by leather club chairs sometime over the next few weeks. Once the carpet is in, we'll load up the bookshelves and get rid of the boxes.

While our mailing address will remain the same, the office itself is located at 626 Blanshard St., Victoria, BC. Our new phone number is 250-483-5403. If you happen to be in Victoria, please stop by and visit.

We've been blessed with some tremdous deals through this process, and have had an excellent response to helping with our office set up expenses. We still need approx $1500 to finish the project. If you’d like to be a part of help with the costs of setting up our office, please click here to to share in the miracle with us.

Carrying The Presence

I’ve been thinking about the priests in the Old Testament who carried the Ark of the Covenant in the book of Joshua. They had the privilege and responsibility of carrying the tangible presence and power of God in their nation. As a result they had a front row seat to demonstrations of God’s power to save, protect, deliver and restore. They saw the Jordan River stop flowing the moment they stepped into the water. Carrying the Ark around Jericho might have been hard work in the heat of the Middle East, but what a sight to see the walls collapse as the trumpets blew and the people shouted.

I’m convinced that the Presence of God is too important to be limited to Sunday morning gatherings and brief moments that we set aside through our day. It’s got to be about more than just us, our inner peace and comfort and joy that comes from that. Deep down, I’ve come to believe that God’s plan for His people is to carry His Presence into the market place and the public square and to share the full benefit of His Presence with those we meet there rather than simply keeping it to ourselves.

This is far less complicated than what we’ve made it in the past. The priests did nothing more than carry the Ark. While they lived lives of holiness and separation, they weren’t overly mystical, flaky or hyper-spiritual. They were simply priests who carried the Presence.

Something good happens when the Presence of God comes into a place. His Presence brings His blessing. His Presence brings His power. His Presence brings wisdom, hope, courage and strength. His Presence changes everything it touches.

It's your world. Carry His Presence into it and watch what happens!

Communion on the Moon

I just got back from a quick trip to the beach on the way home from picking up some groceries. The moon is full, the sky is clear and the result is spectacular. I heard an interesting news story that came out today about the first act of worship on the moon. You can read more about it below.

Communion on the Moon - Buzz Aldrin
by Bill Carrell

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon in the Apollo 11 space mission. Michael Collins third member of the group, was in charge of the command module, essential for their return to earth, which circled the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin landed. The moon lander touched down at 3:17 Eastern Standard Time, Sunday, July 20, 1969.
Aldrin had brought with him a tiny communion kit, given him by his church, that had a silver chalice and wine vial about the size of the tip of his finger. During the morning he radioed, "Houston, this is Eagle. This is the LM pilot speaking. I would like to request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each person listening in, whoever or wherever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the last few hours, and to give thanks in his own individual way."
"In the radio blackout," he wrote later, "I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the Scripture, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit.' I had intended to read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute Deke Slayton had requested that I not do this. NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray O'Hare, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly..." "Eagle's metal body creaked. I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements."

Genesis tells us that 'in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'. How incredible is it that the first thing that man did when he arrived there was to worship and partake in communion? Simply amazing don't you think?

Office Update number ??

After what seems like forever, I have some pictures of our new space to show you. Since these were taken, we've acquired some furniture, but I'll hold off on showing you the finished product until the carpet is in and our new chairs are in place.




This was the first day we painted. Notice the short extension on the roller. I got a great deal on the package only to discover that the roller only fit that 18" extension.... sigh....

And this is why I opted to get a roller cage that could be used with a proper extension pole. I call this picture "Reach Higher"

Here's Barb sweeping up after we done. You can see the painted walls behind her. Don't you think she's the most beautiful member of a clean up crew you've ever seen.... and can she ever sweep a room clean!

This is the view out the window of the office. It faces south and overlooks a small park. You can hear the squirrels and birds when the window is open and the sun is shining, but only if there isn't a bus, ambulance or fire truck going by.

Here's the view from beside the window looking towards the door. It gives you a better sense of the color and the size of the room. We've still got some trim to paint up on the window and door, but apart from that there's not much left to do.

And finally, the best picture of all. Barb has been a huge part of every step along the way and is so supportive of what we are doing. There have been a ton of changes in our lives in the last few years and she has been a rock and anchor through it all. I'll post some pictures of the office sans carpet tomorrow, which will be my first day in our office space.

Progress

Hi Everyone - just a quick note to bring you up to speed on our office development. This project has been more work than I anticipated and because everything is a 'first', it's that much more involved.

I'm happy to tell you that our walls our painted, we have some initial office furnishings in place and the carpet is on it's way. I'll actually go to the office to work next week, but we have no landline as yet and the room echoes like crazy on my cell phone so we've got a ways to go. The carpet arrives in about 8 days so it's not impossible and we've got some nice chairs on their way as well.

Watch for photos later today or Monday at the latest.

The Sounds of Fall

One of the big changes for Zack this year is that he can participate in band. He is the first person in our family to be able to play a brass instrument. In true fashion, Zack's instrument of choice is the equivalent of a tuba. YUP... a TUBA! The upside is that he doesn't have to lug it back and forth all year as he can use one at the school, but we did have to rent one for the year and yes... it was the most expensive instrument on the sheet. He had his first band class this week and learned how to use the mouthpiece. On the way home from the music store he entertained us with a full complement of 'sounds' that all bore a striking resemblance to well... you can just imagine.

This morning, while I was trying to have some quiet time, Zack's friend came over with his trombone and they decided to 'practice' together in his room. His friend plays the trombone. While I appreicate their zeal, I'm looking forward to the day when they've had a few lessons and can actually play something that sounds like music.

The other big first in our house is that Tyler rode his bike to school today. As strange as this might sound, this is the first time that any of our kids have ridden a bike to school. The funny thing is that his school is only a 5 minute walk from our house, but he was proud and excited to be able to take his bike today.

Rise and Build

We began work on our ministry office space yesterday. Like any other project it will probably be much bigger than it looks like it will be at the beginning, but it will be worth it!! We are converting the back half of a former classroom so it's really just about building a wall, drywalling, mudding, taping, sanding, patching some holes, choosing colors, flooring, furniture and fixtures.

We'll follow up with setting up the furniture, unpacking boxes and getting ready for the return of MLA's. It will be a busy but very exciting two weeks.

We are making progress towards our goal of having the reno's paid for before we move into our new space. If you'd like to be a part of the miracle, you'll find our donation page here. Thanks for your generosity.

If you are in the Victoria area, we are hosting a Partners and Friends BBQ on Sept 15th from 3-6 PM. We need to know that you are coming so if you'd like to be a part of our celebration, please click here to register.

Yipee!!

Even though I'm sitting down as I write this (have you ever tried typing while you stand??) I'm doing the happy dance on the inside. We've secured office space in a fantastic location near the Legislature. The office over looks the park, the windows open and the sun shines in when it doesn't rain in the winter. There's even a coffee shop across the street. To those who doubt that God is good, they bake their own cakes, muffins and pastries. Did I mention it's only about 2 blocks to the 'Y' which will be handy in light of the fantastic baking across the street?

This has happened very fast and without an ounce of stress which is totally amazing. At the same time it presents an exciting opportunity to see God provide. I wonder if you might consider helping us furnish our new office space? Our budget for furniture, decorating and prep work will be about $2000. We want to buy good quality furniture so that our stuff isn't broken and shabby a year from now. Our lease costs will be somewhere near $450/month so you might want to consider being a part of that as well. This is your opportunity to be a part of miracle.

Here's what I know to be true. Sowing results in reaping. Barb and I have learned a lot about sowing over the past few years and it is resulting in reaping today. We continue to sow significantly into the ministry to make it possible and will continue to do that. We know that we will reap both in the here and now and in the life that follows. We will see that harvest in our finances, relationships, children and ministry.

Perhaps you'd like to sow into the ministry as well. You can do that by clicking here. In sowing you will share in the ministry to the lives of leaders who will be encouraged, blessed and ministered to in that space. You'll also have a great place to visit when you come to Victoria!

Thanks for praying about being a part. Be blessed!!

Getting Into the Groove

Summer vacation ends today. If you're a student, that's not necessarily good news. If you are a parent you just might be breathing a sigh of relief. We love our kids but are glad that school starts again in September!

This is also a time when MLA's will be preparing for the fall sitting of the Legislature. Contrary to popular belief, MLA's aren't on vacation all summer but rather spend their days in their ridings, meeting constituents and working on local issues. September brings caucus retreats, strategy and policy development sessions and a general ramping up of their schedules as they prepare to return to Victoria.

In anticipation of the fall session, we are busy developing a fall prayer strategy, building partnerships and arranging speaking/ministry engagements. It's an exciting time for us personally and for the ministry. We want to be covered in prayer and prepared to minister effectively on October 1st.

A good friend (and former neighbour) left me a comment on the blog about this being our season. I believe that he's right and that September will be absolutely amazing as God takes us to a whole new level.

Letting go of yesterday, embracing tomorrow!