Worship, laughter, prayer and sharing

BELLINGHAM, WASH.

The B.C. MB Conference pastors and spouses retreat this year attracted 193 pastors, conference workers and spouses to The Firs retreat centre in Bellingham, Wash., May 4-6. The four main sessions featured powerful contemporary worship led by Ryan Dahl of North Langley Community Church, assisted by a number of other young pastors and spouses. There were times of reflection, sharing and prayer. There was much laughter, particularly at a late Monday night dessert and story-telling time. For the most dedicated, there was even a round of golf, pursued in spite of the rain that fell steadily throughout the three days. Perhaps the most common activity was informal talking and sharing in small groups.

The retreat also featured four presentations by Carl F. George, who had spoken at the B.C. MB Conference convention just before the retreat. His first presentation, Sunday night, focussed on the need for a pastor to have " an angel (messenger) on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him"(Job 33:23). George illustrated this truth with two stories. The first concerned a missionary who evangelized a valley in Africa. A native assistant was gifted to discern who in the crowd God had selected to be pastor in each village. The missionary would preach in that village until that person was saved and then move on to the next village. The second story concerned George's wife, who helped him discern that he was being called into church consulting work.

The second message, Monday morning, focussed on how pastors should train disciples to do the work of the church. This is done by working intensively with a small number who progress from watching to helping to doing ministry. The session closed with those present practising use of a questionnaire that pastors can use to debrief care group leaders.

In the third message, Monday night, George noted that churches are hard to get into. Most of the people who visit church services are already Christians, and only one in seven stays. He, therefore, urged that care groups be encouraged to pray and work at making friendships with non-Christians in order that people may be saved. The most moving part of the evening was when George asked those who had new Christians in their care groups to come forward and describe these conversions; the stories were so exciting, and the number so large that George limited the stories to ten.

In the fourth session Tuesday morning, George talked of the need for specific prayer and being open to hearing God's voice. He then talked of the dangers and blessings of " experiential theology" , as found in the Toronto Blessing, for instance.

JC

Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 36, No. 11 Home Page