: CORE STRENGTH : winter/spring teaching series : 2009 :

... as the teaching planning team of Dennis, Alan and I began thinking about 2009's first 6 months of teaching/preaching at SBF way back in November, we felt that the progression from Fall 2008's "Se7en Churches of Revelation" into Advent 2008, and into Haggai this month of January would lead beautifully into something based on the spiritual practices, or disciplines, or habits that build a life of consistency and stability necessary to navigate the challenges staring us down spiritually in the 21st century.

We looked into a number of approaches to that, asked around some, bounced a few ideas off the elders, and did a bit of research and reading into it. What we came up with, after some give and take, was what we are calling ...

CORE STRENGTH : spiritual practices for a twenty-first century faith

A number of leaders in the area of spiritual formation have articulated some of these disciplines in written form : Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline, Dallas Willard's trilogy, Brother Lawrence's writings, and some others. In some way, shape or form each explains and defines these practices in different ways, but corporate, outward and inward disciplines say it best.

So as Dennis wraps up the Haggai series this Sunday at Communion, he will also introduce this series ... and through February, March and April, after Easter and Sunday February 8th we will launch into looking at Confession, Guidance, Worship, Celebration, Prayer, Simplicity, Submission, Solitude, Service, Fasting, Meditation and Study.

CORE STRENGTH is a sports medicine term, referring to essential, deep, basic muscle groups that when taken seriously, taken care of, developed and used properly bring overall health, stability, longevity and balance to our lives. Well, we thought ... we could do no less than teach our way through the same idea spiritually, identifying and addressing and together as a faith community working through these practices.

There are no shortcuts to CORE STRENGTH, but there are also significant benefits from understanding what is and isn't going to mature our faith. CORE STRENGTH is the opposite of cosmetic muscle work, or faddish body sculpting, it is deep, difficult, but rewarding effort.

: SBF's search has begun ... again ... Phase II :

... well, Phase II of SBF's pastoral search is up and running in earnest.

Search2009, as I am calling it, looks good to me.

We learned a tonne in Phase I last fall, with 3 potential candidates going through structured interviews with the SC, as the elders affectionately refer to the Search Committee. Two of them returned for a less structured, more conversational get-to-know-each-other afternoon, and one visited SBF early in Advent and spoke.

While all around there was mutual agreement with these first three men that the fit between them and SBF wasn't quite there, the process and the three different perspectives created a great learning experience for the SC, and the elders when they joined the process part way through. So now, as we re-enter the search in earnest, we have much more to go on, more clarity about the pastoral role, and a sense of direction and a comfort level with the challenge that I believe will be productive.

So, as you think of the SearchComm as we meet most Tuesday evenings, say a prayer for wisdom, direction, unity, great process, the right contacts, and a connection with the right person to join the SBF leadership team is this pastoral role. We will be getting some profiles and information out to you in the next few weeks as we finish off that refinement process. Until then? keep us in your prayers, and especially a special meeting next week with Jay Gurnett of Vision Ministries Canada. He knows a LOT of people in pastoral circles, and we will be picking his brains about the opportunity here at SBF.

dlc