: back to salt mine ... just kidding ... back to sbf mine :

... okay, I'm back from our Wednesday to Monday Okanagan trip, and back at it here in the back office of SBF.

Karen and I were at Fairhaven Ministry's retreat centre just north of Vernon, halfway up Silver Star mountain. Rumour has it Glen and Irela Rhodes have been known to volunteer their time and skills up there. They probably helped build or finish decorating one of the buildings ( we stayed in the Vineyard Cottage ). A totally great setting for pastoral leaders and teams to get away, reflect, recharge, re-group sometimes I am sure.

Anyways, working on some big ticket items, and opening up some of those discussions at tonight's elders meeting. Search Committee reports, some teaching ministry planning for Advent and January to March 2009, some logistics, some details, some pastoral care concerns ... Dougans, Johnsons, Adams, Dickinsons ... some devotional time and prayer.

Kevin W. and I have been busy e-mailing, or BlackBerrying for him, back and forth since I got back last night, as he has been in Cranbrook on business today. He may or may not agree with me posting this, but a novelty of his busy day today will be flying home in time for the elder's meeting in a Lear Jet ... his first time in one of those! he even sent me a quick pic he snapped.

OK, I need to run.

Until next time ...

don

: OCT 22 to 27 : DLC MIA or AWOL :

... hey SBF! just home from tonight's semi-annual annual general meeting. It was great, if you missed it, too bad. Lots of good info, discussion, affirmations and dreaming too!

... Karen, Colin and I are on the 0900 ferry tomorrow for our 5 day jaunt into the land of the Okanagan, so I won't see you this weekend. We've got a couple of days at a retreat centre near Vernon, then the weekend in Kelowna at Karen's brother's place, and some time with Fraser ( at UBC-Okanagan ). Then home again Monday, stopping in Langley for lunch with Megg ( at Trinity Western University ). I'll be back in the 'back office' on Tuesday, so look for an update post then?

dlc

: Fall Annual General Meeting : 21 Oct @ 7 PM :

... Saanichton Bible Fellowship's Fall AGM is tomorrow evening ... a well invested couple of hours listening and learning about the 2007-2008 ministry year, some new developments for 2008-2009, and a time of 'Q & A' with discussion.

We want to thank SBF's many, many volunteers, ministry leaders, deacon and elders. Join us in doing so, and helping us take a look back, a look around, and a look ahead.

dlc

: just wondering :

... just wondering, does anyone know the story behind the 'logo' or the graphic image in the cross on the SBF sign out front?

Could be a river, or two faces, or both. Maybe let me know if you think you know, okay?

thanks,

dlc

ps. there's an SBF FaceBook page up and running now as well. You can hit the link above right, or search Saanichton Bible Fellowship, or simply Saanichton, and it should be the top hit showing. Mind you, the Saanichton search shows Bryce R. 3rd, Jill R. 4th, and Peter R. 7th. Maybe Rashleigh is synonymous with Saanichton?

: juggling competing priorities :

... Good Morning SBF. Here it is, Wednesday, right smack in the middle of October.

I guess I had some time on Thanksgiving weekend, with the weather only being so-so, to reflect a bit on my 6 weeks at Saanichton Bible Fellowship so far. To be honest? in a good way I sort of feel like the guy in this graphic ... juggling the many competing priorities that come with the interim admin role here. My brain tends to work on a lot of levels, frustratingly so sometimes, but from the macro space the elders are leading from, to the day to day office systems, to the teensy ( but important ) details about security, fax numbers ( we don't have one ), web sites, parking ... to the privilege of 'pastoring' at SBF, with Dennis ... well? there are a lot of balls in the air.

I hope you are encouraged. I think there are many great things happening in and through Saanichton Bible Fellowship, and the people who make up this faith community. As Dennis said Sunday, it was quite something to be part of SBF's response to Wayne's passing. I drove home down Wallace Drive a couple of Sundays ago from meeting with Donna thinking ... "okay, so this is how a close-knit church responds to a crisis" ... and I was encouraged, even in the midst of the loss, and grieving and busyness of planning a memorial service.

All that to say, that's just one example of my multi-faceted world at SBF. I am glad Dennis is back, I am looking forward to this teaching series from Revelation, I think we are making progress on the admin side, I am enjoying myself, and I am getting to know more and more SBFers each week. I even made a connection Sunday when I met Amelia and noticed she was happy to be in Nathan's presence ( now I'm thinking like the father of 20-somethings! :) ... all that does an interim administrative pastor's heart good.

OK, lots, Lots, LOTS to do today, so better get back at it. Just thought I'd pop up a quick post for you, seeing as Alice F mentioned yesterday that she had read the whole 'blog word-for-word!

later,

don

: homelessness awareness week in victoria :

... Ron Cole, a friend of SBF's, and partner in the Dr. Bones Blues Project has a post over at 'The Weary Pilgrim' about needing a few volunteers to staff Mustard Seed's booth in the Bay Centre next week for homeless awareness week in Victoria. Ironic, eh? or maybe even intentional, the week following Thanksgiving ... quite the juxtaposition.

Take a minute and read Ron's impressions/assessment of recent changes in Victoria's economy and demographics.

I'm thinking of signing up for a stint or two. Anyone want to join me? For more information, the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness web page is here.

dlc

UPDATE : today Ron follows up yesterday's original request with a few thoughts.

: monday morning musings ... or the week that was :

... I decided that, as a picture is worth 1,000 words, I'd use this picture of my desk last week to capture the week that was for you.

I mentioned to a couple of you that it dawned on me recently that, with John Wilton working over in Vancouver now, at Trinity Baptist, and Dennis leading a week of Senior Camp at Imadene, then going on vacation, I've been running around more than usual in their absence! So by way of update ... here's a few things that encouraged me this last few days ...

~ the pastoral candidates pre-interviewing marathon of Friday evening and Saturday. Whew! The Search Team did a great job, and the elders and I got to follow up those interviews with a meal with each candidate. Excellent conversations were had by all!

~ the service yesterday. Introducing and praying for SBF's 2008-2009 youth ministry leadership team was great. Even though we went overtime, hearing Marco & Magreet's story, and calling to First Nation's ministry was profound, unsettling, challenging.

~ the SBF family response to the loss of Wayne Adams. I have seen first hand THIS week how a smaller church kicks into support gear when a family is in crisis, and then grieving. Wayne's memorial service is Friday at 2 pm at Saanichton. Thank you to everyone who has 'been there' for Donna and Mark these difficult days.

Well, I have to run, but that's a small 'snapshot' of my busy, full rewarding week.

dlc

ps. while still basic, we do have an SBF website back up, thanks to Jonah and a few helpers ( Barry, Steve, others ). You can find it at : www.saanichtonbiblefellowship.org