Outside Activities - September 21, 2022

I know that title makes it seem like I am going to tell you about where I have been hiking or biking lately.  I am not.  I have a few “beyond Mountainview” activities going on that you may find interesting.

The first is an invitation I received to be part of a conversation among “senior leaders” (their label) about where the church is going these days.  The world changed in the last few years and how we are church will need to respond and adjust.  Personally, I think Mountainview has fared comparably well in this time.  However, it is always important to stay in the conversation with other leaders who are wondering and praying about how the future may unfold.  This event is put on by Alpha Canada, an organization that has gained the trust of many as a cross-denominational ministry.  As you might imagine, it can be tricky getting church leaders together and on the same page for these kinds of conversations.  I plan to attend with a mind open to what God has to show and teach me and us for the next stage of the journey.  This takes place on Thursday.

On Saturday, I will be one of four representatives of Classis Niagara at another Canadian CRC Conversation.  We did one of these last January.  Apparently, it worked well enough that part two is taking place.  The conversation this time is about what has happened and where things are at in the conversation about Canadian and American differences and how that affects Christian Reformed Ministry.  A second topic is how churches are responding to Synod passing the HSR (human sexuality report).  I have written very little about this since Synod because, so far, I have more questions than answers.  Hopefully the conversation on Saturday will give a little more clarity.  To date, Mountainview Board and the Classis Niagara leadership team are intentionally moving slowly and cautiously because this is uncharted territory and if there are rocks to bump into, we prefer to do that at a slow speed.

My understanding is that most of you prefer to focus on local ministry and are fine with me being the one in the broader conversations.  That said, any time you want to know more about these things, feel free to ask and I will do my best to help you engage.  For now, I can only report that there are conferences and meetings happening, and that I am hopeful, because this is Christ’s church and he will find a way.

Pastor Erick