The Board of Elders met on May 23, 2023 for our regular monthly meeting. We praise and thank God for His faithfulness throughout the past 5 months of transition in our church. We believe that, by God’s grace, we are on track in our transition goals:
• To maintain momentum
• To continue to implement the ministry plans that were in place
• To build a smooth on-ramp for our next Lead Pastor
Indicators of the above include:
• We met our budget in both giving and expenses at the end of April
• We witnessed the dedication of 6 children
• 10 individuals expressed a desire to become members
• 5 individuals expressed interest in being baptized
• Several people experienced freedom through our ministry of Soul Care
• Spiritual transformation continues as individuals and community groups process ‘The Story’
• We have seen strong attendance in classes, events, and the midweek activities through the month of May
Our fiscal year ends June 30th. We are thankful for the generous gifts we have received, as well as the good stewardship of our staff and finance team to keep us on budget. We are trusting God for an outpouring of generosity to achieve a surplus as a “gift” to our new Lead Pastor. As another fiscal year begins, the Board has approved the proposed Budget for 2024-2025, presented by the Ministry Staff. This will be presented for ratification at our Annual General Meeting on September 24th.
Our Committees continue to bring positive reports. The Nominations Committee is meeting with individuals to finalize their discernment regarding who should fill the various leadership positions in our church. A final report will be issued before our annual meeting. A Land Development Committee has formed to begin discerning possibilities for future use of the excess land owned by Living Hope. The Pastoral Search Committee reports that applications are now closed; as they conduct interviews with applicants, they are making recommendations to the Board. The Board has begun to process the recommendations. Pastor Al has given regular updates to the congregation each Sunday.
We are looking forward to these events in June:
• Men’s breakfast – June 3rd
• Canadian Midwest District Conference – June 5-7
– Pastors Al and Shauna, as well as Jan Ross, will be our delegates
• Living Hope Hymn Night – June 10th
• Summer BBQ for the family – June 11th
• Explore Living Hope – June 12th
We are grateful for your continued support and prayer for the Board of Elders, the Core Ministry Team, staff, and ministry volunteers. Understanding the importance of prayer, we will continue to meet for PrayFirst during July and August. In addition, we are planning to have three ‘Prayer and Worship’ events in the next church calendar year.
May we continue to be a blessing to all, as we have received these abundant blessings from God.
Your Board of Elders:
Allen Fedorak (Interim Lead Pastor)
Kevin Gatschene (Vice-Chair)
Shannon Vinter (Treasurer)
Gwendolyn Schroeder (Secretary)
Lola Sotomi
Deji Oyetuga
Steven Munro
