Susan and I have just returned from a whirlwind trip to our neighbouring province—Alberta. On Saturday, we flew from Abbotsford to Calgary where Pastors Merelyn and Garry Webber picked us up.
I can’t imagine a more hospitable family than the Webbers. They hosted us and treated us like the king and queen of Foursquare kingdom. We loved visiting The Garden, their Foursquare church in Calgary, on Sunday. This warm and vibrant church family have their roots in the early revivals of our founder Aimee Semple McPherson, about eighty years ago.
I generally judge a church by whether or not I would be part of it if I lived nearly. This one I (and Susan agreed) would happily join. After speaking at the morning service, we returned to the pastors’ home and began preparing for our Leader’s Seminar.
Soon a couple dozen of some of the most fun and gracious people anywhere gathered and we began. I had the privilege of teaching and leading discussion for the next 3 ½ hours. Then we ate again! By 10:30 the happy family of strong and enthusiastic leaders dissipated and we wound down for the night.
In the morning Garry and Merelyn dropped us off to get a car and we headed north to Leduc.
Over dinner we had a delightful meeting with the pastors of Edmonton and also of Kikino. Doug and Lois Boyd serve our Edmonton Foursquare church. We sat gripped to our seats as they told us story after story of miracles God is working in their circle of influence. Besides pastoring Doug is a professional counselor.
Don and Lynda Knelson pastor in a native community about 2 ½ hours out of Edmonton. Besides Dan working full-time, pastoring and having raised five children (now with ten grandchildren) Lynda and Dan have taken in over three hundred native or Metis foster children over the last few years. Most of them have suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, plus other social and emotional challenges. Listening to Dan talk with humble delight about their family’s kingdom privilege helped me to understand more deeply than ever how each of us has a story to tell. Although I teach pastors how to lead and grow a church, I saw again that health and purposefulness of a church family, whether it consists of ten people or a thousand, is not the same for any of us. We all have a uniquely designed pathway to walk.
Soon a couple dozen of some of the most fun and gracious people anywhere gathered and we began. I had the privilege of teaching and leading discussion for the next 3 ½ hours. Then we ate again! By 10:30 the happy family of strong and enthusiastic leaders dissipated and we wound down for the night.
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