Canada Day is coming. I love July 1st! It is my most favourite holiday. Some have Christmas – too much hype for me. Some have Labour day – sounds like too much work, some might say Thanksgiving, - this is getting better because the food is great. But still these holidays pale when it comes to Canada Day. With Canada Day there is no pressure to buy gifts, meet with relatives you can’t stand, or make a big meal. It is simply a time when you can enjoy the party with no expectations. You get to see fireworks, which I love, you can eat Canada Day cake, and hear speeches on how great Canada is.

Canada is great. However; from my perspective, Canada is completely different from what it was when I was growing up. The idea that marijuana would be legal for recreational use, purchased in shops down town was not even considered as a remote possibility. Nobody was talking about having sex changes when I was growing up. And there was a general sense of what was right and wrong that was held by the overall population.

Not so much anymore. We are doing things today that my generation didn’t even consider. Some would say we have come a long way. I would agree with that. Where you might leave me behind is the assumption that our new reality is actually better. Teen suicides are on the rise, sexually transmitted diseases have reached an all time high, and mental illness have reached a crisis point. One would think with all the new “enlightenment” present in our society we would be doing better than the reality presents. As a culture we have rejected Christianity. I am fine with that. But I do worry that the fruit of walking in our “own truth” is revealing itself to be one of pain, confusion, and spiritual wilderness. I think it is time to renew the call to become followers of Jesus. Jesus promised us life, peace and joy if we will follow him. It is time to lay aside the spirituality of our own making and let the light of Jesus in. To be a follower of Jesus doesn’t look like the modern-day church nor does it look like the new age concept of Christ consciousness. It is radical in nature and counter intuitive in practice. To be a follower of Jesus means you lay down your life and become nothing, so Christ can become your everything. We cannot become everything designed for us, until we lay down everything and let Christ be our everything. This is what Jesus taught us to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” To be a follower of Jesus means, not my will, but His will be my highest desire, my guide, and my purpose. Why not join this radical and counter culture movement and become a follower of Jesus Christ. And happy Canada Day.

This Sunday we will have with us as our guest speaker, Rick Benner, Chaplain within the Billy Graham organization. He has recently returned from the G7 conference and from helping out the flood victims in the Grand Forks community. He is going to be sharing what God is doing in Canada despite the tragedies we are seeing around us. We will be celebrating our Country and our God this Sunday Canada Day. Why not join us and make Canada Day really special. We will be out by 12 noon, plenty of time to go to the park and enjoy all the festivities down there.

Looking forward to seeing you. 

P.A.R.T. (Pedal Along a Rail Trail) 13

Lots of fun was had on this great historical ride through the mountains. $2500 was raised for Our Daily Bread.  We want to thank all of you who participated whether you went along on the ride, sponsored a rider, prayed or volunteered. It is great what can be achieved when so many people work together towards a common goal.

Camp at Dutch Harbour

We will be descending on Dutch Harbour this coming Monday! We would love to have you come out and join us for an evening or maybe you can come for a day.  Here are the drop-in rates:

$5 Drop In without meal or $15 with meal

Overnights - $25/night (includes food and registration)

If you are planning to come for the full week and have not yet registered, please do so prior to Monday.

Pastor Jim will be at Camp next week, so he will be out of the office.  If you have any church related inquiries or needs, you can contact the church office to speak with Anne-Marie.

Bible Boot Camp – The Armor of God

For Ages 5 -12

August 7-10

9am till noon at Nelson Covenant Church

Sign up on Sunday at the Information table.

For more information or to register contact Kelly Eckes staygold1969@hotmail.com

S.H.A.R.E. Nelson

Want to know how to get a good deal on some great items? Follow the S.H.A.R.E. Nelson Facebook page and don’t miss out on any sales.

S.H.A.R.E. is accepting and receiving donations and new items are being put out for sale every day. If you would like to volunteer at S.H.A.R.E. we currently have great opportunities.  Call the store at 250.352.1222 or stop by the store to inquire.  Click on this link to check out S.H.A.R.E.’s video! Check out our FB page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aZX9v7gxdM

Reading the Bible

If you follow the monthly reading program, you can successfully read the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in a year. I have attached this month’s prescribed reading to this newsletter. Start something new and watch God's word make a difference in your life.

Calendar of Events

• Family Camp, July 2 – 6 at Dutch Harbour, near Riondel.
• Party in the Park, Sunday, July 22 – 4pm at Lakeside Park Rotary BBQ Shelter
• Bible Boot Camp, Ages 5-12, 9am till noon at Nelson Covenant Church

Visit our website at http://www.kootenaychristianfellowship.com for all the news, sermons, and places to donate.

Pastor Jim

June 28, 2018