RAISING THE BAR ON LEADERSHIP
How fast this year is going. Easter’s come and gone. The changing Traffic Light has allowed travel for me to happen easier. I trust that your enjoying the greater freedom and less time behind a mask. It’s interesting that our Rachel and Jonny both have had Omicron but the family up here in the epicentre of Omicron have not had it as yet. A couple of close shaves maybe but dodging the virus.
I flew down to Nelson and had a profitable couple of days. I met with the Bishop who is keen for his ministers to come to Caleb. He also expressed how thankful he is for the work Caleb is doing to develop the leaders in his region. I also spent time with key Anglican leaders and one Anglican Minister who did our course last year. He is considering having us run a Bridge Builders course later in the year. I went from there to Blenheim. I was doing a consultation with Connect Church and their staff. We spent the whole day together working on redefining their roles and then that evening spent time with the elders. It was a long and tiring day. The next day was spent doing some training with the lay leaders and then on the Sunday I preached, healing many insomniacs. We are hoping that many of the leadership team at Connect Church will come to the leadership course down there in late July. We have 5 registered from outside Blenheim with two others nearing a decision so far and praying for more to come. Thank you for your prayers for this trip.
In the first week of May, we finally have the second half of the CLC for the Northern Presbyterians. We have 15 coming which is amazing since it’s been postponed twice. I’m looking forward to the time as we complete the management material and spend time allowing the participants to look at who they are beyond being pastors. It’s a great time usually and I love the 24hrs of solitude.
The Caleb team continue to review and rewrite aspects of the Leadership course which we hope to trial down in Blenheim. There’s still a lot to do and then to rewrite the participants manual. We are also looking to get the participant’s manual on line.
I continue to lead an ITA committee on looking at contextulization issues within the LMC course. The two others on the committee are amazing men of faith and I am delighted to be working with them. The other ITA committee is working toward a version of the LMC course adapting it for pastors within the CMA denomination in Canada. We are hoping that the first week of the course which is a live-in week, will be ready by September.
Much has happened with the family. Rachel flew up to see Grandma (and us). While here, she noticed her tumour had changed. When she went home, she saw the specialist and had an MRI. The result was that the tumour has shrunk 75% PTL. We are so grateful for all of your prayers about this and give God the glory for a wonderful answer to prayer.
Tim has completed his degree and has a graduation service coming up later. He topped his class. We are very proud of him. Jeremy has only 8 weeks to go to complete his MBA and is doing so well considering all the other pressures of work and a young family.
Yvonne and I celebrated 42 years of marriage on April 5. The following day was my birthday (stop being rude) and we had a lovely quiet family celebration with some close friends. The next week was Yvonne’s birthday and we had another family celebration. And now the parties are over. No more trips to the Pie Cart in Newmarket. It got messy eating pies at the side of the road and juggling a mask. In the finish, I cut a hole in the front of the mask to get the straw through for the coke. Worked a treat!
In March my Mum turned 95 which is a wonderful milestone. However, she still hasn’t overcome the fear that leaves her ‘cast’ and unmoving. She only responds with eye movements and the occasional whispered word. This week we got a call from the retirement hospital that Mum had taken a turn for the worse. She appears to have developed some pneumonia in one lung and has a temperature. We are able to visit now after having a RAT each time. Our daughter in law Sakura, showed the nurses how to get some fluid into Mum as Mum wasn’t responding to drinking with a straw. We are so grateful to Sakura’s for her caring heart. With all the other pressures of course coming up, the emotional toll is high. I’m preaching at Connect Baptist this weekend too and have had to write a message while coming to terms with the shift in Mum’s situation. I and the family continue to trust the Lord in this as He Loves my Mum and it’s His will and timing that determines her journey into eternity with him. Yvonne and I still take the opportunity to pray for Mum each visit and along with the family tell her what she means to us. Please continue to uphold us in your prayers.
Your prayers and support are extremely important to us and our ability to do the work the Lord has called us too. We never take you for granted and give thanks to the Lord for you. May He give you answers to your prayers and give you His blessing and love.
Every blessing
Rex, Yvonne, Rachel, Jonny, Caleb & Ada, Jeremy, Sakura & Kayla, Tim & Aimee & Hannah.