It’s a good thing that I have some good friends who are causing me to think about things.  If they weren’t around I wonder how much would simply flow past me without realizing how fast time marches on.

I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday, and he started talking about what next year would look like at Community of Hope.  We look forward to passing the leadership of Awana on to somebody else (we’re already moving him in that direction - he’s already been taking huge stides along that path).  But the question was asked for us, what next?

Well, I told him I hope to take Freedom Session next fall, an intensive class to help people struggle with and overcome past issues in a Biblical framework.  Both Community of Hope and my previous church, Cedar Grove run this program, and I have had a lot of contact with both the people who run it and people who have taken it.  It is very good at what it does, helping people to recognize what hurts they have caused or experienced in the past, and how they affect their lives today, and act to resolve them.  I realized in my many interactions with people involved, that while I function pretty well, like most other people I have some hurts that definitely affect how I relate to people.  I wouldn’t mind dealing with those.

But, that’s not all by a long shot.  The vision that Cheryl and I have is to begin the process of planting a church in Alberta in the fall of 2010.  That is not far away at all!  Working back from a fall 2010 departure, that means we need to make a final decision about a destination city/town probably by the beginning of summer 2010, and before that we need to be building our team if there will be one.  It would probably make sense if we are going to have a team that our small group in the fall of 2009 be made up of those who are interested in planting with us.  We will need that fall and winter and spring to make decisions and pray and vision together what that new church will look like.

Fall 2009 seems so far away, but a quick check of the calendar is only 9 months!

On the bright side, if all these dates come too fast they are always subject to revision.  And on the brighter side, with every passing week, I do feel we are being prepared more and more for the task ahead.  There is still so much to do, but I still think we can get there.

No sign of hurricanes. Unless that yellow patch kicks up into something… but if it doesn’t, it is still conceivable that a hurricane could form and move while we are gone. We should be so lucky. I love storms… though I don’t know if Cheryl would echo that sentiment.

Plane seats booked, rides arranged. Bonus: Westjet will allow us to bring a stoller or playpen with us as “carryon” in addition to regular carryon! That should help.

Don’t expect any blogging to be done while we are down there though I am still hopeful I will get a few minutes on the computer here and there.

If you’re in the Surrey area over the next couple of weeks, our Sundays should be very interesting.  We’re having the leadership couple for our Freedom Session program starting this fall speak on July 26, about their journey.  Then, on August 2 we will have the guy who started “Catholics for Jesus” come and speak.  Apparently he has a heck of a story as well.  I will be sorry to miss these two weekends.