Licensure is the “bar exam” for the pastoral profession.  Some denominations have more rigorous methods, some have less.  The Grace Brethren are on the more side.

Last month I wrote an 8 hour exam with around 80 questions, all short answer.  They were all based upon theological concepts with one five question set of historical questions.  The only resource  I was permitted to use during the exam was an unmarked Bible.  I did not finish  - three questions were not even answered.

Yesterday was the second part.  I had to sit in front of a panel of 5 pastors who then asked me questions based upon my answers, to expand on answers they deemed incomplete and demonstrate my ability to communicate both orally and in written form my theology.

They told me before they began that 50% of those who sit the exam are asked to retake it later after further study.

I passed.

This gives me a license to practice as a minister of the Grace Brethren Fellowship.  Once my church signs off on it, anyway.  It is a huge step.  They do have one further step – Ordination happens after practicing as a pastor for 3 years.  So I’ll come back to this in 3 years.  I am told that Ordination is less about what you know and more about “what would you do if…”

So, now I have passed church planter’s assessment, and now I have passed licensure.  I have formally met the standards that were asked of me to become a church planter for the Grace Brethren.  Its funny, but I don’t feel much relief.  I think that actually being a pastor is much more spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally demanding than the tests I have passed.  God holds me to a much higher standard than any exam.  I don’t feel worthy of the calling He has given me, but lucky for me, He will accomplish His will no matter how inadequate I am.  And that gives me a great deal of comfort, more than meeting human standards.

Cheers.

January is very busy.  Multitasking is something else, but just to make it more interesting, God keeps tossing us an extra ball to juggle.

Riding the backburner is an outreach project at the end of the month – but it needs some loving, so I need to make some space to promote that.

Our community exercise, our “Carnival of Games” is fast approaching.  Next week will be all about prep for that.  We need to make a list of all the “booths” we are making and get status updates on where each of those are at.  At least the location is taken care of.

I wrote my licensure exam last Friday – that was intense!  8 hours, with only an unmarked Bible as reference.  I left a couple blank, but I can make up for those during the oral examination next month.  The district reviews my answers then orally quizzes me on the areas they want to see more strength in.  I’ll need prayer for that!

Another cold virus  has landed, and we’re working hard to not let that immobilize us.

Travelling to the Southwest District Focus Retreat will be an interesting opportunity.  We will hopefully have new business cards for our church plant and prayer cards to begin to raise awareness in the churches of Callifornia and area about what we are hoping to do in Medicine Hat.  We are praying that a church or two will see us as a mission they want to support.

I am teaching a course on church history and also another round on the Gospel of John with a couple of new believers.  These will be important challenges as I get to exercise my education in one area and gain more mastery over leading people through the Gospel.

We are also working on a regular opportunity to preach – perhaps at a senior’s home or even perhaps at the YVR chapel!  That would be an interesting venue.

Cheryl has picked up another course at Athabasca University to finish her Master’s in Nursing.  Only two more to go after this one!

Please continue to pray for us.  We would not be able to manage all these things without your support.  Thanks!

I am trying endeavouring to memorize around 180 verses by January, in an effort to pass Grace Brethren Licensure review, which is quite rigorous I have been told.  How will I get there?  Read on to find out.

If you want an anecdotal look back at my memorization history (such as it is) check out Part 1.

So, I have been blessed by a number of situations where I have heard lots of very good ideas to help memorize Scripture.   First, I would like to say that one size does not fit all.  Everyone’s mind works differently, so I can’t guarantee results with what I have done.  You need to find your own way along this path, but researching what others have done does give you good ideas to try and see which will be best for you.

A couple of years ago, I sat in on a nice little seminar taught by my church’s worship pastor, Jason Strain.  He taught a session on Scripture memorization, and highlighted a number of ideas, including mnemonic devices, acronyms, and song.  I like song: it does work.  He even got into producing entire songs for our church to help memorize Scripture.  You can download them for free on the church website if you like.   The only downside I found with them was while I learned the verse very quickly, I didn’t learn the reference point or the verse number – so while it was now in my head, I couldn’t reference it for others.  Saying to someone, “It says somewhere in the Bible, ‘Salvation is found in no one else, and there is no other name under heaven, given to man by which we must be saved,” doesn’t have nearly the same impact as saying, “It says in Acts 4:12, ‘Salvation is found in no one else…” See what I mean?  Still, it’s better than no memorizing!

More recently, I was at our church’s “Discover Hope Lunch” where we introduce new attenders to our church and help them take the next step towards membership.  At the end of the lunch, I was sitting around talking to a couple of nice ladies and one of them took out a little business card wallet.  It was filled with Scripture verses printed onto business card paper.  She said she carried it everywhere she went and used it all the time.  What a neat little idea!  The next day I scoured three different Dollar Stores for such a wallet, and then went and bought some business card paper to print on.  I put together a dozen verses on “Scripture” and “God” and put them into the wallet.  What I have been doing is taking that wallet to work, flipping open a verse and sitting it on my desk right in front of my monitor.  This keeps the verse in my vision all day long, and it’s been working very well so far.  This week I have memorized 2 Tim 3:16, Psalm 119:105,  and Psalm 19:1.  Today my goal is to do two: Romans 1:19 and John 20:28.

In an effort to prepare for licensure with the Grace Brethren, I have been working on memorizing Scripture.  I’ve always just kid of absorbed Scripture incidentally, which has given me a lot of the Word in my heart but without address.  Heh.  Kind of like how people were before the invention of chapter and verse, hundreds of years ago.  But I digress.

I wanted to write a little about memorization.  Interesting trivia fact: the first piece of Scripture I memorized was NOT John 3:16!  Growing up in a home that didn’t put a high priority on God, it simply didn’t come up much.  In fact, my first memorized section of the Bible is also the longest I have ever memorized – and it came courtesy of Charles M. Schulz.

Yes, that’s right.  The creator of Peanuts.

He was actually a devout Christian, I have heard.  Whether or not that’s true, in his Christmas special, “It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas”, the question of the true meaning of Christmas comes up, and Linus, Lucy’s little brother recites Luke 2:8-14.  From the King James.  I watched that show so many times, that passage sank into my heart, and remains at the tip of my tongue.  It is a very poetic passage, recounting the angels announcing to the shepherds the arrival of the Messiah as an infant, and where he could be found.  Oh, to be a shepherd that night!  That would have been amazing!  Here it is, from memory:

And there were in the same country, shepherds – abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night, and lo – the angel of the Lord came upon them.  And the glory of the Lord shone ’round about them. And they were sore afraid, but the angel said unto them, “Fear not!  For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a saviour: which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you: ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a heavenly host praising God, and saying: “Glory to God in the Highest!  And on earth, peace, good will towards men!”

I wonder how many other children have this passage riding in their hearts as a result of Mr. Schulz’s little animated special which has become a Christmas institution for so many North Americans.  The takeaway idea here is that when you are engaged emotionally and you are experiencing something on a number of levels, there is much more of your brain working on committing something to memory.  When I experienced Scripture in the context of a story, presented by a character of interest, and I heard it repeatedly voluntarily, all these things allowed me to commit to memory a big chunk of text effortlessly.

Next up: what’s working for me to memorize!

It’s been exciting the last week or so, with people actually expressing interest in our dream of planting a new church in Alberta.  We’ve had several very valuable conversations and several people approach us with interest in joining us already.  I think there are more out there too – it is just a matter of time until they make themselves more clearly known.

Of course, I think a large part of momentum building is proving oneself capable.  In that sense I am looking forward to the challenge of a number of different tasks in front of me and us.  Each step is a step of growth and a step closer to our goal (if that doesn’t sound too cliche’d).

In the immediate future, of course, I have a little more to take care of with that looming paper.  Once that is done, then it will be on to licensure – and then after that, I think, Cheryl and I will be focusing much more on what we can plan for the plant plans.

Last night was our leadership Christmas dinner. A lovely time was had by all, by appearances. It looks like we may have a new couple joining us – more hands make lighter work!

So, going into the holidays, I can feel momentum beginning to build with my wife and I, and also with my pastor, Philip, about what needs to be done to move our dream of planting in Alberta forward. I thought you might be curious, so I’ll let you into the next few months.

First on the plate, I will be seeking licensure with the Grace Brethren. This means I will be able to marry people! Ooooo… However, being quite rigorous, theologically, I have some study to do to pass it. I have a major written test to write, then based on that, they do an oral review as well. I hope to complete that before spring.

After that, my wife and I are beginning to plan a trip to tour about 5 or 6 different communities in Alberta with regards to seeking God’s will in which community to target. At this time the list includes Cochrane, Okotoks, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat (Redcliff), Spruce Grove/Stony Plain and perhaps St. Albert. We want to do this in the May/June time frame.

This fall we hope to form a small group made up entirely of prospective team members who will accompany us to Alberta. We are praying that some people are stirred by God to join us.

This fall there is a church planting conference in Calgary – details on speakers and such have yet to be finalizedd but we are already in agreement that we should go. That will be a great learning experience.

So, that is a big picture snapshot of what 2009 will look like for us. We still need to colour it in, but Lord willing, our future will take a much clearer shape as we go next year.