April Issue
When we rebranded as Our Story in March, we promised these monthly letters would provide glimpses into God’s work among us and share vision for how we sense Him calling us forward. In that issue, we shared that we believe Jesus is calling us to watch and pray in expectation that God is going to move in a transformative, life-giving way.
As you pray this week, please remember our Pastors & Leaders Retreat coming May 5-7. Our theme will be Walking in the Spirit and we’ll be focused on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 as our theme passage. Multiply missionary Derek Parenteau will be leading a group of 40 Ontario MB pastors & leaders to personally experience relying on the power of the Holy Spirit just as the apostle Paul describes in that famous passage:
This focus expresses the posture of expectation that we believe God is asking us to take. We’d be so grateful if you would pray for a dynamic move of God among all those who will be gathering. And as we look forward to our May retreat, we’re also so thankful for how God has been leading this month. We’re sure you’ll be encouraged by how God is leading into a new missional expression in Ottawa. Please pray as you read!
Houle Church Planting Apprenticeship & Southeast City Church
“How can we engage Carleton Place in new ways with the Good News of Jesus?” God has placed this question on the hearts of Matt and Heather Houle. This question matches with the overall passion and vision of David and Diana Hood and Southeast City Church in Ottawa.
Thus, a church planting apprenticeship has been struck. Only six years into their existence, Southeast City Church senses God’s leading to partner with Matt and Heather to help them discern this call and be formed for church planting. Beginning in April, Matt started the one-year apprenticeship under David Hood’s coaching and supervision.
Matthew and Heather Houle live in Carleton Place which is 50 minutes southwest of Ottawa and have strong relational connections with Southeast City Church. You may have met them at our recent ONMB Convention. We’re delighted to welcome Matt and Heather into our broader ONMB community and to join in this investment. Our Missional Expressions Team has invested $10,000 in this apprenticeship and I (Ryan) am supporting David Hood as he coaches Matt.
We’re excited to see how God leads in this!
Would you join in praying for Matt and Heather throughout 2024-2024?
Resource Recommendation
Do you know someone who might consider a call to church planting? This book offers gentle and down-to-earth insight and encouragement for anyone considering a step in this direction. I loved and highly recommend it! Available here.
Seeking $10,000 for the Missional Expressions Fund
Our desire is to raise an extra $10,000 this year through private and church donations beyond commitments to the ONMB Budget.
For 2024, $20,000 has been committed to Missional Expressions from our annual ONMB Budget. An additional $10,000 is committed from our Missional Expressions Fund, with the intent to replace that $10,000 through extra donations.
Currently, the Missional Expressions Fund supports the following initiatives:
- Bytown Community Church
- PowerServe – Disciple-Making in the Trucking Industry
- Houle Apprenticeship with Southeast City Church
- Spiritual Care & Resourcing of our Disciple-Makers & Planters
We are investigating additional Missional Expression possibilities in 2024, with one additional church planting possibility we are currently praying into.
Would you or your church consider giving to the ONMB Missional Expressions Fund?
Would you join with us in launching and supporting new disciple-making initiatives and church plants? Click on the DONATE button below and be sure to comment MISSIONAL EXPRESSIONS FUND in the space provided. Please reach out to Ryan Jantzi at rjantzi@onmb.org if you have any questions.
Webinar from MB Seminary
MB Seminary’s In God’s Image: A Vision for Being Human is coming Thursday May 9th at 4pm eastern. This live webinar will explore a biblical vision for what it means to be human. The event will include four presentations and a moderated question and response time. Please join church leaders from across Canada as we seek to follow Jesus faithfully in our broken and confused world.
Visit mbseminary.ca/navigate/
