Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
When I say that I am reflecting on the past, do not interpret that as thinking about retirement. I am still a ways off from that. But for some reason I have been thinking about my experience as a pastor. I was hired by my first church, Queensway Baptist Church, as a youth pastor back … Read More “Good News: Reflecting on My Career as a Pastor” »
This weekend has been a time of incredible change for the Bedard family. We cleared out and left our home in St Catharines for the last time. While it was not our favourite home we have had, it was our home for four years and there are many memories there. On Sunday morning, we said … Read More “Good News: Arrived in Nova Scotia!” »
Galatians 3:27-29 Introduction We have been going through the Queen Street Baptist Church mission statement. I made the strange decision to go through it backwards. That seems strange because it would seem that one builds on the other, with the easier parts first and the harder parts later. So being welcoming is relatively easy but … Read More “A Welcoming Community” »
Ephesians 4:14-16 Introduction Too often churches are short sighted as to what their goals are. Some have a focus on evangelism and that is good. But what they sometimes mean is that they want to just get people to a point of salvation. They want people to pray a certain prayer, get baptized and identify … Read More “Growing Spiritually” »
Romans 12:1-2 Introduction Few issues get Christians as worked up as their personal preferences when it comes to worship. There is a reason why people call it the worship wars. There is your side, there are the people who are wrong, and there is a battle to be won. We often think of worship as … Read More “Worshiping God in Jesus Christ” »
I am currently transition from being the pastor of Queen Street Baptist Church to being the co-pastor of Brookfield Baptist Church. There will be about a week between the two roles. Although I have been a pastor for about twenty-five years (ordained twenty), I only have transitioned from one congregation to another once previously. Twice … Read More “Reflections on Leaving a Church” »
Romans 10:14-15 Introduction If I asked you to at some point today approach a random stranger and share with them the gospel, how would you react? You might respond by saying that you are shy and don’t talk to strangers. Fine, go and share the gospel with a close friend or family member that you … Read More “Sharing God’s Saving Love” »
Colossians 3:12-17 Introduction There are are many ways we could look at the evolution of the western church over the past number of decades. It could be changes in attendance, it could be changes in architecture, it could be changes in technology, or it could be changes in music. Imagine using a time machine to … Read More “Wearing Our Sunday Best” »
I was sick this week (and still am). That is not good news. But in the age of covid, we cannot just push through the way we have before. especially as a pastor of a church, I cannot just show up sick for a service. Thankfully, I don’t have covid but I was still quite … Read More “Good News: An Unexpected Sunday Off” »
Micah 5:2-5 Introduction We are very familiar with Christmas but is it possible that we are too familiar with it? Is the story so well known that we have stopped thinking about actually took place. Here is how I understand what happened. God created the world, including humanity. Humanity rebelled against God, forsaking his way … Read More “Love in Action” »
Zephaniah 3:14-20 Introduction I remember in university the challenge of picking courses because certain courses had required prerequisites. You couldn’t just jump into a course, you had to look what courses you needed to have already have. The idea was that one course prepared the way for the other courses because one curriculum was built … Read More “Surprised by Joy” »
Malachi 3:1-4 Introduction When we think of Christmas, one of the themes that often comes to mind is that of peace. If you think about a nativity scene, the calm animals, the reverent visitors, the serene parents and of course the sleeping baby, all of it looks so peaceful. And that is what we consider … Read More “Real Peace” »
Jeremiah 33:14-16 Introduction One of the most difficult things to hold onto, depending upon your circumstances, is hope. In fact, we may be afraid to even try to hope. I recently came across this statement in Psychology Today about the danger of hope: “The emotion of hope pertains to that which hasn’t yet transpired. So … Read More “Emerging Hope” »
Hebrews 13:20-21 Introduction One of the things that really bothers me is when something important is missing. This could be putting together a complex puzzle and after dedicating all that time, you get to the end and find that there are one or two pieces missing. I still enjoying making model airplanes and it is … Read More “Becoming Complete” »
Romans 3:21-31 Introduction While many people celebrate Halloween on October 31, that day is significant for protestant Christians for another reason. It was October 31 in 1517, that a monk named Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, in modern Germany. Although Luther was a Roman Catholic, he … Read More “Where Grace Leads” »
Matthew 6:5-15 Introduction There is one passage of Scripture that I have heard more than any other and it is not even close. It is not the 23rd Psalm and it is not the Ten Commandments. The one passage that I have heard more than any other is the Lord’s Prayer. Not only did the … Read More “Pray in This Way” »
Acts 16:11-40 Introduction How does one become a Christian? That seems to be a fairly reasonable question. If we claim to be Christians, then we better know how one becomes a Christian. I don’t think that I’m straying into heresy by saying the way to Christianity is through Jesus. There are those who believe there … Read More “The Ways to Jesus” »
Acts 16:6-10 Introduction How many of you like to go on long car rides? This can be especially nice at this time of the year when the leaves are changing and before the snow comes and everyone forgets how to drive. There are a couple of ways you can choose to do one of these … Read More “Where is the Spirit Calling Us?” »
We have been taking things very carefully at Queen Street Baptist Church when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. My philosophy has been that I would rather be accused of being too cautious than too reckless. We have been meeting in person again for a number of masks. But this past Sunday was the first … Read More “Good News: Singing in Church” »
Acts 16:1-5 Introduction How committed are you to the Church? I don’t mean specifically Queen Street Baptist Church, although there is overlap with what I’m talking about. I mean more specifically, how committed are you to being the Church? When I have talked to Christians of older generations about commitment, the response was usually somethings … Read More “Full Dedication” »
Acts 15:36-41 Introduction I want you do something. Without look around the room, I want you to think back. Is there any person who is a part of this church that has disappointed you? Is there anyone who said or did something that really bothered you? Has there ever been a time when you saw … Read More “Messy Relationships” »
Acts 15:22-35 Introduction When you are reading a story, one of the important steps for understanding is identifying the major characters. This is true whether you are reading William Shakespeare or reading a Superman comic book. It is also true when reading history. I have an interest in reading both ancient history and the history … Read More “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” »
Acts 15:1-21 Introduction When you think of the different events put on by the church, what is your favourite? Is it the worship service? Bible studies and prayer meetings? Potlucks and other meals? Where do business meetings fit into the ranking? When I was just starting in ministry, I was warned about how bad church … Read More “Agreeing When We Disagree” »
Acts 14:8-20 Introduction Most likely, you have expectations for any situation you are facing. You may not know all the details and your expectations may be wrong, but you do have expectations. At a previous church, one where I was expected to wear a suit and tie to each service, I snuck out during a … Read More “What Should You Expect?” »
Hebrews 2:10-18 Introduction A few weeks ago, I reminded you of the way that God chose to communicate with us. God didn’t just send another teacher or prophet, God sent his Son. Not a half-god but the exact reflection of God’s glory. In some mysterious way, when God was sending his Son, he was sending … Read More “A Jesus Like Us” »
Hebrews 1:1-4 Introduction Why are you here? Seriously, what are you doing here? More specifically, for those who identify as Christians, why do you bother? Why would you want to be a Christian? Why would you want to follow Christ? Those might seem like strange questions but they are important. For many people, the answers … Read More “The Greatness of Christ” »
Acts 13:44-52 Introduction It was approximately thirty years ago. I had just come out of a period of atheism while a student at Brock University. I had come to believe in a God but I had no idea what religion I should follow. Christianity seemed too obvious, being the most common religion in Canada and … Read More “The Ups and Downs of Sharing Faith” »
Acts 13:13-43 Introduction One of my favourite things is studying history. In another life, I could have seen myself as a history teacher rather than a pastor. I like history because it is interesting and often entertaining. But I love history because it is relevant to today. Spanish philosopher George Santayana is credited with the … Read More “Learning From History” »
Acts 13:1-12 Introduction A few months ago, it was the twenty years ago that I was ordained. It was at Queensway Baptist Church in Brantford, and it took place on mystery last Sunday there before starting at a new church. It was a meaningful service but it really was one step in a long process … Read More “Called By God” »
Acts 12:20-25 Introduction I’m going to give you a little bit of insight on how I go about picking passages to preach on. I enjoy preaching a series, preferably on a book of the Bible. I like this because it forces me to get outside my own area of interests and to be challenged by … Read More “One God” »
Acts 12:1-19 Introduction It does not take us long before we discover that life is not fair. Children at a young age complain that things are not fair. They sense a disconnect when someone gets something good that they didn’t get or if they get punished and someone else doesn’t. It just isn’t fair! As … Read More “When Life is Not Fair” »
Acts 11:27-30 Introduction What is the question that the world is asking about the church? Believe it or not, the main question is not about which church is the true church. People are not lying awake at night wondering of the Anglicans or the Pentecostals or the Baptists have a corner on the truth. That … Read More “The Church Being the Church” »
For the last year and a half, we have been putting the worship services for Queen Street Baptist Church online. For a short period in there we had both in-person and online but must of that was online only. Yesterday was, what we hope to be, our last online only service. Of course we cannot … Read More “Good News: Our Online Services” »
This past week was my first week back at the church after taking a month off. I was happy to go back but there was one difficulty: my wife Amanda is recovering from a concussion. This was going to be a lot to land on her plate. That is where the good people of Queen … Read More “Good News: Taken Care Of” »
A couple of days ago, I started a month-long leave from my church, Queen Street Baptist Church. This is not a vacation but a leave for me to recover mentally and emotionally. I have a pretty severe case of “COVID fatigue.” As a husband and father, I also absorb the fatigue of my family. As … Read More “Good News: Time Off” »
Acts 10:1-33 Introduction How common would you say prejudice is? We might be inclined to think that we are not as prejudiced as some other people. But then that is a form of prejudice. Here is an example. I find that Canadians point to Americans as people who have really struggled with racism. We hear … Read More “Facing Our Prejudice” »
As a Christian, one of the most important days for me is Easter Sunday. This is not just a cultural observance, but something that reflects my belief in the actual resurrection of Jesus. Last year, we were not able to have an in-person church service for Easter Sunday. That was a strange feeling. It was … Read More “Good News: Easter” »
Matthew 28:1-10 A Frightening Morning I want you to imagine that first Easter morning, specifically from the perspective of the women. Perhaps you think of an early morning stroll through a garden with a few friends. That was not really what was happening. It was very early in the morning, so early that it was … Read More “Do Not Be Afraid” »
Matthew 21:1-11 Introduction If you are a parent, or have at least spent some time with children, you will know that there is an ongoing lesson that needs to be taught. And that lesson is the difference between a need and a want. They need their favourite blanket. They need a bowl of ice cream. … Read More “The Lord Needs You” »
Acts 9:19b-30 Introduction Has there ever been a time when you have felt rejected, like the whole world was against you? Perhaps the supports that once been there were now gone. Do you remember what that was like? And have you ever been in that position and someone came forward to support you? It may … Read More “Who Are You Advocating For?” »
Acts 9:1-20 Introduction I want you to think about the person you would most be surprised to become a Christian. It could be someone famous, perhaps a musician or an actor or a politician. Maybe it was someone who is a known criminal or is had had a particularly immoral life. Maybe it is someone … Read More “An Unexpected Christian” »
Exodus 3:1-15 Introduction Have you ever had an opportunity come your way that totally scared you? While you valued the opportunity, the task seemed beyond your abilities. When I think about these feelings, I automatically think about the anticipation of my basic training for the army. I did not have much time to process what … Read More “Here I Am, Send Someone Else” »
Acts 8:26-40 Introduction I have often felt like the story of the Ethiopian eunuch is one of the strangest in Acts. It’s not the picture of Philip running alongside the horse drawn chariot, listening to what the man was reading. Nor is it the way the Holy Spirit takes Philip away immediately after, making it … Read More “Enabling Faith” »
Acts 8:1-8 Introduction Back when I was in my mid-20s, I went on my first mission trip. It was with the organization Operation Mobilization. I was pretty excited to go overseas and preach the gospel. And I as feeling a bit overconfident as well, if I am honest. The Canadians met in Oakville and got … Read More “The Church Scattered” »
Acts 7:54-60 Introduction Have you ever thought about what it will be like when you die? I don’t mean passing into the afterlife but in the hours and minutes leading up to it. I know that sounds morbid and yet it is something we will all experience. I have spent time with a lot of … Read More “Filled With the Holy Spirit” »
Acts 7:51-53 Introduction Have you ever been having a conversation with someone and you realize that you have come to a crossroads? You can see the next thing that you plan to say in your mind. You know that if you say that, there is no going back. Not only will it change the direction … Read More “Resisting the Holy Spirit” »
This past week we had a bit of a scare. Amanda had symptoms of COVID-19 and needed to get a test. That meant that our family had to self-isolate. Thankfully Amanda got a negative test result and that is Good News. But while we were self-isolating, we had people from our congregation reaching out to … Read More “Good News: A Generous Congregation” »
Acts 7:44-50 Introduction Many years ago, I was at a revival service here in St Catharines and I heard something that I have never forgotten. Interestingly, it was in his sermon but in his appeal for the offering. As he was asking people to dig deep into their wallets, he told us that God was … Read More “Let God Out of That Box” »
Matthew 2:1-12 Introduction You may think that Christmas is over but it is not. As the song says, there are twelve days of Christmas, starting on December 25 and ending on January 6. So Merry Christmas! When I think of Christmas, I often think of nativity sets. Each of us might be drawn to different … Read More “Welcoming the Outsider” »
Yesterday after our worship service at Queen Street Baptist Church, the leadership agreed to stop in-person worship services and go back to online only. This is because of the rising numbers of COVID-19 in Niagara. That hardly sounds like Good News! And yet it is. The reason that they decided to do this was not … Read More “Good News: A Church That Loves” »
Hebrews 12:1-2 Introduction Throughout this season of Advent, we have looked at Jesus as our Hope-Giver, Peace-Giver and Love-Giver. We now come to Jesus as our Joy-Giver. It is not difficult to find the concept of joy in the Christmas story. When the pregnant Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the … Read More “Jesus: The Joy Giver” »
For the past two years, I have been able to work with my wife Amanda at Queen Street Baptist Church in her role as our outreach pastor. Not only has it been a lot of fun, I don’t know how I could have gotten through those first months of the pandemic and the switch to … Read More “Good News: Amanda’s New Adventure” »
John 13:34-35 Introduction I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to tradition. On one hand, I really love tradition. It may be connected with my appreciation for history, including church history. There is so much that we can learn from the past and tradition is an excellent way of passing on those lessons. Not … Read More “Jesus: The Love-Giver” »
Introduction Last week, we looked at how in our dark times, our world is in desperate need of hope. We also saw that Jesus came as the hope-giver. That is Good News. What else do we need in these turbulent times? It just so happens that the second Sunday of Advent is that of peace. … Read More “Jesus: The Peace-Giver” »
Introduction This is the first Sunday of Advent. It is a time when each week we light a candle, bringing light out of the darkness and we reflect on what it meant for Jesus to arrive in our world. This is also the first Advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. If ever there was a time … Read More “Jesus: The Hope-Giver” »
Acts 6:8-15 Introduction I want you to think about a time when a person or a group of people were very upset with you. Not just slightly annoyed but downright angry. Now I want you to think about what it was that made them angry. How accurately were they interpreting the facts of what you … Read More “Causing Offence” »
Acts 6:1-7 Introduction With this being Remembrance Sunday, I can’t help but think of conversations I have had in the past with veterans, especially of the Second World War. I was blessed in my previous church to have a good group of WW2 veterans that I was able to get to know and hear their … Read More “All Jobs Matter” »
Acts 5:33-42 Introduction As many of you know, I have a great interest in military history. It is not to glorify war but to learn from what happens to humanity when put in the most difficult situations. There are often practical life lessons, and even lessons for us as a church, even if the weapons … Read More “The Church Will Not Be Defeated” »
Acts 5:12-32 Introduction This time of COVID-19 has been a chapter of the church unlike anything that I can remember. It has challenged us to to rethink everything that we have just taken for granted. What does it mean to worship? What does it mean to gather? What does it mean to care for one … Read More “When to Say Yes and When to Say No” »
Acts 5:1-11 Introduction Every once in a while I get the urge to write a devotional on the most disturbing passages in the Bible. There are a number that could be included and one of them would be the story of Ananias and Sapphira. This is the story of a married couple in the church … Read More “A Disintegrating Church” »
I will confess that I did not know what my congregation would look like after a few months of pandemic. Would we try and hide from reality and seek a safe place? Queen Street Baptist Church has consistently impressed me. They have been active in reaching out to each other. They have continued to support … Read More “Good News: A Church Moving Forward” »
Acts 4:23-37 Introduction I remember being at a ministerial and I pointed out that John had been a Baptist. The Nazarene pastor reminded me that John may have been a Baptist but Jesus was a Nazarene. That’s when another pastor stated in heaven, we would all be the United Church. I’m not suggesting that any … Read More “Becoming the United Church” »
Acts 4:13-22 Introduction You may or may not know that I took a number of years off pastoral ministry between my previous churches and coming to Queen Street Baptist Church. But of course we still needed to eat and so that meant I needed to get a job. At that point, I had been a … Read More “Qualifications for Serving Jesus” »
One of the best things about my experience at Queen Street Baptist Church is that I get to work with my wife. While Amanda doesn’t have the official title of “pastor,” she is definitely my co-pastor at QSBC. She has been a great help in general, especially over this time of COVID-19 and the shift … Read More “Good News: My Co-Pastor” »
Acts 4:1-12 Introduction I will confess to you that I’m horrible when it comes to directions. Whenever we go on a trip, I completely rely on Amanda. My confidence in her surpasses that of any GPS. If I don’t have Amanda, I definitely rely on the GPS directions on my phone. But what did people … Read More “Jesus is Our North Star” »
Acts 3 Introduction At some point in 2019, just a few people contracted a virus that we now call COVID-19. At the time it probably looked like a small thing. I don’t even know how sick those first people got. I am sure that if you could go back and explain to them all that … Read More “Blowing the World to Kingdom Come” »
Joshua 22:10-34 Introduction As some of you may know, one of my interests is blogging. A blog is a shortened form of web log and it is like a public diary or opinion column posted in the internet. I have been doing this for about fifteen years. Most of the time when I publish a … Read More “Communication Breakdown” »
Acts 2:42-47 Introduction I want you to imagine you were doing a public performance of some kind. It could be a speech, some music, presenting something you have made, whatever you are passionate about. You present your skills to the public. After the performance, someone comes up to you and says, “I was just filled … Read More “Having an Awful Effect” »
For the first time since March, we opened up our building to our congregation for Sunday morning worship. We have had three test services before this but this was the first one open to the entire congregation. We had about half our regular pre-COVID Sunday attendance, which is about what I expected. A number of … Read More “Good News: Back in the Building” »
Acts 2:22-41 Introduction Have you ever had a recurring dream? It may not be exactly the same dream but it is the same sort of dream or it happens at the same place or it includes the same people. I have had a number of recurring dreams over my life, usually repeating frequently during a … Read More “Death Defeater” »
Yesterday at Queen Street Baptist church we had our second test service. Before opening the church building to the entire congregation, we are having test services to make sure things are going well. You can read about our first test service here. I’m so proud of our congregation and the way they have adapted to … Read More “Good News: Taking Steps Toward Church” »
Acts 1:12-26 Introduction I want to be careful in what I predict, but I want to say that I hope that this is my final congregation of my pastoral career. I realize that I still have a lot of time before I retire, but the thought of going through the process again is not appealing. … Read More “Where is the Justus?” »
Acts 1:1-11 Introduction Have you ever been in the awkward experience of expecting someone to do something and you are not sure if they are going to do it? You are hanging on their every word and action, hoping that that they will get around to what you want them to do or say. It … Read More “Can I Get a Witness?” »
1 Corinthians 14:1-19 Introduction Do you enjoy traditional worship? Before you answer that, we better be clear on what we mean traditional. At this point in time after months of online services, any in-person worship taking place in a church building, no matter how recent the songs, may feel like traditional worship. But perhaps you … Read More “Lovely Worship” »
Psalm 102 Introduction How does one recognize a person as a Christian? I’m not referring to following certain rules, wearing Christian t-shirts or speaking in Christianese. Is there a way to recognize that someone is in relationship with God? For some, the answer is clear: look for God’s blessings. Is the person obviously blessed by … Read More “Praise in the Dark” »
Psalm 100 Introduction An important part of our church mission statement is that we are a people worshiping God in Jesus Christ. I don’t think that there is anything controversial about that. I would be surprised if someone tuned into this worship service and was shocked that we were worshiping God. But what does worship … Read More “A Deeper Praise” »
For many people, this pandemic has been really difficult in terms of church. People would rather be sitting together in a building worshiping than watching a worship service on a computer. But there is a bright side for some families. At Queen Street Baptist Church, we post our worship service on our YouTube channel. It … Read More “Good News: The Kids and Church” »
How can pastors include apologetics into their pastoral ministry. One way is to preach apologetics-themed sermons. I try to put this into practice. I recently preached a sermon at my church based on Jude 3 called “Being a Contentious Christian.” You can watch it below. This is the first video on my new YouTube channel. … Read More “Apologetics Sermon: Jude 3” »
Jude 1:17-25 Introduction Different people have different starting points for how they live their lives. Some begin from a place of reflection or of theory or of impulse. While I appreciate all of those things, I prefer more guidance and direction. I want to be told what to do, not necessarily how to do it, … Read More “Doing the Work of a Christian” »
When COVID-19 hit, local church ministry was turned upside down. We went from live in-person services to recorded YouTube services. We went from visiting in person to phone calls and Zoom meetings. There was part of this that I enjoyed. It was kind of exciting to be thrust into an unknown world that seminary hadn’t … Read More “Good News: Encouraged to Take a Break” »
At my church, we have been doing an online Bible study on the letter of James. I love James as it is so practical. There are many parts of the Bible where there is a considerable leap in context from there to here. James is incredibly relevant to our current experience. I thought I would … Read More “Online Bible Study: James” »
During this time of pandemic and focus only on online worship services, we have experienced some limitations. But we have also experienced some opportunities. There are some things we can do now that we normally wouldn’t be able to. I had planned for this past Sunday to do a dramatic-type message instead of a traditional … Read More “Good News: With a Little Help From My Friends” »
Luke 24:50-53 Introduction What were the most theologically significant events in Jesus’ life? That’s easy, just follow the holidays. What are the two biggest holidays for the Christian Church? Christmas and Easter, representing Jesus’ birth and his death and resurrection. Those are the events we really need to know. But what about the ascension? The … Read More “The Rising After the Rising” »
Luke 24:44-49 Introduction As many of you know, I am a chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces reserves. I have long been interested in the military and their way of doing things. I even see a number of intersections with the military and the church. I don’t think I am too far off the track, … Read More “Following Orders” »
Luke 24:36-44 Introduction I want you to imagine that the risen Jesus was coming to visit you. Not a dream or a vision, but appearing to you physically. What would you do to prepare yourself? I suspect that one of the things that you would want to do is to get ready to listen. I … Read More “Peace Be With You” »
Luke 24:13-35 Introduction How did you come to know Jesus? Was it one big moment of coming to understand Jesus or was it a long process? I was once stopped by some evangelists who wanted to check to see if I was really a Christian. They asked how I became a Christian. I responded that … Read More “Seeing Jesus Clearly” »
Luke 24:1-12 Introduction Have you ever heard that saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is”? This is a good general rule of thumb. For example, if you receive an email saying that someone from another country, who you don’t know, has left you one million dollars, you should be … Read More “Is the Resurrection Too Good to Be True?” »
The whole world is upside down right now because of the Coronavirus pandemic. This includes the churches. We are currently not having physical services at Queen Street Baptist Church. So yesterday we had our first online service. We have been streaming our sermons for some time but this was the first time that we streamed … Read More “Good News: Online Service” »
We are currently in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. This makes things difficult on many levels. I feel that especially as a pastor of Queen Street Baptist Church. We had postponed our midweek programs but we still had a Sunday morning worship service yesterday. After the service, I met with my leaders, including a … Read More “Good News: Proud of Church Leadership” »
I have been the pastor of Queen Street Baptist Church for just over four years. I continue to be thankful for this role. I experiment with new things and bring change from time to time. The people are so gracious and encouraging. While don’t want change for change sake, it is nice to try new … Read More “Good News: Continually Loving My Church” »
Yesterday we had some bad weather in our area, including freezing rain. Many of the churches around us closed because of the weather. But our church didn’t. That is not criticism as I have cancelled worship services many times and if it had been just a bit worse, we would have. Maybe we even should … Read More “Good News: Intimate Worship” »
Yesterday at Queen Street Baptist Church we had our Welcome Back Sunday and barbecue. It went very well. This is a Sunday where we celebrate the return of a number of families who have been away at cottages and other summer activities. It was a time to reconnect with old friends and to make some … Read More “Good News: Welcome Back BBQ” »
Yesterday was the last day of my vacation. Most pastors don’t attend their own church when on vacation but I did. That was because we had a great preacher. That preacher was Amanda Bedard. Amanda is the Outreach Director for Queen Street Baptist Church. Since I get more vacation than she does, she is available … Read More “Good News: Pastor Amanda” »
I love my church. Queen Street Baptist Church is a great church community. I’m so thankful that I get to pastor with them. Yesterday, was a particularly good day. There was something about the worship service that was special. I can’t explain what was different. Everything about the service had a special energy to it. … Read More “Good News: A Great Day at Church” »
My Good News for this week is about the outdoor service Queen Street Baptist Church had yesterday. We do this Praise in the Park every year at Montebello Park. While we have a beautiful church building, it is nice to get out of the building once in a while. Montebello Park is only a couple … Read More “Good News: Praise in the Park” »
I just finished two weeks of vacation. I ended in a surprising way, by visiting my own church. Most pastors don’t attend their own church when on vacation. But I wanted to this week (I went somewhere else the week before). It was nice to be there, sitting in the back row, just being there … Read More “Good News: Visiting My Church” »
My Good News for this week is that I am simply happy with where I am at in life. Professionally, I have achieved my goals. I’m happy with how things are going at Queen Street Baptist Church and I’m excited to have started my ministry as padre at the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. I also … Read More “Good News: Feeling Content” »
My Good News for this week is the amazing service we had at Queen Street Baptist Church. At our church, we celebrate our anniversary every year. This year it was our 186th anniversary. Our anniversary service went so well. Our guest speaker was Chantal Huinink. I got to know Chantal through Christian Horizons. She shared … Read More “Good News: Queen Street Baptist Church Anniversary” »
At Queen Street Baptist Church we have been running a ministry on Saturday nights for our downtown community. My wife Amanda gives leadership to both the worship service and the meal that takes place there, although neither her nor I started that ministry. It has been a challenging but rewarding ministry as we have mix … Read More “A Picture of What Ministry Can Look Like” »
In January 2019, Amanda came on as the interim Outreach Director at Queen Street Baptist Church. This was an interim position as we needed someone immediately to take over from the previous person. There were no guarantees that she would continue past the temporary contract. This week, Amanda was notified by the church that she … Read More “Good News: Outreach Director” »
