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By Dorothy Brotherton
BELIEVERS in Kelowna are coming together for one of the
city’s major Christian events.
MissionsNow 2009, scheduled March 1 – 6, will
bring together people from a variety of churches, and both ends of the age
spectrum, under the theme ‘Prayer and Justice.’
MissionsNow started in Kelowna in 2005, with the aim of
bringing the Great Commission challenge to the region in a fresh way. It is
now well established, as evidenced by the representation of various
churches at a pastors’ breakfast aimed at promoting the event in
early February,
 | | MissionsNow keynote speaker Bruxy Cavey |
Pastor Jack McLaughlin from Trinity Baptist, a host
church, described MissionsNow as an inter-church, intergenerational event
which “demonstrates the outward focus of the churches in our city, in
addressing the social and spiritual needs in our community and around the
world.”
MissionsNow begins March 1, 7 pm, at Trinity, with
Bruxy Cavey as featured speaker. He’s the teaching pastor of The
Meeting House, a multi-site church in Greater Toronto.
Cavey has gained attention via his campus and
conference work throughout North America, using a style that seems to
communicate to people who aren’t ‘into church.’
He offers an open question-and-answer period during
messages, a style Michael Slaughter featured in his book, UnLearning Church.
The evening’s music will be provided by Corey
Doak and Jon Buller.
Doak, a Kelowna resident and international musician, is
a Christian folk artist described as “orthodoxy in blue jeans,”
“a mystic poet” and a “gifted story teller.”
He’s been an independent artist for 10 years. His
current CD release, No Sudden Movements, is his fifth full-length album.
Buller, worship pastor at Vernon Alliance Church, has
travelled internationally in ministry.
He has nine CDs and one concert DVD. Buller received
the Praise and Worship Song of the Year award at the Covenant Awards in
2006 for his song, ‘Lord of Everything.’ He founded Hear the
Music, to develop young artists.
MissionsNow continues March 2, 7 pm, with a young
adults’ rally at Willow Park Church; Cavey will again be the speaker.
On Wednesday, March 4, the Men’s Call to Prayer
breakfast takes place at Willow Park,
That evening, at 8 pm, a youth rally is set for the
Kelowna Secondary School gym, with Mike Penninga as speaker.
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Penninga calls himself, “First and foremost, a
son of God; husband of Michelle; father of three; and a pretty good tennis
player.” He’s a graduate of Trinity Western University and ACTS
Seminary, with a background in broadcast journalism. at 6:30 am.
He’s had a broad ministry among youth.
Most recently, Penninga has led Alive Ministries at
Willow Park, where hundreds of young adults gathered and many invited God
to transform their lives.
Buller and Doak will provide music for the youth rally.
At 7 pm on Thursday, Greg Paul will present a symposium
on homelessness and poverty; the location, not yet announced, will be
posted at the MissionsNow website.
The forum is called Work Among the Poor, Addicted and
Marginalized. Paul is author of God in the Alley:
Being and Seeing Jesus in a Broken World; and The Twenty Piece Shuffle: Why the Poor and the Rich Need Each
Other. He is founder of Sanctuary Ministries of
Toronto, and has been involved in inner-city ministry for 25 years.
On March 6, MissionsNow will host a rally and Missions
Marketplace at Evangel Church, beginning at 7 pm. Thirty missions
organizations will be represented in the marketplace booths, with
information on how to get involved.
The final rally speaker will be Joyce Rees, who directs
Jacob’s Well, a relationally-focused ministry in Vancouver’s
Downtown Eastside, known as Canada’s poorest neighbourhood. Rees was
a pastor for six years prior to her current ministry; she has taught
extensively about justice issues.
Louisa Wiebe, one of the organizers for MissionsNow
from Willow Park, said, “The idea is to get us all working in unity
and moving together to find common goals.”
Contact: missionsnowkelowna.com.
March 2009
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