Take a Vacation

I think summer is here. I am not sure we’re allowed to say that before May long weekend, but I am saying it because the sunburn on the back of my head/neck has officially informed me that the summer has arrived. My guess for many of us is that with its arrival comes some vacation time. Like many of you, I look forward to taking some time off with my family and spending time at our favourite place, the lake.

For many of us, vacation is a chance to catch our breath after we have been running the race of ministry. For some of us, we come limping into the summer months after a gruelling season of ministry. For others, we come into the summer months weary and tired. Maybe you come into summer feeling good. No matter how you are entering summer, the reality is we all need a rest.

Here is my invitation to you as we head into summer. I want to invite you, heck; I want to give you the freedom to take a summer vacation and slow down. Would you join me in this? It will be challenging because we hate going slow. I know I do. From the slow grocery line to the slow drivers in front of me, which reveals how much sanctification I still need, slow is not my speed of choice.

Even in the summer, as the pace of ministry slows, I want to speed up. Instead of embracing the slow, I push against it, filling my time with planning and prep for the fall. Thinking, “I need to make the most of this time!” But what if the slow pace of ministry in the summer is actually a gift and an invitation to slow down is a gift from God?

Remember, our God is the one who created the sabbath and designated the day as holy. He is the one who commands us to rest one day a week, to come to a complete stop and put our tools down, close our computers, ignore our emails, and relax, knowing that we can rest in the reality that He is sovereign. We can rest because He isn’t. In making the sabbath, he invites us to slow down.

So this summer, don’t just settle for a great vacation, but discover a slow pace of life. Embrace the slow pace of ministry this summer. Don’t believe the nagging pressure that you feel you need to run wild. Maybe John Mark Comer is right when he said, “There’s more to life than an increase in speed. Life is right under our noses, waiting to be enjoyed.”

I pray that we will discover this beautiful reality over the months ahead.

– Luke Etalamaki SKMB Discipleship Coach 

A Note from the Moderator

As I was thinking about what to write for the newsletter my mind kept going back to the last part of the SKMB vision statement “We see a Church passionately in love with God, led by His Spirit on mission, bringing Jesus’ Gospel of redemption and restoration to the four corners of Saskatchewan”. I then started thinking, what is needed to accomplish this. There is a whole list of things that come to mind but for me one jumped to the forefront – people. God chooses to use people to carry His message of redemption to the world, which includes the four corners of Saskatchewan.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who are serving in some capacity in SKMB churches. Thank you to our pastors and spouses, thank you to church leadership, committee members, worship teams, teachers, care providers, custodians, encouragers, prayer warriors etc. Scripture tells us that it takes many parts working together for a body to function properly, no parts are not important or needed. May God bless you richly in your service to Him in whatever capacity you are serving.

If you’re not serving in some way, why not consider starting. I’ve often heard it said, “I don’t feel spiritual enough to serve”. Scripture gives us many examples of imperfect people used by God to accomplish great things. Do you love Jesus? Then I believe you can be of service to Him. I have found in my life that I have experienced significant growth in my relationship with God when I was serving Him. The need for volunteers is great, in the local church and at the conference level. Many hands make the work lighter.

My prayer for the SKMB is that our churches would be passionately in love with God, led by His Spirit on mission, bringing Jesus’ Gospel of redemption and restoration to the four corners of Saskatchewan.

– Gord Schroeder SKMB Moderator