March 2026 So Many Connections!!!

March this year has been a fun mix of a bunch of different experiences and adventures. Here are some highlights...

Online - I was able to meet online this month with many of the LAMP team leaders and volunteers I work with. It was good to catch up with everyone and hear about the highlights from last summer. We also talked briefly about plans for next summer. A few weeks later, I enjoyed an online meeting with the LAMP team leaders for the community of Easterville, Manitoba. My online adventures continued with a visit to the Okanagan circuit meeting. It was good to connect with old friends and hear about things are going in that area with those church workers and churches. A Zoom call with some deacons and other friends was both educational and fun. I did an online guest lecture for a class on youth ministry and service events for Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton. I also attended some lectures online sponsored by Regent College and by St. Joseph's College. In addition to all this fun, I also enjoyed connecting with my LAMP coworkers at our weekly online staff meetings. I am so thankful for my computer, my internet access, and the wonderful tools I can use to stay connected with so many people in so many places. Here's some screen shots of my friend Dr. Lorne Zelyck from St. Joseph's College in Edmonton and his lecture on the New Testament (hosted live and also online). It was a good one!!


LAMP Presentations - March was a busy month for LAMP presentations. I started the month with a visit to the LWML group at Hope Lutheran Church in Port Coquitlam. I started my church work career at Hope in the 1990s and it was good to be back and see old friends. It was fun to update the group on LAMP and my work.



I also had the chance to talk about LAMP at the monthly men's breakfast at a local restaurant. Men from my church join together once a month to enjoy a hearty breakfast out and hear different presenters. I appreciated the opportunity and the great questions asked.

I was able to help lead some worship songs and to share a LAMP presentation at Hillside Christian Church in Surrey, BC, on March 22. The congregation provided LAMP with a generous gift as we finished up the service. Very kind! 






Here's a link to watch the service if you have time and interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOF3AQafwbU

Circuit Events - It was really fun to stop by and visit the youth and leaders at the Greater Vancouver Confirmation Retreat hosted at Walnut Grove Lutheran Church. I also enjoyed attending the Greater Vancouver circuit meeting at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. We are looking forward to welcoming a new pastor to the circuit in April. Here's a picture of the sanctuary at Walnut Grove...

Visits - My wife Lynne and enjoyed a short trip to Osoyoos and Oliver, BC, to visit some long-time friends. It was fun to spend some time with Mike and Marie B (Marie was the office administrator at the church I served in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta from 1997 - 2004) and Terry and Sylvia N. It was fun to catch up on family news and spend some time together. We also loved the chance to visit Lynne's godmother Ruth K and her daughters and granddaughter while we were there. It is special to see people we've known and loved for a long time. 



In addition to these visits away from home, we also appreciated having lunches, dinners, and visits with family (Den and Merle C, Lynne's mom and dad, our son Joshua) and friends (Craig and Donna T and our neighbours Al and Marilyn O). There's something really special about visiting while you enjoy some tasty cooking.

A New Church Home - After being members of Bethel Lutheran Church since 2004, it was finally time for Lynne and I to transfer our membership to a new church home and family. We have been enjoying getting to know Pastor Henock T and the good people at Trinity Lutheran Church here in Abbotsford over the last year and on March 8, we were officially welcomed as new members. It's been fun to help out a bit here and there during worship with presentations, music, and also a children's lesson. Here's some pictures...




Dissertation - As many of you know, I have been working on my dissertation in Religious Studies for a number of years now. It was very exciting to hand in a final draft to my committee in the middle of March. I am now waiting to hear about next steps as my committee reviews the document and we make preparations for me to defend it. It's been a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to finishing this project...it's been on my "to do" list for quite some time. 

As I write this, we are working our way through Holy Week. This Thursday, we'll enjoy a meal at the church based on the Seder service. On Good Friday, we'll gather to hear the story of Jesus' death. On Easter Sunday, we'll gather to enjoy Easter breakfast together before Easter worship. What a special time of year! I pray that your Easter celebration brings you life, hope, and love in abundance. 


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