September 2026 Slowing Down and Starting Up

 As a LAMP missionary, I am learning that my schedule is a little different from so many of my friends and colleagues. So many people slow down in the summer, taking time to relax and rest from their busy schedules. LAMP missionaries like me hit the ground running in early to late June and often don't slow down till mid or late August. So many people start gearing up in September as things like school and church activities resume. LAMP missionaries like me catch their breath in the early days of September if they can and then slowly jump back into the fall activities. It is an interesting rhythm that I am learning to understand and appreciate.

I was able to be home for the first four weeks of September - I appreciated time to catch my breath and also to see fall activities get going. It was fun to have a visit with our son and his daughter on the first weekend of September. Later, I enjoyed going to the Greater Vancouver circuit meeting at Trinity Lutheran in Richmond and seeing the pastors, deacons, and other church workers in our area there. I also enjoyed attending the September meeting of the Abbotsford Christian Leaders Network. It was good to hear from our current city mayor that day and meet some of the other faith leaders here in Abbotsford. I am still learning about the different churches and ministries in our area.

On Saturday, September 26, my wife and I gathered with lots of family and friends at Hillside Christian Church as we remembered our dear friend Lynn Gergens. Lynn passed away in February and her memorial service was planned for this month. Lynn was a former staff member at Concordia College, Edmonton (now Concordia University - Edmonton), a church worker, a ministry consultant, and a mentor to many (including me). Lynn had also been instrumental in bringing together some music groups like the CREW and Crosswise. Both groups were able to do some music at the service. Pastor Ian W did a great job preaching the sermon and it really felt like a family reunion of sorts. The link to the service is here if you'd like to check it out. I have also posted some additional photos at the end of this post.

Hillside Christian Church / September 26, 2026

On the last Sunday of the month, I flew to Edmonton for a few days of visits and presentations. I headed to the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute in Camrose on Sunday night to stay over there. I presented at their chapel and also met with some of their leadership. It was fun to see five current CLBI students there who were involved with my former youth group years ago. I also met with Nils R, president of Mount Carmel Bible College in Edmonton. On Wednesday, I presented some sessions at Concordia Lutheran Seminary as we spent time reflecting on Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Here's a screen shot of the Facebook post the seminary posted.

On Thursday, I was able to visit the Edmonton circuit at Grace Lutheran Church. It was fun to see everyone who made it there in person...it was also fun to see our new Regional Pastor Michael Schutz as he zoomed in. The OWL camera in the room managed to catch quite a few of us on the screen.

I visited Pastor Jay L from Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church in Ponoka for coffee on Thursday afternoon. Pastor Jay and I have known each other for a long time and it was good to catch up. His congregation is a strong supporter of LAMP and I am hoping to do a LAMP presentation at his church in the near future. 


After a wonderful visit with Pastor Jay, I headed back to the airport and flew home. It was time to get ready for a few days of holidays with my wife Lynne and our friends Dave and Lori...but that's a story for next month!!

Thanks for your prayers and your support!

And now...more pictures from Lynn's memorial...








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