Good News Sydney

Community

2007-12-06T12:41:00.000-04:00

As we've been living here in Sydney and figuring out exactly what a 'church' is, one thing we know for sure is that it is a community. It is full of people who care about each other, and others, and is willing to help one another out. Well, these past few weeks I've been able to experience that, and it is great!

Probably most of you don't know, but Jess and I just moved apartments last week. However, before we moved we wanted to do a little work at the knew place. George, a great friend and a guy who has been going to the group meetings on Sundays, was helping us peel wall paper off the wall one day (Thank You!) which was turning out to be a long and arduous task. Needless to say, we were worried we weren't going to have it done by the time we moved in.

Suddenly George came on an interesting idea. He suggested we ask some of the guys to spend the next night, which we have designated as 'Guy's Night', to help do the rest of the room we were working on. I was all for help, but 'Guy's Night' is usually a time we take to play games and relax and I didn't want to take that away from them unless they were willing. Well, they were willing and the next night a group of guys was over at our knew apartment working away. It was very encouraging and a great help to have them there, I almost couldn't believe it. The men took a few hours out of their own time to strip the walls of our kitchen and even were able to get a few coats of primer on it as well as the hallway. In the end, because of their help Jess and I were able to get what we wanted done to the apartment before moving in.

Now that we are moved in and in the process of unpacking, I am very thankful to all the guys who helped us that night; and to those who wanted to, but were unable for one reason or another. It was an amazing example and learning experience to me of what a community is. As the 'Church' we are to help those in need, but also be there for each other. Not only is it great to see that being lived out in Sydney, but also causes me to reflect if that is being lived out in my own life. I want to be part of the 'community'.

-Nate

P.S. I also want to say a big thank you to Matt and Terra for opening up their hope for us the other day when we had to go to Halifax for a meeting about my Permanent Residency. They took time out of their busy schedule to hang out with us! Also, to Heidi for her great friendship! It's great to have friends who are willing to help, and even do small acts of random kindness!

The Waiting Game

2007-11-28T13:34:00.000-04:00

I am sitting here at the desk, on hold with Expedia waiting to find out how they are going to get us from Newark to Dallas, as that leg of our family's journey for Christmas in Lubbock has been canceled. I've been on hold for a good half an hour now, which is always a challenge with three children home. So how do I have a few minutes to sit and write? Quite frankly I have no idea!! It's one of those moments that come every so often, when children are entertained or napping, or some combination of things, and it all aligns into a few moments where mommy can just stop and do something by herself. These moments are far and few between, but I love them. I never know how long I will have, or what I will be able to accomplish, so I must take advantage of the moment and get something that I have wanted to do done. Like blogging.
Have you ever noticed, that no matter how much you get accomplished, there is always more to do? And in fact, sometimes accomplishing one thing creates more things to do? One of the things that I have been learning this year is to take time to enjoy the special moments placed before me. And just today I'm recognized with how many of those can happen while I am waiting on someone or something else. For instance, this morning I was at an appointment for Laura and I, and we had Graham and Heidi with us. For some reason the practitioner was behind in her day, and we had to wait. Instead of getting frustrated with having to entertain three children in a room full of "don't touch" items, I accepted the situation, and enjoyed a special cuddle time with each of the children at different moments in their play. The best was Graham climbing up on my lap and nuzzling his nose against my check, and then planting numerous kisses in the same place. He just wanted to be with mom, and we were provided a time, where mom didn't have anything else to do but enjoy the moment.
Well, Graham's movie is over, and Laura is out of time-out, and I'm still on hold. I guess this moment has also come to an end. So the next time you are waiting, take advantage of the moment, slow down, and see what it is you can be doing to enjoy the wait.
Tammy

2007-10-23T18:03:00.001-03:00

Learning His Multiplication

The vision at Harbour Wesleyan is to reach out to people while being His church. Our desire is to Love God with all of heart, all of our soul, and all of our strength; therefore, we are determined to love our ‘neighbours’ as ourselves and sharing this rich, life-giving message of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh to show us the way to be reconnected with God. In the process of seeking direction we have sensed a definite call to be a church structured around small or cell groups. The backbone of these groups are people who have decided to follow Christ, who want to be taught how to do so by learning the scriptures and the disciplines of the faith; such as, prayer, fasting, Bible study, etc…

Recently our church made an attempt to grow from one group to two. Our intention was to create a group that would enrich family relationships and enhance the spiritual leadership of our parents with our kids. The focal point in our minds for the second group was to create a space for young adults. Much thought and prayer went into this move; however, I cannot say that it has been an easy transition. Not everyone has been pleased with the move. Not everyone was actually served by the transition. Nevertheless, we have patiently waited and watched over the past month as we moved into the two groups. First, let me say that often times we believe that people are ready for something that they often are not. This is a misjudgment on the side of leadership. Moreover, I believe that the bigger problem stems from how we made the attempt to grow. We made the assumption that people were ready and that we could take those people and break apart something very divine that was happening in our initial ‘prototype’ group and re-create that in two separate groups.

I believe that that was wrong thinking. After re-assessing what has happened I think we tried to do something artificially that must happen “organically.” The Spirit of God wants to direct things and will make things happen in accordance with our obedience to act. Sometimes we (with the best of intentions) take the reigns and move ahead in our own ‘intelligence’ and ‘know-how’ without thinking or taking time to realize that God is going another direction. I believe that this is the type of error we have made. Not that we were willfully disobedient, but that we were not sensitive enough to what the spirit of God was doing at that time. Therefore, the results were not what we had expected.

“What did we expect?” you ask. Well, what we hope and pray for is the development of a spontaneous movement of God through our obedience to serve and work here in Sydney. We pray to see God’s Spirit move and work to bring salvation and healing to the entire Isle of Cape Breton! As Neil Cole says in his book, Organic Church, “Spontaneous expansion is true power! This what we all want deep in our hearts. This is also what our Lord wants. Let’s have the faith in the Lord of the harvest and in the seed of His word rather than in our methods and strategies. Let us find a way to believe once again, like a child, in magic seeds and miraculous trees.” We didn’t move that direction with our first attempt at cell group multiplication; however, we are certain that God’s grace will see us through our own mistakes as well as any other setbacks that we have/will encounter/ed. We know that God is good and the people God has led us to befriend are just that, friends. The relationships we have formed are stronger than the errors we have made and thankfully God’s Spirit will get us in the right place. Cole also states, (with regard to cell group multiplication) “Actually, reproduction is not hard. It is natural. Dare I say, it is even pleasurable…The fact that reproduction is thought to be so hard and painful for churches is evidence of how far removed we are from being healthy and natural.” Not everything has been wrong or a failure. We have learned from our first experience at ‘multiplication’ and are excitedly waiting to see what is next!

-Michael Hutton

Heidi Marie Hutton, April 23rd, 2007

2007-04-25T23:06:00.000-03:00

Hello all. Just a quick report that we had a healthy
baby girl on Monday, April 23rd, 2007. Both Tammy and Heidi are doing well. Heidi weighed in at 8 lbs. 15 oz. and
was 21 inches long. Thanks for all of the prayers as we
delivered this baby!

Who Knew?

2007-04-12T21:33:00.000-03:00

OK, so we didn't plan to have a baby during the first year of our church start-up adventure! God knew. We didn't expect to be expecting and go through the ups and downs and joys of a new addition during this intense time. God knew. I hate to see Tammy miserable...and ready to 'pop.' She is ready to 'pop' me in the jaw! I don't think she reeeeeeeeally blames me...at least not fully :) Nevertheless, the due date is only four days away and our physician says that he will be surprised if she lasts through the weekend. We are so excited about the new baby. The kids are ecstatic...our new little church family are fully supportive and behind us. Thank God for the people here and Tammy's mom, Betty! Pray for us and the new little gipper.

-Michael :)

When it comes down to Faith

2007-04-10T03:54:00.000-03:00

So, I awoke early in the morning to help one of our little ones to the washroom. Then I realized that falling back to sleep was going to be a struggle. My mind was going full-tilt with thoughts of a new baby on the way, the call on our lives to start Harbour Wesleyan, and some other important things. Faith: This is a key ingredient to living life as a follower of Christ. This is a defining factor in the face of adversity, challenge, mistakes, failings, temptation, etc... I am reminded of this as I was awakened in the wee hours this morning. Different voices in my mind vying for position, for mastery over me. The granddaddy of them all, fear, wants control. I guess that is why, way back, I chose 2Timothy1:7 as my life's verse..."For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline." Even then I realized that fear and faith do not coexist. They are mutually exclusive. I have learned that God's love casts out fear and replaces it with a relationship that fills me with faith. I know that Christ will lead me through the places of doubt and insecurity into the higher places of assurance (not self-assurance by the way) and confidence.

So, this morning, the voices in my head come. They want to rule me. I will stay firm in my trust in Christ and His call in my life because it is His true love that is more real than any of the things I have to worry about. It is love and direction that will take us through the realities that cause worry. As he says in Matthew 6 (paraphrase) I feed the birds and clothe the lillies of the field...how much more do I love you!...of course I will make sure you are taken care of. I have faith that those words are true. It is faith that brought us to Sydney and it is by faith through God's unmerited favor that He will sustain us! Writing is good for the soul, I remember truth as I sit and write these thoughts down!

- Michael

Musing 1

2007-04-06T11:53:00.000-03:00

So, yesterday, I was sitting in my car in the driveway after taking my two daughters, Catherine and Laura, as well as a friend, Nicole, to school. I pulled into the driveway and felt a peaceful moment happening, so, I stopped the engine and sat. While I sat in the car the CD player advanced to a song by U2..."Where the Streets Have No Name." The intro. is so other-worldly, haunting, reaching I felt not only a peaceful moment, but a holy moment happening, stirring my soul. As I entered into that moment I knew God was near and whispering, "Give it to me."

At one moment in time I began to weep. I sobbed. I released something to Him. I cannot tell you exactly what. I do not exactly know. As the tears began to subside I questioned God, "What is it?" Help me to know. God didn't answer. It was almost as if that wasn't as important as my "giving it" to him. Deep down I knew it was there, but didn't know what it was. It hurts, it frustrates, it feels insecure, it...wants to take over. God knows and wants the best. Giving it to him is one of the hardest things in the world to do. It takes more than one event of giving it away for it to actually go away. I think that I have to give it away to God daily because it comes back...not because God can't hold it, but I (perhaps even subconsciously) take it back.

That happened yesterday and I thought you might like to know.

-Michael

Help Me

2007-03-31T07:24:00.000-03:00

It was really busy. The hum of voices carrying through the place were drown out by some rich conversation and a cup of coffee. The lines were running out the door and people were on their solitary mission before going on to the next stop. So is the way of Tim Horton's. I was sitting with a friend, Lloyd, at a booth in the midst of conversation when I noticed something on the napkin holder. I looked over a little more closely and noticed that scrawled on the first napkin in the device were the words..." Help Me. "

For a moment which was in actuality very brief, but in some ways could have been an eternity, I was stunned by the mystery of the experience. It wasn't so much about the words nor the fact someone had written on a napkin in a napkin holder. Upon reflection I was stunned because of the experience and the possibilities wrapped up in this message. Being in Tim's during its busiest 'rush' of the day in which 'everyone' is there - I read a quiet cry for help. It was so un-noticeable. It was so simple. It was so un-obtrusive. This message for help was pushed off to the side in a booth on a napkin holder. I don't want to read too much into it; however, my mind started to think of all the possibilities.

I thought that perhaps is was someone sitting in the booth sometime before me who was desperate, perhaps suicidal, who needed someone to talk to, yet, had no one to listen. Or maybe it was someone who had gotten themselves into trouble somehow and just needed some help, but didn't know who to ask or what to do. It quite easily could have been someone who was bored and wanted to write those words in 'jest.' Finally I considered that it could have been someone who was kidnapped and while her abductor was distracted had scrawled these words on the napkin in hopes that a 'saviour' would see her message and come to her rescue. I thought about lots of different possibilities for this wee note.

Finally I determined that I was thinking way too much about this, but I could not shake the importance of this experience. I guess the profundity of it was still sinking in (and still is). There is a world all around us crying out for help in some way. How will we respond? Will we take the note seriously or just blow it off? We have choices to make day in and day out. When the desperate cry for aid shows itself at our doorstep what will we choose to do with it?

-Michael

Buying T-Shirts

2007-03-19T17:16:00.000-03:00

In addition to the post below, we just wanted to add that if you are interested in buying an AIDS awareness t-shirt please contact us. They are $20 for each shirt, with all of the proceeds going to AIDS awareness. If anyone is interested please contact us at huttons@harbourwesleyan.ca. Thanks to all.

AIDS T-Shirts

2007-03-08T16:31:00.000-04:00

Our AIDS awareness t-shirts are in! Thanks to all who helped supported this ministry. Last week we finished making the t-shirts and began their distribution. Our goal is to increase the awareness of AIDS in the world and Canada, as well as support the local AIDS coalition in Sydney.

Half of the shirts were given to the Screaming Eagles, the local hockey team, to be thrown out into the audience. The other half we are hoping to sell, with all of the profits going to AIDS awareness. We are all excited as this ministry is getting underway.

-Nate

24-7 Prayer in Cape Breton

2007-02-14T22:31:00.000-04:00

The Vision for Cape Breton

A movement sweeping the nations is upon us. It is not so much about organization or institution as it is about Spirit and Truth! The excerpt from “The Vision” above is much of the heart of what 24-7 Prayer is all about. It is about renewal, relationship, and revival of the heart with Jesus Christ for individuals that launches them into ‘faith with works’ or prayer in action! 24-7 Prayer is about a non-stop prayer movement that catapults those who experience the anointing of God through the prayer room into world-changing mission to reach the lost, the hurting, the dirty, and the dying with the love of Christ and the promise of the Kingdom of God! This is all about prayer that makes a difference beyond the four walls of church or a prayer room. This is about an army readied for service and battle.

Last month, January 14th – 21st, here in Sydney, Cape Breton we linked arms with many brothers and sisters in Christ from all different backgrounds to reach out to God and others. Partnering with other church leaders we organized and ran one entire week of continuous prayer from Sunday to Sunday with an opening service of worship, praise and prayer for one another and specifically for the community of New Waterford as well as a closing service in which the prayers, visions, and prophetic words that God had given us during the week were read to all the people. The closing evening service was marked by times of Thanksgiving and Confession with opportunity for all in attendance (approx. 200) to speak out these things to God. The atmosphere was electric!

Thanks to the Salvation Army’s Capt. Bill Preston and Maj. Velma Preston the entire week of prayer and the closing celebration service was housed in their new church facility. Thanks to God the week logistically speaking went smoothly and the room was safe and secure! Thanks to others’ cooperation with God and willingness to take the time to pray and be present the room was covered with prayers of word, art, writing, music, etc…non-stop(24-7) the entire week! This is history-making for our island and will have an impact as a catalyst for Spiritual renewal and transformation. People’s lives will be impacted for good, for Christ, because what happened this past week.

The room set up allowed for people praying according to their style of worship and expression. 11 stations and an area for communal prayer, discussion, or just plain ol’ hanging out gave physical substance to the room. The atmosphere in the prayer room was sometimes heavy and sometimes light and jovial, but God’s spirit was evident every time I experienced the room. One of the stations, the art station, was manned every day by my friend Dave Stephens who created a piece of art from a cherry-wood cross that was generously donated to our team. This cross will serve as a reminder and an inspiration as we move forward in God’s endeavor to plant Harbour Wesleyan Church. There is so much to tell about this past week of prayer including the spiritual warfare we encountered! Many people were touched by the presence of God in a variety of ways. Relationships were healed, people experienced peace, and the list goes on. I believe that the renovations of the heart that many experienced will lead to healing in this land.

-Michael

Catching Up

2007-02-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

Wow...Since we last blogged in detail many things have happened. We have been one busy team. Christmas parties, family festivities for each of our team families, and 24-7 prayer...non-stop for one week in conjunction with other churches in the Sydney area are all a part of the fair. God has really been at work keeping us busy. I will post some articles with more detail. Sorry for the blogging laziness, but thanks for keeping in touch. We have had a team retreat for planning and hanging out together. We have also started a worship gathering small group on Sunday mornings and are so thankful for the response! God is so good.

Tammy and Michael

We got a place!!!!

2007-02-10T22:21:00.000-04:00

So I just wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know that Terra and I got our own place and its sweet. We will be moving here over the next couple days and just wanted to praise God for the new place anywho thats all I got
peace
Matt

Roofing 101

2006-12-29T15:35:00.000-04:00

check it out

Reality Check

2006-11-30T13:55:00.000-04:00

So i was browsing through some music videos on MSN this morning and came across this one by Billy Talent. Its a reality check at what a lot of our kids our facing at school and i thought it would be good for others to see it hope it hit hard and challenges you wherever you and what ever your doing. It's a reality.
just click the link below

Billy Talent: Nothing to Lose

You'll need to be running Internet Explore 6 or later to run the link.
peace
Matt

Local Artist

2006-11-28T13:45:00.000-04:00

Dear Blog Readers,

Michael wrote this article about a local artist he met in town. *Warning* before you read: It is a long one...

A Morning or Two with Dave Stephens.

After several hours over coffee the past few weeks David Stephens and I have become good friends. David is someone I met while on my journeys back and forth from taking Catherine to school, Brookland Elementary. David has a daughter the same age as Catherine. He and I went for “The Great Canadian (yes even in Cape Breton) experience” which we all know is a medium double double and good conversation. I have learned many things about Dave over the last few weeks. I have discovered a man of great depth and insight. He has the wisdom of a sage and the life experiences that have endowed him with his unique understanding of his “journey” in life. David is truly Nova Scotian and a proud Cape Bretoner, although he is anything but typical. He has lived on and off the island throughout his life and has lived in places; such as, Labrador City, Labrador; Dawson Creek, BC; and Halifax, NS. In all he has moved off the island and back five times which is not uncommon for a Cape Bretoner; however, as you will learn David is anything but common.

First of all you must know that Dave is an artist. Not so much in profession, but in existence. He sees and experiences things through an eye for exposing the truth within. “To tell the truth…from day one when I was aware of being an artist…I knew it would have to be the one most important purpose.” Dave reflects. He possesses a creative spirit that can do nothing but express itself through the medium of painting and sculpture. He also has a not-so-usual canvas that he likes to use, the automobile! Yes, David Stephens creates “Art Cars.” Of late he has done two full cars and car doors(separately) as well which you can experience for yourself at http://davidpstephens.tripod.com/. One that you will experience is called the Seaflower, a sea-scaped 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. This particular one he drove to and from Houston, Texas for an Art Car exhibition. In all of his works you will experience the underlying themes of the world where the land meets the sea. In a way the sea is his muse, a source of inspiration and shaping force in his artistic expression. However, David delves into many different thematic issues as you will discover as you experience his artwork.

Nevertheless, there is no simple way to understand when, where, what, why, or even how David creates a piece of art. It is not so cut and dried when it comes to the creative process. “My life and my career are one….where often times people divide their life from their work and put life on hold to earn the money. Many artists do not divide up their life like this, but it is more about being and living.” Dave stated as I querried about his goals for his ‘artistic career.’ Art is merely the overflow of the fullness of life. Money-making is not the bottom line for Dave, yet, he has quite a following. Something I discovered about him is that he is not going to do things in order to ‘make a buck.’ He has had the opportunity to mass-produce his work, but has decided not to because it then takes away from the message and the unique nature of his work. I truly appreciate his desire to make and sell authentic pieces of art.

Dave has had a series of people influence his life in very positive and negative ways. Both have shaped his outlook, his artistic expression, his life. Among those are people; such as, his parents, his first art instructor, Jean Jock, and colleague, Lorne Reid. You can read more detail on his bio in his ‘Artist Statement’ on the web site (http://davidpstephens.tripod.com/artistinfo.html). However, even though these people and other things have shaped his lifework, Dave credits humanity as a whole as the major influencing factor in his life. “Humanity encourages and discourages…adversity, love, nurturing, all these things have influenced me. It is the broad answer. This is where my interests are…in discovering things about humanity and expressing it.” Yes it is because of this broad perspective that Dave Stephens can see the bigger picture of life and keep his head up amidst great personal loss and tragedy. He has to believe that good overcomes evil…that even in darkness there is light. Dave refuses to ever give up and falls back upon his artwork through the struggles of life.

When it comes to living, Dave has not led a sheltered existence. He came upon opposition to his artistic leanings early on. In grade six, his school principal was convinced that one must follow the ‘family trade’ in a sort of Western caste mentality; therefore, Dave was (in the mind of this principal) destined to follow his family in the lumber trade and had no business ‘wasting his time’ with art. Later in high school he had similar discouragement from the school administration in terms of his artistic work and direction, so much so, that he was asked to leave the school. Adversity as Dave stated earlier has been the crucible in which his life has been forged. Beyond this he has faced personal loss on a grande scale. His good friend, and business partner died in the prime of his life from Cancer. Fellow artist Lorne Reid had been a good friend and was an inspiration for the direction Dave's art took from 1992 to the present. These two, Dave and Lorne had met in the early seventies in boot camp for the military. It was not until eleven years later that the two would meet up again by chance in Reid's pizza parlor, Sonny's Pizza, in Cheticamp (Cape Breton) Nova Scotia. It was in Cheticamp that Dave and Lorne worked together. Dave is quoted as saying, "Utilizing our shared interests in art as a medium for exploration, Lorne and I began the process of visiting our childhood years. After previously struggling to seek new directions, we began anew, from a child-centred perspective, with simplified, easy flowing forms, filled with pure unmodulated colours. The Stephens-Reid team later worked with friend, fellow artist and mentor, Chris Huntington to begin the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival and Picnic which began as an intimate gathering and has become 'a world-class festival now held annually on the first Sunday in August in the seaport of Lunenburg' The loss of Lorne and several other colleagues/friends has had its impact on Dave, the man/artist which has influenced his work greatly as well. Nevertheless, his resolve is to look for the light in all things. Dave also has discovered that the truth to this journey is found inside oneself. The answers we seek are not so far away as we might believe, but as close as our own heart and soul. "I am in the search for my true self…in the search for this it is really simplistic…the answer is either inside of you or very close to you. You will not find it by packing up tomorrow and moving to Ft. McMurray…it is your life…inside of you, inside of me." This wisdom is something that Dave strives to live by and shares with the world. In many ways it is a divine message that Dave has to share and believes that the spiritual aspects of life are very important. It is that very spirit within us that we share in common as human beings that pours forth onto the canvas in Dave Stephens studio.

-Michael Hutton

Are You Listening?

2006-11-23T11:34:00.000-04:00

So has been a while since we last updatedthe blog and by a while i mean a super long time. This is not a reflection of laziness but rather quite the opposite. In fact we have been super busy working on several different projects and the one i want to show you now concerns the AIDS pandemic that has scared our globe. As the Harbour Wes Team we have decided to stand up and shout about this issue. Its not a pretty one, its not one that can be bandaged and put back in the drawer and it is not one that can be ignored. There is a need here that as followers of Christ we must stand up and face. We must put a side petty differences and stand untied as the body of Christ with passion and fervor and Love as our guide we have to dive in and attack this issue head on. So my challenge is to the Church to all you who claim to follow Christ get up and shout out against the dark and speak out against apathy and complacency. We have a responsibility to humanity to be a light in darkness and the those dieing daily from AIDS need that light and they need our support in the fight for a cure. But before we can work for a cure we have to make people aware. This is the issue of our time. So shout out.

And there ya have it folks.
Peace

Arrr, the Pirrrrates took over this Halloween!

2006-10-31T22:07:00.000-04:00

Our first Halloween in Sydney we decided to do some various things to reach out to our neighbors. On Monday afternoon, we had a pumkin carving party in our living room for our neighborhood families. Our neighbors Troy and Celina with their kids, Vincent and Keegan, won the day with a very intricate carving of a jack-o-lantern on their pumkin. We also had a candy scavenger hunt in the house with the kids and had them dress up as mummies.

For Halloween night we decked out our sunporch like a pirate ship bridge complete with cobwebs and blacklight. All of the kids who came by would get loot from our real-live treasure chest. We also gave them a Focus on the Family Adventures in Odyssey CD with their candy. It was a way to connect and get something of value into their hands. I took our kids out trick-or-treating with our neihgbors, Troy and Celina, with their kids and relatives. We believe that every contact we make is of value to bringing about God's plan on this earth!

-Michael

T Minus two nights

2006-10-30T13:56:00.000-04:00

And so the count down is on for Halloween. I am discovering quite quickly that Halloween here s almost as big as Christmas. It reminds me a lot of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" actually . And for all of you who haven't seen that movie my question to you would be where have you been. Tim Breton's classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was an epic tale of one mans or rather skeletons journey of self discovery. K so the only real connection between that movie and Halloween here is that they are both big holidays but never the less it reminded me of it.
Here at Harbour Wes aka the house we are going with a Pirate's theme for Halloween night. We are turning out front porch into a pirate ship turning us all into sword carrying, eye patch wearing, parrot perching pirates. Its been crazy trying to get our costumes together for this whole deal. I have been to al all the major thrift stores around and have yet to find pirate boots. But that's not really important . What is though is the fact that we are going to be able to hand out a bunch of adventure in Odyssey CD's with the candy for kids to listen to which will be great. It is also an opportunity to meet a lot of our neighborhood kids cause according to legend aka Bobby we get over two hundred kids on Halloween. So with our cannons loaded with candy and our best pirate impersonations in place we are hoping to meet and reach a lot of people tomorrow night be praying for us as we yield sword and CD.
Peace
Matt

Truck Troubles?

2006-10-12T15:42:00.000-03:00

The other week started out as...let's just say not-so-good. Jess had been driving our truck to the Hutton's for her hour of prayer when the truck died on her. We couldn't figure out what the problem was and were fairly worried as she needs the truck for traveling to and from work. Our lack of funds made us uneasy of sending it to a mechanic's shop so I was asking for as many suggestions as I could get. Bobby from next door to teh Huttons even took a look under the hood for me.

Unfortunately, with my lack of mechanical expertise I was unable to get the truck running again. A neighbor of the Hutton's suggested a local mechanic and pretty soon I was traveling down the road in a towtruck. At this point it seemed like it might be a disappointing day. However, along the way I was able to have a good chat with the towtruck driver, a long-time resident of Sydney. We talked about the city and what it was like, and then I was able to explain about why I was here in Sydney. He was very open to what I had to say.

At the mechanic's shop, also a long-time local who actually works out of his garage, we talked about the problem and then I set out to head home. His wife, upon hearing that I was walking back home, offered to give me a ride. Once again, it was another good conversation and I was able to explain my purpose for being in Sydney. On top of all this, I met Dave, the neighbor who suggested the mechanic to us, at Thanksgiving dinner the other day. It was a good connecting point to talk about.

Anyway, all this to say that even though at first having a broken down truck seemed to be the worse, it gave me an oppurtunity to meet three contacts and tell some people about the Church Plant starting here in Sydney. Oh by the way, it was simply a problem with the connection, it didn't cost too much, and the truck was ready by the next time Jess had to take it to work.

Ciao,
Nate

Salt Water Turkey...

2006-10-11T13:02:00.000-03:00

Good morning good morning good morning, SO yesterday was the official day of thanks giving here in the great white north and a crazy thanks giving it was. Mike got the idea a lil while back that it would be cool to invite everyone we could possibly think of over for thanks giving and have a huge feast. It was a great big idea but it also required a huge a mount of planning organizing and professionalism, which of course we really don't do well. That's not to say that we didn't have a game plan but more that we have a very vague game plan, on with very little clear detail or reason, but that my friend is half the fun. So we all got our heads together and started cranking out a menu and then it was time for the grocery shopping. I have discovered something very important about Mike and I, if it ain't on a list we don't get it! And so with our semi complete list which we thought was complete we headed to the grocery store and began the great shopping extravaganza. With list and hand and shopping cart in tow we ran around the grocery store hunting for bargains any chance we had. And so after some amazing wheeling and dealing (if I do say so my self which I just did!) we rolled into home and unloaded our full van load of food.
Well next came the planning of the day. The first thing to consider was how many people were coming. And so we went to our main recruiting expertise to gather a tally (aka Mike) and after some careful calculation and examining is records he promptly informed us that he had no idea how many were coming and when asked how many people he had invited he proudly announced "everyone I know" and for Mike that is saying something!
And so with a bunch of food, no idea how many people were showing up and a very vague idea as to what we were actually going to do on the day we called in for back up. And what better back up then a giant his wife and their trusty missional minded counterpart! And So Ryan and Sarah and Heidi showed up Sunday night ready for action.
Monday morning rolled around and the chaos ensued. There were more potatoes and carrots peeled, sliced and cooked then Mike has contacts in his contact list (which again is saying something because as mentioned Mike knows almost everyone;))we managed to cook two turkeys thanks to Tammy's keen sense of forward thinking and were able to pull out three pies a couple dozen rolls and a last minute upside down cake thanks to Nate's until recently hidden Baking skills. The girls pulled there own as the official decorators/dishwashers/keep the kids distracted/ save Ryan and I when we were going nuts specialists. Mike with his gift for gab was able to entertain all of our gusts which worked out to be probably 25 plus people, in a single bound and as for Ryan and I, with our armor in place our, long knives at our sides and our pots and pans in hand we attacked the culinary beast before us. After countless hours of preparation and sweat blood and tears the meal was complete, the guests were feed and content, the dishes were cleaned up, the leftovers were packed away(which by the way will probably last us a nuclear winter!) and we were exhausted.
It was a great day. I think all of us got the chance to hang out with people that we had never met with the exception of Mike(seeing as he had invited almost all of them). It was a great opportunity to show Christ's love in a practical way without programs and committees but rather with fellowship and love. Cause relationship is where its at!
Well that was a glimpse of our thanksgiving. I hope you enjoyed it now if you'll excuse me I need to go make another turkey sandwich apparently we have a fridge full of leftovers that have to be eaten.(PS if you have any suggestions of creative ways to eat thanksgiving leftovers that would be much appreciated a man can't live of turkey and crandberrys alone!)

Peace
Matt

PS a special thanks goes out to our back up, you guys saved us!

And that was our thanksgiving

The Bean Bank

2006-10-02T21:29:00.000-03:00

Hello all you friends and blog people! I just wanted to announce that I discovered through word of mouth the best/coolest hang out spot in Sydney, NS! It is called the Bean Bank which is an esspresso bar/cafe with several rooms/alcoves for chillin'...and I heard the rumor that it has wireless internet!!! They play really good music in the background...ambience! This reminds me of my favorite place in Lubbock, Texas...Daybreak Coffee Roasters. I am so stinkin' excited about this new discovery!!!
(For Matt...coffee is good, coffee is great, coffee, coffee, coffee...hahaha!)

Night the two...

2006-09-29T13:42:00.000-03:00

28th September, 2006, 1:00am to 2:15am
Traveling the streets of Sydney
It was the second night we have traveled around the city looking for homeless people. Tonight however was much different from last night. Michael and I jumped in my Saturn and hit the road at 1ish tonight thinking we were going out looking for Homeless people; well that was our intentions anyway.
We traveled up and down George, Charlotte, and Esplenade looking around checking out nooks and crannies, any dark patch between the orange rays of light from the street lamps. Yet with all our searching we found no one. Although we were missing on the people front we did find the woods (for lack of a better term) between Charlotte and Esplenade which is supposed to be a gathering spot for homeless people in the winter.
After driving up Prince for a bit all the while shooting the breeze, I suggested we head to Whitney Pier or just the Pier as we have discovered it’s called here. Michael nodded thinking it would be good to scope out the area a bit. I don’t think, as I turned left at the Co-op, that I had any idea as to what God was planning for the rest of the night. In fact if I were to be totally honest, when I turned left at the Co-op the number one thought running around in my mind was the hope that we would finish up a little early so I could get some sleep before 2am. In hind sight which of course is always 20 20, I am glad that the thoughts running through my head at 1:30 in the morning aren’t the same as God’s.
We rolled into the Pier and as we did Michael shared with me that his oldest had come strolling into their room a bit earlier this evening and had simply began to cry for no apparent reason and without explanation. My mind began to wonder back to a weird dream I had had the other night about a person who appeared to me and told me that I wasn’t going to make it that I was going to fail. I had been weirded out by the dream the other night but as it came back to my mind tonight, driving through the dimly lit, run down streets of the Pier, most the shops boarded up or closed, the dream seemed to be a lot more then weird, so I shared it with Michael, and that’s when the feeling came. I use the word feeling here simply because I don’t really know how else to express, define or describe it. I also use this word because the feeling was different for Michael and I. As I began to share the dream I had had, driving down the main drag, Michael began to feel sick in his gut, his hair was standing on end and he was fighting his lunch down. Not to mention he had a pressing against his throat and chest. After sharing the dream Michael felt that this may have some connection to some things he has been experiencing and that he felt God might be showing him about the state of things here.
But no sooner had we turned onto the next street near the cemetery then my stomach began to twist into knots. I could feel fear trying to grip my and it was a nagging awful feeling of dread. I shared this with Michael and as we talked through it trying to figure out what was going down, God began to reveal some things to the both of us about what the deal really was. For me God seemed to be speaking to my heart revealing that the enemy had clearly claimed the Pier as his territory and that children of God were not welcome. More than that though it seems that the enemy has gripped the people of Whitney Pier and he isn’t letting up any time soon. It was tripping me out and I could feel the fear trying to pull me down.
Michael on the other hand felt God confirming the need for us to really get serious about this war we are facing. The truth of it is (and I don’t really care if people want to ignore the reality) God has gone to war for Cape Breton, He wants it back and He wants it back now, but the enemy is heavily entrenched here. In fact the enemy has constructed some strongholds and fortresses through, substance abuse, addictions, worthlessness, and self abuse. And the enemy doesn’t want to lose ground. Tonight I think we realized that more clearly then we have since we arrived.
We rolled into the drive way shortly after this all went down and personally I felt wrecked. More then anything I wanted to crawl into bed snuggle with my wife and try to push the fear that was still wrestling with my spirit out of my mind. But again thankfully what runs through my mind at 2 am isn’t what is running through God’s. Michael suggested we take some time and pray in fact he pretty much said we needed to pray, which in hindsight was the best suggestion all night. I took a deep breath waiting for Michael to open us up when the Holy Spirit showed up and decided that He was going to lead the show.
The funny thing about the Holy Spirit and when He makes up his mind to lead stuff is that most of the time you cant even process whets going down, most of the time your holding on for dear life like you would on one of those roller coasters that your feet dangle the hole time and you cant see through the dark tunnel, ha just close your eyes, feel the crazy butterflies doing death defying acrobatic maneuvers in the depths of your stomach and scream with glee as you enjoy the ride. When the Holy Spirit shows up all heaven breaks loose and tonight was no exception. I don’t remember every word that was spoken nor do I remember everything we prayed about and to be honest I don’t think I can ever really convey exactly what the Holy Spirit did while we sat in the car with the doors locked, in the drive way, but I can tell you that The Lord showed up and he found too seriously humbled fools crying out to him. And then there was peace, peace that passes all understanding and logic, peace that baffles shrinks and doctors, peace that trips the intellects and the scholars, peace that puts demons in their place and makes angels laugh like children. I believe that God showed us what is really going on in Sydney, underneath our good intentions, our grand plans, our newsletters and our contacts lists, there is a war raging on for the very souls of our neighbors, our friends, the people we haven’t even met yet, its for them that this battle rages, and its bloody, it hurts and its real. Oh it’s very real, more real then your everyday activities, your afterschool activities, your church socials, and your day jobs. It’s the thing that’s really going on when we find kids dying from overdosing, we find teens shooting up schools, when we see young adults getting sloshed out of their minds every day of the week, we find parents ignoring their kids or worse abusing and misusing them, and we find the old being herded together without any real concern for their well being. This thing is a war between heaven and hell and the battle ground is here on the plans of what we call reality, what we call life and we have a part to play. If ever there was a time for us who declare allegiance to the King of Kings to stand up and shout our battle cry the time is now, give up self imposed ignorance, throw down complacency, fight against apathy and stand up. There is a battle going on around us, in the very midst of us people are being lost.
We finished our time of prayer feeling exhausted but energized, at peace but restless to fight the good fight to be counted as one of the Lord’s fools. I truly believe that God is going to transform this place, He is going to build his church on this rock that the gates of Hell WILL NOT PROVAIL. The reason, GOD IS BIGGER, STRONGER AND MORE POWERFUL then anything the enemy can throw our way. God wants to raise hell to the ground here in Cape Breton and he’s going to build a church in its place. And it won’t be a Wesleyan church or a Pentecostal church or even a Baptist church, its going to be God’s church where God’s people come together and they worship him in Spirit and in truth, they help the poor and the orphans and the widows and the drunks and the addicts and the broken and the dying. In God’s Church his children are going to fight injustice, love the wretched, bless the poor, and feed the hungry. In God’s church a brother won’t be distinguished by color but by blood, Christ’s Blood which was poured out for all our sins, the blood that makes all men and women equal, the blood that frees the addicts, the drunks and the sex fiends. In God’s church we are going to dance in freedom and sing with Joy all the time. In God’s church we are going to understand grace that makes Holiness possible. Because in God’s church it won’t be about race, social status or who you know, wait, actually it WILL be all about who you know be cause in God’s church everyone is going to know who Jesus is even if they don’t know it yet.
And God’s church is going to start right here right now as his people pray. And prayer wont be a part of the day, prayer will be the day, any time all the time God’s children will be talking to their dad, they will be sitting in his lap sharing their darkest fears while in a traffic jam, they will be lifting up his praises while in the grocery checkout line, they will be praying for their lost brothers and sisters in their high school cafeteria all the while being scoffed at and ridiculed. In God’s Church prayer isn’t what we do it is who we are.
At 1am this morning when Michael and I hopped in my four door Saturn and hit the road looking for homeless people I had no idea what God wanted to do. At 3:30 am I sit here smashing keys on the keyboard with conviction. I still don’t know all that God wants to do but I know what he wants us to do next and that’s enough, to be honest I don’t think I could handle any more then that right now. So I’m going to post this get up from the computer and do what God has called me to do, but what I think God would like to know is what are you going to do?

peace
Matt

Play Pump

2006-09-22T21:22:00.000-03:00

Check out this link...to discover the creative and wonderful genius of those who want to tackle 2/3rd's world poverty. These guys are doing inventive things to bring fresh drinking water to a thirsty land.

http://www.we-are-one.org.uk/projects.html

Imagine, no one works to extract the drinking water from the land. Kids do all the work while having fun! That sounds like a wacky, heavenly, Kingdom-of-God type of answer to a major problem!

-Michael...2Timothy1.7

Gellin' like Magellen

2006-09-20T20:09:00.000-03:00

The great experiement here with the Sydney church plant, Harbour Wesleyan, is to live out an Acts chapter 2 existence at the roots, radical. We are not trying to be extreme or envelope pushers, just authentic followers of The Way. Acts 2 details some very exciting marks of distinction. It speaks of a body of believers who were dedicated to a lifestyle of worship together. It speaks of a community that was sold out to learning God's word from the leaders of the church and committed to one another so much that they spent time together daily sharing meals and their very posessions. This group of people truly cared for one another in action and deed as an expression of their obedience and love for Christ.

We aim to live this type of existence so much so that we are living together and eating together and meeting to worship and pray together as often as those believers who are written about in the good old book of Acts. The funny thing is...we are growing closer and full of love for each other beyond what we could have ever imagined! We are a tight team after only a couple of months! Our vision is melding together and growing out of our existence as a team focused on living truly dedicated to Jesus. Upon this and the foundation of prayer I believe we are headed for amazing things on this journey in Steel City, Nova Scotia.

-Michael...2Timothy1.7