Jesus was anointed to preach to the poor (Luke 4:18), and so are we (James 2:2-5).  That’s exactly what happens at City Mission; we preach the gospel to the poor.  Often I am stopped by someone at the church and asked whether the City Mission ministry is redundant work compared to the numerous relief missions around the city.  The resounding answer is NO!

Most relief missions’ primary focus is physical feeding (and there is a definite need for this) but at City Mission the primary goal is spiritual feeding.  That means preaching, teaching, discipling and many one-on-one challenging encounters!  Challenging, because, but for the grace of God, we could all be in the same position as most who make City Mission their church.  That’s precisely what the homeless and poor have made it: “their church”, “their safe place”, and “their shelter in times of storm”.

What would accurately describe the ministry at City Mission? No words can describe it, except that God is in control.  On Tuesday afternoons, Albert and Isobel Johnston head up a drop in.  This is where much of the one-on-one discipleship and personal counseling and prayer take place.  On most Wednesday evenings, intensive Bible study and small group interaction are the norm.  Thursdays see “Alcoholics for Christ” in action, hosted by Chuck.  It is interesting to note that Chuck is traveling around Ontario planting other chapters of “Alcoholics for Christ”, but City Mission is where it started in Canada.
In addition to this, impromptu prayer meetings are often held on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday nights, (some Saturdays also) sometimes lasting several hours, as the need arises.  That really is the secret of any successful ministry at City Mission: PRAYER! 

That brings us to the central theme of the City Mission ministry through most of the 20th century, the Sunday Worship!  Every Sunday, we begin at 10:00 a.m. with a worship service for the poor and needy, complete with hymn singing and a preached gospel message, followed by a bagged lunch consisting of sandwiches and assorted goodies and a beverage (coffee during winter and pop during summer).  Often the volunteer staff will engage in soul-searching discussion with attendees related to the message.  Next, at 11:00 a.m., Vern Browne leads a traditional Sunday service, open to anyone, featuring hymn singing, the occasional special music, Bible memorization and great Bible preaching from a rotating roster of speakers, primarily from Philpott.  All financial support from City Mission is given during this service.

On any given Sunday night, from 5:00 to 5:10 p.m., a regular call to prayer is given to those attending the Sunday “Drop In”, between 3:30 and 6:00 p.m.  At 5:00 p.m., those interested file into the smaller room to approach the throne room of Almighty God!  As soon as Pastor Albert says, “Let’s pray”, every person present automatically reaches out to hold hands!  Holding hands brings the group together as one, diffuses any perceived animosity, and is intended to bring unity.  Sunday evening service is followed by supper:  the sharing of God’s word is given first priority (as it should be) followed by physical sustenance.  Make no mistake about it; City Mission is a church community of believers, most of whom do not feel welcome in many of the evangelical churches today.  City Mission is a church ministering to people in need and as such, should never be ruled out as a redundant downtown ministry.

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After much thought, prayer and discussion, the “postal code” method has decided as a viable option for us to try.  There are 3 major reasons for this decision:

• from an organizational point of view, it is a much neater way to place 400 people, initially, in  a group
• it ensures that every single member of the congregation is placed
• the randomness of this approach adds to the church unity purpose we have in doing the Venture in the first place.

The “postal code” method is a variation in the “smarties” theme, but it is still not a perfect method (there is no such thing!), so we will be using what we are calling preference cards to enhance this system.  How will this work?  As of  the June 13th Ministry meeting, every member of the PMC congregation has been placed in an initial grouping that is based on your postal code.  For the majority of people, we feel that this grouping will be fine and, on the Preference Card, there will be a chance to indicate this.  However, those who have a particular preference will also be able to indicate that on the preference card.  Perhaps you have already decided that you would rather meet at the church than in a private home; perhaps your already-existing small group has decided to remain as a group during the 40 Days.  Later, when the postal code lists are finalized,  it may be that the date your group decides to meet on is not convenient and you would “prefer” to be part of a different group that meets on a different night.  Just fill out a preference card and we will do our best to accommodate your preferences.

At present, the postal code is merely a super-structure with which to begin the intricate organization of placing 400 people.  We are looking at “10” (plus or minus a few) as an ideal working number for each group .  We also want groups to be open enough to accommodate interested neighbors, unchurched friends/family, etc.  A certain postal code may initially have 36 people listed but that might only end up, in actuality, being 20 or 2 groups of ten, depending on “preferences” and available hosts.  So, the initial posting of the postal code lists will give you an approximate idea of who is in your area.  The filling out of preference cards will be crucial for organizers to begin finalizing lists so hosts can begin to prepare and gather materials.  We will be reminding you of the submission of these cards.  The goal is to have a first set of final lists for posting on Welcome Back Sunday, September 12, make further refinements to the lists the week of Sept. 13-18, and post revised lists on September 19 so groups can begin meeting  the week of September 19- 25.

An Overview

June 27, 2004	Congregational response to the Postal Code method on a Preliminary Preference Card
June, July, August	Follow through on Preliminary Preference Cards for those who missed the June 27 submission
September 12	1st set of  Postal Code Discussion Group Lists posted in Gym
September 13	Hosts Orientation (which will include a look at the lists)
September 13-18	Secondary Preference Cardssubmitted, based on 1st set of Group Lists
September 19	2nd set of Postal Code Discussion Group Lists posted in Gym; groups meet informally in gym, between services, to decide on convenient meeting time
September 19-25	Groups begin to meet

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We are looking for 40 Host Homes where discussion groups can meet. All you need is a TV and VCR, and the willingness to open your home once a week for the six weeks of the Venture.

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We had no idea that God intended to use these simple little tools (The Purpose Driven Life book and The 40 Days of Purpose Venture) to change millions of lives in other churches too. I’m just a local pastor like yourself, concerned for the  piritual growth of my friends, and the health of our church. But now 15,000 other churches have done 40 Days of Purpose and over 20 million people have read The Purpose Driven Life. This is a significant number when we consider that it only takes 2% of a culture to change it.

Please understand: The widespread use of 40 Days of Purpose has not happened due to any advertising or marketing strategy. God just sovereignly chose to use it to transform thousands of churches;  then those churches began to tell others about the difference it had made. The program has spread like wildfire simply through word-of-mouth sharing.

40 Days of Purpose is all about the Kingdom of God - fulfilling His agenda and His purposes, in His world. Obviously, what God is doing is much bigger than any individual, any church, or any one denomination.  All kinds of churches - Mainline, Evangelical, Catholic, Pentecostal - over 100 different denominations - have found 40 Days of Purpose to be life-changing.  The goal is that your church, regardless of location, size, or denomination, will “serve God’s purpose in your generation.” (Acts. 13:36)  Nothing brings more glory to God than that.

What difference can 40 Days of Purpose make in your church? Well, after hearing back from thousands of churches, congregations are reporting a greater sense of unity and fellowship, a revived spirit of worship, a deeper commitment to spiritual growth, a greater participation in personal ministry, and a new compassion for reaching out to the community.

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This Fall, our church will be launching the 40 Days of Purpose Venture, which will run for seven weekends beginning  September 19 and ending October 31, 2004. This spiritual growth Venture is designed to answer life’s most important question: “What on earth am I here for?” The events of the Venture will give us opportunities to commit to habits of spiritual growth, memorize scripture, participate in large and small discussion groups as well as Sunday morning fellowship, serve in a ministry in our church, share our faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of worship to the glory of God. We are excited as we envision our entire congregation living in alignment with God’s purposes for their lives, and the impact this could have on our church and our community!

We have assembled an Administrative Team to facilitate this Venture for our church. This team is responsible for:

• creating a prayer strategy for the Venture (Sharon Weir)
• coordinating the seven weekend services during the Venture (Jason Silver)
• overseeing the weekly Bible studies that focus on the themes of the Venture (Ben and Barb Hartford; David and Val Harvey)
• coordinating the major events that take place during the Venture (Jan Sears, Pat Major, Bryan Wylie):
1. Launch:  The Venture will kick-off on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 with the Sunday message and the reading  of chapter one in The Purpose-Driven Life, the book that forms the basis for the Venture. This award-winning, best-selling book by Rick Warren is divided into 40 daily readings for the Venture, and will be available for purchase at the 40 Day Information Centre.
2. Join A Group: At the beginning of the Venture there will be an opportunity to be part of a small discussion group as well as a larger Sunday School class which will be studying the Purpose-Driven Life curriculum. These interactive studies, with different curricula, allow for a deeper understanding of God’s purposes and allow us to build friendships with others in our church.
3. Ministry Fair: This event is designed to give people an opportunity to get involved in a church ministry or outreach by showcasing all our ministries, outreaches and missions, and welcoming new volunteers to serve.
4. Celebration Sunday:  The Venture culminates with a church-wide party where we will rejoice together in all God has done in our midst during the Venture.

If you would like to join one of the teams that are coordinating the various parts of the Venture, we would love to talk to you! Please contact our Venture Directors, Pat Major at 905-304-7334 pekmajor@sympatiaco.ca or Bryan Wylie at 905-526-9828, bdwylie@hotmail.com.

We encourage you to join with us now, at this early stage, to pray for this Venture. The potential impact this could have on our lives will be increased if the soil of our hearts is prepared through prayer. We are excited to embark on this spiritual journey together this Fall, and we appreciate your prayers for the Administrative Team, for our church leaders, and for the impact of the Venture in the lives of our people and the effectiveness of our church. So begin now to pray and prepare your own heart for the life-changing adventure of the 40 Days of Purpose.

Lane Fusilier
June 27, 2004

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1. Who can be a host?
   The qualifications to be a Host are simple: a Host has to have a TV and a VCR and be willing to have people into his/her home. That’s it. The beauty of this strategy is that people who may have never felt they could minister to others because they lack Bible knowledge or leadership skills can now be empowered to serve and to reach out.
   
2. Can I get a friend to help me Host?
   Absolutely! Pair up with another friend or another couple.
   
3. How many people should I expect to accommodate?
   The optimum number of people to have in a discussion group is 6-10. You will be able to specify the number of people you can accommodate on a Host Home sign up card.
   
4. Who will be attending these meetings in my home?
   The entire Philpott congregation will be divided up into groups according to postal code. These groupings will be posted in the gym on Sunday, June 20. Everyone will be asked to then fill out a PREFERENCE CARD indicating their willingness to attend their posted group or their preference for another group. You would host a group in or near your postal code. Depending on the distribution of participants and your own mobility, you may be asked to facilitate a group in someone else’s home in a different postal code.
   These group structures are not meant to be rigid, but a way to ensure that EVERYONE has a home group for the 40 Day Venture.
   
5. I will be out of town during one of the weeks of the series. Any suggestions?
   If you have to miss a group meeting, simply ask someone else in your group to host and facilitate the evening.
   
6. What do I actually do as a “host”?
   As the Host, you are being asked to open your home to this group for six weeks. We ask that you show the 20 minute video message each week and help the group work through the curriculum that has been provided. We also hope that you will pray for the group.
   
7. I don’t mind offering my home but any kind of leading, even if it is called “helping the group work through the curriculum” scares me.  Does this rule me out?
   Not at all. The trick will be to actively involve all members of the group. Groups may decide on a rotating “helping” role. Don’t forget there is a video and a curriculum to keep the discussion going. Also, a special orientation for hosts is planned for Sept. 13 (see 11).
   
8. What exactly is “the curriculum”?
   There are 6 video-based lessons, 1 per week, taught by Rick Warren. He provides the Biblical knowledge necessary. These 20-minute Bible studies will lay the groundwork for the weekly discussion and prepare you for Pastor Lane’s weekly messages. The video also includes “leader lifters”, 5 minutes of hints that coach and encourage the hosts week by week. Available to each group member is a written study guide (available at a cost of $5) with questions that allow for group discussion and interaction. The host has a complete written transcript of Warren’s video teaching session.
   
9. How do I get these materials and what is the cost?
   “Curriculum packages” that consist of one video (with the 6 Bible studies and “leader lifters”, a written transcript of the video and 10 individual study guides will be available at the Orientation, Sept. 13. Cost to participants will be the $10.70 for the PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE $5 for the study guides.
   
10. What will a discussion group session look like?
    The curriculum section of each session has been designed to fit into a 90-minute time frame, which includes 20 minutes of video teaching and 70 minutes of discussion, prayer and small group exercises. Prayer time should not be short-changed! In a 2-hour session, this suggested structure still leaves 30 minutes for coffee, refreshments, and socializing.
    
11. Do I need any special training as host?
    No. The curriculum is simple and user-friendly. And, we are planning an orientation session for hosts on Monday evening, Sept. 13, from 7-9 p.m., to familiarize hosts with the curriculum and suggest how hosts can include group members to help with the various parts of the evening.
    
12. Will I be asked to continue Hosting this group after the 40 Days of Purpose Venture is completed?
    When your 6 week commitment is over, each Host needs to personally decide what his or her role will be in the Philpott small group structure, which will be revised and enhanced by the 40 Day Venture. It is our hope that some Hosts will choose to continue on as leaders of a small group.
    

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On May 3rd, the PMC Leadership Community met and were presented with the exciting prospect of undertaking a 40 Days of Purpose Venture, based on the award-winning book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life.

We have asked for God’s timing in launching this Venture and to that end, Sharon Weir told us about the 36 people who committed, during lent, to read the book and pray for this Venture, before any decision was made by anyone to do it. The group also fasted and day a week, and had accountability partners throughout the 40 days. So, this Venture definitely started with prayer.

Evelyn Wilton, a member of this group, told the group how helpful and challenging this was to her daily walk, putting particular emphasis on the bottom-line premise, “it’s not about us!!!” (see Evelyn’s testimony in full in this newsletter).

Many of Matt Collins’ youth leaders have worked through the book, with some accountability taking place. While they did not all work through the books systematically, they found that it has provided a wonderful springboard for discussion at youth church.

A rather poignant moment in the evening was when Andre L’Abbe gave us his personal testimony about how the book had impacted him at the point in his life where he was seriously wondering what it was all about and he realized the significance of giving it all up to the Lord.

Our resident cynic, Paul Almas, eloquently explained how this book , although it is totally counter-cultural, has actually broken through cultural barriers. (see article, “A “Cynic’s” Response to Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life.)

Pat Major gave a skeleton overview of some of the practicalities of this Venture, as far as planning goes (see Venture Overview Chart) , while Ben Hartford discussed some very exciting possibilities for impact on our current small groups, as did Dave Harvey, on our ABF future.

In a somewhat fearful frame of mind, Bryan Wylie passed out commitment cards, the mere mention of which, earlier on in the evening by Lane, had elicited the same kind of a reaction that a “closing of the deal” wrap- up does at a secular sales-pitch meeting. The responses on the 47 submitted leadership community commitment cards speak for themselves:

• Of the 51 people present, 47 filled out the commitment cards (4 people did not respond)
• All 47 people committed to the daily Purpose Driven Life readings during the fall 40 Day Venture.
• All 47 people committed to attend weekly worship.
• All 47 committed to pray for Philpott unity and spiritual growth.
  28 people who currently participate in a small group agreed to disband during the 6-week Venture period and join a discussion group.
• 14 people not presently in a small group agreed to join a discussion group during the Venture.
• (5 people either left these questions blank, or, filled in both boxes.)

I urge you to get actively involved with this exciting Venture as we work to carry out our purpose to be a church that Exalts God, that Edifies each other and that Extends God’s love to our neighborhood.

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I’m ostensibly representing our small group that meets at the home of Jan and Malcolm Sears and sometimes at our place.  However, I’m really here at the more subtle behest of Bryan Wylie who wants to exploit my inadvertently collected reputation for being a bit cynical about the avalanche of U. S. conservative evangelical print material that finds its way into our Canadian evangelical world. 
 
In my opinion and experience, because of the wide diversity of our two cultures, particularly in the sphere of Christianity, this material frequently misses our Canadian relational realities and sometimes defies valid application here.

Having said that, Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life,  cuts through all of that and beyond,  so this armchair cynic has to sing a new tune.  In my view, this book is truly culturally sanitized.  In my lifetime, I cannot remember any Christian literature that has achieved such widespread readership across the western secular culture.  The reason for this, in large measure, is that it cuts to the core of our individual relationship with our Creator and the theme and message, “It’s not about you, it’s about God,” is decidedly counter-cultural.  The theme is similar to Ken Boa’s comment about the underlying theme of scripture when he stated that God is simply saying to us in the bible, “I’m God - and you’re not.” 

If taken seriously, this theme demands a radical re-jigging of lifestyles of both Christians and, of course, unbelievers alike.  Although it is not a “feel-good” book, it does call all readers to a positive and exciting concept of living.  It makes demands on people.  It relegates an entire body of Christian literature, that is obsessed with “how to….” themes related to Christian living and experience, to little more than trivia.

Although the core theme has captured our small group, in our chapter by chapter analysis of the content (we usually attempt to cover 2 chapters at each gathering), we have discovered that the material uniquely:

1. Connects spiritual concepts and principles to life and relationship issues that make comprehension immediate and amazingly complete.
   
2. Speaks directly to our human experience and condition (as believers and unbelievers), rising above regional, national and cultural norms and values; thus the book’s universal appeal.
   
3. Provides a roadmap for getting our vertical relationship with God right and a guidebook for re-establishing our horizontal relationships with others on a biblical footing in a way no other material has done.

In summary, I sense that the author has been uniquely gifted by God to explain timeless biblical truth in a way that speaks to our unique times.  It is a message that has always been there, and for the most part in our evangelical churches, has been taught.  It certainly has been at Philpott.  However, for many Christians and for many of us, on a personal basis, for whatever reason, it has not always been caught.

Continual revisiting of fundamental biblical truth is vital to daily renewal and shaping of our personal faith in Jesus Christ for ministry.  As a group of believers in 2004, in downtown Hamilton, the unique way timeless biblical truth is communicated in “The Purpose Driven Life” will help us grow legs for our one-of-a-kind mission and calling in the core of our city; namely, to extend God’s love to all peoples.   We’ve been placed in the center of Hamilton for HIS PURPOSE!  NOW!  Let’s get going!

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Congratulations to Jason and Joanne Silver on the safe arrival of their baby girl Grace Alma Jane.  She was 8 lbs. And 13 oz.  A new sister for Lucas and Seth.

We are pleased to announce the engagement of Laura Hahn and Paul Smithson.  Thanks Laura, for putting a smile back on Paul’s face.

Praise God for His provision of a car for Karen Wilton as required for the next two months.

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On June 8th, the Philpott senior’s group had their annual picnic at La Salle Park in Burlington. After a couple of terribly hot days earlier in the week, we were very thankful for a lovely, breezy day. Our favorite location at the park is behind the pavilion where the breeze blows up from the Bay. We pretty well had the park to ourselves that day so there was no danger of our “rowdy group” of almost 70 people, disturbing anyone else!! We gathered around 10 a.m. and got right into some games led by Larry MacDonald. As usual, he did a great job and he was easy to spot in his bright lime green “Larry Boy” shirt. He came up with a great cross word puzzle and all of the questions were about the history of Philpott Church. That got people going back in their minds to some memories of Philpott. Lots of other games kept us busy and of course, there were nice prizes to be won. Then it was time for lunch! We had a feast of chicken and a nice variety of salads, which were brought by several of the ladies.

Instead of “nap time” after lunch, we took our lawn chairs and moved up to the pavilion where we were entertained by the music of the Hilton Family from Jarvis. They are a Mom & Dad and 3 teenagers who are very talented and provided a nice concert for us.

Then it was back to our picnic spot where we topped off the afternoon with ice cream, cookies and conversation. The leadership committee of the senior’s group would like to thank all of the people who worked together to make our day a successful and happy one.

Although we have had our picnic, we will continue to have our games each Tuesday morning and we would invite you to join us if you do not already come. At this time we are playing dominoes, skip-bo and shuffle board but we would be happy to have you come and bring a new game for us to try. We have a flyer available with a list of all of our upcoming events from September to March, be sure to pick one up so you can set aside the dates.

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Jim and Glad Whyte celebrated their 63rd Wedding Anniversary on June 7/41. Congratulations!
 
Blessings to Simon and Christine Hirota, who were married at Philpott on June 5th.
 
Chris and Caroline Sears are adopting a little girl from Russia.  They have just been over to meet her and make the arrangements.  They will bring her back here in early September.  Pray that any legal problems will be worked out, and all will go well.
 
This fall Peter and Elizabeth Daley are travelling to Kathmandu, checking out work in a mission hospital.  Peter just has completed writing his medical fellowship exams this past week.

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The first statement in this book that grabbed my attention was, “…it’s not about you - it’s about God. Life is about letting God use you for His purposes, not your using Him for your own.”

I began questioning my own life; where was my focus? Did I have a definite purpose for my life? This also led me to question the focus of our congregation and I concluded we needed to change this focus.

The second impact was the importance of prayer. If prayer was to be the centerpiece of preparation we needed to begin by asking for God’s timing and wisdom before we took the first step. During the 40 days of Lent 36 people from our congregation agreed to make a covenant to:

• Pray for God’s timing for our whole church to begin the “40 Days of Purpose”
• Pray that this will bring about a spiritual awakening in our congregation.
• Praise God and give Him the glory for all He is about to do in our midst.
• Daily read the appointed devotion in the Purpose Driven Life
• Confess any sin in our lives so we could be effective pray-ers
• Fast one day each week.
• Choose a person in the group to be accountable to, and to ask if they were following their commitment.

It was important to ask for God’s timing and wisdom before we took the first step.

I have heard many comments from this group, and all of them were positive.
                        
If we truly hunger for spiritual transformation in our congregation, it will not happen apart from prayer. A mighty movement of God’s Spirit in our church cannot be manufactured by great plans alone. It is prayer that brings to bear the power of God into this campaign and ultimately results in changed lives.

C.H. Spurgeon wrote, “Whenever God determines to do a great work, He first sets His people to pray.”

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Wendy Tomes has been healthy for the last 10 weeks, and would like to thank everyone for their prayers. (She’s driving one to two days a week.)

Little Samson is now A-OK in every way, and growing like a weed and talking!

Rita Bogle is doing well, and was back at church this last Sunday.

Bill & Nora McCaslin, Charlie & Bernice Faulknor and Bruce & Margaret Curson, are all celebrating 58 years of marriage during the months of June, July, and August.

Paul Almas has been directing the Alpha program Sunday mornings and has had several new Christians in attendance.

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