The word "meeting" almost always has a negative connotation. If you work in the corporate world chances are that you are drowning in meetings. Patrick Lencioni's book Death by Meeting is a national best-seller in the U.S. for a reason. If someone tells you they want to meet with you, it's not often something you work into your schedule with joy.

Meetings can be boring, tense, useless or a whole other host of uninspiring things. But I'm here to tell you that meetings can also be inspiring, informative, helpful and an incredible tool for getting everyone on the same page. For real!

The latter is exactly what we always aim for during our Annual Business Meeting. While moving, seconding, voting, and Robert's Rule of Order is not everyone's cup of tea, these are just the structures that give us the chance to report on what is happening in this church, a local expression of the global body of Christ. How are things going? What have we been up to? How are our ministries being supported? What are we envisioning for the year ahead and beyond? These are the questions that the ABM looks to answer.

Members are asked to be in attendance (on Zoom or in person) but everyone who calls this church their home is encouraged to take an hour or so on Sunday night at 6:00 and be a part of this meeting. We certainly have an agenda and some things that we want to be sure you know about, but you are also welcome to bring your questions and take the opportunity to have them answered by the board and staff.

There are some more details on our website including the 2021 Annual Report and Financial Statement. Take a look when you have a chance in the next day or so: www.freedomkw.com/annual-business-meeting

I hope to see you there. God is at work, church. I'm looking forward to meeting with you to talk all about it!

See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy

YouVersion Bible Reading Plan: March

THIS SUNDAY

THE PASSION
The Betrayal

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)
9:00 - Kids Church Online (Freedom Kids FB Group)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Sunday will mark the beginning of a new season, literally. It's the first day of spring, regardless of what the groundhog said on February 2nd. Every year I have to remind myself that the weather doesn't necessarily sync up with the calendar and no matter how many double-digit temperature days we have I still can't plant anything for two more months.

On Monday, a figurative new season will also begin: the end of mandatory masking in most places. This comes almost exactly two years after our first (awkward!) livestream service in 2020. Wow, it's been a long road. Unfortunately, COVID-19 hasn't disappeared but our province has decided that it is appropriate to make masks optional going forward.

We decided in March of 2020 that we would do our best to comply with the provincial and regional mandates in the spirit of Romans 13. While recognizing that we may have very different opinions and experiences surrounding what was asked of us in this time, the Board and Staff charted this course and have stuck with it. We have endeavoured to lead with consistency and grace through these past two years and I know I speak for all of us when I say thank you to each of you for showing so much understanding, patience, and flexibility.

And as I said, COVID is not a thing of the past. We are simply stepping into a new way of living with it and that will have its own new set of challenges.

I want you to hear my heart when it comes to masking at church in the coming weeks and months and let you know what my expectation is for the body of Christ in this new season.

Starting next Sunday (March 27th) masking will be optional. That means that if you are more comfortable wearing a mask in public settings, you are very welcome to wear a mask to the service. If you are more comfortable without your mask, you do not need to wear one. This is the simple attitude that I want each and every one of us to take.

There is an opportunity for the enemy to use this as a divisive issue. Some may wonder why anyone would ever wear a mask; some may wonder why anyone wouldn't. The door is open for judgment and I'm closing the door in my heart and asking you to do the same. In the spirit of 1 John 4:7-21, I want to concern myself with how to love you well and not with your masking choices.

It's my suspicion that you've already come to these conclusions on your own because this is how you have conducted yourselves throughout this pandemic. I often brag about you to other leaders and tell them how grateful I am for how you've modelled grace and compassion so well. Let's hold on to that, no matter what the temptation might be to divide and disrupt. We choose unity in Christ in our diversity.

Today the issue is masking, tomorrow it will undoubtedly be something else, some other thing we may disagree on, some new challenge that we'll have to face together. Regardless, we continue to pray for unity among us and that our differences would make us a beautiful reflection of the body of Christ and the power of the Spirit to connect us to Him.

In Christ,
Pastor Tracy

YouVersion Bible Reading Plan: March