Here is a brief report from my spy on the ground. This isn’t comprehensive, but hopefully it will give you a flavour of what has been going on today.

Bishop Don announced that appointments mentioned in November were now effective…

· Bishop Malcolm is Bishop Suffragan (also Archdeacon responsibilities for the Prairies)

· The Rev George Sinclair as Vice-Chair

· The Venerable Charlie Masters is Archdeacon

· The Venerable Trevor Walters is territorial Archdeacon (West)

· The Venerable Desiree Stedman is territorial Archdeacon (Central)

· TBD – Archdeacon for the Maritimes (when needed)

· Cheryl Chang as Chancellor

Excerpts from Archbishop Venables:

Theme – suffering is an expected part of the Christian life. Be filled with the Word; Be filled with Fire; Be filled with Love. Love those who disagree with us, care for them, pray for them. But remain faithful; fight the fight, keep the faith.

If it gets tough, remember the fiery furnace. They refused to be unfaithful. And they suffered the consequences in being thrown into the furnace. Yet Jesus was with them in the furnace and the only thing that was burnt in the furnace was the ropes that bound them.

Jesus promised that when we go through the water, we won’t drown; when we go through the fire, we won’t be burned. Yet, don’t seek the fire. And don’t thing it is the “destination”.

Jesus said to the disciples, “Let’s go to the other side.” Not, “let’s go to the middle and drown.”

“Get real about what it means to follow Jesus; it is not a comfortable ride.” Some think the Christian life is “happy, happy” all the time. (What Dr Packer called “eudemonism”. Look it up in the dictionary!)

We are called to look after our faithfulness. God will look after our feelings. And, as we are faithful, we will find that God gives us a deep joy – that will see us through the ups and downs.

Don’t be surprised by suffering. It is part of the Christian life.

We are called to do what is not humanly possible. When we are confronted with the impossible, God is able to perform the miraculous. God called a childless man to be the father of millions (Abraham). God called a virgin to be the mother of our Lord (Mary). God called Peter to walk on water, but he had to, in obedience, take the risk of stepping out of the boat.

J I Packer

Theme – The need for catechises – teaching the faith, not just to young people, but to adults. Theological and biblical ignorance among lay people is the biggest problem in the Anglican world.

We have passed a watershed in Anglicanism – this includes our understanding of territorial jurisdictions.

Dr Packer also used the “H” word in speaking of the teaching of some bishops in the western church – heretical.

Responses to Q&As

Q – Building churches without “sheep stealing”…

++Greg mentioned that in Australia he was told that they don’t build fences, they dig wells (i.e. the sheep gather where there is good water).

Q – What about people who still feel called to stay in the Anglican Church of Canada, even though they are deeply distressed by the direction of the church?

++Greg responded, “If they are serving healthy food go and eat there. If the food makes you ill, don’t eat there”.

Later, ++Greg, building on Dr Packer’s theme of the need for solid teaching and Bible knowledge, admonished us, about excess exposure to unedifying cultural/media content. “What are you filling your minds with? Poison?” He encouraged us to use our time profitably, to become grounded in the Word. He said, if we do not gain solid Biblical understanding, we can be easily seduced by those you use the same language but with entirely different meaning.

Bishop Vun gave a very well received talk on the mission focus of the Diocese of Sabah (Borneo). He talked about Christ cutting off dead branches, and pruning (not a comfortable process) the live branches so they will bear more fruit.

In Sabah, they are focused on 1+1+3 – each believer should have the goal of reaching one person for Christ each year and disciplining him/her for three years.

Sabah is in a Moslem country where there is a real cost to being a Christian

Cell groups (home groups/small groups) are important to ensuring every church member is cared for, and as a foundation for church growth.

Ken Moser on Youth Ministry

How do we reach young people for Jesus in a post-Christian country (Canada)? Youth ministry, as it has been “done”, has failed. “If your horse is dead, get off.” It’s not by games – which most youth groups focus on.

Some of what we have done:

· Attracted very few people to our youth group. Average size of church youth group is 0. Average size of a large youth group is 12.

· Those we do attract, we don’t keep. Most youth groups are like a pyramid, the older the kids get, the fewer attend youth group

· Don’t developed a generation of healthy, well taught adults

· Entertained our kids

· Burned out our leaders

Negative

Over-stimulated, over-entertained, live in a world of pleasure, micro-managed and over-programmed. School demands everything from kids. “Over-home worked.” Over-educated. Over-medicated. (10% of kids on medication)

Positive

Young person today shares these characteristics:

· Desperate for meaning. Desperate to be in touch with a higher reality, with purpose, with God

· Desperate for community. (eg Facebook)

· Desperate for involvement.

· Desperate for adult involvement in their lives (Parents are focused on work, not their kids) Love talking to their grandparents.

Not a big step to put above four things in youth ministry. Kids are not attracted to an entertainment-oriented youth ministry.

Principles (paraphrased)

· We need to reject models of youth ministry coming from mega-churches in the US which are based on attracting large numbers. Need to look at quality, not quantity. A small group based on discipleship is light years ahead of a large group based on entertainment

· Build up your kids. We have spend so much time trying to reach out and grow that we have neglected the kids God has brought to you. Focus on building into the lives of your kids.

· We must build our youth group ministry with clear spiritual disciplines. (Acts 2:42-27 template for youth ministry). Get rid of the games and bring in a meal.

· Youth groups must be communities of love, joy and the Holy Spirit. Don’t compromise to attract people who are not attracted to solid Biblically-based youth ministry. Jesus let such people go.

· Young people, reach young people… not your youth minister or your program. Build disciples.

· Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. Be an example in the way you live…

· 2 Timothy Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness. Good youth group is a group of young people who meet together to help each other flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness.

Future of our church is with our young people. Need to think through how we develop strong young Christians who will go on to maturity in the Lord.

Video

Please note that ANiC will be posting video of the sessions within a week. Also, a DVD set with conference highlights can be ordered from ANiC.