Hope for Humboldt

I sit writing this in my old familiar corner in the basement of Nick and Mary Kalynuik”s home in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. I have made at least eight trips here over the past three years. Each time I stay in the same room and get up early in the morning and sit in the same rocking chair next to a furnace to meet with God in their basement.

When you read the word basement you do not know what I am talking about. Their basement has two full bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and a living room. It is like another home within a home. In this very spot I have interceded on behalf of Humboldt, read scripture, sought the face of God and studied for messages. My prayer today is much the same as other prayers have been over the course of the past three years. “Lord, please call and send a pastor to this church,”

Like I have done on every other trip I have asked God if I was the man. Just like I have heard on every other trip I have been told that I am not. My calling is in Seminole and to prayerfully funnel people in this direction.

While praying I made a list of all the challenges stacked against this church ever succeeding. The first one is obvious. In the over five years they have been meeting they have never had a permanent pastor. Never. Still they keep praying, pressing on, hoping and trusting that God will send someone to them. It looks pretty hopeless though. There are not enough pastors in Canada for the existing churches much less the two thousand more churches the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists want to start by 2020.

I cannot imagine getting up close to two thousand times on Sunday mornings to go to church without ever having had a true shepherd. I am inspired by these people who simply will not give up. They keep meeting. They keep praying. They keep opening doors. If nothing else this little group is tenacious. Isn’t there something to be said for simply showing up over and over again for five years? They could have grown weary and walked away. They could have found an easier road with less challenge but they keep walking the road of starting this church. I am moved by their dedication and humbled by their dauntless faith.

There are other challenges. The few core members of FBC Humboldt are tired and discouraged. For five years they have had a rotation of different people come and fill the pulpit. They have not had a true shepherd, a leader, or one who week in and week out would feed their souls the life giving word of God. I am not saying that fine sermons have not been heard but there is no consistency. Some of the members are losing heart and can you blame them. They have very little to offer a prospective pastor. What pastor wants to come to FBC Humboldt where there are less than a dozen people and most of them over fifty five? Which pastor wants to come minister in a place of such hard hearts spiritually among the people of the town and harsh winters?

The winters are long and brutal. We saw freezing rain yesterday. There is no snow on the ground but they had four inches just a week ago and it melted. One man told me once that it can begin snowing as early as October and there can be snow up until May. As I write this it May, 01, 2010. The forecast calls for rain the entire time we are here. There are only three good months to get to enjoy being outdoors and then the cold weather returns. Who really wants to live in these conditions? Only the person whom God calls.

How will the members of FBC Humboldt ever be encouraged and inspired to do more if God doesn’t call a pastor here? That is the most critical key issue facing this church. The members could be encouraged if they really had hope that God was going to send them a shepherd. If they really had that hope they could press on. Hope can help people press through adversity. Hope does amazing things for a person’s attitude.

The other challenge facing this church is that they do not have a music minister or even someone to play the piano. Most Sundays they play a tape of someone who recorded some hymns played on piano. One of the men gets up and leads the small band of believers in these songs. Week after week they are the same songs.

Stay with me here. Suppose you were looking for a church home and you happened to visit FBC Humboldt. When you walked up the stairs at the Seniors Hall and into the main room, this is what you would see. Less than a dozen people in a room that would comfortably seat three hundred. Next, you see a man pull out the portable tape player and push the play button while trying to lead the small congregation in worship. This man often sings off key and the whole scene is demoralizing. This is followed by a man preaching who has no vested interest in the group. If you were to come back the next week there would be someone different preaching. One man has at least committed to coming every other Sunday of the month.

The next thing you might notice is the absence of children and young families. There are none. They do not have any kind of Sunday School program. Now let, me ask you. Would you come back to visit that church and to get firmly entrenched in the life of such a fellowship? Many have visited over the years but few have ever come back.

The challenges are monumental. While praying this morning I asked the Lord what difference our being here for these few days really makes. Where is the hope? In those moments the Lord impressed a scripture on my heart to answer the question and to preach in the morning. [Mark 11:22-24] The hope is found in prayerfully believing God can move every mountain. God has been, is, and will continue to be the hope for Humboldt.

I know we are not here in vain. I have a message to share with these people and in every way possible I want to point Humboldt toward hope. Perhaps these verses may be used to minister hope in your hearts as well. They certainly have mine.

Fellowship Around the Table

Some of my favorite times in Humboldt have occurred around the table over meals prepared by Mary, the ladies from Paradise (salsa and sweet tea by the gallons) and in the homes of some of the church members. We have laughed, shared our stories, and pondered deep theological questions. Hours have passed while I have been seated at Nick and Mary’s table.

That was the case on this trip as well. I loved watching the team from Seminole really begin to connect with the people from Humboldt. The Seminole crew jumped right in to help prepare breakfast. The ladies cooked and I even saw the men on two occasions clear the table and wash the dishes.

Questions abound around the Kalyniuk’s table. We talked about everything from how to get this church off the ground to what the Bible says about certain topics. We laughed like lifelong friends I really feel that most of the bonding takes place around that table. Mary reveals her heart and deep burden to see people get saved in that town every time I am welcomed into her home.

I watched as Stephanie played a power point display on her computer for the Humboldt church to see. They were fascinated by the cotton crops, the flat geography, the schools, and pictures of FBC Seminole. One picture of our youth group and children prompted one lady to say you have so many children. I wish we had that many in our whole church. Our fellowship hall often filled with families fellowshipping produces greater attendance on a Wednesday night than FBC Humboldt will have on three months of services combined. We take so much for granted.

It was around Mary’s table we met a teenager named Ryan. Ryan is a college student at Saint Peter’s college in Muenster about eight Kilometers from Humboldt. He often attends FBC Church and has only one other Christian friend who just moved away to Saskatoon. Ryan has nobody else but these believers at FBC Humboldt. It was odd watching an eighteen year old young man gather around fellowship table with everyone being at least twenty to thirty years older than him. He has never known the blessing of a youth group like Solid Rock or an event like Disciple Now.

There is not one child in FBC Humboldt. We have over a hundred in Seminole and several great programs and people who volunteer in these programs. Humboldt could use just one such volunteer. They have no other teenagers or person to develop a Bible Study for students. Surely God is placing this call on someone to leave the American dream in pursuit of God’s dream to plant a healthy, growing, and reproducing church in Humboldt, SAS.

Maybe in the days ahead you and I will be seated at a table fellowshipping and this very topic will come up about volunteers needing to go there and you will feel the tug on your heart to go. It will hurt. I will miss you. I also live to promote the glory of God by expanding His kingdom. If you find yourself fellowshipping around Mary’s table count yourself blessed. If God unites your hearts with the heart of a small band of believers on Canadian soil count yourself blessed. You will be partnering with God for a purpose that will have eternal implications.

Fellowship around the table just might translate into a new life calling and vocation. If you find yourself seated at Nick and Mary’s table please tell them I love them and pray for them. I hope you have the opportunity to fellowship around their table in the furtire and fall in love with them, their church and their community just as dozens of others have as well.

Canada: Day Two

Being somewhere around 1,500 hundred miles from Seminole we encountered snow on May first. The temperatures hovered just above freezing all day and therefore the snow did not stick. Most of the day it either snowed or was drizzly.

We had waffles with fresh whipping cream and strawberries for breakfast. Mary always goes the extra mile to make us feel welcome. She has taken to the team from Seminole like I saw her take to the many teams from Paradise. The waffles were delicious. We spent the morning listening to Mary tell us about how the church came into being and updating us on the last five years. Mary has such a passion to see this church firmly established. The history of this church is filled with challenges, hopes, and many disappointments. On a couple of occasions they thought they were close to getting a pastor only to come up empty handed.

Jase, Mike, and I drove over to Melfort, a town about the same size as Humboldt close to an hour north from here. We met Brad, Jeff, and Todd Goudy. These are three brothers who have all preached and helped FBC Humboldt during the past couple of years. Todd is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Melfort. His church nearly disbanded before he went there. There were only five people but the church has dramatically turned a round. Today the church averages about one hundred and fifty in attendance. Brad has done some lay preaching and Jeff is serving as interim pastor at Humboldt along with several other different ministries. Jeff only comes every other week and is contemplating giving it up so as to invest his time in other places.

We spent a good portion of the afternoon visiting with these brothers about what God is doing in Saskatchewan and Humboldt. God is at work in this province. Yet there is much work still to be done. It is estimated that there are forty to fifty towns in this province alone with no evangelical church much less a Baptist one. That does not take into account the many small farming communities where there really are no towns but there are people living without a gospel witnessing church in these communities. There could be hundreds of such communities.

We discussed at great lengths the challenges facing Humboldt. The church has no pastoral leadership. The town is closed to the gospel due to the heavy Catholic influence here. The few people left in the church are tired and discouraged. It is a hard work. All the bothers seem to think that the best solution would be to combine the Baptist and Bible churches to get at least one solid church. I think they reported the Bible church has barely twenty people coming while FBC has less than a dozen. These three brothers seem content to let the Baptist Church disband and to begin meeting with the Bible church. My question to them concerned what the Lord wills for FBC Humboldt. Nobody seemed to have the answer to that question.

We talked late into the afternoon. Some of what they said I agreed with. At other times my heart did not bear witness with their direction. I felt extremely awkward when we returned from this meeting and the ladies from Seminole and Mary all wanted to know how the meeting went. Mary was quite persistent. There were things I did not feel at liberty to share. The little I did talk about did not sit real well with her. She is resistant to disbanding and joining these other churches.

I went straight to my bed after dinner crying out to God for His direction. I recall feeling like I had heard from the Goudy brothers and I had heard from Mary but God was the one I most wanted to hear from. My one question for the Goudys, Mary, and for the Lord was and still is, “Does God want this church to exist?”

I prayed until my eyes could barely stay open. I woke up this morning pleading with the Lord to speak to me. I read the last part of I Samuel, all of Second Samuel, and ten chapters into the book of I Kings looking for God’s answer to that question. I don’t know that I found a direct answer other than the peace in my heart.

I have enjoyed watching Mike, Jase, Beverly, Stephanie, and Shalea all relate to these people. I can see a bonding taking place and God giving our people a heart for Humboldt. It is a hard work. The town is gospel hardened and only the Lord can make this work. Seeing the persistent faith of this little church is inspiring.

It’s pretty frigid outside. The climate is hard here. Snow in May is unexpected in Texas. In many ways I think the weather outside epitomizes what this church has been through. Their journey has been like a never-ending winter filled with snow, blizzards, and cut off from most others. Just when they thought spring had arrived four more inches of snow fell a week ago and we had more snow and freezing rain since arriving here on Friday.

Today we get to lead the worship service. We will meet as a team later this afternoon to debrief what we have experienced. God draws me to the work here and after making this trip eight times I know it is work. To see this church turn the corner and to see God use these people to reach the lost of Humboldt would be worth more than I could ever put into words. God, thank you for giving us your heart for Humboldt.

Rocky Mountain High

The second leg of our journey is complete. We are sitting in the Denver International airport waiting for our connecting flight to Saskatoon. We are talking about technology and such with i-phones, i-pads, Kindles, and other things. Coming in we could see the snow capped Rocky Mountains on our left.

We have a flight and then the drive from Saskatoon to Humboldt. I’m excited to introduce our people from Seminole to my extended church family in Humboldt. In some ways it is like I am going back home to a place I love and hold dear to my heart.

Thousands of people travel through here headed for somewhere for many different reasons. Some going to reconnect with loved ones. Others travel on business. There are some who travel for pleasure. Our travel is with purpose and mission. We are going to take the gospel and light of Jesus to shine in the darkness of a nation who has by in large rejected Christ.

Many come to Denver and Colorado for the mountains, to ski, and for the scenic get way spots. We travel as ambassadors for Christ. There is an eternal purpose attached to our trip. I don’t have a Rocky Mountain High because of anything else other than Jesus has given us a mission and a purpose..

There are thousands of people in this little town in Saskatchewan who do not know the Savior. They do not know the hope and freedom of grace. They do not know the peace of being righteous in Christ. In vain they strive with good works to earn God’s approval. By in large when I traveled there in the past there are two distinct reactions to our coming to town. People are curious which gives us the open door to witness for Christ. The other reaction is to politely reject us and our message.

The spiritual soil of people’s hearts are fallow. The Holy Spirit can come and break up the fallow ground. We are not traveling in vain. I do not know what the Lord will do and what we will experience over the next few days. I only know that God goes with us and He will guide our steps as we wait on Him.

It was not easy to leave Brenda and the boys but I know I have a mission and a mandate from God. I will get to preach in FBC Humboldt on Sunday morning. I do not know what I will preach but I am grateful for that opportunity to preach Christ on foreign soil as well as in Seminole. My Rocky Mountain High is Jesus Christ and gladly do I take Him to Canada today and in the future to the ends of the earth.

Iron Indians

Taylor, Tanner, and I have been getting up at 6:00 a.m. for early morning workouts with other high school and junior high students along with a few dads. It has been intense. The workouts are at times brutal. The burning pain of fatigued muscles is excruciating. It took me a week to recover from the medicine ball work out. Ultimate bench press, rolling dumbbell presses, Defranco complex, v-taps, and everyone’s favorite farmer’s walks have pushed us all to the limit physically and mentally.

I am enthused witnessing a group of young men getting up early while their classmates sleep in, sweating together, pushing each other, encouraging one another to do more than they think they can, and the camaraderie that is being built. Endurance is growing. Strength is increasing. Muscles are bulging. Tenacity is triumphing.

The Iron Indians are a cohesive group. I love it when they cheer each other on. I find it irresistible it when we finish a workout exhausted but inwardly fulfilled and with more respect for one another. I cherish it when I hear high school students encouraging the younger guys in junior high. I really get thrilled when I hear a student give a morning challenge from the scriptures. It is worth getting up early and pushing our bodies to the limits of both our mental and physical strength.

If the church of Jesus Christ could ever come together and work like the Iron Indians only God knows the impact that would follow? If the church would rise early to pray what would happen? If the church would come together to boldly declare Christ how many would be saved? If the church would attempt more than they have ever attempted before in faith how mighty would God move? If God’s church took the mandate to preach Christ to the nations how many would go and stay for the glory of God?

I love the Iron Indians. They are pushing me to be a better man, husband, father, friend, and pastor. I love being challenged with my boys by my side and watching them fight through pain to complete the task. We leave each morning fatigued but closer for what we have experienced together. A bond is being forged among those young and old men. A small fraternity of brothers is developing. The Iron Indians Fraternity. I cannot wait to see the end results on the athletic field as these young perform at peak levels. I also long to see the way these young men stick together through adversity. I’m also talking about adult men as well as young athletes. We must push each other when life gets tough and cheer one another on to the finish line.

More importantly I want to labor just as diligently for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. I want to see the church baptize more than ever before. I long to see brothers and sisters in Christ rally around one another in the tough times and cheer them through to victory. I hope to see a cohesive unit undeterred by challenges in taking the gospel to the streets of Seminole (or wherever you live) as well as to the streets around the world. I trust God to see His church strengthened, toughened, and united around His purposes. I hope to see the pews packed with devoted lovers of God who do not grow weary in sitting at His feet in adoration and admiration.

To the band of brothers known as the Iron Indians I salute you. Your examples and work ethic are inspiring to this middle aged man. Your never say quit attitude challenges me to not quit in my labors for Christ. May God use you all to impact your fellow students and the adults around Seminole and the world. Now my challenge to each of you men is to be an Iron Indian for Jesus Christ and to the glory of His name. Not to us but to Him be all honor and glory.

Out of Place

I pulled up to the old familiar place and parked my truck. I stepped out into the beautiful spring day and began walking down the dusty lane to my final destination. As soon as opened my truck door, I could tell I had dozens of eyes focused on my every move. I tried to walk with confidence ignoring the suspicious gazes being directed toward me.

Before long I locked eyes on a friendly face that was walking in my direction with a broad smile. We shook hands and went over some final details for the event that had brought us all together. Next, I was introduced to some key people. Though I was no stranger to our meeting place I did feel strangely out of place. Other than the friendly face I afore mentioned and his wife, I did not know anyone else.

When people know you are a preacher they tend to treat you a little differently. They do not understand men of the cloth. Many people think preachers are kind of weird, mystical, and holy. People who do not normally associate with preachers are stand offish, reserved, and often resentful for what the preacher stands for. It was light and darkness today.

On this occasion everyone knew I was the preacher. It was awkward. I was invited to attend but it was pretty obvious I was an intruder. My attendance and whom I represent contrasted starkly with the other participants. I may have been invited but that did not mean I was wanted nor welcomed.

The occasion that brought us all together was a funeral if you had not guessed it before now. The family of the deceased was from Odessa but they were burying a husband, father, and brother in Seminole. A preacher was needed for a graveside service and I guess they did not have one. The funeral directors recommended me. They just wanted a few scriptures and a prayer. My convictions would not allow me to take a pass on presenting the gospel to those who needed to hear it but may not have wanted to hear it.

Broken hearted I saw the sobbing widow and wondered where her hope could be found. If she is not saved (only God knows for sure) there is no hope other than to cling to Jesus and cry out for His salvation. I watched the people’s reaction during the music. One guy backed away from the tent and lit up a cigarette. Two others began a full-blown conversation complete with jokes and laughter in the middle of service. This took place while the service was still going on. Others milled around other tombstones disinterested in anything God or I had to say.

Even in that dark moment God confirmed His presence. While the only Christian song, “Amazing Grace”, was being sung, I saw a man and his wife singing along softly. I doubt if any of the other family or friends knew the words to that anthem of the faith. That couple’s countenance looked different than those others in the family. Many of the attendees looked like a fish out of water being around death, the scriptures, preachers and songs like “Amazing Grace”.

The truth was preached. People were told how to get to Heaven and the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ. The more I think about it I know preaching that funeral proved to be divinely appointed by God. Didn’t Jesus show up around irreligious people in order to speak divine truth to them? My attendance at that funeral reminds me of my calling and my desire to be a community pastor. I belonged. God’s mission for me today called for me to minister the hope of salvation to a group who did not appear to have ever experienced it. Today I did not stand out of place over that open grave. That was the exact spot in this universe God appointed me to be. Next to the casket draped with the American flag I pointed people to Jesus and the hope of Heaven. The results are up to God. That is my mission, my calling, and my eternal purpose. I will gladly stand in my place in the pulpit, next to the grave, next to the hospital bed, and wherever God gives me chance to witness for Him. If I am doing that I am never out of place.

God’s Reminder

I enjoyed serving our Senior Adults at their annual banquet this past Thursday. The deacons and staff waited on tables while those seasoned saints enjoyed an evening of good food and a night of entertainment. We all took pleasure in a great evening.

Earlier in the week the Lord spoke a very profound message to me personally. It was the kind of experience that once it was over I found myself questioning whether I really heard from the Lord. The message was very personal, precise, and it contained a wonderful promise. I have missed knowing I have heard from the Lord more times than I can count. I am more cautious these days thinking I have really heard a word from the Lord.

After that profound encounter with the God I began asking for confirmation concerning the message. I never expected that it would come at the Senior Adult banquet but it came in two forms. First, the speaker made a passing comment that God meant for me. Few probably caught it but that comment arrested my attention. It was the exact thing He spoken to me on multiple occasions earlier in the week. I might have even dismissed the comment if what happened at the end of the evening would not have taken place.

We were busy cleaning up after the banquet when one of the deacons walked over to the glass door to look outside. It rained and drizzled all that day. By the time the banquet ended the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds and a radiant and gorgeous rainbow had formed right over the courthouse. Every color was brightly and vividly displayed. I have never seen a more clear and fully formed rainbow at such close proximity before. Of course I thought of God and his promise to never destroy the earth by flood again, but the longer I looked I began wondering if God was gently reminding me what I had heard earlier in the week and just moments before in the banquet had originated from his heart and mind. The rainbow reminded me that God does speak and what He promises He will do comes to reality.

I stood mesmerized by the sight of the rainbow for several minutes. Others surrounded me but they did not know I was enjoying one of those special God moments that becomes a spiritual marker. My heart lapped up the experience like a thirsty animal lapping up water from a brook. I wanted to remember who I was standing by, what I was thinking and experiencing, and where I physically standing to imprint this experience on my heart and mind.

I’m grateful that God continually reminds of His promises whether it come in a rainbow, a song, a comment, a scripture, or even some circumstance. His reminders are often subtle and can be easily missed if you are not sensitive and seeking. It just so happens that my spiritual senses are on full alert wanting to hear from Him.

We are told in Jeremiah 29:13 that we will find the Lord when we search for Him with all our heart. In my vigilant efforts to seek Him I rejoice that He is allowing me to find Him. He is allowing me to be continually reminded of His promise and equally important His presence.

Lord, thank you for your gentle reminders. Day in and day out you are always there to remind us you are with us. You also remind us that you are the original promise keeper. I rest assured you will never leave me or forsake me. I rest in the glorious truth that when I commit my way to you, you will direct my paths and do it. Thank you for your reminders.