Apr 23, 2013
Apr 18, 2013
ANVIL - Ministry for Men, 2012 Report
ANVIL Ministry for Men saw continued growth and maturity in 2012. ANVIL leadership continued to be broadened,
as various areas of service or "portfolios" continued to be delegated. These areas included; Prayer, Resources, Fellowship, Service and
Discipleship. As more men participated
in leading our group, we enjoyed
consequent growth throughout the year. A
strong effort was made to increase awareness of and continually invite men to
ANVIL events through regular online email and newsletters.
ANVIL men found many ways to serve during 2012, as we identified needs
within our sphere of influence and sought to bring relief. We conducted a Christmas Food Drive,
ministered with grocery hampers, and sometimes cash to designated needy families.
Help was given to people during their big house-move and we ran the
BBQ's for the church parking lot picnics.
Increasingly, ANVIL men pair up to visit various homes to offer prayer
for the sick and shut-ins. The Ft.
Albany, (Northern Ontario) missions trip was a highlight for many of our
members. Under Rev. Tom Quinn's guidance
from our PAOC SW Ontario district office, we were able to participate in the
Ft. Albany church-building restoration as well as bring encouragement to this
First Nations community.
Fellowship and
friendship continues to be a vital aspect for men within ANVIL. New friendships
are created, bonds are strengthened and "iron
sharpens iron" as we grow and learn from each other, building genuine
brotherly relationships. To this end, a
number of events during the year have become mainstays of the ANVIL
experience. This occurred again this
year with a pigroast, a lobster cook-off and the near-famous 4th Annual
Christmas Garage party being held, to mention a few. Frequently,
with each fellowship event, we discover a number of new people who show
interest in joining our group while attending an ANVIL function. In response, our leadership commits to a
"no-man-left-behind" attitude to all men seeking fellowship and offer
assistance where help is needed in their lives.
In a similar
fashion, the annual Kapikog Lake retreat was held with a refreshing time of
bonding, teaching, worship and prayer in
a camping and outdoor setting. Fathers
were mentored through a PK Fatherhood Seminar and the local area
PromiseKeeper's "Alive" Conference was well attended by our group in
the fall. Also in the fall, we supported the Movember prostate cancer research
campaign. Many ANVIL men contributed
financially to the Teen Challenge "Freedom Ride" event, which saw participation
from ANVIL members.
One noteworthy
discipleship program was a study based on the movie "Courageous",
which looked at the lives of Christian men impacting their world for Christ. Often
Thursday evening round-table discussions led men to vocalize areas of struggle
where other members could respond, offering wisdom and practical help, while
talking the matter out. Other times of study and discussion enabled
men to discover their spiritual gifting.
Special speakers in 2012 included Rev. John Howson (Winnipeg) and Aris Metaxukis
(Peterborough). Both men challenged our
ANVIL men through their inspiring messages.
No weekly ANVIL meeting is complete without a time of closing prayer
where we offer prayer cover for our church, it's leadership and the many needy people in our community. ANVIL men pray with a passionate expectation
that God hears and will respond to our call!
Looking ahead to 2013, we have focused on outreach to our
community, developing the prayer lives of men and continuing growth through
discipleship in our never-ending quest to be "more like our Master". We anticipate that God will cause his will to
be done through the hearts, hands and minds of ANVIL men as we live out our
faith in practical and exciting ways.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mark Howson
Mar 28, 2013
The "Rookie" and "Pro" Ways To Approach The Bible - Patrick Morley
The "rookie" mistake is to simply "read" the Bible as a revered wisdom book full of tips on how to be "happy, healthy, and wealthy." I know that's what I did! I had big plans for my life when I became a Christian, so I read the Bible for tips on how to be more successful. I even once pledged to tithe a certain amount to obligate God to bless me with the income to support it. He clobbered me for that one! For over a decade I tried to change God. Finally, the Bible helped me understand something: God wanted to change me. That's when I started to read the Bible every day.
The "pro" way to approach the Bible is to "immerse" ourselves in it as the living word of God. It's to let His Holy Spirit speak to, commune with, convict, correct, direct, encourage, challenge, and inspire us. It's to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). It's to "be there" as Moses speaks on the shore of the Jordan, explaining that it's not because we are good but because the people of Canaan are wicked that God is giving us this land--and to feel pierced. It's to grasp that I sent Jesus to the Cross. It's to revel in His Easter. It's to feel the weight of His holiness. It's to be drawn into a life of worship. It's to realize that God alone is worthy of all our praise, glory, and honor. It's to progressively find ourselves in the place where David found himself: "Passion for your house has consumed me" (Psalm 69:9).
Mar 11, 2013
Obituary: Fred Howson
It
is with sadness that I want to inform my ANVIL friends of the passing of
my mentor, friend and father, Fred Howson.
Fred peacefully passed into the arms of Jesus this morning in Georgetown
Hospital at 5am after a brief illness. He
was surrounded by all his immediate family. He was just under 4 months to his
90th birthday on July 7th.
It seemed like Dad was the #1 ANVIL enthusiast since joining us in
September after his move from Winnipeg, and he just loved to be with his ANVIL
brothers, "those Godly men" as he put it, worshipping, praying and
singing of his Saviour in his place beside me on Thursday nights, (including
this past Thursday). I want to publicly thank all the men who have stood
with me in prayer for him so faithfully over the past year, however today was
his homecoming !
Dad has left me with a rich heritage, and his legacy and
pioneering spirit will live on in my heart and the hearts of so many he touched
with his life. His is a life that was lived for his Saviour and
selflessly for many other people that he poured his life into in over 60 years
as a pastor and a pioneer church-planter. Dad graduated from OPBC in
1944. His pastorates included, Bancroft, Ont., Arkona,
Ont., Magnetewan, Ont., Burkes Falls, Ont., Lac du Bonnet, Mb, Rossburn, Mb,
Altamont, Mb, Madsen, Ont., Manitouwadge, Ont., Amherstburg,
Ont.,Wiseton, Sk, Saskatoon, Sk.. While many of you have only recently met him, he was a
soldier!
God gifted him with a servant's heart. He was gentle,
faithful, had a willing spirit and a cheerful heart. He was a soldier!
He is survived by his wife Alma, sons Mark (Andrea) and Charles, grandchildren,
Leigha, Ryan, Danae, Joshua and Jeffrey.
Funeral Services were held on Thursday, March 14, 2013, 3pm at
Georgetown Christian Fellowship, Georgetown Ontario, 905-873-9652.
Here is a video of the funeral: Harold Frederick Howson Funeral - March 2013
Here is a video of the funeral: Harold Frederick Howson Funeral - March 2013
With love and gratitude, Mark
I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7
Mar 7, 2013
The Toughest Job On Earth
The Toughest Job on Earth - Rev. Paul Cassidy (Click for Audio)
Rev. Paul Cassidy pastors in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a gifted communicator who believes that theology is best preached with passion and relevance. He is married to the love of his life, Judy and they have three grown children.
____________________________________________________
Colossians 3:18-25
Family Relations
18Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.20Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.21Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
22Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.23Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.25For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
Hebrews 12
God Disciplines His Sons
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”a
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13“Make level paths for your feet,”b so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
11like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them on its pinions.
Mar 6, 2013
A Marriage Oiled by Grace
A Marriage Oiled by Grace (Pt 1 of 3) - Chuck Swindoll
A Marriage Oiled by Grace (Pt 2 of 3) - Chuck Swindoll
A Marriage Oiled by Grace (Pt 3 of 3) - Chuck Swindoll
From his series on "The Grace Awakening", Chuck Swindoll talks about marriage.
No study on the subject of grace would be complete without addressing its importance in the home, especially between marriage partners. We have spent considerable time examining God’s grace in His offering salvation to those who are lost, spiritually dead, and unable to do anything to earn divine acceptance. We’ve called that “vertical grace.” We have also searched Scripture for insight in the realm of “horizontal grace,” our attitude toward and treatment of one another. But we have not specifically considered the essential value of grace in the husband-wife relationship. As we shall see in this lesson, grace is the oil that decreases domestic friction, the one ingredient that prompts us to release our partners to be all God would have them be, all the while affirming one another in an atmosphere of unconditional love.
Feb 24, 2013
Why Are We Still Talking About Jesus?
The Big Idea:
- My WORST day with Jesus has been infinitely better than my BEST day without Him ! (by Patrick Morley) Based on ... Luke 18:31
Feb 22, 2013
MAN ALIVE Study Starts @ ANVIL Ministry for Men
Feb 21/2013 - Here is the view from both sides of the table as we begin an introduction to an exciting new series on Men's Discipleship, by Patrick Morley (At GCF's ANVIL Ministry for Men). On Feb 28th/2013, we begin Chapter 1 - There's still time for you to join us.
For the duration of this 6-week series, the evening's time management will be:
___________________________________________________________
6:45 to 7pm - fellowship time
7:00pm to 7:15pm - all group together opening
7:15pm - 8:15pm - group sessions (including DVD presentation)
8:15pm -8:30pm -prayer with all groups together for prayer
___________________________________________________________
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)