30th July
2008
Before going into ministry, Wendy worked in the areas of sales, sales management and marketing. Her background has now translated itself into “gentle evangelism” which she loves to share with others. This theme of “gentle evangelism” is common to all her workshops.
Wendy has served in 2 rural parishes and is currently serving in the rural yet slightly urban thinking parish of St. James in Caledon East. By instilling her strong belief in the power of the hospitality of the kingdom of God into the hearts and minds of the people in the congregations, and the power of God working in them and through them, churches have grown significantly.
Workshops offered by Wendy
- Hospitality of the Kingdom of God Today: in this workshop we take an in-depth look at hospitality as it is presented to us in Holy Scripture and then we establish ways in which this hospitality may become a part of the DNA of our congregations. Hospitality of the Kingdom is absolutely essential, it defines who we are as Christians, therefore we must ensure that we do it very well. (5 hours)
- Mobilizing Laity: sometimes it seems that it is always the same people doing all the work in our churches, yet we know how important it is to encourage one another in the work of our Lord. This workshop will allow us to explore a variety of ways in which to encourage, equip and enable others to become involved. (5 hours)
- Your Community and the Sending Out? This workshop gives us an opportunity to think about what it means to be a community in Christ. Even though we may be a perfectly good community it is always good and healthy to check in and make sure that we are on track with God’s plan for us and for who we are as His community. The sending out section allows us to look at the humbling reality that we are all sent out in Jesus’ name. What does that mean, and how does that work in your community? (can be done in 3 hours)
- Rural Realities: Church life within a rural setting presents some unique opportunities and challenges. In this workshop we consider all aspects of the rural church. We look to scripture for insight and revelation. Jesus did most of his ministry in rural settings and small towns. We develop a base of ideas with which to move forward. (can be done in 3 hours)
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As a retired honourary assistant at my church, and as diocesan chaplain for ACW, I would like to read articles and/or books about the ministry of hospitality, especially among seniors: suggestions for initiating occasions and instituting small groups (not necessarily Bible Study) in homes in communities where there is very little visiting and “dropping in” currently taking place. Suggestions?
Thank you for your questions concerning the Hospitality of the Kingdom. I actually have found very few books on the topic of the hospitality of the Kingdom of God.
Most of my teaching is based on accounts from the New Testament. I would be happy to send you a list of the passages that I have used. I have found that these passages are wonderfully informative and bring on quite a bit of discussion and profound learning around the hospitality of Jesus.
I have also found some articles on the web that have provided some food for thought. I have just by keyed in Hospitality of the Kingdom of God.
There is one book that I have only just begun to look at which is by Betty Friedman, The Fountain of Age, 1993. A quick glance suggests to me that it could give some very good insights for our older groups in the church. This along with the scripture could take you into some very interesting aspects of ministry. I remember trying about 4 years ago to find some good pastoral information on ageing with grace and wasn’t very successful. You could try Margaret Gunther’s “Toward Holy Ground.”
Hospitality amongst seniors that has worked would include things like home/hospitality groups like book clubs, an opportunity for validation of faith understandings, a real issue for us right now is validation around a meaningful life, WW2 being a stumbling block for one Vet in particular, prayer groups praying for the needs of the parish and community, seniors having youth prayer partners, exercise classes for osteoporosis and other problems with aging, potlucks…
Whatever it is I believe the most important foundation of the group is understanding the hospitality of the kingdom and then extending this hopitality to one another.
Please let me know if any of this helps and if you would like the biblical passages that I use. I can be reached at St. James Caledon East.
rev_wendy@stjamescaledoneast.ca