By Andrew Lang
As 2023 draws to a close, I am amazed at how I’ve seen God at work through our staff and associate team this year. It has been such an encouraging journey, and I am looking forward to what God will do in this coming year. Since reflecting and celebrating is such a major theme in the Bible I thought it would be fitting to talk about some exciting things we’ve seen God do through us and what we are planning for the future.
Here’s what we are excited about:
- VBS started back up with a team going to Pikangikum.
- We hired Rodney Martin for the position of Public Relations Director.
- Thanks to Rodney’s efforts we are growing our partnerships and expanding to new communities
- Stuart and Delores came back after their sabbatical and are doing an amazing job in their new role as Member Care Coordinators.
- We have seen leadership developed at the Lighthouse Church in Sault Ste. Marie. People have stepped up to help with preaching and teaching.
- Sudbury First Nations Church sold their building and is engaging with new people since moving their services to a partner church in Sudbury. They are geographically closer to their congregation and don’t have to worry about the maintenance and upkeep that had been diverting focus.
- We ran our first post-pandemic Akwachink Leadership School with Rosedale Bible College, and are expanding our outdoor education programming for First Nations communities.
- We held the first Kingdom Builders conferences in the fall and are looking forward to running more of them in the future.
- Connections are being made with people who are interested in working for LHNM, including in remote communities.
- There has been a strong move of indigenous believers in Pikangikum meeting together and discipling each other.
- We’ve seen many community members in our network make decisions to commit to following Jesus, and some have made decisions to be baptized!
I would invite you to pray over these things, and petition God that he would do a mighty work amongst First Nations believers. I’d love to talk with you more about what’s going on. Thank you for supporting the work here through prayers and finances. I hope you are encouraged by this list; it’s a small example of what God is doing through you and your support of LHNM.
