Letter from the Executive Director September 2010

Dear friends,

I hope you had a summer to be grateful for.

I thank God for Dorothy Lake Camp. Family camp provided a good time of fellowship and learning around the theme of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: A Biblical Point of View. The junior camp for aboriginals was a time to share the faith through trying to be an incarnational presence and by proclamation of the word. It was a challenging week but also a week full of thanksgiving. We were especially blessed by new supporters of RF who came on staff this year. To share just one story --- there was a young boy, Jason (the name is changed), who was having serious difficulty co-operating with the camp staff and when we talked with him he shared that his seriously addicted mom was getting out of jail this week and he was concerned that she would be living with him and his grandparents. His father, who was a drug dealer, would also be moving in. It was touching to hear his tearful story and it broke my heart as we were moved to pray for him. I ask you to pray for him and his family as well as he returns with some of the other campers to often difficult situations. Ask Jesus to keep in Jason's mind his time at the camp where he knows people loved, respected and cared for him. Your donations to the Renewal Fellowship enable us to be present at camp and also help to provide the camp bursary that enables individuals like Jason to come to camp.

We are also happy to report that the Renewal Family Camp at Fintry Provincial Park in the Okanagan provided a warm time of fellowship in British Columbia for those attending.

We are moving ahead with the planning and final details for a Renewal Day in Durham ON, in November and a Men's Conference in Ancaster (near Hamilton ON). These events are both firsts for the host congregations who have never hosted a Renewal event before. We are also working at developing several new prayer groups across the country and all this takes funds to enable us to keep the networks in place. We are also planning a Pastors' Consultation at Crieff Hills, November 1-3. The theme will be: Blessed to be a Blessing and we will be hearing from at least two young ministers with exciting ministry outreaches into their community.

Finally, as I move towards retirement in the next year or so, I want to leave the Renewal Fellowship in a good financial position. In order to do this we have established the Legacy Fund, which will be used both as a cash flow reserve and as a new initiatives resource. This is so my successor and the Board can move ahead without the tensions caused by frequent financial shortages. While we have been thankful that we ran in the black this year up until the summer time we are now in a deficit position and we ask you to be generous in contributing to this ministry as much as the Lord enables. I know many of you value the important work we do and you must wonder why there aren't many more who give generously. In part I believe the truth is that we are the kind of ministry that is taken for granted until people experience the disappointments that happen when we are not there to encourage the work of renewal.

I am asking that you prayerfully send a generous gift to offset the current deficit and an additional gift designated to the Legacy Fund so that we can prepare for the future. I thank you for your prompt prayerful and material support.

Calvin Brown, Executive Director, The Renewal Fellowship within the PCC

Executive Director's Office: 5 Linda Drive, Cambridge, Ontario, N3C 3W5
Telephone and Fax: 519-651-2232. E-mail <cbbrown@bell.net>

To donate, send a cheque to the Renewal Fellowship office