One of the greatest gifts of the Presbyterian church in Canada is the promise that we are never called to undertake ministry by ourselves, for not only are we given the gift of the Spirit to guide us in our shared ministry, we have also been blessed with the many people that God’s Spirit brings into our life to support us, to challenge us, to pray for us and to pick us up when we stumble.
I got to experience this gift first hand this past spring when I felt the support of my brothers and sisters in ministry as the flames almost destroyed the city that I had called my home for the past eight years. I am currently serving at Paulin Memorial Presbyterian Church in Windsor, but until June 15th I was the minister at Fort McMurray, which meant that I was part of that great evacuation. I had to deal with the fear and uncertainty of what might or might not be waiting for me when the fires burned out, while trying to minister to a congregation in exile spread out between two different cities.
It would be lying to say that was an easy time for me. But what got me through the fire and the month of waiting was the constant reminder that I was not alone. That, and all the polity lessons that were drilled into me during my time at PC! For, surprisingly, when you’re short on sleep and not sure of the next step to take during an emergency, it helps a lot to remember how our church operates. It not only reminds us of the truth that we are not alone, it also helps us to find the help and support we need when the storms of life come crashing down on us.
Within moments of contacting the national offices, my phone, email and Facebook were flooded with messages of support and prayers, along with offers of places to stay and even help with rebuilding what the flames might have destroyed. Many of those messages came from those within our Presbyterian College family, as people were willing to give all they could to support me during those hard times. I am grateful for every prayer and every message of support and encouragement. It meant the world to me to be reminded that I was not alone. That is why I agreed to serve as president of our Alumni Association so that I, in turn, could pay this blessing forward, and so that together we could strengthen our bonds of fellowship, find new ways to stay connected, support one another and share our ministry.
For none of us have been called to do this job alone, but to work together as a family of faith and, with God’s help, to create something new. To build up this fellowship, I have created a new Facebook page called The Presbyterian College alumni page, and I invite all of you to join. I pray that it will become a great tool for us to share our resources and ideas so that we can inspire each other, pray for one another, share our problems and joys and celebrate together as one family of faith. So, I hope that I will see you all online soon, and remember that you are never alone.
Blessings,
Lisa Aide