I’m Gordon Brew, Creative Strategist here at CBM, and I work out of the Mississauga office.

In this weekly Prayerline, you have the opportunity to hear from staff around the world, each with their own set of challenges and concerns. So many projects and partners benefit from your faithfulness in prayer on their behalf. Since I am here in Canada, today’s requests are closer to home.

We were excited to be down in Moncton last month for Oasis and to see the installation of Renee MacVicar as Executive Minister. It was an exciting time for us to be with the CBAC. This comes on the heels of the CBOQ Annual Meeting in June, where we welcomed Leanne Friessen as the new Executive Minister for the CBOQ. These new leaders will play an important role alongside our other denominational leadership and CBM Executive Director, Jennifer Lau. Please pray that all the leaders across the country would lead with wisdom and that together they would build up our Canadian Baptist family in unity and with humility.

Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to work with the staff from each of our denominational partners as we have been creating new resources for the upcoming National Day for Truth & Reconciliation on September 30th. This shared effort by our national family is an important act of unity and public witness, as we remember and reflect on the devastation to individuals, families and communities caused by the policy of residential schools and the grievous legacy of harm. Would you be in prayer for the healing of the nation caused by the Indian Residential School Act. You can find this year’s resources at www.cbmin.org/nationalday/

Would you also be in prayer for my colleagues here at CBM? From the office here in Mississauga to those serving internationally, we are a close community that bears each other’s burdens, but for some, those challenges have become so very heavy. Over the last serval months, we have had a steady stream of tragic losses in the lives of colleagues and family. A number of staff and family members are navigating serious health concerns. All this weighs upon us. The last number of weeks has brought more discouraging news, from a terminal diagnosis to the sudden passing of one of our own board members. As we continue to turn our hearts to the one who is with us Emmanual – who else would we go to? Please hold our staff’s emotional health in your prayers as we walk by faith through this disorienting season.

We treasure your faithfulness to us in prayer. Thank you.

Please pray:

• Please pray for the leadership of our denominational partners across the country. Over the summer, two new executive ministers were installed: Leanne Freissen for the CBOQ and Renee MacVicar for the CBAC. May our Canadian Baptist family be strengthened by their appointment. Please pray for all the executive ministers and our Executive Director, Jennifer Lau, as they work together. May they know wisdom for these times and that they would be each other up, each serving alongside one another with grace and humility.
• Please pray that the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be another step along a path towards healing for all those individuals’ families and communities that were harmed by the institutions of the Indian Residential Schools. We pray for the survivors who struggle emotionally, physically, and spiritually due to the intergenerational trauma caused by these policies. Our national family has created this year’s resources, which can be found at www.cbmin.org/nationalday/
• Over the last several months, we have had a steady stream of tragic losses in the lives of colleagues’ families. Several staff and family members are navigating serious health concerns. All this weighs upon us. The last few weeks have brought more discouraging news, from a terminal diagnosis to the sudden passing of one of our board members.