Indiana Bound

I took a van load of our WOD campus leaders down to the Chai Alpha Great Lakes Regional Conference for campus ministers ( known as FORWARD). We haven’t been able to spend time together as a group, so this afforded a great opportunity for the leaders to get to know each other. Robin Wallar, the student leader for Lift Church and Joe Wahba, pastor of The Embassy at U of Waterloo left with me from my house and we picked up Tevor Gingerich ( Humber College Embassy ), Andrew Masters ( pastor, Lift Church), Aaron Mix-Ross ( emerging campus leader) and Rielly McLaren ( chaplain at St. Claire College ) on the way. When I heard them connecting and synergizing I knew that if it had just been for the van ride down to Indiana it was worth it. I had two modest goals for the weekend. Connecting and learning. I think we accomplished both.

Joe, Trevor , Robin, Andrew and Aaron : Waiting for Rielly in Windsor...

Our friends, Steve and Belkis Lehman were our hosts. We were quickly enveloped into the Chai Alpha fold and found we had both a lot to receive and a lot to share with our new friends. The worship times were great. Time was given for response and prayer ministry. People were touched and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. There was prophetic challenge and exhortation combined with vulnerability and openness.

Steve and Gabe Lehman

I taught a seminar on ‘Breaking the 30 Barrier’. In campus ministry, that is a real, albeit soft, numerical barrier. It is borne out by Chai Alpha’s own statistics. I took the time to talk about why we would bother talking about numbers. The point is that it is not about numbers but it is about growth. Healthy organisms grow and reproduce. Thirty is the size to which a campus ministry grows, beyond which the campus pastor is not able to minister personally to everybody. Although there are other reasons, it is an actual sociological barrier. There needs to be an equipping of students to carry the load.

Trevor represents Canada... :)

Trevor and Robin shared from their recent experiences. I could not have been prouder of them. They did a fantastic job of walking through the things they had to do in order to break that barrier in their own ministries. While I gave the general overview, they brought the meat and potatoes. I then finished by defining three basic barriers. External, Structural and Internal. Focusing on the last category, I asked the group about what things might be limiting them within themselves. It could be fear, apathy, lack of vision , unbelief or something else. I left it with asking them to search their own hearts with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.


Steve asked me to speak on things I learned through the loss of my son. On Sunday morning I shared on the Hope of Eternity and we shared in the communion table together. It was a very meaningful way to wrap up the conference.  We made new friends and saw God move.

Six Guys at the Five Guys ... 

The conference wrapped up and we journeyed back up to the True North strong and free.

Saskatoon: my boyhood home

I enjoyed the opportunity to visit the city of my boyhood, Saskatoon. After a creative series of flights to get there, I joined in with the spring district conference as a representative of the national office. Led by outgoing superintendent Dwight Schapansky ( who is a good guy even if he did go to the wrong high school) , it was like a family reunion, and I was privileged to see the election of John Drisner as the new District Superintendent.

GS David Wells leads prayer for the service of ordination.

I was there with a double purpose, because I also wanted to spend time at the University of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is the only district on our Fellowship that does not have a CMC campus ministry and I wanted to check out the university. In fact, when I was going to high school at Evan Hardy Collegiate, I worked part-time in the foodservices at the U of S, and was a frequent user of their weight room and football fields.

49 Lindsay Drive    My childhood home

The U of S is a beautiful, full sized university, nestled on the banks of the South Saskatchewan and a few blocks away from my grandparents' former home. It is , in and of itself, a small city. Indeed, if it were to be airlifted out of Saskatoon and dropped in the middle of the prairie, it would form Saskatchewan’s fifth largest city. Concurrent with the province’s economic rise, in no small part localized in Saskatoon, it is experiencing a massive building boom. It is bustling.

U of S Classroom

Further, it has a vibrant campus culture. Strolling through the Student Centre, it is clear that the Student Union USSU has a strong presence and an aggressive take on what could be described as a progressive cultural agenda. It is clear that the existing chaplaincy and church networks connected to the campus share this perspective. It is also clear that these networks are shells of what they once were and there is a need for both a revitalization and fresh input. It was a sad moment for me to visit the beautiful Anglican Chapel on the edge of campus, with soaring ceilings and gorgeous stained glass to find that it is now the Grad Student’s lounge. It is like seeing a Lamborghini used as a delivery vehicle.

Across the street.  It proves my point.

There are presently several solid Christian groups on campus. C4C and InterVarsity. There is also the CCO Catholic Campus Outreach which is on the evangelical wing of the Catholic Church.    While I always celebrate the good work these organizations do for Christ, it is also clear to me that there is a massive void and opportunity here at the U of S if we are going to even begin to reach this institution for Christ. I really believe that we can make a difference. With our C5 approach, we can serve the institution and reach men and women. To borrow the language of our Chai Alpha friends, it is about reaching, reconciling and transforming.

I would pray that the churches of this fine district would not be content with the status quo. The challenge is too big. The stakes are too high. There is an incredible opportunity here, if we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

The Gospel Coalition Conference. Chicago.

Karen and I had the privilege of taking in the GCC in Chicago, at the end of April. Quite simply, it exceeded my expectations. With speakers like.. Tim Keller, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll, D.A. Carson, James McDonald, Alister Begg and others, I knew it was going to be good. But it was better....

One of several panel discussions in the plenary sessions

Actually, the reason it was originally on our radar was the invitation of our recent friends, Nancy and David Guthrie. Nancy was speaking in a workshop about helping people through grief. They were the leaders of a retreat that Karen and I went to last year which helped us immensely.

The conference theme was finding and preaching Christ in the Old Testament. I have to tell you that as a preacher who has long wrestled with that very topic, this was simply great stuff - seeing the big boys go at it.  


Anyway, here were some of my concerns going in. Whenever a group defines themselves as orthodox over and against other groups, there is a certain danger of smugness and even a polemical spirit. Fortunately, there was little of that at this conference. Even though the GC figured prominently in the hubbub over Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins, it did not over emphasize the controversy. They held a special early morning session on it which was not only well attended but done with clarity and considerable grace.

The highlight? Well, it was Tim Keller. Beyond all of the hype and the fact that he is the new IT Man in evangelical/reformed circles, he struck me as a unique convergence of experience, personality, brilliance and gifting. The whole shebang. Who I want to be if I ever grow up. He is a pastor, leader, apologist, communicator, writer, biblical exegete and expositor all wrapped up in an absolutely enthralling package.

 Very few people can completely disarm my radar and built in skepticism. By skepticism, I mean that I delay the verdict. I want to check sources and make my own opinion thank you very much… Yet, I found as he spoke that I just had the sense that well.. if Tim said it , it is just so darn reasonable that it has got to be true. I guess that it flows from Credibility. He is genuine. So is his core message and the way he delivers it.

Mark Driscoll

Another highlight was hearing Mark Driscoll speak on the role of the Holy Spirit in ministry. Rolling through the book of Luke, he developed the Lucan theology of the Spirit in a way that reminded me of our own Roger Stronstadt who has argued long and well that Luke needs to be taken seriously as a theologian in his own right. While Driscoll gave some funny tweaks in the direction of pentecostals, he was powerfully affirming of the major sweep of charismatic spirituality when it is combined with biblical orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

Just one more. Matt Chandler, who is surviving a devastating bout with brain cancer was simply amazing. His words rang with truth and power, as he challenged the group to deal with eternity. A ridiculously gifted speaker, his words came with great weight as he spoke.

The Conference was at the McCormick Conference Centre near downtown. The word monstrous comes to mind. We had perhaps 6 to 7 thousand people at this conference, complete with hundreds of thousands of square feet of displays and extra breakout rooms. And we were simply squirreled away in one part of the complex. It was unbelievable.

experimenting with rss feed

la la la

Friday List and a second new bird!

Birds at West Campus for the week of May 23 to 27, 2011:

Wild Turkey
Canada Goose
Double-crested Cormorant
Herring Gull
Killdeer
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker

Eastern Wood Pewee, Contopus virens
Just this morning I was looking over our West Campus bird list and wondering what obvious species we had missed. This was one of them!! Out in the A-21 parking lot, I heard the classic "pee-o-wee?" and was delighted to find this phoebe-sized bird flycatching in the mid-day warmth.

list continues:
American Crow
Blue Jay
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
American Robin
Wood Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Grey Catbird
House Wren
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
European Starling

and a warbler sub-section:
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler, Wilsonia canadensis

Northern Cardinal
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Baltimore Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
House Sparrow

Only 38 species for the week, with many omissions - but I'm not complaining - two new ones for the list. I definitely missed Lynn's pair of eyes. I'm pretty sure there was another Rose-breasted Grosbeak, another Scarlet Tanager, a Great-crested Flycatcher and in all likelihood a Blackpoll Warbler. But all I heard were snippets of song, and I saw nothing. Maybe next week.

The warm weather we've been having is perfect for flycatchers, such as the Eastern Kingbird, the above-mentioned Great-crested, the Willow and maybe even a few more new to W.C.!

Drive-by Birding and a new Warbler

So Monday, another day of rain... at least we had a decent weekend for a change!

Since I had to run a quick off-campus errand at lunchtime, and it was raining, I filled in the hour with some on-campus drive-by birding-by-ear.
Here's my list, with annotations:

American Robin, many, singing, carrying food
Grey Catbird, skulking under ornamental bushes


catbird photo from Tuesday, when it was sunny out

Blue Jay, seen flying
Herring Gull, fly-over
House Sparrow, flew from nest box
Rock Pigeon, occupying the top of a utility pole
Northern Flicker, peering from nest cavity in Maple tree
House Wren, singing near nest boxes
Yellow Warbler, singing from brushy edges
Barn Swallows, flying to nest at E-29
American Goldfinch, singing only
Red-eyed Vireo, singing over near SW perimeter fence
Wild Turkey, two males, near fence
Warbling Vireo, singing near Ray's corner (where he set up the big malaise trap last summer)
Baltimore Oriole, singing in woods behind Vireo place
Mourning Dove, flew in to perch in dead standing tree
Song Sparrow, singing from "sparrow nook"
Black-capped Chickadees, both in sumac near their nest box
European Starling, flew over
Canada Goose, a half dozen, near facilities building

twenty species for a little drive-through birding tour - a fun way to spend twenty five minutes at lunchtime

TUESDAY
I decided not to create a new post for Tuesday - just stuck it on to the end of Monday...

Wow - what a change. From yesterday's gray chill to today's tropical humidity!
Birds to add after another noontime outing at West Campus:

Killdeer, hadn't heard or seen these guys in a while
Common Grackle, might be nesting nearby
Brown-headed Cowbird, around....
Double-crested Cormorant, small flock overhead
Northern Mockingbird, singing, and foraging in the A-21 parking lot
Magnolia Warbler, in the A-21 parking lot - never pass up a unfamiliar little chip- chip
Chipping Sparrow, same place, trilling not chipping ;-)
Black-throated Blue Warbler, heard him calling, and he came right in to my pishing - I tried a photo, not worth sharing, but here it is anyway!


Black-throated Blue Warbler, Dendroica caerulescens, at the farthest optical zoom of my little Canon point-and-shoot - and then assisted a bit more with Photoshop.

Red-bellied Woodpecker, calling from tall trees
Common Yellowthroat, a female came and perched on the chain-link fence to have a look at the two-legged pisher
American Redstart, heard quite nearby, but never saw
Wood Thrush, wow, nice to hear this guy calling again
Red-winged Blackbird, seen calling high in the treetops
Canada Warbler, Wilsonia canadensis (link to some great photos of this beauty)

The "Canada" was another example of Never pass up an unfamiliar song. I heard the song - no idea what it was, and searched the nearby bushes and had the briefest glimpse of the bird. Good thing I had seen one at home earlier in the spring - I knew the field marks. Bright yellow throat and breast, dark gray back and head, a bright white eyering, and a cool black necklace. Unique!

Another 14 species for a total of 34 in the first two days of the week - this glut of songbirds will not last, so we birders really get out to enjoy it while it does.

Bird list for May 16-20

Deep in the Connecticut rainforest at West Campus - complete with moss and lianas.

Bird list for the week:
Lynn is away on vacation in coastal California - so the list is shorter for the lack of her usual prolific observations! However Tom contributed many sightings from his outings with school groups this week.

1. Canada Goose
2. Wild Turkey
3. Red-tailed Hawk
4. Osprey
5. Double-crested Cormorant - skein of over sixty
6. Herring Gull
7. Mourning Dove
8. Rock Pigeon
9. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
10. Downy Woodpecker
11. Northern Flicker
12. American Crow
13. Blue Jay
14. American Robin
15. Grey Catbird
16. European Starling
17. Barn Swallow
18. Red-eyed Vireo
19. Warbling Vireo
20. Yellow-throated Vireo, Vireo flavifrons - new for West Campus! I saw two of these, in the woods along the SW perimeter fence, but quite far from each other. One was definitely a female carrying nesting material!
22. Black-capped Chickadee
23. Tufted Titmouse
24. Carolina Wren
25. House Wren
26. Yellow Warbler
27. Northern Parula
28. Common Yellowthroat
29. Ovenbird
30. Northern Cardinal
31. Song Sparrow
32. American Goldfinch
33. House Finch
34. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
35. Common Grackle
36. Brown-headed Cowbird
37. Baltimore Oriole
38. Scarlet Tanager
39. House Sparrow
40. and Chipping Sparrow

Seemed like the sun was out just for me at noon. The wet leaves dripped and sparkled, the ground was soft and damp underfoot, and apparently I surprised a few of our larger mammals.


Coyote parent with three pups. One is visible here. Two were blonde like the one in the photo, and the third was quite a dark brindled gray.

In addition to the coyotes, other mammals on my quiet lunchtime walk were a white-tailed deer who bounded off from quite nearby and several chipmunks and squirrels who scolded me from the safety of their hidey-holes.


This large mole was abandoned by something - maybe the coyote family?

Looks like my photo isn't good enough for a positive ID, but I'm going with Star-nosed mole, Condylura cristata, on the basis of the rather long tail. The other options for moles in Connecticut are Eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus, with a very short tail, and Hairy-tailed mole, Parascalops breweri, with a hairy tail shorter than this guy's.

Wow, you can really see my bird bias. Can't identify a mole when there are only three to choose from.
Hey - have a great weekend - maybe we'll get a little more sunshine.