"Do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." Although gradual it is inevitable. Even though I join countless others, who over the centuries, have fought valiantly against this relentless foe. There is no denying the slow and steady approach of my end. From the first nanosecond of life I have begun to die. As a friend and mentor likes to say: 'the death rate still hovers right around 100%!' So true indeed. The end of my life, like that of my father and his father, on this planet is heading my way. If I pay attention and am honest with myself I will admit this truth. With this rather harsh and sad truth out in the open I can also gain strength and hope from another truth at work deep within my soul; I am being renewed day by day. With every breath that I take the Holy Spirit is changing me from the inside out. Transforming my soul, aligning my heart, renewing my mind, setting my course on eternity. Preparing me for an 'ever and ever' before the King. Readying me to join the great cloud of witnesses standing before the throne declaring the greatness and majesty of God. Therefore, and I mean therefore, I do not lose heart. This life is but a rehearsal for the real life yet to come! Father in Heaven, Thank You for this life I am living here and now. Help me care for this body and steward every muscle, bone, tendon and cell for Your glory and purpose. And, may I not lose heart as I submit to Your wondrous, mysterious and eternal renewal. Amen

We're preparing RIGHT NOW for YOU to join us this weekend in one of our services! We can't wait to worship together! If you can't join us in house, join us on the livestream here! http://www.trinitychurchkelowna.ca/livestream/ 5:30pm Saturday 10:00am Sunday

Last weekend in our Resilient Life series, Scott spoke on what it means to take steps in repairing your past. Watch the entire service here: https://vimeo.com/227659006

Last weekend in our service titled Repairing Your Past, Brenda and the band performed "Fix You". Give it a listen! Watch the rest of the service here: https://vimeo.com/trinitychurchkelowna

The Art of Considering I was in my usual rush down Dilworth Mountain, my mind a thousand kilometers away, when a situation in front of me startled me back to reality. A car was stopped almost in the middle of the road and four people were standing beside it. My first thought was, “Oh no, I hope no one is hurt.” I just assumed there’d been an accident. As I got closer I realized that there had been no accident but that these folk were tourists and had stopped to take pictures of both the deer grazing beside the road and of the amazing lake view. Under my breath I muttered an un-pastoral phrase, inched my way past them and carried on hurriedly down the hill. It was several hours later in the day when God caught up to me. To be clear, the theology of that statement is a bit off, but I think you know what I mean. One rarely encounters God meaningfully when living at breakneck speed. It was as if God was saying to me, “Tim, do you remember when the beauty of My creation used to fascinate you?” Unfortunately I needed to go a considerable ways back in time to remember. It coincided with a time in my life when we had small children who were amazed at every dandelion or butterfly. They forced me to slow down and see the beauty. The next question was, “How did I ever lose that? What was my hurry in the first place?” The truth was that I wasn’t late. Hurry had simply become a habit. The experience drove me back to one word found over and over in the Bible. It is the word, “consider.” We are called to do a lot of considering. We are to consider that the Lord God is in heaven above and on the earth below. We are to consider generations long past and what their experience has to teach us In 1 Samuel 24 we are called to consider what God has done for us in the past. The 8th Psalm is one of the most famous when the author cried out, “When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, where does humankind fit?” The wisdom writer in the Proverbs encourages us to consider the ant and how diligently it works. Jesus told us to consider the lilies and the birds, and to learn about God’s care from them. And the writer to the Hebrews instructed us to “Consider Jesus” and all He endured. The long and short of it is that our lives are significantly enhanced when lived with consideration. The exercise caused me to wonder how much I was missing by skimming past life at 100 km/hr. I don’t recommend stopping in the middle of the road to take pictures of the deer. Chances are you’ll be at risk because of guys like me rushing by. However I do have a piece of advice for myself and for any who care to accept it. Intentionally place several “consideration moments” in your day. Moments in which you allow God to catch up and bring insight and learning to you that can never be learned at top speed. Pastor Tim Schroeder Reprinted with permission: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca

REACH OUT! Recently, our son and our daughter-in-law were here from the coast including our young grandson. Part of the reason for their visit was to give Ryan and Lacey the gift of time away from numerous responsibilities…so away they went…and grandma and grandpa took over Clark’s care. If you look up “busy” in the dictionary I am sure that you will see our grandson’s picture there. While his parents were away, Eve and I played, sang, read books, took walks, picked flowers and did all of the usual things you do with and for toddlers. If you looked up “tired” in the dictionary that day, there was probably a picture of Eve and me there. One afternoon we stopped by Hardwick Park in Glenmore so that our little guy could play. While there we met a mom with two kids who had recently moved to Kelowna and was looking for ways and places to connect as a family. In the course of our conversation we mentioned that Trinity had a great AdventureLand for youngsters and that her kids would probably love it. The woman drank in all of the information that we shared and thanked us profusely for talking with her and sharing such helpful information. Little did we know that in the process of looking after our grandson that we would make a good connection with another parent. As we walked away, Eve and I acknowledged how open this woman was to input from us…even though we were total strangers. So…never be shy or afraid to reach out to people and invite them to Trinity…whether it is for them or for kids. Youngsters can often be the open door to church. If you haven’t been to a playground recently, try it…you’ll like it. God does His Special Work there as well. - Brian Carlson

Please join us this weekend on campus or online as we continue the series "RESILIENT LIFE" - In Part 4, Scott Lanigan will teach: "Repairing Your Past" - Saturday evening at 5:30 PM, Sunday morning at 10:00 AM ONLY! Bring Your Bible!

"He Who Promised is Faithful." Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Far too often I break my word. I make a vow or promise of some kind and then fail to keep it. I commit to a new or better path for myself and then slip back into old destructive patterns. I shake hands with another in broad daylight and then drift away from the agreement before the sun sets. Failing to keep promises is harmful to ourselves and others. Unfaithfulness breeds distrust. Unfaithfulness dims hope. Unfaithfulness weakens faith. Thankfully there is One who is always faithful. One who keeps every promise He makes. One who remains unchanging in character. One who is all powerful, all knowing and ever present. One who is truly worthy of praise. One God in three; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To this One I place all of my hope. To this One I reach out and grasp with all of my strength. To this One who will never let me go I cling. This is the One I profess as above, before and beyond all. The faithful One. Father in Heaven, You are the great promise maker and covenant keeper. You are ever faithful and true. You are the hope in any trouble. You are the worthy of all praise, adoration and honour. You are my God and I profess Your Holy Name. Strengthen my faith in You. Remove my unbelief and help me to stand upon Your never failing promises. Amen

Last weekend in our service, Pastor Tim spoke on what it means to understand your calling. Watch the full service here: https://vimeo.com/226648547

Last weekend, we sang this song together! Give it a listen! Watch the full service here: https://vimeo.com/226648547

PLEASE HELP. We need a VOLUNTEER for Fall Global Leadership Summit Team. We need a REGISTRATION COORDINATOR who will enjoy the challenge of being responsible for ensuring smooth registration and check-in of attendees. This person will use the event registration system to help people register before the event, and will setup, train and implement the on-site check-in for the duration of the conference. This role requires a leader who is comfortable with technology and the use of laptops, iPads and smartphone apps. For more details regarding this commitment please call Tom Loewen at 250-258-0555 or email tom.loewen@outlook.com.

Christmas In July On the morning of a Christmas Eve several years ago my son and I went for a run in East Kelowna. I called it my “make room for turkey run.” On a deserted stretch of road I heard a vehicle approaching from behind so we moved over to let it pass. Instead of passing us it slowed down, then pulled even with us and finally stopped. Based on experience I assumed it would be somebody looking for directions. When people see you running in a neighbourhood they automatically assume you know the area, which is not always a safe assumption. Rather than ask for directions, however, the driver put down his window, handed me a couple lotto tickets, said, “Merry Christmas,” and took off leaving me with my jaw hanging open. Scratching the tickets later at home I discovered I’d won $500. Actually I didn’t, I’m just messing with you, but that would sure make a great story wouldn’t it? The preacher winning the lottery! You would have thought it was rigged! Years have passed and I occasionally still reflect on that experience. To the best of my knowledge the man in the truck didn’t know me and he certainly didn’t know I would be running around East Kelowna that morning. Rather, he was driving around just looking for someone to bless and I happened to be the target. What a concept! When I was a kid growing up in church there was an old hymn we used to sing. I haven’t sung it or thought about it in decades but in a heartbeat out in East Kelowna it came rushing back to me. It was a prayer that someone set to music. It went like this: “Out in the highways and byways of life many are weary and sad. Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, making the sorrowing glad. Make me a blessing. Make me a blessing. Out of my life may Jesus shine. Make me a blessing O Saviour I pray. Make me a blessing to someone today.” I doubt that old hymn will make a comeback any time soon, but I’ve got much brighter hopes for the concept behind it. What would it take, next time you and a group of your friends are wondering what activity to engage in for the evening, the purpose to make it a “blessing evening?” Get together for coffee and creatively dream and scheme how you might bless someone and then go out and do it. What would it take for you to name one day each week as “blessing day” and go through the day looking for someone to bless in a meaningful way? What would it take to stock your vehicle with some small instrument of blessing, be it a nutrition bar, a Timmy’s gift card or some other expression of kindness, and then drive prepared to bless someone? How about buying a dozen roses and finding a dozen elderly ladies in a senior’s complex and blessing them. It may have been years since anyone gave them a rose. I recently did some study on the life of St. Paul and noticed how often the arrows of his life were pointed outward toward others rather than inward to his own self-interest. He had a blessing mindset! Most parents are deeply gratified when they notice their little ones learning to share. It is a mark of maturity to shift from a mindset of “mine” to one focused on others. Imagine how our Heavenly Father would smile if He noticed a whole community moving through life seeking to be a blessing to others. I know it’s July, but Merry Christmas anyway. Pastor Tim Schroeder Reprinted with permission: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca