Led by Pastor Chris Holland, the Impact Winnipeg Health Training Weekend was held October 19-22. During the four-day event, church members were equipped to meet the needs of Winnipeggers through health ministry and health outreach.
On opening night, Pastor Holland taught us how to reach out to former and missing members. It doesn’t take much for someone to stop attending church. For some, it’s as simple as being absent for three consecutive weeks, which can develop into a habit of not attending. The information and facts Pastor Holland provided show that the former and missing member demographic is higher than we realize, yet it’s sometimes overlooked. We must be lovingly sensitive when reaching out.
We had a time of worship on Friday evening, as Pastor Holland reminded us of how valuable we all are to God’s mission. We all have a role of some kind in finishing God’s work here in Winnipeg. The other members of the weekend training team were introduced, which included Darlene Blaney, David Fiedler, Gina Guiboche and Karen Hamilton.
A number of workshops were presented on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning with sessions on:
- Health Coaching, Spiritual Care & Follow-up
- Forgive to Live
- Reaching out to the First Nations Community
- Medical Missionary Work
- Reaching the New Minority
- Programs & Resources for Reaching Your Community
- Health Expo Training
The workshops were based on Jesus’ method of reaching people. He mingled with them and met their needs. Often, the most immediate need was for some sort of healing. This is still true today. Through the Holy Spirit, we have access to the same power that Jesus had. This Health Training Weekend taught us how to be kind towards the feelings and apprehensions people may have that overshadow their need.
Impact Winnipeg 2018 is adding a new dimension to evangelism. In addition to sharing Biblical truth, we want to actively love like Jesus. While many will learn about Jesus through His Word, many more will be impacted by experiencing Him through our actions.
