Newsletters

It isn’t over til’ it’s over. We’ve all seen the videos of overconfident athletes and sports teams  celebrating a victory in the closing seconds of the match only to lose at the very last moment. There is a lot that can happen in a short amount of time, and with only two months until Alumni Weekend I’m trying to decide which side of the game I’m on. Will I be confident in the dying minutes only to realize I forgot to bake a cake for the pie challenge? Or will the alumni executive be the underdogs who pull off the grand finish?

Fortunately, I have a fabulous team surrounding me, and things are coming together very well, so it’s time for a little update. We are very excited to have our workshop leaders, worship band, and main speaker in place for the coming weekend. Workshop leaders include: Mike Ginther (NBC Board member and pastor of Prince Albert Community Bible Church), Josh Lees (‘15, former Alumni President and current staff member), and Damian Neudorf (‘19). Following Obah night on Saturday evening, James and Karina Witherow (‘05) and their group from Meadow Lake will lead us in a time of praise in singing. We look forward to a time to worship together, and to hear a couple of testimonies of how the Lord has worked in the lives of his people. Finally, Gordon Rowland (‘74) will be joining us for our Sunday morning service to share God’s Word with us.

We look forward to seeing everyone who is able to make it, and we anticipate a great weekend of reconnecting, playing soccer, worshipping, sharing, praying, eating, laughing and watching Jason get pied… unless I do end up forgetting my cake.

To go back to the athletes analogy, I want to share one passage to close this letter. Hebrews 12:1-2 says this: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (ESV)

Paul exhorts his audience to run with endurance, and I want to pass on the same encouragement. In our faith, let us not be like overconfident athletes who stop running right before the finish line. We are to throw off every weight and every sin, and look to Jesus, who endured the cross, and we are to “[wait] for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13 ESV).

Benjamin Thiessen
Alumni President
benjamin.thiessen.x19@gmail.com