Almost since the moment Shane Edwards came to faith in Christ at age 16, he felt a call to ministry. This year, 14 years after he promised God he would study for a year at Bible college, he moved his wife and six boys to Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, to plant the first Grace Brethren church in that province.
Even though he is now a licensed pastor by the Northwest District of Grace Brethren Churches, has completed a Master’s degree in 2009 from Canadian Baptist Seminary, and has been watching veteran church planter Philip Bryant in action for the past four years, he’s still a bit apprehensive. “But we’re ready to go,” he said just before they left their home in British Columbia last May. “God has called us to Medicine Hat.”
Their first year will be focused on building a real estate business to support the family, forming neighborhood relationships, and gathering a core team. He and his wife, Cheryl, bought a new home in a neighborhood still under construction and plan to set the tone of the culture in that community. They will welcome each new resident with the love of Jesus Christ and a plate of cookies in hand. “We’ll be doing relational neighborhood outreach,” he says.
It’s a pattern the former software salesman has seen played out at Community of Hope , a developing Grace Brethren church in Surrey, British Columbia, that is led by Pastor Bryant. The Edwards family was involved there from the beginning, including a stint on staff from November 2009 until they moved in May.
Medicine Hat, a regional center of about 60,000 people, is located about an hour north of the U.S. border above Montana. It was the focus of the 2010 Great Canadian Adventure , when more than 40 individuals from the U.S. and Canada descended upon the area to help make contacts for the new work. A more outreachoriented 2011 version of the Great Canadian Adventure is slated for the beginning of August next year, according to Edwards, and will help build up to the first worship service in September 2011.
More stories of people in Grace Brethren churches:
Heartbroken — Chris Springer
Powerful Prayer — Earl Goodman
Following Gold’s Leading — Cami Berkey
