An Early Merry Christmas to You All,

For church this weekend, we're planning to head downtown on Sat.(tomorrow) at 1pm from our place to give away coats, socks, gloves, sweaters and such to our street friends. We want to put into practice Proverbs 19:17 which says, "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done." and I John 3:17 "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but has no pity on him how can the love of God be in him. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

So if you can make it bring any of the above items and meet at our house at 1pm.

Next weekend is Christmas and with all the family shindigs going on we will not be gathering.

On New Year's Eve, we're planning a party at Mac and Joanne's place. If you're interested in coming let us know. I will post their address and further details in the next couple of weeks.

Peace and rest on you all,

Tim and Esther

Just a little note

Hi dear all of you.

Just a little note from the 5 of us. 11 more days until Christmas. Oh my are the days flying by. We just wanted to write you that we are so thankful that you are all part of our lives. We so enjoy each one of you and are looking forward on spending more time with you all. What a journey we are on. Thanks everyone for wanting to get to know us. For loving our kids and loving us.

We pray God will be close to each one of you when we enter in this new year! That he will surprise you and encourage you. Don't give up on Him.

Stay close to Him and have a sweet Christmas with all the ones you love!

Shalom, Scott, Pauline, Reuben, Rachel and Naomi Kolochuk

Hello Everyone from the Schultz Clan,

We had a sweet time last Saturday evening at our house. What I really enjoyed and what brought a smile to my face was watching how 'interactive' and 'participatory' our gathering was- "everyone got to play", and it was totally intergenerational...two values that Esther and I so believe in. It was so cool to watch the kids dive in on the 'Lectio Divina'- an ancient way of reading the Bible and letting the Scriptures speak to us right where we're at. What an amazing thing when 6 active boys are actually attentive and engaged in worship and the Scriptures. Thanks, Mac for taking the complicated and making it simple! Oh yeah, the food was awesome capped off with celebrating Jesus around the table with communion. We ended the evening with our families gathered around the globe and praying for some nations and current events. I love it when I see kids praying out loud with really insightful stuff.

This week we will again be gathering on Saturday evening at 5pm at the Schultz abode. We are experimenting with Saturday evenings to give folks Sunday off or to facilitate anyone who wants to go to a larger Sunday gathering.

We start with a potluck so bring your favourite main dishes and a salad or desert. A few drinks would also be helpful. Beth will be sharing a Christmas poem or two that she's written. Mac will facilitate us in a time of worship, and Esther creatively teaching us about community from Phil. 2. Mike has offered to lead us in our time of prayer for friends or folks we are relating who have not entered the Kingdom yet as well as praying for a country together.

Next week we would like to do something missional together. The idea we had was to gather some of our 'extra' jackets, sweaters, sleeping bages, or socks and on Sat. or Sunday down to the bottle depot on 10th and give these items away to the street folk who need them. If someone would like to make some hot chocolate or if we'd like to take sandwhiches down that would be cool to. We'll talk about it this Sat. and come up with a game plan.

Doug, will be invloved in the Christmas Concert and Play going on at 1st Alliance this weekend. So if he comes to mind pray for him. Have a great weekend, Doug and we'll be cheering you on. I know you've invited some work friends to come, so we'll be praying for their spiritual eyes and ears to be opened to the Father's invitation for them to return home to Him. Let us know what happens.

A new thing on the horizon for us is that we are formally getting Mosaic Ministries licenced with the gov't. Mosaic Ministries will be an umbrella for Esther and I as missionaries and as coaches/catalysts to other simple churches, as well as a home for other simple churches like Close2Home to link into if they want. The board of Global Hope Society has decided that the mandate of Gobal Hope Society is done, and all have agreed to shut it down. Thus for all of you who are financially supporting us, cheques in the New Year will be made out to Mosaic Ministries not GHS. We are forming a board for Mosaic which will include Doug R. and Mac from our community, and a couple others from other simple churches we have relationship with. So without further adieu, and so I don't put you to sleep, I'll stop with that. Keep praying for us as we take the next 'faith steps' forward and for financial provision for us as a family. The Rocky Mountain College teaching opportunity for this winter did not pan out, so we're trusting the Father to provide in other ways. If you have any questions let us know.

We love you all and remember to keep initiating with each other outside the context of our regluar gatherings.

Tim and Esther

Hey All,

You're all welcome to come to our home for a potluck at 5pm this Saturday. Bring a main dish and salad or desert. We want to celebrate and welcome Jesus through a time of communion and sharing any stories of how you see Jesus at work in your spheres of influence. We will then have a time of participatory worship and discussion from the book of James flowing into a time of prayer or application.

A quick reminder that if you are interested in going to Christmas program that Doug Rempel is a part of at 1st Alliance let him know this Sunday. Last time I checked the tickets were almost sold out.

See all of you who can make it on Saturday.

Tim and Esther

Hi All,

Welcome home Pauline and kids from you visiting your family in Holland! Sounds from talking to Scott that you had a great time.

Well if your November has been anything like ours, then you've also been experiencing the juggle of work, kids with homework and all their activities, things ramping for the holiday season with all the parties and events that go with this season. Then for some of us guys its been hunting season and trying to squeeze in a few days getting into the great outdoors!

It seems like its been a few weeks since we've been able to find a time when we could all be together as a community. Yet what Esther and I are learning and trying to live is that its not so important when you meet or how you meet, but that we gather in all kinds of different ways to encourage one another in our walk with Jesus as well as to build significant relationship with those who are not yet in the Kingdom. This has been happening through the women's group on Thursday nights, hunting excursions, connecting with parents through our kids school activities, going out for coffee with a friend and sharing the 'deeper' stuff, and so on. The main and the plain as it comes to when or how we gather is summed up in Hebrews 10:24-25 which says "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

So this weekend is another full one for us. On Sunday we have hockey stuff all day and I hope to get out hunting with Paul as the season is quickly coming to an end. We know many of you also have a busy weekend so we thought we would gather with anyone who can on Sat. night from say 4-7 pm. If anyone can make it, please let us know by tomorrow morning. We would have a potluck meal together and then an opportunity for people to share and pray for one another. If no one can make it no worries just let us know one way or another.

Have a great weekend and keep your eyes open through all the activities for Jesus and how he is at work in the most unlikely places and even in the hearts of the most unlikely people.

We want to encourage you all to keep putting your stories about how you are seeing Jesus at work, your devotional ideas, faith questions you have, a poem-come on Beth, pictures or such on this blog site.

We'd also appreciate your prayers for our Matrix to sell this weekend.

Love,

Tim and Esther

Hey One and All,

A quick note to let everyone know that we'll be meeting this weekend at the Pointen's farm at 10:30am on Sunday for house church. Come ready to share around the question: Where do you see Jesus at work in your family, work place, neighbourhood or elsewhere? Where would Jesus being showing up? We may watch a podcast by a guy named Carl Madearis.

We also want to begin to process the questions that I posed in the last blog. Though I can't remember the wording exactly the gist of the questions were: Where are you at with how we have been 'being' and 'doing' church? What do you like about what we have been doing and what would you change? What is God speaking to you personally and for the group?

Pauline and and two of the kids are in Holland for a few weeks. Have a great time Pauline and eat some good Dutch licorice for me!

Love,

Tim and Esther

Hey Everyone,

I'm back from my sojourn in Asia and will be sharing a little bit about the trip this Sunday. Thank you all for praying and supporting me on this trip. I really do feel like our 'small' community is like a mash unit that is being used to draw people to Jesus here and all around the world. It starts by being 'a few faithful forgiving friends' who link arms and travel together in seeing a bit of the dream of His Kingdom coming here on earth. We want to share these missional stories this Sunday. I will share about our friends and extended family in Asia and we'd like to hear the stories of How Jesus is showing up here in Calgary. Then we want to pray for our friends and family who are not yet in the Kingdom, but are close.

For next week, we want everyone to start pondering a couple key questions concerning how we move forward as a community: Where is everyone at with how we've been doing church? What do you like about what we're doing and what would you like to see changed? Are we committed to traveling the next leg of the journey together and what does that look like?

So see all of you who can make it on Sunday. Paul and Shari would it be possible to meet at the farm next week?

Love,

Tim and Esther