While the boys are taking Spanish lessons - as a linguist I can't justify waiting until the school system starts teaching them languages so they are learning from a friend - I come down to the local coffee shop to respond to emails and do some planning.

We had a really good Palm Sunday service. I am sensing a real connect within our community. The younger set has really stepped up to the plate. It is nice to hear people talk about SouthGate as being "Our church" rather than "Your church" or "Jeff & Juli's church".  I understand where that comes from, but it is great to see ownership setting in. We are going through some gut checks as a church as we move forward. The realization that we are now responsible for meeting our budget is a challenge for a church of any age, but this is new for us and is taking some getting used to. We have slashed as much as we can - we were pretty frugal to begin with - and it is going to stretch us. The other realization is that we may need to look for more permanent digs - the cost of land and buildings is slowing down, but it is still going up in Calgary. In the last few weeks there have been some interesting prospects pop onto the radar screen and so we will gather some information and pray like crazy about it.

No matter what I will still be a regular at the Starbucks - its nice to get away and I tend to see different people that would never wander into a church office.

Ehkosit,

Migwec