CALLING LAKE 2024 (AGM 2025)

The ministry was a huge success with the partnership between the Athabasca Reformed Church and Bigstone as well as other endeavours.

We have made good connections with other agencies as well as an ongoing recovery group that has now found a home at our Calling Lake location.

1. We had a lot of good communal engagements at our church throughout the year.

2. We are always looking for ways in which to serve the community and that has continued through the picking up of prescriptions, bringing people to town for grocery runs and by providing services for wakes and funerals.

3. From August to September Pastor Nathan Gullion also tried to help the community with the sending of individuals to Detox as well as ongoing counselling with the hopes of eventually sending the individual to treatment. This was a partnership with Bigstone Cree Nation and believe it helped solidify our relationship between our two communities. (Athabasca and Bigstone)

4. The Fresh Fruit initiative was something that we again partnered with the Athabasca Food Bank and was a way to meet both parents as well as the children, especially when it came to providing fresh fruits and vegetables through out the summer months. This was a Grant from one of the many Government programs that were being offered: $5,000

5. We have had success when it comes to the weekly bible studies from Francis Chan all the way to the Chosen which we are continuing through the majority of this year. The openness and vulnerability have been amazing to be apart of, and getting to see the growth in individuals brings me great joy.

6. Clothing give aways are a continual ministry through out the year. We have however used these give aways as outreach opportunities and usually get a lot of the community to help serve as well as set up for these events, now.

7. We have had a church in Tofield, Alberta, that continues to provide us with hand made quilts with the total number to date being well over 200 blankets. This has been an awesome way to reach families. We are looking forward to meeting with them this spring and hope to thank them in person.

8. I continue to provide rides and help by bringing people back and forth to Calling Lake. Some that live in Edmonton catch a ride when they hear I'm heading back to Calling Lake, usually with some very interesting conversation to say the least.

9. We had a great turn out for our annual Baptism again this year with the partnership of our two great churches. It meant a lot and was an awesome way of supporting the ministry.

10. We have also found someone at the Athabasca Church to head up the youth program up in Calling Lake for the time being and will probably need continued support and help from those that are interested in serving in this capacity.

I l. We have started a drop-in craft day which has now been assigned to Monday's and we have had an amazing turn out with really good community with us and each other.

Our focus continues to be for the people of Calling Lake and this year was no different. The fact of the matter is that the community has adopted us and I believe has placed trust in us as a church. For this we owe it all to God and give all thanks and glory. The work is always ongoing and at times heavy and tiresome however the rewards have also been great. The battle that the people of Calling Lake are up against, I feel is boredom, and isolation, which is often created by lack of funds but also the fact that there isn't a lot of work in and around the community.

These are a couple of ways in which we are serving the community. This is however not an exhaustive list because we are always trying to find new ways to serve with the hopes of introducing Jesus to a broken and hurting community. The direction of the Calling Lake Community Church is always Christocentric in nature and I feel God has been represented well from both of the churches.

We are moving forward with the basement renovation this August which will include the completion of the outside walls from vapor barrier to drywall with the hopes of utilizing the much needed and welcomed space.

The patience and love that we are showing the community is sometimes overlooked and can be hard to receive for some, because of past hurts with the church. The gentleness and the tolerance and lastly the grace that has been bestowed upon us, we now give to them.

The way in which we are going to heal my people and this community is through Love, Faith and Hope - the love most were never shown, the faith that will move mountains, and by restoring hope back into this community through the healing power of Jesus. Thank you all for your continued support.

We've talked a lot this year with the RCA about becoming a Rev. 7: 9 church which says: "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation tribe people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands,"

Blessings to you my friends, The Church Pastor Nathan Gullion

First Nation Pastor

Athabasca Reformed Congregation