Welcome Back, Winter, and Happy Friday, Everyone! I often use this space to preview the upcoming weekend, but a little less of that this time. Today I want to thank and affirm our Board of Elders for their wise and godly leadership. We spent last weekend together, our first in-person weekend retreat in 2 years. You should all have the privilege of being able to hang out with them. They’re serious while playful. They have the unique ability to speak passionately while holding opinions loosely. Above all, they’re prayerful and supportive. I thank God for Grace, Trent, Rudy, Randy, Kyla, Andrea, Manny, Al, and Jonathan. Thank you, all of you, for your faithfulness and your commitment to leading our congregation in these fascinating days! Can I ask the rest of you a favor? Would you please pray for our Board and staff leaders as we continue the planning process for the next era of ministry? We’re doing some revisioning and deliberating around how we respond to a changed culture. We’re re-examining our expressions mission and vision and wrestling with how we best steward our history and the unique role we play in our community. Your support and encouragement mean so much! If you wish to express your appreciation to the Elders or share anything with them, you can reach out to them at [email protected]. I’m looking forward to being with many of you this weekend as we worship together and continue our journey through some Phantom Passages. See you in person or online! Greg Hochhalter | Lead PastorGroups Open House Groups matter because they invite you into a place of deep community where you are known, loved, and encouraged to grow in your walk with Jesus. We know community begins when we move from sitting in rows to doing life in circles together. Immediately after the service, over this weekend, we want to invite you to our Groups Open House hosted in the atrium, where we want to help you journey into deep community. For more information on all Groups, don't hesitate to get in touch with [email protected]TreeHouse Registration TreeHouse Preschool is a fun place where three and four-year-olds get their first experience of going to school and learn that school is a great place to be! General registration for the 2023/24 school year opens on February 2 at 7 pm. If you missed our Open House on January 24, email Heather Spronk, she would love to connect with you and can arrange another time to meet.Membership Class If you believe in what God is doing at Sherwood Park Alliance Church, take your next step — be a part of the team. We are called to make disciples of Jesus... to love God and to love others and membership is a commitment to help create, lead and resource our ministry environments. During this one-hour session, you will learn more about what Sherwood Park Alliance is all about and what it means to be a member. The class will be offered online on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Registration is required.Board of Elders Update Recently the Sherwood Park Alliance Board of Elders elected the following individuals to serve as officers: Grace Albers, Board Chair; Trent Forsberg, Vice Chair; Randy Liedtke, Secretary; Manny Schmidt, Treasurer. In addition, Kyla Loewen was named Representative to the SCA Society Board with Rudy Froese and Andrea Priebe appointed to serve as members of the Nominating Committee.Please pray for these leaders as they seek to wisely guide our congregation this year!Family News - Pastor Del McKenzie We are all saddened to hear of the passing of Pastor Del McKenzie, on Saturday, January 7, 2023. Pastor Del passed away while attempting to exit their smoke-filled home due to a fire. Pastor Del served here at Sherwood Park Alliance Church as Lead Pastor from 1984 to 1998 and had a significant impact on our church and community. Del’s wife Jane remains in an adult care facility for dementia in Moses Lake. Their son Tim lives in the state of Washington and their daughter Melodee and son-in-law Pat live in Calgary and would very much appreciate your prayers for them and their four grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 27 at 1 pm at Moses Lake Alliance Church in Washington. There will be a live stream available, and a possible in-person gathering here at SPAC to watch the memorial together. More information to follow in the weeks to come.Group - Support Groups Groups are a gathering of people from all walks of life where you are invited into a place of deep community, where you can be known, loved, and encouraged to grow in your walk with Jesus. Some upcoming opportunities to meet in a Support Group/Network are: GriefShare- Find comfort and community with others who have experienced the death of a loved one. Meets weekly - Starting Feb 2. The New Identity- It is possible to move away from questions like Am I enough? Do I measure up? Am I significant? We’ll explore the freedom and relief of settling into our core identity in Christ. Meets weekly - Starting Feb. 2. The Sanctuary Course - Explore the realities of mental health and illness, as well as the vital need for faith-based community conversations about these topics using The Sanctuary Course material. Meets weekly - Starting Feb. 2. Parenting Children with Special Needs Support Network - This once-a-month group seeks to create a safe space to share the unique challenges, joys, and demands of parenting children with special needs. Believing that every child is a unique gift who is loved by God, our goal is to encourage, strengthen, support, and pray for each other in the journey. The next meeting is on Feb. 4. For more information on all Groups, don't hesitate to get in touch with [email protected].