Over the past 9 years CHAT has been involved in developing resources to address more thoughtfully the various life transitions experienced in the middle and later years of life, as people of faith in Jesus.
We have addressed a wide range of topics related to retirement, spiritual formation for middle and older adults and pastoral care ministries with older adults for local churches in their congregations and local communities.
The changes resulting from the pandemic restrictions, have limited our opportunities for the seminars, conferences, courses, workshops we offered to facilitate live events for dialogue and learning. CHAT has had to rethink, redesign and begin to implement new ways of staying connected and growing by relying primarily on a newsletter, the web site and experimentation with webinars to accommodate the current and ongoing limited ways of providing resources and ministry events.
The CHAT team has been encouraged with the response and is discovering the potential for becoming a “virtual centre” more easily accessible for more participants.
Due to changes in my life as I enter the mid 70’s, I am becoming aware that I can no longer serve as the director for CHAT to lead and support this ministry into the future as will be needed.
An interview with me has been posted on the CHAT website providing a fuller explanation of this life transition. I am thankful for the opportunity to have been involved in the founding and development of CHAT and have thoroughly enjoyed serving with you and the many others interested in CHAT events through the years.
I am encouraged by the ministries shared with CHAT partners, CHAT committee members and many churches and community agencies across Canada. I am very encouraged that the current CHAT committee members/partners are committed to build on our experiences to date and move forward into the future. I will continue to be available in an advisory capacity with the committee and will occasionally continue to be involved in facilitating some resourcing events.
The lyrics of Bob Dylan, one of the balladeers of our generation, in his song “Pressing On” challenge us to move forward with a high expectation of much more to come in this eternal journey with Jesus in the years ahead:
Well I’m pressing on
Yes, I’m pressing on
Well I’m pressing on
To the higher calling of my Lord
Blessings,
Paul Pearce
