ANVIL Ministry for Men saw continued growth and maturity in 2012. ANVIL leadership continued to be broadened,
as various areas of service or "portfolios" continued to be delegated. These areas included; Prayer, Resources, Fellowship, Service and
Discipleship. As more men participated
in leading our group, we enjoyed
consequent growth throughout the year. A
strong effort was made to increase awareness of and continually invite men to
ANVIL events through regular online email and newsletters.
ANVIL men found many ways to serve during 2012, as we identified needs
within our sphere of influence and sought to bring relief. We conducted a Christmas Food Drive,
ministered with grocery hampers, and sometimes cash to designated needy families.
Help was given to people during their big house-move and we ran the
BBQ's for the church parking lot picnics.
Increasingly, ANVIL men pair up to visit various homes to offer prayer
for the sick and shut-ins. The Ft.
Albany, (Northern Ontario) missions trip was a highlight for many of our
members. Under Rev. Tom Quinn's guidance
from our PAOC SW Ontario district office, we were able to participate in the
Ft. Albany church-building restoration as well as bring encouragement to this
First Nations community.
Fellowship and
friendship continues to be a vital aspect for men within ANVIL. New friendships
are created, bonds are strengthened and "iron
sharpens iron" as we grow and learn from each other, building genuine
brotherly relationships. To this end, a
number of events during the year have become mainstays of the ANVIL
experience. This occurred again this
year with a pigroast, a lobster cook-off and the near-famous 4th Annual
Christmas Garage party being held, to mention a few. Frequently,
with each fellowship event, we discover a number of new people who show
interest in joining our group while attending an ANVIL function. In response, our leadership commits to a
"no-man-left-behind" attitude to all men seeking fellowship and offer
assistance where help is needed in their lives.
In a similar
fashion, the annual Kapikog Lake retreat was held with a refreshing time of
bonding, teaching, worship and prayer in
a camping and outdoor setting. Fathers
were mentored through a PK Fatherhood Seminar and the local area
PromiseKeeper's "Alive" Conference was well attended by our group in
the fall. Also in the fall, we supported the Movember prostate cancer research
campaign. Many ANVIL men contributed
financially to the Teen Challenge "Freedom Ride" event, which saw participation
from ANVIL members.
One noteworthy
discipleship program was a study based on the movie "Courageous",
which looked at the lives of Christian men impacting their world for Christ. Often
Thursday evening round-table discussions led men to vocalize areas of struggle
where other members could respond, offering wisdom and practical help, while
talking the matter out. Other times of study and discussion enabled
men to discover their spiritual gifting.
Special speakers in 2012 included Rev. John Howson (Winnipeg) and Aris Metaxukis
(Peterborough). Both men challenged our
ANVIL men through their inspiring messages.
No weekly ANVIL meeting is complete without a time of closing prayer
where we offer prayer cover for our church, it's leadership and the many needy people in our community. ANVIL men pray with a passionate expectation
that God hears and will respond to our call!
Looking ahead to 2013, we have focused on outreach to our
community, developing the prayer lives of men and continuing growth through
discipleship in our never-ending quest to be "more like our Master". We anticipate that God will cause his will to
be done through the hearts, hands and minds of ANVIL men as we live out our
faith in practical and exciting ways.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mark Howson
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