Closing out 2023

I don't know how it was for you, but 2023 was a wild year for us in the Bitner and Klassen households.

We spent this past year evaluating and discerning the call to plant a new church in a new city and then trying to figure out what that actually means: not only for our families, but for the church we love and are currently a part of.

At the very end of 2022, we had just begun to think through what it might look like to plant in Edmonton. The more that we looked into the state of the church in Edmonton, the more we were convinced that this was where we were supposed to go.

After discussions with pastors and denominational leaders in Edmonton, there was a consensus that you could throw a dart anywhere on the map of the city, and there's a need for more churches in that area.

So we started looking into neighbourhoods and praying about where we thought God might be calling us. At the moment, we're looking at the far-west end of the city since there's a lot of movement into this area. As neighbourhoods develop, there is often a correlating desire for genuine community, and what better way to foster community than by intentionally bringing the Gospel to bear, demonstrating what it looks like to be loved by Jesus and inviting others to experience his goodness.

While trying to keep up with existing responsibilities and duties, Jared and I (Clay) spent any extra time we had trying to lay the foundation of a new company (Digital Indoorsmen) to hopefully bring in some income to be able to facilitate the move and put food on the table.

During this time, with some help and advice from some trusted friends and coaches, we've also been exploring the idea of going the traditional fundraising route, which is something neither Jared nor I have had much (if any) experience in before. 

While planting both Grace Saskatoon and Grace Warman I had previously been able to rely on working a job in Web Development at a company I was with for 18 years - which afforded me the opportunity to slowly scale back my time at the company while giving more and more time to the church, until I was finally able to go full-time with the church, just over a year and a half ago. 

But now that we're moving to a new city, the old ways of doing things might not be the best. So it seems as though we're likely going to have to lay down our pride and figure out what it looks like to raise support as missionaries going to a new city in order to find a core team and plant this new church.

Thankfully even as our responsibilities remained here in Warman, we've also had the privilege of now having 5 men step up to be trained and developed as additional (potential) elders and they've already begun to do some preaching and leading in various other ways as well. In our absence, Mark will continue to lead the charge in Warman, developing and teaching these men and seeing the church continue to love Jesus, love people, and help people love Jesus.

It's a gift to be part of a church where we can see God raising up leaders that we are able to train, encourage, and then witness the work of the Spirit to take care of Jesus church knowing that you're being sent out.

On the home front for the Bitners, as our family has been preparing to move, our eldest son Markus applied for university at the U of A in Edmonton, and was blessed to receive a very helpful entrance scholarship which has definitely helped relieve some stress from him as he begins his college career. While he works on publishing his first novel and continuing to compose and release music, he's learning the difficult task of working on a variety of endeavours at the same time.

He, Wyatt, and Bailey also continue to work hard at their studies in high school as they finish the year in a school they absolutely love while Wyatt and Bailey prepare for a new high school later in the fall once we've moved.

Deacon, Felix, and Jayne continue to school at home while Kim serves our family by keeping our house in order and making the home a true outpost for Gospel work.

As for the Klassens, after a long 15 year career with Saskatchewan Polytechnic, I (Jared) left my job to be able to pursue this call of planting in Edmonton, and have been working on a temporary contract basis with One Hope Canada remotely, helping them rebuild an app that helps kids stay in contact with one another even after camp ends for the season. 

Our daughter, Raeca, continues to enjoy writing and published her first book earlier this year. She and our son, Ephraim, have continued learning at home and have been a loving help and support for the foster children in our home.

Chantel continues to teach the kids at home and is also doing an amazing job handling the particularities of the foster care situation we're in. 

So all said, this next year is going to be a big leap of faith for our two families. We're trusting Jesus to provide us houses, finances, a core team, and churches to partner with us in order for more people to meet Jesus and build a foundation for not just one, but hopefully many Gospel-centered outposts in Edmonton.

Thanks for praying for us and supporting us on this mission to love Jesus, love people, and help people love Jesus in Edmonton.

If you haven’t yet seen the video we’ve made, or you’d like to contribute financially to the mission, please go to https://graceyeg.com/