The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. -Mark 6:30-32 (NLT)

Together

Over 45 Outreach Canada missionaries gathered together at a retreat center, in the mountains of British Columbia. We came together, some for rest, most seeking community with our sisters and brothers, and all came to worship our Savior Jesus Christ together.

In a world where technology links us together, missionaries often labor physically separated from our co-workers. OC’s structure consists of eight teams, each team with a team leader. We live and work from the east coast to the west coast of Canada; even as individual teams, because of technology, we meet in virtual rooms rather than in physical rooms.

Every morning during the retreat, we gathered for prayer, we shared breakfast, and we gathered again to worship together. Team leaders were responsible to lead these precious moments of community.

Team Reports & Collaboration

After short breaks, each team gave reports about what they are doing in their teams. Following each team report, each of the other seven teams gathered to discuss how they, as a different team, can support and engage in the work of the reporting team.

Each session ended in a time of united prayer for the work of the reporting team. Incredible sense of community was the outcome of these sessions.

Rest & Relationship

In the course of the time together, we enjoyed long periods sharing meals, sitting with old friends and colleagues, or the new friends we met in the course of our time together.

We experienced community as a group as well as community at a deeply personal level. We experienced worship with the whole group and private worship in walking alone or with a friend in the beautiful BC mountains. There was ample time that allowed all a well needed rest.

Wrapping Up

As we closed our time together and needed to clean up and load up our supplies and exit our rooms, it was gratifying to see how each person was seeking to help the others prepare to leave.

We left our time together with renewed purpose, a greater sense of shared ministry and each of us grateful for the ongoing commitment from everyone who supports us in prayer, finances and just the simple human touch we receive from our church families all over Canada.

We are blessed to serve along with each of you as we seek to help the church in Canada share the love of Jesus.

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name accopting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. -3 John 1:5-8

Rick Burdett is the Chief Operations Officer at Outreach Canada. Before joining OC in 2019, Rick served as an executive pastor in two churches over 22 years. If Rick had a free afternoon, you might find him fishing, kayaking, bike riding or napping. Rick is passionate about working with and supporting people who are sacrificially loving lost people into the kingdom of God. He loves listening to the stories of how God is using team members to bless our culture & world.