Freezing Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

By Pastor Steve Olmstead
Kipling Baptist Church

waiting for the big one 2015Kipling Baptist Church overlooks the shore of Deer Lake, north of Hwy 17, between North Bay and Sudbury, ON. Officially organized in 1902 as a Convention Church and first-named Kipling Scandinavian Baptist Church it boasts a rich history of impact for the Kingdom of God.

Today the little white church by the lakeside has a regular Sunday attendance between 35 – 60 people and supports a full-time pastor (snowbirds and summer campers cause fluctuation in attendance). When summer camp is open at Camp Norland, attendance can increase to approximately 75, crowding the small sanctuary.

Fish for Sarah - 2015For what would be considered a small church, Kipling Baptist is a powerful church full of hard-working, good-hearted, faithful and fun-loving people. This is evidenced by their activities and their mission giving. Over the years the mission fire that sparked the first church has continued to burn. People, young and old, from Kipling Baptist have participated in short-term missions to places such as: Rwanda, Kenya, Haiti, New Orleans, The Dominican Republic, Peru, and Bolivia. As well, the congregation gives financial support to local, national and international missions. Most families in the congregation also sponsor at least one child with Compassion or World Vision and every year love to fill Christmas shoe-boxes for Samaritan’s Purse. Many who worship at KBC also belong to Kipling Helping Hand. In 2015 KHH is celebrating 100 years of service in the community. The group helps local people in need, lends support to missions beyond the community. A few days ago warm clothing was collected and delivered by Helping Hand volunteers to a shelter in Sudbury.

Sarah L - Family Fishing Day 2015Most recently the congregation rallied around ice- fishing holes to raise money to help send a young woman, Sarah, on her first mission to an orphanage in Peru. Sarah’s dad and brothers drilled the holes, her mom and sister cooked and baked, members of the church brought food, set-up, cleaned-up, and gave donations; and Sarah… well, she did a little of everything. More than forty people came to work, fish, play indoor games, eat lunch or just visit that day. Not bad considering the temperature was a bone-chilling minus thirty-four when the event started. As we like to say here, “At least there were no mosquitoes!” By the end of the day five Northern Pike were caught. Not our worst showing, but not our best either. Did I mention that we like to ice-fish together at least once each winter? We might even go again in March. Maybe we’ll catch a Pickerel then.

Guy Lafreniere drills holes 2015Come for the scenery. Come for the fellowship. Come for the coffee. Bring your canoe. Bring your fishing line. Bring your lawn chair and just stare at the lake. It’s all good!

If you come between May and September, bring fly repellant.

 

If you can’t come personally, visit us on Facebook (no fly repellant required)!

 

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