Monday, May 1: We give thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ for the sale of our shares in 229 College Street a week ago today. It was a very difficult step for the Board to take, and we give thanks also for their leadership in the many governance issues they deal with.
Tuesday, May 2: The Finance Committee will be finalising the draft budget this week, for consideration by the Board when it meets in Toronto on May 11. Please uphold the members of this committee in prayer: Ken Van Wyk (Chair), Samir Gassanov, Dan Jack, John Valk, Harley Dekker and Doug Blomberg.
Wednesday, May 3: Last week we completed interviews with a number of applicants for the Library Services Associate position, and conversations with referees are taking place. As we seek to finalise this appointment, we ask you to pray for discernment, and that the person whom we invite will be willing to accept the call.
Thursday, May 4: Preparations are underway for the ICS annual phonathon coming up next week. Pray for all of us in advancement that the work of preparing the information and materials needed for this important event will go smoothly.
Friday, May 5: Next week, the ICS Senate and Board will meet in Toronto. Please pray for them as they study the materials distributed in preparation for these meetings, and for safety in their travels to and from, however short or long these trips will be.
Monday, May 8: Today is the first of two days in the Whole Society Conference in Ottawa. Please pray that this significant gathering will be a blessing for all involved, and uphold especially Ron Kuipers, who is a member of the planning committee.
Tuesday, May 9: As we continue in our discussions with The King’s University around our merger, may we implore our loving Creator, Redeemer and Counsellor to lead us on a path to the celebration of God’s glory in higher education.
Wednesday, May 10: Please pray for our Junior Members as they wrap up their course papers, with some also working on their theses. It is an intensive period, with diligence and focus required. May the Holy Spirit guide them as they develop their insights.
Thursday, May 11: Senate convenes at 9:00 a.m, under the leadership of Chair (and ICS Chancellor) Dr. John Kok. Please pray for John and the external and internal senators as they deliberate on the range of issues the agenda comprises concerning ICS academic programs.
Friday, May 12: The ICS Board of Trustees meets today and tomorrow morning. Every meeting of the Board is significant for the often weighty matters it has to consider in formulating and overseeing policy directions. At this meeting, the projected merger with King’s will naturally be a major item, as also the budget will be. We ask our Lord to grant them wisdom as they “reason together”, with God in their midst.
Tonight the ICS community gathers as it is able for our annual Convocation. Here we give thanks to God for sustaining and guiding us in our mission, and for the achievements of our graduating Junior Members. May we celebrate with gratitude the diligence and insights these graduands have demonstrated these past years, and pray for them in the callings to which they are called. We pray also for Senior Member Emeritus Dr. Lambert Zuidervaart, as he presents his “Exaugural” (an ICS coining, it seems), and thank God for his inestimable contribution to our mission.
Saturday, May 13: Please continue to hold the Board in your thoughts and prayers this morning, as it concludes its deliberations and many depart for home in the afternoon.
Monday, May 15: In the wake of last week’s meetings, there are many matters for the administration and faculty to consider and implement. Appropriately, the Leadership Team meets this morning. We ask God to give wisdom, as the Apostle James encourages us to do.
Tuesday, May 16: From today until Friday, the Undergraduate Workshop organised by Junior Members Joshua Harris and Héctor Acero-Ferrer will be held at Scarboro Missions. Please pray that the nine presenters from Canada and the US will enjoy valuable interaction with ICS Junior and Senior Members. We give thanks as well for the generous donor who has provided travel scholarships for students from the US, making it possible for them to participate.
Wednesday, May 17: Planning for the upcoming Jubilee celebrations in the fall is underway! Please pray for all those who will be involved -- members of the board, staff, students and faculty at ICS, and the many volunteers in the different cities where the events will take place -- that God will grace each one with creativity and energy in their work.
Thursday, May 18: The sale of our shares in the building brings with it concerns about the possibly imminent need to relocate, and to a more affordable site. Please pray that God will lead us to what we hope will be our new home and ask for His wisdom to be granted to those negotiating with potential lessors.
Friday, May 19: We give thanks for last month’s film and spirituality conference (in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival and others) and the opportunities for community outreach it provided. Please pray also that the potential for this to be a recurring event will be realised over the coming years.
Tuesday, May 23: Summer is often a time for vacations, but also a time for concerted attention to research and course planning by Senior Members. Many Junior Members too will have their heads down as they write MA theses and PhD dissertations, or prepare for their post-coursework comprehensive exams. We invite you to come before the throne of God to importune His guiding grace.
Wednesday, May 24: Our small community in Toronto continues to grow, with more and more young children being carried, or crawling, walking or running around our campus. This is a joy for families and friends, but brings with it -- as all parents know -- challenges and pressures, including financial ones. Please pray the Lord will give them strength and provide their every need, as they sacrifice to seek first the Kingdom of God.
Thursday, May 25: We want to take this opportunity to give thanks for our donors who have responded so faithfully to our phonathon. We are grateful for God’s provision to us through them and are inspired by their commitment to our mission.
Friday, May 26: Our alumnae/i are spread far and wide, serving God and the world in many different callings. We invite you to pray for them, wherever they are, whatever they do -- and as alums, for one another.
Monday, May 29: The Leadership Team will meet this morning. Please support them prayerfully in their deliberations.
Tuesday, May 30: We ask you to join with us in thanking God for the service of Morris Greidanus (Chair), Peter Borgdorff (Secretary-Treasurer), and their colleagues on the Friends of ICS Board, and for all our many faithful supporters in the US. We invite you to pray for Luke Seerveld (also a FICS Board member) who has volunteered to interview significant figures in the history of ICS for a video marking our 50th year. It will be a demanding undertaking, but one Luke joyfully assumes!
Wednesday, May 31: This last day of May means we have one month left to meet our donations target for this fiscal year. It is vitally important we achieve this goal as it obviously impacts our ability to balance our budget. Please pray that God will continue to provide for this real need through the help of our friends and supporters, as you consider your response to our phonathon appeal.
