To all VIA Contacts:

I am sending this email as a reminder of the extra-ordinary VIA meeting that will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2009 at the Forge in Victoria (formerly Western Community Baptist Church). The meeting agenda will focus on consideration of a motion to dissolve VIA as a Society.

All 15 VIA churches are invited to attend and send representatives to the meeting and to act on the motion expected to be brought forward.

In the event that a decision to dissolve the VIA Society is not made at the June 13 meeting, this email also provides notice that there will be a call for nominations to fill vacant VIA officer positions as the terms of the present VIA officers expires on that date.

Allan Walker is calling for the VIA Annual Meeting to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday April 4, 2009 at the Forge Church in Victoria (formerly Western Community Baptist).

The meeting agenda will include:
• a financial report,
• a report from the new Sylvan Board and
• a discussion of whether or not it is time to wrap up the official status of VIA as a society.

The Regional Minister for the British Columbia and Yukon Region of the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada will be in attendance at the meeting.

Greetings from the newly formed, but as of yet, unofficial Board:

To give you a brief background, in May of 2008 VIA passed the following mandate:

Mandate: We recommend that VIA release the dream and the future of Sylvan Acres Ministry to the CBWC Camp Committee, and that a local nominating team be given the authority to set up a board with the mandate to hire a Director.

• The key question is: how do we do to Invite Faith, Cultivate Leaders &/or be Active in Mercy in ways the churches of Vancouver Island cannot do on their own?
• What are the deliverables: general vision and a capable, resourced leader.
• What will mark success: sustainability and excellent delivery of ministries/services.

From there a committee was struck and met through the summer to search through the VIA churches for willing and capable Spirit-led people to for the new Sylvan Board. By December of 2008, 5 people were selected by the committee to act as the Sylvan Board.

Nora Cedar – First Baptist (Victoria)
Aaron Baxter – The Forge (Victoria)
Pastor Rob Filgate – New Life (Duncan)
Norm de Wit – New Life (Duncan)
Tim Neal – New Life (Duncan) Replaced Garry Bruce who resigned.

The New Board is unofficial until VIA holds its next meeting to transfer responsibility to the board and as of yet cannot make any decisions.

However, we have been meeting and praying and gaining vision for what we believe are task will be. Soon, we will post this new vision and get word out to the churches.

Thank you for your patience and your prayers.

VIA Churches and Contacts:

This email is to inform you of the wording of the motion that will be dealt with at the Extra-ordinary VIA meeting on the last Saturday in September (namely on September 27, 2008).  The motion is as follows:

The Canadian Baptists of Western Canada pastors on Vancouver Island recommend "the VIA release the dream and future of Sylvan Acres Ministry to the CBWC and the CBWC Camping Committee under a management structure like the one used for the Gull Lake Camp.  Within this structure, the 'shareholders' must include representation from Vancouver Island churches."

The location of the meeting is the Forge (formerly known as the Western Community Baptist Church).  The meeting start time is 10:00 a.m.

Sorry folks. We are hoping that by summer of 2009 SABC will have a "new look, vision and direction.