By Peter Latimer
When my application to be head coach of the Winnipeg Jets was rejected, the opportunity to serve as Board Chair at NKUC seemed like the best alternative…and likely less stressful than my other option…head coach of the Bombers.
In all seriousness, when Peggy and I moved to Winnipeg a couple of years ago we had planned on keeping our connection to our church back in Beausejour. But we did think we needed a “back up” church in Winnipeg to come and worship at on Sundays when the weather didn’t seem suitable for a drive into the country.
To our surprise, after a few Sunday visits here, we suddenly realized that we felt more affinity to all that NKUC had to offer than we had ever experienced at our church in the country. The friendliness we experienced, along with opportunities to enjoy a meaningful role in the life of the church, made our decision to make North Kildonan United our church home an easy one for us.
When our resident fisherman approached me about serving as incoming Board Chair, my immediate reaction was that this role would be too much to take on. I was too new here, I didn’t understand all the local issues, I didn’t have the trust of the members of the congregation, I didn’t want to mess up all the good work that Clayton, Marvelle and their predecessors had done.
But as I thought about it further, I began to realize that I wasn’t being asked to take this on by myself. Marc and all the others who have worked tirelessly to make NKUC the vibrant church community that it is would continue to be there contributing to the future of this church and providing me with the guidance and support that I would need to assume a leadership role at NKUC. For a church that has given me so much, surely I can take the risk of moving beyond my comfort zone to give a little of myself back to the church.
But I must warn you that if Kevin Chevaldayoff approaches me to replace Claude Noel, all bets are off.
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