Sunday at noon hour was a sad but also happy occasion filled with both laughter and tears. Not only did it mark the farewell lunch to a great Pastor, but also a goodbye to the man who brought Shockwave Youth Centre to town.
Pastor Matt Redstone, Youth Pastor at Carlyle Pentecostal assembly will be moving on to new adventures this fall. He will be the assistant Pastor at LifePoint Church in Lanigan, SK, but he'll be taking his wonderful memories of Carlyle with him.
"God gave me a dream that I would be a pastor when I was 15," explained Pastor Matt. "And it has been with me ever since."
During his time at Carlyle Pentecostal Assembly, the youth pastor accomplished more than he ever could imagine. The start of Shockwave youth began three years ago when he arrived in town and quickly became his pride and joy. The centre got young teens off the streets and into a program that quickly became a favorite, even amongst teens not belonging to the Pentecostal Assembly.
While the facility is used for church-related youth programs, Shockwave opens its doors each week on Friday and Saturday nights to all youth, providing a secular, supervised and safe place for young people to spend their time.
"It is hard to leave the youth of Shockwave. The building and the programs are easy to leave because the volunteers can do that," he said. "But the youth are like family and leaving them is extremely tough."
Matt Redstone loved the community and his congregation; he is simply moving on to open a new door and explore new horizons. Not every Pastor can bring a successful youth centre to a small town and other places deserve to receive some help as well.
Although he is not gone yet, the month of August will be a busy one and he will be in and out of town. So if you do happen to run into him don't forget to wish this great man well on his future endeavors and remember to share the happy memories together, instead of focusing on the sad.
"I would like to thank Carlyle for all their support. I've always felt really encouraged by the people of Carlyle and surrounding communities," he concluded. "I know other youth centers struggle because they lack the support of the community, but we never experienced that. So thank you and I will miss everyone very much."
