David Abday

July Happenings

2010-07-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick news flash - shortly there will an announcement concerning my involvement as the point person for a major restructuring of the CBMC organization. Two separate entities will be formed in the next year:

Corpath - consisting of the half day monthly peer group meetings of business owners, presidents, CEO's and Executive Managers (fee based model).
CBMC - which will be comprised of the historic CBMC teams (City Teams) and the Business Leadership Groups whose membership is more broadly based for the regular 90 minute meetings (donation based model).

My role for the next quarter will be the point person for the CBMC organization. The primary responsibilities of this part time volunteer position is for communications, supporting existing leadership and to identify new national, regional and city leadership. It will be a challenging time but i know that the opportunity for me and for the organization is right.

I am continuing to investigate other opportunities in the next season which includes consulting work and some research on a business opportunity ... as if I did not have enough on my plate. I also need to allocate some time to "practicing retirement"!

Appreciate your friendship, encouragement, support and prayers. Love to hear from y'all

What's New or Developing

2010-04-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Over the last month I have focused on getting out and talking to people that I have met over the years in my various vocations. Right now I am looking in a lot of different areas including areas where that I do not have direct experience. I have come to realize how I enjoy tackling new challenges/opportunities and also know that it will be 'new' even if I go back to marketing/regulatory affairs in the petroleum industry.

In the long run all of life is about the journey and the people that we meet along the way. It has been very good to reconnect with people I have met along the way. It also has been fun to pull out and show some photos that I have been carrying around of my university graduating class and group pictures of various companies where I have worked.

I will be part time Corpath through the end of May. Ideally it would be good to have a short term consulting position followed by a move to a manager/VP position ... but for the time being I will be out there enjoying the journey!

Dave
(click here for resume).

The Decision Making Process to Change Vocations

2010-03-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

In January 2009 each one of us in my Corpath Group started working and praying through our five year plans. I started the process of drawing a picture of where I would be five years down the road in each area of my life - vocationally, as a father/son/husband, steward and disciple of Jesus Christ. The 2014 picture that emerged for me vocationally was that I would be involved:

With CBMC/Corpath in a volunteer capacity,
In an influential role with Christian business leaders striving to run “Kingdom Companies”, and
In a “convergence vocation” where all the different vocations over my career would align.

This past summer I shared this picture with CBMC President Paul Richardson and we came to the conclusion that I needed to keep my shoulder to the work until God made it clear that I was to do otherwise. At the October Annual General Meeting and Board meetings I was truly excited about the changes on the horizon for the organization and its potential to grow and fulfill its role in God’s plans for Canada. Afterward, however, I found it very difficult to translate that passion and excitement for the future into working to make it happen.

One of my three closest mentors/coaches/friends suggested it might be appropriate to seek out someone who is gifted in hearing from the Lord and praying over situations and people. I was very cautious and frankly was not that comfortable with taking this step initially, but after a few weeks I asked him how to proceed. We found someone who was gifted in this area from another city and who did not know me, and made an appointment in November.

Two things happened before I met with him: 1) I came to a greater understanding of how apprehensive the Kings of old were when the prophets came “ a calling” with a word from the Lord, and 2) One of my mentors tracked me down, saying he needed to talk with me before I headed out of town. I really did not want to meet with him on that Friday afternoon, but he insisted. Looking back at that conversation, I see that God used him to link together a number of things on both a personal and heart level, as well as on a vocational level, providing clarity that a change was imminent – not years down the road.

When I met the next week with this pastor from a conservative church I found out the day before I called to make the appointment with him a close friend of his suggested that he should meet a man named David Abday! For the first half hour the two of us talked about John 17 and passages in Ephesians about God’s desire for unity in the church to be like the unity in the Trinity. Then for the next few minutes he prayed over me. He described that I was coming to a junction where the road to the right was dark and was a place where I decided not to go. Straight ahead was broad road with a lot of travel, responsibility and scope; however, he did not see me going straight but rather proceeding on the road to the left. He described this left road as an eddy or a cul de sac which was a place of “being” and “provision”. Also he related this left road to the Biblical story of Elijah, where over three and a half years of drought Elijah was fed meat and bread by ravens twice a day by the brook at Cherith. The story of God's provision for Elijah then moved to the widow and her son at Zarephath, where their oil and flour did not run out (I Kings 17) until the drought in Israel ended.

Over the next hour and a half he wanted to hear from me what I had been learning from the Bible, what my wife Caroline had been saying and what my mentors had been saying. When I shared some of these specifics, including the conversation from the previous Friday afternoon and what Caroline and others had been saying, there was a very strong affirmation that I was released from my position. Over the next three days I touched base with those close to me about this decision before being reminded by Caroline and another colleague who was prompted to encourage me “not to listen to too many voices, but to concentrate on His at this time.” Over the next 10 days three verses emerged for me:

Zephaniah 3:17 “He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

On December 1, 2009 I flew out to see Paul Richardson to discuss plans for my resignation from the role of National Corpath Director effective March 1, 2010 and plans for my redeployment as a volunteer.

I believe the next period of time will be an exciting adventure for me, my family and the organization – a time of “being” and “provision”. I am thankful for the many people God has used and will use to accomplish his purposes in my life and the lives of business people across Canada. The adventure continues!

My New Life as a Part Timer

2010-03-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Moving from full-time with Corpath/CBMC to part-time is keeping my very busy! Unsuccessfully I have been striving to do the full time work in half the time. In addition it takes a full time effort to look for the next enterprise or opportunity in my career. There has been no time to practice retirement.... so far!

Over the next couple of months when I am working half time I will be talking to those I know in the marketing segment of the petroleum industry and broader business community. So far this has been quite good and I see a lot of opportunities ranging from coaching and consulting to employment and running a smaller company. The journey continues!

The Next Season in Business

2010-03-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

It will be an exciting adventure over the next months a I transition from my responsibilities with Corpath! My experience is quite diverse (click here for resume). Right now I am making some low level inquires with those that I know in the petroleum industry, the broader business community and also some not-for-profit enterprises. Continuing in a part time Corpath role will help the organization in the transition period and give me some time to pursue opportunities ... and maybe take a little time to practice retirement! Will keep you informed.

David's New Role in Corpath

2010-03-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

Continuing as member facilitator of my Corpath group and as a member of the CBMC City Team in downtown Calgary
Acting as a volunteer liaison for the Board of Directors to Corpath and CBMC groups in Alberta and Saskatchewan for the remainder of 2010
Providing coaching and training to the 35 Corpath group facilitators across Canada
Involved on a part time basis with some specific well-defined projects beyond March 1, 2010 for a number of months including establishing a Corpath Steering Committee for Calgary and assisting in the effort in Edmonton.

Dave's Transition

2010-02-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

There has been a significant development which involves a change in my status with Corpath and CBMC – it is all good!

On March 1, 2010 my role in the organization changes from being the National Director of Corpath to a group member, volunteer, liaison to the Board of Directors and half time employee for a couple of months. Though I am not leaving the organization my role with will change and I will be seeking new responsibilities in business. I am so thankful for the privilege of being on staff with the organization over the past 12 years and meeting so many people across Canada. It has always awed and humbled me to know that many of you have prayed specifically for the leadership and for the organization to play the role God has for it in the Marketplace Ministry movement in Canada and around the world. I am encouraged and excited about where this enterprise is heading and will definitely be a part of it in future.

I do not know specifically what I will be doing in business in this next season. The full story of how I came to the decision prior to giving notice to the organization December 1, 2009 is described in a separate article (click here to read it). The Lord led me to this decision and while I don’t know what is next, I am confident that He will provide. My experience is quite diverse (click here to read about it), so the coming months will be an exciting adventure! Right now I am making some low level inquires with those that I know in the petroleum industry, the broader business community and also some not-for-profit enterprises.

Again, I am thankful for the friendships of so many and for the prayers, encouragement and support that I have received. So let’s continue on this journey together, being intentional in our lives, praying, doing our part and expecting God to prepare the work in advance for us to do – the best is yet to come!

Yours sincerely from a fellow sojourner and follower of Jesus Christ,

Dave Abday
david.abday@cbmc.ca
(403) 830-3849