Aspen Update
September 2026
Friends,
As we head into the fall, there is a lot to be thankful for at Aspen Network—and a lot that we would love for you to join us in praying about. God continues to open doors for new churches, new leaders, and new opportunities to strengthen church planting across Calgary and beyond.
Four New Church Planters
One of the most encouraging developments this fall is that four new church planters will be going through the SEND assessment process in October.
Assessment is an important step as potential planters discern God’s calling and prepare for the challenges of planting and leading a new church. It is exciting to see another group of leaders taking this step toward planting churches and reaching communities with the gospel.
I will also have the privilege of serving as the Missional Engagement Assessor during the October SEND assessment. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help evaluate, encourage, and equip men who are exploring God’s call to church planting.
Please pray:
For each of the four planters and their families as they prepare for assessment.
For wisdom and clarity for the assessment team.
That God would continue raising up church planters who are biblically grounded, spiritually mature, and passionate about reaching people with the gospel.
For me as I serve as the Missional Engagement Assessor.
A Big Step for Aspen Network
We are also beginning the process of establishing Aspen Network as a separate registered charity in Canada.
This is an important step for the future of the network. Having our own charitable structure will give Aspen greater capacity to support church planters, develop leaders, build partnerships, and help start more churches in the years ahead.
There are a lot of details involved in making this transition, but we are excited about what it could mean for the next season of Aspen Network.
Please pray for wisdom as we work through the charitable registration process, for the right people to help establish a strong foundation for the organization, and that this new structure would ultimately enable us to serve more churches and church planters.
Around the Reid House
September also means back to school for our family!
Delaney turned 16 and now has her driver's licence, which is an exciting—and slightly surreal—milestone for our family. She and Finley, who is 14, are both in high school this year, while Declan, 11, has started Grade 6.
We are grateful for each of them and would appreciate your prayers as they begin another school year—for good friendships, growth in their faith and character, and wisdom as they navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with growing up.
And you can probably add an extra prayer for Brooke and me now that we have a teenage driver in the house!
Thank You for Praying
We continue to be reminded that church planting is ultimately God's work. Strategies, funding, training, and structures all matter, but none of them can replace our dependence upon the Lord.
Thank you for faithfully praying for us, for our family, for our church planters, and for the work of Aspen Network. We are grateful to have people standing with us as we seek to see healthy, gospel-centred churches planted throughout our city and beyond.
For the glory of Christ and the good of our city,
Kelly Reid
Director - Aspen Network
Great update!