Ken Shigematsu is senior pastor of Tenth Church (www.tenth.ca) in Vancouver, British Columbia, one of the largest and most diverse city-center churches in Canada.

Before entering pastoral ministry, Shigematsu worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo, Japan - an experience that prompted him to explore personal disciplines that could enhance both his work and spiritual life. Born in Tokyo, Shigematsu lives in Vancouver, with his wife Sakiko and their son Joey. He serves as a trustee for World Vision Canada, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal. Proceeds from his writing support the work of World Vision and similar organizations around the world.

His debut book God in My Everything (Zondervan, 2013) received the Christian Living Book of the Year award at the Word Awards hosted by The Word Guild in Mississauga, Ontario, on June 11, 2014. It also received an honourable mention for the Grace Irwin Prize, Canada's largest literary prize for Christian writers.

Here is a link to his acceptance speech: http://youtu.be/wMEri81edVc

God in My Everything had its genesis in a sermon Shigematsu preached shortly after his return from a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Ireland. The trip introduced him to the ancient monastic practice of a rule of life, which helped monks develop unique personal rhythms for lives as individuals and a community. Shigematsu began developing a rule for his own life. When he shared the idea with his congregation, he received a steady stream of requests for more information - beyond anything he has ever experienced as a pastor. "I don't live in a monastery," he says. "But I have found a way to live out my commitment to Christ in each of my different relationships and roles through a life-giving rhythm, what the ancient monks referred to as a rule of life."

The practice has allowed Shigematsu to cultivate a prayerful attitude and greater sense of freedom in all that he does despite a demanding schedule as senior pastor of a 2,000-member congregation, a mentor to younger Christian leaders, a husband, and a father. "God in My Everything shares with others the single, most life-transforming idea of my life," he says. "I am grateful for its warm reception, which has been beyond my expectations."

Now in its 26th year, the Word Guild awards receives hundreds of submissions annually across 28 award categories including non-fiction books, novels, articles, columns, poems, and song lyrics. The Word Guild consists of more than 300 writers and editors across Canada who write from a Christian perspective and publish work in a variety of genres. It has overseen the Word Awards, formerly known as The God Uses Ink Awards, since 2002, revamping and expanding the program from its original eight categories.

Other award recipients from British Columbia in 2014 included:

Kevin Schut of Abbotsford in the Culture category for Of Games and God (Brazos Press, 2013);

Christine Lindsay of Chilliwack for her historical novel Captured by Moonlight (WhiteFire, 2013);

Valerie Comer of Creston, B.C. for the romance novel Raspberries and Vinegar (Choose NOW, 2013);

Shelaine Strom of Abbotsford for the article in the Personal Experience category, "Waiting: A Passionate Pause" (Truth Media)

Carolyn Arends of Surrey for her series in Christianity Today, "The Trouble with Cussing Christians" and "You Probably Won't Be Sent to Egypt"

Reporter Jeff Dewsbury of Langley in the News category for "Christian Law School Proposal Raises Discussion" (Faith Today)

For more information, including a complete list of Word Award winners, visit: www.thewordguild.com.

[BCBW 2014] "Christian"
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