Hey Church family,

Last weekend Pastor Greg gave us a clear reminder of the consequences of our wandering from God - which in the case of David led him to horrific sin. All sin steals life and misses the dream God has for us.

But as we learned from David’s story our God is a God of amazing grace and pardon (read David’s confession in Psalm 51). Yesterday marked the beginning of the season of preparation for Easter. What a great time to take stock of our own lives and ask God to show us where we are missing the mark…and ask where He wants us to repent and return to Him. God’s voice is always one of invitation and conviction, never condemnation.

Consider how you might open yourself up to God in this season. The E100 group that I’m part of has decided to observe Lent together. God has already challenged me to give up something that is drawing my attention away from Him, so that I can be free and have more space in my life to be intentional with Him. Interestingly, the word Lent literally means “spring.”

Who knows what season of new life and renewal God might have for you as we move towards celebrating His defining act of conquering death and sin through His resurrection!

“…Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart… Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate...” Joel 2:12-13

Joy!
Rita

Hey Church,

I have never experienced Jesus’ love to the depth that I have this past year. Jesus has been teaching me more and more about His fatherly love for us. We just celebrated our son’s 1st birthday, and I can still remember the day we brought him home and thinking, “What now?” Tya and I would sit for hours inspecting every inch of his body, every wrinkle in his skin and movement he would make. As Kohen got older and struggled with different sicknesses, there were many days that our hearts ached for him.

Through these challenging times, Jesus has shown me how His interactions with us are very similar. After God created everything in Genesis, He sat back and said that it was very good. In moments of struggle, pain and hardship, He is there with us. Jesus desires to walk with us through good and bad and actually have a relationship with us. The psalmist puts it beautifully when he writes,

"You have searched me, Lord,
and You know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways."

Jesus is all about us and desperately wants the opportunity to walk intimately with us. I have now experienced the love and affection that Jesus has for all of us at a deeper level. He is smitten with us, His greatest creation. I hope you’ll allow that truth to percolate in your mind and settle in your heart this week. Would you carry this truth into your worship this weekend?

Be blessed.

Scott

Hi, my name's Beth.

At our church, it is group sign-up season, and I'd love to tell you a tiny bit of my story and why I am doing life in community. While we attended church at Christmas and Easter in my childhood, my first real introduction to Jesus was when a friend invited me to a small group at SPAC. What I found was a kind of community I had never experienced before.

I was a young mom, and at one point I got very sick. People in my small group brought meals for my family...this kind of caring blew me away. It wasn't long before I hungered for, fell in love with and decided to follow Jesus. Being in a group has been part of my faith journey ever since and much of my spiritual growth is directly linked to it.

Last year, I sensed God wanting to "rock my world" in a new way as He nudged me to take a big step of faith and lead a neighbourhood group out of my home. Did I feel qualified? Absolutely not! Do I feel qualified now? Not a chance! It's a walk of faith - for all of us in the group. It hasn't all been easy, but God is good and we are growing, learning more about Him through His Word, supporting each other in prayer and finding a place to belong.

Being a part of a small group has changed my life and strengthened my faith...if you're not in one, you are truly missing out on so many of God’s blessings!

Part of the Family,
Beth

During this past week, I have had the privilege of participating in Solemn Assembly here at our church. God has been doing amazing things each and every day. While sitting in the auditorium last night, I was reminded that I don’t have to be sitting in a church to hear from God.

Whether we are in a busy office, a classroom, a hospital room or wherever, we are completely surrounded by God’s presence. He has invited us to come into His presence wherever we may be! What a gift…The Lord Most High has requested that we come to Him and sit in His presence. Why? Because He loves us.  

“…Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” Joel 2: 13 NLT

It is my prayer that throughout this year, you will find yourself continually seeking the presence of God and immersing yourself in His love.

In Christ,

Fiona Hilkewich

Hey Church Family,

My Bible reading this morning was James 4. As I walked through each challenging phrase about repentance, prayer and submitting myself fully to God, I came to the first part of verse 8 which simply states, "Come near to God and He will come near to you.” That is a powerful, life-transforming invitation to us.

The passion of God's heart is to be close to us. He is steadfast and unrelenting in His pursuit of us. However, what is true about God is often not true about us. We easily fall into patterns of pursuing God half-heartedly. We tend to seek God when it is convenient or as a last resort in times of crisis. The invitation in James challenges us to do life differently.

The language of the text speaks of coming to God not as an appointment to be kept but as a continual, moment-by-moment acknowledgment of God's nearness. When we accept the invitation to come near, it is then that we experience just how close God is to us.

As we approach Solemn Assembly next week, I hope that you see it as one more way to live out the command of James to come near to God. Let’s respond to the invitation together and see what happens when God keeps His promise to draw near to us.

Peace,
Wade

Jesus entered this world with zero dignity. His parents were not married. His cradle was a feed trough. Others in his nursery had four legs, not two. He was wrapped in rags. He was targeted for death by King Herod, raised on the run. And He would die with even less dignity: convicted unjustly, beaten, bloodied, abandoned, naked, and shamed. He had no status. No one thought Him a king.

Yet here we are a couple thousand years later, with much of the globe getting ready to celebrate His birth. All of this for good reason. No single life has impacted this world more than His. He changed our world more than any human being who ever lived. And it’s still happening. He’s still changing lives. This is Jesus, our Saviour, our Lord, our King.

Last night, I took in the last full rehearsal of “What Child Is This?,” our Christmas Eve service, and suddenly I can’t wait for Sunday night and Monday. We have extraordinarily gifted artists in our church, and I think you’re going to love what they have prepared...the music and visuals are incredible. Don’t hesitate to invite your co-workers, friends, and family to come with you. They’ll have fun, they’ll be moved, and they’ll leave marveling at Jesus and the impact of his life.

Christmas Eve services start on the 23rd @ 7 pm and are offered 3 times on the 24th - at 3, 5, & 7 pm. Regular weekend services will also be offered this Saturday @ 7 pm and Sunday morning @ 10:45 am. There will be no 9 am service this weekend or the next, so adjust your routines accordingly.

Merry Christmas! I look forward to seeing you this weekend,

Greg

Hi Church Family,

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “the coming.” This past weekend in our services, we lit our first advent candle, and Kevin reminded us to stir up a sense of expectation for what God might want to do as we celebrate Christ’s coming to earth. I was personally challenged by that. What am I expecting this Christmas? Do I believe that the One who humbly broke into the darkness of humanity wants to come and break into my life in new ways?

It’s easy to fall into survival mode at this time of year, but I’ve made a fresh commitment to ask Jesus to “rock my world” this Christmas. To open my eyes and ears and heart to the new things He wants to say through His story. If this resonates with you, I invite you to make this prayer part of your personal preparation for Advent.

Jesus, prepare me to reclaim your Good News again. Where my expectations have become low, make me the most expectant, faith-filled Advent worshipper ever. Have Your way in me this Christmas for the sake of your Kingdom. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Joy!
Pastor Rita