Dear Church,

Earlier this week I was reading a passage in Luke 8 that’s been a familiar but frustrating one for me. It’s the one where Jesus is speaking in a crowd when his mother and brothers come by and ask to see him. Jesus ignores them and instead tells the crowd that anyone who hears God’s word and puts it into practice is his mother and brother. Jesus response to his family has always felt disrespectful to me. As I meditated on this passage I asked God if I’m missing something. God challenged my perspective to see that Jesus is actually elevating the relational value of following him to the same level as family; not the other way around as I have often thought. With a fresh perspective in mind this week I’ve seen my teammates on staff and all of you in a new light. My love and affection for our church has deepened and my appreciation of my family (my wife, kids, mom, brother and sister) has been heightened.

This weekend as we gather in a worship service I hope we’ll see and appreciate each other the way Jesus sees and loves us…as family. We have a unique experience planned that I truly hope you don’t miss. Come with an expectant heart that’s ready to respond to and support how God is moving. If you’re the curious type, and wonder what we’re up to, check out Acts 8.

See you soon.

Pastor Kevin

Hey Church Family,

This week I had the privilege of seeing a miracle. It was a relational miracle. Where there had been deep pain and brokenness, there was now love, forgiveness and healing. It was amazing to see how this miracle never would have happened without community…without people willing to listen. It wouldn’t have happened without people speaking words like, “hang in there”, “you can do it”, “God will make a way”, or “I’m praying for you”.

And at the root of it all was a strong belief that even though it looked like reconciliation was impossible, with God all things are possible. Can I share another aspect of this miracle? It didn’t happen overnight – it took years. But it was worth it.

So be encouraged. Our God is a God of restoration and reconciliation. It might be tough, and it might take years, but don’t give up. In a world that tells us to quickly bail on relationships that aren’t working, choose to surround yourself with a community of people who will give you the hope and courage to hang in there.

Whether your challenge is with a co-worker, a friend, a family member, or a neighbour, God’s dream for healthy and supportive relationships is worth fighting for. Remember, Jesus knew that a healthy relationship with you was worth dying for, and He’s with you every step of the way!

Hope you see a miracle this week.

Pastor Rita

Dear Church Family:

Earlier this week, I pulled a book by Craig Groeschel off of my shelf. Its title? One of the shortest I’ve ever seen, simply "It".

Groeschel writes, " It. Some ministries have it. Some don't. Most churches want it. Few have it. When a church has it, everyone can tell. And when one doesn't…everyone can tell. It is unique, it is powerful, it is life-changing. That's its upside. It has another side too. It attracts critics, it is controversial. Many people misunderstand it. It's hard to find, but it's impossible to miss."

If you're wondering what it is, I'll do my best to give you an answer in the message this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, we're starting a new series on the book of Acts called "The Church is Born." Read Acts 2 if you want to be more prepared. This weekend, we'll also describe the rhythm of the next year and some of the unique opportunities provided by a new ministry season. If you're a regular at our first service on Sunday morning, remember our new start time of 9 am (Saturday 7 pm and Sunday 10:45 am times are unchanged).

See you at church,

Greg

Good morning church family…

I’m in my office, having just left a pretty phenomenal meeting. Each year at this time, we have a breakfast for the church and SCA staff. Near the end of our time, we spent a few minutes reflecting on Luke 5:1-11.
 
If you’re finished reading Ruth in preparation for the weekend message (see how I did that?!), spend a few minutes reading about Jesus’ call to some of his first disciples. Whenever I read this text, I’m convicted by Simon’s response when Jesus tells him to fish again after a fruitless night. Here’s this carpenter/teacher/rabbi who says to drop the nets again; most experienced fisherman would tell Jesus to pound sand. Simon doesn’t: “…because you say so, I will let down the nets.” That’s submission. That’s unquestioning obedience.

There’s plenty to think about in this, but if you take the text to the end, there’s another great challenge. Jesus tells Simon, James, and John, “From now on you will fish for people.” Our ministry team was reminded this morning that we’re in the people business. In the middle of a season of start-up, our challenge is to remember that we’re not activity coordinators; we are environmentalists. We create environments where you are known, loved, cared for, taught and served.

So where’s your head space on this Friday before Labour Day? Is your mind on a list? Is it on the Eskimos/Stamp’s game on Monday? Or is it on the people God has called you to know, love, care for and serve? Ask God to give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart for the people around you.

Have a great day,

Greg

Hey Church,

Wow! The car show and outdoor services last weekend were fantastic! I’m told there were over 300 vehicles (cars and motorcycles) registered for the show. The quality of entries, creativeness, and artistic skill that we witnessed was truly unbelievable. But as much as I enjoy looking at this kind of talent and beauty, I had an experience on Saturday that trumped it all for me.

I found myself in the South Atrium and for a few minutes, I surveyed the parking lot. It was filled with people from our community: families, neighbours, and people who might never otherwise be compelled to step onto our grounds. As I took in this scene, I had an overwhelming sense of pride in our church. I’m so proud that we could open our facility and arms to our community.

Sure, we attracted some beautiful cars (and bikes), and our men’s and compassion teams executed an amazing event and raised funds for worthy charities. But more important even than this, we wove a thread of community and hospitality into the lives of everyone that showed up on the weekend.

When you get a minute, check out this encouraging letter someone from our community submitted to the Sherwood Park News. As a pastor and a brother, let me express to you my admiration of our church and for all of you who served long hours from Friday afternoon right through Sunday afternoon. Well done, family!

See you soon,
Pastor Kevin-

Hey Church Family,

I grew up in a tradition in which spontaneous, eloquent, and passion-filled prayers were an indicator that you were really doing well as a Christian. I would hear people comment about someone’s public prayer with accolades and praise for the beauty and obvious sincerity of their petition to God. Other traditions that used written prayers were, at times, seen as lacking some sort of spiritual sensitivity that required them to prepare a speech instead of just sharing their hearts with God.

Over the last few years, I have been discovering the richness and depth of also praying prayers that others have penned in different times, places, and situations. These can include the prayers found in scripture as well as many other sources. There are so many times that I don’t have the words to express my heart to God. Some of these prayers that I read give voice to the expression of my soul.

I have a prayer to share with you. It was written by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 1500’s. Maybe you can pray this with me:

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.

Amen.

Peace,

Wade

Greetings SPAC family.

This morning I was reading in Hebrews chapter nine; it’s a meaty chapter. My point in sharing this with you isn’t so you’ll think more highly of me and my superior devotion to God and scripture. The fact is that in the last couple of weeks, my devotional times have been hit and miss. Summer and the change of routine play a large part in my struggle to be consistent, but laziness and lack of discipline are large contributors too.  I imagine many of you reading this share the same struggles with me.
This morning I was tempted to sleep in; it's been hot and humid, and I haven’t been sleeping well, but this morning I realized how much I’ve missed talking with and listening to God through the Word. A wonderful thing happened as I went to my favourite spot, coffee in hand, and opened God’s word—God showed up! And not in a condemning or shaming way. I felt God saying He missed me too, and that inspires me to be more devoted to my time with Him.
So part of my prayer this morning included a re-commitment to interact with God over the summer with my “go to” disciplines (reading, listening, prayer) but also through nature, community, and my family. As one of your pastors, let me encourage you to invite God into the unique rhythm of your summer. Let’s commit to being diligent, disciplined, creative and open to God’s presence during this season.

See you soon.
Pastor Kevin