Pastor's Message
The diary of George Mueller, a Christian social reformer from the Victorian era, chronicles his devotion in prayer: ‘In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals. I prayed every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on the land, on the sea, and whatever the pressure of my engagements might be. Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the five was converted. I thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years elapsed, and then the second was converted. I thanked God for the second and prayed on for the other three. Day by day, I continued to pray for them, and six years passed before the third was converted. I thanked God for the three and went on praying for the other two. These two remained unconverted.
Thirty-six years later he wrote that the other two, sons of one of Mueller's friends, were still not converted. He wrote, But I hope in God, I pray on, and look for the answer. They are not converted yet, but they will be. In 1897, fifty-two years after he began to pray, these two men were finally converted, after he died. Mueller understood what Jesus meant when he told his disciples "that they should always pray and not give up."
John Yu: we’re pleased to welcome John Yu as our part-time interim Mandarin Pastor. From 2011 to 2020, John served in Japan as a missionary to the Chinese congregation in a Tokyo church. John and his wife Karen live locally, and he is well known to our Mandarin ministry. We’re delighted to have him serve with us.
Council statement, October 23: Council chair Ken Radant gave an update to the congregation during the service on October 23. A number of our congregation requested a copy of his text, and this can be found under ‘News’ on our website.
Operation Christmas Child Outreach: please return your shoeboxes to the foyer by October 30 or November 6.
Silent Auction: Michael Wei has kindly donated a painting that may be seen in the foyer for a silent auction in aid of Ukraine. Proceeds will go to the Canadian Red Cross’ Ukraine initiative. See More
Date change: small group leader training will now be this Sunday, October 30, at 7:00pm in the Fireside room, not October 31 as had been originally planned. All are welcome and if you’re an experienced leader, we’d welcome your attendance too. You can share your wisdom! Any questions call Pastor Chris at 778.987.8102.
David Foster: many will be saddened by the recent passing of David Foster who attended WVBC for a number of years. David founded the Harvest Project in 1993, and it was his drive and enthusiasm which helped establish the work in its early years. David’s family is planning a private service.
Office Administrator: due to Toni Pankratz’s departure, we would like to invite candidates to apply for the role of Office Administrator. Details may be seen on our website and any queries should be directed to Pastor Chris at wvbc@westvanbaptist.com or 778.987.8102.
Wedding and Funeral Coordinator: due to Toni’s departure, we now have a need for a coordinator. Please contact Pastor Chris if you feel that you can contribute in this way. The role is compensated.
Chosen People Ministries: Pastor Chris and Gail, and Debra Ames will be with Chosen People Ministries in Israel from November 3 to15. Pastor Bob Bahr has kindly agreed to give oversight to the church’s ministry during this time.
Keats Fund Raiser: we’ve been notified that there will be a Keats Camp fundraiser this Friday (October 28) at The Pipe Shop Venue, North Vancouver from 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm. There’ll be a silent auction, amazing food, and a chance to hear about Keats work in the past year.
Website: A reminder that a sermon outline is available for the upcoming Sunday on the website under SERMONS. If you missed a previous sermon, they are available in the same area. Edited sermons are usually available by Tuesday afternoon.
Livestream: We are thankful for the prayers regarding issues we were having with our Livestream software as we were able to have it available for viewing last Sunday. On the website Livestream, there is the CHAT feature and the ORDER OF SERVICE available for you. There are still a few issues that we are working on to provide a better sound and viewing experience.