Pastor's Message - Chris Kibble
I was recently reading this in Moody’s Anecdotes. ‘Show me a church where there is love, and I will show you a church that is a power in the community. In Chicago some years ago a little boy attended a Sunday school I know of. When his parents moved to another part of the city, the little fellow still attended the same Sunday school, although it meant a long, tiresome walk each way. A friend asked him why he went so far and told him that there were plenty of other Sunday schools just as good nearer his home. "They may be as good for others, but not for me," was his reply. "Why not?" she asked. "Because they love a fellow over there," he replied.
The writer continues, ‘If only we could make the world believe that we loved them there would be fewer empty churches and a smaller proportion of our population who never darken a church door. Let love replace duty in our church relations, and the world will soon be evangelized’ I think such thoughts are most appropriate in today’s context.’
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Today, September 30, 2021, marks the first such day. The day honours the lost children and residential schools survivors, their families, and communities. Recalling the tragic and painful history and the impacts of residential schools is an important part of the reconciliation process. Please take some time today to reflect on the tragedies and injustices, and pray for healing, and guidance.
Volunteers needed: upon re-opening, we will need the services of volunteers to help run our Sunday services. We are looking for camera controllers, Fireside room laptop monitors, PowerPoint operators, and audio (sound) operators. Excellent training will be provided, some technical experience is needed. Please contact Judy Thompson at jthompson@westvanbaptist.com or Don Hill at donhill@hilltopconsulting.ca if you can assist.
55+: Options for Retirement Living: Jamey McDonald, CEO of Beulah Garden Homes, will be our speaker on October 15, 202l, 12:00 noon to 2pm in the Fireside room. The cost will be $10 either at the door or by registering on the church website at Events. Those who paid for the last luncheon which was cancelled need not pay again. Lunch is provided. All guests need to be fully vaccinated: please bring your vaccination certificate and ID with you on the day. If you have any questions, call the office for contact information.
Welcoming Refugees - Journey Home Fundraiser. Please join us on Zoom - Wednesday, October 20 at 7pm. West Vancouver Baptist has already welcomed claimant refugee families from Afghanistan and Colombia. This was achieved with the strong support of our valued Christian partner, Journey Home Community (JHC), which has settled hundreds of refugees from all over the world. JHC is currently working with our local Afghan community in hope of settling some of their family members who are now refugees.
Russ Fox comments, "We’ll have an exciting program you won’t want to miss! Our guest speaker will be Brad Kinnie, Executive Director JHC, who will lead us in an interactive experience “A Walk in Refugee’s Shoes”. We will also hear directly from a refugee claimant! You will learn, you will be moved, and you will be blessed!
Our church fundraising goal is $4,000! Please invite your family and friends to join us whether they can give or not! If your small group meets on October 20 we hope you will join us. Please click on the link below to join the zoom meeting and/or donate at any time. See the EVENTS page for links.
Logos Toastmasters: we have welcomed back Toastmasters to our facilities. Toastmasters is presently meeting on Mondays evenings from 7:15-9:15pm in our Stage Room. Everyone is welcome to join and for more information please visit their website.