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An Invitation to Create

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The Creative Team would like to invite you to participate in a series of artistic expressions that centre around Advent. The season of Advent provides an opportunity to slow down, to reflect, to consider and to give attention to the story at the centre of our faith. When art is shared communally it can be a powerful gift. We are looking for poets, songwriters, dancers, painters and makers of all kinds.

“When art is shared communally it can be a powerful gift.”

Our advent series will lead us into a time of contemplating the humility of Christ – The Humble King. We will spend time exploring Paul’s text found in Philippians 2:1-11 as we journey through the traditional advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love through this lens.

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,  make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.”

 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Our goal is to nurture and celebrate the diversity of gifts within our community and we hope to highlight and incorporate creative art into our worship time at WCV. There are a variety of ways for this to be done. If you would like to participate in any way, please contact Krista Heide or Jessica Williams.

 

Encounter God Nights

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Our very own WCV Youth have come together to plan and prepare some open worship evenings for our whole congregation. The heart behind this is to provide a space to come together in worship and to engage in what God is doing among us. We want to nurture deeper relationships with God and with each other. Our next Encounter God Night will be on Thursday, November 29th at 7pm in the Sanctuary. We’d love for you to join us.

A Light Unto My Path

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Here is a special message from Gloria Fligg summarizing the fall session of Kid’s Church:

“For the past two months, we’ve had lots of fun upstairs in Kids’ Church! We learned about lighthouses and how they illuminate our path, and keep us from danger. We compared God’s word to a lighthouse, and learned the verse, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). We also talked about how God’s word is like a double-edged sword, and we heard about the Bible story of Samuel and how he heard God speak to him, even as a very young boy.

“This is truly an amazing group of children; I have so enjoyed working with them.”

The adventures continued with our “Roaming through Romans” lessons and the accompanying centres (at each one, the children learned about a different concept found in Romans). Last Sunday, we also spoke about the life of Paul (the author of Romans), and how Jesus radically changed his life. We will wrap up our fall with a fun lesson about how even though it can be scary to “let go” and trust God, our lives will always be rewarded when we do. Stay tuned for a fun object lesson involving apples and some delicious apple crisp. Every week, we also participated in praise and worship, learned Bible verses, and did lots of art projects. This is truly an amazing group of children; I have so enjoyed working with them. Thanks so much to all the leaders and helpers too. Kids’ Church wouldn’t be possible without all of you!”  -Gloria Fligg

Next Sunday Gifts4God will begin. Leaders are in place and our elementary kids are looking forward to the fun. There is so much joy that comes as we nurture and explore the gifts inside of us. This is what Gifts4God is all about! Over the next six weeks our kids will participate in cooking, sports, arts & crafts, dance, drama and comic art. A very big “thank you” to everyone who has come alongside the Kids’ Church ministry to help make this happen!

Youth Groups @ WCV

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It’s wonderful to have our Youth Calendars finalized for the fall! We’re looking forward to all God has for these groups this year.

There are three different youth groups at WCV.

>>Our Senior Youth Group is for all youth grades 9-12. They meet as a small group every second Thursday night at Jodi and Mike Labun’s place.

>>Our Junior Youth Group is for all youth grades 7-8. They meet every other Saturday night in host homes.

>>Club 56 is for kids in grades 5-6. They meet one Saturday night each month at WCV.

Additional Youth Events are scheduled and you can access the full calendar below, or pick up a schedule at WCV on the information table.

Sr. Youth Schedule Fall & Winter Schedule 2018 

Jr. Youth Schedule Fall & Winter Schedule 2018

Club 56 Brochure

Help Needed in the New Year

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As we plan for the new year we can see that we are in need of a few new volunteers for our Sunday morning gatherings. If you would like to give to the community in this way we’d love to have some new faces join our serving rotation in 2019!

Please prayerfully consider the following roles.

MAIN GATHERING NEEDS: *Orientation will be provided for all roles, some will have additional training.

Sound Board Technicians: 1 -This job requires an niche for music and an early morning (8:15am) arrival. *Additional training will be provided.

Ushers: 2 – A simple but important responsibility on a Sunday morning. The lead usher coordinates passing the offering baskets, fills out our Sunday morning tally (head count), receives newcomer registrations and locks up the offering after it has been collected. *Women are welcome!

Projectionists: 1 – The projectionist should arrive by 9:15am to make sure all music, power points & slides are in order. *Additional training will be provided.

Communion: 1 – Communion preparation requires a 9:15am arrival to fill the cups and break the bread. There is space for creativity in this role with how the table is set & prepared. Post service clean up takes approximately 15 minutes.

Kids Church Update

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We are in a new season of Kids Church at WCV and we’re off to a good start. Here is a word from Gloria Fligg on what our elementary kids have to look forward to in the months ahead:

“This last week we had an amazing time as we began Kids Church for another year! For the next two months, our theme will be “lighthouses.” We will be comparing God’s Word to a lighthouse that illuminates our way, especially as we go through storms in this life. We are learning the verse, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” We decorated our own “lighthouse” bulletin board, drew our own paths and finally we painted our own “footprints” on them. Next week, we are doing more artwork: we will be making our own lighthouses for our paths, after we learn how we can use God’s word to speak the truth over our lives. It’s such a privilege to lead this awesome group of kids! If your child is in Grades 1-4, we hope to see them there!”

Thank you to Gloria and to all the other volunteers who serve our children in this way. We’re so grateful for you!

Grief Run

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We are planning a Grief Run this Saturday, September 22nd, 9:00am at Whittier Park.

Amanda Leighton has organized this event for our community. She writes, “This is something visceral & physical for us to do together as an expression of our sadness and our anger and our anguish; as an expression of our grief. It is an act of prayer and worship in truth and honesty.”

“We will run through the darkness to get to the Light.” -Joyce Rees 

The run is approximately 2 km and will take about 25 minutes at a slow to medium pace. The route is suitable for all paces – walk, jog or sprint. The path will be well marked and it will be easy to see each other and stay together. There will be a guided liturgy to help center us before and after.

Everyone is welcome.

We will meet at the shelter in front of Fort Gibraltor.

Moving Through – some encouragements

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We want to take this opportunity to encourage you, wherever you’re at and whatever you’re feeling regarding the news we’ve received about Nathan. Like we’ve been acknowledging as a leadership team and like we’ve been hearing directly from many of you, there is a whole range of reactions, responses and ways of dealing with this situation that each of us will engage in. In the spirit of the Psalms, and with a posture of dependence and prayer, let’s bring whatever we’re carrying, whatever we’re feeling, to the feet of the Lord. This begins by acknowledging where we’re at. By being real, honest and vulnerable – by worshipping in spirit and in the truth of where we’re at. As we do this, our Father will lift us – Jesus, our Immanuel will be with us – the Holy Spirit will fill us. We will be met wherever we’re at, and God will be with us as we move through this. This is our hope.

As we continue to work through all the implications of this news we want to draw your attention to some opportunities for corporate prayer.

Pre-Gathering Prayer:

Our Pre-Gathering Prayer gathering happens in the Comfy Couch Room from 9:15 – 9:45 every Sunday morning. It is specifically a time to hold the church in prayer and to listen to what God may be saying for that gathering. It isn’t a time for personal ministry, although that sometimes happens.

Prayer Evening:

Thursday September 27 will be another Prayer evening similar to the one we hosted a few weeks ago. Please put this on your calendars.

Other Resources:

If you feel like you need to discuss this situation with someone in leadership, please don’t hesitate to reach out. If you don’t know who to contact, please just call the office and one of the Pastors, Elders or BOD members will return your call.

Lastly, we want to encourage those of you who need it, to access counselling. We know this situation has been triggering for some. We can help you find an appropriate and safe place to work through it. Contact the office.

Kids Church at WCV

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We are excited for this season of Kids Church at WCV. As we prepare, there are a few things we want you to know.

Leaders are in place and ready to come alongside our children and youth to be a positive presence and a source of love and encouragement in their lives. One important aspect of WCV’s Generations Ministry is the safety of all children in our care. Our Plan to Protect policy helps to insure that WCV is a safe place. Kid Check is an important part of this. As has always been the case, it is mandatory that every minor (age 18 and under), every guardian and every Generations Ministry worker is registered through Kid Check and wears their name tag every Sunday. There are no exceptions to this rule. We love the young people God has entrusted to us and we want to do everything we can to make sure they know that they are safe with us so they can be free to learn and grow into all God has for them. Please help us by being responsible in this way as Kids Church resumes this fall.

We also want to highlight a few changes this year. Our “Jouth” (Jr. Youth, Grades 5-6) will meet every Sunday  in the youth room. Our Youth (Grades 7-12) will be meeting every other Sunday. When there is no youth they are welcome and encouraged to remain in the service.

Lastly, we are still in need of leaders who will step up in different areas including Kid Check, Gifts4God and Pre-School leaders. If you can help please contact Jodi Labun.

Welcome back, everyone! We look forward to having you with us.

 

 

When the Church Seeks First the Kingdom

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Here is an important message given by David Ruis at our National Gathering in Montreal this past summer. Situating us as a Vineyard movement in Canada in the context of where we’re coming from and where God is leading us. It’s an inspired talk. Please take the time to listen – especially in this time of shaking.

>>Click here to download the talk and to view the speaking notes.

 

The end game was never to be signs and wonders. The end game was never to be the published song. The end game was to be “Jesus getting his church back.”

 

Zeus. Poseidon. Aphrodite. Mammon. Consumerism. Racism. Privilege. Abusive power. Lust. Rage. Insanity. Greed. The Lamb has disarmed you, making a public spectacle of you at the cross. We will not bow. We will not submit.

 

“The other really disarming thing for me was the current fruit of a Quaker branch, this capacity to wait. To rest. To not hype or coerce not only the work of the Spirit, but our engagement in the church. All of this impacted the worship. Not only the songs themselves, which reached for a level of intimacy and authenticity like I had never experienced but “why” the songs were not only sung, but set in this certain sacramental way full of expectation and hope, yet not afraid of an almost uncomfortable ease with the place of brokenness.

 

“Oh Lord, have mercy on me. And heal me.
Oh Lord, have mercy on me. And free me.
Place my feet upon a rock.
Put a new song in my heart. In my heart.
Oh Lord. Have mercy on me.”

We were to continue to grow up and into these aspects of “our lane.” Peter Davids, I think, nailed it in 2004.  We were not to camp here. The racial middle of 2018 is not perhaps the radical middle of 1987.”

 

You’re part of something that is in motion and will not stop in its violent commitment to reach, to dream, to prophetically embody and cooperate with, surrender to and engage in in the transforming power of this kingdom coming. This kingdom here.

Repent.

Think again.

Reach again.

Believe again.

Dream again.

The kingdom is upon us. It is here, now, and yet with still a whole lot more to come.

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus. The Spirit and the Bride cry out. Creation groans. Can you hear the cries of the oppressed? The hurting? The dying? Those entangled by the power of their greed? Their need to consume? Their need to belong? To be something?

The endless cycle of the oppressor and the oppressed. The relentless whirlpool of wounding and revenge. The crippling disease of a consumerism that will never. Never. Be enough.

Come. Come all who thirst. Come all who bleed. Come out all who are hiding. Come all who long.

Messages of Love

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Over the past few weeks many people have contacted WCV with messages of love, encouragement and assurance of prayer for all of us. Here are just a few we’d like to highlight for you now.

Joyce Rees (National Council Member and Pastor at Epic Vineyard in Kelowna)

The LORD is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

“In all circumstances we look to the Lord, and our great comfort is that He is close, especially to those who are “crushed in spirit”. My encouragement is that you would keep turning toward Him. Speak honestly to Him. Many are praying, most hours of every day, that you would experience the Holy Spirit’s presence very near to you. We are sending you our love.”

David and Anita Ruis (Vineyard Canada National Directors)

“You are not alone.”

“Hey WCV family,

We just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know we love you and are walking beside you as you journey through this challenging time.

People coast to coast are holding you in prayer. We are coming alongside your team there with as much resourcing and support as we can muster.

You are not alone. We’re in this together. Be assured of our care and concern for everyone impacted, and our deep awareness of the wide range of emotions, reactions and triggers that such events bring to the surface. We are extremely proud of the way you are handling this.

Huge love and prayers.”

David and Anita, on behalf of your Vineyard Canada family.

And this week Provencher Community Church gifted us this painting that was created for our community during a recent worship service. It was delivered personally, with warmth and love. The back is signed, “Standing together with our Vineyard family.”

There are many more messages like this that will continue to be shared.

Kids Church Start Up

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Our WCV Kids Church will resume next Sunday, September 16th. This Sunday’s service will continue to model our typical summer schedule. A video series is being shown in the Comfy Couch Room during the sermon as an option for the kids. Parents are asked to stay with their children if they are watching the video. All are welcome to remain in the service as well.

Update on our Retreats & Other Opportunities

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In light of our current circumstance, we have, with sadness, cancelled our Men’s, Women’s, and Youth retreats this year. We are walking out this situation and responding to the needs of the congregation. We are creating more ways for the community to process, grieve, and connect that is more manageable and involves less planning than the retreats. Our next step in this process is as follows:

  • August 23rd, (tomorrow night)we will be having a Prayer Night, at 7 pm in the Sanctuary. We invite you to come, intercede for the church body, call out to God for mercy, wisdom and continued healing for all those affected.

Thank you for your love, understanding, and prayer for us.

If you have any ideas for connection, have any questions, or need to reach out to anyone, please contact the office.

~ The Leadership Team