We’re Sorry… and We’re Fixing It

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Andy Wood

Dear WCV community – we’ve heard you and we get it. Participating in our Sunday Gatherings remotely is difficult enough. Technical glitches and difficulties amplify the challenge of being connected to the community. It is very difficult to participate in meaningful ways on Sunday mornings when you can’t hear or see very well… or at all. The past two Sundays have had their challenges in this regard.

We are so sorry this has happened and that many of you have felt more disconnected as a result… precisely the opposite of what technology promises and what we’re trying to do.

Lest this be an empty apology, allow me to outline what we’re doing to ensure a more seamless live-streaming experience. Here’s how we’re fixing the problems:

We’ve purchased a new camera to upgrade the video quality (no more fuzzy-from-the-back-of-the-sanctuary-view)
We’ve purchased other new gear that will improve the overall quality of the experience and will increase the capacity of the system to do things like overlay lyrics onto video, show slides and the speaker at the same time, have multiple camera angles, etc.
We’ve upgraded the computing power to run new production software and have ensured we have max available internet speed (and that nobody else clogging the wifi network on Sunday mornings).
We are making plans to upgrade the lighting on the stage so that the video quality is more clear, and are looking at further equipment to improve the audiostream for those who broadcast from home.

Our production team is working hard and will have several components of the new system installed for this coming Sunday. This will allow us to test and become familiar with the foundational essentials before bringing in further enhancements for the subsequent Sundays. The aim all along was to come up with a system that delivers consistent quality for those viewing, as well as simplicity and reliability for those running it. We don’t foresee a future without a video component to our Sunday Gatherings so we want to make sure the system is solid and teachable for our video production volunteers.

If you are interested or available to join the production team, please let Andrew in the office know.

Thank you for your patience and long-suffering.

We’ll see you Sunday morning at 10am!

Photos by Jesus Loves Austin on Unsplash and Andre Hunter on Unsplash.

Prayer Ministry

Posted on September 23, 2020September 23, 2020 by Andy Wood

Exciting news, WCV!

We’ve set up a way for Prayer Ministry to happen while you’re at home or in our Sunday Gatherings while maintaining all relevant protocols. Below are all the details regarding Personal Prayer Ministry and our Prayer Line:

Personal Prayer Ministry

This is for those who have a specific request and you want someone to pray with you directly. Think of it like what happens during Prayer Ministry time on our Sunday Gatherings when one or two people pray for someone. These are shorter (10 mins max) times of prayer.

If you request prayer on a Sunday morning, someone from the Prayer ministry team will respond that same Sunday morning via a phone call.
If you request prayer any other time during the week (other than Sunday mornings), someone from the Prayer Ministry Team will respond within two days to set up a time for a phone call.

Click on the button above or email PersonalPrayer@WCVchurch.ca to request personal prayer ministry.
Make sure to provide a phone number so the Prayer Ministry team can reach you.

Prayer Line

The Prayer Line is for those requests which need a lot of people praying quickly for a given need. It is a moderated email subscription list that goes out to over 50 people who pray for whatever requests are sent. The Prayer Line is moderated by a Prayer Oversight Team member.

Please keep in mind that highly personal or inappropriate details may be edited or deleted. Also, please note that the Prayer Line is meant to be primarily for the WCV community or those connected in some way.

If you want to be added to the Prayer Line in order to be part of the team who prays for request as they come in, sign up here.

Click on the button above or email PrayerLine@WCVchurch.ca to submit a prayer request.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Need a House Group?

Posted on September 3, 2020September 3, 2020 by Andy Wood

This Fall we’re encouraging everyone to participate in a House Group. Following Jesus is never a lone-ranger deal. We need each other. The care, companionship, support, encouragement, challenge and joy that comes in life-on-life situations is key to becoming more Christlike.

A short survey of the New Testament indicates the priority the early church had on meeting together in homes. Here’s a quick summary: Acts 2:46, 5:42 and 20:20 they went “house to house”. In Acts 8:3, “house after house”. They met in Cornelius’ house (Acts 10:2), Mary’s house (Acts 12:12), the Jailor’s house (Acts 16:32), Lydia’s house (Acts 16:40) and Titius Justus’ house (Acts 18:7). Elsewhere in the New Testament they met in Priscila & Aquila’s home (Rom 16:5), Nympha’s house (Col 4:15), and Philemon’s house (Phil 1:2).

In a time when many of us have been more isolated than we would like, now is a time to press in to House Groups. There will be some old ones continuing on, some will rearrange, and a few new groups will be starting as well!

Also, one of the House Groups this year will be running the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality course. If you missed it last Fall, this is an opportunity for you. It is a commitment, but well worth it. You can find out more about it here.

If you are currently in a group, please reach out to your House Group leader / facilitator and see if there are plans for this Fall.

If you are not currently part of a House Group, or if you want to mix up your current group and meet new people, please let us know. We are collecting names and a few details that will help us create new groups for this Fall – including the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality group. We are asking new House Groups to commit to a 3-month Fall schedule. Some will meet weekly, others bi-weekly. Some will meet in person, others online.

For those groups that will be meeting in person, Covid-19 protocols will be in place. Those experiencing any symptoms should stay home. Those gathering in person will practice physical distancing and hand sanitization. Of course we will update requirements if and when restrictions change.

If you want to be in a Regular House Group this Fall, or if you would like to participate in the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Group, please fill out this form:

Create your own user feedback survey

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

Community Input for Fall Planning

Posted on August 13, 2020August 19, 2020 by Andy Wood

Dear WCV Community,

At a recent Elder’s meeting there was a keen sense that WCV is about to turn a corner out of the turbulent waters of the past few years. “A new thing springing up” (Isaiah43:19) is a word for us in this season. This is super encouraging, but we still need to lead well, especially given the current Covid realities. So we need to know where you are at and how you are feeling regarding a few of the key elements of our regular community rhythms: specifically House Groups and Sunday Gatherings.

The writer of Hebrews encourages “don’t give up gathering together.” (Hebrews 10:25). How do we not give up gathering given the corporate restrictions in place? What should we do given the broad spectrum of needs, requirements and experiences in our community? What should we do with our kids? These are all questions we’re wrestling with. This season requires us to be nimble, flexible and creative as we seek to follow Jesus as best we can.

Would you take a moment to answer 5 survey questions (they can be as simple as yes or no answers)? Your responses will inform plans for the Fall. One thing we know for sure is that House Groups will be vital in order to continue to grow and pursue what Jesus has for us. Also, we are looking at starting up physical in-person gatherings again soon while both adhering to all the current protocols as well as continuing our online live-feed broadcasts.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

>>Complete the survey here (opens in a new tab)

“I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.”
Isaiah 43:19 (CEV)

Photos by Alexandre Grégoire on Unsplash, Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Summer Update

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Andy Wood

Dear WCV,

Happy summer to you all. I thought it would be good to give you a heads up on a few items as we head into the summer.

Connecting

Can we be making sure we are caring for each other in this time? For many in our community, these are disconnected times. I’d love for us to take initiative and reach out to one another. A visit in the park. A text or phone call. Any kind of expression of thought and care can go a long way to helping us feel connected and in this together. As Paul says in Galatians (6:9-10), let’s not weary of doing good to all, but especially to those in the community (my own paraphrase, but that is basically what he’s saying!).

I (Andy) will be on vacation for the next few weeks. If there are any pastoral needs that arise during this time please be in touch with your House Group leader (if you’re in a House Group) or anyone from the Leadership team (Elders & BOD) with whom you are familiar. They can initiate a response as needed. Violet is also around and will be available connect people with an appropriate response from one of the Elders should the need arise. If you’re not sure who to contact you can always reach out to the office and Vanessa will forward your message to the appropriate people.

Gathering

Throughout the summer we will continue to meet online on Sunday mornings. Can I encourage you to join and participate in whatever way works for you? Sunday mornings are live on Facebook, but can also be viewed after-the-fact either on Facebook or on our website.

Also there are some House Groups who are beginning to connect in person again. This is great and I’d like to encourage every House Group to be in touch about connecting in some way shape or form.

Praying

We will be meeting every other Wednesday for prayer throughout the summer. The remaining prayer meetings are July 22, Aug 5 & 19. If you want to participate here is the link. Watch your email for a reminder and the password to join before each meeting.

Kids & Youth

Dustin and Dynel Davidson stepped into the Kids and Youth Ministry director roles early this Spring on an interim basis. They have served in the midst of a very turbulent time – in fact Dustin only had one meeting with the Youth in person before Covid hit! Their interim service was completed June 30. We want to express our gratitude to both of them for doing such a great job in the midst of a difficult season! Thanks D&D!

We are working at assessing our needs and determining the best path forward for both our children and youth in the Fall. Will you pray with us for our younger generations? They need mentors, leaders, encouragers and role models. We will be having a few focus groups in August to pray and plan for our next steps. If you have an interest in being part of a possible youth leadership team, please contact the office.

Looking Forward

At this time we are looking to resume some form of in-person gatherings near the end of August. Of course there are many factors that need to come together for this to become a reality, but this is what we are currently aiming for. Even when we begin meeting in person again, we will continue to have an online live-streamed presence for those who are not able or not comfortable attending in-person gatherings.

At our latest Elder’s meeting (we met last Monday) there was a distinct sense of encouragement and leading of the Holy Spirit. We came away with a keen sense that God is leading us into a season of re-planting and renewal. Over the past year there have been some significant prophetic words given to the community which seem to indicate the same. We are excited as we seek to “turn the corner” so to speak. Even in the midst of the new Covid realities God is working and bringing something new to us.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.“
Isaiah 43:19

Enjoy your summer!

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash