Good morning. Holy Week is underway, the most important week of the year for we who are followers of Jesus. This is a week to remember- remember what Jesus did and remember what an empty cross and empty tomb means- sin has been defeated and so has death.  That gives a hope which transcends understanding and also helps carry us through the days we’re in.
 
 
Good Friday Service
On 10:30am here at GBC, and our livestream, we will be reflecting on the cross and the payment Jesus made for our sins at our annual God Friday service.
Join us for this reflective time, with includes communion, as we consider what Jesus did for us and how his death sets us free.
 
 
Join us in Prayer
Now that our 40 Days of Prayer campaign is done, what was your experience like?  Do you have any feedback? Any thoughts to share?  You can send them to Patrick or me as we’d love to hear about this.
 
On Wednesday afternoons at 3pm a small group of people gather here at GBC for prayer. We’re focusing on the themes in the 40 Days of Prayer for March. Feel free to join us!
 
 
Thought for the Day:  Why the need for the Easter sacrifice of Jesus? Pt.1
At Easter we remember and celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus. Have you ever wondered, though, why He needed to do this?

The prophet Micah wrote: “I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness.” 

What does it mean to plead? Think of it this way: you’re caught. You’ve arrested and charged. There’s not much point in resisting since you know you are guilty. You stand before the judge, ashamed and humiliated. What can you do? There is no way out of this unless someone pleads your case. But who would plead the case of a man who has already confessed to the crime? Actually, only one person could do such a thing – the injured party. The only person able to speak for the criminal is the victim.

That’s the scenario in Micah’s courtroom description: I have offended the Most High God. He is the injured party. There is no question about my guilt. Therefore, only He is able to take up my case and bring about justice. The law demands punishment, but the victim can plead for mercy. If God doesn’t act on my behalf, there is nothing ahead but wrath and misery.

The Hebrew word we translate as ‘plead’ comes directly from the courtroom. It means to conduct a lawsuit, to contest and dispute in legal proceedings. God Himself uses this word to describe His accusation against idolatrous Israel in the Old Testament. Now Micah says that unless God takes up our sorrowful verdict, we are lost. In the court of heaven, I need the best attorney in all creation, and that, of course, is the merciful Lord Himself. That’s why there was a need for a sacrifice. More on this Thursday.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

​Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week! I continue to reflect on the reconciliation service we had with Lakeside Church on Sunday. I’ve heard from a number of you how powerful that was and I certainly agree.  There is great blessing when God’s church walks in unity. May this apply to all of us here at GBC as well as we walk with one another.
 
 
40 Days of Prayer Update
This is Day 37 of our 40 Days of Prayer journey.  Today we’re praying that God would use us to impact our nation for his glory. This is a bold prayer, but we serve a bold God.
It’s hard to believe we’re almost done. How has your experience with the 40 Days been? If you have any insights or experiences with this, I’d love to hear about it. Let me know.  Beyond this, I’d encourage you to continue to pray for our church and for your own spiritual journey.
 
 
Prayer Chain Update
Speaking of prayer, would you like prayer from the GBC congregation?  We wish to provide everyone in GBC, especially new members, with the opportunity to receive prayer when requested from the GBC prayer chain.  For those who may not be familiar, this is a means by which people of GBC can share prayer requests and praise items within your GBC family.  Here are a few key points about the prayer chain emails:
1)      To put forward a prayer request, please email Anne Coughey at [email protected]
2)      Prayer requests should be limited to those attending GBC or their immediate family.
3)    If you are requesting prayer for someone else, please ensure you have their permission before requesting that it be sent out in the prayer chain  
4)      We also are happy to hear about praise items so that we can all rejoice and praise our great God and Savior (For example, someone who prayed to receive Christ)  
 
If you have any questions, would like to know more, or would like to join the prayer chain and pray for your GBC family, please contact Anne Coughey
 
 
Join us Sunday
Jacob will be continuing our series to prepare us for Easter: “Love lived out …Jesus in his own words.” This week he will I look at Jesus’ crucifixion and his powerful words: “it is finished.” What does this mean and what does it mean for us?  Find out on Sunday! 
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
Thought for the Day: Why the Cross? 
The cross is a crucial symbol of the Christian faith. We see it pop up everywhere: perched atop a church, carved into a graveyard headstone or engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is our universal symbol.  Yet it’s an odd choice, don’t you think? Why Chris?  It’s strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution?
Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman’s noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? I hope not!  Yet we do so with the cross.
So why then is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out—like God’s love. The other reaches up—as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards. The cross is our symbol of hope.
How could he do this? In a sentence: God put our sin on his Son and punished it there.
The Message says it this way: “God put on him the wrong who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God”. 
So, why the cross? That’s why!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris 

Good morning!  Spring has sprung. I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year. I find it so encouraging.
I’m starting a news series of devotional ‘Thoughts for the Day’ called “Why Easter?”  I’ll look at some of the things we perhaps take for granted to get a clearer sense of the significance of this incredible event.  You might want to take these short thoughts and share with your friends and those you know to give them something to consider as we prepare for Easter.
 
 
Communion This Sunday!
Our next opportunity to participate in communion will be held this Sunday. I would encourage you to spend time this week preparing your hearts to commune with the Lord. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that when we take communion “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”  This is a great thing to remember: Jesus is coming back and when he does everything changes.   We’ll be remembering that on Sunday. I hope you’ll celebrate with us.
For those joining us on our livestream, I’d encourage you to participate.  If you’d like a set of the elements we’ll be using, let me know and I can arrange delivery.
 
 
Notice of Annual Meeting
Please plan to join us for our next Annual General Meeting (AGM) this Sunday, March 28 at 12:15 p.m. following our morning service.  The purpose of the 30-minute meeting is to approve the 2020 financial statements, approve the 2021 budget, appoint an auditor and elect Directors to hold office until the next annual general meeting.  If you are member and are unable to attend, please complete a proxy form (attached) to ensure that we achieve quorum for the AGM.
We hope to see you there!
 
 
Prayer
On Wednesday afternoons at 3pm a small group of people gather here at GBC for prayer. We’re focusing on the themes in the 40 Days of Prayer for March. Feel free to join us!
 
 
Thought for the day: Why Do Christians Celebrate Easter?
Back in the 1880’s philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously declared that “God is dead,” and before the turn of the twentieth century, authors Bernard Shaw and HG Wells both declared the 20th Century would mark the end of the world’s “religious phase.”
 
All were wrong.
 
Yet, today a church now meets in Russia’s former Museum of Atheism., churches continue to thrive even under communist suppression in China, the gospel continues to sweep across Africa and Latin America and every Sunday millions of people gather in the name of Jesus in North America including here at GBC. No, God is not dead.
 
Nietzsche, Shaw and Wells have long since decayed in their graves, and God continues to live! That’s the message of Easter. He is risen. He is risen, indeed!
 
Muhammad died, and was buried. His faithful followers take pilgrimages to visit his remains, the same is true of Buddha and other religious leaders. But it is not true of Jesus. You can’t visit His remains, you can only visit His empty grave, because He isn’t there. He arose!  Jesus is alive, he’s coming again, and when he does, everything changes. That gives a hope for any situation, even the times we’re in.
That’s why we celebrate Easter!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris
 

 Good morning! I hope you’re making this a great week. It’s a bit chilly today, a good reminder we’re not quite there yet in terms of full spring. Still, we know it’s coming. This can be like our spiritual experience. We can feel like we’re so close to that breakthrough and yet not quite there. Remember, it takes time, be patient, keep going and hang in there, its coming!
 
 
Join us Sunday
I’m continuing our new series to prepare us for Easter: “Love lived out …Jesus in his own words.” We’re continuing with the theme from our previous series looking at Jesus words and seeing how they impact us today but now we’ll be looking at those which happened during Holy Week.  This week I look at Jesus arrest and his meeting with Governor Pilate and the question: “What is truth?” 
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
40 Days of Prayer Update
This is Day 30 of our 40 Days of Prayer journey.  The title for today is “Become a Church Cheerleader”.  I really like this thought and not just because I’m a pastor!  I like the prayer and challenge for the day: “pray today that God will show you ways you can support your church vocally with encouraging words as you move forward towards the Great Commission.”  What a great thought, and also opportunity! May we all be found to be encouragers of what God is doing through us here at GBC.
 
 
Thought for the Day: Final thoughts on developing character like Jesus
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been challenged personally by what I’ve been sharing about developing positive character traits using Jesus as our guide.
The last one I want to share is one that Jesus showed so often: Humility
Jesus had every opportunity and right to demand praise and honour for His miracles and teachings, but He never did. Even when the crowds sought to make Him king, He rushed away from them. He didn’t want to become a sideshow performance that people could enjoy. Rather, He wanted to seek and save the lost and offer forgiveness for sinful people. Yes, He could have traveled around in order to show off His powers in other towns, but He chose not to.  As we read in Philippians 2, he humbled himself, became nothing, acting like a servant. Wow!  What an example.
So, that’s it. That’s what I’d like to share. As for some final thoughts I’d say this:
The world doesn’t need more role models, it needs more of Jesus—the ultimate role model. People will not find a better person to emulate positive character traits from than Jesus Christ himself.  With that in mind though, its important to remember that Jesus was God and so was perfect.  While we can learn from him and his example we have to be careful how we measure ourselves against him too.  We’ll never be perfect this side of heaven like he was so the key then becomes using him as a guide and being the best possible versions of ourselves we’re capable of being. It’s a tough challenge but a worthy endeavor. Strive!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

Good morning!  It was great to start our Easter series on Sunday. Thanks for the great feedback I received, I appreciate your encouragement a lot.
I suspect most of us are on various points of the spectrum right now in terms of our experience and views on everything going on right now but we can be united in our appreciation for all God has done through Jesus for us which comes into focus at Easter. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on that and radiate the hope the empty cross and empty tomb gives us all.
 
 
Notice of Annual Meeting
Please plan to join us for our next Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, March 28 at 12:15 p.m. following our morning service.  The purpose of the 30-minute meeting is to approve the 2020 financial statements, approve the 2021 budget, appoint an auditor and elect Directors to hold office until the next annual general meeting.  If you are member and are unable to attend, please complete a proxy form (emailed out or at office) to ensure that we achieve quorum for the AGM.
We hope to see you there!
 
 
Prayer
On Wednesday afternoons at 3pm a small group of people gather here at GBC for prayer. We’re focusing on the themes in the 40 Days of Prayer for March. Feel free to join us!
 
 
Thought for the day: Be patient and self-controlled
As we continue to look at some of the character traits of Jesus and how they could apply to our lives I have to confess that the ones I’m looking at today are likely the hardest ones for me personally but have born the most fruit when I’ve gotten them right:  patience and self-control
Throughout the gospels, Jesus clearly gets portrayed as a very patient man. After all, He was surrounded by disciples who constantly doubted him, Pharisees and Sadducees who continually attacked Him, and large crowds who wouldn’t leave Him alone. Despite all of that, He kept His composure and responded appropriately to every individual. Patience is the ability to see something through to the end, especially something that might be challenging or unpleasant. Patience is a character trait, but also a skill we can work on to improve. I know I am!
Related, in a way, is self-control.  Before His ministry was launched, Jesus spent time being tempted by the Devil in the wilderness. Although He was offered food, power, and many other things, Jesus controlled His desires and submitted them all to the will of the Father. Yes, He had desires for food and such, but He had a greater desire to obey the Father and accomplish what He’d set out to do. Self-control is the ability to deny oneself something for a greater objective. We live in a society that encourages us to deny ourselves nothing. This is something we can all grow from and through.
Patience and self-control, two difficult but valuable things. Makes sense doesn’t it? Nothing of value comes without cost.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

​Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week! It’s hard not to, though, with these spring-like days we’re having.
Hard to believe we’re approaching Easter and starting our teaching series to prepare for the big day. It’s been quite the year, to say the least, which is all the more reason to focus on the words of Jesus and what He did for us!
 
 
Join us Sunday
I will be beginning our new series to prepare us for Easter: “Love lived out …Jesus in his own words.” We’ll be continuing with the theme from our previous series looking at Jesus words and seeing how they impact us today but now we’ll be looking at those which happened during Holy Week.  My hope and prayer is this will not only be an encouragement but also a challenge to live love out in your own life.
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
40 Days of Prayer Update
This is Day 23 of our 40 Days of Prayer journey.  Today we’re praying that God would help us all align with his vision for GBC.   Many of us (like me!) are strong willed individuals and so aligning to something not of our creation is often a challenge. God has called us here at GBC to see lives transformed through Him. That’s our vision. So the question for reflection, and prayer today is: how can we be sure our actions are aligned to God’s call for our church?
 
 
Shower Update
We continue to pray for Levi Tamminga and Ken and Rebekah. May the Lord’s hand of protection, provision and healing be upon this family. Last week I announced we’d be having a shower to celebrate with this family on the 20th. For obvious reasons, we need to postpone to a later date.  We’ll let you know when that’s going to happen.
 
 
Thought for the day: Be prayerful and practice gentleness to show true strength
As we go through the 40 Days of Prayer as a church, I am reminded that Jesus was a man of prayer. In fact, I’ll be looking at perhaps his greatest prayer on Sunday. So, as we look at character and how to live it out, we should seek to be prayerful in our own lives.
No matter how busy His ministry got, Jesus found time to be alone and pray. Whether it is in the garden of Gethsemane, across a river, or on a mountaintop, Jesus disappeared for a while in order to pray to God, the Father. People always tried to find Him, and He never turned them away, but He also made sure to make time spent with His heavenly Father a priority. May this be something our lives are noted by.
Okay, that was probably an obvious one.  But how about this?  Jesus was seen to have a spirit of gentleness.
There were certainly times where Jesus used stern words, but He knew when gentleness was appropriate. Children seemed to love coming to him, and He made sure the disciples knew not to hinder them when they did so. When speaking with His disciples, mother, or other people, He could be very kind-hearted and gentle. But, when He was giving someone a rebuke or making a point in an argument, He knew when turning up the heat was necessary and only did so strategically. He could be characterized as meek. Meekness, or gentleness, is not weakness, but strength under control. In these emotionally-charged days this is a critical trait for we who would like to follow Jesus to practice.
In an era of action, of varying expressions of power, the one who is prayerful and shows gentleness is the true practitioner of strength.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

Good morning!  Lot’s to share with you this morning since there’s lots going on so please read carefully below.  That being said, may we not get so caught up in all the things we’re doing that we forget to pray and support our church family. My heart continues to go out to little Levi Tamminga and Ken and Rebekah. May we not allow ourselves to become so busy that we don’t have the time to pray for them and others who are in need of the blessing and hand of Almighty God.
 
 
Oasis Camp is Coming!
It’s time to think about Oasis Camp! For those who are newer to the GBC family, Oasis is a week-long day camp that we hold at the Guelph Bible Conference Center the first week of August. Its an amazing week of sharing God’s love with a group of campers, many who are members of our community and sponsored to come.
We’re looking for camp staff so the application form is available from the office or electronically.
If you’d like more information on how you can be part of the team and this incredible ministry, please let me know
 
 
Notice of Annual Meeting
Please plan to join us for our next Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, March 28 at 12:15 p.m. following our morning service.  The purpose of the 30 minute meeting is to approve the 2020 financial statements, approve the 2021 budget, appoint an auditor and elect Directors to hold office until the next annual general meeting.  If you are member and are unable to attend, please complete a proxy form (attached) to ensure that we achieve quorum for the AGM.
We hope to see you there!
 
 
Prayer
On Wednesday afternoons at 3pm a small group of people gather here at GBC for prayer. We’re focusing on the themes in the 40 Days of Prayer for March. Feel free to join us!
 
 
Thought for the day: Building Character Takes Commitment
I’ve been looking at how to develop character and been using Jesus as a guide. While there are certain elements of character inherited there’s much we can do to develop it as well.  It’s not easy and does take work but is so worth it.
This thought brings us to our next character trait: commitment
Jesus had no lack of commitment. Wherever He was, or whoever He was with, He was fully in the moment and fully committed to His goals. Despite praying fervently in the garden of Gethsemane to avoid having to bear the cross and all that physical torture, He knew it was the only way to pay for everyone’s sins, so He stayed completely committed to His goal. There were certainly many obstacles during His ministry, but He stayed on track and finished strong.
It also takes commitment to live out the next key character trait of Jesus: Forgiveness.
One of the most startling things said in the Bible is found in Luke 23:34, when Jesus is on the cross and says: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even while bleeding and experiencing pain, Jesus had His heart set on forgiveness—even forgiving those who put Him there in the first place! This is definitely contrary to the everyday mantra of looking out for number one and obtaining personal justice. Jesus was by no means concerned for His own life; all He wanted was to provide a way for forgiveness.  What an incredible challenge for all of us.  Who can we forgive today?
That’s how you show character!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

​Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week. What a beautiful day. I hope you take some time today to experience to some degree the glory of God’s creation. We can’t literally stop and smell the roses because of the snow but we can apply the principle. 
Lots to share with you so please read below.
 
 
GBC in the Movies…or at least helping with one
This week a movie production company has been staging out of GBC for a film production being shot not far from here.  Dozens of cast and crew have been here doing their thing. I’m particularly excited that they’re using, among other spots, the youth room since if you’ve been up there, you’ll know there are some great scripture verses and powerful statements all over the walls. What a great way to be exposed to the Good News of Jesus.
Please pray for them!  They’ll be here until late Friday night.
This has been a great opportunity to show off GBC and a super outreach opportunity to a whole lot of people who don't likely know him.  I’ve already had the chance to talk to several of the crew members.
 
 
Join us on Sunday
I will be concluding our series on Jesus I AM statements Sunday.  This week we’ll be looking at one that people don’t often thing of. What is it? Join us here or on our livestream to find out.
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
40 Days of Prayer Update
Today is Day 16 of our 40-day prayer journey. How are you doing with this?  Prayer is a discipline and needs to be practiced. Stick with it!
The verse for the day is Matthew 5:9 that says blessed are the peacemakers. Today, where can you be a person of peace and bring peace and the Good News of Jesus to your world?
 
 
Thought for the Day: Be a loving servant
We’re continuing to look at the character traits of Jesus. Character is what distinguishes, us, its who we are. May we look to be like Jesus in this way.
What do I mean?
Well, he was a servant
Without a doubt, Jesus was the ultimate servant. Although He was praised as a great teacher and even had a decent following, He made sure to teach them to be servants by actually doing it himself. In Mark 10:45, Jesus even tells everyone: “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” Despite having the authority to get anything He wanted, have people praise and pamper him, He did the exact opposite by lowering himself and serving others. What a great example, and challenge for us as we go about our day.
As well, he was loving
Obviously, Jesus had a love for others. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be compassionate nor a servant. Jesus claimed that there is no greater love than to die for one of your friends—and He did just that. If anyone doubts His love, all they have to do is look upon the cross and see the agony that He bore for our sakes. He experienced that horrible death so that all can be saved. That, very clearly, is true love at its finest.  The question I ask myself, then, is who can I love sacrificially?  I’d encourage you to do the same thing.
And that is what character looks like!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

​Good morning!  It was great to celebrate communion again in person as a church family for those who were here. For those still joining us from home, I hope it was also a meaningful experience.
I’m starting a new series of thoughts on the character traits of Jesus that we should be looking to emulate in our lives.  I heard character described as “who you are in the dark when no one is watching.”  I like that!  Character is the distinguishing nature or qualities of someone-it’s about who you are. Now, more than ever, we need to be people of character as we seek to let the light of Jesus shine and share the Good News of the gospel with the world around us.
 
 
Join us for Prayer Wednesday
On Wednesday afternoons at 3pm a small group of people gather here at GBC for prayer. We’re focusing on the themes in the 40 Days of Prayer for March. Feel free to join us!
 
 
GBC Family Shower for Levi Tamminga
We are excited as a church family to celebrate the birth of Levi Tamminga. On Saturday March 20 at 1pm we’ll be coming together with Ken and Rebekah for this great event. For those who are unable, or are still not comfortable attending public events, we’ll be giving you the opportunity to join in virtually.
Look for more details in the days ahead, but a reminder for you is if you want to participate in the group gift the deadline for contributions is Sunday, March 14. You can give your donation to either Andrea and Patrick Thornton or Holly Alac.
 
 
Thought for the Day: The Character Traits of Jesus
There have been some high-profile ministry leaders who’ve fallen of late and so the idea of character, and what it means to be a person of character as a follower of Jesus, has been on my mind.  Where do we look when those who we admire fall?  Christians, and even many non-Christians, agree that Jesus is a great role model to have. From His faith, perseverance, generosity, and even His intelligence, people see the best qualities that mankind can possess.
 
The Bible teaches everyone to become more like Jesus each and every day, so it’s helpful to learn about some of the character traits he had. So, over the course of the next number of updates, I’m going to give a brief overview of some of the character traits of Jesus that we all should be looking to emulate.
 
Compassion
Jesus never looked away from people; He always looked at them, seeing them for who they were and had compassion on them.  We see this in the story of the man with leprosy in Matthew 8. Compassion is an awareness of the suffering of others along with the accompanying desire to do something about it.  Whenever people were around him, Jesus understood what their real needs were and sought to address them. For some, physical healing was necessary, for others the root issue was spiritual. In all cases though, Jesus took the time to actually notice that people were hurting—and His compassion drove Him to help them.
How can you show compassion today and to whom?
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris