Good afternoon.  I hope you’re making this a great week.  I almost found myself complaining about the humidity recently. How soon I forget winter!  I will say I’m enjoying their sunny, clear day as I count my blessings!
Today I wrap up my thoughts on outreach. I’m glad for the positive feedback I’ve received from a number of you and hope it stimulates some reflection leading to action.
 
 
Outreach Survey
As most of you will hopefully remember, one of our key focus areas as a church is outreach. It’s our desire as a church to seek to reach the community around us with the Good News of the gospel.  One way we can do that is through church-wide initiatives.  So, I want you input! 
Attached is a link to a survey that you can fill in with several ideas our outreach team is excited about for you to rank plus also an opportunity to share with us other ideas you may have. So please take a few minutes to complete the survey and let us know what you think.
https://form.jotform.com/211436504821044
 
 
Join us on Sunday for Faith that Works!
This Sunday I’ll be continuing our series: “Faith that Works”, a look at the book of James.
This week I’ll be looking at the second part of ch.2 and looking at the most controversial part of the letter, where James says “show me your faith and I’ll show you my works.” What did he mean by that and why is it so controversial?  Find out on Sunday as we build together a ‘faith that works’.
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
Thought for the Day: Remember that only God can save someone
I’ve been looking at the opportunity we have to share our faith and the Good News of the gospel with the world around us.  I hope it has stimulated some thought and reflection. The last thing I want to share is a critically important thing to remember when you start sharing your faith: only God can save someone.
I don’t know about you, but for many, me included, there can often be a lot of fear surrounding sharing our faith, especially in a post-Christian culture.  There can also be a lot of guilt around not doing it or doing it wrong. It’s at times like this that God, as a sovereign King, chooses who he saves and when.
I remember a well-meaning youth leader who told a group of teens about sharing their faith that if they ‘got this wrong it’ll mess up kid’s eternity’.  Honestly, I was pretty steamed by that and it had a negative effect amongst this group of youth. I later reminded them that its up to God who he chooses and when.  We’re tools in his hands so relax, and go with the spirit. 
In my own experience some of my most articulate, well laid out and passionate gospel appeals have fallen on deaf ears while some of the worst, poorly thought out, inarticulate times I’ve shared my faith have led to someone surrendering their life to Jesus. The key is to be open to be used by God as he sees fit in the way he wants.
So, here’s the parting lesson: God is the only one who can save someone. All I am responsible to do is bravely share what He gives me to share, in the opportunities He provides. The rest is up to Him, and He wants people to know Him far more than I ever could. So, I can trust Him. That takes away my fear.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

​Good morning!   I hope you had a pleasant Victoria Day Weekend. Certainly the weather made it better, for me, despite everything going on.
I suspect you were like me and disappointed by the government’s decision to keep churches closed until phase 2 of their re-opening plan as well as extending the lockdown. With that in mind, we’re looking at options to hold Outdoor church services during Phase 1.  More details to come.
 
 
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 in addition, as I mentioned last week, if you’d like a visit from me or any of the elders to serve you communion we’d love to do it!
 
 
Join in Prayer                                                               
The GBC Prayer Group meets in the side auditorium on TUESDAY AFTERNOONS at 3:30pm. We continue to pray as prompted by God’s Word, intercede for our church family and city, and enjoy the encouragement of God’s presence. Please join us!
 
 
Thought for the Day:  You have a testimony
I’ve been sharing of late some thoughts on outreach and sharing your faith.  Here, to me, is the most effective way- share your story! 
I think the best way to share our faith is to share what God has done in our own lives.  But you don’t have to have an “I-almost-died-doing-drugs-when-Jesus-showed-up-in-a-vision” story in order to have a testimony. Your testimony can simply be knowing that God is faithful and knowing how much He loves you and sharing that message of hope.
Most of you know my story of how I came to be a follower of Jesus (if you don’t, let me know, I’d love to share it with you).  But that’s my story. Your story is your story and yours is as valid and as important as mine is. We don’t want to get into valuing our stories based on the content.   Tell YOUR story and let God work with it through the Holy Spirit.
Whether you’ve walked with God your whole life or you’ve walked through a whole lot of pain, brokenness and mistakes, you—yes, you!—can testify to what God has done and who He is.  Share your story with the world around you.  And I think this is the most powerful way we can share our faith: to share what God has done in our own lives, and talk about our relationship with Him.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

Good morning! I hope you’re making this a great week.  Some people have been asking and yes, the roof has been redone. Our contractor needs to come back and put the flashing on the sides and a couple of other things but we’re done. It’s nice to through this. Thanks again to all of you who contributed to making this possible.
 
 
Join us for our Semi-Annual Information Meeting
Please join us for our upcoming congregational information meeting on Sunday, June 13 following the 11:00 service.  The meeting will run from 12:10 to 1:00 and you will receive important updates on GBC's vision as well as the selection process for new elders.  You will also have an opportunity for Q&A and discussion with the leadership team.  We look forward to seeing you at 12:10 on June 13!
 
 
Join us on Sunday for Faith that Works!
This Sunday Jacob will be continuing our series: “Faith that Works”, a look at the book of James.
This week he’ll be looking at the first part of ch.2 and the issue of bias’ and how they affect what we think and how we act.  How do we deal with this?   Find out on Sunday as we build together a ‘faith that works’.
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
Thought for the Day: Watch (and ask) for opportunities...more thoughts
Tuesday I examined the idea of looking for opportunities to share our faith with the world around us.   While I will often be given the chance to share the hope that I have, we can also ASK God to give us these openings and then we just have to keep our eyes open to see the opportunities when they pop up.
Great!  Here’s another thing I watch for:
Questions from others. 
Although most everyone who knows me knows I’m a Christian, it doesn’t mean I’ve exhausted my opportunities to share my faith.  When someone asks me about an element of my faith, or I see an opening in our conversation, I just share a little bit unless the person wants to keep talking. For example, someone once asked how I could forgive a person who’d treated me badly. I got to share very briefly that it was because God had forgiven me for so much as well. That was it. The person didn’t have any more questions and we moved on to another subject. But other times, a person has wanted to keep talking, and we’ve talked about God for a long time. I try to listen to what they’re interested in and just share that so I don’t come across as being pushy.  The key here is to be connected to the Holy Spirit and wait on the Spirit’s prompting, not rushing, but also not being passive.  More on this next week!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

Good afternoon!  I think summer weather is right around the corner. I’ve been interested, as I drive around, to see how busy the local nurseries and green houses are. It seems with Covid that more people are getting in gardening. This, to me anyways, is an unexpected blessing. I know our own gardens and property have benefitted for the time that’s been forced on us (or Jennifer anyways!) to put more work into them.  Blessings are out there for all of us every day, we only need to look for them.
 
 Thoughts on Communion
We’ll be having communion again next Sunday as part of our service.  You’ll recall the elders have offered to deliver communion elements to anyone who’d like them.
We’ve been talking and would like to go one step further.  If you’d like me, or any of the other elders to visit and share communion with you in person, in your home, we’d love to offer this opportunity.  This form of ministry is allowed under the provincial Stay-At-Home Order and also local by-law restrictions so it’s perfectly legal.
If you’re interested let me know and we can set up a visit.  May we worship the Lord!
 
 Join in Prayer                                                               
The GBC Prayer Group meets in the side auditorium on TUESDAY AFTERNOONS at 3:30pm. We continue to pray as prompted by God’s Word, intercede for our church family and city, and enjoy the encouragement of God’s presence. Please join us!
 
 Thought for the Day: Sharing your faith: Watch (and ask) for opportunities.
I always find it so interesting how God brings opportunities for me to share about Him.  He really does love to do this, sometimes at the strangest of times! That means I have to keep my eye out so I can see the opportunities when they pop up. I’m going to share two things to watch for, one today, the other Thursday:
God’s nudges. 
Only He knows when someone’s heart is ready to hear about Him. So, if I sense Him nudging my spirit, I know it’s time to say something. For me, His nudges feel like the nervousness I’ve felt before a race or competition, and my heart beats faster.  I know I need to say something. It can feel different for different people, though. Sometimes I’ll get that feeling with total strangers or people I’m having a totally different interaction with (think being treated by a physiotherapist!).  I suddenly sense God wants me to tell them about what he’s done in my life and what he can do for them. Honestly, these opportunities can be kind of scary times for me, but I’ve seen God open up crazy doors of conversation!  So, here’s my encouragement, LOOK for when God nudges, or better yet, PRAY for God to nudge you and watch how he does!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

Good morning!  I hope you’re making this a great week. How are you doing?  I’ve talked to many people who are struggling with this third lockdown for a variety of reasons.   If this is you, don’t keep it bottled up inside. Talk to someone, talk to me if you’d like, don’t do it alone. Times like this are meant to be lived out in community, not isolation. 
 
 
Join us on Sunday for Faith that Works!
This Sunday I’ll be continuing our new series: “Faith that Works”, a look at the book of James.
This week I’ll be looking at the last part of ch.1 and examining what it means to be a ‘doer of the word and not a listener only’.  Do you know what that means?   Find out on Sunday as we build together a ‘faith that works’.
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
Thought for the Day:  Sharing your faith: Be a Friend
Tuesday I started my new series of thoughts on sharing our faith. I examined first that we should look at our motives and why we’re doing it before getting started. So, motives in the right place? Great!  Let’s look at the next step.
Be friends to be friends, not to “get someone saved.”
This is huge. I think it’s easy to give the impression that we’re only friends with someone to try to “get them saved.” This leaves people feeling used and devalued, which is the opposite of how God feels about them.
If I’m going to be friends with someone, we are going to be friends whether or not they come to know the Lord. And sometimes I will pray for more friends who don’t know God because I want people to know about Jesus, because I’ve seen how much joy He’s brought into my own life! (And I also don’t want to get stuck in a totally Christian bubble.) But I’m definitely not going to stop being friends with someone if they don’t become a Christian.
That said, our friends are very influential in our lives, so it’s important to be careful about whom you choose to be your closest friends. We can have acquaintance friends and then we can have close friends who play a significant role in our lives. And those close friends make a big difference in the person you become, so it’s important to choose them wisely.  So just be careful as you choose close friends (no matter what their faith), and ask yourself: “Do I like who I become when I’m with this person?”
As you’re genuine friends with someone, as you spend time together and are there for them in hard times, then they’ll know you care. And that will make it so they can actually hear your heart and your love when you tell them how much Jesus loves them.  That opens the door for conversations and natural opportunity to share your faith. More on this next week!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

 Good morning! It was great to be back speaking on Sunday. I look forward to when we are back in person but in the meantime I appreciate the opportunity to livestream and also appreciate our production team a lot!
We’ve been talking about outreach the last couple of months and has been an area I’ve been working in lately. So, for the next little while, I’m going to share some thoughts on the amazing opportunity we have RIGHT NOW during Covid to share our faith. I hope it stimulates some thought!
 
 
Celebrate Iva Ralston’s 100th Birthday!
While many who are part of the GBC family won’t recognize the name Iva Ralston, for those like me who’ve been around a while you’ll know who I’m speaking about since this incredible lady touched so many lives while she was here.  Due to declining health she moved in with family in Quebec a number of years ago.
Anyways, Iva is turning 100 years old June 5th. I heard from her daughter the family would like to invite those who know her to shower her with the gift of cards and well wishes to mark the event.
If you’d like to do this, her address is:
Iva Ralston
300 Hymus Blvd. #2-710, Pointe Claire, Quebec, H9R 6B3
You’re encouraged to use large print in your notes and cards. Let’s celebrate this milestone!
 
 
Join in Prayer                                                               
The GBC Prayer Group meets in the side auditorium on TUESDAY AFTERNOONS at 3:30pm. We continue to pray as prompted by God’s Word, intercede for our church family and city, and enjoy the encouragement of God’s presence. Please join us!
 
 
Thought for the Day:  Sharing your faith: look at your motives
When I was a younger in my journey as a follower of Jesus sharing my faith felt like a never-ending assignment hanging over my head at all times. I felt like I never did it enough and never did it right. Have you ever felt that way?
Now things have changed and I feel completely different about sharing my faith. It’s become a far more natural part of my life—something that’s motivated by love instead of motivated by fear. So, over the next couple of weeks, I want to share some things that have helped change my perspective, and I hope they can help you as well.
 
First, look at your motives.
It’s easy to approach sharing the gospel out of fear. Here are a few examples:
“If I don’t say something right now and this person gets into a car accident and dies and goes to hell, it’ll be all my fault!”
“If I don’t tell enough people, will I go to heaven?”
“If I tell this person about Jesus, then people at church will think I’m a really good Christian.”
Ever thought any of these?
 
But here’s the thing: When our motivation is fear, the people we’re talking to can tell—and they’ll feel used. It will seem as though we’re telling them about Jesus to ensure our own salvation, appease our own conscience or make ourselves look good.
Ever feel that way?
 
Now the amazing thing is God can use anything, even wrong motives! Anytime we share about Him, He can use that (which is good news because I don’t think we’ll ever have perfect motivations). But for me, it helped to think about why I was sharing the gospel, and I realized that genuine concern and love for the person should be my “why.”
 
Here’s what I mean: Jesus has changed my entire life for the better, and I couldn’t imagine life without Him. So, I really want people I care about to know how He can do the same for them.  I want them to know how much God loves and cares about them too.
 
Can you see how this shift changes not only our approach but also our attitude?  It’s not about being pushy; it’s just sharing what has helped you because you care enough about the other person enough to share what hopefully is a pretty major part of your life.
I think then, sharing your faith with the right motives is not only more effective but also the proper way to do it.  I hope you agree. More to come on this in the days ahead.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week.  It’s nice to see the sunshine after so many days of rain. There’s encouragement even in simple things like a sunny day if we look for it. 
 
 
Join us on Sunday for our new series: Faith that Works!
This Sunday I’ll be starting our new series: “Faith that Works”.  We’ll be looking at the book of James.
Faith, as James reminds us, is not just for a future destination but for present impact. Faith that works then will be examined from the standpoint of it being effective as well as being active.  I’m looking forward to sharing this with you.
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
Care Ministries Update: Meals on Wheels
After years at the helm of the Meals on Wheels ministry, Elaine Finlay is passing the leadership over to Carroll Chapman.  The elders, Care Ministries leadership, and all those who received the blessing of delicious meals, would like to thank Elaine very much for organizing our volunteer chefs to provide these meals to the recipients!  
We now look forward to Carroll’s enthusiasm in leading this ministry-  she already has plans to add some simple technology to make it easier to schedule the meals (and she will walk us chefs through that as a need for meals arises)!   Please note that Carroll can be reached  either via email ([email protected]) or via her mobile phone (519-831-9184, calls and texts).
 
 
Thought for the Day: The Power of the Resurrection: “I know that my Redeemer lives” 
Tuesday I looked at the power of the resurrection through the lens of Job’s declaration that he knew his Redeemer lives. Okay, so now how does this apply to us?
With Job, in spite of every argument to the contrary from his friends, we too may know that the Redeemer lives. Furthermore, to live successful Christian lives we must know that not just in our heads but in our hearts as well.
God’s plan for the believer is that by the testimony of the Holy Spirit and by opening one’s eyes to see the many evidences of God’s power and authority in the world of nature and history, we may come to a place where we can say we know.
God’s plan is also that we come to know.  That’s why the Bible was given to us.  The Apostle John wrote: “I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” What does this mean for us today?  We don’t guess, we don’t suppose, we don’t wish, we don’t wonder, we know. Our Redeemer lives, tap into that power today!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris

Good morning! It’s good to be back (honestly!). It was nice to have some time off and unplug but its also nice to be back and engage again with all of you.  Thanks to Jacob for covering for me when I was gone, I appreciated all his thought and effort put into what he shared.  Now back to it!
 
 
Oasis Day Camp is Coming!
You’ve read some updates of late about Oasis Sponsorship and Oasis leadership but here’s a reminder: Oasis REGISTRATION is now OPEN.  We are expecting the numbers to be capped by the Grounds meaning the camp will likely sell out so if you have grandchildren, neighbors or friends who you’d like to see join us for this amazing week I’d encourage you to register SOON!
You can sign up or find out more information here:
Oasis Day Camp | Guelph Bible Conference Centre (guelphbiblecc.com)
 
 
Join in Prayer                                                               
The GBC Prayer Group meets in the side auditorium on TUESDAY AFTERNOONS at 3:30pm. We continue to pray as prompted by God’s Word, intercede for our church family and city, and enjoy the encouragement of God’s presence. Please join us!
 
 
Thought for the Day:  The Power of the Resurrection: “I know that my Redeemer lives” 
Before I left for my time away, I was looking at some critical elements of the Easter story that help us live in God’s power week-in and week-out, making Easter more than an event on our calendar. I have two more thoughts to share on this.
 
Several thousand years before Jesus rose from the dead Job made this declaration: “I know that my Redeemer lives (Job 19:25).  It’s a powerful and important statement for us today.
The question, to me, then is, what is God saying here through Job?
Job is considered by many to be the oldest book in the Bible.  And the oldest of books has to do with the oldest of problems: “Why do the righteous suffer?”
 
Up to this verse in the story of Job, he is asking questions, tough questions.  In his grief and anguish he asks: “man dies, and is laid low; he breathes his last and where is he?”  This is a question many ask, especially in days like this, but his follow up is even more powerful: “If a man die, will he live again?” These were unanswerable questions that rose from a perplexed and anguished heart and are still being asked today.  But with his cry of faith, “I know that my Redeemer lives,” he is on solid ground.
 
Job had no Bible, he had no church history or tradition, but he did have a prompting of the Holy Spirit to make the statement that has conveyed assurance to believers down through the centuries.  Job says, “I know.” He points with certainly to the fact that the solution to all problems, the ultimate answer to all questions, whether they be old and persistent or new and passing, lies in knowing that the Lord, our Redeemer, lives.
God in Christ is on top of it all.
 
He lives.
 
He has conquered the last great enemy which is death. This allowed Paul to make this statement to the church in Rome about Jesus:  He is “declared to be the Son of God with power …by the resurrection from the dead.”  We can make that same declaration today, hold onto that same assurance and experience not just the promise of the resurrection but the power it gives for today.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris