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Good morning! It’s going to be a very different Canada Day tomorrow, but still, we should take time to mark the day and pray for our nation. Before Covid there were a number of issues before us as a land and as a church within it. The virus has only amplified many of the challenges we face. As one of the fathers of Confederation were inspired by the words of Psalm 72, may we be too: May he rule, or as the KJV version reads: ’have dominion’, from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. May that be our prayer for the year ahead. Go and make this a great week!
Sunday Service Update It was great to see a few more of you out Sunday! Also, it was nice to see how many were taking advantage of our livestream option. I know we’re all getting used to the protocols so I appreciate all your efforts to adapt to the way of ‘doing church’ right now. Here are a couple of reminders and observations for this Sunday: -Remember to keep your masks on when you leave the auditorium until you walk out the doors. -Remember also to maintain your physical distancing outside. This is especially important if you don’t have a mask on. Thanks all for making this a blessed and rich experience for everyone! Mission’s Update Update from Dave and Linda Buchner (International Student Ministries)
Dave got the results for the 2nd follow up MRI. The doctor does not have any significant reasons for concern. We are thankful for good news. Feedback from internationals: “Thank you for the song you chose. “Because he lives, all fear is gone.” I love the beautiful song as it gives me energy and support.” (I felt led to share the words of this song with the participants.) Please pray for the internationals that still experience fear due to the coronavirus.) “These days are difficult. This pandemic has changed a lot, including my retirement plan; I will only retire next year. Here in Brazil we are getting close to 50 thousand deaths. We are still in quarantine, but Brazil's economy is not very good due to corruption. My family is fine; so far we have not been affected by the disease. At the University we lost a staff and a student because of coronavirus...I'm taking classes (English via zoom) on Mondays and, when there's time, also on Tuesdays (Alpha via zoom.)” (Former participant in one of the conversation groups. Pray for the sale of her house so this professor can take early retirement and return to her home state in Brazil.) Wednesday Prayer Jacob and Karen Ginter host a weekly prayer gathering on Wednesday nights from 7-8pm. Join them as they pray through scripture for this current situation and for all of us. You can connect through Zoom or by phone. Here are the details: GBC Wednesday Night Prayer Time: 7-8pm Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/923156764 Meeting ID: 923 156 764 To join by phone… Dial +1 647 374 4685 Canada and then enter Meeting ID A thought for the day: Watch out for doubt, fear and worry. As we continue to work our way through the impact and effects of the Covid pandemic its easy to get caught up in doubt, fear or worry. Yet in some ways this is an OPEN DOOR of opportunity to share God's love. That's why, as a church family, we're responding to the COVID-19 crisis, not by panicking or hiding out of fear, but by seeking to let out lights shine in different and creative ways. Our Surge ministry was active at Norfolk Manor several times while others have been delivering groceries, calling or doing other things to stay connected. This Saturday a group are serving a meal at the Life Center. It all comes down to attitude! (remember Philippians 2:5??) No matter how frustrating, confusing, or scary this crisis gets, fear doesn't have the final say. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Our hope is built on the perfect love of Jesus Christ, so we've been called to share that love with the world around us. And that's exactly what we're seeking to do this week and in the coming weeks and months and as long as this lasts. God hasn’t told us to stop yet and we won’t! In His grip, Pastor Chris
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Good afternoon. It’s been nice to see some of our activities starting to happen here again at the church. Several of our small groups met in person as did our youth ministry. I know some of the protocols may seem onerous but we do this out of obedience to our government and not out of fear. We seek also to create a safe environment for those who may be hesitant since we’re here to share the peace of God and the gospel. Remember, in all things grace!
Reminders for Sunday I’ve attached again the reminder and update from our reopening team. I look forward to seeing those of you who come out on Sunday. Remember, no pressure. If you’re not feeling ready, no problem, connect with us on the livestream. Q&A time will be focusing on prayer since it’s the last Sunday of the month. If you have a prayer request, you can send it in ahead of time if you’d like to me at [email protected] Twenty+ Small Group Starting Soon! Calling all YOUNG ADULTS!! A 6-week summer IN-PERSON group is starting on Thursday, July 9th at 7pm for those that have graduated high school OR are in their twenties. We are focusing on the struggles of being a Christian in today's world climate and how to lean on God through it all. RSVPs are needed due to Covid guidelines. Contact Natalie Spencer for details. Cell number: 519-827-5993. Service Opportunity at Saturday Night Supper GBC will once again be providing another Saturday Night Supper at the Royal City Mission on July 4th. We are blessed with this opportunity to share God's love with the needy through this meal. We have been asked to drop off food, and the Royal City Mission staff will package it and hand it out to guests outside their church. If you're interested in providing food or grilling burgers, please contact Andrea Thornton at [email protected] or call 905-537-9607 as soon as possible. A thought for the day: May we be People of Hope While we’ve been looking at the issue of ‘joy in the storm’ of late but the message of hope from our series leading up to Easter has still been on my mind. As our experience with Covid continues to drag on it becomes easy to despair and lose hope. We must face these days of fear and testing, we really don’t have a choice. So, may we not passively accept them or capitulate to them. These can and should be days of renewed worship, rededicated service, care, friendship, work, and love. We must be alert to the stranger among us, and we must love one another and be kind to one another as God has been merciful to us. To follow Jesus is to be a people of hope. And our hope is not in vain, because it’s invested in the creator God of the universe, who has given us life and hope through Jesus. He is worthy of our trust, and He can aid us in conquering our fears. Jesus said the night he was arrested: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. In His grip, Pastor Chris Good morning! It was great to see so many of you out on Sunday for our first service back. I had a number in mind and we blew through that. So, it was amazing. I was also happy to see how many still connected through our livestream and took advantage of that. So, many blessings as we start the week!
Still, I’m sure there was disappointment from some about how we came back to church, things we think should have happened or shouldn’t have happened. Like a great book that’s turned into a movie, we have in our mind the ideal translation. In times like this I think of the words of Romans 12- “Live in harmony with one another” and I let this guide me. Remember, in all things grace. I’m looking forward to this Sunday already! Sunday Service Update Thanks again everyone who came out Sunday for your flexibility and co-operation with our protocols and procedures. It was great to see you all. Please see the update from the Re-opening Committee for their thoughts on Sunday and some things for moving into this Sunday. Service Opportunity at Saturday Night Supper GBC will once again be providing another Saturday Night Supper at the Royal City Mission on July 4th. We are blessed with this opportunity to share God's love with the needy through this meal. We have been asked to drop off food, and the Royal City Mission staff will package it and hand it out to guests outside their church. If you're interested in providing food or grilling burgers, please contact Andrea Thornton at [email protected] or call 905-537-9607 as soon as possible. GBC Mission Focus Update from Ilir and Kate Cami (Athens, Greece) Clinic-Office-Baptism This week we held our first face-to-face clinic since March! Through the quarantine we helped refugees with Medical Care through phone calls, appointments at the lab, consultations at the hospital and provision of prescriptions. Thank you for your prayers and financial support! We were also able to organize virtual 'appointments' with our local doctors, as well as a Farsi-speaking doctor in Scotland. But we have not been able to organize a clinic for refugees for nearly three months. This was also the first time we used our new office space for patient appointments. It was a very exciting day for us, and an answer to prayer. Our Farsi church also held our first beach baptism in three months. It was wonderful to celebrate together with our sister as she expressed her commitment to Christ through baptism. And, after so many weeks of quarantine, it was great to have a small group of us together for fellowship. We are still waiting for restrictions on indoor meetings to relax enough that we will be able to meet together for church and Bible Study. Wednesday Prayer Jacob and Karen Ginter host a weekly prayer gathering on Wednesday nights from 7-8pm. Join them as they pray through scripture for this current situation and for all of us. You can connect through Zoom or by phone. Here are the details: GBC Wednesday Night Prayer Time: 7-8pm Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/923156764 Meeting ID: 923 156 764 To join by phone… Dial +1 647 374 4685 Canada and then enter Meeting ID A thought for the day: Facing Fears While our society is reopening there can be a tendency to think that everything is ‘okay’ right now. There’s no more need to be ‘afraid’ of Covid. Yet there’s still a lot of fear out there- fear of Covid, fear for the economy, fear of the ‘new normal’. To find peace in trying times we have to face our fears. Fears can be healthy or exaggerated—and sometimes paralyzing. It takes wisdom to admit that there are dangers around us that need to be properly, and fearfully, respected, and it takes wisdom to see through the exaggerations and fear-mongering of those who use the pains of others for their benefit. Let’s be honest, we will not have all the answers we could hope for, nor will we fully anticipate all that’s going to happen in the coming days. That can increase our fear. Yet despite that, all of us must accept the responsibilities we have in our given spheres of influence where we are called upon to serve and to lead. We must seek wisdom and make the very best decisions we can as we all seek to act generously and selflessly, in ways consistent with all that we believe as followers of Jesus. God tells us in Isaiah 41- “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” So, face your fears and let your light shine! In His grip, Pastor Chris Good afternoon! It’s been nice to see people here at the church again as we prepare to return to worship here on Sunday. I hope your week is going well. Things are going to look different and be different on Sunday for those who are coming (it’ll look different on the livestream as well!). Let’s not be distracted by this but instead let’s focus on what doesn’t change-God and the Bible. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on that and everything else will take care of itself. For those who are coming, I look forward to seeing you. For those who can’t or are just not ready yet, no problem, we can always connect by phone or Zoom, feel no pressure to come until you’re ready, we’re not going anywhere!
Update on our re-opening Sunday! An overview of procedures is available on our home page. Please look at it and read carefully so you’re prepared for how things are going to go on Sunday. One encouragement I’d like to give is to arrive early so seating can be smooth and there’s no jam up at the last minute. There will be a way in and way out and so the more time you give yourself, the easier it will be. Also, just so you know, our bathrooms are going to be limited to two people at a time, so plan accordingly!! Remember afterwards, please leave the auditorium when the service finishes and socialize outside. Once those people are clear those staying for the question and answer time will be asked to come to the front and we’ll begin. It’ll be nice to have an audience! Weekly Phone Callout Team ends Back in March (hard to believe!!) when the lockdown started a number of people volunteered to do weekly callouts to keep us all connected. I know many of you appreciated this a lot and it helped you to stay linked to GBC. With the church opening on Sunday and society starting to open up I thought it was time to thank these people and release them from this responsibility. Thank you to Helen Martini, Sandy MacDonald, Jennifer Timm, Margaret Bowman, Henry Thiessen and Patrick and Andrea Thornton who FAITHFULLY called all of us on a regular basis week after week. I appreciate this tangible way you let your light shine through such a difficult time. Now, just because the team has ended doesn’t mean we should stop finding ways to connect! Is someone on your mind? Give them a call, send a text or email. Let’s keep building relationship! A Thought for the Day: Trust God for one day at a time. As I’ve been preparing for Sunday verses 13 and 14 of Philippians 3 have been sticking out to me. As we “strain forward” we can steal our future by bringing its worries into today. Jesus said it this way, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today”. You have enough on your plate today. Don’t add anything else. It’s okay to plan for tomorrow. We’re encouraged in this text to “press on”, but right now, we’re going through one of the most unique experiences in history. While we may make plans, we can prepare for tomorrow without living in tomorrow. You can only live in today. God is constantly testing how much we trust him. God wants us to decide whether he really holds first place in our lives. We need to be clear about this and then, through the Spirit, we can deal with today. This unique period of history is one of the biggest tests we’ll ever face when it comes to trusting God. God has promised to care for us. He will meet our needs. Will we trust him? In His grip, Pastor Chris Good morning! I’m very excited about the chance to finally get back together Sunday as we reopen. I know that some of you are super eager to come and others are hesitant so won’t be joining us. We’re all experiencing this in different ways so lets extend grace to each other as we process this. I think of Paul’s words:
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” In a world that seems to be becoming more polarized and divided we have the chance to let our lights shine as we show love to one another and unity even if we don’t agree with each other on everything. What a great opportunity! Re-opening Sunday! While I’m excited to be able to get together on Sunday there will naturally be some things that will be different and will require grace as we adjust and seek to provide an environment that people feel comfortable and safe returning to. Please read the attached document from our Re-Opening Team. Not surprising, we’re asking everyone to wear masks when you are here. You can remove them when you’re seated and settled but we do ask that you wear them when you sing. I’m looking forward to seeing all the different variants of masks and even the level of creativity some of you bring! Also, when the service is over, we’d ask that if you want to hang out and reconnect (which I want to encourage!!) please do it outside where we can spread out more easily. Have any questions? Let me know! Thanks to Helen and Bob for providing leadership with this GBC Mission Focus Royal Life Mission (Kevin Coghill) Work with Guelph’s most vulnerable Cooling Centre – Offering reprieve and relief in the Summer Heat! Meals – It’s about the Relationships! Volunteers needed! At Royal City Mission we say we provide meals, but we aren’t about the food. This is because what we are really about is relationships. During Covid-19, we have had a difficult time connecting with many of our community members but with the nice weather, we have begun to catch glimpses of them and may even have a brief, physically distanced conversation. We are opening our space for a “cooling centre.” The heat we have experienced has been extremely hard on those who aren’t housed and so we need to have a safe and healthy space for people to cool off, have some water and even use a bathroom. We plan to open on June 8 and will need volunteers to make this happen. We hope to start by opening from 11- 4 pm Monday- Friday with possibly more hours should we have community support and the need. We were working with the Welcome Drop In Centre to provide meals twice/day to people in need in our community, both sheltered and unsheltered. Beginning this week, the Welcome Drop In Centre has arranged for The Seed to provide meals for sheltered people in need. We will continue to work with the Welcome Drop In Centre to provide meals in front of our facility daily at 11 am and 6 pm for the growing number of unsheltered people in our community. We also need volunteers to help at the Cooling Centre. Please contact Lisa Laws if you would like to volunteer or provide food: [email protected] Wednesday Prayer Jacob and Karen Ginter host a weekly prayer gathering on Wednesday nights from 7-8pm. Join them as they pray through scripture for this current situation and for all of us. You can connect through Zoom or by phone. Here are the details: GBC Wednesday Night Prayer Time: 7-8pm Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/923156764 Meeting ID: 923 156 764 To join by phone… Dial +1 647 374 4685 Canada and then enter Meeting ID A thought for the day: God’s at work! There are a lot of people who are wondering where God has been in all this and if he’s as powerful as we at GBC say he is. If he’s so powerful, some say, why didn’t he just sweep Covid aside? Why do we have to go through a phased re-opening? Why doesn’t he end this? God is mysterious and his ways aren’t our ways. We need to re-examine these kinds of questions. They speak to the wonder of God's sovereignty. Working behind the scenes, He is moving and pushing and rearranging events and changing minds until He brings out of even this terrible situation a decision that will set His perfect plan in place. We see this throughout the Bible. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that God’s asleep right now, is out of touch or lacking power. He’s not sitting in heaven wringing His hands when it comes to what’s going on. Mark it down in permanent ink: God is always at work. But His ways are so different from ours, we quickly jump to wrong conclusions and so can either react rashly or get paralyzed in panic. Know this: God holds the future in His omnipotent hands. He’s moving. He’s working out his plan right now. So you can rest assured. In His grip, Pastor Chris We were all excited, I’m sure to receive the good news that churches can reopen starting this Sunday. Please read below for some initial information on what’s going on. There can be a temptation when we seem so close to the finish line to become frustrated and want to push the process. This is a time for unity in the body and a servant’s attitude like we looked at in Philippians 2. May all of our attitudes by like Jesus as we continue to move forward!
GBC is reopening! With the government announcement that churches can open, all areas of leadership have been working hard to moving towards reopening. Our plan at this point is to return to physical gathering on Sunday June 21. There are a LOT of things to work out to make this happen in a safe manner. Details of our reopening plan including social distancing and other protocols will be shared in the days ahead. We do intend to maintain a livestream option for those unable or uncomfortable attending. This is exciting but also has a lot to it so please pray for our leadership team as we prepare to welcome you all back. Join us on Sunday for our Livestream Service! I will be continuing our series: Finding Joy in the Storm looking at the book of Philippians. This Sunday we’ll be starting chapter 3 and looking at the idea of whatever we gain it may be counted as loss. As always, you can link in on our website, on our Facebook page or by phone. Remember though, if calling in by phone, long distance charges will apply if not using a phone plan. A thought for the day: Are you giving Jesus control over your life? As we continue to move towards a reopening society and ‘new normal’ it can be natural to worry. What will things look like? How will my life change? These are all normal. Worry happens all the time. It can be like a warning light on your car- letting you know of a potential problem. Is there an area of your life you haven’t fully given over to God? When you love something more than God, it becomes a source of stress and anxiety in your life. Even good things—like our marriages, our children, and our careers—can become sources of worry if we give them first place in our lives. When anything becomes an idol in our lives, it creates insecurity and worry. Give God control over your life and you’ll worry melt away then the ‘new normal’ will be just plain normal. In His grip, Pastor Chris Good afternoon! I hope you’ve been making this a great week. How do I do that? It comes down to knowing what you can control and what you can’t, then having a good attitude (like Jesus…remember that from Sunday?).
The Mission’s Team has put together a challenge for us. See below for details. Mission’s Team Challenge! What if…
Let’s put our faith in action! The Missions Team would like to challenge all of you to raise enough funds to purchase 250 surgical masks to send overseas to missionaries that have requested them! (MSC will take care of the logistics of purchasing & delivering them) Every dollar we raise counts… so please send $1, $5, $10 or more to GBC as we do our part to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and reflect Christ’s love and compassion Many thanks in advance… The Missions Team Join us on Sunday for our Livestream Service! Patrick will be continuing our series: Finding Joy in the Storm looking at the book of Philippians. This Sunday he’ll be finishing chapter 2 and looking at the idea of what it means to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. As always, you can link in on our website, on our Facebook page or by phone. Remember though, if calling in by phone, long distance charges will apply if not using a phone plan. A thought for the day: God will go through it with you. The Coronavirus didn’t surprise God. The lockdown and its length didn’t surprise God. Injustice, racism and violent protest didn’t surprise God. These are trying times for all of us. They can be upsetting and confusing. You may feel alone at times. You may feel like no one understands what you’re going through right now. But we will never be alone. God walks through every bit of it with us. I encourage you to remind yourself of Isaiah 43:2 during this time: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” Focus on that truth and not all the noise on the world right now. While all of this is new to us, it’s not to God. Every single thing we’re facing right now God has walked with his people throughout history (don’t believe me? Look it up!) and we’re still here. Remember that and it will replace your worry with worship. Make this a great day! In His grip, Pastor Chris |
Pastor Chris"At GBC we're serious about the Bible, serious about the truths that are found in it and living in Him but also like to laugh, cry and experience life together." Archives
January 2024
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