Message from the Pastor - Bob Bahr
I want to thank all those who volunteered last weekend to make our time together go so well. On Saturday, we had 110 children and their parents turn out for our Easter Hunt extravaganza. And on Easter Sunday morning we had visitors who decided to come to our service because of the Saturday event.
The Baptismal Service was particularly very moving. God is at work in our midst.
I would ask you to pray for our new Council as we meet for the first time. There are a lot of important decisions that need to be made and we will need the guidance and wisdom of God’s Spirit to make wise decisions. Pray that we might put aside our own agendas and seek concessions and unity as a leadership team.
In my devotional time this week, I came across some advice from an eighteenth-century rabbi which I found very instructive. “A person should always carry two slips of paper, one in each pocket. On one it should be written ‘The world was created for my sake,’ and on the other, it should say ‘I am but dust and ashes.’” On days when we feel discouraged and worthless, we should read the first one. On days when we’re consumed with pride and our own self-importance, we should read the other.
In “The Weight of Glory,” C. S. Lewis points out how knowing the eternal significance of every person we meet should change how we treat others. There are no ordinary people.
In conclusion, let me thank you for your love and support for me as I seek to give transitional leadership to the church.
Active in Missions - Special Offering: We took a special offering on Sunday for Active Missions 2023. To date, $9,451 has been donated! THANK YOU for your generosity.
It is not too late to donate, we will be receiving donations until April 30. Please make cheques payable to West Vancouver Baptist Church. All offerings submitted in the designated envelopes will be sent to Active Missions.
We have added the option of using your credit card to donate to the Active in Missions initiative for Easter. This is available on our website when you click on GIVE, then GIVE ONLINE, and select Special – Active in Mission 2023 from the pulldown menu. You may also use e-transfer, in the memo put your envelope number and Special – Active in Mission. This will only be available until the end of April.
Freedom in Christ Sessions: Freedom In Christ ministries teaches us to find our identity in Christ by breaking bonds we have to our past sinful behavior. We all, in our pasts, have events that we wish we’d handled differently. Freedom In Christ allows us to examine ourselves to see how we can break the ties to that old behavior and forge a new relationship with Christ.
We are in a constant struggle between the powers of light and the powers of darkness. Freedom In Christ equips us with the tools to fight the darkness and stay in God’s grace. The series is about a true encounter with Jesus. We learn to make our stand with the truth, and the truth sets us free. The next two-day course is taking place on April 21 and 22 and will be led by Peter and Liz Burnett.
Friday, April 21, at 6 pm (snacks and refreshments served)
Saturday, April 22 from 10 am – 4 pm (lunch and refreshments served)
Cost for Participant Book - $13
Library Volunteers Needed: Our Library closed when COVID arrived and we have been unable to reopen due to a lack of volunteers. If you are interested in taking on the responsibility of running the library please contact Tracey in the office. Unfortunately, if we are unable to find volunteers, we will be forced to close down the library.
Events
Mark your calendars for these great events coming up.
