Pause for Thanks (so very, very grateful)

This is being written after a beautiful weekend of celebrating God's goodness at our Freedom Pavilion Grand Opening. I spent quite a bit of time putting together "thank-yous" for the dedication service and the ribbon cutting and want to share some of them with you. When we talk about the vision, mission and core values of the church, it's the church herself who embodies them. This project has been an incredible example of just that.

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"Thank you to the original Pavilion Committee led by Julie Schroth: Brian Domm, Sandra Park, Pastor Erin Jamieson and Callie Schmitz. You poured so much of your time and talent into dreaming about how we would use this building and then how to make it a reality. This was no small feat and we honour your work.

"Thank you to Brian Domm, specifically, who acted as the construction manager and oversaw every detail of construction. Your expertise was vital but we are especially grateful for the excitement and joy you brought to all of the very hard work that you did from day 1 back in December to landscaping last week.

"Thank you to the Board and Finance Committee who worked alongside the Committee every step of the way, giving oversight and taking on the risks that a project of this size brings with it. Your faith and thoughtful stewardship is something I wish more people could witness in real-time the way I get to.

"Thank you to Pastor Erin who took leadership of this project in March, jumped into a steep learning curve and saw it all the way through to storage shelves and pipe insulation. Your dedication to seeing this day happen kept us all believing we’d cross the finish line and here we are. We appreciate you so much.

"Thank you to every one of you who showed up, sometimes with only a few hours notice, to spread out straw or dig it back out again, to rake and rake and rake, to move in and move out and even today, to decorate and serve. All of it mattered and has made today possible.

"And thank you to each one who has sacrificed financially to build this pavilion. I remind you of the promise of God in 2 Corinthians 9 that when you have sowed generously, you will reap generously. We fully believe that and also that Jesus will be known in all that we do here at Freedom – you have helped us to expand our reach and ability to serve for the kingdom."

- September 25, 2022

With so much gratitude,
Pastor Tracy

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THIS SUNDAY

GREEN LIGHTS
The Call to Salvation
Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

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Pavilion Update! (where we are and what's left to do)

If you've been around our property in the last few weeks you'll know that it's anything but same old, same old around here. Many, many new houses are being built to the east, the trees have come down, ready for a newly landscaped property line, and the Pavilion is more than dreams and plans... it's actually a structure you can see and picture being used. It's incredible to see these years of ideas and conversations taking shape in real life.

The Pavilion Project is the next step in our vision of developing a Life Transformation Campus, where every acre is used as a spiritual oasis for our neighbours and for us. It was necessary to upgrade the old grey shed and we took the opportunity to be able to consider what else that space might be used for. We envision a connecting point for our church family and community, a place to offer radical hospitality and build authentic relationships with others, and a space that invests in the next generation by making room for meaningful activities and programs. I know you can see it too!

Read even more about the "why" behind this project HERE.

Our original Pavilion Project budget was $330,000 and the great news is that we've exceeded that amount in our fundraising over the past couple of years. Way to go, Freedom! That is truly remarkable.

The reality of the delay in construction, the last two years of the pandemic and the much higher price of materials has meant a dramatic increase in the budget which is now estimated at $550,000. Our fundraising shortfall is about $200,000 and we're asking God to help us to see this through to completion.

The team has done an excellent job managing costs and only doing what is necessary for the pavilion to be complete, meeting the requirements of the City and Region, and fully functioning for the coming season. We have also invested about $10,000 of this budget into setting up the Pavilion and Freedom Community Centre for future servicing (sewer & water) in order to avoid digging up the property again when the time comes to bring in city services.

I'm inviting our Freedom family to prayerfully consider this project and ask the Lord how He would have you financially invest in it. This is a sacrificial gift that is an offering, over and above our support of the general fund (as we want the ministries of our church to continue to thrive). Rob and I are taking this to prayer and committing to walking in obedience to whatever He asks of us because we believe in this work and that this is our next step as a church family. Will you join us?

As you pray, I invite you to reach out with any questions you have. We are excited about our first summer with the Pavilion and are grateful for your investment.

Believing in faith for what is next!
Pastor Tracy

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THIS SUNDAY

EMPOWERED
The Holy Spirit in Prayerful Community
Pastor Tracy Dunham

5th Sunday - Potluck after the service!

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

A Prayer to Listen (a way to rethink evangelism)

This article was sent to me a few weeks ago and I've been itching for a chance to share it with you. This call to share Christ by listening and serving others by really hearing their hearts is really beautiful and challenging. In fact, we can apply this principle widely in our lives as we strive to act and speak like the One we're following: Jesus. So very simply, I encourage you to click on the image and read it through.

Jesus, teach us to listen.

See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

The Bible Says Whut? Part 3
Philemon

Join us this Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy continues our series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

IMPACT. (are you ready? it's happening!)

Around here we've been thinking about impacting this community... a lot! As we gear up for the Pavilion Project and get the word out to our neighbours in Williamsburg, I'm constantly reminded that as we CONNECT and TRAIN, we can't neglect taking Jesus' message of life transformation outside of these walls to create IMPACT.

Have you made a financial commitment to invest in the Freedom Pavilion Project? We need every person to join us in this goal so that the vision can become reality and this property would take another step toward being a Life Transformation Campus. (Scroll down to see the details of how to do that.)

But, of course, it goes beyond these 10 acres and into the world beyond us. And that's why it's such a joy for us to support our missions partners. We set our missions giving goal at $20,000 for 2020 after receiving over $28,000 in 2019. Wow! I shared this plan on Sunday during the service but if you missed it, click the link below to read about it.

And we're not done yet because your generous giving to our church means that we can keep dreaming and resourcing all that God is calling us to outside of these walls even as we grow and change and become more like Christ as we do life and ministry together.

I want to encourage you to consider for yourself and your family how you can invest this year. Our sacrifices for the kingdom are never in vain and open up blessing and opportunity for His purposes that we can only imagine.

IMPACT for the kingdom!
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

Common Sense Faith
Pray For It

Join us this Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy continues our series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

CONNECT. TRAIN. (ready for IMPACT)

Here's the deal: You know as well as I do that we need people in our lives. Real people, not their digital avatar. We were meant to connect because when we do, well, a lot of great things are possible.

That's the opportunity we're offering up at Connecting Point. My relationship with Christ gets deeper and more sincere when I do it with others. My ability to grow is massively stunted when I try and do it on my own. So I don't. Connecting with others is on my calendar. It happens when it's cold and rainy, it happens when I've had an exhausting day, it happens when I'm celebrating a victory, it happens because I know I can't develop in my discipleship without it.

Two of our core values at Freedom are CONNECTING AND TRAINING: Building real relationships with God and others and learning to think and act like Jesus. Connecting Point was created as a great option to do both.

Here's what's happening at Connecting Point that might get you started, or be the 'what's next' for you this year. I'll be there - join me!

MARRIAGE ON THE ROCK

This group will focus on building Christ-centred marriages.

JOHN: LIFE-CHANGE SERIES

This study is a deep-dive into the gospel of John with relevant application from the life and teaching of Jesus. (Purchase a book at the NEXT Centre.)

ORDERING YOUR PRIVATE WORLD

We have planners, calendars, and to-do lists to help us organize our business and social lives. This study is all about organizing the other side of our lives—the spiritual side. (Purchase a book at the NEXT Centre or on Amazon.)

WOMEN'S GROUP STUDY ("SISTERS" BY LIFE CHURCH)

This group is for women who want to go deeper in Christ and build relationships with other women at the same time.

PLUS... we are offering everyone the chance to COME FOR DINNER before CP (sign-up online) so that you can take the stress out of getting here on time and have a chance to get to know your church family better. #winwin And, if you need childcare for Preschool or younger, please sign up online as well.

Of course, all of this information is on our website so that you can figure out if this would be a good way for you to make time to connect and train. And even if it's not this, connecting and training are core values for a reason. We believe that life in Christ gets deeper and richer when we are intentional about connecting, training and impacting.

Together in Christ,

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday we are going to start collecting pledge cards for the Welcome to Our House Pavilion Project. We need to raise another $30,000 in cash or pledges to start construction. Pray about how your family will invest in what's next at Freedom!

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This Sunday

Common Sense Faith
Surrender It

Join us this Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy continues our series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Are you dreaming for Freedom? (well, I am!)

I can't count the number of days I've driven up the church driveway and shaken my head in disbelief as I looked over our whole 10 acre property. It's just so amazing. It's ours because a generation ago there was a group of people (just like us) who had a vision to reach even more people in Kitchener with the life-transforming message of of the gospel. There is so much space, so much life, and so much to dream about that I haven't gotten used to that view even more than a decade after I came to Freedom.

Our church isn't big or famous, but we've worked hard to be well known in our community and be about more than just us. We've also worked hard to focus our efforts on things that will truly matter for eternity - making disciples. We've focused on connecting with God, choosing to be in community with one another, learning to think and act like Jesus and changing the world around us for HIm.

But, of course, we're far from feeling like we're done. We know that in some ways we're just getting started. We're as committed as ever to staying in step with the Spirit and He is always ready to move, to transform hearts, to draw people to Christ and to guide us in everything we do.

When we talk about what's next, when we spend many hours over many months developing the Pavilion Project, when we explore new ideas for Connecting Point groups, when we create new resources... or whatever else we're doing, I get excited. Why? The plan that God has for us is stunning and we get to be right in the middle of it and it's totally amazing.

Doing this kingdom-based life together is an adventure like no other. If you haven't already, jump right in, get invested and see what God might have for you as an irreplaceable part of the body of Christ.

And I hope to see you on Sunday night at 6:30 for our Pavilion Q&A. We're getting ready to make a significant financial commitment to this project as a church and we want to hear from you and link arms together as we go forward.

So glad we're together for this adventure!

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

Common Sense Faith
Tame It

Join us this Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy continues our series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.