Christmas Encouragement (a reason for joy)

I'm not sure I've ever done this before so I'm excited about what you're going to read next. Dave, who is a part of our Freedom family, posted in our Facebook Connecting Point Group after the service on Sunday and shared a vision he'd had and not just for himself but for the church. (I have to tell you, going back and reading posts and comments from Sunday is my favourite way to start my week!) Dave's vision was right in line with so many of the conversations I've been having over the past few weeks and really spoke to my heart so I'm sharing it with you in this format with his permission.

_____________________________

Afternoon Church Family,

I had to write about a vision I had this morning in church and I think it was meant for more then just me today based on Pastor Tracy's word.

I came to church today feeling very alone in a crowd and I could see myself just going through the motions thinking that no one knew or had to know. It felt as if there was a spotlight on me, singling me out as the odd ball in the group. Not participating emotionally or spiritually - just standing alone, existing.

Today's message was about Joy. Joy, in the coming of Christ. Joy in the sacrifice that would be made for us and me. Joy, that the birth of Christ was about the end and not the beginning. Joy, that it was set in place before I knew I needed it or before I had to clean myself up to get it. Joy, that new has come for me and all those who call on Jesus...

That was when God cleared up the vision I had seen in my heart and head. The spotlight was not to show me that I am isolated from those around me, isolated and alone, alone and lost...but...that HE has isolated me in His eye's vision. He is looking right at me even though everything else is happening around me and I feel alone. Instead He is FOCUSING on me alone (and you in your place right now). He is LOVING right on me - alone from those around me. His love is not corporate when it is directed at me...it is FOR ME ALONE. BOOM!

Yes, I feel alone still, right now in the physical - the situation of the loneliness has not changed yet but... I am NOT alone, but instead, a focus of His attention. And with that came JOY. Oh, not the jump up and down because I just won one of the Sunday morning prizes, but a sense of His presence in that loneliness - a loneliness in Joy.

I think that wasn't just for me today and so I felt I needed to share. May the Holy Spirit of God lavish you with JOY of isolation today.

- Dave Hancock

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This touched my heart. He sees you. He knows you.

And, He is working through US to speak to the individual heart. How amazing is our God who teaches us to lay down our selves but also speaks to each one of us personally?

We are TOGETHER this Christmas because we are IN CHRIST. Indeed, there is so much reason for joy.

Would you invite someone to join you for our Christmas Eve service? It's all online so you won't break any by-laws! Just click the "Together at Christmas" graphic below.

Do you know someone who will be joining us for Christmas Eve and would like our Christmas Eve service package? We would be delighted to get one to them. Just let us know!

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

THE GIFT
Gold (A King Like No Other)

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Together at Christmas (more Christmas at Freedom)

It's happening! Our online Christmas Eve service is coming together and we're excited about the opportunity to not be limited by room capacity or registration forms but to be able to extend the invitation to hear the good news about Jesus this Christmas to absolutely everyone.

Here's your assignment for the week. Check out our website with all the details about our Christmas Eve service and decide who you can invite. There is even a simple inviter tool right there on the page. So easy!

But wait, there's more! If you are on our regular mailing list (as in, you get this email), we are working on a special package that we will deliver to you before Christmas Eve so that we can be as together as possible while we're apart this year. It has a lot of nice things in it but our favourite is that we're sending you candles that you can light with us during the service... the same ones we use when we're in person. Yeah!

If you are wondering if you really are on the list or if you've invited someone who would also like a package from us, just reply to this email and let us know. We're making a list... and checking it twice... we'll bring you a package no matter how naughty or nice you've been. :)

The Christmas Eve page on our website has lots of information, including what to do if you aren't on/don't like Facebook. Be sure to check it out!

Lastly, I'm asking that you'll pray with me that we'll have a Christmas with lots of impact for Jesus. Pray for Rob and our tech team that they will have much success in putting the service together. Pray that the Holy Spirit would begin to soften hearts to respond to the message of the gospel. Pray that you would have the courage to invite others and talk to other about Christ this whole season long.

It's going to be a very merry Christmas indeed!
Pastor Tracy

It's not too late... join us for our ADVENT READING PLAN on YOUVERSION.

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This Sunday

THE GIFT
Myrrh (It’s Hard to Believe)

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Christmas At Freedom... And How You Can Participate (together at home!)

Go ahead and watch the video above and here are all the links you need!

CHRISTMAS EVE: Watch our socials and your email for shareable invitations to our Facebook Live Service on Christmas Eve at 7:00pm. You don't need a Facebook account to watch. Just go to our page without logging in: CLICK HERE

ADVENT READING PLAN on YOUVERSION: CLICK HERE

Looking forward to celebrating with you,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

THE GIFT
Frankincense (No One Understands Me)

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

5th Sunday... Let's Celebrate the Church in 2020! (all the hope, love, joy and peace)

I don't know about you but I'm happy to have some reasons to celebrate at the end of this year. I always love the Advent and Christmas season but I'm looking forward to understanding it even more and deepening my gratitude as we go through it together.

There are lots of great resources to help us understand this season. I've included one below that does a great job with teaching and with a great soundtrack. :)

So this Sunday, we're going to use our 5th Sunday service to celebrate some things as a church and get our hearts ready for the days ahead.

We're hoping to celebrate some baptisms, have some fun with new vs. old, celebrate our new normal, introduce you to our new Freedom Church campus, talk about the exciting opportunities to impact the world for Christ this Christmas and more.

On that note, I have a few action items for you this week:

1. If you would still like to be baptized, I need to hear from you today. Just click the button below.

2. If you have a question for one of our pastors, email it to question@freedomkw.com.

3. Whether you're in person or online, get ready to participate. We have built the service to be fully interactive and we can't wait to hear from you!

4. If you're watching the livestream and have an Advent wreath at home, wait and we will light the Hope candle together during the service.

Are you ready for 5th Sunday!? We are!

Looking forward to celebrating with you,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

THE NEW NORMAL
The New Pastor

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Have You Braced Yourself? (suiting up from Ephesians 6)

Have you braced yourself?

I'm writing this after the insane wind storm we had on Sunday that came after that ugly rain in the morning. My daughter watched a chair fly across the street and smash into the side of a house. That was right around the same time that a neighbour's shingle hit my bedroom window. Yeah, not the prettiest of fall days.

It was quite a wake-up call after the record-breaking warm days we had. Winter is on the way and it has the potential to be one of the loneliest on record.

So I'm wondering, have you braced yourself?

Are you emotionally and spiritually prepared for the season ahead? Do you have the rhythms and disciplines in place that you're going to need in order to walk with grace and peace through the winter?

Let's do a check-in with our hearts and calendars this week and see where we need to be prepared to fight fear, anxiety, sadness, and apathy over the next few months. Like putting winter tires on your car, what is going to give you the best spiritual traction?

Ephesians 6:13-18 gives a great picture of what it means to "suit up" spiritually, to be ready for every season, every storm that comes our way.

"Put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

So in these next few days, consider how prepared you are for what's next.

1. Are you in the habit of reading the Bible daily?

2. Do you consistently communicate with God in prayer?

3. Have you built time into your calendar for connecting and growing with other believers?

4. Are you confessing your sin and living rightly before God through Jesus?

5. Do you ask God to use you to share the hope, peace and freedom you have in Christ?

6. Are you finding rest and being restored in Him?

Take an inventory of your heart, mind and spirit as we head into the darkest days of the year (in a very literal sense!). Join me in asking the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to be more intentional so that we are ready for the season ahead... and the one after that!

Staying alert with you,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

THE NEW NORMAL
The New Prayer

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

The New Creation (all about water baptism)

Pastor did an excellent job helping us understand what it means that we are new creations in Christ and how water baptism symbolizes this amazing truth. If you didn't get a chance to listen or watch, be sure to check it out here, including the Q&A afterward.

I hope that you've heard by now that there will be an opportunity to be baptized in water on 5th Sunday, November 29th, during our service. If you or someone you know is considering baptism, allow me to reiterate what it's all about. Here is the first page of what you'll find on our website:

So if you've made a decision to follow Jesus and you've never been baptized in water, this is the perfect opportunity. Just click the button at the top of the page and read about your next step. And, of course, don't hesitate to give me a shout if you have any questions!

In Christ,
Pastor Tracy

PS - Fast & Pray Days are still happening and it's not too late to join in. Jump into our Connecting Point Facebook Group for guided prayer and other encouragement for the week!

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This Sunday

THE NEW NORMAL
The New Tithe

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Fast & Pray Days (let's do this together!)

Fasting is a simple concept, truly. It's a spiritual discipline that is practiced throughout scripture (old normal and new normal!) and is still valid for us today. It's abstaining from food for a period of time to be able to focus in prayer with increased intentionality.

But still, we have a lot of questions about fasting. I've put together a few thoughts in the video that I hope are helpful and more than that, I hope they encourage you to join us for Fast & Pray Days next week.

November 8 - Deep Roots

• Worship @ 6:00pm (FB Live & In Person) CLICK TO REGISTER

• Prayer @ 6:30pm (Zoom & In Person) EMAIL US FOR ZOOM LINK

November 8-14 - Fast & Pray Days

• Follow us on social media for specific needs and a prayer guide for the whole church!

Thank you for praying with me,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

THE NEW NORMAL
The New Creation

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Rebuilding My Life (how I'm thinking about post-pandemic life)

Rebuilding Our Lives

Everything came skidding to a stop three months ago. We lost the ability to go out and do what we wanted to. We rearranged everything to have it centre from home - church, social interactions, school, and work. Some of us were bored and some of us were busier than ever. Our assumptions, emotions, mental health, and spiritual fortitude have been tested and challenged.

As we creep toward something that looks a little more like pre-pandemic life, how do we know how to rebuild the parts of our lives that are so different than they were before? How do we decide what we're going to do and not do, resume or leave behind forever?

Here's how I've been thinking about this.

Spiritual Life

Since my relationship with God isn't a piece of my life but the foundation and centre of my life, this one has to come first. I wrote this in first person and then in third person and then back again, and again... it was tough to know what voice to use so I left it in third but on almost every point I am using first person to ask these questions of myself as well!

What does your relationship with God look like right now? Have you picked up any habits or practices that have been making a positive impact to your discipleship? How can you protect those things in your calendar and strengthen these habits?

Think about what your bible-reading app streak looks like or the bible study that you've been working through daily or how your family has consistently been "attending" church together or the Connecting Point group that you engaged with online or the way that you've been able to pray for people and meet practical needs like never before.

What will it take for those kingdom-centred things to stay in first place as restrictions to our movements are easing?

Family Life

What have you learned about your closest relationships over the past few months? What areas have been shown to need some work? What beautiful things have come out of spending so much time together? How can you lean into those issues that have come to the surface and schedule your week to preserve the family time that you've come to love?

Work Life

Think about the time you spend at work and what it has meant to work from home or go into work during a pandemic. How has God used you in this environment? What have you realized about your strengths and weaknesses as you serve your employer? How has gratitude for a steady job increased? Or, how has your ability to trust God to be your provider increased? How will these insights help you live out Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..."?

This crisis has an obvious silver-lining; we have the chance to rebuild our lives with new intention. We have an unlimited resource of wisdom to help us with this (James 1:5-6) and the Holy Spirit who is able to use every circumstance to shape us into the image of Christ and produce the fruit of the Spirit in us. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Take these questions with you on the next walk you take, the next time you open your prayer journal or the next time you sit quietly with the scriptures. Who knows what the next six months, year or decade might look like when a global pandemic gives you the catalyst you needed to allow the Lord to shape your life in new ways.

Walking with you,

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

IN MY FEELINGS
It’s Not Okay

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

What are YOU thinking? (we really want to know)

This week, we want to hear from you. We've linked up with a great resource from the Barna Group and Gloo that has been constantly polling churches and pastors through this crisis and keeping a pulse on how things are going. I've been tracking this this for several weeks and have found it extremely helpful.

Now there's a new assessment that helps churches understand how people are feeling about getting back together in person. We've heard anecdotally from some of our Freedom family, seen some posts on social media and are thinking these things through for our own families as well. But what would really help us is to hear from each and every one of you, for yourself or on behalf of your household.

Click here to take the Returning to Church Check-In.

NOTE: Question 1 can be understood as, "When," not "As," since restrictions regarding church gatherings are still in place in Ontario at this time.

We'll be sending out something similar again the future so that we can better understand how things are changing in real-time as this pandemic evolves and our governments lift and change restrictions going forward.

There are no right or wrong answers. It's okay to say that you're not sure. It's okay if your spouse take the assessment and answers differently than you.

Thanks for participating!
See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

The Advocate
The Work

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Missions and Our Mission (the gospel keeps advancing)

Want to hear some good news? Our global workers are still seeing the gospel moving! Click the video link for 90 seconds of encouragement from Jeremy Feller, our mission partner in Ethiopia.

Whenever I hear from someone like Jeremy I think about my life and my mission right here in Kitchener. How can I see the gospel advance in my neighbourhood? How can my life be counted as making a difference for the kingdom?

Like Jeremy says, while we're not able to go too far from home, there are so many ways to continue to be the church that we are. As you invite someone to church online and interact with them, as you reach out to that person who has been on your mind to be a listening ear, as you financially support those who are in need, as you meet practical needs in the lives of people around you, you continue to make a statement about the grace and care and love of Christ.

We pray that this kind of effort makes a huge impact on the hearts of everyone this church reaches, that people would understand who Christ is and trust Him with their lives. We pray that every person who is discouraged or overwhelmed would learn through the encouragement of this church that He really has given us everything we need for a godly life.

How is your life on mission today?

Some of you know exactly how to answer the question, some aren't sure where to start. Here's a short list of ways to get moving in the right direction if you need some help!

• Get on the Prayer Team (freedomkw.com/prayer)

• Offer to help as needs arise (freedomkw.com/freedom-responds)

• Reach out to someone you haven't heard from in a while

• Invite someone to church and text with them during the service or have lunch with them over FaceTime afterward

• Give - invest your finances in the work of the ministry

• Join a CP group so you can connect with and encourage others as you learn

• Make a meal and bring it to a family who needs a night off of making dinner

• Really, whatever the Lord has put on your heart to do!

And that making a meal one is more than an idea, it's a plan we're working on. So many people in our lives don't need grocery pickups or financial assistance necessarily, they need a break from working from home while trying to homeschool their kids. It's a simple, beautiful way to extend hospitality in this season. Want to get involved in it? Just email Pastor Erin... and we'll talk about it more in the coming weeks.

Church, the gospel is advancing all over the world. Let's continue to commit ourselves to being a part of that advancement right here in KW.

Pastor Tracy

PS - More information about our 2020 Missions Giving Plan can be found here.

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This Sunday

The Advocate
The Truth

Join us this Sunday at 10am on Facebook Live as Pastor Erin starts our new series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Consider This (love and good deeds in spring 2020)

I know that the shine has worn off of this social distancing thing... if it ever had any shine at all. This forced pause has had some up sides and the rush to take our world (church, work, school, social lives) online has settled into something we never could have imagined a few weeks ago.

I get that it's less exciting to comment on every Facebook post and follow every IG story.

So can I invite you to add something to your online life that will stay with you long after we are able to meet in person?

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging on another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Connecting Point isn't the only answer to the command in these verses but we offer it to our church as a really effective way to be in community, encourage and be encouraged, challenge and be challenged, not giving up on meeting together and all the growth and inspiration that comes with that.

Consider joining a group for May and June. This is a new season with new opportunities to learn and grow, redeeming all the crazy for God's good purposes in our lives!

Here are some options for you:

• Life in the Spirit: taught by Pastor Del, moderated by Pastor Tracy via Zoom - Tuesdays @ 7:30pm (if the group is big, we can break into small group "rooms" for discussion after the lesson!)

• First Steps: groups will be arranged as registrations are received.

• Sisters Women's Group: led by Pastor Erin via Zoom - Wednesdays @ 8:00

• NEXT Courses: self-directed studies that can be coordinated into groups upon request.

How are you considering how to spur yourself and others on toward love and good deeds this spring? We may not be in the same room but we are just as passionate about CONNECTING, TRAINING and IMPACTING!

Looking forward to seeing you in a CP group,

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

Revealing Jesus
Righteous Judge & Coming King

Join us this Sunday at 10am on Facebook Live as Pastor Tracy continues our Easter series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Okay, now what? (redeeming the time)

Here we are, about a month after social distancing began and to be frank, we're all over the map. In equal measures I've heard us saying that we are:

• busier than ever (homeschooling kids + working from home!)

• have way to much time on our hands (no sports, no activities, no little ones at home)

• stressed because everything is harder (lining up for groceries, simple household tasks, disinfecting all the time)

• anxious while working in an essential service (thank you, sincerely!)

• and everything in between

In truth, all of this happened so fast that no matter what your isolation looks like, it's a lot different than life was a few weeks ago.

But happily, one of the things I hear a lot is that you want to redeem the time, to use it wisely. You want to start doing devotions with your kids and some of the obstacles you've had before have been removed. You want to read and learn more and now Netflix is kind of losing its shine. You want to be physically healthy and being locked down to one location has given you the drive to get up and do something.

For me, now that the initial rush and crazy of this crisis has settled in a strange new normal, I am turning my attention to making sure that this time is not wasted. I'm asking myself how I can build new foundations and habits in my life that I've always known I've wanted and needed.

And yet, it can still be hard to turn these opportunities into something real.

So I'm calling us all to action. No, not to a complicated schedule that you have to follow! (Homeschoolers, you have enough of this going on. Praying blessing on all of you.)

Here's the challenge: Pause today and ask the Lord to show you one thing that you now have the space and time to do like never before. God speaks to us in different ways but if you listen, you'll hear Him. Maybe it will be something you read, something you see online, or an idea that just comes to mind. Lean into that. Write it down and start on it today.

While we can't choose what is happening in the world or in our current circumstances so much of the time, we can choose to allow God to work in us to redeem every season for HIs purposes in and through us. I have my "thing". I'm going to start today. How about you?

Pastor Tracy

“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

— Psalm 90:12

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

— Ecclesiastes 3:1

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

— Proverbs 16:9

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This Sunday

Revealing Jesus
The Word of God

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

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Easter Weekend Celebrations and More! (be in the know)

Ready for a few updates? Here we go!

There is a lot going on at church! Sure, the format of things has changed, but we love how we've been hearing from you and all the ways we are connecting with you.

Please don't forget that if you need help/prayer or want to help/pray, head over to Freedom Responds and let us know. Let's do everything we can to BE THE CHURCH in the middle of this crisis.

I know that many of us are tired or overwhelmed. We are with you and we are for you. We love you and are praying that in the strangeness of these days, when it can be hard to find your footing, you will know the peace and presence of Christ. In any way you can think of, be sure to connect together, encourage one another and share with others the hope you have in Jesus no matter what is happening in the world around us.

The Lord bless and keep you.

Pastor Tracy

Good Friday

For this special service I invite you to gather around the table with your family and join my family for worship and communion from our home. Any kind of bread and juice will do but if you need some communion supplies, we'd be happy to arrange a contactless pickup or drop-off for you.

Easter Sunday

While there's no shame in wearing sweatpants to watch church on livestream... on Easter Sunday we're challenging everyone to dress in their Easter best and gather at the screen to celebrate the resurrection of Christ with us! (And, of course, we want you to take a photo and share it with us!) Let's mark the significance of this day in every way we can.

Our Pavilion Project has been postponed until 2021. We are looking forward to when we are able to break ground on this building safely and celebrate its completion together with our neighbours. We'll keep you up-to-date when we have a start date in our calendars!

The Annual Business Meeting has been postponed until further notice to ensure full participation of our membership. It will be great to get together, share vision and do business when it is possible.

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This Sunday

PALM SUNDAY
Revealing Jesus
The Root of David

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

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

How are you different? (this week's call to action!)

In this series we've been celebrating the Word. We had lots of great things planned for 5th Sunday, March 29th, not the least of which was a potluck after the service, but, you know, our plans have definitely changed!

But even in the midst of change (and even better than the dishes that we would have shared that Sunday), we still want to find ways to celebrate the Word. Here's what I'd love - to hear the stories of how Scripture has made an impact in your life. Have you had a moment of encouragement, direction, correction or anything else from reading the Bible?

I can't tell you how helpful it would be to your church family to hear your story.

We don't need to be in the same room to share this kind of celebration.

Here's your call to action. Click this link and tell me about a time when the Bible has made a significant impact in your life. It doesn't need to be long or complicated, just a simple testimony of how incredible the Word of God is that will challenge and encourage others. (I'll be sure to get your permission before we share any story publicly.)

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to hearing from you. Yeah, you. Don't leave it to someone else. You have a story to tell and we're ready to hear it!

Also, here's an outline of what you can expect from our livestream service on Facebook this week...

• A couple of songs of worship

• A kids moment with Miss Margaret

• A message from Romans 7

• Closing thoughts and live Q&A with Pastor Tracy

The service will run about 45 minutes. We'll be live a few minutes before 10:00 so jump onto our Facebook page and be sure to CHECK IN, SAY HI in the comments and let your church family know that you're watching with them! Our staff will be online with you to respond to your thoughts, comments and questions as we worship together.

See you on Sunday!

Pastor Tracy

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Our Easter series starts on Palm Sunday, April 5th. Who are you inviting?

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This Sunday

The Bible Says Whut? Part 3
Romans 7

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

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Easter is Coming! (He is risen indeed!)

A month from today is my favourite day of the year - Easter Sunday. We have been working on our special services for Easter weekend and the message series around it for weeks and weeks. No surprise, but I - CANNOT - WAIT.

This year our theme is "Revealing Jesus". Every message is taken from the book of Revelation, specifically the different titles and names that Jesus is called, and what they reveal about who He is. Starting on Palm Sunday and using Revelation as a reference we're going to do our best to reveal Jesus week after week.

The question is: who are you bringing with you to hear about Him this Easter? Is there a co-worker that has been asking you questions about faith this past year? Is there a family member who has shown interest in church lately? Is there a friend who is looking for something more in their life? Whoever it is and whatever their background, Jesus is, in fact, the answer. We believe that with all of our hearts and it is our privilege to shout it from the rooftops as often as we can and definitely in this season.

One month until Easter Sunday. Link arms with your church family and together let's bring the hope of Christ to as many people as we can. Will you join me and bring someone with you?

He is risen indeed!

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

The Bible Says Whut? Part 3
Leviticus

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

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

People Investing in People (it's Ray of Hope!)

Allow me to introduce you to or reacquaint you with one of our missions partners. Ray of Hope works right here in Kitchener and provides life-changing services to people in need. They demonstrate the love of Christ to those who are disadvantaged, marginalized, or troubled. Their vision is: "People investing in people. Inspiring Hope. Transforming Life." Wow - it's no wonder that we count it a privilege to partner with Ray of Hope. Their vision and ours share so much in common.

Ray of Hope works in so many different areas of our community. Specifically, they focus on:

• Community Support

• Refugee Support

• Youth Justice

• Youth Employment

• Youth Addiction

For the past several years we have been sending a team every other month to make and serve a meal at the Ray of Hope Community Centre. This year, even as we continue to do that, we have a plan to raise funds over and above the cost of the food to be able to bless their ministry in some way at the end of the year. 

We appreciate everyone who has served with our Freedom team at Ray of Hope and invite you to get involved if you want to participate with us. (Just email Katie and let her know you're interested.)

Thank you for partnering with us as we support this great work in our community and our missions families!

See you on Sunday, 

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

The Bible Says Whut? Part 3
3 John

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

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Finding Out WHUT the Bible Says (and prizes to boot!)

On Sunday we started part three of our Bible Says Whut? series. It's all about digging into difficult or neglected parts of scripture and building up skills and confidence to study the Bible for ourselves. It is always so much fun for me to prepare for these messages!

This time around we're going to add some incentive to dig deeper into the Bible. We've created age-specific challenges that will encourage good habits in the Word and also make you eligible to win a sparkly new study Bible of your very own. (Don't count yourself out if you already have a Bible that you love because if you win you could give the best gift ever to someone that you care about!)

Here's the challenges for each age group in our church family...

JK - Grade 2: Learn & recite the books in the New Testament in order.
Grade 3 - 6: Learn & recite the books of the Old and New Testament in order.
Miss Margaret will be sending some more information for our kids so check your inbox.

Grade 7 - 8: Take notes in four sermons in the month of March (Friday or Sunday).
Grade 9 - 12: Complete the YouVersion reading plan assigned by Pastor.
Pastor will be talking to the youth about this so listen and watch for that.

Adults: Complete a 28-day streak in the YouVersion app.
Read whatever you want, just be sure the "streak" on your home page reaches 28.

We'll have some stations set up on 5th Sunday, March 29 when you come to church so that you can show your work and enter your name to win one of the Bible prizes.

Um, yeah. This is going to be fun. I. Can't. Wait.

And, of course, 5th Sunday is going to be themed around how amazing the Word of God is and we're planning a great service and potluck that you won't want to miss. Yeah!

In the Word with you,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

The Bible Says Whut? Part 3
Jude

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

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.

Devoted: Making An Impact

As Pastor Tracy mentoned on Sunday, here are some great ideas from Timothy Keller’s book Center Church of how you can make an impact for Christ in ways that are organic, relational, Word deploying (bringing the Bible and gospel into connection with people’s lives) and active (each person assumes personal responsibility to share Christ).

• Jerry is asked by his work colleague Bill how his weekend went. Jerry relates that he went on a men’s retreat that provided spiritual resources for forgiving people who have wronged us over the years. When Bill raises his eyebrows and says, “That’s interesting,” Jerry takes a small plunge and mentions that the thing that helped him most was the idea that even though he has not given God his due, God offers him forgiveness through Jesus.

• Dan and Jill help their two sons, ages five and seven, with Scripture memorization and teach them a simple catechism. They field the boys’ questions and help them understand the meaning of the texts they are studying.

• Sally gets to knows a young woman named Clara at church. Clara confides that she and her husband are having marriage problems and he isn’t willing to go to a counsellor. Sally and her husband Jeff, invite Clara and Same over for a meal. Sam hits it off with Jeff. Afterward, Clara convinces Sam to meet with Jeff and Sally to talk about their marriage issues. They meet together once a month for four months, studying Ephesians 5 and several other biblical texts on marriage.

• John comes to church with his wife, but he isn’t sure what he believes or where he stands on faith. The pastor introduces him to an elder named Tom, who begins meeting with John on occasion to read and discuss a book about basic Christianity. After two meetings, John agrees to study the gospel of Mark with Tom every two or three weeks.

• Jenny begins coming to a small group in the church. She was raised in the church but has so many doubts and questions that her group leader, Beth, begins meeting with her one-on-one. They study Bible passages and read books that address each of her questions, one after the other.

• Ted is a young single lawyer. He knows several other lawyers who go to church with him, though they don’t work for his firm. He decides to have a Super Bowl party for several of his non-Christian colleagues and invites two Christian lawyers from church and a couple of other believers as well. The men and women from his workplace hit it off with the lawyers from church. About three months later, one of them shows up in church with one of Ted’s friends.

• Jessica meets Teresa, a new believer, at church and invites her to work through a series of six Bible studies for new Christians (on issues such as prayer, Bible reading, the role of the church, understanding the gospel better, etc.)

• Fred has been attending a small group for months. At one point he realizes that he assesses the value of the group strictly on what he gets out of it. He then decides to being preparing well (studying the passage) and praying for the group. When he comes, he looks for every opportunity to help the Bible study leader by making good contributions and for ways to speak the truth in love so others are encouraged and helped to grow.

• Catherine prays for her friend Megan for months. Megan responds well to two short books on Christian subjects that Catherine has given her. She then invites Megan to an evangelistic event in which Christian truth is presented. On the way home, she fields Megan’s questions.

• Joe has a longtime friend from college days named Pete, who is a musician. Pete’s performance anxiety is harming his career. Joe has been a sympathetic listener for some time, but finally he bluntly asks Pete to explore the Christian faith with him. “I think maybe it’s the only thing that will help you overcome your problem.” Pete is taken aback, but after a while, he expresses interest, mainly out of desperation. Joe warns him, “If Christianity is going to be any help, it will only be if you come to the belief that it is not just helpful but true.” Pete doesn’t want to go to any Christian gatherings, so they start studying the Bible together and listening to sermons and lectures and discussing them.

• Kerrie and two other Christian friends are moms who have young kids. They decide to start a daytime moms’ group and invite non-Christian friends. For about a year, the group grows to include a similar number of Christians and nonbelievers. The conversations are general and freewheeling - covering spiritual, social, marriage, parenting, and personal issues. As time goes on, several of the nonbelievers begin to go to church with the believers and cross over the line of faith. After three years, the group is a Christian Bible study but still open and inclusive toward a few non-believers who come regularly.

• Jim and Cynthia are both artists who are involved in a citywide Christian artists’ fellowship based in their local church. The fellowship typically includes a discussion of the relationship of faith to art that assumes a Christian belief, but the artists have four events a year that will be either a gallery showing or a book event in which a credible working artist talks to a general audience about how their faith relates to their art. Jim and Cynthia are diligent in bringing non-Christian artists or art appreciators to these events.

• Greg comes to faith in Christ through a skeptics/seeker group hosted by a church. When the date for his baptism is set, he invites a number of non-Christian friends to the service and then takes them out for lunch and discusses the whole event. One friend is very moved by the experience, and Greg invites him to come back. Eventually, the friend begins coming to his small group with him.

Center Church
Copyright (C) 2012 by Redeemer City to City and Timothy J. Keller
(excerpt taken from pages 279-280)