Edson-Peers Christian Reformed Church

A Vibrant Church Committed To Christ and Our Community

2012-03-23T22:09:00.004-06:00

We are a gathering of people who love Jesus and who want to share the good news with our community. The good news is that in Christ, God has reconciled to himself sinful humanity. To all who believe in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross, God grants full pardon. Before Him they stand justified and are granted Jesus' very own righteousness.

All people are welcome to join us. In worship we meet with God, seek to glorify him through prayers and singing, listen and obey the Bible, and enjoy fellowship with our friends and family.

For anyone interested in learning more about God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, we encourage attendance at our worship services, participation in the life of the church and joining a Small Group. Not involved in a Small Group yet? Contact Pastor Paul to join one, or to start one!

In addition to our Sunday worship services and small groups, we offer the following: boy's (Cadets) and girls' (GEMS) clubs for children in grades 3-8. Youth group for youth in grades 9-12. Catechism teaching for those in grades 7-12.

Normal is broke, be weird!

2012-01-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

Normal is being in debt, living paycheque to paycheque, having no financial freedom. Be weird, be financially free. You can become financially free! Come to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course being offered at our church starting Feb. 5th. What is it? Financial Peace University is a 13-week, video based small group study that teaches families how to beat debt, build wealth, and give like never before. Come see the free preview video & register after the morning service on Feb. 5th (service starts at 10:30, video preview will start around 11:45)! For more information or to watch the preview video visit: www.daveramsey.com.

Christian Reformed World Missions Advocate Newsletter

2011-05-06T09:30:00.002-06:00

We've added the latest Advocate Newsletter to our Missionary Newsletters document box. Check it out! There is information on various missionaries working around the world as well as items to include in your prayers!

Latest newsletter from the LeMahieu's in Papua New Guinea

2011-03-18T16:02:00.003-06:00

Check out the Nov. 2011 newsletter for all the latest information, what/whom to pray for and how you can support them financially.

LeMahieu's Newsletter

2010-04-10T19:49:00.004-06:00

There's another newsletter from Doug & Benita! In this letter you'll learn what they've been up to the last while. There's good news and some sad news as well. Please continue to lift them up in prayer!

Congregational Meeting

2010-02-16T22:53:00.001-07:00

We will have our annual February congregational meeting this Friday, Feb. 19th @ 7:30pm.

Shepherding A Child's Heart Parenting Conference

2010-01-14T09:08:00.003-07:00

On Friday, Feb. 5th & Saturday, Feb. 6th, we will be hosting a free parenting conference. This conference is a rebroadcast of Tedd Tripp's Shepherding A Child's Heart Conference recorded live at Mars Hill Church in Seattle Washington.
Tedd Tripp, Senior Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church, draws upon 30 years experience as pastor, counsellor, school administrator and father for this conference. His book, Shepherding A Child's Heart, is highly acclaimed for its Biblical instruction on parenting. What makes Tedd Tripp's instruction different is that it addresses the heart of a child as the source of behaviour. Other books try to affect the heart through addressing the behaviours.
Parents attending this conference will be given practical tools and methods for parenting their children. They will be able to speak to their children in a way that engages the heart.

Okanagan Gleaners

2010-01-05T15:46:00.002-07:00

Have you heard about the Okanagan Gleaners? This organisation, located in Oliver, B.C. receives free fruit and vegetables from area farmers which they dry and process into soup mixes. The soup mixes are shipped all over the world to feed starving people. To learn more, click on the link and read their latest newsletter posted to the right.

Ordination Worship Service Video

2009-11-10T14:28:00.001-07:00

If you missed the service and are interested in seeing the video, click here. It was an excellent service, very moving. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Why We Love the Church

2009-11-10T12:06:00.003-07:00

Another excellent book by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. It gives ear to the real dissatisfaction people have concerning the church, while at the same time reminding all of us that the church (even the imperfect human institutions called congregations, or local churches) is the Bride of Christ.

Missionaries We Support

2009-11-10T12:00:00.001-07:00

We support two missionary families: Gary and Galya Timmerman in Russia and Doug and Benita LeMahieu in Papua New Guinea.

Pastor Paul

2009-11-07T14:26:00.002-07:00

On Saturday, October 31, (Reformation Day) 2009, our pastor, Paul Van Stralen was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Christian Reformed Church!
Paul was called by God into the ministry in 1992. His calling was confirmed in 1993 while on tour with the Continental Singers. In 1994 he began the process of preparing for ministry by enrolling in a B.A. program at Calvin College. After graduating from Calvin in 1998, Paul worked as a youth leader in Salmon Arm, B.C. as well as gaining valuable experience as a farmhand.
In 2001 Paul, Renee and their 1 year old son set out in faith to Calvin Theological Seminary. After 2 years of classroom study, Paul served the Edson-Peers Christian Reformed Church as a summer intern. Immediately following he served Rehoboth CRC (Bowmanville, ON) as a year-long intern. While at Rehoboth, the Edson-Peers Church offered Paul a contract to serve as their pastor for 5 years. Included in this contract was a commitment to assist Paul in completing his education at Calvin Seminary.
Five years later, with encouragement from Renee, parents, family and friends, the support of the church and Classis Alberta North, Paul graduated from Calvin Seminary this past May. Paul is excited that with this ordination he will finally be the "official" pastor of this wonderful church. He is looking forward to a minimum three more years of serving this church family. Please pray that we may grow in our knowledge and service of God and one another!

Ordination Service

2009-09-24T14:25:00.008-06:00

This Saturday, October 31, (Reformation Day), our pastor, Paul Van Stralen will be ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Christian Reformed Church!
Paul was called by God into the ministry in 1992. His calling was confirmed in 1993 while on tour with the Continental Singers. In 1994 he began the process of preparing for ministry by enrolling in a B.A. program at Calvin College. After graduating from Calvin in 1998, Paul worked as a youth leader in Salmon Arm, B.C. as well as gaining valuable experience as a farmhand.
In 2001 Paul, Renee and their 1 year old son set out in faith to Calvin Theological Seminary. After 2 years of classroom study, Paul served the Edson-Peers Christian Reformed Church as a summer intern. Immediately following he served Rehoboth CRC (Bowmanville, ON) as a year-long intern. While at Rehoboth, the Edson-Peers Church offered Paul a contract to serve as their pastor for 5 years. Included in this contract was a commitment to assist Paul in completing his education at Calvin Seminary.
Five years later, with encouragement from Renee, parents, family and friends, the support of the church and Classis Alberta North, Paul graduated from Calvin Seminary this past May. Paul is excited that with this ordination he will finally be the "official" pastor of this wonderful church. He is looking forward to a minimum three more years of serving this church family. Please pray that we may grow in our knowledge and service of God and one another!

Missionary Updates

2009-08-07T15:34:00.003-06:00

Check out the new newsletter from Doug and Benita! In their newsletter they discuss the work they've been doing, the translation of the New Testament into two new languages and the medical aid being provided. They also mention that their support has gone down during the last couple of months. Please consider supporting this important ministry!

Alistair Begg

2009-08-06T13:45:00.003-06:00

Check out Alistair Begg's ministry, Truth For Life. There are many resources available, many sermons and lectures for free download. If you have an iPod or iTunes, you can subscribe to a daily podcast.

Papua New Guinea Newsletter

2009-06-11T16:51:00.002-06:00

Doug and Benita have sent a newsletter! Read all about the exciting work God is doing!

Today Daily Devotional

2009-05-02T06:52:00.002-06:00

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll find a new devotional tool! You can read the "Today Daily Devotional" every time you visit our website! The "Today" is a family favourite, produced by "Back to God Ministries." Start your day, everyday, with the "Today"!

Missionary Update April 1, 2009

2009-03-31T22:01:00.004-06:00

We received a new newsletter from the LeMahieu's! You can access it here. Please continue to pray for them as they serve in Papua New Guinea. Remember to pray for Gary and Galya Timmerman in Russia as well! Our missionaries would love to hear from you. Send them a letter or an email, these are great ways to encourage them! You can find their contact information by following the links to the right.

Missionary Update

2009-01-28T10:46:00.002-07:00

We just received a newsletter from Doug & Benita Le Mahieu, you can find it here (after following the link, scroll down until you find the file: Le Mahieu Newsletter January 2009). Also, Benita has been updating their blog. Check it out, learn about what they're doing, and keep praying for them.

Latin Phrase by Augustine

2008-12-21T01:39:00.002-07:00

Saint Augustine used the following Latin words to describe the fall into sin and Christ's redemption and restoration.

posse peccare-able to sin (Genesis 2)
non posse, non peccare-not able not to sin (Genesis 3)
posse non peccare-able not to sin (Christian Life)
non posse peccare-not able to sin (life after final judgement)

Too Religious?

2008-12-17T09:00:00.004-07:00

At last night's Elders meeting, we discussed being as effective for the gospel of Jesus Christ as possible. We examined many different areas of church ministry, the most obvious one being preaching and worship. Are we too religious in our worship services? Are we just going through the motions without really connecting with God? Are we worshipping him in Spirit and Truth? Is it more a matter of our hearts than what we actually do in the service? If so, what can we do to facilitate a most effective worship service?

Barriers to Sharing the Gospel (By Ligon Duncan)

2008-12-16T12:33:00.004-07:00

This is an excellent post by Ligon Duncan from the Together for the Gospel weblog. For more posts about evangelism & the gospel, check out Pastor Ligon's page on the T4G Weblog.

Barriers to Sharing the Gospel by Ligon Duncan

In Mark Dever’s The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, he helpfully identifies five things that keep us from sharing the Gospel with others. Here's my spin on these reasons from Mark's chapter on "Why Don't We Evangelize?"

1. Fear - of rejection, of offending 2. Ignorance - don’t know what to say, don’t know how to say it 3. Inexperience - haven’t seen it done, haven’t done it 4. Attitude - that’s just not me, leave it to the experts 5. Lack of true love - we don't really care about the lost and their eternal destiny

In response, Mark suggests that we do twelve things:

(1) Pray - for a desire to witness to Christ, and for the opportunities. (2) Plan - to witness (who, when, how). (3) Accept - you are a witness. (4) Understand - how God uses his witnesses. (5) Be Faithful - be more concerned to be faithful to God, than for people to like you. (6) Risk - something! - invite to a meeting; share a book; befriend someone. (7) Prepare - that’s what this course is all about. (8) Look - keep your eyes open for God’s opportunities. (9) Love - cultivate a genuine love for lost people. (10) Fear - God, rather than man. (11) Stop - and realize the logic of sovereignty - "God is sovereign, therefore I’m responsible." (12) Consider - the greatness of his love to you.

Get the book here. Or read it online, here.

We will be most effective in bearing witness to Christ if we cultivate: (1) a joyful fear of God; (2) a biblical knowledge of who we are in Christ and what the Gospel is; (3) fellowship with people who have a passion for the Gospel, and for showing and telling it; (4) a proper attitude toward the task - not a drudging "I have to share the Gospel" but a joyous "I get to be a part of God’s work of salvation;" (5) a genuine Gospel love for the lost, because of God’s Gospel love for us.

Missionary Update

2008-12-16T09:38:00.009-07:00

This Christmas, let us remember the missionaries we're supporting: Gary and Galya Timmerman, Doug & Benita Le Mahieu. You can get some updates as to what they're doing by visiting their website (click on the link). Also there are a couple of newsletters from the Le Mahieus on the right (scroll down).

Calvin Seminary Forum: Baptism

2008-11-23T15:36:00.002-07:00

On Sunday evening, November 23, 2008, we looked at the Christian Reformed Church's teaching on baptism as it applies to children. The Calvin Seminary Forum contains some very helpful articles. You can read the Forum here.

Questions to Ask When Considering a New Job-by John Piper

2008-11-16T17:13:00.003-07:00

This came up as an example for the conclusion of Sunday night's sermon. Thanks to Pastor John Piper, for posting it on his website: www.desiringgod.org. You can find the material below here.

1. Can you earnestly do all the parts of this job “to the glory of God,” that is, in a way that highlights his superior value over all other things? “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

2. Is taking this job part of a strategy to grow in personal holiness? “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

3. Will this job help or hinder your progress in esteeming the value of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord? “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7).

4. Will this job result in inappropriate pressures on you to think or feel or act against your King, Jesus? “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men” (1 Corinthians 7:23).

5. Will this job help establish an overall life-pattern that will yield a significant involvement in fulfilling God’s great purpose of exalting Christ among all the unreached peoples of the world? “Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

6. Will this job be worthy of your best energies? “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

7. Will the activities and environment of this job tend to shape you or will you be able to shape it for the Christ-magnifying purposes of God? “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

8. Will this job provide an occasion for you to be radically Christian so as to let your light shine for your Father’s sake, or will your participation in the vision of the firm tend by definition to snuff your wick? “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

9. Does the aim of this job cohere with a growing intensity in your life to be radically, publicly, fruitfully devoted to Christ at any cost? “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

10. Will the job feel like a good investment of your life when these “two seconds” of preparation for eternity are over? “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

11. Does this job fit with why you believe you were created and purchased by Christ? “Everyone who is called by my name…I have created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:6-7). “You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

12. Does this fit together with the ultimate truth that all things exist for Christ? “For by him all…have been created by [Christ] and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

For the supremacy of God in all things,

Pastor John

The Shack

2008-11-14T23:17:00.001-07:00

Pastor Paul would like to hear comments and/or questions from those who've read The Shack. If you've read this book, you may post your comments here, or on Pastor Paul's blog.

"This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ."--1 John 5:6a

2008-10-22T23:00:00.005-06:00

Last week's sermon concentrated on the first five verses of chapter 5. This week we're going to look at the significance of the water and the blood, verses 6-12. Oftentimes, the blood gets more emphasised than the water (probably because we follow Christ's command to celebrate communion more than Christ's example of washing his disciples feet). Water only gets emphasised in baptisms.

So, why does John appeal to both water and the blood? For this week's sermon we'll be examining the relationship between these two aspects of Christ's atoning work. Indeed, we concentrate on the blood sacrifices in the Old Testament, but forget that ceremonial washing was very important as well.

John ties the two together, so that both are testimonies to the trueness of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the perfect atoning sacrifice on the cross.

So, with regard to the atonement, we will look at the Old Testament sacrifices, the Old Testament washing requirements, Jesus as the perfect fulfilment of these sacrifices and washings--from His own baptism, his washing of the disciples feet, his designation and literal sacrifice as a passover lamb, to (Matthew Henry in his commentary on 1 John 5:6 pointed this out) the blood and water flowing from Jesus Christ's dead body when the soldier pierced his side.

If time permits, we will also look at the third witness to Christ, the Holy Spirit.

Community Prayer Service Recording

2008-10-09T09:32:00.004-06:00

If you missed the prayer service, but would like to listen to it, you can find the recording here. Give it a listen, pray along with the pastors, worship through the singing then hear and apply Pastor Larry's excellent sermon on Galatians 5:16-26, called "Lifestyle Choices". You can also access the service by clicking on the Worship Service Recordings tab, and following the link there to our host server. The file is called "10 October 07 (pm) Lifestyle Choices (Community Prayer Service)".

Community Prayer Service

2008-10-05T07:49:00.002-06:00

The Edson Ministerial is hosting a Community Prayer Service on Oct. 7th at 7pm at the Edson-Peers Christian Reformed Church. This will be an excellent opportunity to gather as a community for prayer and strength. We will be praying for the Stauffers, the Edson Baptist Church, the RCMP, EMS, and everyone who has been impacted by Emily's death.

Good Theology

2008-10-02T15:57:00.003-06:00

This coming Sunday morning, we're going to be looking at 1 John 4:1-6, where John instructs his readers, his church to test the spirits to see if they are from God. How do we know if an idea, a teaching is from God or not? Can we be certain about anything? John says yes we can.

Perhaps you might be wondering why this is important. Why should we learn theology? Why should we familiarize ourselves with the scriptures?

Good theology is essential for understanding everyday events. Why do my parents make me, or encourage me to go to church? Why do bad things happen? How do we experience the joy of our salvation in light of our own sinfulness, or even in light of personal tragedy? A friend of mine blogged, "We are realizing from the inside the value of good, Gospel theology right now."

Theology, that is, logos (the study of) about theos (God), the study of God, is essential for putting all of life into perspective. Theology informs us that there is a God, and we are not Him. Theology tells us that we're not the most important thing in the universe, God is. Theology does tell us that we are important to God, that He loves us, and gave up His Son to die so that all who believe in Him will live with Him forever. Theology gives us truth, reality, and hope.

An unfortunate part of reality is that people reject the truth, sometimes with the best of intentions. Unable to reconcile tragedy with a good, loving God, they turn away from God, rather than try to understand the situation in light of God. For God does speak to every situation, if we're prepared to listen to Him, and not to the ideas and philosophies of the world. Sometimes people are influenced by the spirits of the world, and like the original sinner, Satan, they spread lies which on the surface of it appear to be truth (the lies are cleverly cloaked in snippets of truth).

Love One Another

2008-09-24T23:25:00.002-06:00

In Christ, we can actually love one another. In Christ, we can pray for those who persecute us. We can help those whom we don't really like, and we can get along with people we might find really annoying! But all of those things are but surface changes to a deeper reality.

The reality is this: "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). In essence, while we were mired, dead in our sin, totally hating God and neighbour, Christ poured out love like we can hardly comprehend, by suffering and dying on the cross, taking our curse upon his shoulders. He fully paid for all our sins.

This same Jesus, who died for us, gives us new life! And in our new life (last week we looked at how because of Christ's work, we're adopted as God's children), we're able to love like Christ. Not just surface stuff, deep love. What happens is nothing less than a total transformation. We're turned from people who love only themselves, to people who love others.

The way we show love to others is through our attitudes toward other people. We recognise them as God's image bearers. We value them because Christ died for them! We become determined to dig through the surface annoyances, and get to the heart of those we meet. And there we see people of tremendous value and worth! And in serving them, loving them, we receive total joy!

History 1949-2000

2008-09-07T10:37:00.000-06:00

Edson-Peers CRC History

When Gerald asked me to say a few things as to the history of the church, he said that I was probably one of the "old-timers" here. I was somewhat hesitant at first. I knew I would have to do a lot of it from memory. My good friend Albert tells me when you become an "old-timer" the first thing that goes is your memory and the rest you can't remember. So, if I have forgotten some things, it is probably because my memory is failing. Anyway, here is what I do remember.

In 1949 some members of the Christian Reformed Church moved into the Peers area. Their strong faith and dedication to God led them to organize a church in 1950. The first place of worship was the present day United Church in Peers. As more immigrants settled in the area, it soon became to small and the congregation rented the school that used to stand 1 mile north of Peers.

In 1952, a church building was built in Peers. In those days money was not easy to come by. Most of the people had large families and had just immigrated from Holland. They came with lots of determination but not much money. It was decided to use free labor for as much of the construction as possible. I recall that the basement was poured in 1 day by free labor. The men started at 4 in the morning and were done at about 11 or 12 that night. The ladies were kept busy preparing and bringing meals and drinks throughout the day. There was no ready-mix cement in those days so the gravel and cement was all shoveled into cement mixers and then wheelbarrowed up ramps to wherever it was needed. I also recall that Herman Molenkamp (whom some of you "old-timers" will remember) and I helped my uncle Nick Vriend haul water from January Creek in Peers for the cement. If we helped good we got to take turns driving his Farman A tractor through Peers. We sure did pail a lot of water that day just so we could drive the tractor. When you're 8 years old that's a pretty big thing. Winson Jr., when you helped pour cement in this new building, you got a paycheck at the end of the day, while my reward was that I got to drive a tractor.

Money was very scarce so the congregations worshipped in the basement for many years.

Most of the roads at that time were dirt roads when dry and mud when it rained. Some of us went to church with the tractor and wagon picking up neighbours along the way. The Elzingas, VanderVeens and Molenkamps often went in one wagon. It must have been quite a load since they all had large families. Some people came to church by car and in the rainy season pushed or pulled their cars through the mud holes. Some of the people living in Edson came to church by bus or train and then taxi from highway 16 to Peers. Everyone stayed for lunch since it was impossible to go back and forth for two services.

Around 1953 more and more people began living in Edson. For them, coming all the way to Peers for worship services was always lengthy if not an all day trip. This difficulty and poor road conditions led the people of Edson to begin discussing the possibility of forming their own congregation in Edson. The first worship service was held in the Anglican church on May 23, 1954. Eighteen months later on November 8,1955, the Edson Christian Reformed Church was officially instituted. During this time Rev. Hanenburg served our churches as a Counseling Pastor. I believe he was employed by Home Missions to serve newly established churches in Northern Alberta that did not have a pastor.

In the fall of 1956, the Edson CRC decided to build a church building. Not wanting to worship in the basement of a building as the Peers congregation was doing, they decided there would not be a basement. A one level building was built. They hired Mr. Spronk to design a building that would be adequate and stay within their $10,000.00 budget. A lot of volunteer hours by the congregation went into the construction of this building also. I understand that Mr. John DePee was one of the many workers that helped and this past April it was some of his grandsons that helped in the demolition of that building, making room for the present one.

The two churches operated very independently from one another until 1975. It was in 1959 that Peers had their first full time pastor — Rev. John Kruis. He was followed by Rev. Peter Hogeterp, Rev. Jim Meidema, The first pastor of the Edson CRC was Rev. L. VanStaalduinen, followed by Rev. A. Verburgh, Rev. J. Van Hemert and Rev. J. Huizenga.

Pastors DeMoor and VanderWoude were shared by the two congregations. One Sunday the minister would preach twice in Edson and once in Peers and the following Sunday it would be reversed. During this time too, Cadets, Calvinettes, Young Peoples', and catechism classes started being combined. During those years active discussions and deliberations began concerning the possibility of becoming one congregation. No doubt the smallness of numbers in both congregations was the initial factor for this cooperation. Discussions centered on how to work this all out to the satisfaction of both congregations. For some people it seemed that the distance from Edson to Peers was much further than the distance from Peers to Edson. The spirit of cooperation prevailed and in 1983 the Edson-Peers Christian Reformed Church was born. We continued worshipping in both localities: morning services in Edson and afternoon/evening services in Peers and special services being alternated between the two.

During the time that Rev. Andrew VanderLeek was pastor here, talks began about the need fora new building. The present building did not have adequate classrooms or nursery facilities. Various plans and ideas were tossed about over the years but none ever came to fruition. In 1997 the building in Peers was sold to Carrot Creek Christian Fellowship. We rented the building from them until the present time.

After much discussion and planning and many meetings by many people the present building plans were presented and the building proposal was accepted by the congregation. Many people were very excited that the new building was finally going to become a reality. Our new building would have a basement and a sanctuary that was ready at the same time. We have learned from both.There has been much dedication and much hard work by a lot of people from the initial planners, to the final cleaners and everyone in between.

I would just like to mention at this point that we have one charter member from Peers with us yet, Mrs. Dina Van Dyk and two charter members from the Edson – Mr. and Mrs. Anno Knoop. I am grateful for their answers to some of my questions.

Above and through all of this history of our church we can see God's faithfulness. We are certainly thankful to our God for blessing us so richly with material goods enabling us to build this new facility. We thank Him also fora spirit of unity and helpfulness in the volunteering that took place. It is our pray and desire that this building maybe used for the expansion of God's Kingdom. Let us continue to strive to be a shining light in our community. Our church has had many good times and some hard times. A lot of the hard times were probably self-inflicted. We acknowledge his faithfulness through all these times and thank Him for His constant love and caaare. In all humility we acknowledge that there is much to give thanks to God for and pray for His guidance in the work that lies before us.

As one of the so called "old-timers" here who has children and grandchildren in this church, I would like to impress upon all the younger generation to keep the ways of the Lord. As Exodus 20:6 says, God will "show his love to thousands of generations of those who love me and keep my commandments".

A meditation in the Today booklet was entitled "Marks of Maturity" and I would like to quote a few lines from it. "The members of a mature church work to enrich the whole spiritual community. Many cross-connections of prayer, care, sharing and instruction go on. And the members of this body love to be together in Christ." It is my hope and prayer that this will be evident in our church for many, many years.

Written by Winson Elzinga

Desiring God

2008-08-29T22:06:00.002-06:00

What is your greatest desire? What motivates you to get up in the morning? Is it the alarm clock? Is it the pressure of having to get the kids, go to work, do something with your life?

If you are a night owl, getting up in the morning might be difficult. If you love sleeping it might be even more difficult.

Have you ever thought about what it really means to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness first? It means that your greatest desire in life must be God himself.

How do you seek God? How do you spend time with God?

Most Christians, in order to seek and experience God, take time to pray to God and read the Bible. Think about it, if you want to get to know a friend, you spend time with that person. If you want to get to know God, you have to spend time with Him, only because He is enthroned in Heaven, we get to know Him through reading the Bible and praying.

So, when you go to bed at night, look at the time you've set on your alarm clock. Ask yourself if you could spare a couple of minutes (15-30) of sleep by setting your alarm a bit earlier. That's the easy part. The hard part comes in the morning. For when the alarm goes off earlier, the temptation to push snooze increases exponentially.

You can avoid this temptation in a couple of ways: move your alarm clock across the room, and tune it to a very horrible radio station. That'll motivate you to get up and turn it off. Then, since you're up already, get going and pray and read. Or, when your alarm goes off, ask yourself this question: "Do I desire a few more minutes of sleep more than I desire time with God?"

If this helps you, take a moment to leave a comment. If you have any suggestions on how to develop God seeking habits, please share them with us! Together we can spur one another on in the faith!

Our Church Calendar

2008-08-12T15:21:00.003-06:00

Make Me A Christian

2008-08-12T12:45:00.003-06:00

Reality TV: it shouldn't be surprising, really. British Television's Channel 4 has come up with a follow-up to Make Me a Muslim. This time they've assembled a bunch of people, different pastors, and in just three weeks, they're going to try to make the contestants Christians.

If the show weren't disturbing enough (the Make Me a Muslim show was met with criticism also), it completely misses the point. What they're getting the contestants to do is alter their lifestyles so that they mirror a "Christian" lifestyle. But living like a Christian doesn't make you a Christian. The Heidelberg Catechism asks, "But why are you called a Christian?" the answer: "Because by faith am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks , to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life (this is where the lifestyle comes into play, but you'll notice that the lifestyle comes after faith), and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity."

In reading some of the comments posted online concerning the show, no one really believed that the shows contrived premise would work. Atheists and pagans commented that the show completely misses the point. They realise that there's more to being a Christian than merely acting like one. In order to be a Christian, you have to believe.

1 John 1:1-4 Complete Joy

2008-08-12T12:21:00.002-06:00

The Lamentations series ended with this truth: God reserved his total wrath and punishment for His Son, who willingly took on God's wrath and punishment for us. The life we experience on earth is one of loving discipline, that is, instruction in the faith. So the experiences we have (good and bad) bring us into closer fellowship with God and His people.

This happens when we grab hold of the truth. Jesus Christ is real. He is the Son of God the Father, creator of the universe. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus took on human flesh, being conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary, a virgin who'd been pledged in marriage to Joseph. Jesus lived with Mary and Joseph (his adoptive father). At the age of 30, Jesus began his 3 year ministry, telling people that He is God's Son and demonstrating that fact through many miracles. The greatest miracle, the greatest proof that Jesus is who he said he is, is this: Though Jesus was tortured, executed by being crucified on a cross, and died, he arose from the dead 3 days later. The power of sin and death was no match for Jesus. He is alive. His disciples and many others saw him, and we have their eyewitness testimonies, contained in the Bible. There are other, non-biblical witnesses to the historical fact that Jesus is alive (Josephus and Tacitus).

This letter by John (the beloved disciple) is written so that we might experience complete joy. We experience complete joy when we have a right relationship with God and with God's people. By believing everything that is taught in the scriptures concerning Jesus Christ, by putting our faith in Him, we can experience complete joy, right now.

So, in this series, we'll be looking at what it means to be in a relationship with God and with one another, and the complete joy that comes as a result!

Lamentations 5

2008-08-09T19:55:00.002-06:00

This chapter sees Jerusalem bringing her complaints, yes, her complaints to God. Israel has fully come to terms with the reality she's in. She has acknowledged her sin. She is humbled. She's tired of running from the Lord. She turns to him and pleads for relief.

This attitude in prayer is echoed by James. He asks us, "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray." Is anyone on this planet not in trouble? Is there any excuse for not praying? Only pride. Only pride would keep us from turning to God in humility.

We might not be so far removed from Jerusalem's attitude. They believed God was on their side, no matter what! They became complacent in their relationship with God. They stopped following God's laws. They started worshipping without meaning. Their worship lacked anything like King David's passion.

It is possible for us to become complacent, especially when life is good. But it is also possible for us to resist the Lord in anger when things aren't so good.

Whatever the situation we're in, we are commanded to pray. Do not turn away from God in pride or in anger. Turn toward God. And He will lift us up.

"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6b).

And so we pray. But we don't pray fluffy prayers when we suffer. We don't try to mask the pain with nice words, or pretend it isn't there by talking about God's love. No, like the people who prayed in Lamentations 5, like the psalmists, like Jesus, we cry out to God, giving voice to our anguish. And in that moment, when our hearts are wrenched, our cries are hoarse groans from the depths of our being, at that moment we're caught up by the spirit of Christ, who brings us into the Father's presence, and there, if we listen, we can hear our Saviours prayers... for us.

God doesn't abandon us. Suffering is not a result of the absence of God. Rather suffering comes because God refuses to abandon us. In suffering, we are drawn closer to God. In one episode of The White Horse Inn, the pastors were talking about curses and blessings from God. The worst curse God gives is when he gives people what they want, when he leaves them to their own devices.

James goes on to explain that suffering produces perseverance. Without struggles, we'd not persevere. Check out this article in the National Post: Gymnast Shewfelt's Agony Shared by Team. It is a story of perseverance, though victory was not the end result. We persevere and we will be victorious! We struggle for a crown that will last forever!

Lamentations 4

2008-07-29T11:46:00.003-06:00

In chapter 4, the author continues to describe the truly horrendous experience that was Jerusalem's destruction. But this time there is a difference. With the opening verses, Jeremiah shows that the people were starting to take stock of the situation.

Now, more than ever, they've realised that the destruction came as a result of God's loving discipline. Their hearts were so hard that they needed total humiliation, to soften their hearts, and open themselves to God again.

In verse 1 we read: "How the gold has lost its lustre, the fine gold become dull! Th sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street."

The people had started to realise that anything the world had to offer was nothing compared to God. Before the destruction, they'd given priority to everything but God. This, of course, is a direct violation of the first two commandments, the second of which states that God is a jealous God.

We'd be wise to examine our own lives, to see what things (people, friends, family, sports, idols) that we're putting in front of, or alongside of God. An examination of our attitude toward attending community worship (where we truly are in the presence of God) should be quite telling. What other things do we readily place ahead of time spent in formal worship? In other words, if we have to "fit" God, or worship into our lives, our priorities are mixed up.

New Link to Sea To Sea 2008

2008-07-22T09:39:00.002-06:00

We've added a link to the Christian Reformed Church's bicycle ride across North America to bring awareness, challenge governments and raise money in order to end the cycle of poverty. Check it out here!

Lamentations 3

2008-07-18T12:53:00.002-06:00

This chapter, which is twice as long, marks the turning point in the book. The reality of the situation is sinking in. The self-righteous indignation is going away. The reality of God's holiness and Israel's sin is coming together. Around the middle of the chapter, Jeremiah invites the survivors to take stock of the situation. They are still breathing. They are still alive. Though pain is terrible, you have to be alive in order to feel it! And in that moment, the people are invited to realise that God is faithful. His mercies are new every morning.

If we are solely focused on our pain and suffering, we'll miss out on seeing God's faithfulness and mercy.

God sent an evil spirit (even evil spirits are completely subject to God's sovereign will) to torment the apostle Paul. Three times Paul prayed to have the spirit removed from him (the spirit tormented him, it did not possess him). But each time God replied, "my grace is sufficient for you." Is God's grace sufficient only for Paul? Was it only sufficient only for Israel during their exile? Of course it is sufficient for us also!

So let us examine our lives, not simply to bring to God our suffering, but also to see God's faithfulness, his strength in helping us deal with our suffering.

Lamentations 2 (July 13)

2008-07-15T18:40:00.005-06:00

Ecclesiastes 7:4 says, "Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart." Does this sound strange to your ears? Doesn't this sound rather depressing? What could motivate the Teacher of Ecclesiastes to write these words?

The Teacher had experienced every pleasure available to humankind. He deprived himself of nothing. Hugh Hefner has nothing on this guy. His conclusion? Meaningless, everything is meaningless.

What then, gives meaning to life, if it isn't the pursuit of happiness?

Sorrow. Sorrow? Sorrow forces us to contemplate the reality we all face. Death. Death leads to the question, what happens next?

For those who believe in God, who believe that Jesus Christ is God's Son, who believe that Jesus fully paid for all our sin, whose faith (which also is from God) is in Jesus Christ, and who confess that God raised him from the dead, they have hope of life after death. Those who do not believe have no hope, no assurance that there is life after death, and if Christians are right, they will face eternal punishment.

Sorrow wakes us up to reality. There is a God. He's made himself known. The Bible is true. In the deepest pain of sorrow, what comforts you? Our only comfort is in Jesus Christ, our faithful saviour (See Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 1).

Sunday School Curriculum (July 12)

2008-07-12T22:47:00.003-06:00

If you would like to know more about the new Sunday School material, God's Story, give a listen to a lecture by Marty Machowski, titled "The Gospel, The Core of Our Children's Ministry". In it he explains why he developed the God's Story curriculum. It is because of his presentation in this lecture, as well as the quality of the material, that we've decided to implement the God's Story curriculum in our church. The lecture can be found here.

Lamentations Series

2008-07-10T12:39:00.005-06:00

The recording of the first sermon in the series is available for a listen or a download. You can access it by clicking on the "Worship Service Recordings" tab then following the links on that page. The sermon title is, "Sorrow Is Better Than Laughter". Since we didn't really address that title in last week's sermon (the title comes from Ecclesiastes 7:3), we'll be looking at that in greater detail this week.

This is a difficult series. Does the church have the ability to lament? Are Christians permitted to cry out to God? Isn't life supposed to be perfect when you become a Christian?

Some pastors realised, after 911, that many churches no longer have the language of lament, of dealing with sorrow. We've all been influenced by the health and wealth style of preaching, and the promises that we expect from stuff like "the prayer of Jabez". But are we able and prepared to deal with suffering, or is it something we just turn our backs on and pretend it isn't there?

Well these are some of the things we hope to deal with in our current sermon series.

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus

2008-06-23T22:52:00.011-06:00

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus - VideoBook

It's been called "the greatest story ever told." Now the central message of the Bible is brought to life in this eleven-hour online Bible study. This self-paced course has been adapted from the popular award winning DVD series - The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus.

Your teacher will take these individual elements and chronologically tie them together into one universal drama. Whether you have significant Bible knowledge, or have never read "the Book"—this online series is for you.

National Post Article

2008-06-23T09:56:00.003-06:00

Sunday Night's sermon referenced a movement in parts of Modern Christianity that is moving away from the very basic tenets of the faith. The following article shows the direction North American Christianity may be headed. We'd love to read your comments, post your reaction to the article by clicking on "Comments".

Christianity without Christ
No creeds, no miracles, no Resurrection: Minister preaches faith without the symbolism
Charles Lewis, National Post Published: Saturday, May 03, 2008

There is a Bible on a pedestal in Gretta Vosper's West Hill United Church in Toronto. She would prefer it did not have a special place, she said, because it is just a book among other books. In a similar way, the cross that is high above the altar has no special meaning, but there are a few older congregants for whom the Bible and the cross are still nice symbols so there they remain.

Though an ordained minister, she does not like the title of reverend. It is one of those symbols that hold the church back from breaking into the future -- to a time "when the label Christian won't even exist" and the Church will be freed of the burdens of the past. To balance out those symbols of the past inside West Hill, there is a giant, non-religious rainbow tapestry just behind the altar and multi-coloured streamers hang from the ceiling.

"The central story of Christianity will fade away," she explained. "The story about Jesus as the symbol of everything that Christianity is will fade away."

The head of the United Church of Canada, David Giuliano, who went to divinity school with Ms. Vosper 20 years ago, said if he felt the way that she does, he would not be a minister. But it is not his job to condemn, he said, and the church is structured in such a way that complaints have to come from the congregation before any action can be taken. And so far there have been no complaints. He also sees the United Church, considered the most liberal of the mainline Protestant churches, as broad enough to encompass a wide range of theologies.

Even Rev. Giuliano agrees that the name Christian -- which carries the baggage of colonialism and other ills -- should probably be phased out. Instead, he would replace "Christian" with "Follower of the Way" or "Follower of Jesus."

But it is an absolute certainty that Ms. Vosper would not go for "Follower of Jesus."

Ms. Vosper does not believe in the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, the miracles and the sacrament of baptism. Nor does she believe in the creeds, the presence of Christ in communion or that Jesus was the Son of God.

In With or Without God, her book that was formally launched this week, she writes that Jesus was a "Middle Eastern peasant with a few charismatic gifts and a great posthumous marketing team."

The Bible is used in her services, but it gets rewritten to be more contemporary and speak to more people. Even the Lord's Prayer -- also known as the Our Father -- does not make the cut because it creates an image of a God who intervenes in human existence. And then there is the "Father" part that is not inclusive language and carries with it the notion of an overbearing tyrant who condemns people to hell.

So why exactly does she still call herself a Christian, let alone a minister? "I could leave the Church because I don't hold those orthodox understandings," she said. "[But] I think that in a generation or so we might stop using the term Christian, and I hope, perhaps we will stop using labels for every religious tradition. There is nothing wrong with a faith tradition evolving. "And I believe that's what we're doing. It's been evolving for a long time but we're afraid to acknowledge that so this is merely the next iteration of what Christianity needs to be."

She envisions a time when there is no religious divisions and everyone shares in their common values and their only differences are cultural. Still, she said there is no conflict with this and being in the church.

"The church is extremely important because it can be a transformative element in individuals' lives and communities," she said. "And that was the root of what the Christian Church was about: transforming the way people see themselves in relation to the communities around them and in relation to each other and about living that in community. Christianity took over that story and manipulated it into a very different story."

Ms. Vosper believes most liberal ministers do not really believe in orthodoxy and see things like the Resurrection or the miracles as metaphors, not real events. She is also chair of a group called the Canadian Centre For Progressive Christianity, which also espouses a vague form of religious belief, in which they offer a challenge to the church to do a "complete overhaul of the beliefs it has been carrying about for the last several hundred years.

"It's not that we're trying to do something new. It's that we're trying to catch up on a thousand years of backlogged progress files that have yet to be inputted into the 21st century."

In With or Without God, Ms. Vosper writes: "[It is time to live] in the current paradigm, being progressive enough to let go of the beliefs and traditions to which we've had to tip our hats and curtsy in the past but which can no longer prevail in our contemporary world."

Ms. Vosper did not change her views over time but said she felt the same way when she took her divinity degree at Queen's University in 1990. She said when the creed was mentioned, which contains those declarations of faith that acknowledge basic Christian tenants, it was uncomfortable. "I fled when I had to read the creed," she said.

For all of this, she still feels rooted in the church. She still loves the stories, metaphors though they may be. And she still measures her life against the meaning of those metaphors.

The focus of her "spiritual" life is love. And since love is the common bond between all people, it is really the only thing worth believing in.

"Here in the context of seeking out harmony with all things, the purest understanding of those values that enhance and sanctify life becomes the foremost spiritual practice," she writes.

"We call it love, radically inclusive love. It is here, in the caring, challenging, prophetic role with which it is so familiar that the church can really shine."

clewis@nationalpost.com

Discussion Questions (June 12)

2008-06-12T11:44:00.005-06:00

How should Christians deal with suffering? Why does God allow, even ordain suffering? Why does suffering happen to Christians? How can a good God allow the suffering of innocent people through natural disasters? Why does God permit evil?

What are some of the answers you've heard/have for the above questions? What questions do you have? Post your comments by clicking on the COMMENTS link below this post.

Upcoming Sermon Series (June 12)

2008-06-12T11:32:00.003-06:00

Well, we're nearly done our series on Ephesians, three more sermons to go. This Sunday, June 15, we'll be looking at God's instruction for being a Godly Family, next Sunday, June 22, we'll look at being Godly Employers/Employees and then we'll wrap the series up with a sermon on the Armour of God.

What's next? How should Christians deal with suffering? Why does God allow, even ordain suffering? Why does suffering happen to Christians? We'll answer some of these questions through a sermon series on the Old Testament book Lamentations. Be sure to come and listen, or if you are unable to attend our worship services, you may download the worship service recordings here.

In oder to foster some interest in the upcoming series, the post above this one asks these and other questions. Feel free to post your comments, your answers, your questions!

Randy Alcorn at Desiring God (May 31)

2008-05-31T23:13:00.005-06:00

In the June 1st evening sermon, I referenced the need to stand up for Christ, and that such a commitment calls us to actions that often are very difficult. I shared some of the experiences of a pastor in the late 70's early 80's. I mistakenly referred to him as C.J. Mahaney (the title of this post also used to show that mistake). Actually, it isn't C.J. Mahaney, it is Pastor Randy Alcorn. His lecture can be found here, a lecture entitled, "Today's Decisions Determine Who'll You'll be Tomorrow." It is found on the Desiring God website.

Love and Respect (May 31)

2008-05-31T20:05:00.004-06:00

On Sunday, June 1, we'll be learning from God's Word in Ephesians 5:22-33. This sermon is part two of three. In this sermon, we'll be looking at God's instruction for wives. Next Sunday, we'll look at God's instruction for husbands. Unfortunately, not everything that needs saying can be said in just two sermons, never mind the fact that I (Pastor Paul) am woefully inadequate to speak at all. So, I encourage everyone to check out www.loveandrespect.com. Surf around the site, but take a look at their media center, there are free movies you can download to learn more about loving and respecting your spouse. Also, the book, Love and Respect, comes highly recommended by a family in our church. The book is based on Ephesians 5:22-33. After checking out the website, or in response to the sermon, feel free to post a comment here, or on Pastor Paul's weblog: Bed-pans.

Worth a Listen (May 12)

2008-05-13T11:09:00.004-06:00

Over the last two weeks, I've listened to several different lectures. Most of them were from the Desiring God website. So, check out the 1997 Pastor's conference called, "Triumphantly Encouraged: The Privilege of Ministry" as well as the 2007 regional conference "Seeing & Savoring Jesus Christ". John Piper's "How My Pastoral Ministry Shapes my Pulpit Ministry" is also very good, he delivered it at the Resurgence 2008 Conference, a conference put on every year by Mars Hill Church, Seattle. There are also many other good lectures recorded there.

Worship Service Recordings (May 12)

2008-05-13T11:02:00.002-06:00

We've uploaded the worship service recordings from Sunday, May 11th. If you listen to Sunday night's service, you might wonder if anything actually was recorded. Don't worry, yes it was, but only through Pastor Paul's lapel mic. During songs, Paul turns the mic off, so there are a few blank spots in the service. Just fast forward through them, and listen to the stuff you want to listen to. In the future, we'll try to make sure that the instruments and the congregational singing are included!

What do you think? (May 1)

2008-05-01T23:49:00.004-06:00

Well, the website has been up for about a month now. Some people have given us feedback, but we'd like some more! If you click on the word "comments" below this post, it will allow you to post your, well, comments. We'd love to hear from you, especially what you think works well, what doesn't, how the site could be improved, and why you wanted to pay us a virtual visit.

New Audio & Video (April 29)

2008-04-29T10:34:00.004-06:00

We've updated the website to include last Sunday's Worship service recordings. You might have noticed the That's My King! file. This is a slide show that was played at the Good Friday Service at the Yellowhead Koinonia Christian School. The best way to watch it or to listen to the audio files is to download them to your computer. The easiest way to do that is to right click (that's the right button on your mouse) on the file name, select "save link as" or "save target as", whichever option is presented to you. Then after you've made your selection, a window should appear asking where you would like to save this file. Select the location (some people simply save everything to their desktop, so that it is easy to find, then once they are done listening to it, they delete it, or move it to a more permanent location), and once it has downloaded, double click on it, and it should begin to play. Enjoy!

Triumphantly Encouraged: 1997 Pastor's Conference (April 27)

2008-04-24T16:59:00.005-06:00

Check out John MacArthur's Triumphantly Encouraged series found here. Give a listen to Donald S. Whitney's Devoted to Doctrine lecture while you're there. These messages were delivered at the 1997 Pastor's Conference. In this conference, pastors are encouraged by the joy of Christ's triumphant victory. Donald Whitney's message is a great reminder from Scripture of why we need to know what we believe (doctrine). John MacArthur's messages remind pastors of why we do the work we do, why it is important to listen to the congregation, and that our most important listener is God Himself. Pastors who preach to please men can be led astray. Pastors who preach to please God remain focused on God. There is a lot of food for thought. Give the sermons a listen and let me know what you think (post a comment on the website, send me an email, or call me on the phone).

Driscoll and Sproul (April 20)

2008-04-18T23:24:00.004-06:00

This week I listened to, or finished listening to two sermons by Mark Driscoll: The Rebel's Guide to Joy in Conflict and the Rebel's Guide to Joy in Temptation. Both are excellent sermons, give them a listen when you have a couple free hours (and I thought I preach long!). I also listened to R. C. Sproul's lecture/sermon Paul at Mars Hill. Mark Driscoll's sermons can be found at the Mars Hill website: www.marshillchurch.org. R. C. Sproul's sermon (and others) can be found here.

The Rebel's Guide to... (April 13th)

2008-04-10T12:45:00.011-06:00

What is Pastor Paul listening to? If you're wondering why it's "What is Pastor Paul listening to?" instead of "What is Pastor Paul reading, or something like that, it is because I find it easier to load sermons and lectures onto my MP3 player and listen to them as I drive. It is harder to find time to read books, much to my chagrin. This week I listened to a couple of sermons by Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill church in Seattle. He has a sermon series on Philippians called "The Rebel's Guide to Joy in..." I listened to "The Rebel's Guide to Joy in Humility" and "The Rebel's Guide to Joy in Poverty." Check it out: http://www.marshillchurch.org/. It can be tricky to locate the sermons on their website, so I've uploaded them here:

Pastor Mark Driscoll - Rebel's Guide to Joy in Humility (mp3)

Pastor Mark Driscoll-Rebel's Guide to Joy in Poverty(mp3)

God is the Gospel (April 6th)

2008-04-04T23:38:00.004-06:00

On the Desiring God website, click on Resource Library, Conference Messages, then select 2006 Regional Conference "God is the Gospel" or you can click on the following: God is the Gospel. This is an excellent website, full of free messages which you can download, burn onto a disc, listen to while driving, or whatever. There are many excellent speakers besides John Piper. For history buffs, the Pastors Conferences often include short biographies of past theologians such as Luther, Calvin, Edwards, etc.

What's Pastor Paul Listening to? (March 30th)

2008-04-04T22:57:00.000-06:00

There are so many great conferences and training events offered for pastors all over the world. By God's grace, He has moved His leaders to offer recordings for free. Last week I "sat in" on John Piper's 2008 Pastor's Conference, by downloading and listening to D.A. Carson's lecture series, "The Pastor as Father and Son". I also started
listening to John Piper's lecture on John Calvin, very powerful stuff.

How to find Us

2008-03-25T23:04:00.009-06:00

We are located at 4633-7th Avenue in Edson, Alberta. If you are driving in from the east on Hwy 16 (heading west), turn right on 47th street. Go straight (north) two blocks and the church is located on your right. If you are driving in from the west on Hwy 16 (heading east), turn left on 47th street. Go straight (north) 4 blocks and the church is located on your right.

Church Programs

2008-03-23T22:33:00.010-06:00

Catechism - a church education class for teens in Grade 7 through Grade 12. Catechism teaches students what we believe and why we believe it, using historical documents such as the Apostle’s Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dordt. Meets every other Wednesday from 7:00pm-7:45 pm (grade 7&8) and 7:45-8:30 (grades 9-12).

GEMS, Cadets and Youth meet every other Thursday from 7:00pm-9:00pm

GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Saviour) - a girl's club for girls from Grade 3 to Grade 8. This awesome program has a registration fee in the fall and their activities include: Bible study, crafts, singing, and badge work and outings.

Cadets - a boy's club for boys from Grade 3 to Grade 8. The boys earn badges, build crafts, have bible studies and their activities include the Snow Derby, Cub Car Races and camping.

Youth Group - a social event for teens in Grades 9-12, we encourage the Youth Group to engage their faith, develop discernment, have fun and serve others. We often do fun activities and every 3 years or so, participate in a short term missions trip.

Young People - A ministry for Young Adults (College & Careers) which involves a Bible study.

Small Group Ministry – we offer several different small groups, mainly Bible studies. For more information about individual Bible studies contact Pastor Paul: crcedson@telus.net.