Merry Christmas from the Lower Pacific District

Please remember

Jubilee Chapel

– our  LPD Church of the Week.

Thanks to Anna (Ben) Crumback at Sointula Community Church for producing the Church of the Week!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Those of you who have known me as your pastor or work with me, know that my style is to have a “personal touch.” People matter! To God – and to me too!

I still write birthday and anniversary cards to pastors, church staff and their children. I have also made a point to write notes on Christmas cards to pastors and church leaders … but not this year.

Our growth in the number of churches and staff have made this more challenging. The postal strike has added to this challenge, so this year, I am sending my Christmas letter to you via email.

As I do so, please know that I am thankful for you, for your friendship, for the church family that you call your own and for the ministry that you represent and invest in. I also uphold your church in prayer!
Please see our attached Christmas letter:

LPD CHRISTMAS LETTER

To me, Christmas is the best time of the year in the local church. Many people will come to church, and we have opportunity to tell them the Good News of Great Joy! People come, expecting to hear Good News!

Some of my favourite memories of pastoring came from the school field trips that a local elementary school brought to our church.

It began when our eldest son was in grade 5. Part of the curriculum was to study world religions, Christianity included. Our son came home with a permission slip for a field trip to various places of worship from different religions. Noticeably absent was a Christian Church.

I visited the school principal, and had a very positive conversation, ending with an invitation for the school to include our church on their field trip itinerary.

It was wonderful! The students came, and I simply shared the Good News. Using the illustration of a mountain, with Holy God at the top and “not-so holy” mankind at the bottom, I told the students that on their field trip, they had learned about various pathways from mankind towards this Holy God. How far did these reach?

The Christian pathway is simply from Holy God to “not so holy” mankind,  for Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth and the life, and that no man could come to the Father, but through him.

In contrast to man-made efforts, we have a God-made invitation, way and message of hope for all! “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16,17)

We do not need to speak offensively about anyone or any other religion. Simply tell the story! The message speaks for itself!
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Here is some refreshing Christmas reading from Max Lucado

https://maxlucado.com/it-began-in-a-manger-christmas/

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Please pray for:

• Christmas Outreaches in our family of churches. From pageants, to candlelight services, may the Gospel be proclaimed to receptive hearts. The Gospel remains the best news ever!
• New Westminster EFC. Pray for Transitional Pastor Ralph (Karen) Hardy, Church Planters Jorge (Emily) Lin this church family as they seek the Lord for the “New” work He desires to do.
• The Steveston Project Team – Allen and Hannah Chang and Daniel and Joyce Wong.
• One Hope Community Church. We welcome Pastor Daniel So and this Korean-Canadian church to our LPD/EFCC Family. We look forward to introducing them to you, and to welcoming them as a member church at our LPD Conference in March.
• Pastor Sammy Kabyemera (Jesus Grace International Church),  who has safely returned from his short-term mission to refugee camps in Uganda. Please see his report in this email.
• Fort Langley EFC, as they as a congregation meet and seek the Lord in their search for a lead pastor.
• Tom and Sandy Ford and family, as he recovers from cataract surgery and awaits transplants, made necessary through the impact of his diabetes. He has gone onto long-term disability as he awaits further treatment.
• Please pray specifically with me for Quadra Island Bible Church and Christ Community Church (Ucluelet) in their pastoral searches. Both are in need of Pioneer, Bi-Vocational pastors.
• Carl Lindstrom, a faithful member and volunteer at New Westminster EFC, who has aggressive prostate cancer.
• LPD Board. Board members are Randy Lemke (Allana) – Chair, Patrick Chan (Sarah) – Property and Finance, Ben Crumback (Anna) – Island Liaison, Charles Labun (Carolyn) – Church Board Liaison, Rob Stewart (Karen) – DS, Tim Stewart (Emily) – Innovative Ministries, Kenneth Tsang (Mabel) – Chinese Church Liaison; Paul Yang (Jin) – Korean Church Liaison; Phil Yung (Grace) – Church Planting and Josephine Papp, LPD Office Administrator – Recording Secretary.
• North Delta EFC, in their search for an Associate Pastor for youth.
• Grace EFC, in their search for a part-time youth pastor.
• White Rock Community Church, in their search for a youth pastor.
• Steve (Gillian) Sharpe, in his ministry as LPD Missionary of Church Planting Development, serving both our LPD Missionaries and Church Plants and church planting in the EFCC.

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Upcoming Events:

LPD Annual Conference: March 1,2 at Vancouver Chinese EFC.