Please pray for
MILL LAKE CHURCH
Our LPD Church of the Week
Mill Lake Church (formerly known as “Abby Free”) was planted in 1962, when the population of Abbotsford was just 20,326 people. Today the population is more than 141,000. The community has been known as the “Bible Belt,” and more recently,on occasion, as the “bullet belt,” due to some violence related to the drug trade.
Abby Free has changed with the community, and over the years has had to retool and revision, all the while being true to its mission.
Pastor Randy and Allan Lemke came to serve as youth pastor in 2001, and in 2010, became Lead Pastor. Don and Carolyn Murdoch serve as Assistant Pastor, and Karl and Mandi Owens serve as Worship Director.
In the spring of 2020, the church launched a name change to “Mill Lake Church.” This reflects a refreshed and renewed vision and their desire to be “salt and light” to the neighbourhood in which God has placed them. They state:
We exist to make the hope of Jesus known
We are Mill Lake Church, though for nearly 60 years at the intersection of Marshall and Ware streets in Abbotsford, we’ve been known as Abbotsford Evangelical Free Church (or “AbbyFree”). Our name has recently changed but our commitment to our Mill Lake community has not.
We look forward to welcoming you in through our doors to fellowship together again in person. But in the meantime, you are invited to stream our weekly worship services right here on our website.
We hope you’ll join us to discover more about who Jesus is and the love He has for you.
You are WELCOME here.
The purpose of our church, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is to glorify God, making disciples of Jesus Christ who cultivate, communicate and celebrate a lifestyle of following Jesus.
To glorify God through connecting people to Jesus and each other.
To find out more about Mill Lake Church, or to “attend” their services virtually, please see their website: https://www.milllakechurch.ca/
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Of Paradigms, Pandemics and Priorities…
When Dr. Bonnie Henry extended our COVID-19 restrictions on gathering as churches, as families and as friends through at least February 5th, we could all feel “the air leave the room.” While we all hoped for some easing of restrictions, we also knew that, given the number of positive COVID tests, an extension was predictable, if not inevitable.
We are all disappointed. For our family, it meant cancelling what had become our traditional January family gathering at a cabin in Manning Park. This was doubly disappointing, as we had also, in compliance with the restrictions, not gathered as a family over Christmas. Our Christmas gathering was via ZOOM. Many of you will relate…
Churches are disappointed too. Restrictions which were at first given as very temporary have now become the norm. Churches invested both energy and resources in order to gather in limited numbers (50 or less), and developed protocols to do this safely. Then, we were once again forbidden to meet.
Today, while the “numbers” are more encouraging, we still only hope to be able to meet sometime in the future…
At the same time, God is opening new opportunities for ministry. Online “Alpha” is being well received. People who might never attend church physically are attending “virtually.”Neighbours welcome our gestures of care and visits – at social distance.
This Sunday, I am preaching at Vancouver Chinese EFC, and from my assigned text of Acts 10. This passage describes a major paradigm shift in the early church. The Gospel had at that time been proclaimed only to Jews. Jewish people had been told from birth – in fact for centuries that they must not mingle with those from other nations. Their history had been that if they mingled and intermarried with others, they would inevitably compromise their faith and obedience to God.
How would God mandate his people to proclaim the Gospel to and welcome people of all nations (Gentiles) to the Faith? Well, God used the vision of a Gentile centurion (Cornelius), and the trance-like vision (repeated three times – for emphasis!) of Peter to change the thinking, scope and future of the Church. The Church and its mission were changed for ever! Not only this, but God affirmed His acceptance of the Gentiles through enabling them to speak in tongues!
Peter, after God’s intervention will say, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. (Acts 10:34,35).
In order for such a monumental change to take place in the Church, some monumental events were necessary to introduce it! If the above is true, how will God use COVID-19 to bring change, renewal and a “paradigm shift” in Christ’s Church?
While we might not be able to answer this question today, we may be able to answer it soon as things unfold. Let me ask you this. “If your church were able to assemble again this Sunday, what would you do differently than you did last March?” Secondly, what what ministries would you consider not restarting? What ministries might you introduce? What would you prioritize in terms of time, energy and budget?
I do trust that you are looking ahead – not just to “re-opening,” but to embracing what God is saying through this time of pandemic. Don’t let COVID-19 go to waste.… While many programs are on hold, prayer, seeking the Lord and studying/meditating on His Word is not. Let’s listen. Let’s grow. Let God work!
Church Coach Cory Nieuwhof has recently produced a valuable resource titled,”8 DISRUPTIVE CHURCH TRENDS THAT WILL RULE 2021 (THE RISE OF THE POST-PANDEMIC CHURCH) .”
Nieuwhof begins…
The Majority Of Attenders May No Longer Be In The Room.
Physical church attendance has been in decline for decades and COVID in all likelihood accelerated the decline even further. The average church has seen their re-opened attendance come in around 36% of previous levels. Almost no leader I’ve interviewed expects church attendance to jump back to pre-COVID levels for a while. For years, most pastors didn’t know how to handle anyone who engaged the message or mission outside of their facility….
Here is the link to the whole resource – I encourage you to read this, and to view it with your leadership team!
8+Disruptive+Church+Trends+PDF+and+Application+Guide
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Annual Requirements for All EFCC Pastors and Ministry Leaders
As EFCC pastors and staff within the EFCC, we are called to uphold the beliefs, ethos and professional standards that should be expected of all ministry personnel. If you are a pastor or employed as a ministry leader, we expect you to complete your annual requirements each January. If you have not yet completed your documents for 2021, please do so a.s.a.p. This can be done online at the following link:
efcc-credentialing/mscreport/
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Upcoming Dates:
LPD Annual Conference – virtual…
Saturday, March 6, 2021 – 10AM – 12noon.
Registration info will be sent out soon, but please save the date!
