White Rock Community Church

Our LPD Church of the Week

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Long ago, and in a world not far away, I was born in White Rock – one of the first babies born at the then new White Rock Hospital. In fact, today is my birthday – you will have to guess the year...

From birth, I attended White Rock Evangelical Free Church. It was there that I attended Sunday School, was nurtured in the Faith and was first encouraged toward pastoral ministry.

My parents began attending the church soon after they settled in White Rock after my father completed his service in WWII. My father helped construct the church building in his summer vacation as a teacher, and he and my mother served in various ministries. My father served as church chair.

We moved away in 1971, and the church went through several ups and downs over the years. A church “splant” happened after a time of division, resulting in two churches. The churches were later reconciled and reunited, and together became White Rock Community Church.

In 2007, Youth Pastor, Steve (Jodie) Doerksen became Lead Pastor, and a new and exciting chapter began for White Rock Community Church. The church has grown, is impacting the community, and has as its mission to,

“Helping People Reach Their God-given Potential in Jesus Christ .”
Steve and Jodie have been joined by Youth Pastor Josiah (Martha) Wall, and have a strong team of gifted volunteers.

We are thankful for this church family and ministry, and we are thankful for what God is doing, both in and through them.

WRCC is both meeting live and streaming their Sunday services, and you can “check them out” at https://www.wrcconline.com
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Oneness in Christ – or “One-offs” in Christ?

If you have read the above feature about White Rock Community Church, you know that I was born and raised in White Rock. I have attended a Free Church all my life, with a brief intern hiatus during seminary ..

That makes me rather unique in our circles. I am also somewhat unique in that, I was born locally, my ancestry is Scottish/English, and I am Caucasian.

Our Lower Pacific District is composed of those who were born locally and those who have come from afar. We represent many cultures and languages. Each week, we have churches meeting in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Swahili, Korean, Amharic and sometimes Filipino/Tagalog.

I celebrate this diversity. I enjoy learning of and from different cultures, and have enjoyed the foods associated with the fellowship in our churches. I enjoy experiencing and participating in worship with different cultures.

I am aware also that, while we celebrate our diversity and “oneness” in Christ, we are not immune from some among us feeling perhaps more of “one-offs” than oneness; singled out rather than belonging…

We are so thankful for Jorge and Emily Lin, church planting pastors of “The Church of All Nations” in New Westminster/Burnaby. This church has been known as New Westminster EFC, but now this church is joining together with new people whom God is bringing to become The Church of All Nations.

Jorge is an Argentine-born Canadian of Taiwanese heritage. He is fluent in Spanish, Mandarin and English. Emily too is of Taiwanese heritage. This makes them ideal to be planting a church of all nations.

Sadly, Jorge and Emily can also speak to experiences of racism in Canada. Recently, Jorge was asked to participate in writing an article for Faith Today Magazine, and it was published this month. The article is titled, ” “Longing to Belong: How do Christians live out our welcome and inclusion of minorities?”

Jorge has kindly written an introduction to this article for us, and also provided a link to the article below.I encourage you to both read both of these, and to share this with your church leadership. How are we welcoming and including our brothers and sisters who join us from around the world?

Thank you for sharing your story and your heart with us, Jorge!

Here is Jorge’s introduction and the link ot Faith Today follows:
When people ask me: “Jorge have you experienced racism in Canada?” My first answer would be that I have not, but then a voice in my mind would say: “Jorge, you know you have”. If you had a chance to meet me, you know I look Asian even though my name is Jorge (a story for another time). I have indeed experienced racism in Canada, and some in the Christian context, but it is not easy for me to share my stories. Believe me. I have tried to share and have often been met with dismissal or accusations that I am playing the “race-card”. And so, when the opportunity came through my friend Sherman Lau who asked me to collaborate with some of my experience and stories, I hesitated for a long time. I realized that I was afraid to share my stories. What if I am met with dismissal again? I had never been given a voice to speak up and I had grown accustomed to not having a voice, and worse, not having people to speak for me. This time, I chose to collaborate in this article not as an expression of anger or injustice, but as a call to those who have ever asked their friends: “Have you experienced racism?”, to come alongside and empower those who don’t feel they have a voice to speak up. And to consider, if someone is afraid of sharing their experiences of racism with you, how can you and/or your church, make a safe place for them to share, how can you create a place where they feel they truly belong?
https://digital.faithtoday.ca/faithtoday/09102020/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=34#pg34

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Please Remember our LPD Missionaries:

Here is the link to their information and how to support them:
Please remember all of our LPD Missionaries (and all missionaries) at this time.

https://www.lpd-efcc.ca/donations

LPD Missionaries:

Dan and Sharon Williams (Osoyoos Project)
Steve and Gillian Sharpe (Missionary of Church Planting Development)
Jonathan and Harmony Ng (Inner City Ministry)
Noel and Lynda Macasaet (New Living Assembly)
Jorge and Emily Lin (Church of All Nations/”new”New West EFC)
Joshua and Nicole Fast (Priceless Youth Ministry)
Allen and Hannah Chang (Steveston Project)
Daniel and Joyce Wong (Steveston Project)
Nathan and Amber Kinsey (Winsome Games)

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HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR CHURCHES REGARDING COVID-19

We in the LPD are here to serve you and your church through this time. Josephine has been continually updating our information, so has the most current information available on resources available to you and your church in this time. Please email Josephine
Please contact us for info on:

Congregational Meetings – whatever your bylaws state, the BC Government is accepting “virtual meetings” for annual and general meetings. Here is a link to the government communication about this: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/not-for-profit-organizations/societies-agm-covid-19
Current Information on the Federal Government Wage Subsidy Program. Recent changes will positively impact the eligibility of grants for churches. Please contact our office for information.
Resources regarding “restarting” and regathering in your church, and regulations for doing this. Several churches have been “re-opening,” as regulations permit. We are posting information on our website: https://www.lpd-efcc.ca/ By law, your church will need both a plan and a policy, and we can help you with this. Please check with us, as government policy is changing weekly, even daily!
Online Giving Options for your church – helpful, especially when your church cannot physically gather.

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Please pray for:

Pray for our Province, for the election tomorrow and for our leaders. “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. his is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:1-4).
Give thanks for Pastor Dr. Namgyu (Heejoung) Lee, and The Church of the sent for Life Proclamation. This is our district’s (and EFCC’s) first Korean congregation, and they just celebrated their 18th anniversary. Congratulations! We are thankful for you!
This Sunday, I look forward to joining Pastor Noel (Lynda) Macasaet and the people of New Living Assembly in Chilliwack, where I have the honour to preach. This church has “hybrid” services, both “live” and on Facebook.
Give thanks for your pastor and church leaders. May they experience God’s peace, and may each one be drawn to deep fellowship with our Lord.
Pray for one another. As I communicate with churches and leaders, I am aware that churches are streaming services, ZOOMING services, meeting live and offering a combination of the above. Pray for unity. Pray for “connectedness” and pastoral care in our churches. Pray for our witness and outreach to our world that so desperately needs hope.
Pray for the Church of All Nations, and for church planting missionaries Jorge and Emily Lin.
Tom and Sandi Ford and family. Pray that he will heal from his latest surgery, that he will receive prosthetics, and that he will be able to receive a kidney transplant.
Henry and Kim Ngugi – EFCCM Missionaries to Kenya: https://movedchurch.org/
Nathan and Amber Kinsey. Nathan (Coach K) has just been approved as a LPD Missionary, in order to lead Winsome Games, a ministry to reach out to children and youth through sports. Nathan will join us on the Cruise and update us on the start of his ministry.
Our 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) – D.S., Tim Stewart (Emily) – Innovative Ministries, Sang Hyun (Sam) Cho (Eun Young) – Korean Church Liaison; Phil Yung (Grace) – Church Planting, Philip Leung (Karen) – Chinese Church Liaison and Josephine Papp, LPD Office Administrator – Recording Secretary.