Church Planting Story of the Month:
Ministry at New Hope Alliance Church in Surrey
by Pastor Jeremy Rios
Every week at New Hope Alliance Church we pray that God would send us deeper - deeper to know Him more, to experience Him more, to be more like Him. This isn't idel prayer. We need to know God, we need to crave and depend on Him. Above all, we need His help if we are going to fulfill the mission He has called us to fulfill. This prayer recognizes that depth precedes breadth; that having a firm and rooted knowledge of God is essential if we are going to make sharing that knowledge of God with others a priority in our lives. We recognize that, as a Church, in some ways the gospel is our 'product' - one that is made manifest in the lives, character, and work of our people. If we don't have a good product, we won't sell it well, and what we do sell will be flawed.
That said, New Hope is a unique 'church plant'. The scare quotes are appropriate because it is only recently that our members are beginning to realize the magnitude and responsiblity of our call - that there is a certain and definite cost to being the Church for each other and the world. Compsitionally, we are made up of some three 'crops' of English speaking Vietnamese Youth groups that have grown up in our midst, combined with a smattering of other ethnicities that have joined in for the ride along the way. This diverse mixture, and the natural closeness they have with one another, is one of the greatest assets that New Hope has. Still, when I first became their pastor, many of our members didn't know the gospel. For some there was a language barrier between generations; for others, they attended for the fellowship and didn't understand the deep, central message of the Gospel.
Because of that, New Hope's members had no developed sense of what it meant to be Church. They were (and still are) sincere, but at that time we were still, before anything else, a church plant within the Church - in other words, we were a plant that was bringing the gospel to a new generation within the Church first. Our mission was to our own members.
We've seen great things happen in the past years. Many people who attended but didn't have faith have committed their lives to Christ. We've had several new believers come to faith in our midst. Though small, our members have tithed faithfully. Now, three years in, New Hope's members are beginning to get a sense - however shadowy - of the greater mission of God to which they are called. We are now beginning to learn that we have a deeper call to be a Church plant for our friends, and family, and city as well. The journey ahead will be difficult - but if we prevail it will be unimaginably rewarding.
And yet we still will pray - will always pray while I am their pastor - for depth. We want to be in Christ so that we can be for Christ. We want the gospel message, the person of Christ, to so invade our hearts and minds that we can do nothing other than be evangelists. We want our sails in the air, attentive and patient, for the wind of the Spirit to blow us where He wills. We want our eyes and ears open to observe the mission that God has laid at our feet.
So please pray for New Hope. Pray for our depth in Christ. Pray for the burden of God's call to fallon us. Pray for a sesnse of urgency about the gospel mesage. And pray as well for a spirit of sacrifice and dedication to the work of truly becoming a Church that makes a difference in the Kingdom of God.
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Previous Church Planting Story of the Month:
Kingdom Living: Ministry in Powell River
An Update from Lighthouse Community Church
by Mike Barkman
Our world was turned upside down this year with the arrival of our beautiful baby boy, Elijah Hesed Barkman, born on May 9. He has had many health problems since he was born. We have made 8 trips down to Children's Hospital in Vancouver, 4 of them for him to be admitted for different reasons. But this is not about him. It's about what God is doing in and through us all, by using him in our lives. Make no mistake, most days we feel like we've been through the meat grinder. But there's a glimmer, an underlying hope, a reason to keep believing that it is going to be okay, no matter what the outcome is. And that's because God is good.
This trial has opened our eyes to a much bigger world that is out there. First, it's a world of pain. There are so, so many sick babies and children out there, so, so many hurting parents who would gladly carry the burden for their children if they could. Second, it's a world of wealth, both of knowledge and resources. Children's Hospital has an amazing network of people working together for the good of each child, and we are so thankful for them. Third, it's a world of love. Walking through a crisis has called us to reach out, and rely on others. Many of you have offered prayers on our son's behalf. Some of you have cried, cooked, babysat, hugged, supported and walked with us each step of the way. Fourth, God doesn't want us to journey alone. Often when we have felt the most despair, the most alone, the most worried, God has sent some kind of encouragement, either through an email, a pop-in visitor who offers a prayer, or just a word from somebody who has been praying for us. Fifth, God is good. Without him there is no hope. Although we've struggled so much these last 6 months, God has always been there. He has provided. He has protected. He has loved. He has embraced us. He is our 'refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear...' (Psalm 46). And finally, it's not about us. God has broken us through this journey. We have wept many tears for our precious little boy. We've felt sad, alone, worried, and angry, but it's not about us! This isn't the Mike and Sherri story, nor is it the Elijah story. This is all about God, and what He is doing in the midst of our weakness. It is all about His kingdom, and His will for our lives, even in our brokenness, even in our sin, and may He be glorified through it all!
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best - as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Mathew 6, The Message
