Jeff Bjorgan

Spiritual Formation Pastor

It's Priority One Sunday, where we focus again on our number one priority: the call to go. We are a sending congregation, meaning that we encourage individuals from Emmanuel to be a part of God's Kingdom outside of the walls of the church. That may mean reaching out to your neighbours here in the Okanagan, or it may mean reaching out to your neighbours in Romania, or India, Thailand, or Africa. Matt Duffy is here as a representative of our local missions strategy. He is the church's arm extended on the campus of the University of British Columbia. Working with UCM (University Chaplaincy Ministries), Matt hangs his hat on walking alongside students, enabling them, encouraging them, appealing to them, to walk the kingdom walk in their schools and beyond. We welcome him here this morning.

We also want to highlight Gerald and Ruth Morrison. Gerald and Ruth are representative of our global missions strategy. They have been in Africa for the past four months. Although they live in West Kelowna, they have such a strong tie to Africa, having pioneered ministry there for decades. In their words, they have thoroughly enjoyed ministering "back home" again. Gerald writes,

After lecturing at MissionFest 2010 here in Pretoria and teaching at a French MET and a group of leaders from Nigeria, we were asked to help ordinate a new PAOC couple appointed to Namibia. The family flew in but Ruth and I drove in (3,856 km). I had taken the first couple in to open the work in 1982, so it was great to be back and see the work with thirty pastors and as many churches. Tomorrow Ruth and I go to Durban for about 10 days ministering in a number of churches. Then the beginning of July we go by road to Harare for a couple weeks teaching in the college and speaking in some churches. We may go on to Malawi for a number of days. I remember saying to the saints at Emmanuel this will likely be our last trip to Africa, but I think I may have to eat those words, as there are a number of invitations to return.

Gerald and Ruth are prime examples of the fact that we just can't stop the call to go. At the end of our service we'll be taking a second offering to go towards our missions partners. Please be in prayer for UCM ministries as well as the Morrisons.

Derrick Hamre

Lead Pastor

This week we pause to honour dads.

Fatherhood is a God-assigned role that has huge ramifications in our society and with our families. Today I want to applaud, inspire and encourage dads. Your role and responsibility is not an easy one, yet you are so important. The tone you set in your home, the spiritual foundation you lay and the example you deposit into the hearts of those who call you “dad” will be your lasting legacy. Keep up the good work! We love and esteem you!

Linda Shauer sent me this in an email this week and I thought I would pass it along:

I had a chance to hear a message by Josh McDowell regarding Universal Truth and it was staggering how the statistics show that 91% of born again Christians say that there is no absolute truth....and under 4% of born again teenagers say that the Bible is absolute truth. His point was that our beliefs form our values and our values drive our behaviour. He tied this all in to the fact that if a child doesn't see enough love from their father, it is hard for children to believe in truth.  McDowell said, "Fathers, you can be the greatest speaker of truth, but if they don't believe you love them, children reject the truth. Truth without relationship leads to rejection." Then he quoted from a number of scientific studies that support the need of relationships to pass along values (all scientific research shows that a baby's brain is made to connect physically with relationships, and if you want to pass your values on you must:

1. develop loving, connecting relationships
2. model that very truth in their context/life or they'll walk away from it).

The most powerful platform anywhere is as a daddy!

Sabbatical

You may remember that at our AGM we discussed that our board had approved me to take a sabbatical for education, rest and travel. Initially this was to be a 3 month sabbatical (in line with our policy) that would work together with my holidays for a 4 month leave. However, as I began to plan to be away for 4 months, I became anxious. With our church in the midst of building plans, with Koch's being away and with all the normal activities, I chose to receive this gift in another format. For the next 5 years I will take 3 weeks a year for an educational leave. My goal is to complete my master's degree. This format is much better for me, for my family and for the church. Next week I go back to school! I am taking 3 biblical courses (The Judges, Christ's Parables, and The Sermon on the Mount) plus a 6 month course to further improve my French. Perhaps this is too ambitious, maybe I've bit off more than I can chew, but I am looking forward to it.

Derrick Hamre

Lead Pastor

This week Emmanuel Church has been at the heart of our community. During dark days of tragedy and significant grief our people have rallied around to be “the people of God.” There’s been prayer, servanthood and gestures of love that have deeply impacted our community. I have received dozens of emails and calls from people around West Kelowna and Peachland. The messages thanked us for the Candlelight Prayer Service, our presence at Mount Boucherie, the open building and kindness of our people. On Wednesday night Cindy Raichuk organized people to come to the church kitchen to cook meals and to pass them along to the families touched by last week’s tragedy. Yesterday's memorial service was the largest event we’ve hosted in my 13 years here, probably the largest single event ever. Dozens of Emmanuel family members came to help with parking, ushering, kitchen staff and to run the service. I was very proud of the tremendous support.

Cindy sent me the following note:

I got a hold of Ashlee’s mom and took stuff to her last night. She was so grateful and just overwhelmed. She couldn’t believe it, she passed on her thanks!! I also spoke with Greg, Ashlee’s dad and made arrangements to meet him on Friday with a boxful of food. He didn’t know what to say – he just can’t understand how people who don’t know him would be so supportive and kind. It was a good feeling to be able to reach out to him.  He said he can’t begin to thank Emmanuel for everything that’s been done to help them through this.

This week’s events reminded me of Kim Weiler’s word from God for us given in January:

You are not simply the Pastor of Emmanuel Church and a congregation, but you are now Pastor of a community called West Kelowna and the members of Emmanuel are not just members of a local Church called Emmanuel but they are elders of a community church called West Kelowna. This year is a year in which you will be established and recognized in this role and Emmanuel members will rise to become elders in the community. The church as we know it and its facility is about to become the headquarters For the Lord where strategy and blessings will flow down into and out of to the community. Prepare the facility and prepare the people for increase.

Derrick Hamre

Lead Pastor

On Wednesday night our community experienced the darkness of tragedy as a young women was murdered and a family connected with our church through Route 456 was plunged into grief so deep it defies description. On Thursday night light shone into the darkness with a ray of hope. It was the hope of comfort, the hope of a caring embrace and the hope of Christ. Emmanuel Church opened its doors to the community for a Candlelight Prayer Service. Hundreds poured into the church to weep, to mourn together and to experience a little of the power of God that we experience every Sunday. It was unlike anything I have ever been a part of! Young people who have never been in church gathered around our altar to light a candle, hold a friend, to receive or give a prayer. Many worked hard to facilitate the event. We began to awake to the need and made a decision to roll with the service at 3:30 pm. Four hours later we were experience why God has placed us on planet earth. It was light in the darkness, we were the salt of the earth. I was so proud of so many. Thank you….

Although I am unable to be here today, I want every Grad to know that I am thinking about them. Our hearts have been at the school all week. My prayers are with you today!

This week I received an invitation to my 25^th Anniversary of my own graduation from Rutland Senior Secondary in 1985. Wow – time passed quickly! On my graduation, I received a gift, one of those plaques that you wonder “what on earth am I going to do with this?” Well, I’ve been carrying it around for 25 years. It remains in my office, I look at it often and I’ve even memorized it. The plaque reads:

Trust in the Lord with all you heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.

Proverbs 3:5

That piece of scripture / advice has remained with me for 25 years and now I pass it on to this year’s graduation class. Trust. Make God number one. Lean on Him. He will guide you forward! 

Andy Gabruch

Next Generation Pastor

Over 3200 people: 400 sponsored orphans through Compassion Canada, 350 salvations and rededications, in over 20 breakout sessions and 5 general sessions... worshipping God. The purpose of Historymaker is to encounter the living God in a life-altering way. It is part of the discipleship journey.

I think we can remember those moments when God drastically changed our lives. Statistically, those life-altering moments happened during a summer camp or a conference.  Have you ever asked yourself why?  This is what I think:

• These events give the opportunity for adolescents to FOCUS on their Creator rather than on all the distractions that are around them.
• They deepen relationships and therefore solidify trust between youth, leaders and pastors.
• Beyond the hype, lights, and loud music (that shakes you to the core!) God speaks to the heart.

Throughout the Bible when God spoke, His people would respond. In the same way, this is how our teens responded:

• We had over 25 adolescents give their heart to God in first time decisions or rededications to Christ.
• Over 85% of our group made a decision to live their lives in Christ.
• Over 20 Emmanuel youth sponsored a child through Compassion Canada.
• Our teens raised over $1000.00 for the LIFE Campaign.

You can be very proud of them!

Every great conference tends to end in a spiritual hangover or lull.  We are wanting to confront this by deepening relationship with our teens through personal debrief, small groups and testimonies. Furthermore, we have to get our teens doing something! It’s not enough to get them to experience God without allowing them to grow through opportunities in our church.

I ask you to partner with us in prayer. We desire to create a Jesus culture on the Westside through teenagers who want to give their lives to Jesus.

For more details on Historymaker (pictures, messages and highlights) check out my blog at www.emmanuelnet.ca/andy.

Derrick Hamre

Lead Pastor

These last two weeks dozens of guest have passed through our doors at Emmanuel Church. Last weekend in Westbank 15 pre-teens and teens were baptized in water and our house was filled with guests. Many of those who were baptized come to our mid-week youth programs but their families do not come to Emmanuel. Therefore it was exciting to meet so many of them as they came to be a part of the celebration. In Peachland we also had a baptismal and park service where visitors dropped by for food and special music. Again, it was a delight to be able to meet and greet those who came to our special event. This weekend is a time many families are hosting friends and relatives. We welcome you as well! We hope you take a visitor card, grab your free beverage at the coffee bar and can feel the warm care & hospitality of our church family. Although there are hundreds away this weekend (over 100 youth and their leaders are at our annual youth convention in Langley), we are honoured to have you with us. You are important to us!

Let me encourage those who are regular attendees of Emmanuel to be proactive in your greeting and hospitality. Look around! Be aware of our special guests each week. Greet them and let the Holy Spirit use you to encourage them. A word of kindness, a gesture of love, a warm welcome goes a long ways for those who are entering a new and sometimes threatening environment. The Bible is filled with exhortations of hospitality. Why not invite someone for lunch after church? Romans 12:13 urges us to “practice hospitality” and I Peter 4:9 instructs us to “offer hospitality to one another.” This long weekend is a great time to practice what we preach. Open you heart, your home, your pocket book and let someone you aren’t familiar with know that you care about them. The greatest testimony for a church family is when someone “new” says they were loving and kind. They invited me in, they valued me and showed me hospitality. Remember, WE are the church. Don’t wait for someone else to organize it or do it … do it yourself!

On a final note but in tune with the theme above, I want to thank all those who have been hosting a small group in their home this year. From September to June Emmanuel Church runs about 25 Connecting Points (great places for study, prayer, friendship and care). Many of those Connecting Points are held in homes. I deeply appreciate the hosts who open the homes God has given them, prepare food and beverage and help facilitate the disciplemaking process in people’s lives. Again, thank you for your hospitality, you are appreciated! Job well done!