Devotional

Right as Rain (highlighting English Circles)

I wanted to take a moment to highlight a ministry that has been happening quietly at our church. Earlier this year, Pastor Erin and her team started English Circles, which is simply a place for people to come and practice their English conversation skills. It was a bit of an experiment but they knew it had the potential to really bless those who are new to Canada and trying to integrate into the culture and community.

Each time they gather the conversation has a theme (like "spring") and they talk about some of our strange idioms (think: "it's raining cats and dogs" or "right as rain" or "spring chicken"). Very useful when you're trying to understand a new language!

What's been interesting about this group is how transient they are. They might be in Canada for a short time, or unexpectedly have to travel or move. However, this is far from discouraging. One family moved to Canada, was introduced to faith in Jesus through English Circles, grew in their faith over the past year and then needed to move back to their country of origin to care for a family member. They are now in South America, sharing the gospel with their community there.

To be honest, that kind of story wasn't on the vision board for this ministry. We couldn't have anticipated the impact it might have. But we're humbled and grateful that we could be a part of their story of becoming followers of Jesus.

Our next round of English Circles starts on October 3rd and here's how you can help:

  1. Pray that God would bring people to EC. (We have hand-delivered 450 invitations to the neighbourhood beside us.)

  2. Pray for the team as they build relationships with all who attend.

  3. Tell a friend or neighbour about EC and invite them to join.

And, of course, if this is a ministry you're interested in getting involved with, you're welcome to get in contact with Pastor Erin.

I'm cheering and praying for English Circles this fall. Join me!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, September 29 @ 10am

WHEN IN ROMANS
Against All Hope
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Don't Walk Alone (join a Group this fall)

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I love the Church. I love being a part of a community of believers. I love being able to serve others with what God has given me. And I love learning and growing by gathering with and listening to others who are also following Jesus. That's why I intentionally put Groups on my calendar each season. It's like a breath of fresh air in the middle of the week.

Admittedly, I don't always want to get in my car after dinner and get myself to the church for my group or log onto my computer and open Zoom. There are always things pressing for my time and energy. But, I can honestly say that I can't remember ever regretting the effort I made to get together with others and talk about the Lord. Literally, never.

And, not to be dramatic, but I don't know where I'd be as a disciple, how I would have made it through some dark days, or stayed encouraged all these years if it wasn't for the input of others in the body of Christ. Even the most average time in a Group far exceeds any input I might get from Netflix or scrolling on IG. It's not even a contest.

I don't say this to pressure people or make anyone feel guilty. I'm simply always going to be a champion of Groups in all their various shapes and sizes. True connection and learning that leads to engagement with the church and the world who needs to know Jesus is beautifully facilitated when we spend intentional time together.

If you have a place where this happens for you, go after it with all your heart. If not, join a Group at Freedom this fall. Most of our Groups happen on Wednesday night so we can provide a great program for kids (KizConnect) and childcare. But we also have a new Tuesday night Group on Zoom for men.

My heart for every one of you is to be connected with God and others in life-giving relationships. Join us to connect, learn and engage in new ways this fall.

Pastor Tracy

PS - Hope to see you on Saturday for Prayer & Deep Roots!

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, September 22 @ 10am

WHEN IN ROMANS
Freely By His Grace
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Where it All Begins (engage in Fast & Pray Days)

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I don't think anyone would argue that prayer isn't important or even that it's optional for a person who follows Jesus. I also know that the honest assessment of most of our lives is that we don't pray as much as we could/should/need to/want to. It's a curious thing, really. We know it's vital but we find ourselves struggling to make it a priority.

This is one of the main reasons that we've put prayer on the calendar in September. There isn't any particularly special about the 16th-21st. They are just days that we've intentionally set aside to pray. They are on the calendar so that we can do the thing we know is vitally important and, we can do it together.

We know that we are called to pray and we believe that God moves as we do. You are invited to engage with us on September 16-21 for Fast & Pray Days. Here's how to do it:

  1. Sign up for a day to pray and fast for at least one hour. Find the sign-up form here: freedomkw.com/prayer (this will help us to know that all the days are covered with people praying)

  2. Check your inbox for our Prayer Guide. This will give you some things to pray for and about during the week.

  3. Join us on Saturday, September 21. Every hour from 10:00-4:00 we will have time for personal prayer for 45 minutes and a host to lead you in corporate prayer for 15 minutes. At 4:00 we will have an hour of worship (Deep Roots).

We had a similar day of prayer several months ago and it was powerful to see how God moved and what we sensed the Spirit was doing in us and in our church through it.

If you've never been a part of something like this before, don't let uncertainty or worry stop you. You won't be centred out in any way and this could be the beginning of a whole new season of your walk with the Lord!

I'm looking forward to this next week and hope to see many, many of you participating however you can, whenever you can. Let's believe for God to move in powerful ways!

Pastor Tracy

PS - Scroll down through the slides below to find out what's happening in September in church life. So many ways to CONNECT, LEARN and ENGAGE!

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, September 15 @ 10am

WHEN IN ROMANS
Kindness & Judgment
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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The Final Chapter... Self-Control (lesson 10 of our Produce course)

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What a great summer it has been. I'd love to hear your thoughts about our Produce course as we finish Lesson 10 this week. What has the Holy Spirit been teaching you? Where have you already seen the fruit growing in your life? What are some insights that have surprised you? Hit reply and let us know!

If you missed Pastor Del's message on self-control, you can watch/listen here: freedomkw.com/messages. Thank you for investing your time into this great material over the past couple of months. Perhaps you can think of someone else who might benefit from this course... go ahead and pass it on.

Here are your options for Lesson 10:
PDF Download: Lesson 10 (Self-Control & Summary)
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

And, one more time, please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am incredibly grateful for all the Holy Spirit produces in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, September 8 @ 10am

WHEN IN ROMANS
Not Ashamed
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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About Being Truly Gentle (lesson 9 of our Produce course)

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This week we are looking at Lesson 9 of the Produce course we covered on Sunday: Gentleness. If you missed Pastor Tracy's message, you can watch/listen here: freedomkw.com/messages.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment!

Here are your options for Lesson 9:
PDF Download: Lesson 9 (Gentleness)
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, September 1 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Self-Control
Pastor Del

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Growing in Faithfulness (lesson 8 of our Produce course)

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This week we are looking at Lesson 8 of the Produce course we covered on Sunday: Faithfulness. If you missed Pastor Erin's message, you can watch/listen here: freedomkw.com/messages.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment!

Here are your options for Lesson 8:
PDF Download: Lesson 8 (Faithfulness)
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, August 25 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Gentleness
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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True Goodness (lesson 7 of our Produce course)

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This week we are looking at Lesson 7 of the Produce course we covered on Sunday: Goodness. If you missed Pastor Ethan's message, you can watch/listen here: freedomkw.com/messages.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment!

Here are your options for Lesson 7:
PDF Download: Lesson 7 (Goodness)
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, August 18 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Faithfulness
Pastor Erin

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Growing in the Spirit's Kindness (lesson 6 of our Produce course)

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This week we are looking at Lesson 6 of the Produce course we covered on Sunday: Kindness. If you missed Pastor Erin's message, you can watch/listen here: freedomkw.com/messages.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment!

Here are your options for Lesson 6:
PDF Download: Lesson 6 (Kindness)
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, August 11 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Goodness
Pastor Ethan

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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More About Forbearance (lesson 5 of our Produce course)

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This week we are digging into Lesson 5 of the Produce course we covered in Sunday's message: Forbearance (Patience). If you missed Dave's message, you can watch/listen here: freedomkw.com/messages.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment!

Here are your options for Lesson 5:

PDF Download: Lesson 5 (Forbearance)
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, August 4 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Kindness
Pastor Erin

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Growing in Peace (lesson 4 of our Produce course)

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This week we are digging into Lesson 4 of the Produce course we covered in Sunday's message: Peace. If you missed Scott's message, you can watch/listen here: freedomkw.com/messages.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment!

Here are your options for Lesson 4:

PDF Download: Lesson 4 (Peace)
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, July 28 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Forbearance
Dave Hancock

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Producing Love & Joy (lessons 2 & 3 of our Produce course)

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As promised, this email (and all the rest of our devotionals this summer) will provide you with the lesson(s) from the Produce course that we covered in Sunday's message. This week it was Lessons 2 and 3: Love & Joy.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment!

Here are your options for Lessons 2 & 3:

PDF Download: Lesson 2 (Love)

PDF Download: Lesson 3 (Joy)

Online Course

Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

UPDATE: construction has BEGUN. leave yourself some extra time to get here on sunday!

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, July 21 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Peace
Scott Corkill

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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The Fruit (and introduction to Produce)

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We started our summer series this past Sunday with an introduction to the fruit of the Spirit. As promised, this email (and all the rest of our devotionals this summer) will provide you with the lesson from the Produce course that we covered in the message.

I hope you'll follow along with us and take some time each week to go deeper with this excellent material. I know it will be worth your investment.

Here are your options for Lesson 1:
PDF Download
Online Course
Printed Copy (available at the Welcome Centre)

(Want to be a keener and get the whole course at once? Click here.)

And please note as you're going through the course: if you find any typos or errors, let us know! We promise not to roll our eyes and we will definitely say thank you.

I am praying that we all grow in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit this summer as He produces His good fruit in our lives!

Pastor Tracy

UPDATE: construction has BEGUN. leave yourself some extra time to get here on sunday!

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, July 15 @ 10am

PRODUCE
Love & Joy
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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So Many Reasons (why serving matters)

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We are fighting a battle in the Canadian church. We are constantly battling to live our beliefs and not just try to survive the busyness of one day to the next. A culture of overwhelm surrounds us and it seems that everyone lives beyond their capacity. This pressure isn't going away any time soon. It's one of the hallmarks of our culture. And, it's not just us. It's human nature.

I was struck by this in Psalm 39:6 (NLT) - "We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing." So, take heart, it's not just you. It was King David's observation in the 10th century BC, too!

As the church, we will always be pushing back against this cultural norm. We know that Scripture teaches us to be about "one another". The example that Jesus gave us was one of intentional living, withdrawing to be with the Father, and serving everyone He met from that source of strength. We are called to do the same.

Let's lament for a moment how difficult this can be. Maybe it's the expectations of family or work. Maybe it's a health challenge or a personal crisis. Maybe it's the pressure of raising a family and working to make ends meet. Whatever your situation, God sees and knows. The call to us is not to add even more to our schedules but to be mindful that our schedules are serving our call.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, finding ways to serve others is one of the best ways to fight the cultural trend. When I structure my life to include using what I have (time/resources/talents) to benefit someone else, my life gets richer. I find meaningful community and push back on the loneliness epidemic we hear so much about. I gain perspective on my issues and challenges as I meet someone else in their place of need. I go to bed at night with a full heart. It's very freeing when my life is about more than just me and my "busy rushing that ends in nothing."

I bet you've found the same thing.

So, as you enter these beautiful summer months, hopefully with some extra rest booked on your calendar, I invite you to consider how you are serving. Is it time to start? Time to make a change? Time to challenge yourself? Time to reorganize your family's schedule? This is a great season to evaluate!

On Sunday, Pastor Erin, Pastor Ethan and I reminded you of how you can get involved in church life and find meaningful ways to serve at Freedom. You can find that information here. But wherever God is calling you, however He has equipped you, don't miss out on the blessing of serving others!

Pastor Tracy

UPDATE: construction has BEGUN. leave yourself some extra time to get here on sunday!

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, July 4 @ 10am

PRODUCE
The Fruit
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Coming in September... (welcome, Mrs. Theresa!)

In case you missed it on Sunday, I'm excited to re-share the announcement I gave during the service about the future of Kids Ministry at Freedom. Keep reading... God is good, all the time!

Pastor Tracy

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As you know, we marked the end of Margaret’s 16 years of ministry at Freedom two weeks ago. We are officially without a Children’s Ministries Director at this present moment. This is not ideal, of course, because we have a deep desire to pour into the next generation and provide great leadership for our Kids Ministries. The advantage we’ve had is that I’ve known for almost two years that this was coming and more than that, God saw it *way* before I ever did. 

Over the past few months, I have been interviewing an excellent candidate for this role and am so pleased to announce that starting September 1st, Theresa Capson will become our new Children’s Ministries Director. 

Theresa is married to Matt and is a mom of 5 kids ranging in age from 13 to 25 and is also a nana to two grandkids. The Capsons were part of our church between 2012 and 2016 (and Matt served on the board) and then moved to the US for Matt’s work. They moved back to Kitchener last summer, 7 years later, and it’s been great to have them at Freedom again.

Theresa has been serving in Kids Ministry (again) since the end of last year and is already familiar with our church’s core values and culture. This is a huge benefit to us and to her as she comes on staff in the fall. Her resume is filled with the extensive training and experience she has working with kids. 

Ethan, Erin, Kaitlin and I are all excited for Theresa to get started and to see how God will use her uniquely in this role. She’s not filling anyone’s shoes - that’s not really possible, is it? She’s got big dreams in her very own shoes and I know God is going to bless her ministry and our Freedom Kids and Ministry Team through her.

Welcome, Theresa!

And also, as an added blessing and bonus, Wendy De Sousa has agreed to join us this summer to help fill in the administrative gaps in Kids Ministry. She’ll be in the office for 10 hours per week, taking care of the details and getting things set up for Summer Sunday School. She’ll also be here full-time during the two weeks of Kids Camp to assist Pastor Erin in running an excellent summer program. 

Welcome, Wendy!

Isn’t God so good? He’s never surprised and He is always at work. It’s going to be a great new season of ministry here at Freedom.

UPDATE: construction has BEGUN. leave yourself some extra time to get here on sunday!

You can also find us by driving through the new neighbourhood...

From Fischer-Hallman Road:

1. Turn onto Rosenberg Way (new roundabout near Food Basics plaza).
2. Turn RIGHT onto Forestwalk St.
3. Turn LEFT onto Bleams Rd.
4. Turn LEFT into Freedom's driveway.

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, June 30 @ 10am

ON THAT DAY
Do Not Fear
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Walking Downhill (uphill isn't all bad)

Like most of KW, my neighbourhood has a lot of hills. I know that when I walk the dog it's downhill, uphill, downhill, big uphill, then a neutral homestretch. What's interesting is that it took me a long time to notice this pattern. I knew about the first uphill (when I start sweating, even in the middle of the winter) and I certainly knew about the second uphill climb because it hurts a bit. But one day, I was walking this route backwards and noticed those downhill sections for the first time.

You may wonder, how dense can you be? If there are uphill sections, there are downhill sections, obviously. But when I was going downhill, I didn't give it any thought. Those parts of the walk are long and gradual. They feel more like I am on a flat section and, I guess, I gave my level of fitness credit for why they didn't take much effort.

But when I reversed course, I could clearly see that the downhill sections were very much downhill. I felt them as they became long, slow, uphill climbs. And, as happens to those who preach, a spiritual illustration came to mind.

There are times when the effort to move forward is keenly felt. In fact, much of our life as a disciple of Christ requires intentional effort: we take up our cross and follow Him. It's a long obedience in the same direction... and much of that is a climb. (This is why it's so vital that we don't rely on our own strength, but learn to lean on His perfect strength in our weakness!) The beautiful thing about a climb, like hiking up a mountain, is that the effort always pays off in huge dividends.

More than that, though, my heart was reminded of how easy it is to coast and think that everything is fine... and we don't realize that we're on a decline, moving farther and farther away from a vital connection with God and His life-giving work in our lives. It's not until we turn around and see how far we've descended do we realize that something was lost. What hit me was just how subtly this happened as I walked. How much more easily can I lose track of my progress in the interior life?

I was reminded of this analogy as I studied Zephaniah 1. The people of Judah had lulled themselves into apathy and convinced themselves that everything was okay. I'm sure this didn't happen overnight; it was a slow fade, a gentle downhill section, barely noticed. But it cost them dearly.

The good news is (and we'll hear more about this as we continue through Zephaniah) that we can always check ourselves, change course, and fix our intention once again on our loving Creator who is already present and inviting us into His good plans and blessing.

It's something to think about the next time you're out for a walk.

Climbing with you,
Pastor Tracy

UPDATE: construction has BEGUN. leave yourself some extra time to get here on sunday!

You can also find us by driving through the new neighbourhood...

From Fischer-Hallman Road:

1. Turn onto Rosenberg Way (new roundabout near Food Basics plaza).
2. Turn RIGHT onto Forestwalk St.
3. Turn LEFT onto Bleams Rd.
4. Turn LEFT into Freedom's driveway.

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, June 23 @ 10am

ON THAT DAY
Gather Together
Pastor Erin

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Thank You, Miss Margaret (watch her "farewell" if you missed it!)

This past Sunday was significant for our church family. We officially honoured Miss Margaret's 16 years on staff at Freedom and released her into full-time preparation to leave for Guatemala as a Global Worker in the coming months. It was beautiful and sad, the definition of bittersweet.

I mentioned on Sunday that I believe it is important to mark these significant transitions in the life of the church and in the lives of those who serve us well. As we celebrated Margaret's ministry, we also remember to thank God for the gift of her life and leadership, knowing that she will bring that gift now to the people of Guatemala. We mark these occasions with gratitude so that we are keenly aware of all that we have been given by our heavenly Father.

If you missed the service, I have posted it on YouTube for you to watch when you have a moment.

And, to Margaret, let me say one more time: The board, staff and congregation of Freedom in Christ would like to thank you for these 16 years of exceptional service. We honour you and are fully confident that you will know God’s blessing and strength, proved by continued fruitful ministry, as you minister in Guatemala. We are with you. We are cheering for you. We love you.

Glad to be part of His body and His family,
Pastor Tracy

UPDATE: construction has BEGUN. leave yourself some extra time to get here on sunday!

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, June 16 @ 10am

ON THAT DAY
The Day is Coming
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Daily Sabbath (the power of the Bible and coffee... or whatever)

I once heard John Mark Comer talk about the importance of keeping the Sabbath, honouring a day of rest. He shared a common sentiment - his life was very busy with many demands for his time. (I'm sure you can relate!) But the key for him was protecting that day of rest. He said something to the effect of "I can do this (whatever the day or week demanded of him) because I know that Sabbath is coming," and/or, "I can do this because I just observed the Sabbath and I am ready." I've never forgotten it.

It was brought to my mind this morning as I sat quietly in my kitchen with my Bible and a cup of coffee (a winning combination indeed). It was early, my kids weren't up yet, the street was quiet outside my kitchen window and I was just still for a moment. My time and attention have been fragmented in the past few weeks, that's just the season of life I'm in right now. There are more things on my to-do list than minutes to accomplish them. But as I read the Word and gave the day to God, I had peace.

John Mark's comment came back to mind. I knew that the day was going to be okay because I had a moment of Sabbath before it began. I also know as I go through the rest of the day I can keep working away at whatever challenge pops up next because another moment of Sabbath is coming soon.

Yes, I believe that we should strive for a day of rest and that we were not built to work 24/7. We need healthy rhythms in our lives. But, there is also a reason that spiritual disciplines have been practiced by believers since the Early Church. We need built-in moments of pause and stillness so that we can hear what the Spirit is speaking to us, for pointing our lives toward worship, and to learn to rely on His strength and not our own. We need daily Sabbath.

Let me encourage you to build these kinds of practices into your day. You don't know what each day will bring but you can always know where your strength is coming from.

Blessings,
Pastor Tracy

UPDATE: construction has BEGUN. leave yourself some extra time to get here on sunday!

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, June 9 @ 10am

YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Comforter
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Jesus Teaches His Disciples But.... (does that apply to me?)

As a pastor, I have the privilege of hearing and responding to a lot of questions about faith, the Bible, sin, Jesus, and more. Even though I've been in vocational ministry for over 20 years, some questions still surprise me.

Last week someone wanted help answering an objection she keeps running into with someone in her life. The objection is that what Jesus taught in the Gospels was only for His disciples, not for us. The question is: How do we know that Jesus' teachings are for us?

What an interesting question. I can't remember ever running into that objection before. I suppose you could expand it out and discount the whole Old Testament with that line of thinking since it was clearly written for the Jewish people. Pretty dangerous territory.

I did a tour of the scriptures and sent my response to her. I also wanted to share it with you for two reasons: 1. Perhaps you've wondered the same thing or have been asked this question by someone. 2. I couldn't help but be grateful and excited when re-reading these scriptures. What a gift it is to be included in the family of God!

So, to encourage your faith or to help you search the scriptures for answers, here is my response...

John 17:20-24
Jesus prays for all believers after He prays for His disciples (17:6-19). The assumption is that there will be other believers beyond the original disciples.

Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus tells His disciples to go into all the world (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the ends of the earth) and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything He had commanded. So, what He said to them is for all who will become disciples, and those disciples will be from all over the world.

Acts 10 & 11 (note 11:18)
God makes it very clear that the gospel is not just for the Jews (in case the argument is that “disciples” or “believers” are only Jews).

John 15:1-17
The Jews believed they would be saved just because they were Jews and “Abraham is their father”, but Jesus says that people are only saved when they remain in Him. It’s faith, not bloodline. (More about this on Sunday!)

Romans 11
Paul explains that believers who are Gentiles are “ingrafted branches” and are standing on the promises made to Israel (so don’t be arrogant, be grateful).

More scriptures about this:
Ephesians 2:11-18
Galatians 3:26-29
Galatians 6:15
John 1:12
Romans 2:25-29

There is a lot to unpack here so don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!

Pastor Tracy

UPDATE: The start of construction has been delayed until MONDAY, JUNE 3rd.

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, JUNE 2 @ 10am

YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Friend
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

The Long Way Around (detour information)

I know I'm strange, but one of my hobbies is reorganizing things. I find it relaxing to tear a closet or drawer apart and put it back together. It's so delightful. The problem is always the mess you have to make in order to create something lovely. There are always a few scary moments of, "What did I get myself into??", before it starts to come back together. It's worth it in the end but you have to trust the process.

This week the Region has started something similar. They are going to make a really big, annoying mess, and it's going to be so much better in the end. We're going to have to trust the process for the next year or so!

Bleams Road will be closed starting on Monday from Fischer-Hallman to Forestwalk St (the one beside us with all the new houses). To get to church you'll need to come from Donnenwerth Dr or Trussler Rd. The maps below should help you see what we mean.

Later this year, the next section of Bleams will be under construction (right in front of the church to the hydro corridor) and we'll have another set of maps for you. And, 2025 will see Trussler and Bleams closed for many months.

The end result of this is going to be an AMAZING Bleams Road (I say that in faith!). We will have safe access to the church property for our neighbours and better traffic flow as our community grows. And, of course, new pavement will be lovely as the condition of the road was getting pretty rough.

Please take note of these detours to minimize frustration and when you're inviting someone to church, let them know the easiest way to get to us.

So much is happening around our property. Take a moment to pray for our church, that all of this development and change would give us more opportunities to share Christ with those who need to hear about Him!

Trusting the process,
Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, MAY 26 @ 10am

YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Advocate
Pastor Tracy

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

The Spirt At Work in the World (it's 50 days after Easter!)

This Sunday, we celebrate Pentecost. It will be 50 days since we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday and we mark this day in the calendar to honour what came next. You can read it for yourselves in Acts 2. It's incredible.

We're going to do a couple of special things together on Sunday. Our new series is called "You Are Not Alone" and in the coming weeks we're going to talk about what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit in John 14, 15, and 16. But to start things off, we're going to focus in on the amazing work of the Spirit in the world.

Dr. Jeremy Feller, our mission partner in Ethiopia, will be speaking, sharing stories of what he sees God doing in Africa and the Middle East. Our Guatemala Team will be bringing us a report of all that happened on their trip. I know that both of these things will encourage you. And, just for fun, we're serving Guatemalan and Ethiopian coffee in the lobby on Sunday!

I know that many of us don't come from a Pentecostal background and that Pentecost Sunday might be something new that you'd like to study more. Here are some resources to get you started and as always, don't hesitate to reach out to us with more questions or insights. We'd love to hear your story and share in your journey.

Be filled!
Pastor Tracy

SCRIPTURE: The Book of Acts VIDEO COURSE: The Holy Spirit Lab
BLOG: Why do Pentecostals care so much about Spirit baptism? (Andrew Gabriel)
COURSE: Life in the Spirit (Del Wells)
COURSE: Pentecostal Essentials (Del Wells)
EBOOK: Spirit Baptism in the Old and New Testament (Andrew Gabriel)
BOOK: The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke (Roger Stronstad)
BOOKLET: A Scriptural Outline of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (George Gilles)
POSITION PAPER: Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Assemblies of God)

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, MAY 19 @ 10am

YOU ARE NOT ALONE
The Holy Spirit at Work in the World
Dr. Jeremy Feller

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.